Library of Heaven's Path
Chapter 983-991

Chapter 983: Curing the Poison

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

What the heck!

Such a lack of situational awareness, and you still want to take me as your teacher? Dream on!

The Eccentric Old Man clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“…” Zhou Xuan was on the verge of tears.

It was just a moment ago that you looked as if you were going to kill him. How am I to know that you would invite you into your residence as a venerated guest in the next moment?

“What are you dilly-dallying about for?”

As frustrated as Zhou Xuan was, he still turned to his servant and commanded him.

“…” The servant.

“Forget it, I will do it myself!” After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Xuan waved his hand.

It would seem more sincere for him to do it personally.

Thus, he quickly turned around and rush back to his residence.

Paying no heed to Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan walked into the room and sat on the main seat.

On the other hand, the Eccentric Old Man sat by the side as he looked at Zhang Xuan respectfully.

A moment of silence drifted in the room.

Eventually, unable to hold himself back anymore, the Eccentric Old Man, with deep anticipation in his eyes, began speaking with a very careful tone, “Elder, regarding my Green Spittle Poison…”

Considering how the other party was able to see through so much of his affliction in a single glance, it was very possible that the other party just might have the remedy to it.

To a person with such sharp eye of discernment, the other party was definitely worthy of being addressed as an elder!

“Green Spittle Poison is a particularly troublesome grade-7 poison. Even a 7-star poison master will replace it very difficult to cure it…” Zhang Xuan said.

Hearing those words, the Eccentric Old Man’s face paled in despair.

If even a 7-star poison master was unable to cure it, did it mean that there was no hope for his affliction?

“However… I can cure it!” Zhang Xuan said.

“You can cure it?” The Eccentric Old Man’s eyes narrowed. Clenching his fists tightly, many emotions flickered across his face, and eventually, he gritted his teeth tightly together and kneeled to the ground, “Elder, I beg you to save me!”

He had been tortured under the tyranny of the poison for far too long, and his mind and body were already reaching their limits. If the other party could really save him, putting aside kneeling down, he would be willing to even become the other party’s slave without any hesitation!

Dang lang!

Just as the Eccentric Old Man kneeled down, Zhou Xuan, who had just prepared the tea, entered the room and saw such an incredulous sight.

Overwhelmed with shock, his grip on the tea tray loosened, and the teapot and teacups fell to the ground and shattered.

He was truly on the verge of losing his mind.

He knew very well how proud a person the Eccentric Old Man was. He, the head of the Physician Guild, had paid respect to the other party for so many days, moving at the other party’s beck and call as if a servant, and yet, the other party couldn’t even be bothered to spare him a second glance.

On the other party, that fellow had knocked down the Eccentric Old Man’s door and made his saint beast weird, but not only was the Eccentric Old Man not angry, he ordered him to prepare tea… and even kneeled down to the fellow!

This was way too mind-blowing!

A person who could very well be a 7-star physician and had not the slightest bit of deference towards the city lord’s authority was actually kneeling on the floor to another man…

Zhou Xuan felt as if worldly views had collapsed in that instant, and that his mind was really going to blow up.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony, it is only a small matter!” Not expecting the other party to kneel down, Zhang Xuan shook his head and gestured for the other party to get back up.

“Elder, I do happen to have a Sepulture Flower. It has a maturity of two hundred years. If you have a need for it, feel free to take it away with you…” At this moment, the Eccentric Old Man suddenly recalled the request which Zhang Xuan had come with, so he quickly added.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

With this, his aim for paying a visit to the Eccentric Old Man was achieved.

“It is not difficult to resolve the Green Spittle Poison, but due to the long duration of your affliction, exceeding more than twenty years, the poison has already seeped deep into your bones and organs, making the situation even more tricky. The effectiveness of consuming an ordinary antidote will only be minimal at best. Thus, I am afraid that I might have to resort to some extreme means…” After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said.

“As long as my poison can be cured, I am willing to do anything at all!” The Eccentric Old Man nodded resolutely.

“Good!” Seeing that the other party was mentally prepared, Zhang Xuan nodded with an approving smile. After which, he flicked his wrist, took out a piece of paper and brush, and began writing out a prescription. “I need these medicinal herbs. The higher their maturity, the better it will be!”

The Eccentric Old Man took the paper and glanced at the ingredient. A moment later, he nodded and passed the prescription to the nearby Zhou Xuan, “Prepare these medicinal herbs for me, and I can consider taking you in as my student!”

“Yes!” Hearing those words, Zhou Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Not daring to waste any time, he hurriedly rushed out of the room to prepare the stated medicinal herbs.

“Prepare a huge pot. I will be putting the medicinal herbs and boil them… along with you.” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Boil them along with me?” The Eccentric Old Man’s eyebrows shot up.

Given his cultivation, he wouldn’t suffer any severe injuries from coming into contact with scalding water. Nevertheless, it still wasn’t a pleasant sensation to be boiled alive.

“Indeed. You have been afflicted with the poison for far too long, and the huge amounts of medicinal herbs you have consumed over the years only serve to further complicate your condition. It is imperative to first boil out those worthless medicinal substances within your body before going ahead with the treatment!” Zhang Xuan explained.

The Eccentric Old Man nodded in realization.

As physician, he was well aware of his own physical condition. The antidotes he had tried out over the past few years could easily fill several baskets, if not a cart.

With so many medicinal substances accruing within his body, they could easily render even the real antidote ineffective.

The purpose of the boiling process was to clear his body from the remaining medicinal substances, thus returning his body back to its original state.

“After the medicinal substances have been boiled out of your body, consume this gourd of medicinal wine… With that, you should be cured of the Green Spittle Poison in your body!” Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a gourd and passed it over to the Eccentric Old Man.

Ordinary antidotes couldn’t hope to seep deeply into the Eccentric Old Man’s organs and bones to cleanse him of the Green Spittle Poison. Thus, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to resort to his Heaven’s Path zhenqi.

But of course, it was still necessary to condition the other party’s body to its best state beforehand, or else he would require a colossal amount of zhenqi.

After all, a lethal poison that was capable of killing a Saint 4-dan expert wasn’t something that could be easily resolved with just a surge of two of zhenqi.

“Thank you!” With gratitude gleaming in his eyes, the Eccentric Old Man took the gourd.

An antidote that could cure a grade-7 poison was surely worth far more than a Sepulture Flower, and yet, the other party actually gave it to him without any hesitation.

“Elder, wait here for a moment. I will take the Sepulture Flower over right now…” After learning the treatment method, the Eccentric Old Man immediately rushed out of the room, and not too long later, he returned with a jade box in his hands.

Taking the jade box over, Zhang Xuan pried it open lightly and saw a pure white medicinal herb lying inside, reminiscent of a beautiful jade. It exuded a light fragrance which tickled one’s nose.

“Un.” With a slight nod, Zhang Xuan passed the Sepulture Flower over to Hu Yunsheng and instructed, “Return to Inkcloud Quarter and prepare for its auctioning. I want the news that this medicinal herb was going to be auctioned to be known by the entire city…”

“Yes!” Hu Yunsheng nodded before leaving with the medicinal herb in hand.

After which, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and waited patiently.

…

Two hours later.

Zhou Xuan finally returned with the medicinal herbs required. Zhang Xuan swiftly arranged for them to be added into a huge pot to be boiled.

When he gauged that the medicinal properties of the medicinal herbs had finally seeped sufficiently into the boiling water, he gestured for the Eccentric Old Man to go into the pot.

Tzzzzzzzzz!

Before long, countless dark substances started emerging from the Eccentric Old Man’s pores, dyeing the clear water in the pot ink-black.

Zhang Xuan stepped forward and tapped his finger on several points of the other party’s body. After which, he flicked his wrist and took out a bundle of needles. With a swift jerk of his hand, the needles flew out and pierced precise locations over the other party’s body.

Some time later, after when the water in the pot had been switched several times, the Eccentric Old Man’s skin was finally rid of its grayish hue, returning to the original white complexion it had. Knowing that the first step of the treatment was done, Zhang Xuan indicated for the Eccentric Old Man to drink the wine in the gourd.

Not too long later, the grayish color in his eyes also began to disappear.

Hong long long!

By the time the crimson line disappeared, the Eccentric Old Man’s body finally slackened. In that instant, a powerful aura burst into the sky, and his initial Saint 1-dan cultivation abruptly surged at an inconceivable speed.

“This…” Zhou Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief.

Noticing the incomprehension in Zhou Xuan’s eyes, Zhang Xuan explained with a smile, “The lethal poison in his body had suppressed his cultivation previously. Now that the poison is cured, naturally, he will be able to revert back to his true strength!”

The reason why he was able to notice the Eccentric Old Man’s poison was naturally due to the latter executing a battle technique, thus compiling a corresponding book in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

The book had introduced the problems which the Eccentric Old Man was facing, but at the same time, it had also stated the other party’s identity… Qingyuan Empire, 7-star pinnacle physician!

How could a 7-star pinnacle physician possibly only possess a cultivation of Saint 1-dan?

Most likely, the Eccentric Old Man must have been poisoned by someone, but by some stroke of luck, he managed to survive the initial attempt on his life. However, with his body severely weakened by the effects of the poison, he was left with no choice but to lie low in a remote location! As years went by, the relentless assault of the poison gradually suppressed his cultivation, resulting in his current state.

With the lethal poison resolved, his cultivation was no longer suppressed, thus reverting back to its original level.

Boom!

Tremendous energy was building within the Eccentric Old Man, and before long, he surpassed his Saint 1-dan bottleneck and reached Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm!

Shortly after, Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm!

Two hours later, with a huge burst of energy, Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm!

With his poison resolved, his cultivation finally returned back to its peak.

“I…” Standing up, the Eccentric Old Man felt the strength coursing through his veins, and his eyes couldn’t help but redden.

How many years had it been?

For how long had he wished that he would be able to rid himself of his affliction and return back to his peak? Too much time had gone by, and his initial hopes were extinguished. He had already resigned himself to living his life quietly in this remote land. Who could have thought that a middle-aged man would abruptly enter his life and resolve his affliction for him?

“Thank you for granting me a new life, elder!” The Eccentric Old Man immediately got to his knees and thanked Zhang Xuan earnestly.

He had kneeled earlier as well, but it was out of his overwhelming desire to be treated. This time, however, it was out of earnest respect and gratitude towards his savior.

“You are welcome.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Eccentric Old Man was a physician, a man who had spent his life saving others from their anguish and sufferings. If it was within his means to do so, it was only right for him to save the other party.

“The person who has poisoned you must be a poison master, right?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

The Green Spittle Poison was something which even 7-star poison masters would struggle to concoct. It was unlikely that anyone other than a poison master would wield such poison on him.

“It is indeed the doing of a poison master. However… with my cultivation recovered, I will have him pay the price of his actions…” With a cold glint in his eyes, the Eccentric Old Man clenched his fists tightly.

“Un.” Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak any more on the matter, Zhang Xuan chose not to delve deeper into the matter either.

“May I know how I should address elder?” the Eccentric Old Man asked.

A life debt had to be repaid. Yet, he didn’t even know the other party’s name even at this point in time. It was indeed embarrassing.

“My name is Sun Qiang.” Zhang Xuan said.

“I see, so it’s Elder Sun…” Nodding, the Eccentric Old Man flicked his wrist, took out a token, and handed it over to Zhang Xuan respectfully. “I happen to have some influence in the Qingyuan Empire Physician Guild, so if you were to face any trouble, do make sure to look for me with this token in hand. As long as it is within my means, I will make sure to accomplish it for you…”

“Alright.” Taking the token, Zhang Xuan nodded.

He would eventually have to head to Qingyuan Empire one day, and since the other party was willing to do him this favor, it would be fine to accept it. After all, there was no saying that there could be a day that he might need it.

“Since your poison has been cured, I will take my leave now. Farewell!”

Zhang Xuan felt that there was no reason for him to remain since the other party’s poison had been cured, so he made his way out and headed to Inkcloud Quarter.

Not too long later, before he could enter Inkcloud Quarter, he already saw Hu Yunsheng rushing out with a livid face. The latter also saw him and immediately rushed up to him while exclaiming, “Elder, bad news…”

Chapter 984: City Lord

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“What’s wrong?” Seeing the anxious look on Hu Yunsheng’s face, Zhang Xuan frowned.

As the boss of a powerful organization, as well as a Saint 1-dan expert, there was no way the other party would panic over minor affairs.

“I had my men spread the news regarding the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower across the city as soon as I returned to Inkcloud Quarter… However, an hour later, a group of men came and insisted on purchasing the Sepulture Flower ahead of the auction.” Hu Yunsheng explained with a livid look. “Judging from how forceful they were acting, it seems like they are intending to force a trade.”

“Force a trade? Is the other party a poison master?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Weren’t poison masters the only ones who would be attracted by the Sepulture Flower? Was there some other use to it that he wasn’t aware of?

“They aren’t.” Hu Yunsheng shook his head affirmatively.

“How can you be that certain?” Zhang Xuan was surprised by the other party’s firm response.

After all, it should be impossible to identify a poison master when he wasn’t using poison. As such, it was possible for anyone to be a poison master.

Given so, on what grounds could Hu Yunsheng be so confident that the group of men who insisted on purchasing the Sepulture Flower weren’t poison masters?

“This is because I know those guys who came over!” Hu Yunsheng replied. “They are City Lord Hong Jin of Jingyuan City and his guards!”

