True Martial World - Chapter 1025: Plains of Despair

The divine tree of the Azure Wood Great World had been planted eons ago, and it had existed for an unknown period of time before the world it resided in was born. It was a tree that held up the fate of the Azure Wood Great World, but such a divine tree was being chopped at by a terrifying giant?

"Hmph! The divine tree has lived for hundreds of millions of years. Although the giant is mighty, it's wishful thinking if it's attempting to chop down the divine tree!" Granny Yin said through gritted teeth. In her mind, the divine tree was a god that was absolutely indestructible.

However, Yi Yun begged to differ. Every cleave the bronze giant produced was earth-shattering so the divine tree was likely to be damaged even if it was not felled.

What sort of existence was the bronze giant? Why was it so terrifying?

"The divine tree is indeed like a god, but even a true god is unlikely to be indestructible. I wonder if the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree has anything to do with the collapse of the Azure Wood Great World."

Yi Yun's remark left Granny Yin, who was simmering in killing intent, startled.

The collapse of the Azure Wood Great World had something to do with the chopping of the divine tree?

On careful thought, although the Azure Wood Great World had existed for eons, there were many worlds that had survived longer than the Azure Wood Great World. These worlds did not necessarily have a tree that held them up; but now, the Azure Wood Great World which had the divine tree rooted in it was collapsing at a faster rate than those worlds.

After this thought came to Granny Yin's mind, it felt like a specter haunting her. She had spent her entire life in the Azure Wood Manor and she had subconsciously believed that the divine tree was indestructible. This had made her automatically neglect such a possibility.

Could the Azure Wood Great World's collapse be explained by the bronze giant's chopping of the divine tree?

"Granny, what do we do?"

Yue Yingsha had clearly come to the same conclusion as well. She felt a deep sense of helplessness when facing the bronze giant. What could she do in front of such an existence?

Even if the Divine Lord, Yue Ziya, was alive, what he could do was likely limited as well, let alone her.

Yue Yingsha and Granny Yin were astonished the moment Yi Yun said, "I might have…seen this bronze giant before."

"You have seen it before?"

"It shouldn't be the same person, but someone from the same race. I've once seen a phantom image of a bronze giant in a ruin."

Back when Yi Yun entered the Pure Yang Sword Palace, he had witnessed its owner slash out a strike that cleaved off a corner of a world and simultaneously, the head of a bronze giant!

That scene had left an unforgettable impression on Yi Yun. However, a phantom image was nothing more than a phantom image. It was definitely different from seeing a bronze giant standing in front of him.

"What ruin?" Granny Yin asked quickly. By concealing information of the Pure Yang Sword Palace, Yi Yun told them a partial story of entering a dilapidated world and how he had witnessed the scene of a bronze giant being slain.

Granny Yin was somewhat disappointed after hearing his depiction because it was information that could hardly be analyzed to be of any value.

"Oh? That is…"

Yi Yun's heart leaped as he saw the chains wrapped around the bronze giant suddenly tighten!

"Clang!"

The chains blared as they tugged at the bronze giant's flesh. One end of the chains was lodged deep within the bronze giant's body.

The bronze giant revealed a grimacing look as all its veins bulged, as though bronze fluid was being injected into its muscles, swelling them up.

"Puah! Puah! Puah!"

Dozens of black fountains surged to the sky as they converged from every corner of the lands toward the bronze giant that resembled a whale sucking in water. Finally, countless small vortices appeared in the void as they were absorbed by the bronze giant's pores.

After absorbing all of the liquid from the black fountains, the bronze giant seemed to calm down greatly. The dozens of chains that restrained the bronze giant also began to slack.

"It's the water of the River Styx..."

Yi Yun could clearly tell that the black river, called River Styx by Granny Yin, covered the plains. It had previously devoured Marquis Wu Yun and the Immortal Rain Sect separatists. Although Marquis Wu Yun and company were rather powerful, they had been swallowed by the water of the River Styx, reducing their flesh and blood to withered bone.

"It's indeed the River Styx. The rivers are scattered all across the plains and every tributary of the River Styx would form a land that spells certain doom. Now, every trace of it is being absorbed by the bronze giant."

Granny Yin recalled of the countless white bones that bobbed in the black waters of the river and felt a baffling chill. Could those white bones be the remains of living creatures that had their flesh and bone consumed after they drowned in the black river?

"Successor," said Granny Yin with a grave expression. "I have a feeling that the bronze giant is imprisoned here by those chains. In order to escape those chains, it has devoured every living creature that has entered the Door to the 33 Skies through the use of the black river's waters!"

"Oh!?" Yue Yingsha's heart palpitated. After hearing Granny Yin's words, she made the connections with the records in canon and realized that it was not impossible.

Countless people had died in the Door to the 33 Skies, but if one thought about it, the ways they died ranged from having their flesh dissolve or bones melt, through decaying into ash, to having their bodies corrode. The ways they died had a common point. They were left without remains.

If it was conjectured that the final outcome of the flesh and blood of dead warriors in the Door to the 33 Skies was for them to be consumed by the bronze giant, then everything seemed to make complete sense.

This conjecture sounded sensational that even Yi Yun felt a sense of dreaded fear when he heard it.

"Successor, we might be in big trouble. This piece of land that was enveloped by the gray fog yesterday might be the most dangerous area in the Door to the 33 Skies. It might be very difficult to exit the moment we entered. If not, Ancestor Master from hundreds of millions of years ago would not have left his tombstone behind on this piece of land. That's because he knew he faced certain doom…"

A Divine Lord of the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven was almighty but had resigned himself to fate by believing that his days were numbered and left behind a tombstone. It was evident how terrifying this piece of land was.

Yi Yun took a deep breath when he heard Granny Yin's words. If they were truly in such a situation, the chances of them leaving this place alive was exceedingly slim.

"Kid, what ideas do you have?" Granny Yin suddenly asked Yi Yun. Previously, Yi Yun had led them out of the Blood Desert, making her think of him in a different light. At that moment, all she could do was resort to desperate attempts to save a hopeless situation.

"I don't know," said Yi Yun with a shake of his head. It would be a lie to not be horrified while facing unknown dangers and certain death. "But regardless, let's make an attempt. There might be a chance of survival…"

"Alright, I'll lead the way."

After Granny Yin said that, she immediately walked in front to lead the way. The person walking in front was naturally taking on the greatest risk. Although Granny Yin's cultivation level was the highest, her bit of strength was unlikely to amount to much in this plains of death.

The sun gradually rose, but the weather seemed to turn gloomier. The bronze giant seemed to fade into the fog as it slowly disappeared.

It was unknown when a drizzle began to fall down from the sky. However, the raindrops were black in color, just like the black river's water. It exuded a faint sanguine air to it that was suffocating.

Amidst the rain, a pair of eyes the size of bowls gradually emerged. It stared quietly at the advancing trio, and like an apparition, it began to slowly approach.

True Martial World - Chapter 1024: Giant

What was written on the stone?

