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1Chapter 1911: Zhao Ya's Breakthrough
2Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
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6"Continue cultivating, don't stop!" Zhang Xuan urged as he activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look at the young lady.
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8As the mercury-like spiritual energy flowed through her body, it refined her zhenqi, inducing her cultivation to grow at a visible rate. Within a short ten minutes, she was making advancements equivalent to an entire day of cultivation!
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10"This is… It's the altered meridians!" Zhang Xuan came to a realization.
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12Previously, Zhao Ya's meridians had been completely destroyed while trying to save him, so Zhang Xuan had used the vines of the Dongxu Gourd to construct a new meridian network for her.
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14This mercury-like spiritual energy should have been enough to crush the meridians of any cultivator with ease, but somehow, this problem did not exist for Zhao Ya.
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16It was a wonder what the vines truly were. They were actually able to absorb such heavy spiritual energy without causing a strain on Zhao Ya's body at all by nullifying the damage it would have usually caused on normal cultivators through its sheer resilience!
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18A few moments later, Zhao Ya halted her cultivation before turning to look at her teacher with agitation in her eyes.
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20"Teacher, I think that I should be able to easily achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm as long as I continue absorbing the heavy spiritual energy!"
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22Her cultivation had already reached Blood Reincarnation realm consummation due to her hard work over the past half a year, but all of a sudden, she had found that she could not scale any higher than that. It was as if she had already reached the highest peak of the Master Teacher Continent, and there was no path leading to higher grounds for her to take anymore.
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24It was the world's bottleneck.
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26Yet, when she absorbed the spiritual energy, she actually felt an impetus to make a breakthrough, and it filled her with disbelief.
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28"I see," Zhang Xuan remarked with a nod.
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30He did not say too much in response to Zhao Ya's situation, but he had already roughly figured out what was going on.
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32The spiritual energy of the Master Teacher Continent differed far too much from the Azure in terms of density and quality. The bottleneck preventing cultivators from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm was like a pair of resilient steel gates that an ordinary stream could never push open. It required powerful currents and devastating waves striking on the steel gates in order to break them apart.
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34"It's as I thought. The key to achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm is to absorb this mercury-like energy!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively, more certain than ever of his conjecture.
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36This might also be the reason for the vast difference in the strength of those on the Master Teacher Continent and the deities descending from the Azure. They had been constantly nourished by the mercury-like spiritual energy, so achieving a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm was not too difficult a feat to them anymore.
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38It was for this reason that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had devoted their efforts to developing the Greensprout Wheat to improve the constitution of ordinary civilians. Once their constitution reached a level suited for them to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, mankind would take a qualitative step forward in its level of existence.
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40"Continue absorbing the spiritual energy. Try to achieve a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm if possible!" Zhang Xuan instructed.
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42Zhao Ya nodded. She quickly drove her zhenqi to its limits as she devoured the mercury-like spiritual energy greedily.
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44On the other hand, the other eight direct disciples tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy once more, but they were unable to absorb it like their First Senior. Thus, they could only sigh deeply and look at their First Senior in envy.
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46Knowing that cultivation was not something that could be rushed, Zhang Xuan did not rush Zhao Ya. Instead, using both the Eye of Insight and the Library of Heaven's Path, he made sure to take note of Zhao Ya's current condition carefully, fearing that something would happen to her.
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48Fortunately, due to Zhao Ya's diligence and patience, the foundations of her cultivation were extremely firm. Her cultivation grew without any problems, and within half a day, she was already knocking on the bottleneck keeping her from the Dimension Shatterer realm.
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50"Break!"
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52Once the young lady had built up sufficient momentum, her eyebrows shot up as she released a furious cry. In an instant, her zhenqi gushed through her meridians and tore down the bottleneck limiting her, causing her cultivation to rise to the much-desired level of the Dimension Shatterer realm!
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54The Ordeal of Lightning Armament swiftly descended upon Zhao Ya as the heavens desperately tried to claw her apart. However, with her current strength and Zhang Xuan's pointers, she managed to overcome the crisis safely. Nevertheless, the cultivation ordeal still left many wounds on her that would take some time to recover from.
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56"Is this the level that you reached back then?" Zhang Xuan asked.
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58Vicious had reached the Dimension Shatterer realm before, which had resulted in his widespread fame in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as an Immortal's Envoy. It was with such strength that he had been able to force Kong shi into a corner multiple times.
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60"Un!" Vicious nodded. "Through absorbing the heavy energy coming from the Azure, I was able to push my cultivation past the Dimension Shatterer realm, but I was only able to push to primary stage. Anything beyond that is practically impossible. Based on my research back then, one has to enter the Azure and tap into the natural energies in that world to alter one's fundamental constitution in order to advance one's cultivation any further than that. Otherwise, one will be doomed to be trapped at that realm till one's death!"
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62"You were unable to advance any further than that?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.
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64He quickly turned to Zhao Ya and asked her the same question.
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66Zhao Ya closed her eyes to sense her current physical condition before shaking her head and replying, "Teacher, it seems like reaching Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage is really my limit. If I wish to cultivate any further than this, while the rejection of the heavens does play a part as well, more importantly, it seems like my body has reached the limits of its capacity. I am unable to accept any more heavy spiritual energy!"
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68It was similar to the idea of how a pond could only store a limited amount of water depending on its size. If someone attempted to pour more water into an already full pond, the excess would just flow into the surroundings.
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70If one wanted the pond to reserve a greater amount of water, the only way was to expand the pond. As the size of the pond increased, the amount of water that it could store would naturally increase as well.
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72The dimension one lives in does affect one's constitution too, Zhang Xuan thought.
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74He had thought that as long as he had an ample supply of the mercury-like spiritual energy, he would be able to continuously absorb it and advance his cultivation swiftly. However, it seemed like his thoughts were too naive.
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76If it was that easy, Kong shi would not have had to leave the Master Teacher Continent.
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78Zhang Xuan clenched his fists and thought, Let me give it a try again and see if I'm able to absorb it!
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80Previously, when he tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, he had not achieved a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, and the resilience of his body had still been sorely lacking. However, after his breakthrough, he wielded strength that far surpassed that of even Zhao Ya. Could his body possibly be able to adapt to this mercury-like spiritual energy and allow him to absorb it too?
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82After all, he had altered his meridian network, and it was even more profound than Zhao Ya's!
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84With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly sat on the ground and closed his eyes.
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86Chapter 1912: The Importance of Meridians
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88Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
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92Tzzzzzzz!
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94The mercury-like spiritual energy swiftly poured into Zhang Xuan's meridians through his acupoints.
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96Kacha! Kacha!
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98But as if someone had injected lead into his body, his meridians immediately began cracking as he felt an incredible weight trying to pull him down from within. He hurriedly drove his Heaven's Path zhenqi to repair the cracks and reinforce his meridians to withstand the mercury-like spiritual energy. Nevertheless, his face continued to redden, and a moment later, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth.
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100"It doesn't work…" Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.
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102He had thought that he would be able to absorb the mercury-like energy with the recent advancement in his cultivation, but his expectations had been dashed.
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104If he attempted to force his way through, it could be foreseen that his meridians would be shattered, and his dantian would collapse. Putting aside trying to assimilate the mercury-like spiritual energy into his zhenqi, his body would first be destroyed by the massive burden!
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106"It's a pity that I don't have the vine anymore." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
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108If he still had the vines of the Dongxu Gourd, he would have been able to use it to further alter his meridians and allow him to slowly adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy, but that was clearly out of the question now.
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110Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering if he should seek another method, a thought suddenly arose in his head.
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112Wait a moment, that shouldn't be. Those two Otherworldly Demons were able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, and even Vicious succeeded…
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114Ancient Sage Yan Qing had once experimented with the mercury-like spiritual energy, and of the initial ten subjects, two Otherworldly Demons had eventually survived the crushing pressure from the mercury-like spiritual energy. Vicious definitely did not have the vine of the Dongxu Gourd, but he had succeeded as well.
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116Considering that his meridian network was even more perfect than the Otherworldly Demons, it did not make sense for him to fail. There had to be something else that they had that he did not that resulted in such a massive difference in results.
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118Could it be the Zhenqi of Slaughter? If I alter the attribute of my zhenqi to that, will I be able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy more smoothly? Zhang Xuan wondered.
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120It was not as if there was anyone whom he could consult, so he decided to immediately try it out. He swiftly altered the attribute of his Heaven's Path zhenqi to simulate the Zhenqi of Slaughter, and in an instant, it was as if he had become a lofty Otherworldly Demon Emperor.
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122After altering the attribute of his zhenqi, he opened up his acupoints once more and carefully took in the mercury-like spiritual energy.
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124Tzzzz!
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126This time, when the same mercury-like spiritual energy entered his body, it surprisingly did not feel as heavy as before. Instead, it felt warm and soothing, as if gulping down a bowl of warm chicken soup.
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128"It's working!" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in exhilaration.
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130As the current Sovereign Chen Yong, Liu Yang possessed the ability to freely alter his zhenqi to that of the Zhenqi of Slaughter as well, but his meridians had never been changed before. It was likely that this was why he was unable to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy.
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132However, it was different for Zhang Xuan. Back when he was stripped down to his bones during his fight with the deity in the capital of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had used the unique aura that the deity gifted to Sovereign Chen Ling in order to recover, and he had made sure to alter his meridian network to one that was more aligned with the world.
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134With those changes, he was actually able to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy smoothly without any problems.
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136After absorbing for some time, he finally felt the bottleneck that was preventing him from reaching the Dimension Shatterer realm.
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138"Shatter!"
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140At that moment, Zhang Xuan's consciousness was within the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Library of Heaven's Path, which resulted in a tenfold acceleration for the time of his consciousness. Mercury-like energy poured out of the Azure in bulk, but every single bit of it was swiftly swept into a vortex that led straight into Zhang Xuan's body.
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142Zhao Ya, Kong Shiyao, and the others were astonished, and they swiftly retreated several steps away from the elevated platform.
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144They had noticed that their teacher was able to absorb the heavy spiritual energy ever since his aura transformed into one similar to an Otherworldly Demon, but they did not think that he would actually be able to cultivate so quickly!
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146Under the relentless downpour of such a huge quantity of the mercury-like energy, the elevated platform was crushed under the pressure.
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148Due to the effects of the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Zhang Xuan was able to cultivate at an unbelievable speed. Nevertheless, it took him nearly an entire day before he was able to push his cultivation up to the very brim, where he was unable to accumulate any more energy.
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150Hong long!
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152It was around half a day later before he finally released the energy and took the final step into the Dimension Shatterer realm, just like Zhao Ya. Surprisingly though, perhaps because he had become the World's Teacher, the heavens did not call an Ordeal of Lightning Armament upon him as a result of his breakthrough.
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154After reaching this realm, he swiftly noticed that he was facing the same problem as Vicious and Zhao Ya. No matter how much he tried to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy, he was unable to advance his cultivation in the slightest. It was as if his dantian and meridians had reached a sated state, preventing him from absorbing any more energy.
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156"What a pity!" Zhang Xuan remarked with a shake of his head as he halted his cultivation and rose to his feet.
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158The advancement in his cultivation had given him a deeper understanding of what the mercury-like spiritual energy truly was.
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160Simply put, it was spiritual energy condensed to the extremities, resulting in its unbelievable weight. As the meridians of ordinary humans were simply too weak, it was impossible for them to adapt to it.
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162On the other hand, the Otherworldly Demons possessed a superior constitution, and their meridian network was much more logical than that of normal human cultivators. As such, there was a chance that they could adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy and enjoy a significant boost in their cultivation.
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164As for why the Zhenqi of Slaughter was required to cultivate the mercury-like spiritual energy, Zhang Xuan did not have a clear answer yet, but he did notice that the two energies shared similar attributes to one another. Perhaps, the Zhenqi of Slaughter facilitated the absorption and flow of the mercury-like spiritual energy, and the similar attributes also meant that it was less likely that one's body would reject the mercury-like spiritual energy.
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166Seeing that both Zhao Ya and their teacher had achieved a breakthrough to the Dimension Shatterer realm one after another, Zheng Yang, Kong Shiyao, and the others could hardly contain their agitation. "Teacher, is it possible for us to cultivate the heavy spiritual energy too?"
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168If the two of them were able to absorb the heavy spiritual energy, would they be able to do it in the near future?
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170Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly. "For the time being, it's impossible for the rest of you."
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172Altering the meridians of an individual was no laughing matter. Even with Zhang Xuan's current means, he did not dare take the matter lightly.
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174The reason Zhao Ya had been able to succeed was because her meridians had been replaced with the extraordinary vines of the Dongxu Gourd, but even so, luck played a huge part as well. Many complications could easily have occurred, such as her succumbing to the pain or her body rejecting the vines of the Dongxu Gourds.
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176On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had only managed to alter his meridians because he was already reduced to a skeleton, and he had the 'recovery energy' from the deity that had allowed him to swiftly heal his body. Otherwise, just trying to recover would have been a pain in his backside, let alone making use of this opportunity to alter his meridians.
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178Without such fortuitous encounters, it would be hard for the rest of his direct disciples to succeed as well.
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180Hearing those words, the crowd could not help but lower their heads in disappointment.
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182"It's indeed impossible for ordinary humans to absorb this energy. The Hundred Schools of Philosophers have tried many times, but not even the most talented geniuses were able to adapt to it!" Kong Shiyao added with a bitter smile.
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184There was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who knew more about the mercury-like spiritual energy than the Hundred Schools of Philosophers.
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186For many generations, they had guarded this seal, and within this period of time, they had already fully familiarized themselves with the nature of the mercury-like spiritual energy.
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188With so many talented individuals failing in the past, it did not seem likely that they would all be able to overcome this limitation any time soon.
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190"Even though you might not have succeeded thus far, with time, your body should gradually get used to the mercury-like spiritual energy," Zhang Xuan said.
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192"Based on the records from tens of thousands of years ago, the population then couldn't even survive three seconds in the face of the heavy spiritual energy before their meridians ruptured completely. However, the current population, including those who have yet to cultivate, can last for at least ten minutes in the face of the mercury-like spiritual energy as long as they don't absorb it into their body!" Kong Shiyao nodded in agreement.
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194"Hmm?" Those words brought a frown to Zhang Xuan's face. "Why would that be? Allow me to take a look!"
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196By right, the situation for ordinary humans should not change by too much. Even if the Greensprout Wheat altered the constitution of ordinary humans, a Fighter 8-dan cultivator should still be as powerless in the face of the mercury-like spiritual energy as a Fighter 1-dan cultivator, but there was actually such a huge difference over time. Could it be that the Greensprout Wheat had altered something else?
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198Zhang Xuan swiftly spread his Spiritual Perception across the entire Great Phrontistery of Confucianism, and he swiftly located some of the ordinary citizens.
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200"The Greensprout Wheat has not only enhanced their constitution; it seems like their meridian network has also developed in a much different manner compared to the cultivators of the Master Teacher Continent." Zhang Xuan was shocked.
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202He did know that the Greensprout Wheat had strengthened the bodies of those living in the Kunxu Domain, granting them the strength of Zongshi realm at maturity, but he had never thought of checking their meridians.
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204Over many years of development, the meridian network of the local population was starting to show some similarities to that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! This explained the significant increase in the duration that they were able to withstand the mercury-like energy.
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206"Perhaps this is the path that mankind is destined to walk on in order to advance further…" Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
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208Initially, Zhang Xuan had intended to find a different way for Zheng Yang and the others to adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy, but the sight that he had just seen changed his mind altogether.
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210It felt like the only way to truly adapt to the mercury-like spiritual energy was through altering one's meridians, and if Zheng Yang and the others were to go around it the normal way, it would be impossible for them to succeed in their lifetime.
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212However…
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214In order for them to alter their meridians, they would have to first destroy their meridian networks, but the Aeon of Ancient Sage that they would require to make a full recovery was so massive that it was not an amount that he could procure.
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216Furthermore, what if they were unable to reform their meridians after shattering them?
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218Zhang Xuan pondered deeply for a moment before asking, "Shiyao, where are Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others?"
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220Chapter 1913: Up to the Azure
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222Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
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226The battle with the deity had reduced Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others to mere skeletal racks. With all of them on the verge reaching the limits of their lifespan, it would simply be a waste of resources for them to recover anymore. Nevertheless, before Zhang Xuan left on his self-discovery journey, he saw Kong Shiyao sealing them in ice to preserve their conditions. Half a year had passed since then, but it should be likely that they were still alive.
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228Kong Shiyao also nodded in response, "They are currently in hibernation."
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230"Bring me to them. I just might have a way to save them!" Zhang Xuan instructed as he gathered a bundle of the mercury-like spiritual energy in his hands.
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232Those words made Kong Shiyao widen her eyes in excitement. Knowing the conditions that Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others were in, all she could really do was to delay the inevitable. She thought that it was really the end of these great men who had devoted their lives to protecting the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but Zhang Xuan's words sparked a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
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234She immediately led the way forward, and they soon arrived in a sealed room. In the room, the bodies of Ancient Sage Yan Qing and several other Ancient Sages were placed side by side along a round elevated platform. Beneath the platform were various artifacts that constantly supplied the Ancient Sages with the vitality required to sustain their lives as long as possible.
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236Such a method couldn't increase their lifespan, but at the very least, it was able to delay their deaths as much as possible. This was also the method they had used in order to last the past ten thousand years.
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238Zhang Xuan walked right up to Ancient Sage Yan Qing's skeletal rack, and with a snap of his finger, he released the seal cast around him. The skeletal rack slowly roused to consciousness.
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240"Zhang shi!" the skeletal rack swiftly rose up and bowed deeply.
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242"I have found a way that could potentially save you. However, as I have never tested it before, I can't guarantee its success. If it works out, your lifespan will be extended, and you will enjoy a huge leap in your cultivation. However, if it fails, you'll lose your life right away. Are you interested in taking this gamble?" Knowing that the other party's time was limited, Zhang Xuan got straight to the point.
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244"I want to give it a try!" Ancient Sage Yan Qing replied decisively.
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246Since he was doomed anyway, there was no reason for him to clutch onto this straw of hope, even if the chances were slim.
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248"Good. I have a zhenqi circulation method over here that I need you to practice right now. Furthermore, while you are reforming your physical body, I want you to create your meridians according to this map I have over here!"
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250Zhang Xuan tapped his finger and imparted the reverse method of the simplified Heaven's Path Divine Art and the meridian network mapping he had drawn a while ago into Ancient Sage Yan Qing's head.
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252It took Ancient Sage Yan Qing ten minutes to fully comprehend the meridian network and the zhenqi circulation method. He wasn't too sure what Zhang Xuan was exactly up to, but he was confident that the latter wouldn't harm him. Thus, he took in a deep breath before driving his zhenqi in accordance to the zhenqi circulation method.
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254Tzzzzz!
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256With a snap of his fingers, Zhang Xuan released the mercury-like energy he had gathered previously, causing it to swiftly suffuse the surroundings.
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258The presence of this energy caused Ancient Sage Yan Qing to tense up in anxiety. Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and resolved himself to push it through.
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260He began absorbing the surrounding mercury-like energy using the zhenqi circulation method Zhang Xuan had provided, expecting to feel a crushing pressure any time soon. But as some time passed, an uncomprehending look appeared on his face instead.
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262When he absorbed the mercury-like spiritual energy based on the zhenqi circulation method provided by Zhang Xuan, he felt that the mercury-like spiritual energy was nourishing his body instead of crushing it. Delighted, he continued absorbing the energy excitedly, and within four hours, his physical body was already fully restored!
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264Due to the changes in his meridian network, his body was emanating an overpowering killing intent, making him seem like an Otherworldly Demons from afar.