“The city lord? What does he need the Sepulture Flower for?” Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

The Sepulture Flower was needed by the poison masters to concoct poison, but why would a city lord require such an item? Not to mention, to go to the extent of forcing a trade for it…

“I tried to sound him out, but he isn’t speaking a word about it, so I am not too sure either. I have already told him that the item belongs not to Inkcloud Quarter but to you, and he is insisting on meeting you to negotiate now…” Hu Yunsheng said.

“Bring me over.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Regardless of why the other party needed the Sepulture Flower, this matter should indeed be resolved. Since the other party had requested to meet him, there was no reason for him to turn him down.

Under Hu Yunsheng’s lead, he soon arrived at a relatively spacious room.

An authoritative-looking middle-aged man sat majestically on the main seat in the room, exuding an air of superiority.

Behind him were several armored guards which carried a powerful aura. They were all Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm cultivators.

“City Lord Hong, this is the owner of the Sepulture Flower, Elder Sun Qiang!” Walking up, Hu Yunsheng clasped his fist and introduced.

The middle-aged man shot a glance at Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing that the other party was a mere Nascent Saint cultivator, he chuckled softly and said, “This friend over here, I wish to buy your Sepulture Flower. Give me a price!”

Zhang Xuan was a little surprised by how direct the other party was. With a wry smile on his face, he asked, “What price can you offer me?”

“A Sepulture Flower with a maturity of a hundred years is usually worth 80 high-tier spirit stones. Since yours has a maturity slightly higher than that, I will give you a hundred and throw in a Spirit high-tier weapon on top of that!” the middle-aged man said.

Hearing the offer, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up, “Don’t you think your offer is a little low?”

Putting aside the rarity of the Sepulture Flower, even the price at which Hu Yunsheng purchased his Sepulture Flower at back then was higher than the offer that this city lord was giving. The other party was indeed trying to force a trade here.

“Audacious! It is your honor for our esteemed city lord to be interested in your item, you better know your place!” a guard standing behind the middle-aged man bellowed loudly.

“A hundred high-tier spirit stones and a Spirit high-tier weapon is the best price you will get for your Sepulture Flower. Even if you were to go through the auction, it is unlikely that you will be able to get anything higher. Furthermore, it is unsafe to keep such a valuable artifact with you. Listen to my advice and sell it.” the second guard said.

The devil and the angel; a threat and an advice… Ultimately, this was nothing more than a mere ploy for him to hand over his medicinal herbs obediently.

Seeing through what the other party was playing at, Zhang Xuan burst into laughter and shook his head before saying, “Ten thousand high-tier spirit stones, and I will sell it to you straight!”

“What did you say?” The eyebrows of the middle-aged man shot up.

His offer was one hundred, yet the other party’s offer was ten thousand. That was a blatant disregard for his standing as the city lord!

“Insolence! How dare you…”

The first guard bellowed once more, but before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan’s voice had already sounded once more.

“Twenty thousand!”

“Are you certain that you want to do this? I am only saying this out of concern for you, but…” the second guard said with a frown.

“Thirty thousand!” Zhang Xuan declared.

“You…” The middle-aged man’s face reddened as his eyebrows knitted together tightly. In this moment, it felt as if his rage would burst forth at any moment.

The other party clearly had no intentions of selling the Sepulture Flower to him, and from the looks of it, the other party also didn’t care who he was either.

“Friend, allow me to give you a word of advice. You are in Jingyuan City at this very moment. Regardless of who you are, you would do well to carry yourself humbly. Otherwise, you won’t know what kind of trouble you will be bringing to yourself!” the middle-aged man harrumphed coldly with narrowed eyes.

“Fifty thousand!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchalantly and continued, unbothered by the threats the other party was making.

Trying to throw your weight before me? Hah, heaven knows which sandpit you were kneading mud in when I was out posturing in the world!

“Hmph, let’s go!” Seeing how the owner of the Sepulture Flower wasn’t willing to budge at all, the middle-aged man harrumphed coldly before walking out of the room.

The moment he stepped out of the room, his face immediately turned livid with rage.

“City lord, shall we dispatch our men to snatch the Sepulture Flower over?” The first guard glanced at the room behind him coldly as he subtly pulled his thumb horizontally before his throat—a gesture to kill.

“There is no need for that. I do need the Sepulture Flower, but since that fellow is going to auction it, there’s no harm in going through the official process.” A glint appeared in the middle-aged man’s narrowed eyes. “I don’t believe that there would be anyone in Jingyuan City who will dare bid against me!”

“Indeed!” The eyes of the two guards lit up.

Living in Jingyuan City, who would be so foolish to offend the city lord over a mere flower?

As long as no one dared to bid against him, he could easily take down the flower at any price he wanted. By then, that fellow would be deeply regretting not selling the Sepulture Flower to him for a hundred high-tier spirit stones!

“Let’s go!”

The city lord said before walking away with widened strides.

…

“Elder, aren’t you being a little reckless offending the city lord like that?” Hu Yunsheng asked with a conflicted look on his face.

“It’s fine. It is one thing if he doesn’t pull anything, but if he does, I don’t mind replacing him with someone else!” Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly.

With the influence and power he wielded at the moment, there was no need for him to lie low anymore. If the city lord knew what was good for him, he would do well to drop whatever malicious thought he had in mind. Otherwise, he didn’t mind teaching the other party a lesson.

As long as he gave Yu Shenqing a heads up, there was no one who would dare object to him changing a city lord or two. Or if it were to come down to it, he could even dispatch a few master teachers down to investigate this Jingyuan City Lord. A person who would force a trade on others was bound to have committed plenty of atrocious deed during his rule. With those misdeeds the other party had done in the past, he could indict the other party and have him severely punished for his crimes.

“Alright then…” Hu Yunsheng was still a little skeptical, but recalling the incredible prowess that the elder before him had displayed earlier in the Eccentric Old Man’s residence, he decided not to think too much into the matter. A short moment later, he continued, “I think there is a chance that the city lord might engage in bid rigging by scaring off the other bidders. If that were to happen, it might prove to be a little troublesome.”

“Scaring off other bidders?”

“Un. Given his standing and influence, he could easily demand others not to compete with him in the bidding of the Sepulture Flower. If so, I fear that the poison masters might be dissuaded from participating in the auction as well!” Hu Yunsheng replied.

Inkcloud Quarter conducted auctions regularly, so he was rather familiar with the various ploys that bidders could use to undermine the auction system.

It wasn’t rare for those who wielded great authority and power to use their standing to force the other bidders to remain silent, thus obtaining the item at a discounted price.

Despite having met with this situation several times, Hu Yunsheng was still unable to replace any good solution to the problem.

“This is simple. Plant a person in the midst of the auction, and as long as that fellow dares to raise the price, have your man double the current price. It’s my item anyway, so it doesn’t matter even if the price hikes up to a million high-tier spirit stones.” Zhang Xuan replied.

“This…” Hu Yunsheng blinked his eyes in shock.

To actually hike up the price of your own item, isn’t it a little too shameless to do that…

However, thinking about it, that was indeed a good idea to this situation.

This idea was cheap, but that was precisely what they needed to choke the other party with anger and frustration!

“Alright, go and make preparations. As long as I can uncover the location of the Poison Hall, I will resolve your poison.” Zhang Xuan said.

“Yes!” Hu Yunsheng nodded before taking his leave.

Shortly after he left, Zhang Xuan’s body jolted slightly before vanishing on the spot. In the next moment, he appeared in the Myriad Anthive Nest.

At this moment, the Anthive Nest had already been fully expanded. It had a length of five hundred meters from one end to the other, an incredibly vast space, and there were all sorts of buildings here and there, reminiscent of a massive village.

“Master!” Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the many tamed beasts within the Anthive Nest hurried forward and greeted him.

Living within the Anthive Nest were the Byzantium Helios Beast and the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge. With this powerful force, he could easily wipe the remote Jingyuan City off the map without lifting a finger.

“Cultivate hard. If I have time, I will come in to resolve the problems you face in your cultivation.” Nodding at the various beasts, Zhang Xuan said.

These saint beasts were a strong fighting force for him. As such, after placing them in the Anthive Nest, he had been lecturing them whenever he had time. Over the past two to three months, they had made significant advancement in their fighting prowess.

Were it not for the inability of saint beasts to practice cultivation techniques, these fellows should have advanced their cultivation to an incredible level by now.

After instructing the saint beasts to work hard in their training, Zhang Xuan headed towards a certain room.

Within the room, Wei Ruyan lay peacefully with her eyes closed on a clean bed.

As the goal of replaceing the Poison Hall was to resolve the poison aura in her body, naturally, Zhang Xuan had been bringing her around through the Anthive Nest.

He placed his hand on the girl’s pulse, and a moment later, he heaved a sigh of relief.

“It seems like she still can hold on for some time…”

He hadn’t found any good way to resolve Wei Ruyan’s dangerous accumulation of poison aura, but through his means, he was still able to alleviate her situation temporarily and stabilize her condition.

She was unlikely to wake up until her affliction was resolved, but at the very least, there was no threat on her life for the time being.

“This lass sure is pitiful…” Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and shook his head.

From her birth, she was tortured by her illness, putting her in great misery. It wasn’t easy for her to grow to adulthood, but by the time she realized it, she had lost her closest kin, her father.

It was no wonder why others called the Innate Poison Body Constitution of Disaster. It brought disaster not only to others but even to the person herself as well, depriving her of even a single day that was devoid of pain and suffering.

After confirming that Wei Ruyan’s condition was still stable for the moment, Zhang Xuan headed to the specially-built training grounds and sat down there.

It had been more than ten days since he had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle, and while he hadn’t obtained the artifact required for his breakthrough to Saint 1-dan, he hadn’t been slacking on his training either. Every single day, he would make sure to spend some time on furthering his cultivation without fail.

Under his persistent hard work, his zhenqi was getting more and more purer and condensed.

Ever since reaching Half-Saint, he could feel that it was getting more and more difficult to make breakthroughs as compared to from before. In the past, the breakthrough of a realm only took two hours, but now, it was taking a few minutes more than before!

“As expected, cultivating is not as easy as I thought…” Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed

Cultivation was indeed a path fraught with difficulty. Without diligence and mental resilience, it was impossible to persevere on.

Six hours passed in a flash.

Making a quick calculation, Zhang Xuan deduced that it should be night outside, and the auction should be starting soon. Thus, he backed out of the Anthive Nest.

Shortly after he returned to his room, Hu Yunsheng walked in.

“Elder, the auction will be starting soon…”

“Un.”

Nodding, Zhang Xuan followed Hu Yunsheng towards the direction of the auction. However, before they could get to the allocated VIP compartment, he suddenly frowned for a moment before his footsteps came to a complete halt.

Chapter 985: Pummeling Your Teacher

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Elder?” Noticing that Zhang Xuan had stopped his footsteps, Hu Yunsheng asked in surprise.

“You can head on to the compartment first. Do as I have said earlier, make sure to take note of everyone who has bidded for the Sepulture Flower and record their names down. I have some matters to attend to at the moment. Don’t worry, I will return quickly.” Zhang Xuan instructed.

“Yes!” Not daring to say anymore, Hu Yunsheng quickly nodded before proceeding ahead.

Zhang Xuan’s frown didn’t alleviate with Hu Yunsheng’s departure. On the contrary, it deepened. Turning around, he flitted away.

Shortly after, he arrived at the entrance of the vast auction hall.

The surroundings were filled with huge crowds, presumably here to participate in the auction. Scanning the area, Zhang Xuan’s eyes soon stopped on an average-looking middle-aged man.

On the surface, that fellow seemed to be a Saint 1-dan primary stage cultivator who harnessed water attribute zhenqi, an unspectacular character in the greater scheme of things. However, for some reason, his presence left Zhang Xuan feeling a little uneasy.

The same uneasy sensation that he had felt back at the Subterranean Gallery…

“He is… an Otherworldly Demon!” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

Having killed more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery, he could vaguely tell how fearsome the person before him was. Despite the other party not exuding any killing intent at the moment, he felt an incredible pressure weighing down on him.

Furthermore, his Principal’s Seal was trembling in agitation, seemingly about to leap out at any moment.

Eye of Insight!

Faint green lines appeared in Zhang Xuan’s black iris. Taking a look once more, his intuition was spot-on. The other party was indeed an Otherworldly Demons.

It was unknown what technique the other party used, but he was able to seal his immense killing intent entirely beneath a layer of water ripple, making it impossible for even the Saint realm cultivators around him from seeing through his true identity.

Were it not for Zhang Xuan having clashed with a huge number of Otherworldly Demons in the Subterranean Gallery, which granted him a deeper insight into the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and his possession of the Eye of Insight, there was no way he would have known that the person before him was an Otherworldly Demon.

“I can’t see through that fellow’s strength…” Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

Due to the other party’s unique disguising method, most perception methods were unable to work on him. The powerful Eye of Insight was able to see through the other party’s true form, but it was unable to determine the other party’s cultivation.

But of course, it might also be because the other party’s strength was far beyond him.

However, the pressing question at hand was not how powerful that fellow was, but why would an Otherworldly Demon disguise himself as a human in the remote Jingyuan City and appear at the entrance of this auction hall? Did he intend to participate in the auction as well?

Was the Sepulture Flower of value to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe too?