Yi Yun wondered. Every inch of the Door to the 33 Skies exuded an air of strangeness. Despite walking in it for so long, he had yet to encounter hints of human or Fey race activity.

"It's text used by the Ten Thousand Fey Empyrean Heaven."

When Yi Yun cautiously came in front of the black stone, he saw a line of text that was written with bold strokes. Although it had been weathered by the elements for an unknown period of time, with portions of it eroded, it still had Dao charms circulating within that ensured that the line of text was not destroyed.

"I'm acutely aware that my days are numbered and I have established my tomb here. To mistakenly enter the Door to the 33 Skies, there is no regret to dying after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons. — Yue Ziya."

The few dozen words left a deep impact on one's soul. Had he established a tomb for himself? Who was Yue Ziya…?

Yi Yun glanced at Granny Yin and noticed her expression looking complicated. The corners of her mouth were twitching as she kowtowed at the tombstone.

"Yue Ziya is the founding ancestor of our Azure Wood Manor. He was also the only Divine Lord that had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies. He entered the Door to the 33 Skies thrice and he failed to exit it on his third. Nothing was heard of him from then on."

When Granny Yin recounted the piece of history, her face was filled with mixed emotions. Hundreds of millions of years had passed, but she had managed to see the tomb and last words of Yue Ziya in the Door to the 33 Skies. How could she not sigh?

"So the Divine Lord died here." Yi Yun had a serious expression. He knew that a Divine Lord had perished in the Door to the 33 Skies, but it was not necessarily a place that was filled with danger. For example, Yi Yun had managed to easily exit the Blood Desert with his energy vision. If a Divine Lord had entered the Blood Desert, his perception of the forces of nature would make it trivial for him to escape the Blood Desert. There might not even be a need for a Divine Lord to fully understand the forces of nature to withstand the laws of the Dao patterns.

But here, Yue Ziya had set up his tomb and said that he knew his days were numbered. He felt no regret for his death after seeing the forces of nature and the powers of gods and demons.

What did Yue Ziya see in his final living moments, and what did he encounter? What made him immediately know that his days were numbered?

Yi Yun suddenly felt a baffling chill.

If a Divine Lord could not survive in here, what about Master?

"Granny, if Ancestor Master perished here, this might actually be a land of great peril…" Yue Yingsha felt a dark cloud veil across her heart. The seemingly lush savanna was actually a hundred times more dangerous than the Blood Desert.

Before Granny Yin could say a word, the sounds of the rubbing metallic chains resounded once again.

The sounds seemed to come from the deepest depths of hell as they assaulted the eardrums. Immediately following the sounds of the chain was a loud boom!

"Boom! Boom!"

The reverberations surged at them and each one of them induced an earthquake!

The world in the Door to the 33 Skies was massive, yet the ground could quake from the sound blasts?

What sort of existence created it?

The reverberations continued blaring, striking straight at the heart. After hearing it a few times, Yi Yun realized that the sounds were resonating with his heart. His heartbeat was influenced by the sound and began to synchronize its beats with the sound. This made Yi Yun's blood and energy turbulent as he felt his chest heavy. It was an extremely unpleasant feeling.

"The sound is terrifying. What is it?" asked Yi Yun while clasping his chest. Granny Yin was fine, but Yue Yingsha was in a worse state than Yi Yun. Her face was pale and blood was seeping out the corners of her mouth. Clearly, the massive sound blasts had injured her when they resonated with her organs.

"Successor, quickly calm down and meditate. I'll be on guard. Let's wait for daybreak!" exhorted Granny Yin. She did not know how long more the sound will continue. She felt that Yue Yingsha was unable to last long against it and she had to be wary of the mysterious eye that was hiding in the fog. She could not be distracted.

Yue Yingsha stopped just as she was about to say something. She knew her bodily condition, so all she could do was close her eyes and meditate. She left everything to Granny Yin.

The night was longer than expected.

The terrifying booms and the rubbing sounds of metallic chains continued on. Occasionally, the fierce roars of ancient beasts were interspersed in it. The roars could instantly reduce a Dao Seed realm warrior to a mist of blood.

All of this gave them the creeps. It was as if there was a terrifying existence chained in the rolling mountains who was trying its best to escape those shackles in this dark and eerie night.

The torturous night depleted Yue Yingsha's Yuan Qi greatly. Even Yi Yun found it extremely unsustainable.

He knew that he had yet to actually encounter danger. It was just sound waves that would have been harmless to figures at the level of Yue Ziya. However, they were sufficient to reduce him to such a sorry state. This made Yi Yun feel a great sense of danger for he was unsure what he would encounter next.

"The fog is dispersing…"

Perhaps it was because daybreak was nearing as the night fog that occluded their vision and prevented their perception from working had mostly vanished. Looking up into the sky, the river of stars were becoming dimmer. In the eastern sky, a blood-red morning sun gradually rose, scattering its luminance that resembled thousands of divine swords.

"Daybreak has finally…finally, come." Yi Yun sighed in relief. Yue Yingsha's expression relaxed in a rare fashion. She had her brows knitted previously with sweat perspiring from her forehead. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

However, before Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha had a chance to say something, they were simultaneously astounded by what they saw into the distance.

Under the blood sun's illumination, Yue Yingsha and Yi Yun saw an alarming scene that they would never forget for life.

They saw in the distant horizon dozens of thick veins as thick as mountains gathered together. Like dragons snatching at a pearl, they twined around and formed a thick divine tree trunk. It stood erect like a heavenly column that reached toward the ends of the Door to the 33 Skies.

And in front of the divine tree stood a bronze giant. The giant seemed to hold up the heavens and his body obstructed the sanguine sun. All the mountains were crushed beneath his feet like sand mounds in a sandpit. The bronze giant held a massive ax in hand while his body was wrapped around by black chains. The end of these chains pierced into the bronze giant's flesh and on the other end, they were buried deep into the ground.

"Boom!"

The bronze giant was brandishing his ax and chopping at the tree root!

Clang!

The chains resonated producing the terrifying sound again. Like the collapsing of mountains and the howling of seas, a massive shockwave ran through the ground as a result of the sound blast with the bronze giant as the epicenter! The blast radiated out for hundreds of kilometers and moments later, a strong squall came rushing at Yi Yun and company.

With a grunt, Yi Yun took several steps back. Even with his Yuan Qi protecting him, he felt as though his eardrums were about to rupture from the sound blast.

Yue Yingsha was in an even worse state. She nearly collapsed after experiencing a night of torment.

What was this?

Yue Yingsha was astounded. There was a giant deep in the Door to the 33 Skies and it was chopping at the Azure Wood Great World's divine tree!

True Martial World - Chapter 1023: River Styx

"Elder Dagu! Master Uncle Mofei! Seize them!" bellowed Seven Plume angrily. He was no longer held back by the possible relationship with the orthodox Azure Wood Manor or the exploration of the Door to the 33 Skies, all he wanted was to vent his anger.

