Library of Heaven's Path
Chapter 333-340

Chapter 333: We Don’t Know Either

A middle-aged man was seated on the lofty throne within Tianwu royal palace.

The emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Tianxue!

“You say that someone challenged the guild leader in the Physician Guild, and that he solved nineteen consecutive questions on the Wall of Dilemma?”

Mo Tianxue was staring at a guard in disbelief.

He was well aware of the fact that the questions on the Wall of Dilemma were difficult illnesses which had baffled innumerable genius physicians over the years. Even if a 4-star physician came, he would definitely be unable to solve all of them in a single go. Yet, a seemingly unimpressive fellow had solved nineteen successive questions. On top of that, his solutions were on the level of Perfection…

This is insanity!

“It is the unmistakable truth!” A gray-robed man clasped his fist respectfully.

This gray-robed man’s aura was rather irregular, but one could still tell that he was a Zongshi realm expert.

Those who were familiar with the kingdom’s workings would definitely recognise his identity as a member of the most secretive army in Tianwu Kingdom —— Shadow Squad!

The Shadow Squad was an organization directly controlled by Mo Tianxue, and they often carried out unhonorable missions in the darkness.

With such a huge affair at the Physician Guild, all of them rushed to the royal palace in first time to inform the emperor of the news.

“To be capable of solving so many questions on the Wall of Dilemma and provide perfect treatment methods over and above all, that person’s mastery in the Way of Medicine has most probably already reached the standard of a 4-star or even 5-star physician!”

Mo Tianxue clenched his fists tightly.

“Indeed. If he were to offer his services to the kingdom, the traumas that occur in the guards’ training would be resolved easily. Perhaps, with his help, Your Majesty might even be able to achieve a breakthrough to reach that level!”

The gray-robed man said.

“You’re right!” Mo Tianxue’s eyes lit up. Then, with an anxious look, he asked, “Have you found out who he is?”

There was no such thing as a perfect cultivation technique. As such, all kinds of traumas would appear in one’s cultivation.

Even though most of them do not pose a threat to one’s life and do not affect one’s ability to exert their strength, it locks down one’s cultivation, making it difficult to progress further.

If one can solve his traumas, there is a high possibility that he will be able to advance another step in his cultivation.

But of course, that is only a possibility. After all, a physician is only capable of treatment. Unlike master teachers, a physician is incapable of offering pointers for one to achieve a breakthrough. Even so, resolving one’s trauma would extend one’s longevity and make one more spirited.

This is also the reason why physician is one of the top occupations of the Upper Nine Paths.

“We have already looked into the matter. His name is Liu Cheng, and he is a newly recruited teacher in Tianwu Academy! At twenty-four this year, his cultivation is at Tongxuan realm primary stage. He passed the teacher examination in Quanhai City’s Teacher Guild, and he once took a class at Quanhai City for a year! Here is his information!”

After which, the gray-robed man passed a piece of paper over.

The fact that the Shadow Squad was able to gather comprehensive information on Liu Cheng so quickly bore testimony to their fearsome prowess.

“Un!” Grabbing the paper, Mo Tianxue swiftly browsed through the contents.

All kinds of personal information on Liu Cheng had been recorded on the document.

The identity that the Master Teacher Pavilion created for Zhang Xuan was truly impeccable. There were no flaws, and even the Shadow Squad was only able to gather this much.

“To think that an ordinary teacher in Quanhai City would possess such astounding medical skills! Help me prepare another identical set of the gift that was meant for Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and as soon as he leaves the Wall of Dilemma, we will head over to greet him!”

After browsing through his information, Mo Tianxue affirmed that there was nothing wrong with his background and he gestured excitedly.

“The present for Zhang shi?” The gray-robed man was taken aback.

As a close aide of the emperor, he knew how valuable the gift prepared for Zhang shi was.

“Indeed! A talent of his level is already on par with Zhang shi. In fact, his usefulness surpasses even that of Zhang shi!” Mo Tianxue reasoned.

“Yes!” The gray-robed man nodded.

“Alright, let’s go. Accompany me to the Physician Guild!” After which, Mo Tianxue dismounted his throne and began forward without any hesitation.

…

Tianwu Academy.

Principal Xie was sitting gloomily alone in his courtyard.

No matter who it was, it would be hard for one not to feel embarrassed getting criticized by a new teacher.

“Principal, principal…”

He was thinking of a way to vent his frustration when an elder rushed into his courtyard.

“What’s wrong?”

Principal Xie frowned.

“That… Liu laoshi went to challenge the Wall of Dilemma!” An elder said.

“Challenge the Wall of Dilemma? To provoke Guild Leader Mu Hong, is there something wrong with that fellow’s head?” Principal Xie’s body swayed, and he nearly blacked out.

Instead of teaching your class properly, what are you doing over at the Physician Guild? On top of that… challenging their Wall of Dilemma and provoking their guild leader, you must be mad!

“He is truly a problematic teacher. Nevertheless, he possesses true capability and will become a pillar of the academy in the future. We mustn’t allow anything to happen to him!”

The other party had embarrassed him in public, but as fellow teachers, he felt obligated to stand up for him. “Bring me my name scroll, I will visit Guild Leader Mu Hong now. Hopefully, he won’t pursue the matter on my account!”

“No, that’s not enough. Challenging the Wall of Dilemma is equivalent to an attempt to wrest authority from the current guild leader. Guild Leader Mu Hong won’t allow this matter to simply rest… Let’s go to the Master Teacher Pavilion to look for Pavilion Master Jiang. With his help, the situation should be much easier to resolve”

Thus, Principal Xie stood up and prepared to rush to the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Cough cough… Principal, wait for a moment. Allow me to finish my words first…”

The elder felt stifled. The principal had reacted violently after hearing a single sentence. He couldn’t replace a chance to cut into his words at all.

“What’s the use of talking about it? I know Guild Leader Mu Hong’s temper well, he will definitely fly into a rage upon seeing someone eye his position! Even though that Liu laoshi is a little arrogant, he is still a member of our Tianwu Academy. We mustn’t allow anything to happen to him. Otherwise, the pride of our academy will be sullied!”

Principal Xie swung his hands and rushed out of the courtyard.

However, barely after he took two steps, the elder stopped him.

“Principal, allow me to first finish my words…”

The elder felt faintheaded.

Why are you so agitated? Can’t you allow me to finish my words?

“Speak! Can it be that… we’re already too late and that Guild Leader Mu Hong has already laid his hands on him?” Seeing the anxious look on the other party’s face, an ominous omen loomed over his mind. Gedeng, Principal Xie’s heart skipped a beat.

“That’s not it… Liu laoshi has solved nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, and he provided a perfect treatment method for every single one of them… Right now, the entire Physician Guild is in an uproar!”

Afraid that the other party would jump into conclusion once more, the elder spoke quickly.

“Solved nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma? Provided a perfect treatment method for each of them…” Principal Xie was taken aback. It took him moments before he managed to digest the other party’s words, and his eyes nearly popped out from its sockets. “You mean to say that… Liu laoshi has already broken Physician Mu Hong’s record and he is now the new guild leader of the Physician Guild?”

“Yes…”

The elder flashed a bitter smile.

When he first heard this news himself, he also felt as though the world had gone mad. His condition then wasn’t any better than that of the current Principal Xie.

“How-how-how is this possible?”

Principal Xie froze in shock.

…

Oblivious to the huge uproar he had caused, Zhang Xuan was staring at the final question on the Wall of Dilemma.

The Library of Heaven’s Path could only reflect flaws, it couldn’t provide a solution to these flaws.

When a person is ill, it means that a flaw has appeared on him, resulting in his current condition. As long as one is able to identify the crux of the problem and work backward, it isn’t too difficult to treat an illness.

That was precisely the reason why even though the first nineteen questions had stumped many talented physicians, Zhang Xuan was able to solve them easily, providing perfect treatment solutions without thinking for long.

“Innate Muscular Deficiency resulting in the lack of strength in one’s body and a lifespan of only twenty years. How do we treat this?”

The final question carved on the Wall of Dilemma was just two short sentences, and it seemed to be simple.

“Innate Muscular Deficiency?”

With a will of his mind, a book appeared in Zhang Xuan’s head.

Zhang Xuan had taken in a substantial number of books in the Master Teacher Pavilion. As physician was one of the top occupations of the Upper Nine Paths, there was a substantial collection within. It just so happened that there was an introduction on the illness.

“Innate Muscular Deficiency results in the stagnation of the growth in one’s muscles. A person born with such a condition can only lie on the bed, unable to exercise or cultivate…”

There was only a brief introduction to the illness in the book. There wasn’t a solution provided.

“Let’s see whether there is any solution to it. Flaws!”

Placing his hand on the wall, Zhang Xuan thought.

Weng!

A book appeared in his mind.

“Innate Muscular Deficiency refers to a lack in strength in one’s muscles. Flaws: An inborn damage in one’s meridians…”

On the portion of the book detailing the flaws of Innate Muscular Deficiency, the locations of the damaged meridians, acupoints, and body parts were stated.

“This…”

With a glance, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze. “This illness is actually the opposite of the Heaven’s Path Golden Body?”

He had never heard of the illness, but based on the flaws, he realized that it bore striking resemblance to the cultivation method of Heaven’s Path Golden Body.

That was to say, one could easily solve this illness through the cultivation method of Heaven’s Path Golden Body.

“The Heaven’s Path Golden Body shouldn’t be leaked out, but this is a part of the physician examination. If I were to answer this question inaccurately, I might not be able to become an official physician…”

Feeling distressed, Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

He didn’t know about the Wall of Dilemma, and up until now, he still thought that he was only taking the physician examination.

“Since I know the specific points where the flaws appear in, as long as one uses zhenqi to nourish these few spots, the illness should still be treated even without the cultivation method of Heaven’s Path Golden Body!”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly slapped his forehead.

All along, he had been thinking in the capacity of an individual, neglecting the fact that the zhenqi could come from an external source.

As long as he wrote down points that needed to be nourished with zhenqi and avoid mentioning the formula in detail, the Heaven’s Path Golden Body would not be leaked.

After all, the crux to all cultivation techniques lies in the formula to propel one’s zhenqi.

“Alright!”

After confirming the treatment, Zhang Xuan picked up a brush and started writing on the wall.

…

“It’ll probably be impossible for him to solve this question!”

Physician Mu Hong stood stiffly before the Physician Hall with his hands clenched by his sides.

The other party had already surpassed his feat, replacing him as the new guild leader. No matter how depressed he got over this matter, this was already a fact. At this moment, all he wanted to know was whether this Liu fellow would be able to solve all twenty problems on the Wall of Dilemma with a Perfect grade.

If that really happens, the Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild would gain great prestige because of this.

However… Even 4-star physicians would be puzzled by the final question. Is it even possible for that Liu laoshi to succeed?

Weng!

Just as they were anxiously waiting for the result, the wall before them started to tremor once more.

“The results are out…”

Everyone waited with bated breaths. Physician Mu Hong stiffened in nervousness.

Hu!

A bright ray of light radiated from the wall.

“It’s… a ray of white light? What does white light means?”

“Red light should indicate failure while orange light reflects a correct answer. Why would there be a white light?”

Upon seeing the light, everyone became flabbergasted.

Even Physician Mu Hong widened his eyes in astonishment.

The answers should either be right or right. In other words, the light should either be red or orange. For a white light to be emanated instead… What the heck?

“Can the wall in the Physician Hall have spoiled?”

“That should be impossible, right…”

Everyone blinked in disbelief.

“Wait, something seems to be appearing…”

Just when everyone was overwhelmed with shock, someone from within the crowd shouted suddenly.