“I can’t allow him to enter the auction hall…” Stroking his lower jaw, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts.

A Saint realm Otherworldly Demon suddenly appearing in a human city, there was bound to be some kind of ploy involved here.

No matter what the other party was up to, he had to foil his plans. For one, he should hinder the other party from participating in the auction and obtaining what he wanted.

“Just that… how should I do it without alarming others?” Zhang Xuan frowned in frustration.

They were right at the entrance of the auction hall at the moment. Regardless of whether he did it himself or dispatched his puppets to do it for him, it would cause a huge uproar. If things were to go badly, the auction hall might even be torn apart.

Furthermore, if he were to corner the other party too far, the other party might be forced to utilize his means as an Otherworldly Demon to retaliate. If so, the realization that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could be lurking within Jingyuan City would cause a huge pandemonium… An army of master teacher could very well be brought into Jingyuan City to investigate the matter, forcing the poison masters to lie low. By then, it would be nigh impossible for him to replace any poison master to lead him to the Poison Hall.

While deep in thought, he saw the disguised Otherworldly Demon following the bustling crowd into the auction hall. If he wanted to act, he would have to do it now. Once the other party was settled in the auction hall, it would be impossible to drag the other party out without causing a pandemonium,

“There is no time to plan anymore. I will just have to deal with whatever that comes my way…” Knowing that he didn’t have the luxury of time, Zhang Xuan dashed forward and blocked the disguised Otherworldly Demon’s path.

“What are you doing?!”

Seeing that someone had suddenly blocked his path, the disguised Otherworldly Demon frowned in displeasure.

Huala!

Following which, the two guards beside the disguised Otherworldly Demon stepped forward and drew their swords, seemingly ready to make a move should Zhang Xuan try anything funny.

These two guards were Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts, but they weren’t Otherworldly Demons, just ordinary cultivators.

“May I know why this friend over here is blocking my way?” Seeing that everyone’s gaze was drawn towards him, the disguised Otherworldly Demon waved his hands casually, indicating for the guards to step down before turning to Zhang Xuan.

The disguised Otherworldly Demon knew that it was not to his advantage to draw attention towards himself. After all, it was more likely for his true identity to be exposed should he be placed under the spotlight.

Moreover, disguised as a human in Jingyuan City, he had a mission to accomplish as well. It wouldn’t do to draw too many eyes upon himself at this moment.

“The heaven isn’t blind after all! After so many years, it has finally brought me to you!” Paying no heed the disguised Otherworldly Demon’s words, a look of extreme agitation suddenly surfaced on Zhang Xuan’s face as he rushed forward to hug the other party.

Frowning, the Otherworldly Demon raised his palm and pushed Zhang Xuan away.

“I am Sun Qiang! Don’t you recognize me?”

Being pushed away, Zhang Xuan looked at the disguised Otherworldly Demon anxiously and quickly introduced himself, as if worried that his old friend didn’t recognize him.

“Sun… Qiang?” The disguised Otherworldly Demon frowned. “I’m sorry. You must have gotten the wrong person!”

As an Otherworldly Demon infiltrating the Master Teacher Continent, how could he possibly have any acquaintances here? Just where in this world did this fool pop out from?

“There is no way I could have gotten the wrong person!” Ignoring the other party’s cold attitude, Zhang Xuan grabbed the other party arm in agitation and said, “We have grown up together, and I can still remember how arrogant you were when you were younger. Back then, after you managed to achieve a huge breakthrough in your cultivation, you viciously pummeled our teacher because you thought he was too nosey. In order to avenge your pet, you specially concocted a poison and killed a Saint realm expert. On top of that, you also studied the arts of the soul oracle and used your soul to conduct quite a few misdeeds. These memories are still very fresh in my mind, as if they had only happened yesterday. There is no way I can ever mistake you for another person!”

“He pummeled his own teacher because he thought his teacher was too nosey? How can a person treat his teacher like that?”

“Concocting poison to kill a Saint realm expert… He is a poison master?”

“He learned the arts of the soul oracle? Didn’t the soul oracles betray humanity for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe back then?”

Hearing those words, the gazes from the crowd started to turn hostile.

Those of the Master Teacher Continent were taught to respect their teacher and lineage from young. A person who betrayed his own teacher and lineage would be scorned by others for his entire life.

More important, poison masters and soul oracles were occupations that were scorned in the continent. It could already be said that it was very patient of them to not rush forward and pummel that person before them.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Seeing how a person he didn’t recognize suddenly uttering such nonsense here, the eyebrows of the Otherworldly Demon shot up, and he nearly erupted on the spot, “I don’t even know you!”

If the crowd were to turn against him over this matter and his true identity was revealed in the process, how was he going to accomplish his mission?

Thus, he jerked his arm forcefully, knocking away the hand that was grasping him.

‘You don’t know me? Very well!” As if displeased by the other party’s action of feigning ignorance, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up, “Three years ago, when you were being pursued by your enemies and was on the verge of death, I was the one who saved you. If I remember correctly, your enemies managed to impale your left shoulder back then, and the wound should have left a scar. Since you said that you don’t know me, do you dare to show your left shoulder to all of us right here to prove that I was lying?”

“You…” The disguised Otherworldly Demon was stunned for a moment before clenching his fists tightly in frustration.

His left shoulder had indeed been impaled by a special weapon three years ago. To this day, he still had yet to recover from it fully, and the wound had also left a permanent scar on his left shoulder. Due to the unique nature of the injury, he wasn’t able to conceal it even when disguising as a human…

As his wound had been concealed within his clothes all along, and he had never shown it to anyone before, not even his closest friend was aware of this matter. Where in the world did that fellow learn of this matter?

“Why? You dare not show your shoulder right here? Well, of course you don’t! Your injury was caused by a spear imbued with the fire attribute whereas the cultivation technique you practice is of the water attribute. As such, that wound has resulted in a permanent scar which you can’t erase! On top of that, the encounter has also left a hidden trauma in your body. A surge of flame zhenqi will relentlessly strike your Hunyin acupoint every full moon, leaving you in great agony… How is it? Is there any mistake in what I have said?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Y-you…” The disguised Otherworldly Demon was only astonished when the other party spoke about the scar on his left shoulder, but at this moment, he felt so crazed that his eyes were on the verge of popping from their sockets.

The other party’s description was spot-on.

The scar on his left shoulder was indeed caused by a spear imbued with the fire attribute, and it was also true that he cultivated a water attribute cultivation technique. The matter about there being a surge of flame zhenqi in his body torturing him every month was also correct… There was no mistake in the other party’s account at all!

But he was certain that he didn’t know the other party, and even if he did, he had never told anyone of the problems he was facing either…

So how did this fellow replace out?

“You still don’t remember me? Are you hiding something that makes it inconvenient for you to reveal your identity? Is that the reason why you are hiding from me?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“Cough cough! Brother Sun Qiang, I finally recognize you now!”

As that person spoke on, the gazes directed towards him was becoming more and more peculiar. Fearing that his identity might just be dredged up should the other party continue speaking, the disguised Otherworldly Demon could only concede with a look of awkwardness.

“That’s more like it! I knew that I couldn’t have possibly mistaken you for anyone else! Here, this is the fine wine that you savor the most. If you still regard me as your brother, drink it!” Seeing the other party bending under the pressure from the surroundings, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a smiling face, he flicked his wrist, took out a gourd, and passed it over.

“You want me to drink? Right here?” The disguised Otherworldly Demon was flabbergasted.

What is with the sudden jump in logic? Even if we are good friends, surely there is a time and place to drink!

We are right outside the auction hall, and there are so many people looking… You want me to drink right here?

He wasn’t the only one perplexed by Zhang Xuan’s abrupt words. The crowd was also baffled as well.

“Why? You don’t trust me? You think that there is a problem with the wine I am giving you? Sigh, you really should work on that skeptical personality of yours. Fine, I will drink first!” Shaking his head with a smile, Zhang Xuan uncorked the wine gourd, and an intoxicating fragrance drifted into the surroundings. Tilting his head upwards, he took a hearty gulp of the wine.

After he was done, he passed it over to the disguised Otherworldly Demon, “Here you go!”

“I think it will be better for us to drink another day. The auction is about to start, and I still have matters to attend to…”

A stranger he didn’t know was abruptly offering him wine out of nowhere. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t doubtful.

“That skeptical personality like yours sure is like the Otherworldly Demons, especially like that Qingtian something Waterleaf King…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Geji!

As soon as the disguised Otherworldly Demon heard those words, his entire body stiffened. A hint of killing intent flashed across his eyes.

It might seem as if the other party was uttering nonsense, but the other party had managed to identify him accurately!

In other words, all of those that were spoken before was not a coincidence at all. The other party… knew who he was!

Just that… he pondered for a while, but there was no one named Sun Qiang that he knew of.

“You’re right! Good friends should indeed have a drink together. However, this isn’t the place to do so. Why don’t we go to a tavern together and drink our hearts out?” Suppressing his killing intent, the disguised Otherworldly Demon chuckled amiably.

In any case, if his identity was already compromised, there was only one thing that he could do… Find an opportunity to kill the other party!

Otherwise, if he were to be exposed right here, he would be unable to accomplish his mission.

“You want to drink together at a tavern? Sure. However, you have to drink my wine first before I will go with you. If you aren’t even willing to reciprocate this kind gesture of mine, who knows whether you will be bringing me to drink or to the netherworld later on? A person who has beat up his teacher surely has no qualms about killing his close friends too, right?” Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile.

“You…”

The disguised Otherworldly Demon’s face reddened.

Chapter 986: Waterleaf King

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

One thing he could be sure at this moment was that the other party had already uncovered his identity.

But… his disguise should have been flawless! How could someone possibly see through it?

Could it be that the other party possessed a cultivation more fearsome than him?

“Of course not! If a sip of wine can allay your fears, I am more than willing to do so.” With a light smile, the disguised Otherworldly Demon swiftly concealed his loss of composure a moment ago.

Taking the gourd from Zhang Xuan’s hands, he began assessing the wine carefully with narrowed eyes.

For the other party to offer him a gourd of wine after uncovering his true identity, it was hard to believe that there was nothing wrong with the wine.

Activating his Spiritual Perception, he swiftly swept through the contents of the wine, and the result left a deep frown on his forehead.

The conclusion he received was that the gourd was filled with nothing more than ordinary wine. If there was anything peculiar about it, it was just that it was richly infused with spiritual energy.

The disguised Waterleaf King hesitated for a moment, and eventually, he still felt that it was better to be safe than sorry. Thus, he passed the gourd back to Zhang Xuan, took out a jade bottle, and said, “I’m afraid that I don’t fancy the wine you brought too much. Let’s drink mine instead.”

This bottle of wine was his personal possession, so he could be confident that there was nothing wrong with it.

Lifting up the jade bottle, the disguised Otherworldly Demon was just about to uncork the cap and take a drink when Zhang Xuan suddenly stepped forward to grab the bottle, “You don’t like the wine I brought you? Let me take a look at what you have in here then.”

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan uncorked the cap.

The rich aroma of alcohol burst forth from the bottle. It was indeed far better than the wine he had in the gourd earlier.

“Fine wine indeed! It is no wonder you aren’t interested in the one I have. Here!” Zhang Xuan took a swift glance at it before passing it back, not making any peculiar actions at all.

“Un.” Taking everything into sight, the disguised Otherworldly Demon heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that the other party hadn’t done anything to the wine in the bottle. He took the bottle back from Zhang Xuan’s hand and took a sip from it.

“Alright, shall we head to a tavern together and drink our hearts away?” the disguised Otherworldly Demon said with a smile.

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Lord…” Seeing that the esteemed guest which they were supposed to be escorting leaving the area to drink with someone else, the two guards standing beside the disguised Otherworldly Demon glanced at one another in confusion.

Isn’t he here to participate in the auction? Why is he leaving before the auction has even started?

“The both of you can head in first. I will return swiftly.” The disguised Otherworldly Demon waved his hand nonchalantly.

“Yes!” Seeing that the other party had already made up his mind, the guards hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Even their master had to obey the commands of the man before them, so naturally, they dared not to go against the other party’s orders either.

“Let’s go!” Seeing that the other party was done, Zhang Xuan took the lead, and before long, they were out of Inkcloud Quarter.

Walking along the streets, they soon arrived at a remote alley.

Seeing that there was no one around, the Otherworldly Demon couldn’t hold himself back any longer. Rushing forward to block Zhang Xuan’s path, he asked with a cold glint in his eyes, “Who in the world are you?”

“Me? I am just an ordinary human. On the other hand… for an Otherworldly Demon like you to be walking in public disguised as a human, you sure are brazen!”

At which, Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up, “Isn’t that so, Waterleaf King?”

“Y-you… Just who are you?”

The disguised Otherworldly Demon raised his palm and closed it, and a torrent of zhenqi sealed the space in the surroundings. A powerful surge of killing intent burst into the area, and all a sudden, the entire street seemed to have turned into a living hell.

From the moment he realized that the other party had uncovered his true identity, he had already decided to kill the other party.

“Who am I?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “You aren’t qualified to know who I am!”

“Unwilling to speak? Fine by me too. I have no interest in learning a dead man’s name either!” The Waterleaf King roared furiously as his claws swiped at Zhang Xuan with frightening swiftness.

Huala!

A burst of devastating zhenqi rose up like waves of the ocean. Under the tremendous might of the Waterleaf King, the streets creaked wildly, ready to collapse at any moment.