"Seven Plume! I just encountered a land of death which I barely escaped from. Fighting here would be akin to suicide!" Granny Yin guarded Yi Yun and Yue Yingsha with cold daggers shooting from her eyes.

"Hmph, do you think I'll fall for such a feeble excuse?" Seven Plume gave a disdainful scoff. "Granny Yin, I'd have respected you if you had put up a fight, but now, it's only laughable to see your attempts at playing tricks on me. Let's attack them together! Seize them!"

"Haha! My pleasure!" A long howl was heard from behind Seven Plume. It was none other than Marquis Wu Yun. The Immortal Rain Sect disciples from before had been completely wiped out, but Marquis Wu Yun had managed to fortuitously survived.

He hated Yi Yun to the bone and wanted to skin him alive.

"Capture him alive. Don't kill him for I have a use for him!" said Seven Plume again. He was very interested in the array mystic technique that Yi Yun knew. He wanted to know how Yi Yun had managed to walk out of the Blood Desert. If he could grasp such a secret method, it would be a great fortuitous event for him.

"You are courting death!" said an incensed Granny Yin. With the group of people obstructing her path, there was no way to tear through the blockade with the two people she was carrying with her. At that moment, Granny Yin suddenly felt an intense danger behind her.

"Behind! The black river!"

Yi Yun was able to clearly see the scene of the ground splitting apart a thousand feet behind him! The rift valley was encroaching towards them at a terrifying speed like an anaconda. And beneath the valley was a surging black river!

After the river flowed into the Door to the 33 Skies, it was very different from a mouth of a river. It was as if it had a life and a mind of its own while it consumed everything it encountered!

The black river was boiling like black lava. In that split second, Granny Yin bit at her tongue tip without even taking a look. She spewed out a mouthful of blood essence and she did not hesitate to burn it. She ignored the fact that her days were numbered, to begin with.

"Whew!"

Granny Yin transformed into a beam of light and vanished. And at that moment, the members of the Azure Wood Manor were too distracted to stop her. They had also caught sight of the rapidly emanating rift as well as the boiling water of death inside the valley.

"What is that!?"

The sudden turn of events left the Azure Wood Manor separatists in shock. Although they also had an inkling of possible danger, no one was willing to burn their blood essence without determining the actual threat.

But in that moment of hesitation—

"Puah!"

Black water erupted out of the fissure before turning into a mighty black torrent that swept towards the Azure Wood Manor separatists and Marquis Wu Yun!

The black torrent exuded a horrifying force that made even the warriors tremble. They were unable to muster any strength as they were paralyzed with fear.

"Ah!"

Seven Plume was the first person to be hit by the black torrent. He struggled frantically in the black torrent as he issued heart-wrenching screams!

However, everything was meaningless. His flesh and blood were being cleanly corroded by the black torrent and soon, he was reduced to bone.

He had extended his hands that were now only bone, desperately clawing towards the sky to no avail. Eventually, his remains were devoured by the black torrent.

Upon seeing that scene, Marquis Wu Yun was scared out of his wits.

He frantically fled from the path of destruction, but compared to Granny Yin, he had taken that critical step one moment slower. The time of that single step demarcated life and death. The black torrent branched out and wrapped itself around Marquis Wu Yun's feet, dragging him back instantly!

Marquis Wu Yun got mired down by the black torrent. Although he was much stronger than Seven Plume, he was unable to create any miracles in the black torrent. The protective Yuan Qi barrier he conjured was dissolved by the black water before his flesh and blood corroded quickly. In a moment, he had been reduced to bone, sealing his complete death!

Even Marquis Wu Yun had succumbed to such a fate, so it was needless to mention the others. More than ten people from the Azure Wood Manor separatists and the Immortal Rain Sect combined had survived the Blood Desert, but they were nothing in the face of the terrifying black torrent. They failed to put up any form of resistance.

The black torrent seemed to temporarily cease pursuit of Yi Yun and company when it encountered fresh meat. This gave them a chance to finally escape peril.

While Yi Yun was being pulled along by Granny Yin, he had managed to clearly see the situation pan out. Even though he was usually composed, he realized that his back was drenched in sweat.

Granny Yin flew for dozens of kilometers without stopping. The moment she stopped, she was panting and her face was pale. It was demanding on the advanced Granny Yin to burn her blood essence. She looked even older from the intense stress that she was in while fleeing from the dangerous situation.

"Senior, what was that?"

Yi Yun had yet to recover from his fears as well. He was very grateful to Granny Yin. If she had not pulled him along, his low cultivation level might not have been enough for him to escape the onslaught. Furthermore, it was Granny Yin who had warned him of the danger initially.

"In the Azure Wood Manor's canon, there is something called the Styx Whirlpool. It's an unparalleled land of peril. It is situated in many regions of the Door to the 33 Skies, and every encounter with it leads to a tragedy."

Granny Yin managed to catch her breath after consuming eating a pill she took out from a porcelain bottle. An abnormal ruddiness flushed in her old face.

"Styx Whirlpool?" Yi Yun was puzzled. It did not seem like it was an array formation that was formed by the forces of nature. What could it be?

The eye that was hidden in the night fog also gave Yi Yun the shudders.

"We might be in big trouble," said Granny Yin with a worried look. "We flew so far out, yet there is no end to the fog. We might have lost our way."

"Granny, I think it's best we stay put. There are no guarantees on what's lurking in the fog. The chances of us surviving would be slim if we were to encounter the Styx Whirlpool again," said Yue Yingsha. It was equivalent to committing suicide to fumble around blindly without any clear indication of their position. It was best they waited for daybreak.

The night and day within the Door to the 33 Skies was extremely strange. That night was longer than what Yi Yun expected. What was more alarming was the thunderous sound of metal rubbing against metal in the distance within the fog. It sounded like the tightening of massive chains which was accompanied by a low and terrifying roar. The muffled roar did not sound like a beast's but sounded more like a person's if one paid attention.

"Could it be Master and the rest?"

Yi Yun thought to himself. Before the Apocalyptic Fumes stirred, Felicitous Rain Lord and company had headed into the core area of the Azure Wood Great World. Now, they had likely entered the Door to the 33 Skies, but it was unknown what they had encountered.

As for people other than Felicitous Rain Lord and company, they were probably already dead after entering the Door to the 33 Skies.

"Oh? What's that?"

In the darkness, Yue Yingsha's sudden words snapped Yi Yun out of his thoughts. Looking in the direction that Yue Yingsha was pointing in, he saw a black stone.

There were innumerable stones in the Door to the 33 Skies, but that stone was completely different…

Yi Yun could vaguely make out a line of text engraved on the surface of the rock…

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 360: Wall of Pill Formulae

"What's going on?"

Mo Hongyi was on the verge of going insane.

Liu laoshi and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan... Weren't they freaking the same person?

Their students clashed with one another? What was going on?

"You sure are serious in your teaching..."

Sensing the other party's bewilderment, the other teacher immediately filled him in on the details. "A student of Master Teacher Zhang Xuan—if I recall correctly, her name is Zhao Ya—had fought with Liu laoshi's student, Mu Xueqing, because of some unknown reason. It seems that they had clashed once before and today’s fight was the second time they faced one another..."