Swiftly turning toward the smooth wall, four words slowly floated into appearance——

We don’t know either!

Chapter 334: Guild Leader

“We don’t know either? What does that mean?”

“I have no idea too!”

“It is said that answers to the Wall of Dilemma are appraised personally by 4-star masters… For ‘we don’t know either’ to appear, does that mean that… even 4-star physicians are unable to determine whether the answer Liu laoshi gave is correct?”

“That… can’t be true, right? If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that Liu laoshi’s medical skill surpasses that of a 4-star physician?

“This…”

…

Everyone stared at the wall before them dumbfounded.

The four words ‘we don’t know either’ left everyone faint-headed.

The ones on the other side of the Wall of Dilemma are 4-star physicians. And, even they are unable to determine whether the answer is correct or wrong…

The heck.

Liu laoshi, exactly what kind of answer did you give? Such that other side does not dare to reject it outright, even admitting its ignorance?

The corners of Physician Mu Hong’s lips twitched. He found himself swaying from side to side, unable to maintain his balance.

He thought he had imagined every circumstance possible, even that of five rays of orange light. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the other party would admit to… not knowing the answer!

Don’t know your head!

All of you are 4-star physicians! To speak of such words before so many people… Are you still in your right mind?

Weng!

Before they could recover from their shock, the four words on the wall had faded and another line appeared.

“We will announce our judgement ten days later!”

These words disappeared slowly as well.

“Seems like… the other side is truly unsure. They will need to report to a higher level branch or look for a patient with Innate Muscular Deficiency in order to test out the treatment method!”

Even though it was said that the Wall of Dilemma was connected to the headquarter, this headquarter actually referred to another branch which was just a tier higher than that of the Tianwu Physician Guild branch. After all, the headquarter was a incomparably powerful, filled with 8-star to 9-star physicians. How can it possibly be connected to small place like Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild?

It was just like how Zhang Xuan requested for a Unravel Yin Pill from the headquarter in the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild back then. In truth, their communications had merely reached Tianwu Kingdom, and Apothecary Hong Yun was dispatched.

Otherwise, if everyone were to contact the headquarter for all random and miscellaneous matters, wouldn’t it die from exhaustion?

“We will give our judgement ten days later… So does it mean that he solved the question… or not?” The crowd was stunned.

“Even if he answered the last question wrongly, this Liu laoshi has already answered nineteen questions with a Perfect grade. He has already surpassed Guild Leader Mu Hong, making him… the new guild leader!”

Someone commented.

Everyone came to a realization.

So what if that fellow got the final question wrongly? The results had already far surpassed that of any previous guild leader!

Without a doubt, he had already become the new guild leader.

“However, wasn’t his purpose here the physician examination? If he doesn’t have a rank beforehand, what rank should he be assigned?”

Someone raised his doubt.

Suddenly, the entire room fell silent.

Indeed, if he doesn’t possess any rank as a physician from before, how should we handle this situation?

He was able to solve all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma, even forcing 4-star physicians to admit their ignorance…

The level of mastery of his medical skill definitely far surpasses that of a 3-star, perhaps even reaching the level of a 5-star!

However… Since even the guild wasn’t able to evaluate such a high ranked physician, how can they issue such an emblem to him?

“Don’t worry, the answer will be out in ten days. Once the answer is determined, the headquarter will decide his rank personally, so we don’t have to worry too much!”

A 2-star physician said.

“Un!” The crowd nodded.

That made sense as well. This shouldn’t be a matter within their consideration. Given how the other party challenged the Wall of Dilemma and solved so many questions, even jotting down an answer beyond the understanding of 4-star physicians, this problem should be one for the headquarter to bear.

There wasn’t a need for them to think so much.

Jiya!

They were still discussing when the door to the Physician Hall opened and Zhang Xuan walked out.

Upon seeing the huge crowd gathered outside, and that all of the gazes were on him, Zhang Xuan was given a shock.

“What… is going on?”

He had merely taken a physician examination, why was there such a huge crowd, and why were all of them looking at him?

Glancing around, he finally found the leader of the guards and Ya Rou, and the hurried over, “Why is the examination different what you told me… So, have I passed the examination?”

According to their words, the physician examination should be no different from that of other occupations. Yet, after he went in, he didn’t see anyone, only a wall which kept posing questions to him.

It was completely different from what they said. It can’t be that I took the wrong examination? Will they fail me for this…

“Gu-guild leader, you are jesting…”

The leader of the guards trembled uncontrollably.

“Guild leader?” Zhang Xuan was stunned. He stared at the duo, and just he was about to ask them what they meant, more than a dozen of physicians with an emblem pinned on their chests walked over and clasped their fists, “Paying our respects to Guild Leader Liu!”

“Guild Leader Liu? What does this mean…” Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. He had no idea what was going on.

It is just a physician examination… Why is everyone calling me guild leader? Did they eat something wrong this morning?

“Guild Leader Liu challenged the Wall of Dilemma and solved nineteen questions consecutively. As such, you have become the new leader of our Physician Guild!”

Physician Mu Hong stepped forward.

“New guild leader?”

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.

Becoming a guild leader just by answering a few questions? Isn’t this too much of a child’s play?

The others swiftly explained the situation to him, and upon comprehending what was going on, Zhang Xuan went speechless.

He had only intended to take the physician examination. Never in his dreams did he expect to cause such a huge commotion and become the guild leader of the Physician Guild…

Even so, everything had already happened, and there was nothing much he could do. Remembering the initial aim he had in mind coming to the Physician Guild, he turned to Ya Rou and asked, “Then… since I became the guild leader, do I have to right to purchase White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, Wolf Venom Grass… All of these medicinal herbs?”

“…” Ya Rou cried.

She had just said that the other party didn’t have the qualifications to purchase it, and he went on immediately to become the guild leader of the Physician Guild…

This face slap!

“Since you are the guild leader, of course you do have the qualifications to purchase these medicinal herbs. However, we don’t have all of the herbs you want here!”

Upon knowing about the entire situation, Mu Hong hesitated for a moment before explaining to the other party.

Physicians do utilize poison in their treatments, but it is extremely rare. While the guild had White Angelica Flower, Crimson-edged Leaf, and such medicinal herbs, it didn’t have the more potent poisonous medicinal herbs.

“Then… Bring me those that can be found here first!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Un!” Mu Hong replied and issued some instructions to Ya Rou. It didn’t take long for Ya Rou to return with a huge bag of medicinal herbs.

After taking a look, Zhang Xuan verified that all except two of the medicinal herbs he needed were inside.

“Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower are lethal poison, so we don’t have any of them here. However… the Poison Hall will definitely have them!” Mu Hong said.

“Poison Hall?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Naturally, Zhang Xuan knew that the Poison Hall had them as well.

However, it would take him four to five days just for a to-and-fro trip to the Red Lotus City. On top of that, he would require an additional ten days to tread through the Red Lotus Range to arrive at and return from the Poison Hall. In total, the journey would would take at least half a month. By the time he returned, it would already be way past ten days.

“Right, I heard that Pavilion Master Jiang likes collecting valuable medicinal herbs. You might be able to replace those two herbs from him!”

After hesitating for a moment, Mu Hong suddenly recalled something and said.

“Pavilion Master Jiang? Alright!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

It might have been difficult for him to obtain those two valuable medicinal herbs from anyone else, but Pavilion Master Jiang… was his student! As long as he appeared before the other party as ‘Yang Xuan’, obtaining these two medicinal herbs shouldn’t be a problem at all.

“How much do all of these medicinal herbs cost?”

Keeping the medicinal herbs into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan asked.

“A total of fourteen million gold coins!” Mu Hong clasped his hand.

“Fourteen million gold coins?” Zhang Xuan was astounded.

He thought that it would only cost a few hundred thousand gold coin. For it add up to fourteen million gold coin, this was daylight robbery…

But considering that he was already the guild leader, it was impossible for the other party to lie to him blatantly in public. Thus, he could only hand over a huge wad of cash helplessly.

Ten million might be a huge sum, but Zhang Xuan accrued quite a substantial wealth back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom. As such, he was still able to bear with such expenditure.

“I still have matters to attend to so I’ll be leaving now. Physician Mu Hong, I will only serve as an honorary guild leader, so I’ll be depending on you to deal with the matters of the guild!”

Zhang Xuan only came here just to buy medicinal herbs. Since he had already achieved his goal, there was no need for him to remain here. Thus, he clasped his fist and bided farewell.

“Ah?”

Everyone thought that the new guild leader would immediately attempt to conduct a reorganization of the entire guild. After all, most newly appointed leaders tended to flaunt their authority by trying to instill new changes to the organization. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the other party simply dumped everything on Physician Mu Hong and left. This left everyone dumbfounded.

“Farewell!”

Ignoring the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan walked out of the Physician Guild. It didn’t take long before he disappeared from their sight.

He wasn’t interested in being a guild leader or whatsoever. His only goal at the moment was to successfully advance as a 2-star master teacher so as to gain the authority to look up the affairs of Empyrean Kong shi and replace the solution to his Innate Fetal Poison.

There was nothing more important than this.

“What happened?”

After Zhang Xuan left, everyone was silent for a long time. At this moment, a perplexed elder suddenly walked into the guild.

“Physician Hu? You… aren’t at the Physician Hall?” Upon seeing the elder, the crowd froze in shock.

Physician Hu was the physician in charge of the physician examinations. How in the world was he only walking into the guild at this moment?

“I just went out for a moment. What’s going on?” Physician Hu had been away the entire time so he had no idea what was going on. He was just perplexed as to why such a huge crowd, not to mention, Guild Leader Mu Hong and the other influential elders, was gathered here.

“Went out for a moment…”

Everyone was speechless.

They had considered the possibility that Liu laoshi might have intentionally challenged the Wall of Dilemma. But judging from how Physician Hu wasn’t around then… there was a high chance that the other party really stumbled into the room accidentally.

But yet, he still managed to solve all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma…

Does it have to be so darned?

“You all are saying that… in the hour I was gone, someone barged into the Physician Hall and solved all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma with Perfect Treatment Methods?”

Soon, someone explained the situation to Physician Hu, and in that instant, Physician Hu could only hear thunder rumbling in his head.

For such a matter to happen while he was gone, it seems like he wouldn’t be able to escape the blame for neglecting his responsibility…

…

The ruckus that Zhang Xuan’s successful challenge of the Wall of Dilemma caused wasn’t just limited to Tianwu Kingdom.

On the other end of the Wall of Dilemma, a few elders were gathered together. They were all staring at one another blankly.

“The Innate Muscular Deficiency is a terminal disease. Back then, Physician Fei Qing attempted to solve this affliction but even he fell in defeat before it. In the end, he could only watch as his patient fell into death’s embrace. The answer that physician gave us… Can it really be the right treatment method to the illness?”

“That… I don’t know either, but there are two ways to check on it. We can either report it upward or we can try the solution on someone with Innate Muscular Deficiency!”

“I remember that the second princess of the alliance suffers from Innate Muscular Deficiency!”

“Indeed! Prepare the carriages, let’s head off to the Alliance Head Residence now!”

The few elders stood up simultaneously.

Chapter 335: Myriad Kingdom Alliance

There were countless kingdoms like Tianxuan and Tianwu scattered all over the continent.

The ranks of a kingdom are as follows—Unranked (Tianxuan Kingdom), Tier 2 Kingdom (Beiwu Kingdom), Tier 1 Kingdom (Tianwu Kingdom), and Conferred Kingdom (Xuanyuan Kingdom).

Due to the multitude of kingdoms, conflict and war were inevitable. Thus, in order to mediate the conflicts among the kingdoms, an existence transcending beyond the system of kingdoms emerged.

Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

The Wall of Dilemma was connected to the Physician Guild of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

The alliance head who those elders spoke of was the most authoritative figure within the alliance, the one whom all emperors bowed down to and dared not defy.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Alliance Head Residence.

“Report to the alliance head that Guild Leader Meng and Physician Hong from the Physician Guild requests an audience!”

“Yes!”

Soon, under the lead of the guards, the physicians walked into the palace-like Alliance Head Residence.

“You’re saying that you found a way to treat Lian-er?”

Arriving at the main hall, a middle-aged man looked at them with glowing eyes. He exuded an aura of authority and power which all would defer to.

“We aren’t sure about whether the treatment method is effective or not, so we would like to…” Guild Leader Meng’s face flushed as he hesitated for a moment before continuing, “…try it out…”

“Audacious!”

As the most authoritative man in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was already a huge torture for him to watch helplessly as his daughter suffer. Yet, these physicians were saying that they want to experiment an unverified treatment method on his daughter. If something wrong were to happen, who could bear the responsibility?

“Are you suggesting to experiment with my daughter’s life?”

Raising his eyebrows, a menacing aura emanated from that middle-aged man. In an instant, the two physicians felt as though they were suddenly plunged into massive storm, and the world was ripping apart before them.

The alliance head of the Myriad King Alliance wasn’t a hereditary position but a nominated one. Without absolute strength, it was impossible for one to rise up to the position.

“I dare not to!”

Guild Leader Meng’s face paled. Exhaling deeply, he said, “Alliance head, please allow me to finish my words first. If you don’t wish to have the princess take on this risk, then we won’t say any more on the matter!”

“Un!” The middle-aged man nodded gravely.

“We are indeed helpless before the illness the princess is suffering from, but just today, a physician from a Tier 1 Kingdom has delivered us a plausible treatment method to verify!” Guild Leader Meng said.

Upon hearing that it was a treatment method from a Tier 1 Kingdom, the middle-aged man’s complexion turned even more awful.

Even a 5-star physician of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was unable to solve the matter, what kind of solution could a measly physician from a Tier 1 Kingdom possibly offer?

Are you jesting with me?

But even though the middle-aged man was infuriated, he didn’t say a thing. He simply stared at the duo coldly, waiting silently to see what they had to say.

“Alliance head, you must be thinking how absurd it must be for us to take the treatment method from a measly Tier 1 Kingdom for real… But if you were to see the treatment methods that person sent prior to that, you won’t be thinking the same!”

As though reading the thoughts of the other party, a bitter smile flashed across Guild Leader Meng’s face, “That person challenged the Wall of Dilemma, and in a single hour, he solved nineteen questions. On top of that, all of the solutions he gave… reached the level of Perfect!”

“All nineteen solutions are at the level of Perfect?”

The middle-aged man was taken aback, “Are you certain of this?”

The Physician Guild’s Wall of Dilemma was where all the difficult illnesses uncovered over the years were recorded. One could already be considered as a genius among geniuses if one could solve a question or two on it. To solve nineteen at once, and for all of the solutions to be Perfect…

This meant that the other party’s comprehension of the Way of Medicine had already reached an incredibly high level.

“Yes. This is the treatment method he proposed for the last question. His idea is extremely novel, and none of us here have ever seen something like this before. Upon recalling that the second princess is afflicted with the same illness, we came over in hopes of trying it… If it’s really effective, the princess will be able to recover from her affliction!”

Guild Leader Meng said.

The middle-aged man hesitated.

There wasn’t a single person in the world who would be willing to allow his own daughter act as a guinea pig.

“Other than the method he proposed, we truly can’t think of any other solutions. Furthermore… the second princess doesn’t have much time left. Thus, I beseech you to give it a try!”

Guild Leader Meng clasped his fist.

Those afflicted with Innate Muscular Deficiency were fated to be unable to reach their twenties. The princess was already nineteen this year, and her condition was deteriorating with every single passing day. Even if this treatment method was ineffective, it was much better than doing nothing at all!

“Alright. I’ll be troubling you then!”

After a long moment of silence, the middle-aged man closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

If there was any other choice, he would have never allowed his daughter to undergo such risk.

Soon, the princess was brought over.

“Pardon my rudeness!”

Taking a deep breath, Guild Leader Meng recalled the treatment method written on the Wall of Dilemma and drove the zhenqi in her body.

Wu wu wu wu!

The wind howled!

The strength of a 4-star physician had already surpassed that of Zhizun realm. Even if he didn’t come into direct contact with the other party, he was still able to send a surge of zhenqi into the other party’s acupoints to clear her trauma.

Peng peng peng peng!

Soon, an immense amount of zhenqi was sent through the other party’s acupoints and meridians according to the treatment method detailed on the Wall of Dilemma.

Hu!

Exhaling deeply, Guild Leader Meng wiped the sweat off his forehead.

There was simply too many acupoints and meridians one had to deal with in the treatment method. Furthermore, many of these meridians and acupoints were narrow, and thus, he had to concentrate deeply. It was fortunate that he possessed superior medical skills and a high cultivation, otherwise, a single careless mistake could easily spell the other party’s death.

“I wonder if it’s effective…”

After carrying out the instructions on the treatment method strictly, Guild Leader Meng glanced at the second princess worriedly. But with just this single glance, his entire body shuddered and his eyeballs were popped out from their sockets.

The second princess, who was still lying completely motionless a moment ago, suddenly leaped off the bed and smashed her fist into the ground, causing stone fragments to fly everywhere.

“…”

Rendered speechless by the sight before them, the other physicians trembled in astonishment as their lower jaws fell to the ground.

The middle-aged man stared at the situation with a dumbfounded expression. At this point, he was already on the verge of going insane.

His second daughter had been diagnosed with Innate Muscular Deficiency at birth. Pain and suffering followed her as though they were her shadows, and immobility had always been something she had to cope with. Making use of his connections as the most influential person in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, he had invited the most formidable of physicians from all locations, but all of them were helpless before her affliction.

He thought that it would be yet another disappointment. Never in his dreams did he expect that she would really be cured of her affliction this time around…

More importantly… Shouldn’t recovery be a slow process? Shouldn’t one start from moving their fingers before walking around?

How in the world was she able to… leap off the bed right after the treatment was completed, and not to mention, smash through rock with her fist?

This was way too exaggerated!

“Lian-er, you’ve… recovered?”

Unable to believe his eyes, the alliance head asked.

“Father, I have recovered fully. Furthermore… I feel boundless strength surging through my body!”

The lady chuckled as she stomped on the ground.

Hu!

A rock tile flew up, and the lady struck the tile with her palm.

Peng!

Fragments flew around the room.

“…” The crowd.

For an Innate Muscular Deficiency patient to abruptly become a powerful person with overwhelming muscle strength with just a short treatment…

Even if the treatment method was effective… wasn’t this was way too effective!

“Guild Leader Meng, may I know from which kingdom did the person who presented the treatment method come from? I would like to thank him personally!”

Seeing her daughter walking around healthily as though an ordinary person, the middle-aged man was so excited that his eyes were gleaming.

“Yes… He came from a remote Tier 1 Kingdom near Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!” Guild Leader Meng pondered for a moment before replying.

“Father, there’s no need for you to do so. Since I have recovered, I would like to go out and walk around. I will meet and thank the person who saved me personally!”

The lady chuckled.

“Alright then!”

The middle-aged man nodded his head.

…

Naturally, Zhang Xuan was oblivious to the matters occurring at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. At this moment, he had already altered his features to take on the appearance of ‘Yang Xuan’, and he was currently on his way to the Master Teacher Pavilion.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

“Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to meet Jiang Shu like that?”

Yang Xuan, who he was impersonating at, was supposed to be a master teacher ranked above 3-star.

Given his standing, if he were to travel all the way to the Master Teacher Pavilion to look for Jiang Shu, he might incur the other party’s suspicion instead.

He was confident in fooling others, but having taken the master teacher examination, he understood how fearsome the eyes of master teachers could be.

The slightest carelessness might possibly cast doubt upon his identity or even give him away.

“I should look for Liu Ling and the others and have them bring Jiang Shu over to me!”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan decided on another course of action.

It was perfectly normal for a master teacher of ‘Yang Xuan’s’ level to summon his student if he wanted to meet him. It would hurt his prestige instead if he were to head there personally to look for the other party.

As Zhang shi’s students, Zhao Ya and the others were considered as celebrities in the capital. As such, it wasn’t too easy for him to replace their residence.

“Looks like that fellow Bai Chan at least knows how he should act!”

Upon seeing the residence, Zhang Xuan chuckled. He immediately knew that his threat was effective.

Otherwise, it would surely be impossible for Liu Ling, Zhao Ya, and the others to replace such a huge residence in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

After ascertaining the location, Zhang Xuan walked over. Soon, he was already standing at the entrance.

“Old master, you’re back…”

Just as Zhang Xuan was thinking about how he should explain his identity to the guards to enter, Sun Qiang suddenly appeared and welcomed him. The latter was so agitated that the fats on his face were bouncing around vigorously.

“Un!”

Sun Qiang had appeared at a timely moment, saving Zhang Xuan of the hassle. Nodding his head, he walked into the residence.

“Old master, I heard from the young master that you’re coming as well. I thought that it will take a while longer before you arrive here…”

Sun Qiang spoke agitatedly as the duo walked along the corridor of the residence.

Bai Chan’s ability to accomplish tasks was indeed splendid. This residence was several times larger than the one Zhang Xuan rented at Tianxuan Kingdom.

“Teacher!”

Soon, he arrived at the main hall. After receiving news of Yang Xuan’s arrival, Liu Ling and the others also hurried over.

At this moment, Bai Chan had an anxious look on his face.

The person before him was the teacher of Pavilion Master Jiang and Zhang shi. No matter how brazen he might be, he didn’t dare to act out of place before him.

“Un!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings before frowning, “Where are the students of Xuan lad?”

Bai Chan, Liu Ling, Lu Xun, and Huang Yu were all here. Why were all of his students missing instead?

He was currently assuming the identity of Yang Xuan, the teacher of their teacher. In other words, their grandteacher!

How could they not greet their grandteacher? They were being too impertinent!

“They…”

Liu Ling and the others were just about to speak when flurried footsteps sounded beyond the hall.

“Liu shi, bad news! Zhao Ya has been injured by someone. Please save her…”

After which, Zheng Yang and the others walked in while supporting Zhao Ya.

Chapter 336: Medicinal Herbs Obtained

Zhao Ya’s injury was far more severe than they expected. If not for her resilient physical constitution, she might not have even survived the journey back.

Liu Ling didn’t expect someone to end up so severely injured on a trip to the academy. Shocked, he hurriedly went up to them.

“What happened?”

“She was injured by a vile woman. Liu shi, please save her!” Zheng Yang said.

“Un!” After taking a look, Liu Ling heaved a sigh of relief. “Her zhenqi is in an erratic state having suffered violent tremors. It isn’t a serious problem, she should recover after half a month of recuperation.”

“Half a month? This won’t do. She has to duel with that woman once more three days later…”

Taken aback, Zheng Yang was about to plead with Liu shi to do something about the matter when the latter waved his hands and clasped his fist toward Yang shi, “This is your grandteacher, Yang shi. Hurry up and greet him!”

“Grandteacher?”

“Yang shi?”

Only at this moment did Zheng Yang and the others notice the middle-aged man who was sitting at the center of the room.

Yang shi was a man who had produced innumerable miracles in Tianxuan Kingdom. But more important than that, their teacher was his direct disciple.

