Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 293: He is Called Zhang Xuan

Hu!

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows.

Even though there were many books in the Painter Guild, to Zhang Xuan, it just meant a slightly longer run. In less than an hour, he managed to duplicate all of the books in the library into the Library of Heaven's Path.

"Even though I am able to produce fifth level paintings, my understanding of the occupation is sorely lacking. Now that I possess these books to augment my knowledge, I should finally be able to live up to my identity as a 3-star painter!"

Looking at the neat rows of books in the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan stretched his back lazily.

Even though he was able to create fifth level paintings through the painting techniques mentioned in Master Lu Chen's books, he didn't know much about the basic history of painting, the various styles, schools, and such.

Taking Duan Yu, for example, he was capable of executing the top-notch martial arts technique, Six Pulse Divine Sword, which allowed him to defeat the powerful Murong Fu. However, his fundamentals were extremely weak, and he didn't know any other basic techniques. If he were to face a group of hoodlums, he might not even be a match for them.

Zhang Xuan was in a similar circumstance. He was able to create a fifth level painting easily, but if one were to ask him to produce a Reality Depiction painting, he would find it very difficult to do so.

However, with the books from the Painter Guild library, it was no longer a problem.

Once Zhang Xuan read all of these books, his knowledge would far surpass that of 3-star painters, and perhaps, even 4-star painters.

"However... I have countless books in the Library of Heaven's Path collected from Tianxuan Kingdom Book Collection Vault, the Beast Hall, Poison Hall, and Painter Guild... There are several ten million of them in the library, and if I were to read them one by one, how long would it take for me to finish reading all of them?"

After gathering the books, another dilemma struck him, leaving him with a slight headache.

He had already duplicated over tens of million books since his time at Tianxuan Kingdom, and even though he had been reading whenever he found the time, accompanied by his fast speed at reading, he could only cover a maximum of one to two thousand books every day. In comparison to the huge collection consisting of tens of million of books... The number of books he could read a day was just like a droplet of water in an ocean.

Furthermore, as he goes further and deeper into each occupation, the amount of books he would have to read would only increase. Without several years of effort, it would be impossible for him to convert all of them into his own knowledge.

"If only I have the golden page..."

Zhang Xuan thought.

The golden page was something that was formed by the Book of Heaven's Path.

It could instantly assimilate all of the knowledge contained within the library into his own mind. If he obtains the golden page, he would be able to easily remember everything contained in the library, and he wouldn't have exhausted himself flipping through the books one by one.

"I thought that it is formed only when someone is grateful to me, but thinking about it now, that shouldn't be the case! When I was passing off as Yang shi, there were many people who were grateful to me, but the golden page didn't form. This means that there is more to it!"

Thinking of the golden page in the Book of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan tried to recall the scenario in which it appeared.

He had no idea when the first golden page appeared, but the second golden page appeared when Zhao Ya and the others challenged Lu Xun on the dueling platform in order to defend his honor.

Back then, their gratitude carried the purest and most earnest of emotions between teacher and student.

Can it be that... only strong feelings of gratitude between the teacher and his students can make the golden page appear?

As Yang shi, most of the people he helped felt deference to him instead of such feelings.

"I can give it a try!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

While other people might find it impossible to verify such matters, Zhang Xuan had a method up his sleeves.

Casually taking out an empty book from his storage ring, he wrote his conjecture in a book before touching it lightly.

Weng!

With a jolt, an identical book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path.

Zhang Xuan flipped it open casually.

"It is really the earnest gratitude between the teacher and student that forms the golden page...! To think this would be the case!"

Upon seeing the results of his conjecture, Zhang Xuan felt agitated.

If he knew that this golden page was formed like that, he wouldn't have exhausted himself reading along the entire journey. He put in so much effort but had only managed to read a small portion of the entire sea of books.

"Looks like I should accept a few students and think of a way... to make them feel grateful to me!"

Zhang Xuan smiled gently.

Once the golden page was formed, he would be able to easily convert those knowledge into his own.

Right now, what he lacked was an accumulation of knowledge.

Only with sufficient knowledge can he easily identify flaws and solve problems without utilizing the Library of Heaven's Path.

"I wonder if Zhao Ya and the others have arrived. Seems like my only choice is to make an inquiry at the Master Teacher Pavilion tomorrow. Since I'm free now, maybe I should walk around to see if there's anyone I can guide. Perhaps, I might even find myself a student..."

Thinking so, Zhang Xuan stepped out of the Painter Guild library.

As he was leaving the library, he met the two vice guild leaders and after a short chat, he stepped, out of the guild, onto the streets once more.

Time is precious, so it was imperative for Zhang Xuan to identify a way to form the golden page.

The moment he stepped out of the guild, another young man walked in from another direction.

He was Lu Xun, who had just arrived at Tianwu Royal City.

The [Tianwu Inn] which they settled in was just a few hundred meters away from the Painter Guild, and he rushed here as soon as Liu shi finished making arrangements.

"To take the master teacher examination, one must have a supporting occupation. I have learned painting from my father from young, and I've long been able to produce paintings of the Reality Depiction level. I should first settle the apprentice painter examination before thinking of a way to become an official painter!"

Witnessing the large and majestic calligraphy at the entrance of the Painter Guild, Lu Xun felt agitated.

With his current skills, it would be difficult for him to qualify as an official painter. However, becoming an apprentice painter shouldn't be much of a challenge.

Upon stepping into the guild, he saw paintings after paintings hung on the walls. There were mountains, streams, canaries, spring, the radiant sun... And to his astonishment, all of them had attained the level of Reality Depiction. With a single gaze, he could tell that the painters behind those works possessed an understanding of painting that was in no way inferior to his.

"As expected of the Painter Guild, impressive..."

Lu Xun couldn't help but comment with glowing eyes.

Because this branch didn't have a long history, even Master Lu Chen hadn't been here to visit, so Lu Xun naturally wasn’t aware of what was within. He hadn’t expected to be able to see so many incredible art pieces the moment he enters and was impressed by the sight before him.

"Gongzi, may I know what kind of painting you are looking for? I can bring you around the guild!"

Right after he entered, the green-robed attendant who served Zhang Xuan previously walked up to him with a respectful attitude.

"I'm not here to buy a painting... I am here to take the apprentice painter examination! May I know where the examination held would be held?" Lu Xun smiled.

"Are you here to take the apprentice painter examination?"

The green-robed attendant was taken aback.

Usually, examinees appear only once every several months. What is going on today? Why have they appeared in a whole group today?

Right after Ji Mo gongzi’s assessment, Grandmaster Zhang appeared. And right after Grandmaster Zhang left, this fellow came to take the apprentice painter examination...

It sure is lively today!

"This way please!"

Even though he was bewildered by the situation, he didn't dare to keep Lu Xun waiting.

After all, he was just an attendant of the guild, while an apprentice is someone who has a chance to become an official painter in the future. There was a huge gap in status between the two.

"Un!" Lu Xun followed behind him.

"Impressive, this is really a fifth level painting!"

"Indeed, to think that he would be capable of painting a fifth level work in his first examination, and moreover, below the age of twenty! He is such a genius!"

"Even Ji Mo gongzi fell in defeat before him and was chased out of the guild. His talents are indeed impressive!"

"My head is still whirling from the situation just now. That is truly the most exciting competition I've ever seen!"

"I didn't think that a savage beast would be capable of painting as well. This is something which I've never dared to even think about in the past..."

...

Making his way in the spacious hall, discussions in hushed voices echoed from all directions.

Even though there were many of Ji Mo gongzi’s fans within the crowd during the competition an hour ago, there were also plenty of noblemen and aristocrats who were truly passionate about painting.

It was Grandmaster Zhang’s first appearance here, and he had already left the entire guild amazed.

"They say that... someone was able to produce a fifth level painting in his first attempt at the examination. What is that about?"

With the discussions around him heating up, Lu Xun could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked the green-robed attendant.

"Oh, they're talking about the competition that concluded just a moment ago!" The attendant's eyes glowed with excitement when he heard the question.

Not only was he able to watch the proceedings of the competition clearly from right beside, he was the one to attend to the grandmaster, and he felt greatly honored.

"Competition?"

"That's right. It happened just a few moments ago..." The green-robed attendant soon recounted the events vividly to Lu Xun.

"You say that... the grandmaster dipped the savage beast in ink, allowed it to walk on the xuan paper, and with just a shake, turned the painting into a third level art piece?"

Lu Xun widened his eyes in disbelief.

Having studied painting under his father since young, he understood the difficulty in producing a third level painting.

Even his father couldn't guarantee to be able to produce a third level painting every single time he paints. Yet, this grandmaster is able to create such a painting using the random footsteps of a savage beast and a casual shake... Are you trying to exaggerate things?