He quickly recounted the entire matter.

Upon understanding the entire matter, a bizarre expression appeared on Mo Hongyi's face. It seemed as though he was trying his best to hold back his laughter.

For the students under his disguised persona to fight with his original students, not to mention, so vehemently, as though they wouldn't let this matter go unless they do the other party in... Zhang Xuan was probably suffering from a breakdown at this moment.

"What does the principal want from me?"

Mo Hongyi asked.

"The principal wishes to have Zhang shi and Liu laoshi meet one another and settle their grudges. Since you're familiar with Liu laoshi, he hopes that you can persuade him on this matter!" The other teacher said.

"I have to persuade Liu laoshi and Zhang shi... to sit down together and talk it out?" Mo Hongyi's expression became even more bizarre.

You must be joking!

The two of them are the same person! How could Zhang Xuan possibly sit down and talk to himself?

"Alright, I'll look for Liu laoshi and talk to him about this matter. Tell the principal to leave this matter to me..." Suppressing his laughter, Mo Hongyi replied.

Aren't you a genius capable of everything?

Let's see how you'll deal with this...

After conversing for a moment longer, Mo Hongyi started walking towards Zhang Xuan's classroom.

...

"Yuan Tao, where are you going? Why didn't you invite me along?"

As soon as Yuan Tao walked out of his room, a hushed voice sounded. He quickly turned around and saw Zheng Yang grinning a short distance away.

"I..." Yuan Tao hesitated.

"Alright, I know that you're going to cause trouble for that Liu laoshi. Let's go together!"

Zheng Yang rolled his eyes.

"I'm afraid that teacher will blame us after learning about this..." Yuan Tao said.

If Zhang shi were to find out about this, he would probably be in for a beating. Since Yuan Tao was resilient to thrashings, he wasn't afraid of it. However, he was unwilling to pull Zheng Yang down along with him.

"Don't worry, we're brothers after all. How can I allow you to suffer the blame alone?"

Knowing his thoughts, Zheng Yang chuckled. "However, I'm afraid that just the two of us aren't sufficient!"

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. If you wish to poison that Liu laoshi, you will have to sneak into his classroom, right? On top of that, you have to find the container which he stores his water in before you can spike it. You may possess incredible defense, but you're lacking in agility! It's the same for me as well. So, it's impossible for us to do it..."

At which, Zheng Yang smiled, "Unless..."

"Wang Ying?" Yuan Tao immediately understood Zheng Yang's words.

"Indeed. Why don't we invite her along? Given her movement techniques, she'll surely be able to spike Liu laoshi's drink without anyone noticing!" Zheng Yang suggested.

"Alright..."

After giving it some thoughts, Yuan Tao nodded in agreement.

It wasn't too difficult for them to convince Wang Ying. That lady was a weak-willed person so it was normally impossible to convince her to commit such deeds. However, if one was able to grasp her weakness, she was still an easy target.

And this weakness was Zhang laoshi!

In the fight for Zhang laoshi's honor, this Liu laoshi had shamelessly sided with his own student. Even though Wang Ying didn't say anything then, she was actually extremely angry. Upon hearing that they were going to spike his drink, Wang Ying agreed without much hesitation.

After further discussion and refinement of their plan, they trio sneaked out of the residence under the concealment of the night sky and headed towards Tianwu Academy.

Under the veil of the silent night, there weren't too many students walking around the campus and just by asking around for a bit, they were able to find Liu laoshi's classroom easily.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here!"

Pushing the door open slightly, they realized that there was no one in the classroom and their eyes shone in delight.

They thought that Liu laoshi or his students would be here, but to their relief, it was empty.

Zhang Xuan and Mu Xueqing had headed for the Apothecary Guild whereas the other students had left right after they were done cultivating.

Even Lu Chong, who had been training here for the entire day, had already dragged his wearied body back to his dormitory.

At this moment, the classroom was devoid of people.

Entering the classroom, they quickly searched and found the teapot and teacups reserved for the usage of the teacher.

"This is it! Place the poison inside!"

The trio nodded. Yuan Tao took out the jade bottle and poured the powdery content inside.

Overjoyed by how smooth the operation went, the trio was just about to leave when 'jiya', the door to the classroom opened. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Even though they were astonished, they knew that it was too late for them to hide. Thus, they turned around and faced the person at the door.

"Is Liu laoshi in?"

A voice sounded.

"Reporting to teacher, Liu laoshi isn't in..." Upon hearing his question, they immediately realized that it wasn't Liu Cheng or his students and they heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around with a lowered head, Zheng Yang replied to the other party's question.

"He isn't in? When he returns, tell him that Sun Cheng laoshi had visited!" The person outside said.

"Yes..."

Zheng Yang hurriedly nodded.

"Un!" After which, the visitor turned around and left. However, a distance away, he suddenly stopped. Why did those youngsters in the room look so familiar, as though he had met them somewhere before?

"Forget it..." Unable to recall anyone who fit those profiles, he didn't think much of it. Thus, he resumed his steps.

"We should leave now!"

Seeing that they had managed to get away unscathed, Zheng Yang and the others immediately took the opportunity to leave the classroom and dashed back to the residence.

...

Hu!

Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan stretched his back.

It took him an entire afternoon before he managed to duplicate all of the books in the Apothecary Guild into his head.

Having expended much of his mental strength, he was exhausted.

"Pure Yin Body!"

With a thought, dozens of books immediately appeared before him.

He casually flipped them open.

Quickly browsing through them, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Indeed, there were records on the Pure Yin Body in them.

"Grade-4 Frigid Yin Pill is extremely effective in the awakening of Pure Yin Body..."

"Frigid Yin Pill?"

Reading through all of the books on the Pure Yin Body, only two of them contained content regarding the awakening of the constitution. Both of them mentioned the Frigid Yin Pill.

"Frigid Yin Pill, a grade-4 pill, forged with medicinal herbs of extremely cold attribute. It is an extremely valuable pill..."

The content of the book was verified by the Library of Heaven's Path, so Zhang Xuan was certain that the pill was useful for the awakening of the Pure Yin Body. However, it wasn’t long before another dilemma struck him.

There were no 4-star apothecaries in Tianwu Kingdom, and naturally, there were no grade-4 pills either. Thus, the only way to obtain the pill was to purchase it from the headquarter.

Moreover, it was highly probable that it would take several days for the pill to be delivered here, just like when Zhang Xuan ordered the Unravel Yin Pill from Tianxuan Kingdom. However, Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing's duel was in three days' time. It was impossible for the pill to arrive in time.

More importantly... A grade-3 pill was already sufficient to send him into bankruptcy, a grade-4 pill was bound to be worse. It was probably impossible for Zhang Xuan to afford it.

"If I have the pill formula, I may be able to guide someone to forge it..."

A thought appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.

He might be incapable of forging pills, but he could guide someone to do so. However, the prerequisite for that was that he had to have the pill formula. Otherwise, given the countless medicinal herbs in the world, he would be dead before he could find the formula for it on his own...