They had heard of the other party’s legends, but they never had the chance to meet him.

Upon hearing Liu shi’s words, they trembled in shock, hurriedly kneeled on the floor, and bowed deeply.

“Grandstudent Zhao Ya (Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, Yuan Tao) pays respect to grandteacher!”

“Un!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, with a frown, he turned to Zhao Ya and said, “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t expect that someone would actually dare to beat up Zhao Ya when he had barely left for just a single day. Who in the world had such guts so as to lay their hands on his student?

“Reporting to grandteacher, my injuries are a result of a loss to another in a fair duel. It’s only due to my lacking cultivation that such a situation arose!” Zhao Ya explained.

“A fair duel?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

If she lost in a fair duel, it could only mean to say that she was lacking as compared to the other party. Even as her teacher, it wasn’t appropriate for him to stand up for her such a situation.

“Come over!” Zhang Xuan beckoned.

“Yes!” Zhao Ya walked forward.

Placing his finger on the other party’s pulse, he sent a surge of pure zhenqi through the latter’s body via her meridians.

Pilipala!

Under the nourishment of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, Zhao Ya’s erratic zhenqi gradually calmed down, and her wounds healed at a speed visible to the eye.

“Thank you grandteacher for treating me!” Feeling strength returning to her body, Zhao Ya’s eyes gleamed in excitement.

Their grandteacher was indeed as incredible as the rumors put him out to be. With such a casual action, not only did the other party manage to heal her injuries, he seemed to have triggered her cultivation as well. At the current moment, Zhao Ya suddenly felt that an urge to achieve a breakthrough.

“Incredible!”

Upon seeing this sight, Liu Ling’s admiration toward Yang shi soared once more.

He could tell that Zhao Ya’s injury was a result of her forcefully tapping into her strength, overexerting herself, thus resulting in a backlash. Her internal organs had been jolted, and her zhenqi had been dissipated forcefully. It wasn’t really a huge matter, but it would take at least half a month for her to recover fully.

Yet, Yang shi managed to heal her completely just by placing a finger on her pulse for a few breaths. His means were truly unfathomable. If not for witnessing the sight personally, he would have never thought of this to be possible.

“What do you mean by dueling with someone else three days later?”

After waving his hands to show that it wasn’t a huge matter, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled Zheng Yang’s words and frowned.

What was with these little fellows? Why were they always pitting themselves against others, arranging duels even?

“Reporting to grandteacher, we were outside strolling when we heard a woman publicly sullying the reputation of our teacher. Unable to tolerate it, Zhao Ya stepped forth and challenged her to a duel to uphold our teacher’s honor. Who could have known that the other party wasn’t weak, and Zhao Ya was eventually beaten into such a state!”

Before Zhao Ya could reply, Yuan Tao had already opened his mouth.

Upon hearing his words, the crowd was taken aback.

Most master teachers detested seeing their own students causing trouble.

Picking a fight with another was already a folly in itself. Yet, they were still unwilling to admit their mistakes and even complained so brazenly. Zhang shi might still be willing to overlook it, but to utter such words before a master teacher whose rank was likely to have exceeded 3-star… There was no doubt that the other party would be displeased. In the worst case scenario, Zhang shi might even suffer a severe reprimand from the latter…

Knowing this, everyone rolled their eyes at Yuan Tao. They were all nervous that Yang shi would get angry.

“Sullying the reputation of your teacher?”

Yang shi’s eyebrows shot up, “Not bad, a student should indeed uphold the honor of his teacher. You all did well!”

“Did well?”

They thought that they would have to suffer a severe lashing, but Yang shi ended up praising them instead. Everyone was stunned, and even Liu shi couldn’t help but stagger.

Did this mean that he was encouraging them to fight with others?

The ideology that this teacher of his had was… way too extreme, wasn’t it!

“However, it is shameful to get beaten up when you were the one who challenged the other party to a duel!” Zhang Xuan harrumphed.

“Actually… Zhao Ya didn’t lose out to her in terms of cultivation. It was just that the other party’s battle techniques were too strong…” Zheng Yang hesitated for a moment before speaking.

In truth, the other party won only due to her superior battle techniques.

Tianwu Kingdom was a Tier 1 Kingdom whereas Tianxuan Kingdom was an Unranked Kingdom. Given their different ranks, there was a world of difference in the battle techniques available in the two kingdoms as well.

It was already an incredible feat for Zhao Ya to withstand the other party’s moves for so long.

“Battle techniques?”

Only at this moment did Zhang Xuan recall that he had never imparted Zhao Ya any battle technique before.

He had imparted Wang Ying the Heaven’s Path Leg Art and Heaven’s Path Movement Art, Zheng Yang the Heaven’s Path Spear Art, and Liu Yang the Heaven’s Path Fist Art. After awakening the unique constitutions of Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya, he didn’t impart them any battle technique. It was no wonder why they would suffer a huge disadvantage when battling others.

“Since your teacher is currently taking the 2-star master teacher examination, I will impart you a battle technique on his behalf. Are you willing to learn it?”

Thus, Zhang Xuan turned to the lady before him and asked.

“I am willing!” Hearing that grandteacher was going to impart her a battle technique personally. Zhao Ya hurriedly clasped her fist and bowed.

What a joke! This was the teacher of her teacher! The battle technique he was going to impart her was definitely incredibly profound.

“Since you’ve been using a sword since young, I’ll impart you a sword art!”

After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Xuan said.

“However, my sword art is sharp. You’ve just gotten injured so it’s not suitable for you to cultivate for the time being. You should just rest for today, I’ll impart the sword art to you tomorrow!”

Even though Zhao Ya had learned some kicking and punching battle techniques, those weren’t her expertise. Her true specialty lies in swordsmanship instead, which she had been learning from young. Thus, she would be most suited to learn a sword art.

“Yes!” Zhao Ya nodded.

She had just gotten injured, and she was indeed not in a good condition to be learning a formidable sword art at the moment. Only when in her top condition would she be able to learn better and bring out greater might from the sword art.

“Alright, you should rest for now. Sun Qiang, send someone to the Master Teacher Pavilion to get Jiang Shu over. Tell him that I have something I need him for!”

After dealing with Zhao Ya’s matter, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and dismissed them.

He had browsed through many books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and there were a substantial number of them on swordsmanship. However, those techniques were rather profound, and it might be difficult for Zhao Ya to master them if he were to impart them straight. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to learn them for himself and test their might before modifying it to suit her.

If he didn’t attempt to comprehend every aspect of the sword art before imparting them to Zhao Ya, it might affect her fundamentals, thus causing potential problems in the future.

Sun Qiang moved swiftly and in less than an hour, Pavilion Master Jiang was already before him.

Looking at Yang shi, who was seated at the main seat in the hall, he excitedly kneeled down and bowed, “Jiang Shu pays respect to teacher!”

Not only did the person before him help him to tame a powerful savage beast, the other party even imparted him a cultivation technique to clear away the trauma in his body. As such, he was filled with gratitude for the other party.

“There are two medicinal herbs that I need, Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower. Do you have them?”

Cutting straight to the point, Zhang Xuan asked impassively.

“Goldleaf Spark Twig and Nine Worms Flower? I do happen to have them!”

With a flick of his wrist, two medicinal herbs appeared on Jiang Shu’s palm. These were the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan was looking for.

“Un!” Taking the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan waved his hands. “I won’t take advantage of you. How much do these two medicinal herbs cost? I’ll have Sun Qiang pass you the money later on!”

“I am heavily indebted to teacher. It’s just two medicinal herbs, please treat it as a filial gesture of mine…”

Jiang Shu hurriedly said.

Without Yang shi’s cultivation technique, it was just a matter of time before his trauma acted up. His life would have been constantly at risk. But now, not only did he manage to tame a powerful savage beast, he even managed to clear up his trauma. For this, he would be willing to even run through a mountain of flames for the other party! In comparison to that, two medicinal herbs were truly nothing.

It was this kind of earnest gratitude that induced the formation of a golden page in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Fate brought us together, that is the only reason why I helped you. I won’t take advantage of you.” Zhang Xuan frowned. With an imposing tone, he said, “I will pay you however much the cost!”

Seeing his teacher insist on the payment, Jiang Shu was impressed.

Did you see that?

This is the true magnanimity of a master teacher.

It was impossible for one to not respect him.

“Yes!” Nodding his head, Jiang Shu rummaged through his memory before replying, “I got these two medicinal herbs from the Great Herb King back then. As both of their maturity exceeds a hundred years, they are worth a total of twenty million gold coins!”

“Twenty million… cough cough!”

Zhang Xuan had intended to pass the money to the other party grandly, but upon hearing those words, he nearly coughed blood and fainted.

Twenty million gold coin?

The heck!

Even if he were to sell himself, he wouldn’t be able to earn this sum of money!

He thought that it would just be a few million gold coins, that was why he offered to pay for it so generously. Never in his dreams did he expect these two medicinal herbs to be even more expensive than all of the other herbs added up together.

What the hell could these herbs be to cost so much money…

All he wanted to do was to accept a student, raise his strength, and earn his trust. To think that just doing so would result in his bankruptcy…

This was way too darned!

“Money is just material possession. As a master teacher, thinking about money all day long… will affect your mental resilience!”

With a reddened face, Zhang Xuan waved his hands grandly.

“…”

Jiang Shu was baffled.

I said that there was no need to pay but you insisted on it. So why are you saying that thinking about money will affect one’s mental resilience now?

Seeing the bizarre expression on the other party’s face, Zhang Xuan coughed awkwardly. Waving his hands casually, he said, “You should condition yourself well for the next few days. I’ll replace some time to help you achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation… Treat it as the payment for these two medicinal herbs!”

He had promised the other party to pay him, only to realize that he had insufficient money. As the unfathomable expert Yang shi, he couldn’t afford to lose his reputation over such a minor matter. Thus, he could only promise the other party some other benefits.

“Help me achieve a breakthrough?”

Just as Jiang Shu was curious as to why his teacher would have such a sudden change in attitude, he heard those words and his excitement then instantaneously erased all doubts that were on his mind. He hurriedly kneeled to the floor and kowtowed.

“Thank you, teacher…”

He had been stuck in Zongshi realm pinnacle for many years. If he could achieve a breakthrough and reach Half-Zhizun, his lifespan and strength would be increased significantly.

“You can leave now!”

Having collected all of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan was anxious to return to the academy. Thus, he bided everyone farewell.

“I still have matters to attend to so I’ll be leaving first. I’ll come by once more tomorrow!”

Saying so, Zhang Xuan stepped out of the residence.

After leaving the residence, he walked into an isolated alley. Looking around to ensure that there was no one around, he reverted back to the appearance of Liu laoshi and headed straight back to Tianwu Academy.

The residence that Bai Chan acquired was right between the Master Teacher Pavilion and Tianwu Academy. Thus, it didn’t take him too long to return back to his classroom.

However, before he could enter the classroom, Meng Tao rushed up to him and said in a fluster, “Teacher, you’re back. Please save senior! She’s… injured!”

“Mu Xueqing is injured?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Chapter 337: Raising Lu Chong’s Strength

In less than a day after leaving his students, Zhao Ya was injured by someone. Then, in less than four hours since leaving the classroom, Mu Xueqing was injured as well?

Wasn’t this too coincidental? Was the God of Misfortune lingering around him?

“Yes!” Meng Tao’s face was flushed.

“Bring me to her!”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan followed him into the classroom.

Upon entering the classroom, he saw Mu Xueqing leaning against the wall of the classroom with a pale face.

Walking up to her, Zhang Xuan took a look and…

He suddenly felt dismayed.

Indeed….

He couldn’t discern anything at all!