However, the true shock was laying in wait.

"By heating the painting with a fire torch... it turned into a fourth level painting?"

"With a mouthful of water, it became a fifth level masterpiece?"

The more he heard, the more he found his mind unable to cope. He was on the verge of entering a frenzy.

Why does it sound like fiction?

If it is true, then that grandmaster's control over his painting is way too fearsome!

"It's all true! I attended to the grandmaster myself, and I witnessed the proceedings of the competition personally. I can't be wrong!"

Seeing the disbelief in the other party's eyes, the green-robed attendant declared proudly.

"That's amazing... If I can become a student of this grandmaster, my painting mastery will definitely soar rapidly, and it won’t be long before I become an official painter!"

Seeing how the other party was so certain of himself, a thought appeared in Lu Xun's mind and it soon grew to the point that it could no longer be contained.

One of the prerequisites to the master teacher examination is to become an official member of another occupation.

Even though Lu Xun had been studying painting from young, he knew that there was a world of a difference between Reality Depiction and Spiritual Canvas. If he studied all by his own, he could possibly take decades to reach the next level.

However... With the guidance of an incredible teacher, this process could be greatly shortened.

He didn't know about other grandmasters, but the one which the attendant just spoke of amazed him greatly.

To be capable of elevating the level of a painting so easily, especially to the fifth level, the grandmaster's comprehension of painting must be unimaginably profound!

If he were to come under the grandmaster's tutelage, he would be able to clear all the doubts he had immediately, and his path as a painter would become much more smooth-sailing.

"What is the name of that grandmaster? Do you know where he is? Is he accepting any students?"

Arriving at this conclusion, Lu Xun could not help but ask, his face reddened with agitation.

"That grandmaster... If I'm not wrong, his name is... Zhang Xuan!" The green-robed attendant pondered for a moment before replying.

"Zhang Xuan?"

Lu Xun's eyes widened immediately.

---

Duan Yu: Reference to Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

He is known for being capable of utilizing the ultimate art, Six Meridians Divine Sword. However, he only managed to learn this technique due to a series of coincidences, and due to his lacking fundamentals, he was unable to execute the technique every single time, which posed as a fatal flaw. He managed to defeat powerful antagonists like Murong Fu but often lost to minor and weaker characters.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 292: Zhao Ya and the Others Arrive

"The winter plum blossoms are using spiritual energy from the surroundings to grow, is this... a painting of the fifth level?"

"Just by spurting some water, it became a fifth level painting?"

"Does it have to be so exaggerated?"

The faces of everyone present distorted in shock as they became dumbfounded

It was merely a savage beast playfully running and rolling about on the paper, so they thought that the painting would be nothing at all. Yet, with a mere shake, it transformed into a third level painting.

And that wasn't the all. By heating the painting with a fire torch, it was immediately elevated to become a fourth level painting... Then, with a spurt of water, it created the effect of snow, allowing the painting to reach the fifth level...

The heck!

Are you a painter... or are you a street performer?

A fifth level painting is something that only a 3-star painter is capable of creating. Yet, to be able to reach that level with a savage beast...

What is this craziness?

Everyone turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, and they couldn't help but doubt if he were human.

A moment ago, they thought that he was just an arrogant, boastful, and ignorant lad. But now, they realized how wrong they were. He was actually a grandmaster possessing skills beyond their imagination.

A painting that seemed to be scrap was forcefully raised to become a painting of the fifth level!

It was just like magic, leaving the crowd present thoroughly bewildered and dizzied.

"This... This..."

The lips of the two vice guild leaders quivered in astonishment.

This is beyond incredible!

For a child who isn't even twenty to create a fifth level painting... Even in the headquarter, he would be considered as one of the top geniuses!

More importantly, anyone else, even if it were a 3-star painter, would have to abstain from meat, meditate, and conduct several types of preparations to adjust their state of mind before they were able to create a painting of the fifth level. Yet, this fellow achieved this with just a spurt of water...

When did creating a fifth level painting become so simple?

"Did I actually challenge a fellow who is capable of creating fifth level paintings?"

Ji Mo gongzi's face paled, wishing to knock himself dead on a pillar at this instant.

After scolding the other party, the other party took out a savage beast to challenge his skills.

After mocking the other party's painting, the other party immediately brought the painting up to the third level with a shake.

After saying that the other party's work was a collaboration and that the result shouldn't be a draw, the other party immediately raised the level of the painting to the fourth level.

And now, it has been raised to the fifth level.

Are you here with the purpose to slap my face?

If I knew that you are a grandmaster capable of producing a fifth level painting, no matter how foolish I may be, I wouldn't have dared to provoke you!

Now, my attempts to make my name known has made me a fool, and I have become a laughingstock. Needless to say flirting with ladies, I would be too embarrassed to walk in the streets...

"Give it a check, ascertain whether it is a fifth level painting!"

Ignoring the shock that the crowd was going through, Zhang Xuan turned to the two vice guild leaders.

"There's no need to check, it is definitely a fifth level painting!"

The two vice guild leaders were astonished beyond words.

A fifth level painting is capable of absorbing spiritual energy to materialize its own contents. Even though the painting didn't yet possess wisdom, it was capable of leaving the original dimension of the painting and creep outward. One didn't require a deep understanding of painting in order to identify a fifth level painting, only requiring that one not be blind...

As the vice guild leaders of the Painter Guild, 2-star pinnacle painters, how can they possibly be unable to tell a fifth level painting!

"Then... Am I eligible to claim the 3-star painter emblem?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

"This..."

Vice Guild leader Wu forcefully calmed down the agitation rippling within his mind, and after hesitating for a moment, spoke, "Going by logic, you are eligible as a 3-star painter. However, our guild leader is the only 3-star painter at our branch, and he is absent at the moment... We don't have the qualifications to confer this rank upon you!"

"You don't have the qualifications?"

"Grandmaster Zhang, there's no need to panic..." Vice Guild Leader Wu waved his hands immediately to placate him.

His method of addressing Zhang Xuan had changed from 'brother' to 'grandmaster'.

Since the other party was able to create a painting of the fifth level, this showed that his skills had far surpassed theirs. Even though they were much older than him, they didn't dare to overstep their boundaries and call him 'brother'.

It would truly be indecorous for them to do so.

They would be disregarding order and hierarchy.

"As long as we send your painting to the headquarter and have someone to examine and verify it, the emblem should be issued soon." Vice Guild Leader Wu added. "This will take... around ten days!"

"Ten days?"

"Yes. However, while we are unable to give you the 3-star emblem, for the time being, we can present you with the 2-star emblem on the spot!"

Vice Guild Leader Wu gestured, and an apprentice walked forward to receive instructions. Very quickly, an emblem with two shining and brilliant stars on it was brought out.

2-star painter emblem! It signifies one's identity as a 2-star painter.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan was delighted.

He didn't expect the painter examination to be so simple, that one is able to directly obtain a rank just by producing a piece of work. It is unlike the other occupations which conduct all kinds of troublesome tests in order to assess one's skills.

"Since Grandmaster Zhang has successfully produced a fifth level painting, even though you have not obtained the actual emblem, you already possess the authority of a 3-star painter!"

Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng interjected.

"Can I already exercise the authority of a 3-star painter? Very well, this Painter Ji Mo has provoked me time and time again, and I hereby declare that he is permanently banned from the Painter Guild!"

Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd as he spoke.

Hearing those words, Ji Mo gongzi's face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.

The other party had become a 3-star painter, and he had gained to authority to issue bans. Once this ban was filed, all of the branches of the Painter Guild would receive the order, and he would be unable to enter any single one of them.

Any attempt to circumvent this ban would be taken as an act of provocation against the Painter Guild, and the offender could be killed on the spot!

Ji Mo thought that he use this countryside bumpkin as a stepping stone to make his name known. Never in his dreams did he expect to instead knock into a tough boulder, leaving himself with a smashed head...

"Painter Ji, you may leave now!"

Hearing Zhang Xuan's orders, Vice Guild Leader Wu shook his head, having no choice but to drive the other party away.

Even though he thought that it was a little too harsh, it was an irrefutable fact that Ji Mo had lost the competition, and thus, the wager. Hence, there was nothing more he could say about the situation.

Besides, in Zhang Xuan’s presence, Ji Mo gongzi's talents amounted to nothing at all.

There was no need to think about whom they should support.

"Yes!"

Albeit reluctant, Ji Mo gongzi knew that the ban had been issued, and there was no point of reconciliation. Unless his skills surpassed that of the other party, he would never be able to overcome this ban.

Huala!

Rising to his feet, he turned around and walked out of the Painter Guild immediately.

He would only be embarrassing himself further by staying here!

"Damn it, damn it!"