From the great strength that the Waterleaf King was able to harness, Zhang Xuan could tell that he was not at Saint 1-dan or 2-dan, but… 4-dan!

Primordial Spirit realm!

“You want to kill me?” Zhang Xuan stood calmly in face of the other party’s attack, not surprised at all. Instead, he chuckled softly and said, “I am afraid that you don’t have the ability to do so… Lie down!”

Just like what he did back at Inkcloud Quarter, he snapped his fingers as he said those words.

Padah!

In the next moment, the powerful Waterleaf King’s body abruptly stiffened before crashing forcefully into the ground. The immense might he had commanded a moment ago vanished like the receding tide. Lying on the floor, he coughed huge mouthfuls of blood.

“Y-you… poisoned me?” In the narrowed eyes of the Waterleaf King, his disbelief was apparent.

He had made sure to proceed warily, opting not to consume the other party’s wine even after confirming that it hadn’t been spiked. Yet, despite all of the preventive measures he had done, he still ended up being poisoned!

“Of course! How can I deal with a powerful King like you without resorting to certain means?” Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

Through his Eye of insight, he could only see that the other party was an Otherworldly Demon. He only managed to confirm the other party’s identity through his Library of Heaven’s Path.

His first gesture to hug the other party had forced the other party to drive his zhenqi to knock him away, and that had allowed him to a compile a book on the other party in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

To his astonishment, the disguised Otherworldly Demon was actually an Otherworldly Demon King like the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King whom he killed at the Subterranean Gallery previously… Waterleaf King!

A powerful Saint 4-dan expert!

For a powerful King like the other party to actually be hidden amongst the human populace… If he didn’t stop the other party, it could very well end in a disaster!

Even the utter destruction of Jingyuan City was possible!

Even with Zhang Xuan’s current strength, it was unlikely that he would be able to fare well against the Waterleaf King. Relying on his Otherworldly Demon puppets was a plausible option, but even if he was able to kill the other party through such a mean, it would still stir up a huge commotion which would hinder his goal of replaceing a poison master. To be safe, he chose to lure the other party to drinking his wine instead.

Hidden within the wine was his Heaven’s Path zhenqi. With just a single thought from him, it could be instantaneously turned into lethal poison.

The Waterleaf King was indeed smart, adamantly choosing not to drink his wine. However, even a person as wary as the other party couldn’t have imagined that he would be able to poison the wine just by touching the jade bottle.

Due to the incredible purity of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, it was able to seep through the miniature pores in the jade bottle. In the moment that Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle, he discreetly infused a few surges of Heaven’s Path zhenqi into the wine. Furthermore, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi would only appear as ordinary spiritual energy when scanned through Spiritual Perception.

But of course, the main reason why he was able to get the Waterleaf King to put his guard down was because it was inconceivable!

Even the most formidable of poison masters would have to use poison powder, gu insects, or something of that sort in order to poison another. For one’s zhenqi to actually harness lethal poison… that was unthinkable!

“You… I will bring you down with me!” Seeing the other party admit to it, the Waterleaf King’s face turned red. With a furious roar, he smacked his palm against the ground to push his body up and charged right towards Zhang Xuan.

But before he could strike, Zhang Xuan uttered, “Down!”

Boom!

With a snap of the fingers, the Waterleaf King fell vertically from the sky and landed heavily on the ground. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead.

At this point, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi had already infiltrated all of the acupoints and organs of the Waterleaf King’s body. With just a thought, Zhang Xuan would be able to kill him instantaneously. In terms of lethality, not even grade-7 poison could compare to it. As powerful as the Waterleaf King was, he was also completely helpless before it.

“What kind of poison is this?” Realizing that something was amiss, the Waterleaf King widened his eyes in horror.

In order to ensure the success of his mission, he had made sure to consume many antidotes beforehand so as to render them ineffective against him. Typically speaking, ordinary poisons should be completely ineffective on him.

It was one thing for him to have not noticed when he was poisoned, but to be unable to feel the poison when it was already in his body… that was really a little frightening.

Could it be that he had already been poisoned by a 7-star poison master even before the start of his mission?

But wasn’t the most capable poison master in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall only at 6-star?

Not responding to the other party’s question, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and tapped on the other party’s body several times, sealing his cultivation.

He had already found the other party’s weaknesses through the Library of Heaven’s Path, and his Heaven’s Path zhenqi had curbed the other party’s movements. Thus, subduing the other party wasn’t particularly difficult.

After sealing the Waterleaf King’s cultivation, Zhang Xuan glanced at the other party’s mouth and abruptly closed his hand. In the next moment, a small pill flew out from the other party’s mouth, and he caught it with a wax paper.

“You…” Seeing the other party retrieving the pill from his mouth, the Waterleaf King’s face warped in astonishment.

The pill was a final resort were he to captured by an enemy so as to prevent any secrets from leaking out.

Other than the other Otherworldly Demon Kings who were carrying out similar missions as well, no one was aware of the existence of the pill… Just who was the person before him?!

It was one thing to know his name, but how could the other party be aware of such a confidential secret as well?

“You should know what to do now!” After destroying the poisonous pill in the wax paper, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the Waterleaf King.

The Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King had committed suicide through that pill after he subdued them the previous time around. Unwilling to allow history to repeat itself, he was prepared this time around.

“Speak! What is your purpose at Jingyuan City?” Zhang Xuan questioned grimly.

“You want me to betray my tribesmen? Dream on!” The Waterleaf King gritted his teeth.

“Refusing to budge? I see…” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. He placed his finger on the other party’s body and began sending a surge of zhenqi into the other party’s body.

Tzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

As soon as the zhenqi entered the Waterleaf King’s body, he immediately felt as if his entire body had been bitten by thousands and thousands of poisonous bugs, evoking an unbearable sharp pain throughout his body.

If the pain had just been limited to his body, it would still have been tolerable for him. However, that surge of zhenqi which the other party infused into his body seemed to exert an overwhelming pressure on his soul as well, threatening to rip his soul apart.

“You want me to submit to a lower lifeform like you? Impossible!” Clenching his jaws tightly to bear with the pain, the Waterleaf King roared furiously.

In the next moment, his body abruptly bloated up with an inflated balloon.

“What?” Upon seeing the other party’s state, Zhang Xuan’s face warped in shock.

He quickly hastened the infusion of zhenqi, intending to suppress whatever the other party was about to do. However, in the next second, the other party’s body abruptly began withering at a visible pace. Following which, a soul which bore the same form as the Waterleaf King flew out from the other party’s glabella.

“Is this a soul?”

Feeling the powerful aura emanating from the soul, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed in alarm. “No, it isn’t just a soul. It is… a Primordial Spirit!”

At Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm, a cultivator would have tempered his Embryonic Soul into a Primordial Spirit. Similar to the souls of soul oracles, Primordial Spirits were able to exist independently from the body. They could easily cover great distances within a short period of time, and they wielded the power to decapitate another with just a single thought.

The Waterleaf King’s physical body and cultivation had been suppressed by his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, and in a moment of panic, he decisively abandoned his physical body and charged out in the form as his Primordial Spirit.

However, a cultivator’s Primordial Spirit would still be in an unstable form before reaching Saint 5-dan. A forceful separation from the body before then could potentially cause the body to die, and it would be difficult for the unstable Primordial Spirit to survive for extended periods of time alone as well.

“Even at the expense of my life, I will drag you down to the netherworld with me…” Roaring frenziedly, the Waterleaf King charged at Zhang Xuan savagely.

Under the current circumstances, it was unlikely that he would be getting out of here alive. Since that was the case, he could very well use a companion on his trip to the netherworld!

Despite the other party’s mysterious means, he was only a Nascent Saint with a weak soul. As long as his Primordial Spirit were to charge into the other party’s body, he would be able to tear the other party’s soul into shreds easily!

Hu!

Before Zhang Xuan could react, the Waterleaf King’s Primordial Spirit had already slipped into his glabella, causing Zhang Xuan’s body to freeze altogether.

After entering Zhang Xuan’s body, the Waterleaf King was just about to devour the other party’s soul when he abruptly saw a mountain-like silhouette before his eyes.

“Hahaha, I shall devour you whole… The heck, what is this?”

The Waterleaf King’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Chapter 987: City Lord Manor

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

With a doubt, an attack from a Primordial Spirit was extremely frightening. It could easily crush or even devour a soul. No matter how powerful one’s defense was, it was extremely difficult to guard one’s soul.

This was precisely the reason why a Primordial Spirit realm expert was extremely frightening, far beyond that of an Embryonic Soul realm cultivator.

When the Waterleaf King found himself poisoned and had his cultivation sealed, he knew that there was no way he would be getting out of here alive. Thus, he used a secret art to forcefully draw his Primordial Spirit out of his physical body, intending to devour the enemy’s soul whole as his final act of valor.

But when he dived into the other party’s body and saw the soul within, he nearly died of shock.

The other party’s soul was more than ten meters tall, and it commanded an aura of inviolable authority, reminiscent of the will of the heavens. Standing before it, he felt so pressured by the presence that it felt as if his mind would break at any moment.

“How… how could this be possible? How could anyone possibly have such a huge soul?”

The Waterleaf King couldn’t help but fly into a hysteria.

An ordinary Nascent Saint cultivator would have cultivated his soul, but it would only be at the elementary level of just being able to wield the power of the heavens. To make a comparison, it should have been nothing more than an infant before his.

But… what the heck was this?

More than ten meters tall, reminiscent of a massive mountain… and more importantly, there wasn’t the slightest bit of coldness or yin energy from it. On the contrary, it even carried a radiant tinge of lightning on it. Putting aside devouring that soul, it would be a huge blessing if he could avoid being devoured by it…

Could it be that… the fellow before him wasn’t a Nascent Saint but a Saint 5-dan or even 6-dan expert?

Otherwise, how could he have such a powerful soul?

He had thought that by going all out, he would at least be able to force the other party to pay a heavy price for his actions. Yet, who could have thought that the other party’s soul was far stronger than his? There was no way he could match that monstrous thing before him!

Why must reality be so cruel…

“Flee!”

Knowing that it was impossible for him to win, the Waterleaf King turned around and ran away without any hesitation.

But before he could get away, his body suddenly froze. Following which, a massive hand wrapped around his waist, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free from it.

“Soul Search!”

Grabbing the Primordial Spirit before him, Zhang Xuan uttered coldly.

It would have been extremely difficult for him to kill a Primordial Spirit realm expert using normal means had the other party not attempted to infiltrate his body with his Primordial Spirit. However, since the other party had done so, the rest was simple.

Flowing through his body was the incredibly powerful Heaven’s Path zhenqi, and on top of that, there was a Library of Heaven’s Path sitting within him. Even Vicious was no match for it, so how well could a mere Primordial Spirit possibly fare before it?

In just an instant, the other party was already screaming in agony, as if he had been dropped in a pot of oil.

“Young master, don’t kill that fellow. Leave his Primordial Spirit to me, I have a use for it!” Just as Zhang Xuan was about to conduct a Soul Search, Vicious abruptly spoke up.

“Leave his Primordial Spirit to you?”

“Yes. Consuming the Primordial Spirit of an Otherworldly Demon King can help me recover faster…” At which, Vicious hurriedly added, “Don’t worry, young master. I will make sure to squeeze every last bit of information that you want to know from him!”

“Alright then.” Since Vicious had guaranteed it, Zhang Xuan nodded and passed the Waterleaf King’s Primordial Spirit over to him.

Leaving Vicious to be, he returned his consciousness to his physical body.

Exhaling deeply, it was only then did Zhang Xuan realize that he had broken out in cold sweat.

In truth, he was truly in a perilous situation for a moment there. Had the Waterleaf King decided to clash with him directly instead of foolishly slipping into his body in hopes to killing him faster, there was no saying who would be the ultimate victor.

While Zhang Xuan’s soul was indeed extremely large, it was still a little off from comparing up to a Primordial Spirit. After all, the difference between the two lay not just in their sizes but their level of existence.

The only reason why Zhang Xuan was able to emerge victorious was due to the overwhelming advantage he wielded in his body.

It seemed like he really had to be a little bit more careful when dealing with Primordial Spirit realm experts in the future.

Glancing at the corpse of the Waterleaf King, Zhang Xuan hooked his finger, and a storage ring flew into his grasp.

Immersing his consciousness within, he saw a huge mountain of treasures within. There must be at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones within the pile.

“Most likely, he is on some kind of mission, just like the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King, that’s why he has so many high-tier spirit stones on him…” Zhang Xuan thought as his eyes lit up.

Regardless of what the other party’s aim was, he had definitely made a killing with this sum of high-tier spirit stones.

He continued browsing through the other items in the storage ring, and there were a handful of secret manuals relating to the soul. However, just like those that the other two Kings had, their content was very bizarre and vague.

Casually flipping through those secret manuals, he found himself unable to make sense out of them. At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind.

Compile!

Compiling the soul cultivation technique manuals he had obtained from the three Otherworldly Demon Kings, a new book was formed.

He flipped open the new book and began browsing through it.

A moment later, his eyes lit up.

“To think that it works…”

He thought that due to the innate differences between humans and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, their soul cultivation techniques would be useless towards him. However, after compiling many of them together, he realized that it was still possible to form a perfect Heaven’s Path Soul Art through it.