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266Seeing that the first phase of his plan had worked, Zhang Xuan's eyes glowed in delight. He quickly issued the next set of instructions, "Good. Now, try to push for a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm!"
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268Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded as he continued absorbing the mercury-like spiritual energy.
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270As his accumulation over the past ten thousand years was far greater than Zhao Ya, it took him only two hours to reach Ancient Sage 4-dan. As a result of his breakthrough, his lifespan increased as well.
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272With this, he was no longer at risk of dying at any moment anymore.
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274"Thank you, Zhang shi!"
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276Words could hardly describe Ancient Sage Yan Qing's feelings as he felt the torrent of energy coursing through his body. He quickly kneeled onto the floor to express his gratitude to Zhang Xuan.
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278He was already prepared to face death after his overexertion while trying to repair the formation, but who could have thought that the other party would bring him back using such an unusual method? Not only so, he even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation and reached a level that he thought he would never reach.
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280"The mercury-like spiritual energy sure is incredible. Not only does it hasten one's rate of cultivation, it also recovers one's body at a rate faster than the Aeon of Ancient Sage…" Seeing that his guess was on the mark, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
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282Under normal circumstances, given the limited amount of vitality that Ancient Sage Yan Qing had left inside his body, he wouldn't have been able to fully recover his physical body even in an environment rich in the Aeon of Ancient Sage. However, it was a completely different matter if he were to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy instead.
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284This type of condensed spiritual energy harnessed an incredible amount of power within it. As long as one was able to absorb it, it could heal any severe wounds swiftly.
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286After confirming the feasibility of the method, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly brought the remaining Ancient Sages to the elevated platform before waking them up. He warned them of the risks involved first before imparting them with the same zhenqi circulation method and meridian network mapping he had given to Ancient Sage Yan Qing. All of them decided immediately to go along with Zhang Xuan's plan, especially after seeing the method had worked on Ancient Sage Yan Qing.
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288Eventually, most of them managed to take the final step and successfully reached Dimension Shatterer realm, but there were accidents as well. Two Ancient Sages made a mistake in their cultivation and ended up having their skeletal racks crushed by the heavy spiritual energy, causing them to die on the spot.
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290Nevertheless, all of this showed that this was a feasible course of action to take. Thus, Zhang Xuan called his direct disciples over and asked, "Are you willing to go through any danger in order to reach Dimension Shatterer realm?"
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292The eight of them nodded their heads in agreement.
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294Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and all eight of them immediately spurted blood simultaneously. That single strike had shattered all of the meridians in their bodies.
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296"Cultivate in accordance with this, and be warned that you mustn't make even the slightest mistake. Don't blame me for not warning you if you were to die in the end!" Zhang Xuan said as he imparted them with the two manuals as well.
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298Zheng Yang and the others had watched Ancient Sage Yan Qing's rebirth with their own eyes, so they were well aware as to what they should do. Furthermore, as they had cultivated the simplified version of the Heaven's Path Divine Art, they were extremely familiar with it. While they had never tried cultivating it in reverse before, it didn't take them long to get used to it.
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300In the end, Kong Shiyao was the first one to fully recover and reach Dimension Shatterer realm.
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302Trailing behind her were Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, Lu Chong, and Wang Ying…
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304And five days later, even the weakest of them, Zhang Jiuxiao, had reached Dimension Shatterer realm too!
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306With this, all nine of Zhang Xuan's direct disciples had become Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm experts!
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308"Teacher!"
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310Seeing that they had succeeded, all nine of them cheered in delight.
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312Their teacher had actually accomplished a feat that even Kong shi failed to back then!
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314Seeing that his final job here was done, Zhang Xuan quickly gathered all of them together and revealed his intent to them, "I'm intending to open up the seal and enter the Azure. The circumstances up there are still unknown for the time being, and it's likely that untold dangers lurk beyond. Thus, I want all of you to stay put here for the time being and guard the Master Teacher Continent in my stead. Wait for my news, alright?"
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316Over the past five days which his direct disciples had spent cultivating to Dimension Shatterer realm, he had been pondering over his next move, and he found that his conviction still remained the same.
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318He wanted to head to the Azure and find Luo Ruoxin. He did think of whether he should bring his students along, but he eventually decided against it, especially given the dangers he involved.
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320"Teacher, we wish to come along with you!" Zhao Ya stepped forward and declared.
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322"No matter what kind of danger lies in the path ahead, we'll follow wherever you go. There is nothing that can make us stand down!" Zheng Yang nodded in agreement.
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324While the others didn't say a word, the look of resolution on their faces clearly indicated their stance as well.
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326It was due to their teacher that they were able to achieve their current accomplishments. If their teacher was going to undergo untold dangers, there was no way they would be able to remain here with a peace of mind!
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328"I appreciate your sentiments, but we can't just leave the Master Teacher Continent as it is at the moment. With the massive rebalancing in the power distribution of the Master Teacher Continent, there's no saying what would happen in the future if all of you were to disappear at once. Rest assured, once I have confirmed the situation in the Azure, I'll try to inform you all through Liu Yang's rituals!" Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.
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330The Azure was bound to be filled with innumerable top-notch experts, and even if he was no match for them, he was at least confident of escaping from them if he were alone. However, if he had to bring all of his students with him, he was not confident that he would be able to ensure their safety.
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332Besides, unlike him, his students had their own responsibilities on the Master Teacher Continent, and they couldn't afford to simply leave on a whim.
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334Take Liu Yang for example, he was the highest leader of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It hadn't been long since the situation over at the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been stabilized, and if he were to disappear at this juncture, there was no saying that others would exploit this opportunity to launch a coup d'état against his rule. If so, mankind could potentially be in danger once more.
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336"Then… teacher, you must take care of yourself!"
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338Knowing that their teacher had already made up his mind and no one would be able to sway his decision, the nine of them lowered their heads in disappointment.
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340"Zheng Yang, I have tempered the Dragonbone Divine Spear with the heavy spiritual energy, and it has already achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm. I shall now bestow it upon you. I don't know whether other deities would try to descend to the Master Teacher Continent after my departure, so I'll be counting on you to protect mankind from such external threats!" Zhang Xuan said as he passed the Dragonbone Divine Spear over.
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342Due to the dimension barrier, it was impossible for him to bring any items, including his storage rings, along with him up to the Azure. Furthermore, given his current level of cultivation, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was indeed not of much use to him anymore.
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344"Wang Ying, you specialize in spirit enchantment, but spirit enchantment takes time. I'll bestow the Golden Origin Cauldron to you. It'll safeguard your safety!" Zhang Xuan said as he brought out the Golden Origin Cauldron from the Myriad Anthive Nest.
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346Over the past five days, while this brick-like fellow hadn't managed to achieve a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm from the nourishment of the mercury-like spiritual energy, it was already very close to doing so. Since he was unable to bring the other party with him, it would be best for him to entrust it to his students.
347
348He took out the treasures he had on him one after another and distributed them equally to his students before heaving a sigh of relief.
349
350With the current cultivation realm of his students and the treasures they had in their possession, even if a group of deities descended at this moment, they would be able to deal with them calmly without fluster.
351
352As for Vicious, he was sealed within the Book of Heaven's Path, which could be deposited into the Library of Heaven's Path. Considering this fellow was a figure who was able to stand on equal grounds with Kong shi back then, it might spell a calamity in the future if he were to leave this fellow on the Master Teacher Continent. Despite all they had gone through together, he found that he was still unable to fully trust Vicious, so he felt that it would be best to keep the latter close with him.
353
354As for the Dongxu Gourd, it was hiding in his dantian, so there shouldn't be any trouble bringing it across the dimension barrier.
355
356As for his clone, he found that while the other party was unable to enter the Library of Heaven's Path, the other party was still able to enter the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Given that the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn formed an independent space separate from the Library of Heaven's Path, and that the clone shared the same soul with Zhang Xuan, it didn't come as a surprise that his clone was able to enter the space too.
357
358With this, he should be able to bring his clone with him too.
359
360With everything in place, Zhang Xuan looked at the formation above of him, and with a wave of his hand, he opened up a rift in it. After which, with a powerful leap, he dashed right toward the rift.
361
362Previously, the downpour of mercury-like spiritual energy would cause a huge burden to both his physical body and his soul, but with his cultivation reaching Dimension Shatterer realm, he no longer felt any discomfort from it anymore. On the contrary, he felt like a traveler stumbling upon an oasis in the desert. It was invigorating.
363
364Kacha! Kacha!
365
366Beyond the formation, he saw innumerable black patches of void. The shattered space between the two dimensions formed powerful spatial turbulence that tugged at him from all directions.
367
368"It's fortunate that I have reached Dimension Shatterer realm, or else this spatial turbulence would have torn me to shreds…" Zhang Xuan thought grimly as he trudged his way through the spatial turbulence with difficulty.
369
370This spatial turbulence was truly far more powerful than whatever he had experienced in the past.
371
372Putting aside Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators, even ordinary Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators could succumb to the spatial turbulence and end up being torn to shreds in a moment of carelessness.
373
374If not for his incredible accumulation and superior strength, even he would have difficulty trying to get past this.
375
376Nevertheless, the spatial turbulence still inflicted many glaring lacerations on his body, causing blood to flow endlessly from his body.
377
378There was no road in this passageway, and the entire passageway consisted of nothing but collapsed space. It was only through the Library of Heaven's Path that he could discern a safe passageway, or else he could have easily lost his way in this desolate space.
379
380Hong long long!
381
382Just like that, he traveled for nearly half a month. Gauging by the distance he had traveled so far, he figured that he should be reaching his destination very soon.
383
384But at this moment, a massive bolt of lightning suddenly appeared before him, sealing his pathway forward.
385
386Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering how he could overcome this obstacle, another flash of lightning bolted down and struck Zhang Xuan before he could react, causing him to black out.
387
388Chapter 1914: Just the Thought of It Excites Me So
389
390Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
391
392
393
394With a splitting headache, Zhang Xuan gradually regained consciousness.
395
396The first thing that came into his line of sight was a white ceiling. Swiftly scanning his surroundings, he found that he was lying on a bed in a relatively spacious room.
397
398My strength…
399
400Slowly sitting up, Zhang Xuan winced from the excruciating pain with every inch he moved. He took a look at his own body and found that it was wrapped tightly in bandages. He tried to drive his own zhenqi, but he realized that the zhenqi that remained in his body had become pathetically low.
401
402Why is my zhenqi so heavy?
403
404Taking a closer look, he noticed that his zhenqi had become incredibly heavy. Even slightly driving it created a huge strain on him.
405
406It swiftly dawned on him that it was not that he was low on zhenqi but that the vast amount of zhenqi that he had previously stored in his body had been condensed into mercury-like zhenqi.
407
408It was true that such a heavily condensed zhenqi would grant him greater burst power, but the problem was that he could not even drive it, let alone use it to recover from his injuries.
409
410He quickly tried to recall what had happened prior to this.
411
412I entered the passageway leading to the Azure, but I ended up getting blocked by a bolt of lightning. I was going to find a way to circumvent it when I was struck by another bolt of lightning and ended up blacking out…
413
414Seeing the mess that his body was in and recalling his memories prior to the accident, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
415
416Could it be that… I am already in the Azure?
417
418Since he had blacked out in the passageway, he had thought that he would wake up drifting aimlessly in there, but before he knew it, he was already lying in a room with his body fully bandaged. Could it be that he had somehow managed to bypass the lightning region and successfully arrived at the Azure?
419
420This notion prompted Zhang Xuan to swiftly scan his surroundings. Thus, he attempted to release his Spiritual Perception into the surroundings, only to end up with his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
421
422In the past, his Spiritual Perception could easily over millions of li, but at that moment, it was firmly stuck within his body, refusing to come out at all no matter how he pushed!
423
424What incredible spatial pressure this is!
425
426At this point, it was already certain that he was in the Azure. Not only was he unable to deploy his Spiritual Perception, but even his flight ability had been restricted. In fact, even his usual movements had been curbed significantly due to the immense spatial pressure.
427
428Gugugugu!
429
430Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from Zhang Xuan's abdomen. He was hungry.
431
432Ever since he had cultivated to Transcendent Mortal, he had been able to sustain his bodily needs through absorbing spiritual energy and cultivating. It did not matter whether he ate or not. This was the first time in a long time that he had felt so starved. It felt almost as if his body was completely empty.
433
434Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes, and through his senses, he could feel that the surroundings were filled with an abundance of mercury-like spiritual energy. In terms of concentration, it was at least ten times higher than what had descended back at the elevated platform of the Kunxu Domain.
435
436He tried absorbing the mercury-like spiritual energy there to refine it into his own zhenqi to recover his injuries, but the next moment, his face reddened, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his lips.
437
438There was a series of violent coughing, and Zhang Xuan had to strike his chest several times before the stifling sensation finally lessened.
439
440Back when he was uninjured, he could still use the sheer resilience of his body to endure the backlash caused by the absorption of the mercury-like spiritual energy. However, with his current tattered body and cracked meridians, just trying to absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy made him feel like his body was going to collapse, let alone trying to assimilate it.
441
442It looks like I can only give it a try after my injuries recover a little… Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
443
444He knew that impatience would get him nowhere, so he decided to simply let things run their course.
445
446Nevertheless, the fact that he was unable to drive his zhenqi at all and the sheer extent of the damage that his body had suffered meant that he was almost no different from an ordinary human. He would have to tread carefully until he finally recovered his strength.
447
448"First and foremost, I should start by finding myself some food," Zhang Xuan muttered as another series of hunger pangs struck him.
449
450Struggling to his feet, he rubbed his stomach as he trudged out of the room.
451
452Huhuhu!
453
454Pushing the door open, he heard a series of sharp wind currents slicing in the air. Turning his gaze over, he saw a young man holding a steel sword in hand executing a sword art. While his movements were not fanciful, they carried a peculiar grace to them that made them extremely pleasing to the eye.
455
456One thing that quickly caught Zhang Xuan's eye was that the young man's left leg was as stiff as a block of wood. Zhang Xuan could not tell whether he had suffered an injury or that was the original state of his body, but it was clearly impeding his movements.
457
458His foundations are still okay, but his sword art is severely lacking… Zhang Xuan frowned.
459
460Grab any 3-star master teacher from the Master Teacher Continent, and the sword art that the other party executed would be even more profound than the young man before him. However, considering the difficulties in the young man's movements, it could barely be considered acceptable.
461
462Zhang Xuan heaved a slight sigh, and it immediately caught the young man's attention. He halted his sword practice and turned his head over. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, a look of delight crept onto his face as he said, "You're awake!"
463
464Taking a closer look at the young man, the other party seemed to be in his late teens. He was not too tall, roughly a head shorter than Zhang Xuan. Using the measurement system from his previous world, the young man would not even be at 1.6 meters. There was a glaring scarlet birthmark roughly half a cheek wide imprinted on his left cheek, and it concealed part of his face.
465
466In terms of appearances, the young man could not be associated with the word 'handsome' at all. In fact, he might be considered hideous even.
467
468"Thank you for saving my life." Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.
469
470"It's nothing much. I saw you by accident, so I brought you back… I thought that you would die given the severity of your wounds, but you somehow managed to recover on your own…" The young man scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
471
472His words were a little awkward, hinting that he was not too good with social interaction.
473
474"Third Young Master…"
475
476At this moment, an elder walked into the courtyard. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he was stunned for a moment before calmly bowing to greet him. "Sir, it seems like you are finally awake!"
477
478Zhang Xuan returned the gesture with a simple nod.
479
480He assessed the elder before him closely and noticed that the latter's clothes were stained with oil marks. The corners of his lips were a little torn, and there was a hint of fresh blood. His cheeks were also bruised. It was apparent that he had just been beaten up by someone else.
481
482The crippled young man known as Third Young Master turned his gaze over as well, and as soon as he saw the current state of the elder, his face warped in astonishment. He hurriedly rushed over and worriedly asked, "Elder Yi, what happened?"
483
484"Third Young Master, it's nothing," Elder Yi replied awkwardly.
485
486However, the young man continued staring at Elder Yi intently, clearly unconvinced by the latter's words. Eventually, under the persistent stare of the young man, Elder Yi relented and said, "The Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor is here!"
487
488"Xue Qin is here?"
489
490This news caused the eyes of the crippled young man to glow in excitement.
491
492"That's right…" Seeing the response of the young man, Elder Yi's face grew even redder. It was as if there was something that he wanted to say to the young man, but he had no idea how he should broach the subject.
493
494The crippled young man also swiftly noticed that there was something amiss about Elder Yi's expression. The smile faded from his face as he asked, "Does her arrival have anything to do with your injuries?"
495
496"Isn't the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion coming to our town to accept menial disciples three days from now?" Elder Yi was conflicted for a moment before continuing. "Through tapping into the connections of the City Lord Manor, Second Young Mistress Xue Qin managed to acquire a slot in advance…"
497
498"She managed to obtain a slot in advance?" The crippled young man's face lit up in joy. "Isn't that good news?"
499
500But barely after he said those words, the young man lowered his head to look at his crippled left leg, and his face swiftly sunk. "I guess that I don't stand a chance at all…"
501
502"Having acquired the slot, there's no doubt that she will be leaving with those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion three days from now. Did she come here to bid me farewell?" The crippled young man shook his head and sighed deeply.
503
504"She… She…" Elder Yi hesitated for a long while before finally confessing the truth. "She's here to withdraw from the marriage agreement with you!"
505
506"She wishes to withdraw from the marriage agreement?"
507
508The young man's face turned ghastly pale. His body staggered a little, and he nearly fell to the ground. "She's going to withdraw from the marriage agreement with me just because she has become a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?"
509
510No matter where one was, being rejected by one's fiancée was something incredibly humiliating.
511
512Hearing the conversation between the young man and the elder, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.
513
514A talented young lady scorning her fiancé and proposing a withdrawal from the marriage agreement. An injured and insulted young man deciding to buck up and return the favor. Thirty years the river's east, and thirty years the river's west 1?
515
516To think that he would encounter such a matter as soon as he arrived at the Azure.
517
518How exciting life was!
519
520Footnotes:
521
522Ch 1914 Footnote 1
523
524This is an idiom used to refer to the cycle of the rise and decline of all powers in the world. It's famously used in the Battle Through the Heavens by the protagonist back when he was weaker to convey that the tables would turn one day.
525
526Translator/Author's note
527
528For those who are unfamiliar, this is basically the initial plot of Battle Through the Heavens.
529
530And for those who are interested, the idiom 'Thirty years the river's east, and thirty years the river's west' comes from how the flow of China's Yellow River changes its course frequently due to its high seabed, making it easy for sediments to accrue. In the past, most civilians were highly dependent on natural rivers for irrigating their crops, so a change in the flow of the river could easily dictate the prosperity of decline of an entire village.
531
532Chapter 1915: Dan Xiaotian
533
534Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
535
536
537
538"Forget it!" After pondering over the matter for a moment, the crippled young man shook his head sorrowfully. "I am indeed unworthy of her. It was only a matter of time before our marriage agreement fell through…"
539
540As their grandfathers were close with one another, they had heartily decided to betroth the grandchildren to one another. However, with the death of his grandfather, his clan had begun to decline. Following which, the young man himself had ended up sustaining severe injuries that had destroyed his inner breath, rendering him unable to cultivate anymore. At the same time, his left leg had ended up crippled, and no matter how many physicians he found, none of them were able to cure it.
541
542Facing such a hopeless situation, he had eventually become very pessimistic.
543
544Furthermore, he had always suffered from low self-esteem due to his appearance. Considering the difference between the two of them, he did not feel that he was worthy of her.
545
546Their difference in standing made the collapse of their marriage agreement an inevitability.