Upon leaving the guild, he roared furiously to the skies, and killing intent shone in his eyes. "To dare to humiliate me like that, I'll never forgive you! Men!"

"Young master!"

A figure immediately appeared from the depths of the darkness.

"Investigate his background, find out who that fellow is, and if there is an opportunity... kill him!"

He flung his hands grandly.

For him, a young master of one of the Three Great Clans in the capital, to be humiliated in public by a nobody, he felt an indescribable rage within him.

"Yes!"

The shadowy figure nodded and, with a slight blur, disappeared into the darkness once more.

...

"Where is your library?"

After obtaining the status of an official painter, Zhang Xuan didn't leave immediately. Instead, he inquired about the location of the library.

The painting books he browsed through in Master Lu Chen's house back then only covered the fundamentals. While it was sufficient to create lower level paintings, Zhang Xuan required more advanced books to improve.

Since he had already become an official painter and was at the Painter Guild, it would be beneficial for him to look through the books, and seek further improvements.

"Grandmaster Zhang, this way please!"

Vice Guild Leader Wu led the way.

In no time, the party arrived at a massive room.

"This is our library!" Vice Guild Leader Wu pointed inward.

Zhang Xuan nodded, "I'd like to take a look at the books, do not allow anyone to interrupt me!"

After which, he strolled in with his hands behind his back.

The collection in the Painter Guild was much larger than that in Master Lu Chen's house. An innumerable amount of books and art pieces of all sorts laid within the massive room.

Seeing that Vice Guild Leader Wu and the others didn't follow him in, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, placing his finger on the first row, and then started on his job.

Swiftly, book after book was duplicated into the Library of Heaven's Path.

...

While Zhang Xuan was duplicating books in the Painter Guild, a huge aerial savage beast landed outside Tianwu Kingdom, and several figures leaped off its back.

"So, this is Tianwu Kingdom?"

A youngster stared at the towering city walls, his eyes glittering with excitement.

"That's right!"

Within the crowd, an elder stroked his beard and chuckled.

"We had to take a carriage to Beiwu Kingdom so as to borrow an aerial savage beast from the royal family to travel to Tianxuan Kingdom. Even though we didn't rest much throughout the journey, it took us a month to reach this place. Tianwu Kingdom is incredibly vast!"

A lady within the crowd smiled. The slight illumination from the stars and the moon added a mysterious allure to her beautiful face. Blinking her eyes twice, she asked, "Say, do you think that teacher has arrived yet?"

"I heard from Shen laoshi that Zhang laoshi would be heading straight for the Red Lotus Ridge right after leaving the Beast Hall. He probably has something to attend to there, so I doubt that he has reached Tianwu Kingdom. However, there's no need for us to worry. He will surely come here to take the master teacher examination, so we’ll just have to wait for him here!"

Another lady spoke up.

In contrast to the shy lady from before, this one exuded a valiant aura. Her facial features were unbelievably beautiful, it was as if she had come right out of a painting,

"Let's not waste our time here. We should proceed into the city!"

The elder from before interjected into the discussion. "I'm reminding all of you beforehand, Tianwu Kingdom is a Tier 1 Kingdom, unlike Tianxuan Kingdom. You have to behave cautiously so as to not offend any formidable figures by mistake. Although I can solve most problems through the Master Teacher Pavilion, it will be exceedingly troublesome. Thus, it'll be best to remain prudent!"

"Yes!" A few people answered harmoniously.

Seeing the group agreeing to his words, the elder nodded. "The sky has turned dark. We should enter the city and find a place to rest. Tomorrow morning, I will contact the Master Teacher Pavilion to check if Senior Zhang has arrived. Before Senior Zhang returns, you must have all broken through to Dingli realm, or else I would be too ashamed to meet him!"

"Liu shi, rest assured!"

Hearing his instructions, the group nodded immediately.

If Zhang Xuan was here, he would surely be able to recognize these figures as his five students, together with Liu shi, Lu Xun, Huang Yu, and a few others.

When Zhang Xuan left Hongtian Academy for the Beast Hall, this group had also headed for Beiwu Kingdom.

Riding on a carriage, it took them more than ten days to arrive at their destination.

Then, Liu shi borrowed an aerial savage beast from the Beiwu royal family, and only then did they manage to pick up speed.

However, this savage beast was unable to compare up to Zhang Xuan's Howling Firmament Beast, possessing only a Tongxuan realm cultivation. Thus, it took them a dozen more days to arrive here.

As such, it took them slightly over a month before they managed to arrive at Tianwu Royal City.

In this long period of time, Zhao Ya and the gang’s cultivations had improved significantly.

The Library of Heaven's Path-modified secret manuals that Zhang Xuan left behind were top-notch and coupled with Liu shi's tutoring, it would not be an easy feat for them to not improve swiftly.

Right after the awakening of her unique constitution, Zhao Ya's cultivation had originally risen to Dingli realm pinnacle. At this moment, two faint bundles of light could be seen on her body surface, bearing testimony to the fact that she has already opened two acupoints to become a Pixue realm expert.

On the other hand, Zheng Yang and the others had also improved swiftly. They had reached Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm pinnacle, and they were only a single step away from reaching Dingli realm.

Of the group, the one with the weakest cultivation remained as Yuan Tao. But even so, he had already reached Pigu realm intermediate stage. On top of that, his defensive ability had grown greatly, to the point that Zhao Ya's offense was a mere itch to him. Even Pixue realm pinnacle experts would be unable to break through his defense. He had become a human shield in the truest sense. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Lu Xun, as Liu shi's apprentice, had also improved significantly under the latter’s guidance. A month of training had allowed him to advance to Tongxuan realm primary stage.

Huang Yu had also successfully advanced from Dingli realm pinnacle to Pixue realm.

But of course, the one who underwent the greatest improvement was Liu shi.

The pointers which 'Yang shi' offered him back then in Tianxuan Kingdom allowed him to overcome the obstacle which had hindered him for many years, and he successfully became a Zongshi realm expert.

The magnificent energy in his body billowed mightily.

"Alright, let's enter!"

After paying the entrance fee, the group entered the capital.

Zhao Ya and the others were immediately captivated by the bustling city, and their eyes widened in thrill.

"We'll stay here!"

Walking through the streets, they soon spotted an inn in the distance. Liu shi led the group there and settled them in.

"Liu shi, on the way here, I noticed that the Painter Guild is in the vicinity. I would like to... try taking the apprentice painter examination!"

Having made all necessary arrangements, Lu Xun walked over and looked at Liu shi expectantly.

"You will require a supporting occupation to become eligible for the master teacher examination in the future. Go on!"

Liu shi waved his hands casually.

"Yes!" Nodding his head, Lu Xun walked out of the inn.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 291: Painting of the Fifth Level, Done!

"Is such a thing possible?"

"To know the constituent of the ink and the mud on the savage beast beforehand, is he still a human?"

...

Listening to the explanation, the crowd widened their eyes in disbelief, as if it were the most absurd thing they had ever heard.

Painting a picture using a savage beast that was caught at random, and you were able to create a Breathtaking Verisimilitude art piece which only 2-star painters are capable of producing... Brother, you are about to break through the heavens!

"Vice Guild Leader Cheng does indeed possess a superior eye of discernment!"

Hearing the other party point out the reason, Zhang Xuan complimented.

Even though the other party's words were not perfect, the idea was there.

While he was correct about the mud on the Verdant Alacrity Beast, he failed to explain why they appeared so perfectly on each corner of the plum blossom.

Naturally, it was due to his manipulation.

However, since the other party had explained it this way, he did not bother to add on.

"You said that as long as this painting reaches the fourth level, you will admit defeat. Do you still have anything else to say?"

Zhang Xuan glanced at Ji Mo gongzi with a sharp gaze.

"I..."

Ji Mo gongzi's knees caved in, and he fell to the ground. His face went as pale as a sheet of paper.

Initially, he thought that his victory was certain and that nothing in the world could change it. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party would hide a trump card within his painting!

By heating it with a fire torch, the painting was brought up by entire level...

Ji Mo gongzi could only hear the thunder rumbling in his mind, and he nearly burst into tears.

At this moment, all he felt within himself was regret. Of all people, why did he have to provoke this fellow? Furthermore, he could have accepted the draw, yet he had to push his luck. In the end... he simply dug his own grave.

Feeling greatly depressed, he turned to Vice Guild Leader Cheng.

Initially, Vice Guild Leader Cheng intended to ignore his plight. However, after a moment of hesitation, he sighed and asked, "Little brother, how should I address you?"

"Zhang Xuan!"

"Brother Zhang Xuan, you and Painter Ji are pillars that will prop up our guild. On my account, can you... forgo the bet?" Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng asked.