Zhao Ya was cultivating a cultivation technique he imparted, and the technique could be considered as an offshoot of Heaven’s Path Divine Art. Furthermore, he had been with her for a significant period of time, thus even without knowing the illness, he was able to cure her easily.

On the other hand, Mu Xueqing was a student he had just accepted today. As such, he didn’t have a clear idea of her physical condition and thus, was unable to see through the root of her affliction in a glance.

If he couldn’t even discern the root of her problem, how could he possibly treat her?

“Execute a battle technique!”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan could only decide on the crudest course of action.

“Yes!”

Even though Mu Xueqing was perplexed over her teacher’s instructions, she still nodded out of trust for the other party. Clenching her fist tightly, her arm shot out swiftly.

Her offense caused the book of her in the Library of Heaven’s Path to be refreshed. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

This lass had forcefully used battle techniques beyond her and injured her meridians. This wasn’t a big problem for him.

With a flick of his fingers, a few silver needles appeared and flew toward several parts of her body.

A moment later, Mu Xueqing felt a surge of comfort gushing through her body. The injuries she had sustained from forcefully executing battle techniques beyond her had disappeared without a trace.

Sensing the change in her body, Mu Xueqing widened her eyes in disbelief.

Her father was an apothecary who often formulated pills to treat the traumas of others. She knew that injuries caused by forcefully using battle techniques beyond one’s capability were hard to resolve. A single mistake in the treatment could potentially cause one’s cultivation to be crippled.

Yet, why did this complicated problem seem so easy in the hands of Liu laoshi?

“I apologize for adding to teacher’s troubles…”

Mu Xueqing understood that Liu laoshi’s means far surpassed that of ordinary physicians or apothecaries, and her admiration for the latter deepened.

“It’s nothing. How did you get injured?”

Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

“Senior got…”

Meng Tao was about to explain when Mu Xueqing raised her hand and interrupted.

“I was trying out battle techniques and forcefully used battle techniques beyond my cultivation out of my negligence… Teacher, sorry for worrying you!”

Zhang Xuan could tell that that Mu Xueqing was hiding something, but since the latter was unwilling to talk about it, Zhang Xuan decided not to ask any further. “Alright! If there’s nothing else, Lu Chong, you stay behind. As for the rest, you should return and rest for the day!”

“Teacher…”

Mu Xueqing hesitated.

“Is there something?” Zhang Xuan turned to look at her.

“Teacher, can you impart me a battle technique…” Mu Xueqing asked with a reddened face.

She was the one who tried to turn the entire class against him at the very start. Thus, she felt embarrassed asking the other party to impart her a battle technique at this moment.

However, she knew that if she didn’t learn a new battle technique, it would be impossible for her to triumph over that lady.

Her father’s battle technique was too powerful for her. If she didn’t execute it well, she would sustain heavy injuries just like how she did earlier.

More importantly…

It was impossible to become adept at a battle technique without several years of effort. She was going to fight against that person three days later. If she were to ask this of anyone else, she would never make it in time. Thus, she could only pin her hopes on Liu laoshi, who had created miracle after miracle.

“Battle technique?”

Zhang Xuan turned to look at her doubtfully. “What do you want to learn?”

“I specialize in saber, so if possible, I hope that teacher can impart me a saber art…”

Mu Xueqing said.

“Saber art?”

Zhang Xuan was surprised.

Ladies tended to prefer swords due to their lightness and elegance which complemented their disposition. Yet, this lass favored sabers instead. This was something that was beyond Zhang Xuan’s expectations.

“Alright, I’ll think about a suitable saber art and impart one to you tomorrow. You should leave for now!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright!”

Mu Xueqing bowed in gratitude before leaving with Meng Tao and the others.

“Senior, why didn’t you allow me to say it?”

After leaving the classroom, Meng Tao couldn’t hold himself back and immediately questioned.

She obviously got injured while trying to uphold Liu laoshi’s honor, so why did she stop him from saying it?

“Say? What do you intend to say? That I got injured while sparring with Zhang shi’s student? If I were to say so, Liu laoshi would most probably drag me to the other party to apologize!”

Mu Xueqing harrumphed.

“This…”

Meng Tao froze.

The standing and influence of a master teacher mustn’t be underestimated. A genius like Zhang shi wasn’t someone that an ordinary teacher like Liu laoshi could stand up against.

If Liu laoshi were to replace out that his students had conflicts with other party, it was highly possible that he might drag senior there to apologize.

“It’s not a big deal for me to lower my head and apologize, but I earnestly feel that Liu laoshi isn’t inferior to Zhang shi in any way… In fact, I think he is even more capable than the latter! How can there be such a huge difference between their reputations? I must defeat that fellow and bring honor to Liu laoshi’s name!”

Determination gleamed in Mu Xueqing’s eyes.

How could Liu laoshi, despite his capability, remain as an unknown figure in the capital? Clearly, it was due to the lack of a suitable platform for him to display his prowess. The duel with Zhang shi’s student was an excellent platform to prove Liu laoshi’s ability. As long as she wins against the other party… Liu laoshi’s name would be known throughout the entire capital instantly.

Everyone would know that even though Liu laoshi wasn’t a master teacher, his capability wasn’t inferior to one!

“I agree with you!”

Meng Tao nodded his head in agreement.

Indeed.

If senior were to report this matter to Liu laoshi, it would be impossible to continue on with the duel. If so, how could she bring honor to Liu laoshi’s name? How could she make everyone understand that he is an incredible teacher?

Of course, he also knew that she was only trying to justify her actions. That wasn’t her primary aim at all.

Mu Xueqing was a mini tyrant in the academy, having chased away several teachers. Someone had crossed her path and even wounded her. If she didn’t get her revenge and make the other party apologize to her, she wouldn’t be able to let this matter rest.

“Alright, don’t let Liu laoshi know about this matter. I’ll teach whoever who dares to babble to him a lesson!”

Mu Xueqing glared at her juniors menacingly.

“Yes!”

Everyone hurriedly nodded their heads.

“We won’t say anything, but what if Lu Chong…”

Meng Tao suddenly thought of something and pointed toward the classroom.

Lu Chong was currently alone with Liu laoshi in the classroom. Even if they were to seal their mouth, it would be for naught if Lu Chong revealed the matter.

“Lu Chong? That fellow is reluctant to even open his mouth! Do you think it is possible for him to babble to Liu laoshi?” Mu Xueqing rolled her eyes.

“That’s true…” Meng Tao scratched his head awkwardly.

In the two years that they had been with Lu Chong, the latter had spoken less than three sentences. How could he possibly start gossiping about this matter…

…

And just like they had guessed, Lu Chong didn’t say anything.

At this moment, he was staring cautiously at Liu laoshi… The request that Liu laoshi raised had put him in a difficult position.

“Take off your clothes…” His teacher’s voice sounded.

“Take off my clothes…”

Scratching his head in embarrassment, Lu Chong was at a loss.

“The cultivation of Poison Body is extremely difficult. For that, the physical body enhancement technique that I taught you has to reach Major Accomplishment at minimum. You are still lacking in mastery, and I’ll have to give you a boost!”

Zhang Xuan said.

Cultivating the Poison Body was an extremely difficult and dangerous matter. Otherwise, countless poison masters wouldn’t have died in the midst of doing so.

“Yes!”

Upon hearing that his teacher was only getting him to strip for cultivation purposes, Lu Chong heaved a sigh of relief.

If Zhang Xuan were to know what the other party was thinking, he would definitely die of rage.

The students nowadays… Do they all mature that early?

What in the world is going through their minds…

Soon, Lu Chong took off his clothes and lay horizontally on a bench in the classroom.

Frowning slightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm.

With a slight movement, the silver needles immediately pierced into Lu Chong’s acupoints. The pure Heaven’s Path zhenqi started flowing through his body.

Lu Chong’s talent was nothing short of ordinary. Given his current cultivation speed, it would take at least two days or so before he could reach Major Accomplishment for the simplified version of Heaven’s Path Golden Body. After reinforcing his cultivation, around four days would have already passed.

Zhang Xuan had already boasted that he would grant Lu Chong the ability to exact vengeance within ten days. If Lu Chong were to spend so long a time on the Heaven’s Path Golden Body, it would be difficult for him to form the Poison Body within the deadline.

Thus, in order to hasten the process, he intended to use his own zhenqi to drive the other party’s and raise the other party’s cultivation.

If he were to do so for Zhao Ya and the others, they might grow reliant on him, and this kind of mindset could potentially limit their future accomplishments. However, Lu Chong was different.

He had kneeled at the entrance of the academy just so to come under the tutelage of a teacher. Furthermore, to prevent himself from revealing anything, he could even play off as a mute for two years… His mental fortitude was far beyond Zhang Xuan’s other students.

With such mental fortitude, how could he possibly lose his confidence even if his rate of growth of his cultivation was slow after this?

More importantly, the method of forcefully raising one’s cultivation would expose one in excruciating pain. Zhao Ya and the others, and this was including Yuan Tao as well, would be unable to endure such grievous pain.

Peng peng peng peng!

Zhang Xuan flicked his five fingers, and silver needles danced around.

Surge after surge of zhenqi flowed through Lu Chong’s body via his meridians, and the previously narrow meridians began to tear apart.

It was as though thousands of knives were lodged into his body, slicing his flesh simultaneously into innumerable pieces. It was fortunate that Lu Chong possessed a strong will. Otherwise, his mind could have broken down by now.

“Endure it!”

The zhenqi in Zhang Xuan’s body pumped furiously as he shot all of the silver needles in his hands out.

Zhang Xuan was well-versed in the pathways that one’s zhenqi had to flow through for the cultivation of the Heaven’s Path Golden Body. The silver needles seemed lodge into Lu Chong’s body in a certain pathway, heading upward until it eventually reached the cap of his head.

Boom!

Under the guidance of Zhang Xuan’s silver needles, zhenqi gushed into Lu Chong’s head. In that instant, Lu Chong felt as if an explosion had occurred in his head, as though he had broken through a bottleneck.

“Pixue realm… I have actually reached Pixue realm?”

He instantly realized that he had broke through Dingli realm pinnacle, reaching Pixue realm.

“Don’t move, it’s not over yet!”

Feeling the agitated trembling of Lu Chong’s body, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. With a flick of his hands, the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan obtained from the Physician Guild appeared in his hands. With a sudden burst of zhenqi, he reduced all of those medicinal herbs into powder.

Tzzzzzzz!

The powder melded together, and a reaction immediately occurred. Swiftly, it morphed into an extremely toxic substance.

With a grasping action, the silver needles across Lu Chong’s body flew back and plunged into contact with the toxic powder. In an instant, the entire needle turned black.

Then, with another flick, these poison needles flew back into Lu Chong’s body.

“AH…”

The lethal poison flowed through the silver needle and seeped into the Lu Chong’s body. An excruciating pain several times greater than that of the previous one struck him. His face immediately paled, and unable to hold himself back, he yelled in agony.

Hu!

After striking all of the silver needles back onto the other party’s body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he kept the remaining medicinal powder back into his storage ring.

He was done conducting the first round of poison tempering. Whether the other party was able to pull through would depend on his mental fortitude.

If he failed to hold on, he would fall into death’s embrace!

But if he held on, he would be able to metamorphose from a cocoon into a butterfly, becoming one of the strongest experts in Tianwu Kingdom!

Chapter 338: Zongshi Realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art

As the lethal poison seeped into his bloodstream, Lu Chong found himself reaching the limits of his sanity.

The intense pain that assaulted his mind was too hard for him to endure.

“Father, mother, sister, brother…”

Many figures flashed across his head, as though attempting to summon him over to the other side. A powerful force threatened to pull his soul into the eternal darkness, a place where he would never be able to return from.