547
548Sighing deeply, the young man walked into the room and grabbed a jade box. He entrusted the jade box to the elder.
549
550"This is the marriage agreement that sealed our relations together. Give it to her and tell her that we'll be strangers from this day forth. I hope that she'll be able to find someone better suited to her in the near future," the young man said.
551
552"Third Young Master…" Elder Yi's face reddened. He understood the significance of this action, and he was just about to say something when he eventually halted himself and nodded instead. "Alright then!"
553
554He's going to chicken out just like that? Zhang Xuan blinked blankly.
555
556He had thought that the young man would lose his temper, thus triggering some kind of incredible drive that pushed the young man to accomplish something extraordinary, but contrary to his expectations, the young man actually delivered the marriage agreement back just like that. This was no different from the young man putting his face out there for others to stomp on.
557
558Even as an onlooker, Zhang Xuan could hardly bear to watch.
559
560However, he had always maintained a low profile, and it had not been long since he arrived in the Azure. Thus, he eventually decided against speaking recklessly.
561
562After obtaining the marriage agreement, Elder Yi turned around and left.
563
564In the silent courtyard, the Third Young Master abruptly raised his sword and hacked it down furiously on a nearby boulder, inflicting a deep cut on it. It seemed like he was not completely unaffected by the matter, just that he had chosen to hide his emotions from Elder Yi in order not to worry him.
565
566Through the strength that he had exerted, Zhang Xuan could tell that the young man was at Saint 6-dan.
567
568If it was on the Master Teacher Continent, it would have been an incredible feat for a person to reach Saint 6-dan by sixteen or seventeen. However, judging from the earlier conversation, it seemed such a feat was below average in the Azure.
569
570Having vented his rage, the crippled young man seemed to finally calm down a little. It was only at this moment that he recalled that the person whom he had saved was standing nearby, and his face blushed in embarrassment.
571
572"My apologies. I have shown you an embarrassing side of myself. Right, I haven't asked you for your name yet."
573
574"I am Yao… Pui! I mean, I am Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.
575
576"So, it's Brother Zhang!" the crippled young man said. "I am Dan Xiaotian, the Third Young Master of Baiye City's Dan Clan."
577
578"Brother Dan." Zhang Xuan returned the greeting with a nod. "I heard you speaking about the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion earlier, Brother Dan. I'm just asking out of curiosity, but is it a sect?"
579
580The exceedingly obvious question seemed to have surprised Dan Xiaotian as he asked, "Brother Zhang, do you not know about the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?"
581
582Seeing the confused look on Zhang Xuan's face, he widened his eyes in realization and remarked, "Ah, I nearly forgot! Brother Zhang, you aren't a cultivator, so it's no wonder you have never heard of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! The world that we live in is known as the Forsaken Continent.
583
584"According to legend, the world that we live in used to be a part of the world of gods, but it was severed from it and cast away. There are six major sects in the Forsaken Continent, and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is one of them. Entering any of these six major sects is viewed as a great honor. Countless desire to join the ranks of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Even if one enters as a menial disciple, the clan behind that disciple will be able to rise through the ranks."
585
586Back when he saved Brother Zhang, he could not feel the slightest pulsation of zhenqi within the latter's body. From that, he had deduced that the latter was an ordinary human, not a cultivator.
587
588The Six Sects were existences that no cultivator on the Forsaken Continent could overlook, but to ordinary humans, such existences were too far away from them to bother about. Considering that Zhang Xuan was not a cultivator, it was not too surprising that that he had not heard of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.
589
590"Six major sects… Is there no Master Teacher Pavilion here?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.
591
592"Master Teacher Pavilion? What's that?" Dan Xiaotian shook his head doubtfully.
593
594"Ah, it was just an inside joke…" Judging from Dan Xiaotian's tone, it seemed like there was really no Master Teacher Pavilion on the Forsaken Continent. He pondered for a moment before continuing. "So, the Six Sects are the de facto leaders of the Forsaken Continent?"
595
596"Exactly. Aside from the Six Sects, there's also a formidable power known as Ethereal Hall. It suddenly appeared on the Forsaken Continent several thousand years ago when a powerful expert founded the organization. They manage the distribution of the Ethereal Token, a resource that all cultivators on the continent require in order to trade for valuable cultivation resources and become true experts!"
597
598"Ethereal Hall?"
599
600"Un. The Ethereal Token is sold in practically all cities on the Forsaken Continent. By coming into contact with the token, one's consciousness will be brought into the Ethereal Hall. In there, as long as one is able to pay the price, one will be able to learn cultivation techniques, purchase medicinal herbs, raise one's cultivation, or even hire killers. It has pretty much everything that you can think of. Even those of the Six Sects use it!"
601
602"The Ethereal Token brings one's consciousness into the Ethereal Hall?" Zhang Xuan was rather curious about this peculiar artifact. "Brother Dan, may I know if you have that artifact here?"
603
604"My cultivation is weak, and my talent is severely lacking too. Even my fiancée has chosen to withdraw from our marriage agreement. How could I possibly be qualified to possess something like that?" Dan Xiaotian said with a deep sigh.
605
606"I apologize. It seems like I was too tactless with my words." Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.
607
608Following which, he moved on to other topics and asked a few other questions to gain a deeper understanding of the Forsaken Continent.
609
610While Dan Xiaotian was a little awkward in expressing himself and suffered from low self-esteem, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other party was actually very kind. Upon seeing the severely injured him, the other party had actually brought him back and bandaged him. From this, he felt like Dan Xiaotian was a person whom he could trust.
611
612Through Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan learned that three days had passed since Dan Xiaotian had spotted him and brought him back.
613
614Strength was highly regarded on the Forsaken Continent. The Dan Clan that Dan Xiaotian came from had its era of glory twenty years ago too. It had been viewed as an equal to the City Lord Residence, or to be more exact, even the City Lord Residence had to tread carefully around the Dan Clan. Unfortunately, the accident ten years ago had caused nearly all of the experts of the Dan Clan to pass away, and his two elder brothers had lost their lives in that incident.
615
616Even his foundation had ended up being wounded, resulting in his current state.
617
618With the decline of his clan, previous allies swiftly turned against them, and their enemies capitalized on the situation to get back at them. This resulted in the powerhouse swiftly falling to ruins. Currently, other than him and the old servant Dan Yi (Elder Yi), there was practically nothing left.
619
620What was left of a residence that had once covered over a thousand mu was just this inner courtyard and an outer courtyard. The Dan Clan had truly become a shadow of its former self.
621
622If not for the marriage agreement between him and the City Lord Residence, it was likely that they would not even have had this much left.
623
624However, with the Second Young Mistress backing out on the marriage agreement, even the final restraint stopping the enemies of the Dan Clan from making a move on him would vanish. Then, everything would really be over.
625
626"I see…" Zhang Xuan shook his head.
627
628Strength was the foundation of prosperity. Without sufficient strength to protect itself, a power, no matter how prosperous, would eventually fall into decline.
629
630"Brother Zhang, I think that you should have also gotten a rough idea of my current situation. I was hoping that I could tap into the opportunity in three days, when the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion recruits new menial disciples, to possibly allow the Dan Clan to make a comeback, but it seems like the situation is completely hopeless now. Furthermore, with Xue Qin backing out of the marriage proposal… I'm afraid that this place won't remain safe for too long," Dan Xiaotian said with a bitter smile.
631
632As the saying goes, 'a child from a poor family matures early'. The many difficulties that Dan Xiaotian had gone through together with Elder Yi over the years had taught him the callousness of the world. It was truly a miracle that he had preserved his kind soul after all he had been through.
633
634"Brother Zhang, since you are already able to move, I think you should leave as soon as possible. I wouldn't want you to be implicated in my affairs…"
635
636As he spoke, Dan Xiaotian took out two specially crafted golden coins from his pockets and placed them into Zhang Xuan's hands. "These are Ethereal Coins, a currency accepted by the Ethereal Hall. While this isn't too much, it should cover a few meals…"
637
638"You are too kind."
639
640Seeing how Dan Xiaotian was still worried about him despite his difficult plight, a wry smile crept onto Zhang Xuan's lips. He looked at Dan Xiaotian intently for a moment before saying, "Brother Dan, can you execute your swordsmanship for me once more so that I can have a look?"
641
642Chapter 1916: Humiliation
643
644Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
645
646
647
648"You want me to show you my swordsmanship?" Dan Xiaotian was slightly bewildered by Zhang Xuan's abrupt request.
649
650"To be honest, Brother Dan, I examined your swordsmanship earlier, and I realized that your ability to summon your strength and the momentum of your strikes are a little lacking. So, I was wondering if I could take a look. I might be able to find a solution to those problems. If you are able to advance your swordsmanship over the next three days, it might be possible for you to be accepted into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as its disciple!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile.
651
652With his eye of discernment, he was able to discern the flaws in Dan Xiaotian's swordsmanship and come up with solutions to resolve them. The reason he wanted Dan Xiaotian to display his swordsmanship once more was to test if he could use the Library of Heaven's Path there.
653
654"Brother Zhang, do you understand swordsmanship?" Dan Xiaotian asked with a frown.
655
656"I know a thing or two!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
657
658"That's amazing! Well, I have already given up hope on becoming a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so there's no need for you console me." Dan Xiaotian glanced at his crippled left thigh. "Nevertheless, if you are knowledgeable in the field of swordsmanship, Brother Zhang, I would be more than happy to exchange some insights with you. Ever since I have become unable to cultivate, I had to figure my way out bit by bit, so my progress has been rather limited…"
659
660Dan Xiaotian's low esteem had been exacerbated by his sudden inability to cultivate. As a result, even though he had devoted himself to learning swordsmanship, he did not dare display it before others, let alone find a sparring partner to test his skills on.
661
662Perhaps it was because he viewed Zhang Xuan as an ordinary human, he did not feel that much lesser than him. Thus, he had no qualms exchanging insights with the latter.
663
664Hu!
665
666With a flick of his wrist, Dan Xiaotian's sword sliced through the air and pierced forward.
667
668Weng!
669
670At the same time, a book materialized in the Library of Heaven's Path.
671
672After flipping open the book and browsing through its contents, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
673
674Fortunately, it seemed like the Library of Heaven's Path could be used in the Azure. Previously, when Luo Ruoxin placed the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn into the Library of Heaven's Path, the latter had gone through a major upgrade. Most likely, it was this upgrade that allowed the Library of Heaven's Path to peer into the heavens of the Azure without much trouble.
675
676"How ludicrous. Dan Xiaotian, you are practicing your swordsmanship? Do you still think that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion will take someone like you as its disciple?"
677
678While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, a cold sneer sounded from the outside. Following which, two figures walked in with widened strides.
679
680The first figure was a young lady who seemed to be around fifteen or sixteen, roughly the same age as Dan Xiaotian. She was dressed in a light-yellow dress, and her eyes were filled with pride and smugness. Her chin was slightly tilted up in a condescending manner, reminiscent of a self-important noble standing before a bunch of peasants. She was the one who had spoken earlier.
681
682Behind her was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was dressed in a simple buttoned shirt, and he had a sword tied around his waist. As he approached, one could feel overwhelmingly sharp sword qi emanating from his presence.
683
684"Third Young Master…" Elder Yi quickly rushed in behind those two figures, and with a look of indignation and guilt on his face, he lowered his head and spoke in desolation. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them…"
685
686Dan Xiaotian swiftly halted his swordsmanship before turning to look at the young lady before him. At that moment, he was so agitated that he stumbled on his own words. "Xu-Xue Qin?"
687
688"Enough!" Looking at Dan Xiaotian with disgust in her eyes, the young lady waved her hands impatiently and said, "You know why I have come here, but instead of coming out to welcome me personally, you dispatched a lowly servant to send the marriage agreement over. Did you think that this matter can be resolved that easily?"
689
690"You want to back out of our marriage agreement, so I had Elder Yi give it to you. What more do you want from me?" Dan Xiaotian's face reddened in anger.
691
692"What I want from you isn't much. I just need you to announce to the entire city that you were the one who chose to back out of the marriage agreement of your own accord because you feel that you aren't worthy of me. It was after a period of careful deliberation before my father finally decided to respect your opinion and end the marriage agreement. By giving me this mere sheet of paper, are you expecting me to tell everyone that I, Xue Qin, refused to marry you? How could I allow the noble City Lord Manor to have such a stain on its reputation?" Xue Qing harrumphed coldly.
693
694If others heard that she had broken off her engagement with Dan Xiaotian because she had successfully become a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would surely stir up a huge controversy. This would be detrimental for her in building up her reputation. However, if she could get Dan Xiaotian to back out of the marriage agreement instead, she would not have to sustain the slightest smudge to her reputation.
695
696Seeing everything from the sight, Zhang Xuan could not help but shake his head in disapproval.
697
698She sure is vicious…
699
700It was one thing for this Xue Qing to back out of the marriage agreement, but to think that she would even want Dan Xiaotian to announce it to the entire city. While backing out of the marriage agreement, she still wanted Dan Xiaotian to become the bad guy!
701
702How incredibly cheap she was!
703
704With a ghastly pale face, Dan Xiaotian clenched his fists as he glared at Xue Qin coldly.
705
706It went without saying that Dan Xiaotian had also figured out what Xue Qi was up to. Overwhelming indignation seeped in through his entire body.
707
708This was utter humiliation!
709
710It was as if the other party was preparing to smack his face while asking him to hold up his face for her.
711
712But the problem was that… there was nothing he could do about the situation! He was completely helpless!
713
714"Dan Xiaotian, the Second Young Mistress and I didn't come down here to negotiate with you. We are here to pass down an order to you," the middle-aged man who had come with Xue Qing said impassively. "Within three days, you are to make this announcement to the entire city, or else… be prepared to pay the price!"
715
716"Who are you?" Dan Xiaotian asked as he glared at the middle-aged man coldly.
717
718"I am the swordsmanship teacher of the Second Young Mistress, Xue Chen!" the middle-aged man replied proudly.
719
720"Xue Chen? I know you!" Seemingly having heard this name before, Dan Xiaotian's eyes widened in astonishment before he shook his head in self-mockery. "I sure am honored to have the head instructor of the City Lord Manor pay a visit to me personally. May I know what the price I will have to pay if I refuse to abide by your command is?"
721
722As the head instructor of the City Lord Manor, Xue Chen's strength was not to be underestimated. He was, in fact, an Ancient Sage 3-dan expert!
723
724"Well, it's very simple!" Xue Chen waved his hand nonchalantly, completely unaffected by Dan Xiaotian's provocation. "Over these years, the Dan Clan has offended quite a few people, isn't that so? You should also know that if not for your engagement with Xue Qing, you would have already died many times over!"
725
726Those words were hurtful, but Dan Xiaotian knew that they were the truth.
727
728Given his weak cultivation, if not for the marriage agreement, there was no way the enemies of the Dan Clan would have allowed him to live so long!
729
730"Well, if these men make a move against you, do you think that you and that old man over there will be able to stop them?" Xue Chen shrugged coolly.
731
732Realizing the hidden intention behind Xue Chen's words, Dan Xiaotian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you going to silence us? Aren't you afraid of the possible repercussions my sudden death would have on the City Lord Manor's reputation?"
733
734"How would your death affect the City Lord Manor's reputation?" Xue Chen remarked calmly. "Let me see. Our city lord would be enraged to learn of your demise, and he would dispatch men to exact vengeance for you. As for our Second Young Mistress, she would mourn for a long time, and eventually, she would decide to depart from this land of grief and head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"
735
736Geji! Geji!
737
738Those words made Dan Xiaotian's heart beat faster and faster as he realized how wretched his situation was.
739
740If they really acted out this play, not only would the reputation of the City Lord Manor not be marred, it would even be praised for its compassion. At the same time, Xue Qin would also be more respected in the city for her loyalty to her fiancé.
741
742They would say that even though Xue Qin had become the menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, she had still held steadfast to her promise to marry him, but alas, as fate would have it, they were not meant to be.
743
744"You… Fine! I'll agree to it!"
745
746Dan Xiaotian's hands were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his flesh, and his joints had become all white. However, despite his indignation, he knew that the current him was completely powerless.
747
748Law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Weaklings like him were bound to be preyed on by the strong.
749
750"That is more like it!" Xue Qin nodded in satisfaction. She raised her hand, and Xue Chen immediately took out a document and passed it over to Dan Xiaotian. "This is the document for the annulment of our engagement. All you have to do is seal your name on it, and we'll handle the rest. Rest assured, we'll announce the matter to the entire city by today!"
751
752Dan Xiaotian hesitantly reached out to grab the document before reading through it carefully.
753
754It was an official notice supposedly written by him to announce his intention to annul the engagement, and his reason behind the action was stated as well.
755
756The reason was extremely simple. He was injured, and not only was he unable to cultivate, he was unable to fulfill the role of a man, making him a true cripple through and through. In order not to stall his fiancée's future, he decided to willfully annul the engagement, and he sought her forgiveness for this. The City Lord Manor, in view of its past relations with the Dan Clan, had rejected his proposed annulment of the engagement time and time again, so he had no choice but to officially announce the annulment of their engagement using such a crude method. He sought the understanding of the City Lord Manor for his abrupt actions.
757
758Xue Qin was actually going to the extent of claiming that he was crippled as a man!
759
760The overwhelming humiliation that Dan Xiaotian felt made his blood surge to his head, and he nearly exploded on the spot.
761
762Chapter 1917: Dan Xiaotian's Confusion
763
764Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
765
766
767
768If this notice was released, his dignity would be completely crushed, and he would never be able to raise his head in public ever again. He would become the talk of the entire town, and this shame would effectively destroy the prestige that the Dan Clan had built up over several centuries.
769
770It would be thorough social suicide.
771
772"Sign the document," Xue Qin said with a cold and pressurizing voice.
773
774"Third Young Master, you mustn't sign the document! Once you do, the reputation of our Dan Clan will be in shambles!" Elder Yi had also read the document from behind Dan Xiaotian, and he immediately kneeled down and cried in protest.
775
776Even death was not as fearsome as seeing the clan that he had devoted his life to serving humiliated in such a manner!
777
778"I…" Dan Xiaotian was at a loss.
779
780He knew very well what would happen if he signed the document, but if he did not, the other party would still back out of the marriage agreement, and the outcome… would likely be much worse than this.
781
782He was already backed to a corner. There was nothing else he could do.
783
784At that moment, even suicide had become an option for him. He had never desired so much to end his life and let all of this come to an end. However, when all seemed lost, a voice suddenly echoed in the air.
785
786"If you don't wish to sign the document, don't sign it."
787
788Everyone immediately turned around, only to see a young man wrapped like a mummy leaning against the doorframe. He was looking at them with a smile on his lips.
789
790This young man did not seem to possess any cultivation at all, but his eyes were completely devoid of fear despite standing before an expert of Xue Chen's caliber. It was as if everything that was happening before him was nothing more than a small scuffle.
791
792"Who are you? If this matter doesn't concern you, you will do well to keep your mouth zipped. Haven't you heard of the saying that disaster originates from the mouth?" Xue Chen glared at Zhang Xuan threateningly.
793
794If possible, they wanted to resolve the matter with Dan Xiaotian without resorting to violence, or else there was a risk that word could get out. Thus, Xue Chen had no choice but to hold himself back from making a move.
795
796With an unfazed smile, Zhang Xuan said, "I am just an insignificant figure whom Brother Dan has saved. I didn't want to interfere in your business, but I was afraid that Brother Dan would regret his decision if he signed that document, so I couldn't help but advise him so."
797
798"Brother Zhang…" Dan Xiaotian's eyes could not help but light up in gratitude.