Ji Mo was courting death. Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng was already siding with him by declaring the match a draw, yet he wasn't content with the result, choosing to push the boundaries.

Now that the other party has brought the painting up to the fourth level without having made a single action, Ji Mo had no choice but to admit defeat.

Just that... if he were to admit defeat, he has to carry out the bet they promised on, and this bet would be too huge of a loss for both this talent and the guild.

"Forgo the bet? I'm sorry, but I don't have the habit of not retaliating when someone has already climbed over my head!"

Waving his hands casually, Zhang Xuan uttered, "Kneel down and admit your mistake. Then, leave the Painter Guild and never return."

If the other party had merely provoked him once or twice, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have been bothered to waste his efforts on him. However, since the other party had chosen to cross his line time and time again, he shouldn't be blamed for getting nasty.

"This..."

Hearing those words, Vice Guild Leader Cheng and Vice Guild Leader Wu exchanged gazes, shook their heads simultaneously, and fell silent.

Since Ji Mo has lost the bet, he was expected to carry it out. Otherwise, if words spread that the Painter Guild was siding with their own people, the prestige it had built up in the capital would crumble.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to give in even after the vice guild leader had pleaded on his behalf, Ji Mo's face darkened, "Fine, I'll apologize to you!"

After which, he kneeled to the floor. Glaring at Zhang Xuan with a grudge so deep as though the other party had killed his father, he spat, "It's my fault for provoking you. I apologize to you!"

"Scram!"

The other party was clearly insincere in his apology, but Zhang Xuan wasn't bothered. In his eyes, Ji Mo was nothing more than a pesky fly.

"Scram?"

Ji Mo stood up resentfully and he sneered, "Hmph, I may have lost the bet, but you don't have the right to prevent me from entering the Painter Guild! Even I leave today, I can still return tomorrow. I am an official painter of the Painter Guild, do you think that a mere bet can restrain me? Dream on!"

"This..."

Hearing Ji Mo's sneer, the crowd felt despise for this rising painter. However, they couldn't help but agree with the other party's words.

No matter how mediocre and unseemly Ji Mo gongzi was, he was nevertheless an official painter after having passed the examination. Even if the bet could cause him to leave temporarily, it was clearly impossible to ban him from entering the guild for good.

"The bet can't restrain you?" Zhang Xuan stroked his chin, him appearing to be deep in thoughts.

"That's right! Unless you camp outside the guild every day, I will still return, without a doubt! Haha, I might have lost this time, but it can't be considered your victory either!"

Ji Mo gongzi put on a 'so what can you do about it' expression gleefully.

His words were true. No matter who it was, it would be impossible to camp outside the Painter Guild forever. The moment Zhang Xuan left, the other party would be able to easily return back in.

After all, it is just a verbal bet, not an official contract. Even if I do not comply with the bet, what can you do to me?

"I won’t be camping here. However, if you were to return while I am away, it will indeed look bad on me!"

When a human tosses aside his pride, he will feel invincible. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that this fellow would value his dignity, given how he had won himself the heart of countless ladies.

Yet, to think that he would be so shameless. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only nod his head in agreement, "This is indeed a dilemma. However... this isn't any big issue, and there's a simple solution to it!"

"A simple solution? Only 3-star painters are qualified to issue a ban. Are you thinking of banning me from the Painter Guild? Dream on..."

Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly.

Only painters who have reached a minimum of 3-star have the right to order a permanent ban on specific people. In Ji Mo's opinion, no matter how incredible Zhang Xuan's painting skill was, he could only be a 2-star painter at maximum.

Since he wasn't a 3-star painter, how could he ban him?

"3-star painters can issue bans?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head. "Then... I'll take the 3-star painter examination first then!"

"Take the 3-star painter examination?"

"Is this person sleeptalking? To actually say that he wants to take the 3-star painter examination?"

"He must be joking! While I admit that he's formidable for being able to create a fourth level painting, he is still a far way off from reaching the level of a 3-star painter!"

Shocked by Zhang Xuan's words, the crowd nearly fainted.

Of the entire Tianwu Kingdom, only the guild leader has reached the level of a 3-star painter, it being so obvious that to do so isn’t any simple feat. Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you want to?

Speaking so arrogantly, aren't you afraid that the heavens will punish you?

Even the two vice guild leaders couldn't help but shake their heads to his words.

The youngsters nowadays are complacent, unable to realize there is a huge world beyond what they are able to see and imagine.

Even though it was just a level of difference between 3-star and 2-star, the gap was just like the divide between heaven and earth. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been stuck at the level of a 2-star pinnacle for so long.

They weren't the only ones. There were more than a dozen 2-star painter in the Tianwu Kingdom Painter guild, but there was only one 3-star painter. The disparity between a 2-star and a 3-star painter wasn't something that just anyone could fathom.

Yet, to say so easily that he would take the examination...

The ignorant sure is fearless!

"Haha! This is the funniest joke I've heard today!" Ji Mo gongzi sneered coldly. "Don't become complacent just because you happened to create a painting of the fourth level. You're still way too far from becoming a 3-star painter!"

Disregarding the conceited Ji Mo gongzi, Zhang Xuan walked up to the two vice guild leaders, hesitated for a moment, before asking sheepishly.

"Actually, I'm here to take the painter examination. That... I would like to ask how does the apprentice examination work?"

Putong!

Everyone fell to the ground.

The heck! Didn't you just declare haughtily that you would take the 3-star painter examination? Yet, to ask about how the apprentice examination work...

Brother, you must still be sleeping!

Besides, you just created a painting of the fourth level, which means that your skill is on par with a 2-star painter. How can you not even know how the apprentice examination works?

"How does the apprentice examination work? You... It can't be that you aren't even an apprentice?"

Realizing something, Vice Guild Leader Wu could not help but ask.

"Cough cough, that's right. I've never taken the apprentice examination. The reason why I'm here today is to give the examination a try..."

Zhang Xuan nodded his head as if it was the most natural thing to do in this world.

Pu!

Everyone's eyes fell to the floor.

The two vice guild leaders shuddered at the same time, and they nearly vomited blood.

Being not even an apprentice, you dare to challenge an official painter and wager with him... Aren't you being too bold!

Furthermore, to be able to easily utilize a savage beast to create a painting of the fourth level... Despite not even being an apprentice, your skills and experience are clearly higher than ours!

Are you sure that you aren't lying to us?

More importantly, you speak so lightly of the examination as if it were nothing...

Other people have to put in the grueling effort just to pass the painter examination. Yet, from your tone, it sounds as if you're doing this just because you've some free time...

Fine!

You do seem to have the ability to do so anyway!

Suppressing the depression welling up in them with great effort, Vice Guild Leader Wu began to introduce the examination.

"The examination for painters isn't as complicated compared to the occupations. One doesn't need to take the examinations one by one; as long as one is able to create an art piece to prove that his skills have already reached a certain level, he is qualified for the rank. For example, a person who has created a first level Reality Depiction work is qualified to become an apprentice painter, and a person who has created a second level Spiritual Canvas is qualified to become a 1-star painter. Given that you have just created a painting of the fourth level, you are already qualified to apply for the 2-star painter rank."

"Ah? It's that easy?"

Not expecting the painter examination to be so much easier than that of the other occupations, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "Then, what is the requisite to apply for a 3-star painter rank?"

"A 3-star painter has to create a painting of the fifth level, Spirit Creation. There is a huge gap between the fifth level and the fourth level, and of the entire guild, only our guild leader has reached this level!"

Seeing that the other party was still hung up on this matter, Vice Guild Leader Wu tried to persuade him, "Given that you're able to create a painting of the fourth level at your current age, your talent is top-notch. Furthermore, you have never undergone professional painting training. If you study diligently under a true master, you will surely be able to create a painting of the fifth level in less than a decade and pass the 3-star painter examination. As such, there's no need for you to be so anxious!"

The difference between a painting of the fourth level and the painting of the fifth level was extremely huge, comparable to the gap between the Tongxuan and Zongshi realm.

Even though the Winter Plum Blossoms Painting that Zhang Xuan just created had reached the fourth level, luck seemed to have played a huge factor and even so, the painting appeared to have barely reached that level.

It is still a far way off from reaching the fifth level. To wish to sprint before you can even walk... Aren't you being too anxious!

"Vice Guild Leader Wu is right. Being able to create a painting of this level at your age bears testimony to your incredible talent. In my years with the Painter Guild, you're already the most talented painter that I've seen. As for 3-star, it's better for you..."

Vice Guild Leader Cheng Feng quickly chirped in as well. However, halfway through his words, he saw the youngster walk past him, and within a few steps, he was standing before the [Winter Plum Blossoms Painting].