“No, I can’t faint now. The moment I give in, teacher’s hard work would be in vain… How can I face father, mother, and the others like that?”

Clenching his fists tightly, he yelled tenaciously within.

For two years, he had played the role of a mute. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to speak of the matter, but… his enemy was simply too strong and influential! He didn’t want to be killed before he became sufficiently strong to exact vengeance.

He was at the age where bustle posed an irresistible attraction to him. Yet, he forcefully held himself back and stayed away from social interactions, as though a reticent old man. This had caused great stress to weigh on his heart.

Yet, why did he still continue to push on?

It was because that resentment in his heart didn’t allow him to rest!

His father, mother, sisters, brothers… His entire family consisting of 137 people died in agony… If not for his coincidental absence during that tragedy, he might have been reduced to a corpse as well.

He thought that his vengeance would be a hopeless cause, especially given his subpar talents… But Liu laoshi had presented a chance to him. He mustn’t let go of it!

“Persevere! I have to persevere on!”

Howling furiously in his mind, the will that he had tempered over the course of the past two years intensified. His drowsiness and weakness abruptly vanished, replaced by tenacity.

“Not bad!”

Seeing how the other party was still able to hold on despite the intense pain, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

His evaluation of Lu Chong turned out to be spot-on. The latter’s mental fortitude was indeed impressive. If he could persevere on with the same tenacity, it was highly likely that he would be able to successfully cultivate the Poison Body. If so, his strength would be raised tremendously.

“The effects of the lethal poison will continue on for an entire night. This night will be painful, so replace some way to persevere on. Don’t worry, you’ll soon realize that your suffering isn’t in vain!”

After instructing so, Zhang Xuan placed a blanket over Lu Chong and walked out of the classroom.

The cultivation for the Poison Body had already started, and there was no stopping now. Whether Lu Chong could persevere on or not would depend solely on his mental fortitude. No one could help him through this. Since Zhang Xuan was of no use here, he decisively left the room.

After leaving the room, he realized that the sun had already set.

Thus, he found a restaurant and ate some food.

“I have to impart a sword art and saber art to Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing tomorrow respectively. I should give it a try first…”

He had promised the two ladies that he would impart them battle techniques, but the current him was incapable of utilizing either weapon. Thus, he had to quickly cultivate and master these two battle techniques so that he could impart them well.

“I should begin with swordsmanship!”

Zhang Xuan’s consciousness delved in the Library of Heaven’s Path and he started browsing through the sword-related battle techniques he saw in the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Correct!”

Soon, a complete sword art secret manual was formed.

“Sword, the sovereign of the hundred weapons. Nimble and flexible, as though a snake or a phantom…”

A complete cultivation method of a sword art was detailed in the book.

Casually picking up a tree branch from the ground, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi according to the formula written in the book.

However, a short moment later, he stopped and frowned.

“That’s not right… There are still some flaws in the sword art. It isn’t complete yet…”

The battle techniques in the Master Teacher Pavilion were at a higher level than those in Tianxuan Kingdom. Even the weakest of them was at least of Mortal pinnacle, and many of them were at Phantom low-tier.

The more profound a battle technique was, the rarer and more valuable it was. There were only several dozen of sword art manuals in the entire library. With this quantity, it was impossible to even form a single perfect move after compiling all of the correct portions together, lest to say, a Heaven’s Path battle technique.

“Forcefully cultivating this kind of incomplete sword art might cause one’s cultivation to go berserk…”

Looking at the incomplete sword art manual, Zhang Xuan felt dismayed.

He thought that he would be able to form Heaven’s Path Sword Art with just the sword art manuals in the Master Teacher Pavilion. From the looks of it, he was underestimating the matter.

It was fortunate that he didn’t impart this sword art to Zhao Ya. If he did, the latter might have probably died from cultivating this technique before she could dueling with her opponent.

“Forget it, I should take a look at saber art manuals first…”

Holding back his dismay, he turned his attention to the saber art manuals.

Soon, the frustration on his face deepened.

Just like for sword art, there were too little saber art manuals here as well. It was impossible for a complete move to be formed with this meager quantity.

Other people required profound secret manuals for their battle technique, but Zhang Xuan was different. All he needed was quantity. As for quality… it was of negligible difference.

As the greatest occupation in the world, master teachers didn’t think highly of ordinary battle techniques. As such, they didn’t bother collecting them.

While this wasn’t anything much to other master teachers, to Zhang Xuan, this was extremely bad news.

“Where in the world can I replace fundamental manuals on saber art and sword art?”

After organizing his thoughts, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in frustration.

“Right! How could I forgot that I am at Tianwu Academy! There must be quite a few fundamental saber art and sword art manuals here!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

It might be difficult to replace battle technique secret manuals elsewhere, but this wasn’t an issue for Tianwu Academy. As a school for cultivators, there must be plenty of such items on the campus.

Thus, Zhang Xuan grabbed a nearby student, asked for the location of the teacher’s library, and started walking over with widened strides.

Soon, he arrived in a huge vault filled with books.

After flashing his identity token, he walked into the room.

As expected of the location where the secret manuals of the academy were stored! Even though it wasn’t as large as the Master Teacher Pavilion’s library, it was still of formidable scale. Cultivation technique and battle technique manuals of all kinds filled the shelves, and in just a single glance, it was clear that the number of books definitely numbered beyond a million.

There were many books on the other occupations in the Master Teacher Pavilion, but over here, the books were mostly cultivation technique and battle technique manuals; the books on the other occupations numbered in the minority.

Cultivation techniques beneath Zongshi realm were useless to Zhang Xuan. Thus, he went straight for the sword art manuals.

Soon, he found the shelves where the sword art manuals were held. There were more than several thousand books on those shelves.

He quickly collected them into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Compile!”

This time, the sword art that was compiled was in perfect condition, thus safe for cultivation.

Instead of testing it out immediately, Zhang Xuan went to the section on saber art and collected the respective books into the Library of Heaven’s Path as well.

“Hm? Zongshi realm cultivation technique?”

Walking along the shelves, Zhang Xuan collected a few other battle technique manuals when he suddenly saw the books on a row of shelves and his eyes lit up.

To think that there would be… Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals here!

In Hongtian Academy, Zongshi realm secret manuals were incomparably valuable. As such, they were placed in an isolated vault and only elders were qualified to browse through them. Zhang Xuan didn’t expect Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals to be accessible to all teachers in Tianwu Academy.

Casually picking up a book, Zhang Xuan browsed through it. Soon, a bitter smile spread across his face.

He thought that Tianwu Academy was truly practicing equality in education, granting both elders and ordinary teacher access to the same resources. But after flipping through a book, he realized that… it was just wishful thinking on his part…

Even though those were indeed Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals, no doubt about that, those were the most ordinary and simplest cultivation technique. In terms of quality, they were around Mortal low-tier.

Using these cultivation techniques, even if one was incredibly talented, it would take at least a decade or so before one would be able to advance a single realm.

It seemed like the truly incredible cultivation techniques were still kept in an isolated vault. Those that were available here were the useless ones.

It was a waste to throw it away, but no one cultivated them anyway.

Even so, this was a huge treasure trove to Zhang Xuan.

Sliding his finger across those manuals, he swiftly collected them all in his mind.

“Correct!”

He had collected quite a few Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals back when he was at Red Lotus City. Adding all of these into the mix as well, the Library of Heaven’s Path immediately formed the Zongshi realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

“I should go out first before starting to cultivate!”

Holding back his urge to cultivate on the spot, he strolled around the library and collected some other useful-looking books before leaving.

Returning back to the classroom, Zhang Xuan went over to examine Lu Chong’s condition, and upon seeing that the latter was still trying his best to withstand the poison, he nodded his head in approval. After which, he walked into the small classroom and sat down cross-legged.

Flipping open the Zongshi realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he closed his eyes and started cultivating.

Tzzzzzzzz!

Along with the flow of his zhenqi, spiritual energy in the air began to gush into his body, flowing through his acupoints and meridians.

“Un?”

After cultivating for a moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly opened his eyes.

His cultivation didn’t feel as smooth as before. In the past, achieving breakthroughs felt as easy as simply drinking a cup of water. But now, he felt starved instead. It was as if he was trying his best to gobble down whatever that was before him, but whatever that was before him was simply insufficient to satiate his appetite.

“It’s spiritual energy…”

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan came to a conclusion.

The first seven realms of a Fighter, Juxi, Dantian, Zhenqi, Pigu, Dingli, Pixue, Tongxuan… The cultivation of these realms didn’t require much spiritual energy. For example, in Pixue realm, one only had to open up one’s acupoints to raise one’s strength. In Tongxuan realm, one only had to connect all of one’s meridians together. In Dingli realm, one only had to temper one’s physical body…

However, it was different once one reached Zongshi realm. The accumulation of spiritual energy and storage of zhenqi became the priority instead.

Every slightest increase in one’s cultivation realm required a vast supply of spiritual energy.

Using an analogy, a Zongshi realm cultivator’s dantian was like a pond whereas the spiritual energy in the air was like a stream flowing into the pond. If one wanted to fill the pond, naturally, the greater the flow, the better it was.

Cultivating a high-tier cultivation technique would cause this stream to expand. With Heaven’s Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan’s ‘stream’ was no different from a ridiculously wide river. Naturally, the volume of water that could flow through it at any given moment was much greater than a small stream… But of course, that was only if there was sufficient water being supplied to the river in the first place.

Without sufficient water, no matter how vast the river was, the rate at which it filled the pond wouldn’t be much faster than a stream.

That was to say… while there was no problem with the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, due to the lacking spiritual energy in the environment, Zhang Xuan would be unable to leverage the advantages of his cultivation technique to the maximum extent.

In other words, Zhang Xuan was no longer able to raise his cultivation by an entire realm in just two hours like he did in the past!

“Given how thin the spiritual energy in the air is, it will take at least three to five months before I reach Zongshi realm pinnacle!”

Zhang Xuan thought in dismay.

The prowess of Heaven’s Path Divine Art was incredible, but it had no way of making up for the lacking spiritual energy in the air. Given the current rate of absorption, it would take at least three to five months before he reached the peak of Zongshi realm.

Of course, if others were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely raise their pitchforks and light their torches.

Reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle within three to five months is already an incredible feat, you know? To be unsatisfied with such speed…

“Forget it. I should go to the Apothecary Guild tomorrow to see if I can replace any pills harnessing spiritual energy. With the help of such pills, I should be able to advance my cultivation realm faster…”

Knowing that it would be terribly inefficient to cultivate normally, Zhang Xuan chose to put the matter aside for now.

The lack of spiritual energy in the environment was a huge problem to Zhang Xuan, but this problem could be alleviated by consuming pills. The Apothecary Guild had many pills that harnessed concentrated spiritual energy within them.

Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his attention away from the Zongshi realm cultivation technique to the sword art manuals and saber art manuals in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Four hours later.

Hu!

Casually grabbing a sword from the weapon rack in the classroom, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi according to the formula in his head and flicked the sword in his hand lightly.

Sss-la!

The zhenqi Zhang Xuan imbued into the sword formed a blinding radiance on the tip of the sword.

And with a light slash…!

A sword qi flew for more than a dozen meter before coming to a stop. A narrow but deep cut appeared on the hard ground.

Dantian refers to a place in the abdomen. Usually, this is where the core of a cultivator’s energy come from, somewhat similar to how our blood has to be pumped from our heart. In Fighter 2-dan Dantian realm, what one does is to open up this dantian so that they could accumulate zhenqi.

Sword qi refers to a visible emanation of a slash from the edge of the sword.