“From the looks of it, even though the soul cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe differs from that of the humans, they are headed towards the same destination and possesses similar effects…” Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

The original version of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe’s soul cultivation techniques was extremely bizarre. Based on his deduction, it was very likely that one could go berserk from cultivating it… However, thinking about it again, it might just be another different school of soul cultivation, one that was vastly different from that of the humans.

There were many different schools to interpreting cultivation, but the ultimate destination was the same.

Compile!

Taking out the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan soul cultivation technique which Mo Hunsheng had given him back then, he compiled it together with the soul cultivation technique which he had just compiled earlier on.

A moment later, a new book appeared before his eyes.

Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up.

He had finally perfected the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Heaven’s Path Soul Art!

He had only cultivated his soul up to Transcendent Mortal 8-dan to date, and with this newly compiled Heaven’s Path Soul Art, he would be able to advance his soul cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, thus advancing his strength further.

“However, this isn’t the time for that!” Suppressing his urge to cultivate, Zhang Xuan cleared the corpse of the Waterleaf King before releasing the restraints in the surroundings and headed towards Inkcloud Quarter.

After wasting so much time, the auction was bound to have already begun.

The important matter at hand was to replace the trail of the poison masters first.

Right after stepping into the auction, before Zhang Xuan could make sense out of the situation in there, Hu Yunsheng had already rushed up to him.

“Elder, the city lord has left the auction hall just a few moment ago!”

“He left the auction hall?” Zhang Xuan was surprised.

“Yes! Before the auction for the Sepulture Flower began, he suddenly turned around and left his VIP compartment. I thought that he might have some urgent matters to attend to and would be back very soon, but my men reported that he headed right back to the City Lord Manor. It seems like he has no intentions of participating in the auction anymore, but… I can’t help but feel that something is amiss.” Hu Yunsheng frowned doubtfully.

That fellow was determined to obtain the Sepulture Flower previously, resorting to even forcing a trade with them. Yet, right before the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower, he suddenly turned around and left…

This had left Hu Yunsheng baffled.

Zhang Xuan was also rather perplexed by the situation as well.

There was something really off about this matter.

He had met the city lord for himself, and he could feel the latter’s determination in obtaining the Sepulture Flower… The latter had already come to the auction hall, and it was just moments before the auction of the Sepulture Flower. Why would he suddenly give up at this point?

“Could he be planning on snatching the Sepulture Flower?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“It doesn’t seem too likely considering that he returned back to his City Lord Manor… My guess is that there might be an abrupt situation that left him no choice but to return!” Hu Yunsheng pondered for a moment before replying.

Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of deep thought before nodding, “I understand. For the time being, you should focus on running the auction and continue keeping a lookout for the poison masters. I will see go and see what is going on with the city lord.”

The very fact that the city lord wanted the Sepulture Flower, which should have only been useful to the poison masters, had already rung some warning bells in his head. For the other party to suddenly leave so hurriedly at this moment, there was probably something even deeper to the matter. This was something that deserved looking further into.

“Alright!” Hu Yunsheng nodded. “The City Lord Manor is well-guarded, and it will be dangerous to infiltrate it… Elder, do be careful!”

He wasn’t worried about Zhang Xuan’s safety, but there would be no one to cure his poison should something happen to the latter.

“Rest assured!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

He might not be a match for a Primordial Spirit realm Otherworldly Demon, but those guards of the City Lord Manor could barely be considered a threat to him.

“Un.” Recalling that the middle-aged man before him was not only a powerful cultivator but a poison master as well, Hu Yunsheng heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.

After which, he quickly pointed out the direction of the City Lord Manor and explained its layout to the other party.

As an intelligence agency, it was no surprise for Inkcloud Quarter to have detailed information about the blueprint and security of the City Lord Manor.

Very soon, after Zhang Xuan gained a decent level of understanding regarding the City Lord Manor, he began making his way over.

The City Lord Manor stood at the very heart of Jingyuan City, just a few kilometers away from Inkcloud Quarter. Flying under the cover of the night sky, it didn’t take long for a vast manor to come into sight.

Recalling the intelligence which Hu Yunsheng had supplied him earlier, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and easily found the openings in the defensive formations and patrols.

“It seems like that fellow’s intelligence network is pretty impressive after all!” Zhang Xuan chuckled beneath his breath before making his way in.

It was only due to the extreme secrecy the Poison Hall maintained that Hu Yunsheng was unable to obtain much news regarding it. As for the other matters, Inkcloud Quarter’s intelligence network was still of great use.

With the intelligence Zhang Xuan had obtained beforehand, it didn’t take long for Zhang Xuan to bypass the defenses of the City Lord Manor and arrive in the vicinity of the main hall, where the city lord resided.

With a nimble leap, he hid himself amidst a huge tree in the courtyard and secretly peeked in.

Following which, he saw the city lord pacing around the vast main hall nervously, seemingly waiting for something.

The two guards that were with him were also standing on high alert, scanning their surroundings seriously.

“The both of you are dismissed for the time being.” The city lord waved his hand.

“Yes, my lord!”

The two guards left the main hall, and the room fell silent.

The city lord continued pacing around the room nervously, and a moment later, a unique aura suddenly permeated the room.

Following which, a silhouette abruptly appeared in the room.

“Paying respects to the great lord…”

Upon seeing the silhouette, the city lord heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly clasped his fist. It seemed like this was the person he was waiting for all this while.

“Un.” The silhouette placed his hands behind his back and nodded nonchalantly.

“Lord, the auction for the Sepulture Flower you tasked me to purchase is about to begin…” The city lord said questioningly with a tinge of doubt in his voice.

It was under the other party’s orders that he was going to purchase the Sepulture Flower, but just moments before the auctioning of the Sepulture Flower, the other party abruptly summoned him back. He couldn’t help but feel a little bewildered by the situation.

“Something has happened…” Instead of responding to the city lord’s query, the silhouette said with a deep frown.

“Something has happened?” The city lord repeated uncomprehendingly.

“Un.”

The silhouette waved his hand, and just as he was about to speak, his eyebrows suddenly shot up. Turning his gaze in the direction where Zhang Xuan was hidden, he bellowed coldly, “Who is there?”

Chapter 988: Lifebound Venomous Bug

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Boom!

Following which, a powerful might fell upon the entire courtyard, including the huge tree which Zhang Xuan was hidden in. Under the rampaging zhenqi, Zhang Xuan felt as if his body would be torn apart.

“The other party has discovered me?” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in alarm.

He had made sure to conceal his presence entirely, sealing every trace of aura within his body. Even if one were to scan his area, he would only appear to be a non-living being.

It was also out of confidence for his concealment ability that he chose to came here in his body instead of just his soul. Who could have thought that he would be discovered before he could do anything at all?

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to show himself, he suddenly heard two powerful gust of wind behind him.

Following which, two figures leaped into the courtyard.

Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like the other party wasn’t referring to him after all.

Both of the two figures were dressed in dark gray clothes. One of them had a towering physique and a snowy beard. He exuded a powerful aura which hinted at the incredible strength he harnessed.

The other had a relatively small build, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes which made one instinctively realize that he wouldn’t be an easy person to deal with.

They were both Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts. The movement technique they used was rather uncommon, or at the very least, Zhang Xuan had never seen such a movement technique before.

“It’s you two?” Upon seeing their appearances, the eyes of the silhouette, which had been talking to the city lord, a moment ago lit up.

“Indeed. And you must be the one who have been using all kinds of means to dig up news on us?” With a hostile gaze, the white-beard elder narrowed his eyes.

They had found that someone had been trying to track them down over the past few days, so they decided to launch a pre-emptive strike first. Following the trails of the culprits, they eventually found themselves at the City Lord Manor. However, they didn’t think that they would be discovered shortly after entering the manor.

“Hahaha, I have searched far and wide for you but to no avail, but who could have thought that you will end up knocking on my doorstep instead? Since you are already here, don’t even think about leaving anymore!” The silhouette sneered coldly as he spread his palm open and thrust it downward.

Hong long!

In the next moment, the air in the surroundings seemed to be have turned incredibly viscous, and an overwhelming aura crushed down on the entire manor. It seemed like a powerful formation had been activated.

“Shit, it is a trap!” In that instant, the faces of the two men turned livid.

It couldn’t be clearer to them at this moment that the other party had intentionally lured them into this manor so as to trap them with the formation.

“Hahaha, you realized it too late!”

With a cold smile, the silhouette lifted his palm and thrust it forward forcefully.

Boom!

A powerful burst of might shot forth towards the taller man, tearing a long gorge of a meter in width along its path.

Jiya, even the formation shook violently before that powerful might, ready to collapse at any moment.

“That silhouette man is a Saint 4-dan expert too?”

On the tree, Zhang Xuan’s face turned grim.

To his astonishment, the silhouette man was also a Primordial Spirit realm expert, just like the Waterleaf King.

Even in Qingyuan Conferred Empire, Primordial Spirit realm experts were individuals who stood at the peak of the pyramid. Why would so many of them suddenly appear in a remote location like Jingyuan City?

Flaws!

Seeing that the other party was in the midst of executing his battle technique, Zhang Xuan willed without any hesitation, and a book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Placing his fingers on the book, he swiftly flipped it open.

“Violetleaf King, one of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings…”

There was a short introduction at the front, followed by all kinds of flaws afterwards.

“Violetleaf King? He is one of the Ten Great Kings as well?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He didn’t think that the silhouette man would also be an Otherworldly Demon King, just like the three fellows he had dealt with previously.

He had already eliminated three of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings… If their leader were to learn about it, would the other party skin him alive?

“Elder Xu!”

While Zhang Xuan was astonished by what he was reading, the shorter of the two men hurriedly rushed forward with his palm raised, choosing to face the devastating attack in place of the taller man.

Boom!

As the two mights collided, the face of the shorter man paled, and he was sent flying in the next moment. While in the air, blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth.

The powerful life force he harnessed a moment ago vanished instantaneously as if a popped balloon. By the time he crashed heavily onto the ground, the final breath had already escaped from his body.

“He was actually killed in a single palm?” Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in astonishment.

Upon reaching Saint realm, there would be a qualitative evolution in one’s level of existence. One’s physical resilience would be enhanced significantly, allowing one to survive a greater extent of damage. The shorter man’s cultivation was at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, and yet, he was killed on the spot with just a single palm… Was this the true strength of a Primordial Spirit realm expert?

But thinking about it, that was to be expected!

At Primordial Spirit realm, one’s comprehension of the world had already reached an unfathomable level. The reason why Zhang Xuan was able to kill three of them previously was through utilizing various different means to overwhelm them. In truth, not once had he clashed with them at all.

If he were to really engage a Primordial Spirit realm expert in a direct confrontation, not even five of him combined would even be sufficient to faze the other party!

“Elder Xue!”

Seeing that his companion had been killed while trying to save him, the face of the white-bearded elder, Elder Xu, warped in fury. He turned his gaze towards the silhouette before him with killing intent raging in his eyes.

Flicking his hand, he took out a small jade bottle and opened it. A black-colored beetle with a golden hue on its mouth flew out from the bottle.

Weng weng weng!

The beetle was only around the size of a fingernail, but it flew at an incredible speed. Its fluttering wings produced a particularly unnerving sound.

Biting his finger, Elder Xu dripped a droplet of blood on the beetle.

Tzzzzz!

Upon seeing fresh blood, the beetle excitedly opened its mouth and gulped it clean within two mouthfuls. Following which, a brilliant silver glow emanated from its body, as if a certain ability of it had been activated.

“Could that be… a venomous bug?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had read quite a few books relating to poison back on the Red Lotus Mountain Range Poison Hall, and there were some records relating to poison masters nurturing venomous bugs using their own blood. Such bugs were capable to producing frightening poison whenever fed with human blood.

“To possess a venomous bug… Could it be that the both of them are poison masters?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.

His purpose for coming to Jingyuan City was to replace the Poison Hall, but to do so, he would require the guide of the poison masters. However, to conceal themselves from the Master Teacher Pavilion, the poison masters often moved in secrecy, never appearing in public view. As such, it was nigh impossible to replace them. This was also the reason why Zhang Xuan could only resort to the Sepulture Flower to lure them in.

Yet, who could have thought that he would meet them here…

“From the looks of it now, it seems like the reason why the city lord is determined to obtain the Sepulture Flower is to lure the poison masters out as well…” At this point, Zhang Xuan also came to a realization as well.

Judging from the current state of affairs, it seemed like the city lord was under the command of the Otherworldly Demon Kings, and he was acting on their behalf… But why would the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe be interested in replaceing the Poison Hall?

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Xu, and a corresponding book on the latter materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“The Grand Elder of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, 6-star pinnacle poison master…”

The other party’s identity was clearly written in the book. Just like what Zhang Xuan had guessed, the other party was indeed one of the elders of the Poison Hall.

While Zhang Xuan was still analyzing the situation, the venomous bug finally had its fill of blood. With a light silver glow on its body, it flew straight for the Violetleaf King.

“Do you really think that a mere Silverarmor Venomous Beetle will suffice against me? You sure are underestimating me…” Sneering coldly, the Violetleaf King raised his palm and struck at the beetle.

Hula!

An incredible surge of fiery zhenqi burst forth, threatening to burn the beetle down to ashes. However, the latter was simply too nimble. It dodged the Violetleaf King’s attack with ease and headed towards the aerial space right above him. With the fluttering of its wings, it scattered a pile of silver powder all around.