799
800Even if Zhang Xuan did not know of Xue Qin and Xue Chen's true identity and the tremendous power that they wielded, it should be apparent that those two were figures that could not be trifled with from their conversation.
801
802Yet, despite the risk of possibly bringing trouble upon himself, the other party still chose to speak up. Such sentiments left him feeling slightly touched.
803
804"Regret? Hahaha! What kind of regret could he possibly have? Does this brat still think that it's possible for him to get together with the Second Young Mistress?" Xue Chen scoffed. "Snap out of your daydream! Why don't you take a good look at yourself first? A toad like you actually dares to lust for the flesh of a swan? Learn your place!"
805
806"I'm glad to see that there's at least one thing the both of us can agree on. The two of them indeed shouldn't get together." Zhang Xuan nodded calmly in response to the other party's insults. "It's apparent that this Second Young Mistress of yours isn't worthy of Brother Dan! There couldn't be a worse insult to him than if he married someone like her!"
807
808"What did you say?"
809
810Xue Chen had been nodding gleefully when Zhang Xuan spoke the first part of his piece. However, by the time Zhang Xuan finished his words, Xue Chen's eyes were already dripping with murderous intent.
811
812"You don't believe me?" Zhang Xuan looked at Xue Chen with an incredulous expression, as if he was unable to believe that the latter could not understand something so obvious. "I guess you really have to see with your own eyes in order to tell the obvious, huh? Very well, come back in three days, and we'll see the results!"
813
814"After all that was said and done, it seems like you are just trying to stall for time. Futile!" Xue Chen sneered coldly. "As long as Dan Xiaotian doesn't sign this document, I can assure that what he will lose isn't just his dignity but his life as well!"
815
816Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly and said, "If it's gone, so be it… Someone like Brother Dan wouldn't care about something as trivial as that!"
817
818"Huh?" Somehow, Dan Xiaotian felt that there was something very wrong with the words that had just been spoken.
819
820It seems like Brother Zhang is a person with extremely strong opinions… But what do you mean by 'if it's gone, so be it'? This isn't a trivial matter at all… My life is on the line here!
821
822Turning his gaze away from Zhang Xuan, Xue Chen looked at Dan Xiaotian with a look so cold that it seemed like it could freeze hell over. "Is that your decision?"
823
824Dan Xiaotian shuddered a little under Xue Chen's glare, but he gritted his teeth and replied, "Brother Zhang's words reflect my intention!"
825
826He had no idea why Brother Zhang would put so much hope in him, but it was clear that he had no path of retreat anymore.
827
828If he had to weigh the dignity of the Dan Clan to his own life, he would indubitably choose the dignity of the Dan Clan. The Dan Clan did not belong to him only; it had been built up with the effort of his predecessors, including his deceased grandfather, father, and brothers. He could not trample on their efforts just so he could live!
829
830Besides, once the marriage agreement was annulled, he would be as good as dead anyway. With this, the decision that he had to make could not be any clearer.
831
832"You do have some backbone, don't you? Let's see where your decision brings you, shall we?" Hearing Dan Xiaotian's final decision, Xue Chen flung his sleeves furiously. He turned to the young lady beside him and said, "Second Young Mistress, let's go!"
833
834On the other hand, Xue Qin looked at Dan Xiaotian disdainfully and spat, "Humph! I hope that you won't come begging for your life when the time comes!"
835
836Following which, she turned around and walked away. Throughout this entire period, she did not even spare a glance at Zhang Xuan, as if it would sully her eyes to look at an ordinary human.
837
838As soon as the two of them were out of the courtyard…
839
840"Teacher…" Xue Qin looked at Xue Chen worriedly.
841
842Xue Chen quickly scanned his surroundings to confirm that there was no one around before reassuring the young lady. "Don't worry. We won't even require three days to resolve this problem. The Dan Clan is nothing at all. Let's see if they can even survive tonight!"
843
844Those words made Xue Qin heave a sigh of relief. "I had a good impression of him initially, but who could have known that he would turn out to be such an arrogant brat? Let him die then! A person like him doesn't deserve to live in this world!"
845
846The two of them got into a carriage, and it did not take them long to disappear into the distance.
847
848…
849
850Shortly after Xue Qin and Xue Chen left the residence, there was a brief moment of silence before Elder Yi spoke up worriedly.
851
852"Third Young Master, this won't do. We can't just blindly wait here for our deaths… Let's leave the city!"
853
854He knew that the City Lord Manor was not as gracious and magnanimous as it seemed on the surface. In fact, he suspected that the massacre and eventual downfall of the Dan Clan had been orchestrated by the City Lord Manor.
855
856Since they were willing to go that far, it was likely that they would have no qualms dispatching assassins against Dan Xiaotian, especially after his decisive rejection earlier.
857
858Furthermore, with the means of the City Lord Manor, it was likely that they would be able to erase all traces of their involvement.
859
860Since that was the case, the best thing they could do was run as far away as they could.
861
862"Run away? Do you think that it's still possible for us to run away?" Dan Xiaotian shook his head bitterly.
863
864The fact that the Second Young Mistress had come personally to reject the marriage showed their determination in ensuring that this matter was resolved without a hiccup. As such, there was no way the City Lord Manor would allow them to escape.
865
866If they could not cancel the marriage agreement, would the Second Young Mistress not have to spend her entire life in loneliness, waiting for him to come back?
867
868"Brother Zhang…" Dan Xiaotian turned to Zhang Xuan, hoping to ask the latter for some guidance as to what he should do in this situation.
869
870Since the other party had made huge promises such as 'come back in three days, and we'll see the results', perhaps the other party already had an idea in mind.
871
872"I'd like to confirm your intentions one last time. Were you willing to sign that earlier document?"
873
874"Of course not!" Dan Xiaotian shook his head. "If I signed that darned paper, how could I face my predecessors even after my death?"
875
876If he sullied the Dan Clan's reputation like that, even his death would not be enough to atone for his sins!
877
878"Are you afraid of pain?" Zhang Xuan asked.
879
880"Even death is no longer that frightening to me, so what does a little pain matter?" Dan Xiaotian had no idea what Zhang Xuan was getting at, but he still answered the question honestly.
881
882"Do you wish to exact vengeance for the humiliation you have suffered today?"
883
884"Of course! It isn't just today's humiliation. If I could, I would exact vengeance for all of the insults I have suffered ever since my parents' death, but…" Dan Xiaotian looked at his own leg with a crestfallen look.
885
886How could he possibly feel nothing when being insulted in such a manner?
887
888But with his leg in such state and his inability to cultivate, such intentions would only remain intentions in his head. They would never come to fruition.
889
890If he had still been that talented youth, he would not have to live his life so subserviently…
891
892"Good! Since you have made up your mind… the last thing you have to do now is acknowledge me as your teacher!" Zhang Xuan said.
893
894"Acknowledge you as my teacher?"
895
896Did Brother Zhang's head bump on something that resulted in a concussion?
897
898What am I supposed to learn from an ordinary human?
899
900Could it be that your promise of 'come back in three days'… referred to this?
901
902Dan Xiaotian's lips twitched as he suddenly felt as if he had been bamboozled.
903
904Chapter 1918: Gu
905
906Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
907
908
909
910Dan Xiaotian wasn't the only one who was bewildered by Zhang Xuan's proposal. Even Elder Yi was taken aback. With twitching lips, Elder Yi said, "Master Zhang, this is a very serious matter here. Pardon me, but I'll have to ask you not to mess around!"
911
912Their lives were at stake, but the other party was still in the mood to make jokes. If he had known that this fellow was so unreliable, he never would have allowed the Third Young Master to save him and bring him back!
913
914Looking at the expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan could tell that they doubted his abilities. Thus, he placed his hands behind his back with the intention of displaying the disposition of a true expert, but his movements only ended up tugging on his wounds, causing his lips to twitch hideously as a result.
915
916He had to wheeze a little before he managed to suppress the pain and proceed with his expert disguise. "You injured your meridians back when you were younger, causing your body to be unable to drive zhenqi. At the same time, your dantian was also damaged, so you are unable to store any energy. As a result, you are unable to cultivate at all. Is my analysis right?"
917
918Dan Xiaotian nodded in response.
919
920He had been six when that incident happened to the Dan Clan, shattering his dantian and meridians. He had been unable to recover his dantian and meridians since then, so even though he spent every single passing day practicing his swordsmanship, he was unable to infuse zhenqi into his swordsmanship. In other words, his moves carried only the form but not the true essence behind them.
921
922He had consulted many physicians regarding his condition, but none of them had been able to cure him. In the end, he had given up and resigned himself to it.
923
924"Then, do you know what the cause of the injury to your dantian and meridians is?" Zhang Xuan asked.
925
926"Some kind of powerful zhenqi has slipped into my body, inflicting devastating damage all around. It's already a blessing that I'm still alive now," Dan Xiaotian replied.
927
928This was the diagnosis given to him by most of the physicians that he had had met.
929
930"Zhenqi?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If it was the result of another cultivator's zhenqi lingering in your body, considering how diligently you cultivate each day in hopes of improving your own condition, do you think that it's possible for you not to show the slightest improvement after so many years?"
931
932That question left Dan Xiaotian stumped.
933
934That was also what had left him bewildered too.
935
936For ten years, he had met all kinds of famous physicians, and he had tried many different types of treatment, be it medicinal essence, pills, acupuncture, medicinal baths… None of them had worked. His body was like a tattered gunny sack. Any spiritual energy that he absorbed would eventually dissipate, making him unable to advance his cultivation.
937
938Many famed physicians had told him that it was the result of hostile zhenqi lingering within his body, undoing all of his efforts. They had assured him that their treatment would work, but none of them had been effective.
939
940With time, those physicians had eventually deemed him to be incurable and given up on him.
941
942Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before asking Zhang Xuan, "If it's not the result of hostile lingering zhenqi in my body, what else could possibly be destroying my meridians and dantian and yet not cause my death?"
943
944What was truly bizarre about his condition was that, aside from his inability to cultivate, it did not affect any other aspect of his life. Xue Qin claimed that he was unable to carry out the responsibilities of a husband, but that could not have been more incorrect. He knew better than anyone that he would wake up with a majestic pillar that rose high into the heavens every morning.
945
946"It's a gu," Zhang Xuan stated. "Someone has planted a gu in you, which has resulted in all sorts of treatments being ineffective on you!"
947
948"Gu?" Dan Xiaotian was stunned. "Are you saying that… there's a worm living in my body?"
949
950"It isn't just living; it has been absorbing all of the energy you have cultivated over the years, so it has already become extremely powerful!" Zhang Xuan added.
951
952Through the Library of Heaven's Path, he was able to locate the core of Dan Xiaotian's problem in an instant.
953
954The reason his dantian and his meridians had been refusing to recover over the years despite his efforts was because someone had planted a gu in him. This gu would relentlessly devour all of the energy that he cultivated, and this was the source of his cultivation failing to inch forward at all over the past ten years.
955
956"A living worm actually exists inside of me…"
957
958Dan Xiaotian turned to look at Elder Yi with a deep frown, and the latter contemplated deeply for a brief moment before shaking his head.
959
960What they had just heard was simply so unbelievable that they could hardly swallow it.
961
962If there was really a gu in his body, and it had been in his body for the past ten years, how could the many physicians that they had consulted previously possibly be oblivious to it? And how could the young man tell?
963
964"I can sense some reservations from you two, and I can understand why. However, I do have a way to prove the matter though." Zhang Xuan could tell from the expressions of those two that they did not believe what he was saying, but it was not a problem to him. "Do you have a silver needle or the like here?"
965
966Elder Yi nodded. He walked into the room, and it did not take long for him to return with a box of silver needles. "Here you go!"
967
968As the saying goes, 'those who are constantly plagued by afflictions eventually become doctors themselves'. They had tried out all sorts of remedies over the past ten years, such that most fundamental medicinal equipment could be found in their residence.
969
970"Un. Have a good look. I'll catch it out right now!"
971
972With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan grabbed the silver needles and flicked them forward.
973
974Ding ling!
975
976All of the needles fell onto the floor three meters away from him.
977
978"Cough cough. I don't really have too much strength right now, so I need you to come closer to me," Zhang Xuan said awkwardly.
979
980He was so used to flicking needles from a distance that he had forgotten that he was still unable to use his zhenqi, which severely limited what he could do.
981
982"Alright…"
983
984While Dan Xiaotian felt that Zhang Xuan was not really a reliable person, after a moment of hesitation, he still made his way over.
985
986Since the situation was already like that, he might as well go along with it. There was nothing to be lost.
987
988Taking out a couple of silver needles once more, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath as he invoked the Library of Heaven's Path once more. After which, he pierced the silver needles according to the positions stated in Dan Xiaotian's book.
989
990Ding!
991
992Another unexpected hiccup happened that caused Zhang Xuan's face to redden.
993
994In his current weak state, he was actually unable to pierce the silver needle through Dan Xiaotian's skin.
995
996While Dan Xiaotian was unable to cultivate anymore, his cultivation was still at Saint 6-dan. Furthermore, his constitution had been nourished by the mercury-like spiritual energy over the years, making his physical body even tougher than steel.
997
998While Zhang Xuan was able to move his body around, he was still feeble from the damage that he had sustained. He could not even gather enough strength from his body to pierce through Dan Xiaotian's skin.
999
1000"Help me with this!" Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Yi and beckoned him over.
1001
1002Elder Yi quickly walked over. With a tap of his finger, a surge of zhenqi flowed through the silver needle, and the silver needle straightened once more.
1003
1004Sou!
1005
1006The tip went right into Dan Xiaotian's body.
1007
1008Peng!
1009
1010Zhang Xuan was just about to control the silver needle when the silver needle suddenly flew out at an even faster speed, piercing right into the wall.
1011
1012Dan Xiaotian and Elder Yi widened their eyes incredulously, especially the former.
1013
1014As the person receiving the acupuncture, he knew that he did not exert any force, but the silver needles still flew out at such a swift speed. Could it be that there was really some other being existing in his body?
1015
1016"You should have felt it. It was the gu in your body that pushed it out," Zhang Xuan explained.
1017
1018To be honest, he did not have the means to kill the gu in his current state. Nevertheless, by bringing Dan Xiaotian's attention to the existence of the gu, he should be able to win the young man's trust. With sufficient time, he was confident that he would be able to resolve this problem once he recovered his strength.
1019
1020"There really is a gu in my body?" Dan Xiaotian could not speak another word.
1021
1022A moment ago, he had been confident that there was no way such a vile thing would be in his body, but what he had just witnessed had caused his confidence to waver.
1023
1024Putting aside the fact that he had not exerted any force, even if he did, he did not have the ability to jolt the needle right into the wall.
1025
1026"While the earlier needle did not harm the gu at all, it showed that we are aware of its current location. So, it's likely that the gu will move to another location before settling down. While it's moving, you will be able to drive your zhenqi, and your crippled left leg will recover for a brief period of time," Zhang Xuan said.
1027
1028"However, this recovery is temporary. Once it settles down, everything will go back to as it was. The only way you can resolve this situation once and for all is to kill it!"
1029
1030"Is that so?" Dan Xiaotian was still a little dazed by the happenings.
1031
1032A few moments passed, and his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief.
1033
1034Just as Zhang Xuan had said earlier, he could feel zhenqi flowing through his body once more. Not only so, feeling had returned to his numb left leg as well!
1035
1036He tried taking a few steps, and his movements were no different from those of an ordinary person. There was not the slightest difficulty!
1037
1038However, the feeling in his left leg only remained for ten breaths before turning as numb as a block of wood.
1039
1040Knowing that there was nothing wrong with his diagnosis, Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle, "You should be able to trust me now, right?"
1041
1042"Disciple Dan Xiaotian pays respect to teacher!"
1043
1044Knowing that this was an invaluable opportunity for him to break out of his current state, he immediately got onto the ground and bowed down.
1045
1046Many renowned physicians had taken a look at his condition, but none of the treatments that they provided had made a difference to his condition at all. However, with just a glance from afar, Zhang Xuan was already able to identify the root of his problem and even demonstrate it to him. From this alone, it could be seen that the other party was a person of great capabilities, no matter how he might seem on the exterior.
1047
1048"Rise!"
1049
1050After Dan Xiaotian carried out a formal greeting to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher, Zhang Xuan quickly walked forward to help him up.
1051
1052To be honest, he had initially planned to steer clear from the affairs of the Azure as much as possible, focusing his efforts on finding Luo Ruoxin. However, Dan Xiaotian had saved him, so he wanted to return the favor.
1053
1054Having acknowledged Zhang Xuan as his teacher, Dan Xiaotian looked at the young man before him expectantly and asked, "Teacher, may I know how I can get rid of the gu in my body?"
1055
1056Just the thought of there being a worm crawling in his flesh and leeching off his body was more than enough to raise goosebumps on his arms. He had not been too affected by it in the past because he had not been aware of it, but at this rate, he would not even be able to sleep well at night as long as the gu remained.
1057
1058"I am able to remove the gu in your body, but I am too weak at the moment. I'll have to recover from my injuries before I can do anything about it," Zhang Xuan replied.
1059
1060If not for his severe wounds, just a blast of his Heaven's Path zhenqi would decimate whatever gu was crawling in Dan Xiaotian's body in a breath. However, in his current state, he could not even exert his zhenqi. As such, while he was able to identify where the gu was, he could not do a thing about it.
1061
1062More importantly, the gu even gleefully pushed his silver needle out, as if taunting his weakness. This was really testing the limits of his patience.
1063
1064"Recover from your injuries?" Dan Xiaotian echoed when he suddenly widened his eyes in realization. "Ah, I nearly forgot! I have a couple of valuable recovery medicine here, and I was planning to feed you some of them so that you could recover from your injuries. However, you've been in a coma for the past three days, and I didn't dare use them recklessly. Since you're already awake, allow me to bring those pills to you right now. Once the medicinal energy diffuses throughout your body, it shouldn't take too long for you to recover to your full strength!"
1065
1066Most high-tier recovery medicine were incredibly potent, such that it required one to facilitate the assimilation of the medicinal energy using one's zhenqi. If one recklessly fed it to an unconscious patient, there was a good chance that the powerful medicinal energy would end up harming the patient.
1067
1068As such, they had put off the matter till now.
1069
1070A few moments later, Elder Yi walked into the room with a jade bottle in hand. He uncorked the jade bottle, and the fragrant scent of herbs immediately drifted across the room.
1071
1072It was a grade-8 recovery pill.
1073
1074Zhang Xuan took out a pill and swallowed it without any hesitation. However, a moment later, he sighed deeply and said, "I'm afraid that the medicine you have isn't of much use to me…"
1075
1076Despite Zhang Xuan's current seemingly powerless state, his core was still a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator. While grade-8 recovery pills could be considered invaluable panacea for curing all sorts of wounds for a Saint 6-dan cultivator, it did not even cause the slightest ripple in Zhang Xuan's body.
1077
1078"It isn't of much use to you?"
1079
1080Dan Xiaotian quickly instructed Elder Yi to bring over the best recovery medicine that they had, but none of it turned out to be of use to Zhang Xuan.
1081
1082"Are there any large markets in this town where I can buy recovery pills or medicinal herbs?" Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown.
1083
1084"There is a market, but the medicinal herbs and pills sold aren't too advanced. The pills that we have here are already the best on the market…" Dan Xiaotian scratched his head.
1085
1086Considering how those pills were completely useless to the young man before him, it would be meaningless to buy more of them.
1087
1088"Is there any way to acquire higher tier pills?" Zhang Xuan asked.
1089
1090As long as he did not recover from his injuries, he would be unable to cure Dan Xiaotian. At this rate, they were simply too vulnerable. Putting aside surviving the third day, it was questionable whether they would be able to get through the night!