"The pill formula for the Frigid Yin Pill!"

With a flick of his mental consciousness, he swiftly looked through the contents in the Library of Heaven's Path, but soon, his face fell.

Despite the innumerable books in the Tianwu Kingdom's Apothecary Guild, there weren't any books that recorded the formula for this pill.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t long before Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

The Frigid Yin Pill was a grade-4 pill while the most capable apothecary in this guild was a 3-star. Thus, how could such an advanced formula be in the library?

"Without the formula, I'll be unable to forget the pill... What should I do?"

Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

After all, he couldn't just help Mu Xueqing and neglect Zhao Ya.

In this case, it wouldn't be a duel, but a one-sided battle.

"Forget it, I'll ask about it later!"

By the time Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, the sky had already darkened.

"Liu laoshi!"

Apothecary Mu rushed forward to greet Zhang Xuan.

The other party was working diligently for the sake of his own daughter, skipping his meals and studying for long hours. This had made him extremely grateful to the other party.

"Apothecary Mu, is there anyone in our guild who possess grade-4 pill formulae?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

Even though there was no grade-4 pill formula in the books in the library, some of the apothecaries might have it in their private stash.

"Grade-4 pill formulae?" Apothecary Mu shook his head. "Our guild doesn't have any pill formula of this level. However, if you wish, it's possible to apply for it from the headquarter!"

"Apply from the headquarter?"

Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly. "Then, wouldn't it take at least half a month before the pill formula arrives?"

He knew that the headquarter would surely have the pill formula, but the travel time, to and fro, from the closest Conferred Kingdom, Xuanyuan Kingdom, to Tianwu Kingdom, was at least half a month. Even if he were to apply for it right now, it would be impossible for the pill formula to arrive on time.

"Half a month? There's no need for that! If it's a pill, a tangible object, it'll have to take at least half a month... However, the pill formula will appear on the Wall of Pill Formulae straight!" Apothecary Mu smiled.

"Wall of Pill Formulae?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Indeed. Similar to the Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Guild, the Wall of Pill Formulae is connected to the headquarter. Through the Wall of Pill Formulae, apothecaries who have reached a certain rank can pay a price to request for a pill formula which grade isn't too far beyond their rank or knowledge!"

Apothecary Mu explained.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan immediately looked up related information among the books in the Library of Heaven's Path.

Just like what the other party said, the Wall of Pill Formulae was similar to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild. It was connected to the headquarter and as long as one was able to pay the price, one could request for a pill formula or information from the headquarter.

However, to make use of the Wall of Pill Formulae, one must at least reach the level of a 3-star apothecary.

Apothecary Mu was only at 2-star pinnacle, so he didn't have the right to use the Wall of Pill Formulae.

"If that’s the case, do I have to take the 3-star apothecary examination?"

Zhang Xuan hesitated.

He wasn't too worried about taking the apothecary examination, but everyone knew that Zhang shi's pill forging was incredible and he would surely attract the suspicion of others if he were to do so.

"How many 3-star apothecaries are there in the guild?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

"Initially, our guild leader was the only 3-star apothecary. However, some time back, Apothecary Hong Yun managed to achieve a breakthrough and became a 3-star apothecary as well. The others are all 2-star pinnacle just like me, a step away from reaching 3-star. Thus... only the two of them have the qualifications to make a request on the Wall of Pill Formulae."

At this, Apothecary Mu glanced at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. "Does Liu laoshi require a grade-4 pill formula? However... even if we were to obtain the pill formula, it will be for naught if we can't forge it!"

"Apothecary Hong Yun? Where is he? Bring me to him!"

Upon hearing Apothecary Hong Yun's name, Zhang Xuan's eyes immediately lit up.

This fellow was the arrogant fellow who delivered the Unravel Yin Pill to him back in Tianxuan Kingdom. They had also met while he was the taking the master teacher examination.

Upon Apothecary Mu's reminder, he suddenly recalled that the latter had indeed reached the level of a 3-star apothecary.

Since he was able to make a request on the Wall of Pill Formulae, Zhang Xuan could totally engage his help. This way, he could avoid taking the 3-star apothecary examination, as well as attracting unneeded trouble.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 359: Apothecary Mu

"That's great!"

Chuckling happily, Yuan Tao received it eagerly and kept it in his embrace.

"We'll be taking our leave then!"

Since Zhang shi wasn't around, there was no point for the Great Herb King and Butler Lu to stay here. Therefore, they bided their farewell and left.

After the duo left, Zheng Yang and the others immediately turned to Yuan Tao.

"What do you want this poison for?"

Poison from the Poison Hall were objects of fear which people normally did not wish to be associated with. Thus, they were unable to comprehend why Yuan Tao would ask for a bottle of it.

"Even though Zhao Ya will duel with that Mu Xueqing once again three days later, I still find it hard to quell the rage I have for Liu laoshi. If I don't get back at him, I won't be able to take it lying!" A savage gleam twinkled in Yuan Tao's eyes.

"You mean that... you wish to use this poison to make him suffer?" Zheng Yang's eyes lit up.

"Indeed! Not only did he break Zhao Ya's sword, he even had us all thrown out. How could he be arrogant? Just because he's stronger than us? I despise this kind of people!"

Yuan Tao gritted his teeth furiously.

He was an orphan and had never feared anyone. Given how vile that Liu laoshi acted, he could not suppress the urge to exact revenge on the other party. Even if he couldn't hurt him, at the very least, he should make him suffer a little for his actions!

"Hehe, I like that idea. Remember to ask me along when the time comes..."

Zheng Yang smiled.

Hearing the scheme of the two, Zhao Ya shook her head.

While she didn't approve of their actions, she didn't try to stop them either.

She didn't think that their actions were right, but in the depths of her heart, she secretly desired to get back at the vile Liu laoshi as well.

...

Oblivious to the malicious intent harbored by his students to do him in, Zhang Xuan was currently sitting in the classroom, staring speechlessly at the unreasonable Elder Bai.

Not only did this fellow barge in suddenly, he even begged Mu Xueqing to admit him as her student, leaving Zhang Xuan in a bewildered state.

You're a respected elder of the academy, yet why in the world do you want to take my student as your teacher? On top of that, to be so brazen about it... What is this?

"Elder Bai, I really cannot be your teacher... The saber art is a creation of my teacher, and without his consent, I cannot impart it to anyone else. Please understand this!"

It took a great deal of effort before Mu Xueqing managed to persuade Elder Bai to leave. Then, with a reddened face, she walked up to Zhang Xuan, "Teacher, I have brought shame to you!"

"The duel is already over. There's no use blaming yourself for it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He was done in by his students, but when he thought about it, both sides were actually fighting for his honor. In a sense, neither side was wrong.

The only mistake was that they met each other and that neither of them was willing to back down.

"I plead for teacher to guide me so that I can become stronger!"