“Hmph!” The Violetleaf King flung his sleeves and swept the silver powder away.

At the same, he shot bursts of sword qi from his fingertips towards the beetle.

Tzzzzz!

The sword qi traversed through space at an incredible speed, but the beetle was even quicker. As it treaded around the bursts of sword qi, it continuously released a unique gas. Not too far away, the city lord inadvertently breathed in a mouthful of it. His face immediately paled, and his body began wobbling weakly before falling to the ground.

Just by breathing in a mouthful of the gas, he was already incapacitated by the poison.

“Not too bad, you do have some tricks up your sleeves!” Seeing the city lord falling to the ground, on the verge of dying at any moment, the Violetleaf King’s complexion finally turned grim.

With an abrupt twist of its body, it created a thin energy barrier around it, warding off the poisonous powder and gas from the beetle.

“That venomous bug is formidable, but it is still impossible for it to defeat the Violetleaf King!” Looking closely at the battle, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even though his current strength was far beneath the Violetleaf King, he could still determine the flow of the battle precisely with his sharp eye of discernment.

The venomous bug which Elder Xu had released was indeed formidable, unmatched by cultivators of the same cultivation as him. However, it was still a little too weak to poison a Saint 4-dan expert to death.

Putting everything aside, just the fact that the Violetleaf King hadn’t even used the prowess of his Primordial Spirit once ever since the very start of the battle clearly displayed the difference in the differing positions of both sides.

Primordial Spirits were capable of conducting attacks on one’s soul directly, and it was the strongest offensive mean of Saint 4-dan experts. On top of that, despite the potency of the beetle’s poison, it was unable to breach the latter’s defenses. With this, the victor of the battle was already clear.

As expected, after seeing through the moves of the beetle, the Violetleaf King decided to end the battle there and then. With a light chuckle, a powerful force burst forth from his glabella, “Kneel down!”

Boom!

The voice was deafening, reminiscent of thunder. Upon hearing the voice, the flying beetle suddenly began wobbling unstably, as if intoxicated.

Pu!

Not too far away, Elder Xu also spurted a mouthful of blood, as if he had been struck by the soul attack as well.

“Could it be… a Lifebound Venomous Bug?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

A Lifebound Venomous Bug could be considered as the clone of a poison master. By feeding a bug with one’s blood essence frequently, one could infuse a portion of his soul into the bug’s soul, thus further enhancing the strength of the bug and one’s control over it. However, should one’s Lifebound Venomous Bug die, one would incur severe damage or even die on the spot.

“I see, no wonder your beetle is so formidable. So it is a Lifebound Venomous Bug…” Naturally, the Violetleaf King also realized the same. With a light chuckle, he swiftly grabbed it with his hand.

Ji ji ji ji ji!

The beetle’s movement was already hindered from the soul attack it suffered earlier, so it was unable to dodge from the Violetleaf King’s hand at all. Trapped, it struggled desperately, but it was unable to escape at all.

“If you were a little stronger, this thing might still be able to threaten me. But in your current state, dream on!” The Violetleaf King flicked his finger lightly at the beetle, and under the impact, Elder Xu staggered weakly, and his face paled further.

Poison masters may be formidable, and the poison they concocted were extremely difficult to guard against, but ultimately, Elder Xu was only a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. It was too difficult a feat for him to kill a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon King.

“Bring me to the Poison Hall, and I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what will happen to you!”

Grabbing the beetle tightly in his hands, the Violetleaf King looked at Elder Xu coldly, the killing intent in his eyes unconcealed.

“This is a good opportunity for me…” Seeing that the Violetleaf King would make a move any time soon, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

If he could save Elder Xu, he could very well earn the latter’s trust. If so, there would be a good chance he would be able to convince the latter to bring him to the Poison Hall.

This was far more reliable than capturing a poison master and interrogating him.

Just that… how could he save the other party from the hands of a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon King?

A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuan’s forehead.

Chapter 989: Poison Match

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

His current cultivation was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle. Even though he could subdue even Saint 2-dan cultivators easily due to the various means he possessed, he was still too weak from matching up to a Primordial Spirit realm opponent.

If he were to intervene without a feasible plan, there was a very good chance he could be killed.

At the moment, the best weapon he had against a Primordial Spirit realm opponent was his Heaven’s Path zhenqi. If he could sneak his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into the other party’s body and poison him, there was a good chance that he could emerge victorious in the confrontation.

However, considering the alert state the Violetleaf King was in at the moment, it didn’t seem like there was any good way to do so.

“However, my goal is to save Elder Xu, not to kill the Violetleaf King. This will be significantly easier. As long as I can replace a way to win the Violetleaf King’s trust, I should be able to replace an opportunity to approach Elder Xu and take him to safety…” Zhang Xuan thought.

The true difficulty in this mission lay in winning Elder Xu’s trust…

In truth, he could have easily stalled the Violetleaf King by sending his Otherworldly Demon puppets at the latter, thus earning him time to save Elder Xu. However, that would effectively dash his hopes of having Elder Xu bring him to the Poison Hall!

Besides, the reason why he was able to defeat the three Otherworldly Demon Kings was because he had managed to catch them off guard. On the other hand, considering the coincidental timing which the city lord had returned, there seemed to be a very good chance that the Violetleaf King had somehow learned of the Waterleaf King’s death. If so, the Violetleaf King would surely be on his guard, making it hard for him to deal with the other party.

“Wait a moment. Perhaps, I can try working on him from the Waterleaf King’s side…” A thought suddenly flashed across Zhang Xuan’s mind.

The Waterleaf King and the Violetleaf King were both members of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, and it was definitely no coincidence for the both of them to appear at Jingyuan City simultaneously. It was very likely that they were here for the same purpose.

In other words, both of them were tasked with the mission of replaceing the Poison Hall. This would also explain why the Waterleaf King had headed to the auction hall to obtain the Sepulture Flower before being killed by him.

“Alright, I should just give it a try then!”

Glancing at the situation beneath, Elder Xu was in a perilous situation; he could very well lose his life any moment now. Zhang Xuan knew that there was no time for him to think the matter through, and he had to act swiftly. Thus, he nimbly leaped back down to the ground.

There was a formation around the courtyard which prevented one from entering and leaving. However, with Zhang Xuan’s deep understanding of formations, he was capable of treading in and out of the formation without alerting anyone.

Very soon, he managed to sneak out of the formation. He swiftly warped his bones and muscles, transforming his appearance into that of one of the two guards that were by the Waterleaf King’s side back then.

After that was done, he clasped his fist and reported loudly, “City lord, bad news! The elder whom you have instructed us to protect has been killed! The culprit is a 7-star master teacher, and he is currently making his way here…”

“The person who killed the Waterleaf King is a 7-star master teacher?”

As those words were spoken, the formation surrounding the courtyard vanished, and a figure appeared before Zhang Xuan’s face.

The figure was the Violetleaf King.

He was still firmly holding onto the beetle in his hand, keeping Elder Xu in check. On the other hand, Elder Xu was lying feebly on the ground, severely wounded.

Zhang Xuan was visibly surprised by the sudden appearance of the man before him before hurriedly nodding, “Yes, elder!”

“What happened? Explain everything in detail to me!” the Violetleaf King ordered grimly.

As comrades working on the same mission, he had a jade token which indicated the present condition of the Waterleaf King. Just a moment ago, the jade token shattered, which meant that something must have happened to the Waterleaf King. As such, he hurriedly returned back to the City Lord Manor and summoned the city lord back to have the other party look into the matter.

Upon meeting the guard who had escorted the Waterleaf King to the auction, he couldn’t help but question him anxiously.

“Earlier, when the elder was going to enter the auction hall, someone claiming to be his old friend stopped him and offered him a cup of wine. After chatting for a while, the elder proposed for the both of them to head to a tavern to have a drink together, and he ordered us not to follow him. As such, I am not too sure what happened afterwards. However, when I finally saw the elder once more, he was already dead. According to the accounts from eye-witnesses, it was the doing of a 7-star master teacher…”

Zhang Xuan had mixed the truth with falsehood, making it nigh impossible for the other party to ascertain the authenticity of his words in the short-term.

And what Zhang Xuan was banking on was this short-term.

As long as he could convince the other party of his identity, he would be able to slip into the manor and escape with Elder Xu.

“7-star master teacher?” Finding no apparent flaws in the other party’s words, the Violetleaf King frowned.

How could any 7-star master teacher appear in a city as remote as Jingyuan City?

And why would the other party make a move against the Waterleaf King too?

He was confident that there was no one who would be able to see through their disguise, not even 7-star master teachers.

However… if the culprit wasn’t a 7-star master teacher, considering the Waterleaf King’s strength, there was indeed no one in Jingyuan City who would be able to kill him.

“I have no idea too!” Zhang Xuan said. “I only saw the elder’s corpse when I arrived, so I brought it over…” After saying those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the withered corpse of the Waterleaf King appeared on the ground.

“This is… Ignition of Primordial Spirit? He attempted to forcefully withdraw his Primordial Spirit?” the Violetleaf King narrowed his eyes in alarm.

As a fellow Otherworldly Demon King, he could tell that the Waterleaf King had died due from using their secret art to withdraw one’s Primordial Spirit forcefully. Once it was used, one would die without fail… Just how powerful an enemy did he encounter that he would have to resort to this?

Could he have really met a 7-star master teacher?

If that was the case, they would really be in deep trouble!

It would be difficult for even him to escape from a master teacher of that caliber.

“This won’t do. I have to get the location of the Poison Hall out from that fellow right now!” Alarmed, the Violetleaf King dared not to waste any time. He hurriedly turned his gaze back to Elder Xu, but what he saw left a deep frown on his forehead, “What are you doing?”

The guard, who had just reported the matter regarding the Waterleaf King to him earlier, had walked up to Elder Xu at some point in time, seemingly trying to help the latter up.

“Nothing much. I just think that his wounds are a little severe, so I wondered if he needed any help…” Zhang Xuan replied with an awkward smile.

“You are not needed here, back down!” Seeing how a guard dared to overstep his place, the Violetleaf King’s face darkened.

“Yes!” Nodding, Zhang Xuan took two steps backward while pulling Elder Xu’s body with him before abruptly stomping on the ground. All of a sudden, the paused formation whirred into life once more, bringing the thick layer of mist back around the courtyard.

“What?” Alarmed, the Violetleaf King immediately rushed forward.

However, he soon found himself lost within the formation which he could traverse through easily a few moments ago, as if someone had altered its structure. At this rate, that two fellows would escape before he was able to replace them.

In this instant, he realized that he had been tricked. The guard had used the Waterleaf King’s corpse to distract him.

“Damn it!” With a savage look on his face, killing intent began spilling forth from the Violetleaf King’s body. In the blink of an eye, he reverted back to his Otherworldly Demon form. He thrust his palm forward and struck the formation.

He was intending to break the formation down using brute force.

With his prowess as a Saint 4-dan expert, destroying the formation of a grade-6 pinnacle formation posed no difficulty at all.

…

Zhang Xuan took a glance at the overburdened formation around him before quickly turning to the debilitated elder before him and asked, “Elder Xu, are you fine?”

“Who are you?” Elder Xu asked doubtfully.

“I am a poison master, but this isn’t a good time for us to talk about that. We have to escape right now, or else we might very well die here!”

While speaking, the formation shook violently once more, seemingly on the verge of collapsing.

“Poison master?” Elder Xu frowned. However, after a brief moment of hesitation, he eventually nodded and said, “Indeed, this isn’t the place for us to talk. We can discuss about the matter once we get out!”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “I have been in the City Lord Manor for some time now, so I am rather familiar with its layout and formations. Elder Xu, follow me!”

After saying those words, he quickly rushed off in a certain direction.

On the other hand, Elder Xu took out a pill and swallowed it. His ghastly pale complexion finally regained a slight red tinge to it. After which, he got to his feet and quickly followed the other party’s footsteps.

He did harbor some doubts towards the other party’s identity as a poison master, but given the circumstances they were in, he had little choice but to follow him. The other party was his only hope out at the moment.

Following behind the other party, they swiftly made their way out of the courtyard before skillfully maneuvering around the City Lord Manor.

While making their way out, Elder Xu realized that not only did the other party have a deep understanding of the layout of the City Lord Manor, he had a frightening grasp of the formations in the area as well. With just a light tap or kick, he could easily activate the many unactivated formations throughout the manor, stalling the tightly-pursuing Violetleaf King.

Not too long later, they managed to make their way out of the City Lord Manor. They swiftly flew away while keeping their bodies close to the surface. This would make it harder for the Violetleaf King to replace them, thus buying them even more time to get to safety.

After flying for around twenty breaths, they finally stopped before a vast building.

“This is… Inkcloud Quarter?” Elder Xu was taken aback.

He had long heard of the famous Inkcloud Quarter of Jingyuan City, and he had even been here quite a few times himself. They were still being pursued by their enemies, so why would the other party bring him here all of the sudden?

“Our enemies control the City Lord Manor. If we were to escape right now, regardless of where we escape, it won’t take long for their men to replace and capture us, especially considering the state of injury you are in. Thus, it will be better for us to replace a place to hide and recuperate at first!” Noticing the doubts in Elder Xu’s eyes, Zhang Xuan explained.

“You’re right.” Elder Xu nodded in agreement.