There was a bowl of water, which appeared out of nowhere, in his hand. Taking a gulp, he sprayed the water out from his mouth, all of a sudden, onto the xuan paper.

Hualala!

The water droplets fell onto the painting, and gray spots appeared on the previously white portions, as though snow falling from the heavens. In an instant, it created an image of the plum blossoms standing proudly in the snow, contending against the heavens.

Weng!

Spiritual energy in the surroundings suddenly gathered around the painting, and the plum blossoms emerged from the surface of the xuan paper. Relentlessly, the flowers were trying to climb into the sky, as though trying to challenge the heavens and destiny.

"I'm done!"

Placing the bowl on the table, Zhang Xuan clapped his hands. Then, turning toward the two vice guild leaders, Zhang Xuan casually pointed to the painting.

"A painting of the fifth level..."

"Done!"

True Martial World - Chapter 915: Death Reclusion

Anyone who killed the third Ancient Fey onwards in the Fey Refining Rock array would receive rewards.

However, these rewards were nothing much when being compared to the reward that was given to the person who came first.

Yi Yun and Princess White Fox had both defeated the fifth Ancient Fey, but Yi Yun had finished first. With this reason, Elder Duanmu and Elder Shi, who were biased towards Luo clan disciples, obviously determined that Princess White Fox had narrowly lost. Hence, Yi Yun clinched first place. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

The reward for being first in the Fey Refining Rock was an Ancient Fey bone. But even Ancient Fey bones had different qualities.

The Ancient Fey bone that Yi Yun previously obtained at the Black Wind Valley trials was a peripheral part of the Ancient Fey's skeleton. The amount of Ancient Fey energy that it contained was not much.

Better Ancient Fey bones came from areas such as the sternum or spine — core parts of the Ancient Fey's torso. These spots were where large amounts of energy of the Ancient Fey were deposited in the skeleton.

As for the Ancient Fey bone that was awarded to the person who came first, it was also a peripheral part. The only difference was that it contained a tiny bit of bone marrow as well.

An Ancient Fey's skeleton contained an immense amount of energy, but the essence of an Ancient Fey did not lie in its skeleton. It was in its blood marrow.

After an Ancient Fey's death, its blood marrow would dissipate into the ether, returning to the Universe. Only an extremely tiny portion of it would be left in the skeleton.

This reward was something that all geniuses from large family clans desired. Their family clans might be influential, but it was not that easy obtaining an Ancient Fey bone that contained bone marrow, let alone giving it to them.

The better the reward that Yi Yun obtained, the worse Bai Yueqing's mood would become.

The reason that he came to the Luo clan trials was because he wanted to see Princess White Fox's performance so he could get some reassurance for his bet.

However, before he even received any assurances, he ended up getting so infuriated that he had to suppress his anger. The suppression nearly caused him to suffer from internal injuries.

"Because of the Third Prince's arrival, my Luo clan's disappointing disciples must have been imperceptibly motivated. Finally, they managed to squeeze a bit of potential out. Thank you Third Prince, it must have been hard on you." Elder Shi said.

The corner of Bai Yueqing's eyes twitched. Elder Shi might be a man of few words, but he had a strong sense of retaliatory streak in him. All Bai Yueqing had done was question if the Ranyi Fish that Yi Yun had chosen was not as powerful as the Fey dragon, but this remark had been constantly on Elder Shi's mind.

"Heh heh, not really… "

"I wonder, how many more days does Third Prince want to stay?" Elder Shi said again.

Stay any longer? Bai Yueqing was no longer in the mood for it. If he stayed any longer, he felt like he would really suffer a mental collapse.

Bai Yueqing quickly bade them farewell. When he arrived, he came swaggering. But when he left, he left in a hurry. His spirit cruiser quickly tore through the void and it vanished in the space above the Luo Divine Hall.

Elder Duanmu and Elder Shi stood midair while watching this happen. Elder Duanmu stroked his beard and said, "Senior Brother, the closer it is to your breakthrough reclusion, the more I find you are becoming petty."

"Before reclusion, one's state of mind is extremely important. One should act as one pleases. Furthermore, this reclusion will last till my death if I fail to break through. Even the Heavens do not know if I'll be able to come out alive. In that case, why must I worry about so much?" Elder Shi said.

Elder Duanmu's lips quivered, but he did not say anything. All he did was let out a sigh.

"There's no need for you to sigh. Although I am determined to enter a death reclusion, it is still in preparation. I've been pursuing martial arts my entire life. Being a Supremacy is the ravine that stops me in my martial path. One is willing to die in the evening if the truth could be heard in the morning. As long as I probe it, I'll die without regrets." Elder Shi said.

"No wonder you think so highly of that kid's martial heart." Elder Duanmu said.

Elder Shi did not say a thing. In the past, he only found Yi Yun mildly interesting, but after Yi Yun killed the fifth Ancient Fey, he began to truly pay close attention to Yi Yun.

"The little fox isn't bad too. Unfortunately, she's not from our Luo clan." Elder Duanmu added, "But it's no big deal. She can definitely become one of us."

Elder Duanmu stroked his beard as a smile flashed in his eyes.

This time, Elder Shi opened his mouth. "Yeah."

...

White Fox training ground. Celestial Platform.

The Celestial Platform was made of countless floating rocks.

This independent space was extremely special. It did not have any land in it. Rocks of all shapes and sizes were floating in the air. The small ones were the size of millstones, just enough for one person to stand on them, while the big ones were hundreds of feet wide.

The rocks that formed the Celestial Platform were powered by an array formation, forming a platform ladder that reached the heavens. The higher one went, the more difficult the trial became.

At that moment, Luo Huo'er had already broken through to the 19th level!

It was a boulder that was about a hundred feet wide. The higher one went on the Celestial Platform, the more chaotic the laws became.

The difficulty here had already halted the progress of most of the trial-takers!

Only a few trial-takers, for example, Xuan Junyue, were still struggling on the 15th and 16th levels.

There was a glimmer of hope for Xuan Junyue to reach the 17th level.

He looked up at the boulder. Although it was just the distance of one level, every level up had a steep rise in difficulty in the Celestial Platform.

At that moment, Luo Huo'er was sitting on the 19th level boulder to meditate.

The disciples who were lacking in strength could not even sit here properly. The chaotic laws might even cause their Yuan Qi circulation to turn turbulent, causing them to die by exploding.

Luo Huo'er was sitting on the boulder, dressed in a thin dress. Her hair had turned a fiery-red color, while her pupils had turned scarlet red, as though they were dancing flames.

The 19th level was somewhat difficult for Luo Huo'er. However, awakening her bloodline made it trivial.

This was because her Ancient Fey bloodline was extremely rich. The Ancient Fey were born of the Universe itself, so their insights into laws were very high.

Everyone else was trying their best to move up another level, but Luo Huo'er was extremely laid back. She was in no hurry and she was even planning on sitting on the boulder for some time.

Since no one could exceed her, why did she need to rush herself? She might as well take a good rest.

At that moment, a fiery-red charm suddenly flashed in front of her.

The Celestial Platform was a training ground of the White Fox clan, but as a princess of the Luo clan, a heir designate, Luo Huo'er obviously enjoyed certain privileges. This voice transmission charm was one of her privileges.

Luo Huo'er was somewhat surprised. What matter was so urgent that a voice transmission had to be sent to her during her trial?

At the moment that the voice transmission charm shattered, a voice entered Luo Huo'er's ears.

"What!? Little Yun is that awesome!?"

The information in the voice transmission was regarding Yi Yun's performance at the Luo Divine Hall's trials.

Luo Huo'er stared in the direction of the shattered charm in surprise. Yi Yun had killed the fifth Ancient Fey faster than Princess White Fox!

Luo Huo'er had seen Princess White Fox's talent. Princess White Fox was definitely no ordinary person, so although Luo Huo'er was proud, she still thought highly of an opponent like Princess White Fox.

"Little Yun actually beat Princess White Fox… " Luo Huo'er found it incredible.

Yi Yun had truly given her one surprise after another after their reunion in the 12 Empyrean Heavens.

"Little Yun did very well. That male seductive fox will definitely lose the bet that he suggested. Who knows if that little fox princess will end up having Little Yun to accompany her on her travels. I wonder what expression a particular brother of mine will have when he learns about this matter." A sinister smile appeared on Luo Huo'er's delicate face.

However, as she smiled, she suddenly smacked her palms.

"Aiyah, that's bad! If this keeps going, what would happen if I were to lose to Little Yun? Wouldn't that be so embarrassing? I have to carry on!"

The White Fox Elder that was monitoring the situation of the trial suddenly sensed motion on the 20th level of the Celestial Platform!

Luo Huo'er had reached the 20th level?