1091
1092Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before replying. "Most cultivators purchase high-tier pills through the Ethereal Token. As long as the trade is successful, the items will be swiftly delivered."
1093
1094"Ethereal Token?" Hearing that familiar name, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Then, is there any way I can acquire an Ethereal Token?"
1095
1096Chapter 1919: Don't You Want to Return the Favor?
1097
1098Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
1099
1100
1101
1102This was the second time that he had heard of this artifact after entering the Azure.
1103
1104It seemed like the top echelon of the Azure revolved around this single artifact. Regardless of whether it was to acquire top-notch cultivation techniques or high-tier pills, one required an Ethereal Token. From the looks of it, they would not be able to get anywhere without an Ethereal Token.
1105
1106All Zhang Xuan needed was a sufficiently high-tier pill to temporarily stabilize his wounds so that he could absorb the mercury-like spiritual energy from the surroundings and convert it into Heaven's Path zhenqi. Once that happened, all of the problems would swiftly be resolved. He would be able to remove the gu from Dan Xiaotian's body and teach him swordsmanship, thus saving the young man from his current plight.
1107
1108"The city we live in is simply too small, so there's no Ethereal Hall here. As such, there are no vendors selling the Ethereal Token." Dan Xiaotian frowned.
1109
1110"Is there no other way to acquire it?" Zhang Xuan asked.
1111
1112"There is one way a person can get an Ethereal Token in our city," Dan Xiaotian said, "but it's simply so difficult that it's no exaggeration to say that it's completely impossible!
1113
1114"Back when the Hongyan Market was first established, in order to draw more customers into its premises, the owner inscribed ten difficult questions and created a list of prizes corresponding to each of the questions. As long as one is able to solve a question, one will be able to acquire the corresponding prize. It successfully drew huge crowds to the Hongyan Market, and nine of the questions have been solved thus far.
1115
1116"The prize of the final question remaining is an Ethereal Token, and there are many people who are dying to lay their hands on it. However, due to the sheer difficulty of the question, it remains undeciphered to date!"
1117
1118"Bring me there!" Zhang Xuan said.
1119
1120Even if there was a vendor selling Ethereal Token there, it was not as if he had the money required to purchase it. Of course, with his means, he should be able to make money quickly, but that would be a great deal of trouble. Thus, it would be best if he could acquire the Ethereal Token like that.
1121
1122Knowing that there was no other way around this matter, Dan Xiaotian nodded in agreement.
1123
1124As Zhang Xuan's injuries were simply too severe and even walking put huge strain on his body, they could only travel to the Hongyan Market in a carriage.
1125
1126It took roughly two hours for them to finally arrive before a massive marketplace. Dan Xiaotian leaped out of the carriage before carefully supporting Zhang Xuan. Together, they headed to the wall where the ten questions were inscribed.
1127
1128As a popular tourist attraction site, there was a huge crowd swarming in the vicinity.
1129
1130The possibility of being able to obtain an Ethereal Token for free was too great a temptation, so it was understandable that people wanted to give it a try.
1131
1132"Sigh, it's wrong again…"
1133
1134"You have been here ten times over the past two months, but you still haven't succeeded. Why do you just keep coming back to embarrass yourself time and time again?"
1135
1136"What's wrong with that? It's not as if I'm embarrassing you. Besides, you came here many more times than me!"
1137
1138"If it's that easy to solve this question, it wouldn't have remained undeciphered even after all these years…"
1139
1140…
1141
1142The crowd gradually thinned as challengers failed one after another.
1143
1144The system that verified the accuracy of the answer was rather similar to the Wall of Dilemma that he had encountered in the past. Basically, every answer provided would be evaluated on the spot to determine whether it was right or not. This was also why it attracted a huge crowd every day. Perhaps, one might just stumble upon the correct answer by luck.
1145
1146On the way here, Zhang Xuan had learned from his conversation with Dan Xiaotian exactly how valuable the Ethereal Token was. Every single token was so precious that even Ancient Sage experts would have difficulty forking out the money for one.
1147
1148Judging from Dan Xiaotian's depiction, it seemed like even if he could bring out everything in his storage ring and sell his possessions there, he still might not be able to afford one.
1149
1150At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the Azure.
1151
1152As those living in the Azure had lived their life amid the mercury-like spiritual energy, their constitutions were exceptionally resilient, surpassing even the Otherworldly Demons of the Master Teacher Continent.
1153
1154Just like his previous self, most of them possessed the strength of a Saint 1-dan at birth, and that would increase all the way to Saint 9-dan when they finally matured as an adult.
1155
1156Someone like Dan Xiaotian, who was only at Saint 6-dan despite already being on verge of adulthood, was deemed a weakling with no future ahead of him.
1157
1158For example, despite being of similar age to one another, his fiancée, Xue Qin, was already at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, making her one of the strongest experts in the city.
1159
1160The city they were in, Xuanjiang City, was not an extremely large city, such that Ancient Sages were the most powerful existences there. One thing of note was that it was under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which explained why it was recruiting disciples in the region. The lord of Xuanjiang City was Xue Qin's father, Xue Yao, and he was known to be the number one expert within the city. That being said, his cultivation was only on the same level as Zhang Xuan, Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage.
1161
1162So, once Zhang Xuan recovered his strength, there would be no one else in the city who would be able to pose a threat to him anymore. As such, he had decided to make this his first priority.
1163
1164Zhang Xuan placed all of those thoughts to the back of his mind and raised his head to take a closer look at the wall not too far away.
1165
1166"Let me see what kind of question has put so many at a loss, such that it remains unsolved even after so many years. Even if a Nurturing Yang Pill is forged to the level of Perfection, the yang energy that it harnesses is still so violent that it can't be controlled by the cultivator consuming it…"
1167
1168It did not take Zhang Xuan too long to finish looking through the question.
1169
1170The question was not too complex. Basically, it was prompting others to solve one of the key problems surrounding the Nurturing Yang Pill via proposing feasible modifications to its forging process.
1171
1172The Nurturing Yang Pill was one of the necessary cultivation resources for cultivators practicing yang cultivation techniques. It would fill them up with the vigor and drive required to further their cultivation.
1173
1174The pill formula was the work of an ingenious apothecary, capitalizing on the synergistic properties of many medicinal herbs in order to amplify the eventual medicinal energy deposited within the Nurturing Yang Pill. However, the pill had a fatal flaw.
1175
1176After consuming the Nurturing Yang Pill, due to the massive buildup of yang energy, cultivators would have to seek an avenue to vent their 'heat'. Once they vented their heat, it would result in a huge loss of yang energy, which was extremely wasteful of the resource.
1177
1178This was a problem that many apothecaries had sought to resolve, but it still remained an issue. Improving an already ingenious pill formula was simply no easy feat. It was for this reason that no one had succeeded even after so many years.
1179
1180"Nurturing Yang Pill?"
1181
1182After reading the question, Zhang Xuan tilted his head slightly in confusion.
1183
1184The Master Teacher Continent had all kinds of pills, and he boasted an understanding of countless of them due to the incredible number of books he had read. Yet, he had never heard of the Nurturing Yang Pill before.
1185
1186Fortunately, perhaps in consideration that the general public would not have too much of an understanding of this pill, the other party had left behind a detailed pill formula and its forging process.
1187
1188Zhang Xuan took those into the Library of Heaven's Path, compiling a book out of them.
1189
1190"I see, I see…" Zhang Xuan nodded.
1191
1192There were many differences between the medicinal herbs of the Master Teacher Continent and the Azure, so the pill formulas and forging processes varied greatly from one another. Luckily, the Library of Heaven's Path was still working perfectly. With a glance, all of the flaws and errors in the combination of medicinal herbs and the forging processes became apparent to him.
1193
1194Dan Xiaotian also noticed the smile on Zhang Xuan's lips, and he could not help but ask out of curiosity, "Teacher… do you know of the solution to resolving this problem?"
1195
1196He had also looked into this matter for quite a while, but it was to no avail. Could his teacher really have an answer to the problem with just a single glance?
1197
1198"I do have an idea in mind." Zhang Xuan confirmed Dan Xiaotian's thoughts.
1199
1200Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in shock, and he hurriedly asked, "Then… how should the problem be resolved?"
1201
1202"If we are just looking at this single issue, the solution isn't actually that complicated. In the pill formula of the Nurturing Yang Pill, there's a medicinal herb known as Inferno Grass Stem. The problem can be resolved by switching that medicinal herb with the Spirit Matriarch Grass!" Zhang Xuan explained with a lowered voice.
1203
1204"Spirit Matriarch Grass… Isn't that a yin attribute medicinal herb? Will we really be able to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill if we add something like that?" Dan Xiaotian was a little surprised by the answer.
1205
1206Due to his crippled condition, he had studied quite a lot regarding pills and medicine. The Inferno Grass Stem was not the most potent medicinal herb in the pill formula, but it played an indispensable role in forming the ultimate product. He did not think that a pill could be formed if one swapped it for the Spirit Matriarch Grass. On the contrary, the Spirit Matriarch Grass would neutralize the yang energy, thus causing all of the medicinal energy to be cancelled out.
1207
1208"Yin and yang exist as complements to one another. While the Spirit Matriarch Grass is a yin attribute medicinal herb, it is able to serve as a medium to nourish and calm the medicinal properties of the key ingredient, Crimsonfire Flowerleaf. This will solve the problem without causing any depletion in the medicinal energy of the pill," Zhang Xuan explained.
1209
1210The complementary properties of yin and yang were common knowledge on the Master Teacher Continent, and it was a concept often used in pill formulas. Yet, to think that no one in Xuanjiang City knew of this. From the looks of it, it seemed like despite the stronger average prowess of those in the Azure, in terms of the development of occupations, it was nowhere close to the Master Teacher Continent.
1211
1212On the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi's ideals had been propagated for tens of thousands of years, encouraging the open sharing of knowledge and furthering of mankind's wisdom. In comparison, it was obvious that the Azure was severely lacking in comparison.
1213
1214"This…" Dan Xiaotian was perplexed.
1215
1216He was just about to ask about the matter when he heard some chatters behind him. Following which, he saw the crowd around the wall opening up a pathway for a group of people.
1217
1218"Who are they? They seem to be quite lofty?" a middle-aged man amid the crowd asked in displeasure.
1219
1220"Shh! Don't speak nonsense." A knowledgeable soul hurriedly hushed that middle-aged man up. "Those are the experts from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who are here to recruit menial disciples. Do you see that man in the middle? It's said that he has a deep understanding of pill forging…"
1221
1222"They are the experts from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?" The face of the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier paled in fright.
1223
1224He hurriedly backed off to the sides to allow the approaching group to pass through.
1225
1226The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion commanded great prestige in Xuanjiang City, and no one would dare challenge their authority there.
1227
1228At the same time, Zhang Xuan turned to take a closer look.
1229
1230The person standing at the forefront of the group was a cold-faced young man, probably in his mid-twenties. He was dressed in a gray robe, and there was a sword tied to his waist. His eyes flickered with a hint of rational coolness, giving the impression of a person who would never let his feelings get in the way of his decisiveness.
1231
1232Despite his young age, the young man's cultivation was impressive, reaching Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm.
1233
1234There was no such expert on the Master Teacher Continent, but it felt like it was not too rare to see cultivators of such a level here at all… The Azure sure was a frightening place!
1235
1236"She…"
1237
1238While Zhang Xuan was assessing the young man, he could not help but notice that Dan Xiaotian's body had tensed up along with the arrival of the group. Glancing over, he saw that the latter's fists were tightly clenched. Tracing the latter's line of sight, he saw Xue Qin, the young lady who had dropped by the Dan Clan earlier to coerce Dan Xiaotian into backing out of the marriage agreement, walking right behind the gray-robed young man.
1239
1240She wore a tight purple dress that shaped out her proud figure beautifully, and its low neckline revealed her fair-colored neck. Her head was tilted upward slightly, and she emanated an aura of pride and loftiness.
1241
1242The fact that she was allowed to follow the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion around was more than enough to show that she had already been confirmed as a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and for a small place like Xuanjiang City, it could indeed be considered an impressive feat.
1243
1244"Such a problem actually stumped you all for so long?" the gray-robed young man remarked as he swiftly read through the problem on the wall. He gestured to the young man behind him and said, "Write down the answer for me. Change the Inferno Grass Stem to Spirit Matriarch Grass."
1245
1246"Alright!"
1247
1248The young man hurriedly walked over to the wall to write down the answer.
1249
1250Not expecting the other party to see through the crux of the problem with a glance as well, even coming up with the same answer as his teacher, Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in astonishment. He turned to his teacher and exclaimed, "But we were the ones who found the answer first!"
1251
1252He had been doubting the accuracy of his teacher's answer when those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion came over and gave the same answer. That meant that there was really no mistake with his teacher's answer.
1253
1254However, if it was the group from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who gave the answer instead, it meant that the Ethereal Token would go to them instead.
1255
1256Just as Dan Xiaotian was about to rush over, he felt someone grasp his wrist tightly. It was his teacher.
1257
1258"Don't bother, it's too late now…"
1259
1260Dan Xiaotian turned his head over and saw that the young man from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had already written down the answer on the wall before pressing his palm down on it lightly.
1261
1262Weng!
1263
1264A brilliant red light flashed from the surface of the wall.
1265
1266"It's the correct answer?"
1267
1268"As expected of an expert from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! He was actually able to solve the problem with just a swift glance!"
1269
1270"I have long heard that the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were figures who stood at the peak of this world, and it seems like that's truly the case. Their reputation is not unfounded at all…"
1271
1272"The number of disciples accepted by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion each time around is extremely limited. I wonder how many people from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion will be able to meet the mark this time around. It might just be a mere menial disciple, but it symbolizes the opportunity to rise to become an outer disciple, then an inner disciple, and finally a direct disciple…"
1273
1274"My bet is that there will be just three people. It has always been like that!"
1275
1276…
1277
1278A huge commotion broke out amid the crowd.
1279
1280Even a question that had stumped the whole of Xuanjiang City for more than a decade was solved so easily by the group from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were truly extraordinary beings.
1281
1282"Young master, I would like to congratulate you on solving the final problem of the Hongyan Market. This is the reward that we have prepared for you!"
1283
1284Very soon, a slightly plump middle-aged man walked over with a fawning smile on his face. He was holding onto an opened wooden chest carefully with both of his hands, and sitting in the middle of the chest was a palm-sized token.
1285
1286The token was densely inscribed, and one could feel slight pulsations of spiritual energy coming from it.
1287
1288"Is that the Ethereal Token?"
1289
1290"I heard that even a single one of those costs a hundred thousand Ethereal Coins?"
1291
1292"Wow. I don't think I can't ever afford that in my entire life…"
1293
1294…
1295
1296They might all be cultivators who had grown up in the Azure, but the Ethereal Token was a commodity that only the upper echelons of the continent possessed. There were only a few of them in Xuanjiang City, so most of them had never seen one before.
1297
1298The gray-robed man grabbed the Ethereal Token in between his two fingers and drove his zhenqi through it. After confirming that it was the real deal, he nodded in satisfaction before sliding it into Xue Qin's hands. "I'll give it to you."
1299
1300Xue Qin's eyes widened in delight as she received the Ethereal Token, and even her breathing hastened from agitation.
1301
1302It was not just the value of this gift that excited her. What was more important was the significance behind the gift.
1303
1304It was already a huge blessing for her to be able to become a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but to receive a gift directly from the young man before her… With this, she would become the envy of the entire town!
1305
1306Holding onto the Ethereal Token tightly, Xue Qin bowed down and said, "Thank you, Senior!"
1307
1308After giving her thanks, she suddenly noticed Dan Xiaotian amid the crowd, and a sharp glint flashed through her eyes. She immediately made her way over to the latter, and with a mocking smile on her lips, she said in a hushed voice, "You're here as well? Were you trying to obtain this Ethereal Token to turn your situation around? What a pity though, it's already mine! You really should learn your place. Do you think that a person like you is worthy of possessing an Ethereal Token? Naive!"
1309
1310Previously, she had been afraid that the rejection of the marriage proposal would affect her reputation, but with a senior from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion taking such care of her, she had nothing to fear anymore!
1311
1312What did Dan Xiaotian even count as? They were already in two different worlds, so what did she have to fear about him?
1313
1314Of course, there was also the fact that the area was filled with men from the City Lord Manor, so no one would dare leak the news out. Not even the wandering cultivators who had dropped by to try their luck would dare speak a word of the matter as long as they valued their lives.
1315
1316Besides, she was not speaking too loudly, so it would be hard to discern what she was saying.
1317
1318"You…" Dan Xiaotian's body stiffened at being humiliated once more.
1319
1320"Who is he?" the gray-robed young man suddenly asked.
1321
1322"He's just a friend I have met in the past…" Xue Qin scoffed at Dan Xiaotian one last time before turning around to face the gray-robed young man, replacing her scorn with a sweet smile in the blink of an eye.
1323
1324"Let's go!" the gray-robed young man said before walking away.
1325
1326Xue Qin quickly rushed forward to keep up with him.
1327
1328Dan Xiaotian trembled quietly with a lowered head for a moment before he turned to Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Teacher…"
1329
1330His teacher had already revealed the correct answer, but he had actually doubted his teacher. If not for his teacher spending some time to explain the matter to him, the Ethereal Token would already have been theirs.
1331
1332"To receive such a valuable gift from her senior… It seems like that fiancée of yours didn't acquire her position as a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion through proper avenues," Zhang Xuan remarked deeply before turning to look at Dan Xiaotian with a smile on his lips.
1333
1334"Do you wish to return the favor?"
1335
1336"Return the favor?" Dan Xiaotian was taken aback.
1337
1338Xue Qin already had the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion on her side, so how could they possibly exact vengeance on her?
1339
1340Chapter 1920: You're Wrong!
1341
1342Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
1343
1344
1345
1346"Watch closely!"
1347
1348Without explaining himself, Zhang Xuan walked forward and shouted, "That friend from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion over there, may I ask you to stop for a short moment?"
1349
1350The gray-robed young man continued walking away without any hesitation, as if not having heard Zhang Xuan's voice at all.
1351
1352The edges of Zhang Xuan's lips crept up as he continued. "Friend, the answer you provided is inaccurate. I don't think that it's very fair for you to leave with the Ethereal Token just like that!"
1353
1354His voice was extremely loud, suppressing the surrounding voices in an instant. Everyone turned to look at him with stupefied looks on their faces.
1355
1356The other party was an expert of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and to actually claim that he was wrong so publicly…
1357
1358Are you tired of living?
1359
1360The gray-robed young man halted in his tracks and turned around to look at Zhang Xuan with a deep frown etched on his forehead.
1361
1362With an awful look on her face, Xue Qin coldly spat, "Dan Xiaotian. If you don't want to die, you'd better keep your subordinate's mouth in check!"
1363
1364She recognized the mummy standing before her as none other than the person who had spoken up against them earlier at the Dan Clan. It was out of magnanimity that she did not pursue his insolence, but who could have known that he would dare to continue spout nonsense?
1365
1366"H-he isn't my subordinate. He's my t-teacher!" In a moment of anxiety, Dan Xiaotian began stuttering once again.
1367
1368"Teacher? No matter what, the Dan Clan was still once a formidable existence. When did you fall so far such that even weaklings like him are worthy of being your teacher?" Xue Qin remarked disdainfully.
1369
1370"I don't think it's any business of yours who Dan Xiaotian acknowledges as his teacher. Unless… you are still dreaming of becoming his fiancée," Zhang Xuan replied calmly.
1371
1372"You…" Xue Qin's body stiffened upon hearing those words.