Weapons, Battle Techniques and Cultivation Techniques follow the same power system.

Mortal, Phantom, Spirit, Saint, God. Each level can be divided into low-tier, intermediate-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle. There are exceptions, especially when it comes to the higher tiers due to the massive difference in prowess between tiers. For example, there additional tiers between ranks.

For a Battle Technique, there is the concept of mastery as well (i.e. how adept you are at using the technique). The higher the rank of the battle technique, the harder it is to gain mastery in it. Mastery is divided into Novice, Initiate, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Consummation.

Chapter 339: Lu Chong’s Deep Grudge (1)

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. He immediately picked up a saber and attempted a light swing as well.

Just like with the sword, an imposing white emanation formed flew forth the saber, leaving behind a deep cut on the ground.

“As expected of a battle technique compiled from high-tier battle techniques! These two techniques are much stronger than the Heaven’s Path Fist Art and Heaven’s Path Spear Art!”

Zhang Xuan was satisfied with the force of the sword qi and saber qi.

After reinforcing his understanding of the techniques, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief and a slight smile crept onto his face. “After I simplify these techniques and impart them on to Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing, they would surely be able to emerge victorious regardless of who their opponents are!”

He had no idea who Zhao Ya’s opponent was, but he knew the primary reason behind Zhao Ya’s loss was due to her disadvantage in terms of battle techniques. Once she learns this sword art, no matter how powerful her opponent may be, it would be impossible for the other party to withstand her attacks.

Zhang Xuan was certain that there was no battle technique in Tianwu Kingdom that could surpass those created through the Library of Heaven’s Path.

As for Mu Xueqing, even though she didn’t say a thing, it couldn’t be any clearer to Zhang Xuan that her injury originated from a brawl. After imparting her this saber art, she should be able to protect herself from any opponent.

…

Mu Xueqing returned to her residence.

Recalling what that had happened today, she couldn’t help but doubt that everything was just a dream.

Even though she had witnessed Liu laoshi’s capability with her own eyes, she still found it way too unbelievable.

With just a few casual pointers from him, all of the students in the class achieved a breakthrough in their cultivation, and the problem of the pill poison that had accumulated in her body was resolved. On top of that, he even declared that he would grant Lu Chong the strength rivaling that of a Tongxuan realm cultivator within ten days… Even a master teacher wouldn’t be able to rival those feats!

Walking into the living room, she stretched her back and prepared to return back to her room to rest. But just then, her father suddenly rushed into the living room with an agitated look on his face.

“Qing-er, you’re back! I’ve good news for you!”

“What’s wrong, father?”

Her father, Apothecary Mu, had always maintained his composure regardless of the situation. What in the world could have happened for him to get so agitated?

“There’s a cure for you!” Apothecary Mu’s eyes were gleaming with excitement.

“A cure?” Mu Xueqing was perplexed.

A cure? It wasn’t like she was terminally ill! What did ‘a cure for you’ mean?

“You have been consuming pills since young to augment the speed of your cultivation. Even though you managed to improve swiftly, due to your physical constitution and the nature of your cultivation technique, a significant amount of pill poison has accumulated in your body, thus making it extremely difficult for you to advance to higher realms! I only managed to notice this problem last year… and by then, it was already too late.”

Apothecary Mu looked at her daughter apologetically. “In order to solve your trauma, I’ve visited the Physician Guild and consulted them on your problem. However… none of them had a feasible solution for your problem! Even Guild Leader Mu Hong is helpless before this matter, and he even inscribed the question on the Wall of Dilemma…”

“I thought that it would be nigh impossible to replace a cure for your problem, but… today, an incredible physician appeared, and he solved all of the questions on the Wall of Dilemma with perfect treatment methods! In other words… there’s a cure for your pill poison…”

Apothecary Mu’s eyes were glowing.

He had always felt guilty to his daughter over the issue of the pill poison, and thus, he had gone to great extents to replace a cure to his daughter’s affliction. Upon realizing that the new guild leader of the Physician Guild could solve the problem easily, he could no longer hold back his agitation.

“Pill poison?”

Mu Xueqing blinked. She was just about to say that she had been cured of her pill poison when her father continued speaking.

“You don’t know how talented this new guild leader is. He solved nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, achieving a Perfect grade for each of them. In the end, he even came up with an answer that even 4-star physicians were incapable of evaluating…”

Apothecary Mu praised in amazement.

Even though he had heard the news from a reliable source, he still found it hard to believe.

If not for his friend in the Physician Guild swearing on the matter, he would have surely thought the other party was just pulling his leg.

“Ah, right! I heard that… the new guild leader is a teacher in your academy. Help me look into it tomorrow so that I can make some preparations. I’ll pay him a visit and beseech him for the treatment method to cure you of your affliction…”

Apothecary Mu turned to his daughter and said.

“There’s such a formidable teacher in our academy? What’s his name?” Mu Xueqing asked doubtfully.

She had heard of the Physician Guild’s Wall of Dilemma as well. To be able to solve nineteen questions with a Perfect grade, that person was indeed an incredible genius!

His feat was in no way inferior to that of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan.

But Mu Xueqing knew all of the teachers in the academy, and she was certain that none of them were capable of such a feat.

After all, how could a person possessing such formidable capability possibly remain unknown!

“If I recall correctly…” Apothecary Mu pondered for a moment. “His surname seems to be Liu…”

“Liu?” Gedeng, Mu Xueqing’s heart skipped a beat. A figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and her face flushed in agitation. Staring intently at her father, she asked, “It can’t be that his name is… Liu Cheng?”

This was the name Liu laoshi introduced himself with when he entered the classroom.

“That’s right, his name is Liu Cheng. He seems to be a new teacher in Tianwu Academy…” Recalling the contents of his conversation with his friend, Apothecary Mu nodded.

“Liu Cheng…”

Mu Xueqing’s widened into large circles, and at that moment, she looked as though she had seen a ghost.

Was her teacher a physician too? Not to mention, he actually solved nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma and became the new guild leader of the Physician Guild?

Even though she had already guessed the answer before her father said anything, she was still astonished when she heard the confirmation.

“You know this teacher? Great! I’ll pay him a visit tomorrow and beseech him to solve your pill poison…” Oblivious to his daughter’s shock, Apothecary Mu continued speaking excitedly.

“There’s no need to pay him a visit… He has already cured my pill poison affliction…”

It took awhile before Mu Xueqing managed to digest this news. Smiling bitterly, she said.

“He has already cured you?” Surprised, Apothecary Mu swiftly turned to look at his daughter.

“Yes…” Mu Xueqing nodded.

“Why… would he help you?” The situation was much too sudden for Apothecary Mu to accept.

Given Liu laoshi’s standing, there shouldn’t be any reason for him to solve his daughter’s affliction for free.

“That’s because…”

Hearing her father’s doubt, Mu Xueqing tilted her face upward and a proud expression appeared on her face.

“He… is my teacher!”

“Your teacher?” Apothecary Mu was stunned.

The same situation was also occurring with Meng Tao and the other students of Liu laoshi. That very night left innumerable people astonished.

…

Waking up from his sleep, Zhang Xuan felt revitalized.

He had spent the entire night modifying the Heaven’s Path Sword Art and Heaven’s Path Saber Art for Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing’s usage.

The battle techniques created through the Library of Heaven’s Path were formidable, but without Heaven’s Path zhenqi to sustain one, not only would one be unable to bring out the full might of the technique, one might even sustain severe injuries from it.

Just like a baby swinging a hammer—Without sufficient strength to wield it, a formidable tool would just hurt oneself.

The two ladies would be able to better bring out the might of the battle techniques after Zhang Xuan made some modifications to the respective techniques according to their needs.

After walking out from the small room, Zhang Xuan saw Lu Chong panting heavily on the bench. The latter had managed to survive the first round of torture in cultivating the Poison Body.

“Teacher!”

Upon seeing Liu laoshi, Lu Chong hurriedly clasped his fist.

“Un!”

From the very start, Zhang Xuan had expected that Lu Chong would be able to tide through the pain. Thus, he wasn’t too surprised by the matter. Nodding his head, he smiled, “How do you feel?”

“I…”

Lu Chong hesitated for a moment before replying, “I don’t feel anything different from before. I am still at Pixue realm primary stage. Why didn’t my cultivation rise…”

As soon as the poison started to fade, he immediately took an internal look at his condition. Just like how he was yesterday night, he was still at Pixue realm primary stage. There wasn’t any advancement in his cultivation at all. If not out of trust for Liu laoshi, he would have thought that the pain he suffered yesterday night was for naught.

Upon recalling the pain he felt then, he couldn’t help but shudder.

It was as if he was plunged into the deepest abyss of hell, subjected to the worst tortures that could exist in this world. Many a time he felt that it would be better for him to just let go of everything and give up. If not for the grudge in his heart fueling his determination, he would have surely caved in.

“There’s a Strength Measuring Rock Pillar there. You should give try hitting it!”

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly.

“Yes!”

Even though Lu Chong was perplexed by the instructions, he still nodded his head and walked over to the rock pillar. Clenching his fist, he struck it with all of his might.

Weng!

The rock pillar trembled, and a line of digits slowly floated into appearance.

“44 ding? Pixue realm pinnacle… H-how is this possible?”

Upon seeing the numbers on the pillar, Lu Chong’s body trembled and his eyes widened in shock.

He could clearly sense that his cultivation didn’t rise at all. How did he manage to achieve a might of 44 ding?

This was too scary!

A normal Pixue realm cultivator’s strength would only increase by one ding for every acupoint opened. Going by that calculation, 44 ding was equivalent to having 40 acupoints opened. However… Lu Chong had only cleared one acupoint to date. So, how in the world could he possibly possess such tremendous strength?

“The strength originates from your physical body!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head as he explained. He was rather satisfied with the outcome.

What the Poison Body augmented was the might of one’s physical body, not one’s zhenqi cultivation.

Upon reaching a certain level of strength for one’s physical body, one could gain the strength to rival zhenqi cultivators. In fact, some of the formidable poison masters were even able to tear Zongshi realm cultivators apart without using their zhenqi at all.

By tempering his physical body through lethal poison, in the course of a single night, Lu Chong’s strength rose from 5 ding to 44 ding!

“I…”

Seeing the number on the stone pillar, Lu Chong’s eyes reddened.

Back then, when Liu laoshi said that he would grant him the strength to exact vengeance within ten days, he still bore some doubts to the other party’s words. But now, not even the slightest trace of doubt lingered in his mind!

In just a single day, his fighting prowess rose from the level of a Dingli realm primary stage cultivator to a Pixue realm pinnacle cultivator. This rate of growth was completely unheard of! Even though Lu Chong was experiencing it firsthand, he couldn’t help but doubt if it was all just a dream.

“Thank you, teacher!”

All that was left in his mind at this moment was awe and gratitude for the young Liu laoshi.

“So, can you tell me about your matter now?”

Zhang Xuan asked.

“I…”

Lu Chong clenched his fists tightly.

“Remember, you are Liu Cheng’s student, my student. Even if your enemy is the emperor of Tianwu Kingdom, as long as he is at fault…”

Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan exuded an aura of indubitable confidence. “I’ll blast a hole through him for you!”

“Teacher…”

Having lost his family, Lu Chong had to learn to be independent swiftly. In the past two years, he trusted no one and relied on no one. He chose to shoulder all of his burden alone. But despite his incredible mental fortitude, in the end, he was just a young child.

In an instant, all of Lu Chong’s pent-up emotions suddenly came bursting forth, and tears started streaming down his face.

If it was anyone else who said such words to him, he would have surely laughed it off, thinking that the other party was just bragging.