The White Fox disciples, who had already suffered terrible mental setbacks, immediately noticed that Luo Huo'er's strength had suddenly risen sharply… Could it be that she was not using all her strength previously?

The White Fox disciples had tears flowing down their faces!

They were also elites of the White Fox clan, but participating in a trial with Luo Huo'er was masochism. Those who did not have a resolute mind might receive such a heavy blow that would tear them to pieces.

True Martial World - Chapter 914: Outcome of Battle

As the cold seawater washed against Yi Yun's skin, Yi Yun experienced the raining blood while feeling an inexplicable sense of calm. It was most likely the comfortable feeling after experiencing a life and death battle. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

This was the first time that Yi Yun used the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence in true combat. Throughout the entire battle, although he had only barely conjured a weakened form of the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence at the final moment, Yi Yun’s body seemed to attain a familiarity with the laws of the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence.

He was taking advantage of the serenity of the moment to digest the realizations that he was receiving.

The blood rain quickly disappeared, but the smell of blood continued to linger in the air, as though there were strands of blood floating across his face from time to time.

Yi Yun refused the chance to battle the sixth Ancient Fey. In his present condition, he was already unable to carry on.

As such, after Yi Yun's Fey Refining Rock array battle ended, he was transported out of the independent space.

The moment he exited the Fey Refining Rock array, Yi Yun sensed everyone’s gazes being fixed on him.

The gazes were extremely complex.

There were looks of shock, fear, envy, and worship. One strike would more or less result in some feelings of disbelief. The process of Yi Yun killing the fifth Ancient Fey was like a dream to them.

If Yi Yun had only slain the fourth Ancient Fey, the Luo clan disciples might have surrounded Yi Yun while congratulating him. But now, Yi Yun had instantly killed the fifth Ancient Fey. Furthermore, there was a killing aura emanating from Yi Yun's body. Although the Nine-tailed White Fox's blood had vanished, for some reason or another, people still felt a faint sense of blood lingering around Yi Yun. Such an aura prevented anyone, even the Luo clan disciples, to make conversation with Yi Yun. The area fell into temporary silence.

At that moment, Elder Shi was the first to speak. He said, "Yi Yun, your results in the Fey Refining Rock array are impressive. The rewards promised by the clan will be handed to you very soon."

Rewards!

Upon hearing Elder Shi mention rewards, the young elites present were filled with envy. The rewards were no trifling matter. All the Fey empires and large sects of the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven would gather the best resources to nurture the geniuses under them. Now, Yi Yun had clearly reached the point where the Luo clan would focus on nurturing him.

"Thank you, Senior." Yi Yun said, while having walked to a corner. He wanted to further ponder on the insights gained from the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence.

And at that moment in time, the deadlock in Princess White Fox's battle had broken. Princess White Fox, who had used all her strength, had managed to defeat the fifth Fey dragon!

However, Princess White Fox had barely managed victory. Not only had she expended all her stamina, she was also severely injured. Her tenacity was the only thing that kept her going to slay the fifth Fey dragon with great difficulty.

If this were any time in the past, the White Fox disciple would have shouted out in excitement while receiving Princess White Fox, as though they were receiving their goddess of war.

But now, although they were cheering for her, it was much more subdued. This resulted in the first few people to cheer realizing the lack of an atmosphere. Seeing how it was meaningless to cheer, their voices also lowered.

Princess White Fox, who was originally stunning in every way, had only managed to equal Yi Yun's results.

But in terms of killing speed, as well as the shock of annihilating the Nine-tailed White Fox into a blood mist with one strike, Princess White Fox was far inferior to Yi Yun. As such, the White Fox clan themselves lacked the mood to even cheer.

After slaying the fifth Fey dragon, Princess White Fox had already reached her limit.

"Choose your opponent!" After the fifth Fey dragon died, the cold voice of the array resounded in Princess White Fox's ears.

"I give up."

Princess White Fox took a deep breath. She was already a spent force, so it was meaningless to persist on.

With a flash, Princess White Fox appeared in the hall.

Immediately, everyone’s gazes was focused on Princess White Fox.

Princess White Fox had an indifferent character to begin with. She walked her own martial path, and she did not concern herself with how others looked at her. But even so, she guessed that her slaying of the fifth Ancient Fey should have astounded the White Fox clan geniuses.

But from the looks of it, their reactions seemed to be a bit different from what she expected.

A few White Fox disciples were cheering for her, but there were people who had odd looks.

Princess White Fox was slightly surprised. What had just happened?

She looked around and she saw Jian Zhu, Wufeng, the Shadow Twins, Yi Yun, Luo Mo and company, who had all entered the Fey Refining Rock array with her. They had all come out. She was the last, and also the one that had lasted the longest.

This was not odd since she fought the longest, the number of Ancient Fey that she killed was most likely the most as well.

As for the others, it was not Princess White Fox being haughty, but according to the difficulty of the array, she was absolutely sure that other than her, the rest could not even slain the fourth Ancient Fey, let alone the fifth. It exceeded the limits of their strength.

Being able to kill the first three Ancient Fey was already an excellent outcome.

These people having been eliminated ahead of her was within her expectations, but… why did they have such weird expressions?

Furthermore, she noticed that some people were looking at Yi Yun, which made her involuntarily glance at Yi Yun as well. Yi Yun had expended a great deal of energy. His Yuan Qi was nearly drained, but he was uninjured. This shocked Princess White Fox. Typically, with the stamina of a warrior being drained to such levels, be it offensive or defensive strength, they would be weakened, so it was not easy to be unharmed.

"Xue'er, you did well." Bai Yueqing said with a sullen face.

However, his words did not sound anything like he was praising Princess White Fox. Clearly, he was in a terrible mood.

"It was alright. My strength can only reach this stage. There should still be progress in the future… " Princess White Fox answered with some questions on her mind. She looked at Nongying and transmitted her voice, "What just happened? How many Ancient Fey did Jian Zhu kill?"

Could it be that Jian Zhu's results had exceeded her expectations, which resulted in this effect?

"Three." Nongying answered slowly with a voice transmission.

"That result is normal. The fourth Ancient Fey is indeed rather difficult. It's not surprising to not succeed in killing it. What about the others?" Princess White Fox had casually asked, but she never expected Nongying to give her an answer that left her astounded.

Nongying answered, "Sister, Wufeng and I were nothing to talk about, but for Yi Yun, he… also killed the fifth Ancient Fey, just a while ago… "

"Huh!?"

Princess White Fox's eyebrows pricked up. "Yi Yun killed the fifth Ancient Fey?"

"Yeah… he was faster than you... Actually… he only used one move, instantly killing the fifth Ancient Fey. Besides that… " When Nongying reached this point, she revealed a wry smile, "What he killed was the Nine-tailed White Fox that had conjured its Nine-tailed Domain… "

The Nine-tailed White Fox that had conjured its domain? An instant kill with one move?

Princess White Fox was completely flabbergasted. She looked at Yi Yun in disbelief. Her cherry-shaped lips opened slightly, and they did not close for a long period of time.

True Martial World - Chapter 913: 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence

With his two minutes of resting time over, the scene in front of Yi Yun was still the deep blue sky and endless clouds.

"Choose your opponent!" The emotionless voice of the array resounded in Yi Yun's ear.

Yi Yun took a deep breath.

"I choose the… Nine-tailed White Fox!"

Boom!

The clouds opened up as the gigantic head of the White Fox emerged from the clouds. Its pair of black eyes were cold and emotionless as they reflected Yi Yun's face.

At the moment the fifth Ancient Fey — the Nine-tailed White Fox whose strength escalated once again — appeared, it was like it had become the only thing that existed in this world.

The turbulent aura from its body was like roaring waves, hitting Yi Yun's body and mind.

Yi Yun clenched the long sword in his hand. This was his final battle in the Fey Refining Rock array!

"Why is Yi Yun's opponent still my White Fox clan's ancestor?" Bai Yueqing frowned slightly.

As the Nine-tailed White Fox was the White Fox clan's totem, Bai Yueqing found it uncomfortable for it to be used as an opponent in the Fey Refining Rock array. Previously, Bai Yueqing was questioning if the Ancient Fey that Yi Yun had slain was too weak, resulting in Elder Shi changing the Ranyi Fish to the Nine-tailed White Fox. Bai Yueqing could only blame himself. Why did he have to shoot his mouth? But now… it was happening again?

Bai Yueqing looked at Elder Duanmu, but Elder Duanmu threw up his hands and said, "Don't look at me. Yi Yun chose the Nine-tailed White Fox himself. It has nothing to do with me."

Yi Yun chose it?

Bai Yueqing faltered for a moment. He did not choose a weak Ancient Fey, but he ended up choosing the powerful Nine-tailed White Fox? Did Yi Yun find it insufferable enough? Although Yi Yun had won the previous battle, it was a Pyrrhic victory. If he were fighting the Ranyi Fish, how could he have expended that much energy?