The other party was right. Jingyuan City was located amidst a snowy plain, so there was no cover they could make use of beyond the city. If they were to attempt to escape now, it was very likely that they would be spotted by the men of the City Lord Manor. If so, there was a good chance they might replace themselves cornered.

On top of possessing a deep understanding of formations, the other party was a particularly intelligent person as well.

With such thoughts in mind, he followed the other party into Inkcloud Quarter. Turning at several bends, he soon found himself standing before a chamber.

The chamber was embedded with a formation that could isolate all auras within.

“This should help us hide from them for a while.” Zhang Xuan said as he stepped into the chamber.

This was the same place where he taught Hu Yunsheng a lesson previously. Considering the elaborate security measures implemented on the chamber, it was the most apt for the current situation they were in.

“Un.” Elder Xu nodded as he entered the chamber. Instead of going straight into recuperating from his injuries, he turned his gaze towards Zhang Xuan instead, and with a sharp glint in his eyes, he asked, “You said that you are a poison master. Do you have an emblem to ascertain your identity?”

Honestly speaking, it was a little hard for him to believe that the Nascent Saint cultivator before him had managed to save him from the clutches of a Saint 4-dan expert so easily.

There was a chance that the both of them were in cahoots with one another, and they were intentionally putting up this show to convince him to bring them to the Poison Hall.

“I don’t have an emblem.” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I have been studying poison by myself so far, so I haven’t taken any poison master examination yet…”

“You haven’t taken any poison master examination yet?” Elder Xu’s face darkened. “Do you think that it is possible to study poison by oneself? You might be able to fool amateurs with those words, but do you honestly expect me to believe the words you are speaking?”

To become a master in the Way of Poison, one would have to examine and study the properties of all kinds of poison. The slightest bit of mistake could lead to death, and even under the guidance of a teacher, it wasn’t uncommon for poison masters to accidentally poison themselves to death. Yet, the fellow before him was saying that he had been studying poison by himself? He must be joking!

“I knew that you wouldn’t believe it…” Seeing the other party’s expression, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly and said, “Honestly speaking, there is no way I can really explain it to you… Since that’s the case, why don’t you have a poison match with me? If you were to win, it goes without saying that I will die in your hands. On the other hand, if I win, I hope that you can bring me to the Poison Hall so that I can officially take the poison master examination!”

“You wish to have a poison match with me?” Elder Xu looked at the young man before him with narrowed eyes.

In truth, the possession of an emblem wasn’t a clear indicator of one’s identity either. After all, the enemy could always kill a poison master and steal his emblem over.

The only reliable method to identify a poison master was through his usage of poison!

If the other party was really capable of wielding poison as a weapon, he had to be a real poison master. There was no way to fake that.

“Alright then!”

Elder Xu nodded.

StarveCleric StarveCleric Sorry for the late chapter. I was busy the whole morning, and I only found time to complete it just a moment ago. Anyway, I will be working on the second chapter now so the night chapter will be on time.

Chapter 990: Tastes Not Bad

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“How should we conduct the match? You can determine the rules!” Hearing the other party agree to it, Zhang Xuan said.

Considering the other party’s temperament, it was very likely that the other party wouldn’t spill the location of the Poison Hall under threat, even if he were to have him killed. Besides, there was no way he could guarantee that the other party wouldn’t give him a fake location to do him in.

Furthermore, it was likely that he would require the Poison Hall’s help for Wei Ruyan’s condition. It was best for him not to get on bad terms with them.

As such, the best way to go around doing so was to convince the other party that he was a poison master and have the other party bring him there personally.

“Very well. In my current conditions, I am unable to concoct poison, but I do have a few poisons in my possession. I will allow you to pick from any of them, and if you are able to neutralize the poison contained in it, I will acknowledge that you are a poison master!” Elder Xu contemplated for a moment before flicking his wrist, and eight different ceramic jars appeared before him.”

There were no labels on any of the jars, and each of them was thoroughly sealed. It was impossible to tell what was stored within from the outside.

Nevertheless, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to clearly sense the tremendous toxicity contained within each of the ceramic jars. It felt as if opening the seal on any of them could bring great bloodshed upon an area.

Just like medicinal herbs, it was possible for potent poison to gain spirit. Once it was released, it could result in a devastating calamity if there was no antidote to curb it.

This was precisely the reason why poison masters were feared by all other occupations.

“These are… grade-6 pinnacle poisons!” Zhang Xuan remarked.

The poisons contained within the ceramic jars were very potent, only paling slightly in comparison to the beetle from before.

“Indeed, these are all grade-6 pinnacle poisons. You can freely choose from any of them. As long as you are able to concoct an antidote to one within two hours, I will acknowledge that you are a poison master!” Elder Xu said.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Without any hesitation, he picked up the first ceramic jar, opened it, and lowered his head to examine what was within.

On the other hand, upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s movements, Elder Xu’s face darkened.

Poison masters had a unique series of steps in order to assess a poison so as to avoid being poisoned themselves, especially when they were unsure about the nature of the poison. Yet, the fellow before him was clearly ignorant of it. To be smelling the content of the jars as if he was savoring good wine…

Was he really that courageous, or did he have no knowledge of poison at all?

Even a 3-star poison master would know better than to do something so reckless!

Just as Elder Xu thought that the other party would be incapacitated by the poison gas emanating from the ceramic jars, he saw the other party pour out a pile of poison from one of the jars onto his hand and dabbed it with his finger.

“…” Huge veins bulged out on Elder Xu’s temples.

The other party was seeking death! Most grade-6 pinnacle poisons were capable of seeping through one’s skin. If the poison were to seep into one’s meridians and reach the organs, even a Saint 2-dan expert could potentially face fatality, let alone a Nascent Saint cultivator!

Where in the world would one replace another poison master assessing poisons in such a manner?

If this was really how poison masters assessed poison, just how many of them would die each time the Poison Hall wanted to examine a new concoction or medicinal herb? Come a few rounds of that, and poison masters would have gone extinct themselves even without the master teachers making a move.

Shaking his head, Elder Xu was wondering whether he should intervene and save the young man before him when the other party suddenly took out a white cloth and placed it neatly before his chest. After which, the other party adjusted his posture upright, reminiscent of a dignified gentleman preparing himself for his meal. Following that, he took out a spoon and scooped the poison powder on his palm before gracefully lifting it up to his mouth.

Upon seeing this sight, Elder Xu nearly keeled over.

He thought that it was already foolish for one to come into contact with poison bare-handed, but… consuming it directly?

Are you tired of living?

More importantly… that white cloth before your chest, the upright posture, and that spoon… What the heck are you doing?

You are here to create an antidote to my poison, not to dine on it…

Elder Xu couldn’t help but feel his hair stand on end. He immediately flicked his wrist to take out the antidote so as to treat the other party, but before he could make a move, he saw the other party smack his lips before looking at him in discontentment, “Elder Xu, the poison you concoct is appalling. Its texture is disgusting, and the taste is truly horrendous. There is no one in the world who will be willing to try it a second time! Fail!”

Hearing those words, Elder Xu nearly collapsed to the ground.

Brother, that’s a poison over there, not food. You are supposed to die right after eating it… who in the world will be able to give it a second try?

Fail… Fail your head!

Those who have eaten the poison will be too caught up in the fear of imminent death, who would still have the energy to bother about the taste?

Just as he was thinking whether the world had gone mad, the other party moved on to open the second ceramic jar, scooped out a spoonful of the poison within, and placed it in his mouth. “The taste is still acceptable, but if you can stir-fry it for a little longer, the texture will be even better.”

After which, the other party moved on to the third jar. “This is a little too sweet. Did you add honey in there? Hai, I happen to really dislike honey. You should consider adding Chinese liquorice in place of honey the next time you concoct it!”

“This one will be better if you dissolve it in water. However, it will still be a little viscous and gooey, so you will have to pay more attention to its presentation to make it more appetizing. As for the taste, if you were to pair it with some barbecued meat and fine wine, I still might try eating one bowl. Anything more, and it might be a little too heavy. Personally, I don’t really like to eat such gooey food…”

…

After tasting each poison, Zhang Xuan would appraise it earnestly.

“…” Elder Xu tugged at his hair in a frenzy.

The grade-6 pinnacle poisons which he concocted were capable of killing even Saint 1-dan pinnacle experts easily, so how could the other party be eating them so leisurely, as if they were delicacies?

Could his poisons have lost their effectiveness due to being stored for too long?

“But that shouldn’t be possible!”

Perplexed, Elder Xu picked up a jar which the other party had eaten from previously, dabbed his finger in it, and placed it into his mouth.

Pu!

As soon as the poison seeped into his throat, he immediately spurted a mouthful of blood, and his body began trembling uncontrollably. A sharp pain tore through his entire body, and he felt as if all of his meridians had burst simultaneously.

Astonished, he swiftly took out the antidote and swallowed it. It took a moment before the unbearable pain finally receded. With a twitching face, he turned his gaze towards the young man, who was still in the midst of tasting his poisons not too far away, with a look of daze.

Very soon, the other party was done testing all eight jars of poisons. However, he still had a look of reverie on his face, as if he hadn’t gotten enough of it yet.

“How is it?” Unable to bear it any longer, Elder Xu asked.

The other party nodded earnestly and replied, “As expected of grade-6 pinnacle poisons, their flavors are indeed not bad. Right, for the last two poison, if you could make them a little crispier, the overall culinary experience for the diner could be elevated.”

“…” Elder Xu’s body stiffened.

He had spent a lifetime of effort and devotion to concocting these poisons, and he thought that he had become an unrivaled force in Tier-1 Empires with them. Yet, who could have thought that they would end up being savored by a Nascent Saint cultivator as if they were desserts… not to mention, he was even criticized for the lacking taste…

The heck, these are really all lethal poisons that can kill any men easily!

I really am a poison master, a very formidable poison master! I am not a confectioner…

Ignoring the other party’s sudden insanity streak, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

In truth, he wasn’t doing all of those actions intentionally. Due to his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, those poisons were completely ineffective against him. It took a taste for him to realize that there were many flaws with them that should be corrected.

For one, since the poison was meant to be consumed, its flavor should at least be good so as to lessen the pain of the victim before his death.

“Cough cough. A-are you really fine? You ate so many poisons…” A while later, seeing how the fellow before him was still relishing in the taste of his poisons, not showing the slightest sign of being poisoned, Elder Xu asked with twitching lips.

“I am fine!” Zhang Xuan finally recovered from his trance. “How is it? Is this sufficient to confirm that I am a poison master?”

“Of course! If this isn’t sufficient to confirm that you are a poison master, nothing else can!” Elder Xu shook his head with a bitter smile on his lips.

When he first heard that the other party had learned poison by himself, he thought that the other party was spouting nonsense. However, after seeing the other party devouring his poisons as if they were mere snacks, he immediately realized that he was mistaken.

Possessing a physique that was immune to poison, the other party could test any poison out on himself without any fear. Given so, it was indeed possible for him to have learned poison on his own.

“I’m relieved. Alright, you should hurry up and heal your wounds first. I’m afraid that we won’t be able to hide from those fellows for too long here…” Seeing that the other party had finally acknowledged him, Zhang Xuan nodded and said.

While this chamber was capable of isolating aura, it wouldn’t keep the Violetleaf King away from them forever. It was just a matter of time before he came knocking.

They had to swiftly flee from Jingyuan City and head to the Poison Hall.

“Un.” Understanding that logic, Elder Xu nodded before taking out a couple of medicinal herbs from his storage ring and concocting it into a medicinal fluid. After he was done, he swallowed it.

His means of dealing with his wounds differed significantly from those of physicians and apothecaries. The latter aimed to nourish the deficiencies in one’s bodies whereas the former utilized poison to stimulate one’s body, forcing one’s zhenqi to circulate faster and hasten the recovery.

Two different methods with the same aims.

It was impossible to say which was more effective than the other, but medicine strengthened one’s core, allowing one to reach a greater height in the future. On the other hand, while poison might stimulate one’s body potential in the short-term, but it could very well hurt one’s foundations, limiting one’s future achievements.

Seeing that Elder Xu needed some time to recuperate, Zhang Xuan silently left the chamber before reverting back to his form as ‘Sun Qiang’ to look for Hu Yunsheng.

“Elder, just a moment ago, the city lord has let out news that anyone who dares to compete for the Sepulture Flower will be considered as an enemy of the City Lord Manor. As a result, no one dared to bid for it during the auction. Shall I conduct another round of publicity and hold the auction a few days later?” Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Hu Yunsheng immediately reported with an awkward look.

Due to the news released by the city lord, most of the interested buyers dared not make a move for fear of making an enemy out of the City Lord Manor. As a result, despite all of the other goods being successfully auctioned off, the Sepulture Flower remained untouched by any…

“There’s no need for that.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Since he had already found a poison master, there was no need for him to auction the Sepulture Flower anymore.

“Yes!” Hu Yunsheng nodded before passing the jade box containing the Sepulture Flower over to Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan took the jade box, and just as he was about to speak, a huge group of people suddenly walked over to them. The person leading the group was the person whom Zhang Xuan had just fled from at the City Lord Manor, the Violetleaf King.

At this moment, the Violetleaf King had already reverted back to his human form. Without using the Eye of Insight, it was nigh impossible to see through his disguise.