Seeing that her teacher had no intentions of blaming her, Mu Xueqing felt even more embarrassed. Without any hesitation, she kneeled to the floor with determination glowing in her eyes.

"Become stronger?"

"Un!" Mu Xueqing nodded.

"After comprehending Saber Intent, every single movement with your saber can be considered as saber art. In terms of battle technique, you are superior to even Elder Bai, and I've nothing more to teach you in that aspect. As such, there's only one way for you to grow stronger. That is to... raise your cultivation!"

After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Xuan said.

There were two main methods to raise one's fighting prowess; raising one's cultivation and learning a powerful battle technique.

Having learned Heaven's Path Saber Art and comprehended Saber Intent, Mu Xueqing's mastery of battle technique had already reached a high level. Thus, there was only one way left for her to grow stronger.

"Raise my cultivation? Mu Xueqing's face immediately turned bitter.

If it was that easy to raise a person's cultivation, there wouldn't be so little experts in the world.

This was especially so when one had reached Pixue realm. One had to examine every single acupoint carefully before opening it. As such, the opening of each acupoint often required several weeks of studying. In three days... it was unlikely that she could get significantly stronger.

"If it is anyone else, they might not be able to grow much stronger in just three days. However, you're different!"

Seeing the gloom on the other party's face, Zhang Xuan smiled. "You've consumed pills from young, and even though it had accumulated pill poison in your body, some medicinal energy had also been stored within you. If this medicinal energy can be triggered through some unique method, it won't be difficult for your cultivation to rise swiftly!"

Zhang Xuan said.

On the way here, Zhang Xuan had already thought about how he could raise Mu Xueqing's strength.

Mu Xueqing had been consuming pills from young. Just like fats in the body, a huge reserve of medicinal energy which she was unable to digest had settled inside her body.

If this medicinal energy reserve could be triggered, her cultivation would surely be able to rise swiftly.

"This... teacher... is able to do so?"

Mu Xueqing was taken aback.

Even though her teacher had phrased the matter simply, having come from a family with an apothecary background, she knew the difficulty of the matter.

Needless to say her father, even the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild would be incapable of this feat. The powerful medicinal energy of a pill was somewhat similar to fats whereby there was a limit to how much medicinal energy a human body can absorb each time. After which, the excess would settle down and be stored in parts of the body.

Under normal circumstances, this accumulated energy would slowly dissolve as one's cultivation was raised. However, the process would take several decades.

To trigger the medicinal energy that had settled in her body in just three days to achieve a breakthrough in her cultivation... How was that possible?

"I am capable of it. However, you'll have to prepare some things in advance!"

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment.

The medicinal energy would hide in different locations depending on a cultivator's physical constitution and cultivation technique. Thus, it would be impossible for anyone else to locate them and trigger them. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, he could see the locations of these medicinal energy deposits clearly.

After pinpointing them, all he had to do was to trigger them with his pure Heaven's Path zhenqi and transform them into a source for energy to raise Mu Xueqing's cultivation.

However, if so much energy were to be released at once, it would be like the fierce torrents from a floodgate that had been opened. If it was Lu Chong, given his mental fortitude, he would surely be able to tide through the agony. However, the same could not be said about Mu Xueqing.

Being born in a good family that provided her with large amounts of external support, giving her a significant head-start, she wasn’t as motivated as others in her cultivation. Moreover, if she were to fail to endure this torrent of energy, it would be one thing to miss the good opportunity but she might even suffer severe irreparable internal injuries.

Thus, some preparation had to be made beforehand. She would have to nourish and increase her endurance level with some medicinal solution.

"Condition your body and wait for me here. I'll take a short trip to the Apothecary Guild!"

After a short moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan instructed.

The kind of medicinal solution required was similar to the one he previously gave Wang Ying and only the Apothecary Guild would possess such material.

"The Apothecary Guild? Teacher, why don't I go with you? My father is a 2-star apothecary. He'll surely be able to provide some help with whatever requests you have!" Mu Xueqing added hurriedly.

"Alright!"

Hesitating slightly, Zhang Xuan nodded.

The person he was currently impersonating, Liu Cheng, wasn’t an apothecary so it might be inconvenient for him to get what he wanted there. However, with the assistance of an apothecary, he could be spared a lot of trouble.

Exiting the mini tutoring classroom, Zhang Xuan proceeded to guide Meng Tao and the others on their cultivation before checking on Lu Chong's progress. This Lu Chong was truly tenacious in his training. He had already undergone the poison tempering three times. Although the pain he suffered was excruciating, he had managed to hang on, and thus managed to reap rewards that were proportionate to his suffering.

With his current state of cultivation, Lu Chong was in no way inferior to a Tongxuan realm primary stage expert.

It seemed like defeating a Tongxuan real pinnacle expert wouldn’t be a problem as long as he persevered a few more times.

After settling all of these matters, Zhang Xuan, along with Mu Xueqing, headed straight for the Apothecary Guild.

The Apothecary Guild wasn't too far away from the academy, and the duo soon arrived at its entrance in an hour's time.

Tianwu Kingdom's Apothecary Guild was much more imposing and grand than Tianxuan Kingdom's.

Mu Xueqing seemed to have been here often as she maneuvered expertly around the guild to find her father, Apothecary Mu.

"Thank you, Guild Leader Liu, for resolving my daughter's pill poison issue..."

After receiving news that Liu laoshi was here, how could Apothecary Mu remain idle? He immediately rushed forward to welcome him.

He might be a 2-star apothecary, but the person he was facing was the guild leader of the Physician Guild. On top of that, he solved his daughter's problem and imparted her an incredible battle technique. Grateful to the other party, he greeted Zhang Xuan warmly and respectfully.

"My daughter told me that Liu laoshi intends to trigger the medicinal energy accumulated within her body? If there is anything I can be of assistance, feel free to speak!"

After trading some pleasantries, Apothecary Mu dived into the topic at hand.

Previously when his daughter informed him of Liu laoshi's intentions, he was astounded.

As a 2-star apothecary, he knew how challenging this matter was!

If it was anyone else, he would have surely thought that the other party was bragging. However, the person before him was someone capable of even curing pill poison. Perhaps, he could really accomplish this matter that even the guild leader was incapable of.

"I need a medicinal solution that can reinforce and nourish her internals. The higher the tier of the medicinal solution, the better it is!"

After which, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "Also, I hope to access the library of your guild. I hope that you can make an exception for me!"

With the reinforcement and nourishment of the medicinal solution, the potential harm to her body caused by the overwhelming energy would be minimized. This way, the danger of the matter could be reduced.

As for his request to access the library...

Firstly, he hoped to enhance his knowledge of pill forging. Secondly, he wanted to find a method to help Zhao Ya achieve a breakthrough.

Since both parties had agreed on a duel, Zhang Xuan couldn't possibly just help a single side.

Zhao Ya might not have a huge accumulation of medicinal energy in her body, but she was blessed with the Pure Yin Body. Back then, the Unravel Yin Pill that she consumed only awakened her unique constitution by ten percent. If her unique constitution could be awakened by twenty percent, her cultivation would surely soar once more.