"Your Highness, it might have something to do with Yi Yun knowing that it's impossible for him to kill the fifth Ancient Fey, so he's going for broke. By choosing the Nine-tailed White Fox, it might look better even if he were to lose." Someone from the White Fox clan said.

But Bai Yueqing harrumphed.

"Even if he knows he will lose, choosing a weaker one will reduce his suffering. Unless he plans to admit defeat straight away... If not, once the battle begins, he might be severely injured by the Nine-tailed White Fox and it might even affect his future cultivation." Bai Yueqing said lightly.

On the contrary, he was hoping that Yi Yun would not be defeated too early. That would be too boring.

"That punk! For him to dare choose the Nine-tailed White Fox as his fifth Ancient Fey, he really doesn't know how the word death is written."

Bai Yueqing slowly opened his hand fan, seemingly restoring his usual calm composure. After all, in the projection scene to the side, Bai Yueqing had seen the hope of Princess White Fox slaying the fifth Fey dragon. Even if she failed, she was able to severely injure the fifth Fey dragon at least. The gap between Princess White Fox and Yi Yun would still be large. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Just as Bai Yueqing was thinking this, he noticed Yi Yun, who was in the middle of the dark blue sky, wave his hand, discarding rows of flying sabers.

The shiny flying sabers shimmered with fearsome cold beams, but they were discarded just like that.

"Splash! Splash!"

As the flying sabers dropped into the sea, they stirred up tiny ripples but those quickly disappeared.

"He even discarded his sabers?"

Bai Yueqing was stunned. Yi Yun had lost more than a hundred flying sabers in the fourth battle, and logically speaking, he should have requested for the corresponding number of flying sabers to mend the saber array from the Fey Refining Rock array. But now, he had even discarded the remaining flying sabers?

"Is Yi Yun planning on throwing in the towel?" A White Fox disciple said.

Bai Yueqing frowned and said, "That punk sure is crafty. With his stamina weakened, he will directly admit defeat. Although this can prevent risk of severe injuries, it will weaken his martial resolve. His martial resolve will lack the warrior's courage against all odds and an indomitable momentum!"

Bai Yueqing was feeling extremely upset. Yi Yun had just shown off a moment ago, but now by admitting defeat, he could retire after winning some merit. All the benefits were his!

Furthermore, if Yi Yun was planning to admit defeat, what did he summon the Nine-tailed White Fox for? Was he teasing him?

Just as Bai Yueqing was having such thoughts, he suddenly saw a cold glimmer appear in Yi Yun's palm.

Those are… flying sabers!?

"Cha! Cha! Cha!"

Yi Yun stretched his hand out as flying sabers shot out from Yi Yun's body as they floated midair, with their tips pointing in every direction.

There was an estimated hundred sabers.

He did not discard all of them?

What was going on? Yi Yun had 800 flying sabers, and he had deliberately discarded about 700, leaving a hundred behind. What was he planning to do?

A typical saber array would be flawed at the moment it lacked a single saber. But now, there was less than 10% of Yi Yun's saber array left. How was this even usable!?

Just as people were feeling perplexed, the Nine-tailed White Fox roared and attacked Yi Yun!

The Nine-tailed White Fox would not wait for Yi Yun.

At the moment that the Nine-tailed White Fox attacked, a halo expanded around its body. The surrounding space was distorted by the divine light.

It was a domain again!

The Nine-tailed White Fox was conjuring its domain!

This was the domain of the fifth Nine-tailed White Fox, a domain that was on a completely different level to the fourth Nine-tailed White Fox's. Yi Yun had expended 30% of his stamina and his all in order to crack the Nine-tailed Domain. It was nearly impossible for him to crack a stronger domain this time!

The domain expanded and enveloped Yi Yun. Once he was devoured by the domain, the outcome was decided!

At that moment, no one knew what Yi Yun was planning to do. He did not dodge the domain, nor did he throw in the towel.

"Boom!"

In an instant, Yi Yun's Yuan Qi suddenly burst out, like it was a torrential flood that surged in all directions.

People could sense that Yi Yun's energy was rapidly being depleted!

The remaining 70% of Yuan Qi was sucked out in a split second till almost nothing was left, as all of it surged towards —

The hundred flying sabers in front of him!

The hundred flying sabers were injected with immense energy as their bodies began to hum and vibrate, as though they were about to explode!

Yi Yun held his hands together as the hundred flying sabers flew towards Yi Yun's body. At that moment, they were gathered around him, and mysterious runes emerged on the saber blades. These runes were dark and moving in and out of existence. As though no matter how one focused on them, it was impossible to see the runic patterns on the runes!

A hundred flying sabers merged as one, forming a circular shaped saber array that spun at a rapid rate.

Yi Yun used all his energy to push the circular saber array out!

Weng!

Space seemed to tear apart as the saber array smashed towards the Nine-tailed White Fox's gigantic head!

The Nine-tailed Domain had already been conjured. Inside the Nine-tailed Domain, as long as the domain was not taken down, the Nine-tailed White Fox would nearly be invincible!

The Nine-tailed White Fox roared as it sent a claw at the flying sabers. The spinning saber array was clearly reflected in its black pupils.

"Peng!"

With an explosion, the saber array shattered along with the noise!

The hundred flying sabers shattered under the powerful explosion!

Upon seeing this scene, everyone held their breaths. It was over!? That was a strike that drained Yi Yun of his remaining 70% energy?

In a thousandth of the time that it took to blink, the thought that just aroused to which they did not even have time to react, they saw that faint black runic lines were left behind where the shattered saber array was.

The saber array had been broken, but the mysterious runes augmented on the blades were left behind?

The runes, when aligned together, were still in the shape of a circular disk. It looked like a gigantic wheel!

The wheel was revolving. Despite the fierce collision, its rotation speed became uncannily slow, as though time had come to a standstill.

"Aw—"

The Nine-tailed White Fox let out a scream as it clawed at the wheel, but the moment its claw touched the wheel, its claw was torn apart by the slowly revolving wheel!

Flesh and bone separated as blood splattered everywhere!

The Nine-tailed White Fox screamed. The look of fear finally flashed in the depths of its cold and emotionless black pupils. It wanted to retreat, but the black wheel seemed to traverse across space and time, appearing right in front of the Nine-tailed White Fox's body.

"Wo! Wo! Wo!"

As though a spatial black hole had formed inside the Nine-tailed White Fox's body, the Nine-tailed White Fox, which had merged as one with the Nine-tailed Domain, had its body minced by the spatial black hole. Its innards burst as blood sprayed everywhere!

The Nine-tailed Domain began to tremble violently. It was on the verge of collapse!

"Boom!"

The Nine-tailed Domain exploded, while the Nine-tailed White Fox's body was torn apart. Minced meat mixed with fresh blood flew in every direction.

Yi Yun, who had completely exhausted himself, was sent flying back from the blast. His body was covered by the fox's blood and minced meat. It was like he had crawled out of Shura Hell.

Boom!

Yi Yun fell into the sea. The sea had been dyed red. His last bit of energy was only sufficient to ensure that his body floated on the surface, or he would have sunk.

He floated on the surface of the sea in a sprawl, welcoming the sensations of the red rain — the blood of the Nine-tailed White Fox — that bombarded him.

Pada! Pada! The blood that was still warm had a special feeling when it hit his face.

It was over!

The fifth battle was also Yi Yun's final fight. The moment the battle began, Yi Yun used his trump card.

As with the remaining Yuan Qi he had left, Yi Yun was only able to barely summon the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence. If he had used any other move before summoning the 10000 Demon Wheel of Existence, it would make it difficult for him to have any more Yuan Qi left to continue on.

And it was because of this, Yi Yun did not even have the strength to move his fingers after that one strike.

He looked to be in like he was a sorry state, but outside the Fey Refining Rock array, the scene of him weakly floating above the red sea surface was forever engraved in the minds of the crowd. Even many years later, after some of these young elites had achieved greatness, they still found it difficult to forget this scene —

The youth that used flying sabers had used a hundred flying sabers that were remnants of a whole to kill the fifth Nine-tailed White Fox that appeared in the Fey Refining Rock array in a near-impossible situation.

How did he do it?

There was total silence. Even Elder Duanmu and Elder Shi stared at the projection with their mouths agape. There was no reaction to what had just happened.

And beside Yi Yun's projection, where Princess White Fox was fighting, it was already at its most intense moment. However, no one was paying any attention to her, like they had forgotten about her.

In their vision, there was only Yi Yun, who was facing the sky while he bathed in the rain of blood.

Regardless of how intense Princess White Fox's battle was, it was not as shocking as Yi Yun's instant kill!