1373
1374Seeing Xue Qin's response, a cold glint flashed through the eyes of the gray-robed young man. He gazed down at the mummy before him coldly and said, "You mentioned that my answer isn't correct?"
1375
1376"Indeed," Zhang Xuan replied. "To show you that I'm not making things up, I am even willing to make a bet with you. The one who loses will be subjected to the other party's command!"
1377
1378"You are courageous to speak to me in such a manner," the gray-robed man remarked as he assessed Zhang Xuan nonchalantly. "Tell me, what is your basis for determining that my answer is wrong."
1379
1380"There's no need for that. There's a much easier way to resolve this problem than with our mouths. All we need to do is find an apothecary to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill based on the answer you have provided and feed that pill to someone. You will understand once you see it," Zhang Xuan said.
1381
1382"You want to test the practicality of the solution I have provided?" The gray-robed young man frowned.
1383
1384The first response that came to his mind was to reject Zhang Xuan's request because he felt that it was too troublesome, but when his gaze swept across the crowd, he noticed doubtful looks on their faces.
1385
1386So, after a brief moment of silence, he raised his hand and said, "Bring an apothecary over!"
1387
1388The young man following behind him quickly left the group, and not long later, he returned with the plump middle-aged man who had brought the Ethereal Token over earlier, as well as two apothecaries.
1389
1390The plump middle-aged man snapped his fingers, and a large army of attendants immediately rushed forward to set up a table of medicinal herbs and two cauldrons.
1391
1392"I need the two of you to forge the Nurturing Yang Pill according to the formula over there!" the plump middle-aged man instructed the two apothecaries.
1393
1394Nodding, the two apothecaries swiftly began forging the Nurturing Yang Pill. They followed the instructions written on the wall precisely, adding medicinal herbs one after another with impeccable timing. When it was finally time to add in the Inferno Grass Stem, they threw the Spirit Matriarch Grass in instead.
1395
1396As soon as the Spirit Matriarch Grass was thrown in, the two cauldrons immediately began rattling nonstop. One of the apothecaries could not contain the billowing energies within the cauldron, and eventually, the entire cauldron exploded deafeningly on the spot.
1397
1398It was fortunate that protective measures had been taken beforehand, so no one was hurt as a result of the accident.
1399
1400Nevertheless, the explosion still intimidated many people amid the crowd. They hurriedly backed a distance away as they continued watching the pill forging process worriedly.
1401
1402The remaining apothecary was clearly more skilled as he controlled the responses of the medicinal herbs adeptly. An hour later, a set of freshly baked Nurturing Yang Pills was finally delivered out of the cauldron. Its surface glistened beautifully with a natural shine.
1403
1404It seemed that their luck was not too bad. Not only were the pills formed, they had even reached the level of Perfection.
1405
1406"Good!" After seeing the pills, the gray-robed young man nodded in approval.
1407
1408He quickly scanned the crowd before beckoning a young man over. "The cultivation technique you practice seems to be yang attribute in nature. I need you to help me test the medicinal properties of the pill!"
1409
1410Perhaps due to his trust in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the young man swallowed the pill without any hesitation. The pill swiftly melted in his mouth, and a tremendous amount of yang energy swiftly flowed into his meridians. It took only an instant for the young man's face to turn scarlet.
1411
1412The young man hurriedly sat down to drive his zhenqi, hoping to keep the influx of yang energy under control for his own assimilation, but the more he tried to control the yang energy, the greater the backlash he faced. Eventually, white smoke began rising from the top of his head.
1413
1414It did not take too long for his eyes to start reddening as the heat started getting the better of him.
1415
1416"Ahh, I can't stand it any longer!"
1417
1418Unable to take it any longer, the young man rushed up to one of the aunties watching the spectacle and reached out to rip her clothes.
1419
1420Tzla!
1421
1422The ripped clothes scattered all over the ground. Without any hesitation, the young man began to force himself on the auntie to carry out some indescribable act, but there was an abrupt sharp pain at the back of his neck before he collapsed onto the ground.
1423
1424The gray-robed young man of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had stepped in at the vital moment to prevent a tragedy from occurring.
1425
1426The fact that the young man had only gone berserk after eating the Nurturing Yang Pill showed that his pill formula was insufficient in resolving its problems. Not only so, the side effects seemed to have worsened. The young man who had consumed the pill could not control his impulses at all.
1427
1428"The pill formula that I have come up with does have some problems…" With an awful look on his face, the gray-robed young man turned his head over to Zhang Xuan and asked, "However, how did you know about it? Do you, by any chance, know the correct answer?"
1429
1430To be honest, he had heard of this problem prior to coming to Xuanjiang City, and he had conducted quite a bit of research before coming up with the correct answer. He definitely did not manage to solve the problem as easily as he had made it appear.
1431
1432The main reason he wanted to put up such an act was to bulk up the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion in Xuanjiang City.
1433
1434Just that… who could have known that instead of bulking up the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's reputation, he would end up being humiliated instead?
1435
1436As displeased as he was, he knew that it would unwise for him to lose his temper. He would only embarrass himself further if he displayed a lack of graciousness.
1437
1438"I do have an answer," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.
1439
1440He whispered into Dan Xiaotian's ear, and the latter looked at him with a bizarre expression. After confirming that Zhang Xuan was not joking with him, he walked up to the wall and penned down an answer with a brush before handing it forward.
1441
1442Just like before, a red light flashed from the wall.
1443
1444The gray-robed young man frowned as he impatiently remarked, "The person checking the answer is right here, so why don't you just read it out loud?"
1445
1446What was the point of beating about the bush when the manager of the Hongyan Market was already standing among them? The young man could just read out the answer, and they would be able to discern whether it was right or not together.
1447
1448Dan Xiaotian looked at his teacher, and after receiving a confirmatory nod, he began reading out the answer that he had written out earlier with an awkward look on his face. "Change the Inferno Grass Stem to Spirit Matriarch Grass!"
1449
1450The crowd was silent for a moment before a huge commotion broke out.
1451
1452"Huh?"
1453
1454"Was I hearing things?"
1455
1456"Isn't the answer the same as the one that the young man from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion came up with?"
1457
1458The gray-robed young man also narrowed his eyes as a menacing aura flowed out from him. "Are you trying to mock me?"
1459
1460The other party had confidently pointed out that he was wrong, but he had ended up giving the same answer. Just what the hell was the other party up to?
1461
1462Dan Xiaotian himself was feeling a little giddy as well. He had completely no idea what his teacher was up to.
1463
1464Don't you know that trying to make fun of an expert like this is a huge taboo? You'll lose your life!
1465
1466"You are thinking too much," Zhang Xuan replied calmly before shooting an exasperated glance at Dan Xiaotian. "What are you doing? There is still a label at the end, right? Read it out!"
1467
1468"Ah, right…" Dan Xiaotian nodded as he hurriedly continued. "After the solution, there's a bracket that states 'not local'."
1469
1470"Not local? Wait a moment, what does that mean?"
1471
1472Everyone was bewildered by the additional label. Even the gray-robed young man was unable to make sense of what was happening.
1473
1474What did 'not local' refer to? Was there some kind of difference between the local Spirit Matriarch Grass and those not from the region?
1475
1476"The Nurturing Yang Pill serves to reinforce the yang energy of a cultivator. In order to stabilize the effects of the pill, swapping the Inferno Grass Stem with the Spirit Matriarch Grass is indeed the ideal solution. In fact, the solution you have proposed would have surely worked out if the pill forging was conducted anywhere else," Zhang Xuan said as he slowly walked up to the cauldron and touched the medicinal sludge from the exploded cauldron earlier.
1477
1478"However, the solution simply doesn't work here! Xuanjiang City has its back facing the Xuan River, and that's where its name originates from. This river originates from the sea, and what flows through it isn't freshwater but saltwater!"
1479
1480The crowd nodded in agreement.
1481
1482While Xuanjiang City was not located near the sea, it was connected to it through the Xuan River. However, it was a pity that what flowed through the Xuan River was saltwater, making it unsuitable for drinking or commercial activities. As such, despite its decent location, it had still failed to develop into a major city. Among the territories of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it could only be considered a third-rate city.
1483
1484Its economy was not doing too well at all.
1485
1486"As a result, the farmlands in the area were irrigated with saltwater, and the plants growing in the region carry some salt content. At this point, I would like to invite everyone to take a closer look at this medicinal sludge. Do you notice anything peculiar about it?" Zhang Xuan asked as he showed his hands to the others.
1487
1488The crowd leaned in to take a closer look. Amid the black mess on his finger, there was a layer of white powder. It was faint, but as Saint cultivators, they were able to easily tell what it was.
1489
1490The gray-robed young man also walked up to the medicinal sludge to take a closer look before touching it slightly. White powder stained the tip of his finger. He brought it to his lips and licked it, and there was a slightly salty taste.
1491
1492"It's salt!" The gray-robed young man nodded.
1493
1494Following which, Zhang Xuan continued his explanation. "The Spirit Matriarch Grass lives in marshlands, thriving in dark, damp locations. Its leaves should have carried a slight acidity, but this is neutralized by the salt content of the other medicinal herbs, and that ruins the yin attribute of the Spirit Matriarch Grass. As such, it is unable to serve as a medium to calm medicinal energies contained in the other medicinal herbs, resulting in the yang energy becoming even more violent after losing the Inferno Grass Stem. That's also why the young man completely lost control of his rationality earlier after consuming the Nurturing Yang Pill. He was completely overwhelmed by heat!"
1495
1496"This…"
1497
1498"There's actually such a factor?"
1499
1500Fervent discussions could be heard all around.
1501
1502Had pill forging always been such a delicate process such that even a slight change in the environment would make a huge difference?
1503
1504The gray-robed young man was slightly taken aback. Was this really why his pill formula had failed?
1505
1506He swiftly examined the remaining medicinal herbs that had not been used for the pill forging. With a tap of his finger, he ignited one of the medicinal herbs, and upon closer examination, he noticed some salt amid the ashes too.
1507
1508"Pill forging is a very delicate process. The difference in a single medicinal herb or a single process could easily result in failure. Countless medicinal herbs could be ruined just because of a slight difference. Naturally, an apothecary has to take note of the geographical location, the local climate, the state of the cauldron, one's state of mind, and the techniques utilized in the forging process. All of this has to be considered before one embarks on the pill forging. A mistake is a mistake… I know that someone from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion won't deny that, right?" Zhang Xuan asked with a gentle smile.
1509
1510"My misjudgment has indeed resulted in a failed pill forging, I'll admit that much!" Knowing that he would only hurt his reputation if he argued his way out of this, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly. "I'll give the Ethereal Token to you then!"
1511
1512Without any hesitation, he took the Ethereal Token from Xue Qin's hands and tossed it over to Zhang Xuan.
1513
1514"I…" Xue Qin's face twitched as she felt a burning sensation on her face.
1515
1516It was just a moment ago that she had obtained this invaluable treasure, but in less than two hours, it was already another man's possession.
1517
1518"I shall humbly accept the gift!" Zhang Xuan replied as he slipped the Ethereal Token into his pocket. Then, his eyebrows suddenly shot up as a realization seemed to have struck him. "Oh right, I nearly forgot. I mentioned earlier that I wanted to have a bet with you and that the one who lost the bet would have to listen to the winner's command… You didn't agree to the bet explicitly, but neither did you reject it. Since that's the case, should I take it that the bet is still effective?"
1519
1520Seeing that Zhang Xuan was pushing the boundaries, the eyes of the gray-robed young man narrowed threateningly.
1521
1522He had never thought that a person from this remote city would actually be able to corner him to such an extent!
1523
1524On the other hand, Zhang Xuan seemed to be completely oblivious to the gray-robed young man's rage as he pointed to Xue Yan nonchalantly and said, "Well, my command isn't anything much. I just want you to give Xue Qin over here three crisp slaps in my stead!"
1525
1526"What?" Xue Qin's face warped in horror upon hearing those words.
1527
1528Chapter 1921: Virtual Reality?
1529
1530Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
1531
1532
1533
1534If she really was slapped, what would become of her dignity?
1535
1536With a trembling body, Xue Qin hurriedly turned to the gray-robed young man and pleaded, "Senior, you mustn't listen to that fellow's nonsense! He's just spewing a load of cr*p! Until we really forge the Nurturing Yang Pill according to his instructions, we won't know if what he's saying is the right answer…"
1537
1538But before she could finish her words, the gray-robed young man had also turned to face her, and with three swift strokes, he slapped her thrice.
1539
1540Forehand, pah! Backhand, pah! Forehand, pah!
1541
1542Every single strike echoed loudly into the surroundings. The young lady's smooth and delicate skin immediately began swelling up.
1543
1544"Is that enough for you?" The gray-robed young man gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly with his hands behind his back.
1545
1546He was extremely adept at pill forging, and he had made sure to check all the details personally. Even without forging the Nurturing Yang Pill, he already knew that the young man was correct.
1547
1548Since the answer was already clear, any obstinacy beyond this point would only sully the good reputation of not only him but the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion too!
1549
1550"Ah… It was just a casual remark when I told you to slap her. She's just a young lady, and it's not as if she has a marriage agreement with me but went to the extent of coming over to my residence to coerce me to back out of our marriage agreement… But I guess what's done is done, so let's say we're even with that. Please, feel free to be on your way!" Zhang Xuan bowed slightly as if to send the gray-robed young man away.
1551
1552The gray-robed young man took one last chilling look at Zhang Xuan before turning around to leave. The others that had come with him quickly left along with him. As for the fainted young man, one of the members of the group picked him up and took him away.
1553
1554They had planned to make use of this as an opportunity to display their prowess and earn the respect of those in the Xuanjiang City, but it had completely backfired on them.
1555
1556A tremendous amount of rage was boiling in their blood.
1557
1558After leaving the market, the gray-robed young man looked at the swollen-faced Xue Qin and asked with narrowed eyes, "Who was that?"
1559
1560Xue Qin shuddered at the chilling voice of the gray-robed young man, and she quickly explained herself. "Senior, I really don't know that person…"
1561
1562"I was referring to that crippled young man!" the gray-robed young man interjected sharply.
1563
1564"H-he…" Xue Qin's face turned ghastly pale. "He… has a marriage agreement with me. It was decided by the elders of our clans… However, there's really nothing between us. We haven't even met more than a couple of times…"
1565
1566"You should know why you were accepted as a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!" the gray-robed young man remarked coldly. "In order for inner disciples to focus on their cultivation, they require servants to attend to their needs. It's out of special consideration of your looks and the fact that you are still a maiden that I made an exception and allowed you to join us as a servant and a concubine!"
1567
1568"I understand…" Xue Qin lowered her head subserviently.
1569
1570"That had better be the case!" the gray-robed young man said with an impatient wave of his hand.
1571
1572He walked over to the carriage not too far away and got onto it. Before the carriage set off, his nonchalant voice echoed from within. "I expect you to settle this matter prudently before it reaches the ears of the Sword Pavilion. Also, I want to know the identity and background of that bandaged fellow by tonight. Elder Lu Yun will be here in three days, and I don't expect any complications as a result of this. Understood?"
1573
1574"Understood…" Xue Qin bowed fearfully, not daring to even breathe loudly.
1575
1576Da da da!
1577
1578The carriage finally began moving away.
1579
1580Only at this moment did Xue Qin realize that her back was drenched in sweat. She glanced back at the Hongyan Market with a murderous look on her face.
1581
1582"Tell my teacher that we'll be making a move tonight!" she spat coldly.
1583
1584"Yes, Second Young Mistress!" the young men following behind her replied.
1585
1586…
1587
1588"Thank you, Teacher!"
1589
1590Seeing how Xue Qin, who had humiliated him time and time again, had been struck in public, Dan Xiaotian felt a little conflicted within. Nevertheless, he knew that his teacher was doing this for him, and he felt extremely grateful for that.
1591
1592"Since you are my student, there's no way I'll allow you to be wronged," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Alright, I need you to bring me to a quiet room. I would like to test out the Ethereal Token!"
1593
1594"Yes, Teacher!" Dan Xiaotian nodded.
1595
1596He quickly approached the middle-aged man from earlier, and before long, they were brought to a silent chamber.
1597
1598Upon entering the chamber, Zhang Xuan inspected its interior and found that the area had been secured by multiple layers of formations, ensuring its privacy. He nodded in satisfaction before taking the Ethereal Token out.
1599
1600"Teacher, I heard that the Ethereal Token requires very specific instructions in order to activate it, and a complete activation requires one to pay quite a heavy price…"
1601
1602But before Dan Xiaotian could finish his words, he saw his teacher tapping a few points on the Ethereal Token, and a resounding 'weng' echoed through the chamber. A brilliant light shone from the surface of the jade token.
1603
1604It had been completely activated!
1605
1606Following which, Zhang Xuan dripped a droplet of blood on the Ethereal Token, and the brilliant light immediately warped into intricate patterns before seeping into his glabella.
1607
1608This sight left Dan Xiaotian stunned.
1609
1610Based on what he knew, activating the Ethereal Token was a delicate process, so more often than not, one would have to spend a huge number of Ethereal Coins in order to engage the help of an expert for a complete activation. Who could have known that his teacher would be able to activate and tame the Ethereal Token so easily, as if he had done it many times before?
1611
1612Paying no heed to Dan Xiaotian's astonishment, Zhang Xuan carefully perceived the light seeping into his glabella, and only after confirming that it posed no danger to him did he heave a sigh of relief.
1613
1614Hu!
1615
1616The next moment, his consciousness escaped from his body to enter a unique dimension.
1617
1618"This…"
1619
1620Lowering his head, he found that his body had become something that was a mix of reality and illusion.
1621
1622"Welcome to the Ethereal Hall!"
1623
1624While Zhang Xuan was still making sense of his current situation, a voice suddenly sounded in the air.
1625
1626"This voice…" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.
1627
1628This voice was surprisingly familiar to him. There was no mistake about it…
1629
1630"Kong shi!"
1631
1632It was Kong shi's voice!
1633
1634He knew that Kong shi had definitely come to the Azure, but he did not think that the latter would be related to the strongest power of the Azure, the Ethereal Hall!
1635
1636Or could it be that… the Ethereal Hall had been created by Kong shi?
1637
1638"Dan Xiaotian mentioned that the Ethereal Hall was created several thousand years ago by a formidable expert… but judging by the timeline, Kong shi should have left the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years ago…" Zhang Xuan's brain churned swiftly to draw links.
1639
1640At this moment, a possibility suddenly arose in his mind, causing his eyebrows to leap up. "Could it be that… the flow of time in the Azure differs from that of the Master Teacher Continent?"
1641
1642There had been a whole string of trouble ever since he awoke, so he had not had a chance to really examine the Azure. But now that he was looking at it carefully, there was indeed a difference in the flow of time in the Azure and on the Master Teacher Continent.
1643
1644As he was making sense of all of this, the earlier voice continued speaking. "I established the Ethereal Hall to allow cultivators to interact with one another and trade safely. In here, you are able to alter your appearance and aura, so there's no need to worry about anyone noticing your true identity in the real world. As long as you are willing to pay the price, you will be able to learn the cultivation techniques you wish to learn!
1645
1646"Within the Ethereal Hall, everyone is of the same cultivation realm. There's no segregation as a result of standing or power difference. Everyone will be able to interact with one another on equal terms.
1647
1648"That's all I want to say to you. May you enjoy your time at the Ethereal Hall!"
1649
1650The voice suddenly trailed off.
1651
1652Those words made Zhang Xuan more certain than ever that Kong shi was the person behind the Ethereal Hall. After all, it was his vision to create a world where all humans were equally entitled to cultivate and learn.