However, the prerequisite to the matter was that Zhang Xuan had to find a way to further awaken the Pure Yin Body.

Since he was able to obtain information on the Unravel Yin Pill back in Tianxuan Kingdom, he might be able to find something similar in this guild too.

"Leave the medicinal solution to me! As for the library... Typically speaking, only official apothecaries are allowed to enter. However, Liu laoshi is a formidable physician, and there are many points of similarity between physicians and apothecaries. On top of that, you are helping my daughter to trigger her medicinal energy... I will check back with the guild leader on this matter, and perhaps he might be willing to make an exception!"

After hesitating for a moment, Apothecary Mu said.

Under normal circumstances, a guild's library was only accessible to the members of the occupation. Outsiders had no rights to browse through them.

However, the person before him was the guild leader of the Physician Guild, as well as the teacher of his daughter. Even if it meant flouting the rules, he had to try his best to help him.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Apothecary Mu backed out of the room, and before long, he returned with good news. "The guild leader has agreed to it!"

"Thank you!"

After instructing Mu Xueqing on how she should condition her body, Zhang Xuan nodded and under Apothecary Mu's lead, he headed straight for the library.

...

A classroom in Tianwu Academy.

"Sun Cheng laoshi, the principal is looking for you!"

Pushing open the classroom doors, a teacher walked in.

"The principal is looking for me?" Sun laoshi asked doubtfully.

"That's right. It seems to be something related to Liu Cheng laoshi!" The other teacher replied.

"Has something happened to him?" Sun laoshi was taken aback.

"It can't be that you haven't heard of it yet..." Noting the confusion in the other party's expression, the other teacher was speechless. How could you remain nonchalant and conduct your lesson calmly with such a huge ruckus outside?

"A fight broke out between Liu laoshi's student and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan's student... Since you entered the academy with Liu laoshi and is familiar with him, the principal wishes for you to talk to him on the academy's behalf!"

The other teacher replied.

"Liu laoshi... and Master Teacher Zhang Xuan?" Sun laoshi was dumbfounded.

If Zhang Xuan was here, he would have definitely recognized this Sun Cheng laoshi. It was the unparalleled genius who was currently taking the 2-star master teacher examination along with him... Mo Hongyi!

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 358: Second Promised Duel (2)

Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others glanced at one another and hesitated.

Even though they hadn't spent much time with Zhang shi, they knew that he disliked trouble.

If he were to know that they had caused a huge ruckus at Tianwu Academy, even almost turning against one of the teachers here, he would surely be displeased.

But how could they quell the anger in their hearts if they were to leave just like this?

"Mo shi, since you are a master teacher, please give your judgement on this matter. In this duel, if not for Liu laoshi interfering, Mu Xueqing would have surely lost. It is one thing for them not to fulfill their end of their bargain, but how could they actually claim that it is a draw..."

Zheng Yang complained angrily.

"Alright. Regardless of the situation, Liu laoshi is still a teacher, so spare him some pride. As for Zhang shi, I'll explain this matter to him so that he won't blame you for this!"

Hearing the other party's furious complaints, Mo Yu was afraid that it would be even harder to resolve the matter if left to be. Thus, she hurriedly sent a telepathic message to them.

"We'll be depending on Mo shi then!"

Zheng Yang wasn't willing to give up yet, but Zhao Ya interrupted him.

"Un!" Mo Yu nodded.

Turning to Zhang Xuan, Zhao Ya spoke, "Liu laoshi, the only reason why I’m addressing you as a teacher is out of respect for Tianwu Academy. Since you claimed that it's a draw today, so be it! However... Mu Xueqing, I challenge you to another duel three days later. Do you dare to accept it?"

"Why wouldn't I dare to!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth.

"Good. I hope that Liu laoshi won't interfere in the duel three days later. I also hope that you can fulfill the end of your bargain if you lose!"

Flinging her sleeves, Zhao Ya turned to Mo Yu and clasped her fist. "Mo shi, I'll be taking my leave!"

After which, she shot Zhang Xuan a cold glare before leading the group out.

"Ah..."

Not only did Zhang Xuan's interference fail to settle their conflict, he even inadvertently encouraged a third duel between them... On top of that, he even ended up being hated by his own students. Rubbing his glabella, bitterness appeared on Zhang Xuan's face.

What in the world was this?

I didn't even do anything!

"Why didn't you warn me beforehand..." Dismayed, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu.

"I..." Mo Yu's face flushed.

It was just a conflict between students, so she didn't think much of it. She never expected it to blow up like this and create such an awkward atmosphere...

Stumped, she hurriedly rummaged through her mind for an excuse and replied, "Actually, this isn’t as bad as it seems. With a short-term target in their mind, they will cultivate diligently. Look... Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing improved immensely over the past three days..."

She intended for these words to just dissipate the awkward situation, but it caused Zhang Xuan to freeze momentarily instead.

She was right. With this rivalry between them two, they would be motivated to give their all in their training, thus inducing rapid progress in the both of them.

Even though the sword art and the saber art Zhang Xuan had imparted them was a simplified version tailored for them, still, it should have taken them a minimum of ten days to master those techniques and comprehend Sword Intent and Saber Intent respectively. Yet, they succeeded in just a short span of two days... This reflected how diligent they were in their training.

More importantly... Through this experience, Mu Xueqing's Trust Level in him would increase rapidly.

"Alright, let's see how it goes then... Make sure you don't accidentally reveal my identity to Zhao Ya and the others!"

Eventually, Zhang Xuan decided to simply think on the bright side.

What was done was done, and no amount of complaint could reverse time. After all, he couldn't possibly go around declaring that Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, and that Mu Xueqing and Zhao Ya were actually under the same teacher?

If he were to do so, he would immediately fail his 2-star master teacher examination.

"Teacher, I'm sorry..."

Mu Xueqing walked up and apologized remorsefully.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to console the other party, an elder pushed through the crowd and yelled, "Which elder displayed the Saber Intent just a moment ago? Please accept me as your student! I am Bai Xin, and my comprehension of saber has already reached an extremely high level. I definitely will not bring shame to your name..."

"..." Zhang Xuan and Mu Xueqing.

"..." Mo Yu.

"..." The crowd.

...

"Damn it! Damn it!"

On the way back to the residence, the faces of Zheng Yang and the others were so livid that a dark aura seemed to be glooming around them.

Recalling the vile words that Liu laoshi spoke, the fury in them blazed up once more.

"Zhao Ya, why did you stop me? Honestly, if not for you, I would have surely applied for the Teacher Dueling Platform!"

Zheng Yang harrumphed.

"Teacher Dueling Platform? That Liu laoshi managed to neutralize my offense with just a single finger. To be capable of such a feat, his eye of discernment and grasp over timing might not even be beneath that of Zhang shi. Even if he were to suppress his cultivation, we wouldn't be a match for him!"

Zhao Ya shook his head.