Yes, an instant kill. Against Yi Yun, the fifth Ancient Fey, which was so powerful that it made one lack the courage to resist, was… instantly killed!

True Martial World - Chapter 912: Sea of Lightning

"The Nine-tailed Domain has been cracked by Yi Yun!?"

Seeing the White Fox blood that rained down from the sky, the White Fox disciples gasped. The Nine-tailed White Fox was their species' totem. They would occasionally see the Nine-tailed White Fox's phantom image only during their White Fox clan worshiping rituals. To the White Fox clan, the Nine-tailed White Fox was a paramount existence. Now, it had been slain by Yi Yun!

Furthermore, it was the Nine-tailed White Fox that had conjured its Nine-tailed Domain, becoming one with it.

Yi Yun had cracked the domain and he had slain the White Fox. At that moment, Yi Yun had more than 800 flying sabers flying around him, with a great deal of flying saber fragments as well. His entire body was dyed red by the fox's blood, while he gripped his sword tightly in his hand. The sticky blood dripped down his cut face. His brows resembled sharp swords, and his eyes were bright like the morning star. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

He was a warrior that came from the lower realm, and he was younger than most people present. Yet, with his cultivation level at the early stages of the Heaven Ascension realm, he was catching up to Princess Xue'er, who the White Fox clan had nurtured with full dedication. Even though he had yet to match her, he was already at the pinnacle of what a genius was!

Every matter had its pinnacle, and the moment’s pinnacle was undoubtedly Yi Yun's.

He was, in his heyday, a young hero. With a three-foot sword, he slew everything!

The White Fox disciples present did not even speak. Bai Yueqing gripped his fan, as though he wished to shatter the fan.

As for the Luo clan disciples, they were extremely excited. After all, Yi Yun and them were considered to be clansmen. When they were against something foreign, the Luo clan would still be rather united.

"Junior Brother Yi is too powerful!"

"That's right. After the Luo Divine Hall trials end, Junior Brother Yi's reputation will definitely spread throughout the royal capital. When the time comes, his fame might be matchless. Probably many large factions will throw olive branches at Junior Brother Yi, and some powerful family clans might even want to betroth their daughters to Junior Brother Yi!"

As the Luo clan disciples spoke of this, many of them were feeling envious. Such a life was truly something to yearn for!

"Senior Brother, what was that about… ?"

Elder Duanmu looked at the speechless Elder Shi, who was still staring blankly at Yi Yun’s projection screen.

He had just arrogantly commented on Yi Yun's battle on account of his seniority. He was certain that Yi Yun would not find a way to crack the domain, but in a blink of an eye, the Nine-tailed Domain had been shattered.

Elder Shi was at a loss for words. He found it fortuitous that he had made the judgment through a voice transmission with Elder Duanmu, and he had not said so publicly. If not, his old face would probably not be able to withstand such a blow.

"I don't know as well. That punk has truly exceeded my expectations." The corner of Elder Shi's lips twitched as the wrinkles on his face heaved. He believed that he was well-read, but he truly could not understand what had happened. This was the first time that it had happened in his long tenure as guardian of the Luo Divine Hall.

"It's truly odd. I've seen so many geniuses, Luo clan geniuses, who have gone further in the Fey Refining Rock array than Princess White Fox and they were also younger than Yi Yun. I have even guided a few of them, but for me to be completely wrong, to the point of not even understanding what had happened, it's truly a first." Elder Shi murmured.

Elder Duanmu said, "Indeed, it's true that there were others who were more talented than Yi Yun in the Luo clan's history. But when it comes to the person with the fastest improvement, Yi Yun is probably ranked first. Senior Brother, for Yi Yun to come this far, could it be that he had truly gained insights from that mysterious Fey God Stone?"

"About that… " Elder Shi felt as though his heart nearly skipped a beat.

That's impossible!

While the two Elders were engaged in a voice transmission conversation, the White Fox clan and Luo clan disciples had similar thoughts.

What did Yi Yun comprehend over the past seven years? From the looks of it, it was definitely not as simple as the awakening of his Sword of Will!

But thankfully, Yi Yun's absurdity had its limits.

Yi Yun may have slain the fourth Ancient Fey in battle, but his Yuan Qi had dropped significantly. It was already less than 70%.

With his Yuan Qi decreasing so drastically, he clearly lacked the strength to battle the fifth Ancient Fey any further.

"During his battle with the fourth Ancient Fey, Yi Yun had pulled out all the stops. Even if he still had 100% of his stamina, it would be difficult for him to beat the fifth Ancient Fey, not to mention that he has less than 70% of his stamina left now."

"That's right, even a tiny drop in stamina would result in his attacks being less sharp than before. For Yi Yun's stamina to drop below 70%, it means that he fought too desperately. Now, against the fifth Ancient Fey, Yi Yun's offensive and defensive power would only be 70% of the amount that he had while he was battling the fourth Ancient Fey. As for the fifth Ancient Fey, its strength is several times stronger than the fourth Ancient Fey. As a result of this, he will probably last for a brief moment before being defeated."

As people began having such thoughts, they saw the Nine-tailed White Fox's corpse disappear. Even the fox blood that had dyed Yi Yun's body had disappeared as well.

Yi Yun had two minutes to meditate and regulate his breathing, but the amount that he could recover in two minutes was completely trivial when it came to fighting the fifth Ancient Fey.

Just as people came to this realization, a Luo clan disciple suddenly shouted, "Look at Princess White Fox!"

Oh!?

Everyone looked over towards the projection on the side. The scene had zoomed out. The dark blue sky had already turned into a bluish-purple sea of… lightning!

Princess White Fox stepped through the void as her silver hair flared upwards, like she was a goddess descending onto the world.

As though she was fated to rule over heavenly armies, she pointed her sword towards the sky. Thousands of divine lightning bolts were invoked by Princess White Fox's sword!

Countless lightning bolts gathered around her until they took up a substantial form. A sword that seemed to make up of thousands of lightning bolts cleaved down on the Fey dragon!

Some of the power surged out of the Fey Refining Rock array's projection. It was nearly suffocating to the elites present. It was too terrifying!

They knew that Princess Xue'er had a Body of Lightning Spirit. She was extremely well-versed in lightning laws. But before this, Princess Xue'er did not use much of her lightning laws.

That also meant that Princess White Fox was conserving her strength from the very beginning. Even against the fourth Fey dragon, Princess White Fox did not use her full strength. Instead, she used a battle strategy that conserved the most amount of Yuan Qi, in preparation for the fifth battle!

Right from the beginning, Princess White Fox had already treated the fifth battle as a goal! Now, she was expending all her Yuan Qi without any reservations so she could use all of her strength!

In that case, Princess White Fox… might even be able to defeat the fifth Ancient Fey!

Upon realizing this, the White Fox disciples turned excited.

Defeat the fifth Ancient Fey? It was exciting just thinking about it!

"Princess, you're invincible!" A White Fox clan youth, who worshiped Princess Xue'er, could not help but shout. His eyes were filled with an agitated glimmer!

In the mortal world, there were actors that were idolized by others or worshiped to the point of madness, so what was the warrior's world like? Martial arts was not acting, but it is the fundamental foundation of a warrior's world. Who was she? A perfect proud daughter of heaven, a princess who had excellent talent. She was outstanding in every way. There was probably members of the White Fox clan who were willing to die for her.

The battle was more intense than ever! In Princess White Fox's exhilarating battle with the Fey dragon, she could go about it without worries. There was no need for her to conserve her stamina as well. She could go all out.

For such a fantastic and interesting battle, even the Luo clan disciples could not help but shower praises on her. Furthermore, they were infected by Princess White Fox's lofty and mighty appearance. They could not help but cheer for her!

This was the pinnacle of one's life. If it was said that every matter had its pinnacle, now was the pinnacle that belonged to Princess White Fox. This pinnacle had even exceeded Yi Yun's!

"The Fey dragon has been injured! And it doesn't look light! Princess White Fox has managed to severely injure the fifth Fey dragon!"

"The intense battle has lasted for ninety seconds. What terrifying endurance. Princess White Fox's bloodline is truly powerful. Despite going through four battles, Princess White Fox is still able to conserve so much of her stamina."

The ninety-second battle made everyone hold their breaths. At that moment, a Luo clan disciple suddenly said, "Junior Brother Yi's meditation is over. He is about to challenge the fifth Ancient Fey as well!"

The Luo clan disciple, who spoke, sounded slightly agitated. But compared to Princess White Fox's all out battle with the fifth Fey dragon, there were fewer people who paid attention to Yi Yun.

Only when the Luo clan disciple spoke did others look over. Indeed Yi Yun had already stood up from his meditation and he floated upwards.