But for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel inclined to trust the words of this Liu laoshi.

He had lost all of his pillars of support with his death of his parents. He didn’t expect to replace the feeling of wanting to rely on someone on Liu laoshi.

Even though the teacher before him was young, he felt like an indomitable mountain that pulled his floating heart back to the ground, allowing to him to replace calmness. For once in a very long time, he felt that he wasn’t alone.

“Go on, speak!”

Zhang Xuan looked at Lu Chong.

“Yes…”

Thus, Lu Chong began talking about his history.

Chapter 340: Lu Chong’s Deep Grudge (2)

It wasn’t too different from the cliché plots one would see in soap opera.

The Lu Clan, which Lu Chong was born in, wasn’t exactly a prestigious clan in Tianwu Royal City, but still, it was a sizeable one.

Lu Chong’s talent had been average since young. On the other hand, his elder sister was the star of the clan, becoming an apprentice formation master at just seventeen-year-old. Back then, she was the talk of the town.

However, that was also the origin of the disaster.

Talented and beautiful, she caught the eye of a certain scion.

Love eventually grew into hate, and the story ended in a tragedy.

“Eventually, our entire family of 137 people was all killed in the span of a night. Back then, I happened to be out hunting and coincidentally avoided the calamity…”

Recalling the matter, the resentment he sealed in his heart burst forth, and his entire body trembled in agitation.

“Your clan used to be in Tianwu Royal City?” Zhang Xuan asked.

If his clan wasn’t located in Tianwu Royal City, there would be no need for him to act so cautiously here, going to the extent of even playing mute.

“Yes!” Lu Chong nodded. “Given my weak cultivation, I knew that I would never be able to escape from the other party’s pursuers. Thus, I decided to join Tianwu Academy instead and cooped myself within its compounds. I think that it is likely that the other party didn’t think that I would pose much of a threat that I was able to survive until now.”

“The most dangerous place is always the safest place. Perhaps the other party didn’t expect you to hide in the prestigious Tianwu Academy. However… given that a clan of 137 people was killed, there should have been a huge uproar in the city. Didn’t the Master Teacher Pavilion and Tianwu Kingdom attempt to investigate the matter and return justice to the Lu Clan?” Zhang Xuan realized that there were some doubtful aspects to the matter.

The Master Teacher Pavilion was a powerful organization spread across innumerable nations. Not only was it responsible for grooming master teachers and guiding the populace, it also took on the role of maintaining order in the region. While they typically didn’t interfere in fights of minor scale, an entire clan being slaughtered overnight was a huge matter. Given such, the Master Teacher Pavilion should have sent someone to look into the matter.

Besides, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to interfere, how could the royalty of Tianwu Kingdom stay out of the matter as well? How could they allow the murderer to get away scot-free when an entire clan was killed in the capital right beneath their eyes?

“I am not sure about the details either. After everyone else died, I went undercover. I didn’t dare to look into the matter out of fear that the other party would notice my existence.” Lu Chong had a savage expression on his face, and deep resentment burned in his eyes.

Zhang Xuan continued asking a few more questions, but after realizing that Lu Chong didn’t know much about the matter as well, he stopped.

“There’s no need to bother all these first, just focus on your training for the time being. Use the method I taught you yesterday to cultivate. As long as you persevere on for five more times, you should attain the strength to kill Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts easily. You should rest well for now and prepare for the second round tonight!”

“Yes!” Lu Chong clasped his fist before returning back to his dormitory.

Even though Lu Chong had worded it lightly, Zhang Xuan knew that the matter wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Given how the royalty of Tianwu Kingdom stood idle when an entire clan was killed, his opponent must either possess immense strength or be of high standing.

More importantly, if it was only a matter of love turning into the hate, the other party could have just killed his sister. Was there a need to wipe out the entire clan?

There was probably something deeper to it.

It seemed like his student was still hiding several matters from him.

“I shouldn’t pressure him if he doesn’t wish to say it. I will ask him when he’s willing to talk about it!”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to dwell on the matter.

Even though he had decided to help the other party, their time together was still too short. It was normal for Lu Chong to not have absolute trust in him. Thus, Zhang Xuan wasn’t angry.

In the book compiled on Lu Chong in the Library of Heaven’s Path, it was only reflected that Lu Chong carried a deep grudge against him. It didn’t state who his enemy was, and what exactly happened back then.

It was just like the case with Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing. He could tell that the duo was injured, as well as how they were injured, but he wasn’t able to tell who was the one who did it.

…

Walking out of the classroom, Lu Chong turned around and glanced at the young Liu laoshi. His eyes reddened, and he tightened his fist.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Liu laoshi, but he… didn’t dare to tell him the truth!

He knew very well the standing and influence his enemy wielded. He didn’t want the only person in the world who treated him sincerely to be harmed because of him.

“Liu laoshi, I am indebted to you. It seems like I won’t be able to repay you… I really hope that you won’t be implicated in this matter. After all, you’re just an ordinary teacher in the academy! If they were to realize that you have taken me as your student and imparted me with knowledge, they might lay their hands on you!”

“Allow me… to settle my grudge myself!”

Coming to this decision, Lu Chong turned around and left.

The sudden surge in his strength had reignited his hope for exacting vengeance.

…

Not long after Lu Chong’s departure, the other students arrived.

After imparting them some basic knowledge and giving them pointers on their cultivation one by one, Zhang Xuan called Mu Xueqing into the small room and imparted her with the Heaven’s Path Saber Art.

Initially, when Mu Xueqing heard that there was only one move, she was slightly disappointed. However, after learning it, she realized that it was an exceedingly profound and high-level skill. Agitated, her body couldn’t stop shaking.

Even though she was unable to tell the tier of this saber art, she knew that it was at a much higher level than the Fallen Flower Fist that her father imparted her.

They weren’t even comparable to one another.

This saber art seemed to harness the fundamental laws of the universe. Profound concepts were concisely expressed through this single move, making one feel as though it was impossible to withstand it.

“Thank you, Liu laoshi for your generous bestowment!”

After practicing it for two hours, Mu Xueqing finally opened up the zhenqi pathway required for the Heaven’s Path Saber Art. Filled with gratitude and reverence for her teacher, she kneeled onto the floor and kowtowed.

The other party had solved her pill poison issue and imparted her with such an incredible battle technique…

It was impossible to express her gratitude through words.

“I must defeat that lady and bring honor to Liu laoshi’s name!”

Gritting her silver teeth, she strengthened her resolve.

She had no other way to repay her teacher but to bring glory to him, and defeating Master Teacher Zhang Xuan’s student was the most effective way to do so.

Oblivious to the fact that this newly accepted student of his had already made up her mind to give Zhao Ya a good thrashing, Zhang Xuan instructed for the other students to cultivate properly before leaving the classroom.

It wasn’t easy for him to create the Zongshi realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, but due to lack of spiritual energy, he could only cultivate slowly. Now that he had some free time, he decided to head to the Apothecary Guild to replace some suitable pills with concentrated spiritual energy.

…

“Is that Liu laoshi really as incredible as they say? Helping others achieve a breakthrough with just a few casual pointers?”

Not too far away from Zhang Xuan’s classroom, two young men were discussing.

If any other students were here, they would surely recognize the duo to be the two stars of the academy, the champion of the academy’s tournament, Zhao Wuxing, and the first runner-up, Liu Changyan.

The one who had just spoken was Zhao Wuxing.

“There must be a reason behind these rumors! It’s not like you don’t know Mu Xueqing’s temper. To be able to make her listen obediently and even fall out with Zhang shi’s students, that Liu laoshi must possess exceptional means.” Liu Changyan replied.

After witnessing the brawl between the two ladies, the duo grew interested in the legendary Liu laoshi.

“No matter what, we should see for ourselves whether it is real or not. I don’t believe that there’s any teacher in this academy who can surpass Bai laoshi in terms of teaching!” Even though the Liu Changyan’s words were logical, Zhao Wuxing still found it hard to believe the matter.

As they lived on the campus, they were unaware of the ruckus that Liu laoshi had caused in the Physician Guild. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been doubtful of the other party’s capability.

As for Bai laoshi, he was the most famous star teacher in the academy. His standing was similar to that of Lu Xun in Hongtian Academy.

“Hm? Why is the carriage of the royal family here?”

Just as the two of them were discussing the matter, Liu Changyan abruptly pointed to the road.

Tracing the other party’s finger, Zhao Wuxing was stunned.

A golden carriage was slowly heading toward the academy from the streets.

The insignia of the royal family was on the exterior of the carriage.

“Eight horses… This is the carriage that only the core members of the royal family are entitled to ride on. Is this the crown prince or… the third princess?”

Speaking of the third princess, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan’s eyes immediately burned in passion.

Third Princess Mo Yu was the ideal goddess in their mind. Not only was she beautiful, she was blessed with great talents as well… Despite her young age, she had already passed the master teacher examination, causing her name to be known throughout the capital.

If not for Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi, she would definitely be the brightest star in the city.

Hu!

The carriage came to a stop and an elegant figure alighted from it.

“It is indeed the third princess…”

Upon seeing the figure, the two geniuses immediately flushed in agitation.

However, puzzlement soon replaced their agitation. “Why would she be at the academy?”

As a 1-star master teacher and an incredible genius, if Princess Mo Yu was planning to conduct a lecture in Tianwu Academy, they would have definitely heard of the news beforehand. But if she wasn’t here to conduct a lecture, what other reasons could she be here for?

Perplexed, they saw her walking toward Liu laoshi classroom and bowed.

“Tianwu Kingdom’s Mo Yu is here to pay respect to Liu Cheng laoshi!”

A crisp voice sounded clearly in the surroundings.

“Pay respect to Liu laoshi?”

“Princess Mo Yu is a 1-star master teacher, 2-star apothecary, and 1-star beast tamer. Despite all of these, she still has to pay respect to this Liu Cheng?”

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan were stunned. They were so shocked by the sight that their lower jaw nearly fell to the floor.

In Tianwu Kingdom, Princess Mo Yu’s talent was only second to Mo Hongyi and Zhang Xuan. On top of being a master teacher, she was also a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert… Yet, she came to the academy to pay respect to an ordinary teacher?

Surely they were seeing things?

Didn’t that Liu Cheng just entered the academy yesterday?

For a 1-star master teacher and the princess of the kingdom to visit him personally, who exactly was he?

Before they could recover from their shock, they saw Liu laoshi open the door, walk out, and glance at Princess Mo Yu.

“What are you doing here… Cough cough, do you need something of me?”

Putong!

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan fell to the ground. A mouthful of blood welled up in their throat.

What in the world was with that attitude!

Even if you are capable, it is only right for you to bow in greetings to the princess!

At the very least, you should at least address her respectfully… To immediately say ‘what are you doing here’ and ‘do you need something of me’ upon seeing the princess…

Who do you think you are?

You aren’t even a star teacher, you are just an ordinary teacher in the academy. The other party is a 1-star master teacher, but not only is your attitude completely disrespectful, there is even a questioning edge to your voice. Aren’t you disregarding the other party a little too much?

Infuriated, the duo was thinking about how they should report this matter to the academy to send a strict warning to this conceited fellow so that he would learn to follow the rules of the Teacher Guild when Princess Mo Yu stepped forward and said, “My father is waiting outside for you. He hopes that Liu laoshi can spare some time for him…”

“Father? His Majesty Mo Tianxue?”

“He hopes that Liu laoshi can… spare some time? What in the world is going on? His Majesty is actually paying a visit personally to an ordinary teacher?”

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan’s eyes were widened to the maximum. At this moment, they really felt as though the world had gone mad.