“Boss Hu, this is an esteemed guest of the City Lord Manor, Elder Violetleaf. Something very important to him has been stolen just a moment ago, and we suspect that the thief is hiding in Inkcloud Quarter. Thus, we hope to conduct a search here. I hope that you can cooperate with our investigation!” A guard walked over and clasped his fist.

“You wish to conduct a search in my Inkcloud Quarter?” Hu Yunsheng’s face darkened as a deep frown appeared on his forehead.

In his view, the other party was simply making up a story to forcefully snatch the Sepulture Flower from them after failing to obtain it in the auction.

“Indeed. I hope that you won’t hinder our investigation efforts, or else we will have no choice but suspect that Inkcloud Quarter is colluding with the thief!” the guard spoke with a threatening edge in his voice.

Hearing those words, Hu Yunsheng felt so angry that his entire face turned crimson with rage. The guard was blatantly threatening him to his face!

Yet, there was nothing he could do about the situation, so Hu Yunsheng fell silent, not knowing how he should respond. At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

“Something very important has been stolen? Indeed, it is understandable why one would be anxious after losing something important to him. May we know what the item is? Perhaps, we might be able to offer some help to you!”

Turning around, Hu Yunsheng saw Elder Sun Qiang speaking with an earnest smile on his lips.

Chapter 991: The Crazed Violetleaf King

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

His sincerity seemed to have come from the depths of his heart. It carried a natural charm that compelled the trust of others, leaving others unable to doubt him.

“The item is not important. What is more important is the two thieves who stole from the City Lord Manor. If they aren’t captured, what will become of the authority and dignity of Jingyuan City?” Seemingly infected by the ‘earnesty’ of the other party, the guard replied.

“Indeed! One who dares to steal from the City Lord Manor must be severely punished for his actions!” Zhang Xuan exclaimed vehemently in agreement. “However, I feel that it won’t do for you to continue searching in such an open manner. If the other party is truly hidden here, he would have realized that you are in the vicinity and quickly make his escape. Why don’t you allow Boss Hu to activate the formations in the surroundings first so that the enemy has nowhere to escape? This way, we will have all the time to search for the two thieves!”

“This…” The guard dared not make a decision, so he turned his gaze towards the Violetleaf King to seek his approval.

“Un.” After a moment of hesitation, the Violetleaf King nodded in approval. “Those two fellows have a deep understanding of formations, so it will be best if you can activate the strongest formation of your Inkcloud Quarter. Otherwise, the both of them will still be able to get away easily!”

That fellow who saved Elder Xu was able to alter and activate the formation in the courtyard within moments after coming into contact with it. This was a feat which even he was incapable of accomplishing. From this in itself, it could be seen that the other party had a deep understanding of the Way of Formations. As such, it was unlikely that ordinary formations would be able to stop him.

“He’s so formidable? I see… It is fortunate that I have a powerful formation plate in my possession. I will activate it right now!” With a smile, Zhang Xuan said.

“A formation plate?” The Violetleaf King frowned.

“Yes, I obtained it while I was on an expedition a while ago. It’s a grade-7 formation, so I don’t really have much of a chance to use it usually. Since the two scoundrels you speak of are so formidable, I feel that it will be safer to use it!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Grade-7?” The Violetleaf King’s eyes lit up.

It would be difficult for even an expert of his tier to escape from a formation plate of that grade. Who could have thought that the lowly Inkcloud Quarter would actually have such a treasure amongst them? It was no wonder they had so many treasures to auction!

It really shouldn’t be underestimated just because it was located in a remote city.

“That’s right.” Zhang Xuan nodded as he flicked his wrist.

A formation plate appeared in his palm. Infusing zhenqi into it, a loud buzz sounded in the air as dense mist swiftly filled the surroundings.

“Incredible!” The Violetleaf King nodded in approval.

It was a simple Beguilement Formation, but it was extremely stable. Even if he were to exert his full strength, it would take at least ten minutes or so for him to break free. If it was used against a Saint 2-dan or 3-dan cultivator, there was no way the other party would be able to escape from it.

After I capture those two fellows later on, I should grab this formation plate as well…

A cold glint flashed across the Violetleaf King’s eyes.

As an Otherworldly Demon, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for the humans. Once those two fellows were found, there would be no need for him to put up an appearance before the other party anymore. Naturally, the first thing he should do then was to get that formation plate from the other party.

If he had such a formation plate back in the City Lord Manor, those two fellows wouldn’t have been able to escape in the first place.

“This formation is not too bad. Alright, bring our men to search for them!” The Violetleaf King waved his hand and said.

Under the effects of the formation, if those two escapees were really at Inkcloud Quarter, there was no way they would be able to escape. However… considering the thickness of the mist, there was no way their men would be able to maneuver around the formation easily. They would require a guide to bring them around.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded before instructing, “Hu Yunsheng, bring our friends from the City Lord Manor to take a look around. Right, bring some fine wine over as well. I will be sitting here with Elder Violetleaf here, awaiting the results of the search!”

“Yes!” Even though Hu Yunsheng had no idea why Elder Sun Qiang was obeying the orders of the City Lord Manor, he could tell that the other party had an idea in mind. Thus, he nodded his head before leading the guards away.

Where they advanced, the mist would automatically part, as if someone was leading them around.

“It will suffice to replace the two thieves as soon as possible. There is no need to prepare wine or that sort!” The Violetleaf King waved his hand impatiently.

“That won’t do! You are a person whom even our city lord has to address as elder, it is only right for us to offer a grand welcome to someone as esteemed as you…” Zhang Xuan smiled courteously.

As the person controlling the formation plate, he could easily manipulate where the guards were heading to with his thoughts, so he need not fear them replaceing Elder Xu.

Not too long later, Zhu Xiao carried a tray of alcohol and side dishes in.

“Elder, please!” Zhang Xuan poured a cup of wine out politely and offered it to the Violetleaf King earnestly.

“Un.”

The Violetleaf King was initially reluctant to drink, but facing the other party’s clear eyes and earnest gesture, he eventually nodded in agreement and took the cup.

Even so, he still extended his Spiritual Perception to the wine to check on it.

A moment later, he heaved a sigh of relief. A hint of embarrassment surfaced in his eyes.

After checking on the content of the wine, he realized that there was no problem with it. The other party was earnestly offering him a cup of wine, but he actually ended up viewing the kind gesture with skepticism…

Raising his gaze, he saw that the middle-aged man opposite to him had already gulped down the cup of fine wine before him.

“Is the wine not to your liking? Men, bring us another bottle of…” Seeing that the other party wasn’t drinking, Zhang Xuan asked worriedly.

“There is no need for that!” The Violetleaf King raised his hand to stop the other party before gulping down the cup of wine heartily.

In his view, it was a mere cup of wine, so there was no harm drinking it. Putting aside the fact that he had already ascertained that there was no poison contained within the wine, even if it had been spiked, with his powerful cultivation, he would surely be able to suppress it easily.

“Good!”

Seeing the Violetleaf King gulp down the wine, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. “You are indeed straightforward, Violetleaf King, unlike that… what is his name called again? Yes, Waterleaf King! I had to speak until the point that my lips were about to crack before he was willing to take a single sip. He sure was a difficult person to deal with!”

“Waterleaf King?” Hearing those words right after putting his wine cup down, the Violetleaf King’s eyes narrowed in astonishment. His face immediately turned grim, “Who are you?”

Previously, the guards had only addressed him as Elder Violetleaf and not Violetleaf King.

And more importantly… the other party actually spoke about the Waterleaf King!

It wasn’t too long ago that his companion had been killed, and thinking back, it seemed like the guard that saved Elder Xu from before had said that his companion was offered a cup of wine as well… Could there be some kind of link between the two?

“Sit down, sit down. There’s no need to get too anxious over here. Worse come to worse, you will only be killed like the Waterleaf King. There is no need to make a huge fuss over something as small as this.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchalantly as he continued pouring two more cups of wine for the both of them.

“You… Are you the one who killed the Waterleaf King? You are that 7-star master teacher?” Upon coming to that realization, the eyes of the Violetleaf King narrowed, and all of a sudden, he realized that his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

If the other party was capable of killing the Waterleaf King, it went without saying that the other party had the ability to kill him as well. How could he have been so negligent as to allow such a powerful expert to get into proximity to him without him noticing?

“7-star master teacher? You still can’t tell at this point? I was the one who saved Elder Xu!” With a look of displeasure, Zhang Xuan began warping his muscles and bones, reverting back to the form of the guard from before.

“Y-you… I will kill you!”

Overwhelmed by fury and craze, the Violetleaf King roared furiously. He abruptly got to his feet and struck his palm at a downward trajectory towards Zhang Xuan, intending to smash the other party into the ground.

To think that they, members of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, would end up being toyed by a human like that. The Violetleaf King felt so angry that he could explode.

“Hai, youngsters nowadays sure don’t know how to rein in their temper…” Seeing that the other party had made a move against him, Zhang Xuan shook his head sighed.

In the next moment, the Violetleaf King’s face abruptly paled, and his body began trembling non-stop. Zhang Xuan didn’t even move a single finger throughout the entire duration, but the other party’s knee had already caved in, leaving him kneeling on the floor as huge mouthfuls of blood spurted from his mouth.

Contained within the cup of fine wine was his Heaven’s Path zhenqi. After infiltrating into the Violetleaf King’s body, Zhang Xuan could turn it into lethal poison at his whim.

“You poisoned me…” Upon coming to a realization, the Violetleaf King’s body trembled non-stop with fear reflected in his eyes.

“Of course. If I don’t poison you, do you think that a Nascent Saint like me will be able to defeat you?”

Huala!

While speaking, he filled the two wine cups to the brim without spilling a droplet.

“Nascent Saint? You are… a Nascent Saint?” The Violetleaf King could hardly believe his ears.

He could still resign himself to his defeat had the enemy been a 7-star master teacher, but a Nascent Saint cultivator actually managed to poison him? How could this be?

“Are you really unable to see through my cultivation?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Nascent Saint… Then how can you possibly kill the Waterleaf King? I don’t believe you!” The Violetleaf King shook his head vehemently and roared furiously.

Even if the Waterleaf King had been poisoned, he was still a Saint 4-dan expert. Considering that the Waterleaf King had gone to the extent of using their secret art to forcefully draw his Primordial Spirit from his body, it shouldn’t have been difficult for him to kill the Nascent Saint fellow before his eyes. Even if that wasn’t the case, the Waterleaf King should have been able to flee and alert him of the matter. How could he have been killed without letting out the slightest bit of news?

“There is no need to get anxious here. The Waterleaf King isn’t the only one. I have also killed the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King as well, so this is really nothing to make a fuss over. Don’t worry, I will have you reunite with the rest of them very soon!” Lifting up a cup of wine, Zhang Xuan sipped on it before saying nonchalantly.

“You… Pu!” The Violetleaf King’s body staggered weakly.

It was for certain that the Waterleaf King had been killed; he had seen the corpse personally. Yet, for the Goldenleaf King and Greenleaf King to be dead as well… the Violetleaf King nearly lost his sanity.

Which of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings weren’t famous figures who had made a name for themselves? Putting aside a small Tier-1 Empire like Hongyuan, not even Qingyuan Conferred Empire would dare to underestimate them.

Massacring an entire city might still be beyond him at the moment, but he could definitely cause devastating damage, and there would be no humans that could stop them.

To think that after the heavy price the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe spent to send the four of them over, three of them had ended up dying without accomplishing anything at all… Could this really be true?

The Violetleaf King’s eyes flickered with fear. He knew that since the other party was able to name his other comrades, there was a good chance that it was true. Not daring to remain there for a moment longer, the Violetleaf King immediately turned around to flee.

Goldenleaf, Greenleaf, and Waterleaf, none of these three Kings were any weaker than him. Yet, they ended up being killed in that Nascent Saint cultivator’s hands. The Violetleaf King didn’t feel that he would be an exception.

In any case, it would be best for him to flee and rethink his next move. The current situation was simply not to his advantage.

As for his poison, he should be able to replace a way to deal with it eventually…

“Trying to flee? I have already set up a formation for you here. Don’t you think it’s a little impolite of you to leave like that?” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan snapped his finger.

In the next moment, the Violetleaf King, who had just barely begun flying, felt a sharp pain coursing through his entire body, causing him to convulse uncontrollably. In the next moment, he plummeted from the sky and fell back onto the ground.

“If I can’t get away, I will just have to bring you down with me!” Feeling the lethal poison tear his body apart, the Violetleaf King felt death slowly approaching him. Knowing that it was unlikely that he would be able to escape with his life today, he gritted his teeth in resolution and charged towards the middle-aged man before his eyes.

Since he wasn’t getting out of here alive, he decided to bring someone down with him!

“Why do all of you like to resort to suicide attacks?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had already dealt with a couple of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, but all of them ended up resorting to a suicide attack in the end… They really could use some creativity!

“You guys, go and dig out the pill in his mouth. After that, give him a good thrashing!”

With a flick of his wrist, eight Otherworldly Demon puppets immediately appeared before his eyes before charging towards the Violetleaf King.

“Those are Otherworldly Demons? No, they are puppets!” Seeing the eight figures charging towards him, the Violetleaf King’s body trembled.

Shouldn’t the privilege of being escorted by so many Otherworldly Demon puppets something that only Otherworldly Demon Kings possessed?

Am I the Otherworldly Demon King, or you are?

Why does it feel like… I am completely alone in this world? Not even having a single subordinate or ally, what a cruel life I am living…