1653
1654He knew that he would be able to find traces of Kong shi in the Azure, but considering the time difference, he had thought that it would take a while before he finally heard anything about the latter. Yet, a single Ethereal Token had been able to provide him with so much information.
1655
1656Suppressing his agitation, he swiftly went through Kong shi's words when a bizarre thought suddenly occurred to him.
1657
1658"Assuming anonymous identities and interacting with one another as equals… Isn't this pretty much like online chat rooms?"
1659
1660Chapter 1922: Dueling Ring
1661
1662Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
1663
1664
1665
1666Technology had been an integral part of life in his previous world. It brought great convenience to the world, allowing for communication or shopping to be done remotely. It allowed people to assume anonymous new identities and enjoy a life aside from the real world. Often, a person whom you addressed as your wife over the internet could very well end up being a nose-picking middle-aged man.
1667
1668As formidable as the Ethereal Token was, it seemed to work on the same principles.
1669
1670Upon entering the Ethereal Hall, one would be able to conceal one's identity, and the strength of all cultivators would be equalized. This meant that it would be impossible for a person to tell if the person whom they had been chatting with was a male or female, an expert or an ordinary cultivator.
1671
1672"This is fine. The cultivators will be able to release the restraints they impose on themselves in consideration of their reputation and pursue what they truly want. It makes it easier for them to seek pointers from one another regarding their cultivation… This might be the motive behind why Kong shi created this system!"
1673
1674Kong shi promoted education without discrimination, and he hoped to create a world where all humans could stand tall. However, cultivation resources were scarce, and one's birth, talent, and opportunities were bound to determine one's future accomplishments. His ultimate vision was simply not realistic.
1675
1676In his time on the Master Teacher Continent, he had founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the system that he had put in place was marred by the ambitions of those who wished to climb up the hierarchy. He had created the Kunxu Domain shortly after, but it had likely made him realize that it was impossible to achieve true equality in the real world. Thus, he had founded the Ethereal Hall and created the Ethereal Tokens.
1677
1678Here, one would have to cast aside one's previous identity and everything related to it. With an anonymous identity and equal strength, everyone would be on equal footing with one another.
1679
1680With just a thought, Zhang Xuan's appearance immediately began changing, making him appear more ordinary. He tried clenching his fists and threw a punch out.
1681
1682The strength that he could draw forth was roughly equivalent to a Saint 1-dan cultivator.
1683
1684In other words, no matter how powerful a cultivator was, he could only exert the strength of a Saint 1-dan cultivator in here.
1685
1686Zhang Xuan spent some time testing out his new body, but fortunately, it seemed like there was no fundamental difference between it and his real body. He began walking forward, and soon, a grand palace appeared before his eyes.
1687
1688Ethereal Hall, Starlight City!
1689
1690"Starlight City is a second-tier city, and Xuanjiang City happens to be under its jurisdiction," Zhang Xuan recalled based on Dan Xiaotian's explanation, and he shook his head with a smile. "It's even a regional network…"
1691
1692To use the terminology from his previous world, there were only servers in the cities where the Ethereal Hall had branches. There was no branch in Xuanjiang City, so anyone trying to access the Ethereal Hall from there needed to connect to the higher Starlight City's server.
1693
1694Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked into the palace. A huge crowd immediately appeared right in front of him.
1695
1696Just like social networking games in his previous life, even though everyone had different appearances and figures, the strength that they wielded was the same as one another.
1697
1698They might be far from one another geographically, but at that moment, they were seated alongside one another to trade insights regarding cultivation or even to negotiate important business deals.
1699
1700Through sharing knowledge on a common platform, the rate at which information traveled would be greatly enhanced. Perhaps, this was the building block that would drive the Azure toward something similar to his previous world's digital age.
1701
1702After a moment of curious observation, Zhang Xuan knew that the urgent matter at hand was to heal his injuries, so he headed to the front counter of the Ethereal Hall and called for an attendant.
1703
1704"Do you have any recovery medicine here? I would like to purchase some."
1705
1706"May I ask what tier of medicine you are looking for?"
1707
1708The attendant was a young man dressed in a uniform, and his appearance looked considerably dashing. Of course, it was unlikely that this was his original appearance. This was similar to how many people liked to use the photos of popular individuals, such as that author named Heng Sao Tian Yao, as their online profile pictures.
1709
1710"I need something that can heal the injuries of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator," Zhang Xuan replied.
1711
1712On his way there, he had verified the various cultivation realms in the Azure, and it seemed like there were four tiers of Ancient Sages, and the names of the realms were the same. As for what lay beyond Ancient Sage, it appeared that even Dan Xiaotian himself had no idea what it was, so he was unable to satisfy his curiosity.
1713
1714"We do have the Whitewood Pill and Bluesun Pill here," the young man said as he passed two jade bottles over.
1715
1716Zhang Xuan took the two jade bottles, pried open their lids, and took a careful look at them. He could not help but marvel at just how detailed the world that Kong shi had created was.
1717
1718He was well aware that he was in an illusory world, but the spiritual energy and medicinal energy harnessed within those two pills felt so tangible that he could not help but wonder if they were actually existent.
1719
1720But I have never heard of these two pills before though, so I don't really know which one will be more useful to me…
1721
1722In the end, the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent were two different worlds. While both worlds had apothecaries, their practices and techniques varied greatly from one another, so he was unable to accurately gauge the healing properties of those two pills. He was just about to ask the attendant for more information when an idea suddenly popped into his head.
1723
1724He placed his finger on the Whitewood Pill lightly and muttered, "Flaws!"
1725
1726Since he was able to use the Library of Heaven's Path with his soul, was it possible for him to use it here as well?
1727
1728Weng!
1729
1730There was a jolt in his head, and a book materialized in the Library of Heaven's Path.
1731
1732It works! Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in delight.
1733
1734Even though the pills were fake, it seemed like the Library of Heaven's Path was still able to process the information in the Ethereal Hall to analyze its strengths and weaknesses before compiling that into a book.
1735
1736"The Whitewood Pill uses the Whitewood Grass as its main ingredient, making it excellent for healing the soul injuries sustained by Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators…"
1737
1738"The Bluesun Pill uses the blood of saint beasts as its key ingredient, and it has remarkable effects in healing one's physical wounds and recovering one's zhenqi…"
1739
1740The bulk of my injuries lie in my physical body and my zhenqi, so I guess I should choose the Bluesun Pill!
1741
1742Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan relayed his intention to the attendant.
1743
1744"The Bluesun Pill will cost 20,000 Ethereal Coins each. May I know how you wish to pay for the pill? Do you have an Ethereal Card?" the attendant asked with a sweet smile on his face.
1745
1746"20,000 Ethereal Coins?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows leaped up.
1747
1748He did not have a single Ethereal Coin with him, so 20,000 Ethereal Coins was clearly far out of his league! Besides, what in the freaking cow was an Ethereal Card?
1749
1750So far, it had been roughly four hours since he had awoken, but he had already gotten a clear glimpse as to the purchasing power of the Ethereal Coin. If Dan Xiaotian sold the residence that he was living in, he would receive five thousand Ethereal Coins at most, which meant that the entire residence was only worth a quarter to this Bluesun Pill…
1751
1752I guess it's time for me to start earning some money once more… Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in distress.
1753
1754He had finally climbed to the apex of the Master Teacher Continent, commanding greater clout than anyone else. He had thought that he had finally struggled out of poverty and would never have to worry about money again, but in the blink of an eye, he was reduced back to the penniless lad he used to be. It sure was exasperating!
1755
1756He suddenly thought of the times when he had impersonated as Yang shi to give others guidance so as to earn the money required to solve Zhao Ya's affliction. Was he going to have to do the same in the Azure?
1757
1758While it was convenient for him to assume an anonymous identity here, he was a humble and low-profile person at heart! There was nothing in this world that he detested more than showing off in such a manner!
1759
1760Sighing helplessly, he raised his head to look at the attendant before him and asked, "May I ask what kind of ways there are to earn money quickly here?"
1761
1762"Earn money?"
1763
1764Those words made the attendant realize that the person standing before him did not have the means to purchase the Bluesun Pill. While he did not reveal anything on his face, the warmth in his eyes cooled a little.
1765
1766He had thought that the other party was a big fish, asking for a 20,000 Ethereal Coins pill as soon as he walked up to the stall, but as it turned out, the other party was poor!
1767
1768"The easiest way to earn money is through fighting open duels in the city's dueling ring," the attendant replied nonchalantly. "As long as you don't leave the dueling ring, the amount of money you can earn will increase by twofold each round. In the first round, you can earn one hundred Ethereal Coins, and this will increase to two hundred Ethereal Coins in the second round, four hundred Ethereal Coins in the third round, and so on. All in all, as long as you don't lose, you should be able to earn Ethereal Coins quickly!
1769
1770"As long as you are able to win eight rounds consecutively, you will be able to rack up enough money to buy the Bluesun Pill."
1771
1772"I see…" Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
1773
1774He had made a misjudgment earlier. It was true that limiting everyone's cultivation to Saint 1-dan did reduce the power difference among everyone, but that did not mean that they were equally powerful.
1775
1776Depending on one's interpretation of cultivation, fighting style, and reflexes, there could be a vast difference in the fighting prowess of different individuals even if they did have the same zhenqi capacity. If anything, it would be even more testing on one's skills and techniques.
1777
1778Besides, just because everyone's cultivation was suppressed to the same level, it would be naive to think that an ordinary Saint cultivator would be able to defeat an Ancient Sage cultivator. The precision of their control and battle experience would make a world of difference.
1779
1780The Ethereal Hall could not erase all inequality among cultivators, or perhaps it was not its aim to do so. By reducing the power difference among cultivators, it would put the emphasis on techniques and skills, thus motivating cultivators to work on those as well.
1781
1782"May I know where the dueling ring is? I'd like to register for the duels," Zhang Xuan said.
1783
1784"You can register for the duel here. However, I would like to remind you that your opponents get more and more difficult with each round that you win. While you are winning more rounds, the opponents you are paired with are doing the same," the attendant said.
1785
1786"I understand." Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
1787
1788This was basically the same as the 'Ranked Matches' in games from his previous world. If you were a Conqueror, the opponents you were paired with would be roughly around the same tier as you so that it would be a comparable match.
1789
1790But over here, regardless of whether his opponent was a Diamond or a Conqueror, it made no difference at all. He would crush them all one after another!
1791
1792In any case, he could use the Library of Heaven's Path here, so there was no one who had an advantage over him.
1793
1794"That's good. You'll have to pay the registration fee, five hundred Ethereal Coins," the attendant said.
1795
1796"Five hundred?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "Why is it so expensive?"
1797
1798"The Ethereal Hall doesn't just provide the location to conduct these duels; it records the video and provides a live feed of the battle to the other cultivators as well. All of this costs money, so naturally, there has to be a fee as well!" the attendant replied.
1799
1800"But I don't have five hundred Ethereal Coins. Is it possible for me to use my possessions as a deposit instead? Or else… could I borrow the money from you for the time being? I'll return it twofold to you once I win the battles!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment.
1801
1802Money was truly the greatest woe of a hero.
1803
1804As a godlike figure worshipped by countless on the Master Teacher Continent, it was embarrassing how he could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins here. If word spread, it would really be a huge embarrassment!
1805
1806"If you don't have the money to pay the registration fee, I'd advise you not to participate at all." The attendant finally reached the limits of his tolerance and snapped impatiently.
1807
1808A person who could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins actually wanted to purchase a pill worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins. It was as if he thought that he could easily win the duels and earn a fortune for himself. Just where in this world did this naive lad come from?
1809
1810Furthermore, how in the world could he trust the other party to return his money when they did not even know one another? Impossible!
1811
1812"This…" Seeing through the attendant's derision, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, "My Ethereal Token should be worth more than five hundred Ethereal Coins. I should at least be able to use it as a deposit for the duel, right?"
1813
1814Since the Ethereal Token was distributed by the Ethereal Hall, the system should be able to accept it as a deposit.
1815
1816"I guess that works. However, I'd just like to offer you one last piece of advice. If you fail to repay your debt within three days, the Ethereal Token that you are using will be resealed, preventing you from using it ever again!" the attendant replied.
1817
1818Since the Ethereal Hall was able to allow cultivators to connect to them via the Ethereal Token, naturally, they were able to terminate the connection as well.
1819
1820"I understand." Zhang Xuan nodded.
1821
1822Seeing that Zhang Xuan knew what he was getting into, the young man impatiently processed the request. Some time later, he passed a card over to Zhang Xuan.
1823
1824"This is your Ethereal Card, and stored inside are the five hundred Ethereal Coins you have borrowed. As long as you sign up for the duel, the sum will automatically be deducted from your card. Similarly, the reward for your victory will automatically be stored within your card, so you need not worry!"
1825
1826Seeing that the process was automated, Zhang Xuan was relieved to know that he would be spared from much trouble. He quickly put the card away before heading toward the dueling ring.
1827
1828Chapter 1923: My Name Is World's Edge
1829
1830Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
1831
1832
1833
1834There was nothing that induced one's improvement faster than practical battle, and this was the same wherever one went.
1835
1836However, practical battles came at a risk. There was a chance that one might get injured or even die, but these problems were not an issue in the Ethereal Hall. It was for this reason that the dueling ring was a popular location in the Ethereal Hall for cultivators to head to.
1837
1838As Zhang Xuan was nearing his destination, he saw a lot of people gathered together before a crystal-like screen with agitated looks on their faces.
1839
1840On the screen, there were two figures clashing intensely with one another.
1841
1842Their cultivation might only have been at Saint 1-dan, but their battle was still exciting to veteran fighters. Their maneuvers were sharp and well-calculated, and the sheer precision of their movements was amazing. There were hardly any wasted movements at all, and the battle techniques that they executed often achieved unexpected effects in influencing the flow of the battle.
1843
1844"Windherder has already won five rounds so far. He really is amazing!"
1845
1846"Amazing is an understatement, alright! His grasp of his battle techniques is terrifying! Every single move he executed is measured to an extremely precise degree, such that it reveals no openings for his opponent to exploit at all!"
1847
1848"I would be content if I could just reach his level of proficiency!"
1849
1850"Watching his battles are a huge enjoyment in itself. Not only so, I am also able to learn quite a few combat techniques from him and enhance my own fighting style!"
1851
1852…
1853
1854Such discussions could be heard from the crowd.
1855
1856It was not without reason that the Ethereal Token was so highly sought after by the cultivators in the Azure. It served not only as an online market but a perfect underground ring too. Not only did the fighters not need to fear getting injured, even the spectators could learn much from watching the battles.
1857
1858To be careful, Zhang Xuan did not rush into registering for the duels but instead chose to spectate the duels of other cultivators for the time being so as to gauge the average strength of the cultivators there.
1859
1860Due to the cultivation cap of Saint 1-dan, the battle techniques that the cultivators were able to execute were severely limited. Thus, what really determined the battle was their grasp of timing and precision of the execution of battle techniques. More often than not, it was the cultivator who was more decisive and had sharper moves who emerged victorious.
1861
1862Having a deeper understanding of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan walked over to the registration counter and passed his Ethereal Card over.
1863
1864"What name do you wish to go by? It's fine to use a nickname too!" the person at the counter, a young lady in her twenties, asked.
1865
1866"Nickname?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment.
1867
1868Such dueling ring would require one to take on a nickname so that it would be easier to refer to them.
1869
1870Since I am able to preserve my anonymity in here, I shouldn't use my real name, Zhang Xuan thought.
1871
1872Doing so would be just like the fools who used their real names on the internet in his previous life.
1873
1874Let me see. Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Xuan Zhang, Luo Tianya… The identities Zhang Xuan had assumed in the past flashed through his head in an instant, and the next moment, he said, "Call me… World's Edge 1!"
1875
1876"World's Edge?" The young lady nodded as she jotted the name down on a book before her.
1877
1878It did not take long for his match to be arranged.
1879
1880"Next round, World's Edge vs. Shadow Lurker!"
1881
1882Amid roaring cheers, Zhang Xuan walked into the dueling ring.
1883
1884The dueling ring was circular in shape, and the surroundings were sealed by a crystalline barrier. Through the screens around the dueling ring, spectators were able to see the details of the duel from outside.
1885
1886The opponent that he was facing was a slim, middle-aged man. Even though their cultivation was both Saint 1-dan, he commanded an aura that pressurized his opponents.
1887
1888"I've heard of Shadow Lurker before! Even though this is his first duel, he's actually quite a formidable expert!"
1889
1890"Indeed! I chatted with him earlier, and we even exchanged a few blows. His reflexes and movement speed are truly top-notch. At the very least, I gauge that his cultivation must be equivalent to Dimension Shatterer realm intermediate stage!"
1891
1892"He's actually so powerful? The Ethereal Hall really is filled with many experts!"
1893
1894"It seems like that there will be something interesting to look out for in this match then! Just that… I wonder if World's Edge will be able to put up a worthy fight!"
1895
1896"Eyyy, his name sounds so childish. I doubt that he's a formidable expert!"
1897
1898"Indeed, what World's Edge? It makes me cringe just by listening to it!"
1899
1900It was impossible to determine a person's true identity through the Ethereal Token, but nevertheless, through casual conversation and exchanging blows, it was still possible to roughly gauge a person's true strength and standing as long as the person was not intentionally hiding it.
1901
1902Those who had interacted with Shadow Lurker before knew that he was a fairly powerful cultivator.
1903
1904As such, they did not think too well of the fellow he was going to face.
1905
1906"Let's begin!" Shadow Lurker gazed at the young man before him coldly and taunted, "I won't be going easy on you!"
1907
1908He was planning to make use of this opportunity to forge a name for himself in the Ethereal Hall.
1909
1910Just like those experts who had made their fame there by achieving achieved consecutive victories, he would do the same and make the name 'Shadow Lurker' resound across the entire Ethereal Hall!
1911
1912On the other hand, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and beckoned him. "Let's start then!"
1913
1914Hu!
1915
1916With light footsteps, Shadow Lurker flitted toward Zhang Xuan with bizarre footwork that caused his silhouette to appear a little illusory.
1917
1918Seeing the other party's moves, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly.
1919
1920While the occupations in the Azure were not as developed as the Master Teacher Continent, their grasp of battle techniques and combat skills were clearly superior.
1921
1922Any single one of them would be more than a match for the master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion!
1923
1924Of course, this might be due to their possession of the Ethereal Token too. After all, not even combat masters could keep fighting on and on without getting injured.
1925
1926I can't win right away, or else it'll be hard for me to get matched with my next opponent, Zhang Xuan thought.
1927
1928As profound as Shadow Lurker's moves appeared to be, Zhang Xuan was still able to see at least eight flaws in them without relying on the Library of Heaven's Path. It would be a walk in the park for him to achieve victory.
1929
1930But this was an open duel. If he won in a single move, it would be difficult to find his next opponent. Without an opponent, how could he make his fortune?
1931
1932And if he did not earn sufficient money that day, the tenth direct disciple that he had just taken in could very well breathe his last breath tonight!
1933
1934Coming to realize all of this, Zhang Xuan swiftly charged forward to trade blows with his opponent.
1935
1936Peng peng peng!
1937
1938In the blink of an eye, he had already started clashing with Shadow Lurker.
1939
1940"Oh? It seems like World's Edge isn't too weak!"
1941
1942"The move that Shadow Lurker executed earlier is the Spacebreaking Footwork, right? Is it really possible for a Saint 1-dan to execute such a powerful battle technique?"
1943
1944"Is that… the Drifting Palm? Has it always been so powerful?"
1945
1946"Those two moves are incredibly ingenious, and yet, World's Edge managed to dodge them so easily… Is it just luck, or does he actually have something in him?"
1947
1948…
1949
1950When the battle first started, everyone thought that it would be completely one-sided. However, when the situation did not go as expected, everyone slowly widened their eyes in incredulity.
1951
1952Just as they had previously guessed, Shadow Lurker was indeed a powerful cultivator. His every single maneuver carried exceptional might. Despite that, even though World's Edge's moves were ordinary and a little flustered even, he was still able to dodge every one of Shadow Lurker's attacks and even find windows of opportunity to retaliate!
1953
1954This really cast doubt over the matter.
1955
1956If it was just luck, World's Edge could not have dodged Shadow Lurker's attacks by just a millimeter each and every time. But if World's Edge was truly doing it intentionally, just how powerful must he be to pull off such a dangerous feat each and every time?
1957
1958"Look, World's Edge is going to counterattack!" someone suddenly shouted.
1959
1960In the first ten blows or so, Shadow Lurker had been the one on the offensive, and World's Edge could only defend against his blows. But right now, the tables had turned.
1961
1962As Shadow Lurker found that his offense was not reaching his enemy at all, he slowly lost his patience, and World's Edge made use of this opportunity to control the flow of the battle.
1963
1964At that moment, Zhang Xuan wobbled unstably on the spot for a moment before abruptly thrusting his right palm forward.
1965
1966On the other hand, Shadow Lurker seemed to have expected this abrupt attack and was not caught off guard. Without any hesitation, he thrust his left palm forward to meet the other party's attack.
1967
1968Just as the two palms were about to meet, World's Edge suddenly pulled his right palm back and redirected the momentum of his strike to his left palm instead. Before anyone could even react, World's Edge had managed to strike Shadow Lurker squarely in the chest.
1969
1970To think that the previous right palm thrust was another feint!
1971
1972"To be able to switch between feints and real attacks so freely… not even the lord of Starlight City is capable of such a feat, right?"
1973
1974"You are underestimating the lord of Starlight City too much. I have watched some of the city lord's open duels over the past few years, and he has used similar moves before. What appeared to be a feint would suddenly turn into a real strike if one failed to guard against it, and vice-versa… This is a move that requires perfect control over your body, otherwise it would be impossible to exert and retract strength so freely. Countless cultivators desire to learn this technique, but very few of them are able to get to the point where they can execute it in a real battle. I have practiced this technique for more than three years, but even I'm not completely confident in pulling it off safely. Yet, World's Edge actually managed to do it so easily."
1975
1976"Frightening! Allow me to take back my earlier words, World's Edge is definitely a true expert!"
1977
1978"Could he possibly be the lord of Starlight City in disguise?"
1979
1980"How can that be? I know the nickname used by the city lord in his open duels, and it definitely isn't this… Someone who has won countless duels like the city lord wouldn't have any reason to pass himself off as a minor figure who hasn't even won a single match, right?"
1981
1982…
1983
1984The ability to switch freely between feints and real attacks might not seem too difficult, but throughout Starlight City, there were no more than a handful of cultivators who were able to pull it off. Thus, it was inevitable that the crowd would be shocked to see such a high-level feat being executed by an unknown figure.
1985
1986Peng!
1987
1988The Shadow Lurker staggered backward several steps as fresh blood dripped from his lips.
1989
1990While it was impossible for cultivators to die for real in the Ethereal Hall, they would still experience pain and vomit blood after incurring injuries. This was to ensure an accurate simulation of reality.
1991
1992"I have lost…" Knowing that he would only lose more tragically if the battle continued, Shadow Lurker willingly admitted his defeat.
1993
1994He had intended to make use of this opportunity to make his name, but who could have known that he would be defeated in his very first battle?
1995
1996Right after, a young lady's voice sounded from the outside. "Do you wish to proceed on to the next duel or leave the dueling ring?"
1997
1998After clearing the first battle, one had the choice to continue battling or give up.
1999
2000"I'll proceed on to the second round," Zhang Xuan replied without hesitation.
2001
2002While he did exert himself a little in the last battle, he still had plenty of strength left. Besides, he had not raked in the money that he needed to buy the Bluesun Pill yet, so how could he leave?
2003
2004Very soon, he had been paired up with an opponent. This time, his opponent was no longer a newbie but a veteran who had already fought several battles.
2005
2006His opponent seemed to have realized that he would not be easy to deal with, so as soon as the battle began, he immediately dashed forward and launched a barrage of relentless attacks, hoping to suppress him right from the start.
2007
2008This left Zhang Xuan with no choice but to dodge again and again. After all, he had to drag the battle on for a bit so as to not scare his next opponent away.
2009
2010…
2011
2012"That's Infinitesimal Maneuver!"
2013
2014The crowd exclaimed in astonishment.
2015
2016"Infinitesimal Maneuver refers to the feat of dodging an opponent's attack by a hair's breadth each and every time. This allows one to conserve as much energy as possible, and it puts one in a better position to launch a counterattack. Of course, it is a double-edged sword as the slightest carelessness could spell the end. To think that World's Edge would actually be able to utilize such a high-level skill…"
2017
2018"That must have taken him decades of tough training, right?"
2019
2020"Hah, it would already be an incredible feat if one could achieve it within decades of training!"
2021
2022"I have a cousin who is determined to master Infinitesimal Maneuver. He has trained for thirty years in order to pull it off, but nevertheless, he still doesn't dare execute it in a real battle. This maneuver doesn't just test the precision of one's control; more importantly, it's a test of one's state of mind. Without absolute confidence in one's abilities, there is no way one would dare use this combat skill!"
2023
2024Many cultivators among the crowd were already rendered speechless.
2025
2026In the Ethereal Hall, it was no exaggeration to say that those two combat skills were the marks of a true expert.
2027
2028Oblivious to the shock outside of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan dragged the match on for roughly ten blows before defeating this opponent with a swift strike.
2029
2030While waiting for his third opponent, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in satisfaction at his own performance.
2031
2032It was tough, but I think I should have disguised my strength quite well. It is really stifling to have to exert only a twentieth of my true strength like this, but it is all so that I'll have enough opponents to last me to the eighth round…
2033
2034Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan raised his head to face his third opponent.
2035
2036Footnotes:
2037
2038Ch 1923 Footnote 1
2039
2040This is the English translation of Tianya.
2041
2042Chapter 1924: Sword Tossing
2043
2044Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
2045
2046
2047
2048The third opponent was a young lady dressed in green, but she fell in defeat soon enough.
2049
2050The fourth opponent was an arrogant young man, but he too did not persevere beyond ten moves.
2051
2052Seeing how he was staying in control, not scaring away the other challengers from fighting him in a duel, Zhang Xuan nodded in contentment at his self-control.
2053
2054What he did not know was that, to the others, being able to spar with an expert of such caliber with just five hundred Ethereal Coins was an invaluable opportunity for them, so there was no reason for them to pass on it.
2055
2056It could be said that they were earning a huge profit just by challenging Zhang Xuan in a duel.
2057
2058It was not as if they could die in the duel, so they had nothing to lose.
2059
2060"Senior, what's your opinion on that World's Edge?"
2061
2062Outside the dueling ring, two figures leaning on a nearby pillar watched the live feed on the screen as they spoke.
2063
2064The person who was speaking was dressed in green, and he was hugging a sword. Despite his slackened posture, his eyes reflected a sharp Sword Intent that was at odds with his demeanor.
2065
2066The 'Senior' whom he was speaking too was also holding a sword in his hands, and the Sword Intent that he emanated was even more intense. It was clear that he was a skilled sword practitioner just by his presence.
2067
2068Both Xuanjiang City and Starlight City were under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so there were many sword practitioners among the populace. In fact, even in the dueling ring, many of the challengers chose to wield a sword.
2069
2070"The fact that he's able to alternate between feint and real attacks, as well as his ability to carry out Infinitesimal Maneuver, shows that the precision of his control over his strength has reached an incredible level, not paling in comparison even to me. There's no doubt that he's an expert!" The senior nodded with a smile. "However, he's still lacking in comparison to the disciples of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"
2071
2072"Those two skills are the elementary requirements one has to meet in order to officially become a disciple of our sect. Most menial disciples are capable of pulling that off. It's only in a remote location like this that people make such a huge fuss over this matter!" the junior said.
2073
2074"Junior Huang Tao, go and sign up for the dueling ring and show that fellow that there's a wider world out there!" the senior instructed.
2075
2076"Rest assured! If I can't make him admit within three moves, I'll spend the pay on the tab for our alcohol tonight and practice the Transient Swordsmanship from scratch once more!" the junior known as Huang Tao replied with a confident smile.
2077
2078"Don't drag the battle on for too long. We have yet to choose the new outer disciples and menial disciples, so we are very tight on time. Furthermore, our actions can be viewed as no different from bullying the local populace, and if Elder Lu learns of it, he'll surely reprimand us!"
2079
2080As geniuses from a major sect, it was inappropriate for them to come to such a remote area and challenge the newbies in the area. This was no different from national players dropping by a local community club to challenge its team. It was beneath them to do something like that, and it would only sully their reputation.
2081
2082"I understand!" Huang Tao nodded as he walked toward the female attendant.
2083
2084It did not take long for him to be confirmed as Zhang Xuan's fifth opponent.
2085
2086"Look at Dire Swordsman's win ratio!"
2087
2088"He's only lost five matches out of a hundred? Isn't that insanity?"
2089
2090"What a ridiculous score this is! It seems like World's Edge has really met his match this time!
2091
2092"Since he's holding a sword, this duel will likely be a sword duel. We've only seen World's Edge's expertise in hand-to-hand combat; we haven't seen his expertise with the sword."
2093
2094Every single competitor would have their past record in the dueling ring reflected on the screen. Dire Swordsman's feat of losing only five matches out of a hundred swiftly raised a commotion among the crowd.
2095
2096The crowd initially expected it to be a one-sided battle just like those before, but the opinions were soon divided in now.
2097
2098Some believed that while World's Edge had displayed exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills, that was no indication that he would be good with a weapon in hand.
2099
2100Given his opponent's name, Dire Swordsman, and his score to date, he was likely an exceptional sword practitioner.
2101
2102"Pick up your weapon!"
2103
2104In the dueling ring, Huang Tao held onto his sword as he gestured to Zhang Xuan.
2105
2106"Very well!"
2107
2108Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a sword from the nearby weapon rack swiftly flew into his hands.
2109
2110There were no tiers to the swords in the Ethereal Hall. They were only tools used to execute one's swordsmanship, so things such as weapon spirit did not exist within them.
2111
2112"I'll give you two chances before I draw my sword. If you can't get close to me before then, I'll defeat you within a single strike!" Huang Tao remarked calmly.
2113
2114As a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he had his own honor to uphold.
2115
2116"You aren't going to draw your sword right away?" Zhang Xuan taken aback. With a frown on his forehead, he muttered, "But you might lose your life if so…"
2117
2118"Audacious!" Huang Tao exclaimed with a darkened face. "Make your move, or else you won't have to a chance to do so very soon!"
2119
2120"Alright then!" Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.
2121
2122He raised the sword in his hand and flicked it around casually, as if he was trying to get used to it. Without taking a single step forward, he flicked his finger all of a sudden.
2123
2124Weng!
2125
2126The sword flew out of his hand.
2127
2128Before he could even make his first move, he actually lost his grip over his sword!
2129
2130This was one of the greatest taboos in battle! Once a cultivator lost their weapon in battle, they would have to face their opponent bare-handed, thus putting them in a disadvantageous position!
2131
2132"That's too reckless!"
2133
2134"Is that fellow trying to admit defeat?"
2135
2136The crowd watching the duel were stunned by what they were seeing.
2137
2138They had never expected to see such carelessness from the seemingly powerful World's Edge.
2139
2140"Look, World's Edge has turned his body around!"
2141
2142"You're right! What does he mean by that?"
2143
2144"Is he trying to admit defeat just like that? Does he not have the slightest shred of sportsmanship in him?"
2145
2146Amid exclaims of astonishment, the situation grew more and more ridiculous.
2147
2148On the stage, the young man known as World's Edge turned around and raised his hands after tossing out his sword, as if celebrating something… Was this a mark of surrender? Was he giving up after seeing Dire Swordsman's impressive record?
2149
2150The problem was, it was one thing for World's Edge to surrender, but why was he raising his hand so triumphantly? Did he view it as an honor or something?
2151
2152Standing on the opposite end of the stage, Huang Tao was taken aback by the situation as well.
2153
2154He had no idea what his opponent was up to or what was going on. Even if his opponent wanted to admit defeat, the latter should say so verbally instead of displaying such uncertain gestures!
2155
2156Just as he was deep in thought, his senior anxiously yelled, "Huang Tao, don't let your guard down! Be careful!"
2157
2158That remark immediately brought Huang Tao back from his daze, and he quickly gathered his attention once more. However, before he knew it, the sword that his opponent had tossed ever so casually had already slowly made its way to him.
2159
2160The movements of the sword felt incredibly slow, giving one the feeling that it was floating quietly in the air. When it was just three meters away from him, the sword abruptly accelerated, bolting toward him as if a flash of light.
2161
2162Alarmed, Huang Tao immediately drew the sword in his embrace to protect himself, but before he could move, there was already a splitting pain in his head.
2163
2164Putong!
2165
2166His body fell uncontrollably to the ground as his consciousness swiftly vanished. The sword had already pierced his head and ended him.
2167
2168Hu!
2169
2170Huang Tao's corpse swiftly dissipated into light particles before vanishing altogether, leaving only the sword that he had been holding earlier on the ground.
2171
2172Dying in the Ethereal Hall would not cause any harm to one's real body, but the Ethereal Token that one wielded would shatter and lose its function. Similarly, one's avatar and consciousness in the Ethereal Hall would vanish as well.
2173
2174In other words, dying in the Ethereal Hall was not completely without cost.
2175
2176Silence!
2177
2178There was a deathly silence that lingered in the area.
2179
2180Everyone stared in shock at the dueling ring before them with slackened jaws.
2181
2182They had expected to see an intense fight between Dire Swordsman and World's Edge, but as if a farcical play, the latter had tossed his sword out, and the former had gotten his head impaled.
2183
2184What the heck was that?
2185
2186Hula!
2187
2188After a moment of bizarre silence, roaring cheers filled the surroundings.
2189
2190While most of the spectators were unable to make sense out of what had happened in the earlier duel, it was as clear as day to them that World's Edge had won the duel.
2191
2192"Long live World's Edge! I love you more than anything in the world!"
2193
2194"Dire Swordsman must have underestimated his opponent far too much. He was probably caught off guard by the sudden offense from World's Edge…"
2195
2196"I thought that Dire Swordsman would be a formidable figure, but who would have guessed that he's nothing but talk? To be impaled by a sword just like this… there's probably no one other than him!"
2197
2198"And to think that he actually had a win ratio of 95% out of one hundred matches… Did he get such a record by rigging the system, or did he intentionally lose the battle so as to give us a good laugh?"
2199
2200To all the spectators, the sword toss that Zhang Xuan had performed earlier looked perfectly ordinary, so it was inexplicable to them how Dire Swordsman had ended up getting killed by it. Thus, there was only one possibility in their mind, and that was that Dire Swordsman was simply too weak!
2201
2202"That's impossible!"
2203
2204The senior leaning against the pillar hurriedly straightened his posture.
2205
2206He had noticed that something was amiss as soon as the sword was tossed. He could sense traces of Sword Intent behind the sword toss, which meant that it was a sword technique in itself.
2207
2208Still, was it really possible to kill Huang Tao so easily with the toss of a sword?
2209
2210The senior tried to recall the trajectory behind the sword toss, but the harder he tried to think about it, the more sweat that trickled down his forehead.
2211
2212To his astonishment, he was unable to map out the trajectory of the sword toss at all! It was as if everything had simply happened. His mind could process the start and the end, but everything in between was a blank.
2213
2214Even with his eye of discernment, he was unable to tell how the young man had managed to win with that single sword toss!
2215
2216"Do I have to fight him personally in order to tell?" the senior muttered as he clenched his fists tightly together.
2217
2218Most formidable swordsmanship would require a person to experience it themself in order to know how powerful it truly was. Most likely, this move had also reached such a level.
2219
2220With that thought in mind, the senior unhesitatingly walked over to the registration counter and signed up for the duel. A moment later, he appeared in the dueling ring.
2221
2222"Soaring Clouds?" Zhang Xuan read from the screen not too far away.
2223
2224He could not help but notice that his newest opponent had a sword in his grasp. It was just a moment ago that he had gotten rid of a swordsman when another one appeared before him. Did he accidentally poke a beehive or something?
2225
2226"I am Soaring Clouds (Yun Feiyang). It's both my nickname and my real name!" Yun Feiyang nodded in response.
2227
2228Without any hesitation, he drew his sword, and a cold sheen appeared on the surface of the sword. "Pick up your weapon!"
2229
2230Seeing that his opponent was as narcissistic as his previous opponent, Zhang Xuan picked up the sword that he had used for the previous battle from the weapon rack once more before looking at his opponent.
2231
2232Yun Feiyang clasped his fist and requested, "Please use the same sword art as before!"
2233
2234He wanted to experience the same sword art that had killed his junior in an instant earlier so that he could find a way to decipher it. As a sword practitioner, he could not stand the idea of a sword technique existing in the world that he was unable to make sense of.
2235
2236"The sword art that I used earlier?" Zhang Xuan frowned.
2237
2238"That's right!"
2239
2240"Well… I guess that's fine!" Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.
2241
2242He did not think that the sword toss that he had executed earlier could be considered a sword art at all. It was really just a casual toss of his sword, and there was no particular skill or deep conceptualization behind it.
2243
2244That being said, it was still a sword toss that harnessed the essence of the Heaven's Path Sword Art, and that was how it had pierced Dire Swordsman's head with impeccable accuracy.
2245
2246This fellow wanted to give the same menu a try?
2247
2248Did he think that his head was tough enough to survive the impact?
2249
2250Regardless of the reason behind his opponent's request, it really did not make much of a difference to him at all.
2251
2252He swung the sword in his hand a bit to get used to the grip before pointing it toward Soaring Clouds.
2253
2254Hu!
2255
2256With a flick, the sword flew out of his hand.
2257
2258"It's coming!" Yun Feiyang narrowed his eyes as he swiftly brandished his sword.
2259
2260In an instant, with the loud roaring of wind and swift afterimages of a blade, his silhouette was completely covered by his sword, preventing even the slightest droplet of water from getting to him.
2261
2262"What formidable swordsmanship!"
2263
2264"How can he swing his sword so quickly?"
2265
2266"I can't even follow the movements of his sword with my eye! How can anyone breach a defense like this?"
2267
2268The crowd below were astonished by Yun Feiyang's defense.
2269
2270His swordsmanship was so fast that it felt as if a light sphere of a radius of two meters had formed around him.
2271
2272Under such tight defense, it would be nigh impossible to harm him.
2273
2274Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the tossed sword slowly advanced through the air to a distance of three meters away from Yun Feiyang.
2275
2276Hu!
2277
2278With a loud whoosh of the wind, the sword abruptly vanished from sight. Unbeknownst to the crowd, it had pierced right through the light sphere formed by Yun Feiyang's swift sword.
2279
2280"What's going on?"
2281
2282"Did he manage to stop it, or did he fail to stop it?"
2283
2284The crowd were stunned to see that the sword had vanished but the light sphere was still maintained around Yun Feiyang.
2285
2286With their eye of discernment, they could not tell what was happening on the stage.
2287
2288Before the crowd could finish their words, the light sphere abruptly popped, revealing a young man with a sword lodged in his head.
2289
2290The person in question had already breathed his last breath.
2291
2292Peng!
2293
2294The corpse collapsed to the ground and dissipated.
2295
2296Gasps of shock echoed through the crowd.