"So what if we aren't a match for him? It’s clear that he’s stepping over us! The results are so clear and yet, he still dared to announce the result of the duel as a draw. How could he side with his student so blatantly? It's my first time seeing such a shameless teacher! Even if I can't win against him, I must at least teach him a lesson!" Zheng Yang gritted his teeth furiously.

"Zheng Yang is right. Even if we can't match up to him, we should at least make things difficult for him!"

Yuan Tao fanned the flames from the side.

"Enough. This Liu laoshi might be shameless, but he indeed possesses true capability. If not for my physical constitution and the sword art grandteacher imparted, I would surely have been the one to lose the duel. The urgent matter at hand is not to insult him but find a way to raise my cultivation instead. If we were to lose the duel three days from now, we'll be the ones that are humiliated!"

Zhao Ya interjected between the furious bellows of the duo.

"That's right..." The group nodded in agreement.

Given the previous situation, it was necessary for them to issue another duel. If they simply allowed such provocation to go unchallenged, Zhang shi's reputation might be sullied.

However, to be able to induce growth comparable to Zhao Ya in the past three days, they had to admit that Liu laoshi indeed possessed fearsome capability.

Given that Zhang shi wasn't in the city presently, they were at a huge disadvantage. If Zhao Ya were to lose, nothing they said would matter.

"Since Zhang shi isn't around, we can only plead with grandteacher to help us... The rest of you must also cultivate diligently in the next few days. If the other party loses and refuses to admit defeat once more, we'll challenge Liu laoshi to the Teacher Dueling Platform and show him that Zhang shi's honor isn't something that he could simply trample on!"

Flinging her hands valiantly, Zhao Ya's eyes gleamed with determination. If the circumstances are right, Zhao Ya won’t hesitate to cause trouble. Just the fact that she was the very first one to step forward upon hearing someone say that Zhang shi was inferior to Liu laoshi was a testimony to that.

She could forgive the other party for acting shamelessly this once, but if he were to continue on with such an attitude, he shouldn't blame her for getting nasty on him!

They were willing to beat up Lu Xun laoshi in Tianxuan Kingdom, and they didn't mind doing it once more for that Liu laoshi!

"Good, I've been waiting for these words of yours..." Zheng Yang nodded before turning to Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and the others. "How is it? If that Liu laoshi continues to act so shamelessly, are you guys willing to blow things up?"

"Do you think that I'll be scared? What Liu laoshi, screw him!" Yuan Tao bellowed.

"I won't back down so easily the next time!" Liu Yang nodded.

"Count me in!" Determination gleamed in Wang Ying's eyes.

"Alright, it's a promise then..."

After discussing the matter, they felt their mood lighten. Walking toward the residence, they suddenly saw two figures standing at the entrance.

"May I trouble you to two to report to report to Physician Bai that an acquaintance from Red Lotus City is here to pay his respects?" A person who seemed to be a butler said to the guard standing at the entrance of the residence.

"Yes!" Upon hearing that they were Physician Bai's acquaintances, the guard hesitated for a moment before heading inside. Soon, he came out with Physician Bai behind him.

"Physician Bai, we meet once more!"

Upon seeing Bai Chan, the duo was elated. Bai Chan, on the other hand, was confused. "You two are..."

"Hm?" Seeing that the other party didn't recognize them, the duo was perplexed. The butler-like person stood forward and asked, "Physician Bai, I am Butler Lu! This is my old master, the Great Herb King. Did you forget about us?"

The two were Red Lotus City's Great Herb King and Butler Lu.

After the incident in the Poison Hall, the Great Herb King found himself being highly respected as the friend of the envoy's 'senior granduncle'. Naturally, no one dared to feed him the Contract Gu once more.

Other people might not know the true identity of the envoy's 'senior granduncle', but the Great Herb King knew that he was Tianwu Royal City's Physician Bai Chan.

He happened to have some business in the capital, so he brought Butler Lu to pay the other party a visit so as to touch up on their relationship.

As a celebrity in the capital and someone who had managed to leap onboard Master Teacher Zhang Xuan's ship, it wasn't too difficult to trace Bai Chan's whereabouts. It didn’t take them too long to come to this residence.

Just that... Why didn't the other party recognize them?

"The Great Herb King?"

Bai Chan shuddered.

The only reason why he was respected in the capital was because Zhang shi had treated the Great Herb King while disguising as him. He could have never imagined that a person of such esteemed standing would actually pay him a visit.

"Great Herb King, the one who saved you wasn't me. It was... Zhang shi. The matter went like this..."

Without hiding anything, Bai Chan explained the entire matter.

"So it's Zhang shi who saved me... May I know where he is now? Is it convenient for me to pay him a visit?" Upon hearing the situation, the Great Herb King and Butler Lu were stunned. However, they received swiftly.

This matter wasn’t too difficult for them to accept. After all, the Great Herb King had personally witnessed Zhang Xuan's ability to alter his appearance. It wasn't inconceivable for him to have disguised as someone else back then. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

"Zhang shi is currently in the midst of taking the 2-star master teacher examination, so he isn't in the residence at the moment..."

Halfway through his words, Bai Chan suddenly noticed Zhao Ya and the others walking over, and hurriedly introduced them. "These are Zhang shi’s students. If you have any words you wish to relay to Zhang shi, feel free to tell them!"

"Zhang shi's students?" The Great Herb King and Butler Lu hurriedly clasped their fists respectfully.

Zhang shi was the envoy's senior granduncle, and just that standing in itself was sufficient to crush them. While his students were still young, the duo didn't dare to disrespect them.

"The Great Herb King?"

Upon hearing the introduction, Zhao Ya and the others were astonished. "The Red Lotus City's Great Herb King?"

On their way to Tianwu Kingdom, Liu shi had explained the various power within Tianwu Kingdom, and as such, they had an brief idea of the Great Herb King's standing and influence.

To think that even such a person would act so respectfully to their teacher as well.

"Our teacher is currently out at the moment, and he'll only return five to six days later. May I know what the Great Herb King has for our teacher? We can relay your message to him in your stead once he returns!"

Zhao Ya said.

"Oh, it's nothing much. We just happen to be passing by Tianwu Royal City so we thought of dropping by to pay our respects to him!"

Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan wasn't around, the Great Herb King was slightly disappointed. "Since Zhang shi isn't around, we'll be taking our leave then!"

"Wait a moment..."

Yuan Tao hurried forward and looked at them with a curious expression. "I heard that... you've an extremely close relationship with the Poison Hall. May I know if you have any poison on you?"

"This..." Not expecting the other party to ask such a straightforward question, the Great Herb King chuckled awkwardly. "I do have some!"

"Then, do you have any poison that will cause a Tongxuan realm expert to suffer without causing any permanent damage? I would like to buy some..."

Yuan Tao's eyes lit up.

"A poison that will cause a Tongxuan realm expert to suffer without causing any permanent damage?"

The Great Herb King didn't know what the other party wanted such a poison for, but considering the fact that the other party was the student of Zhang shi, he nodded. "I do have such poison... If you want it, I can give them to you! However, you must be careful with it. This poison is extremely potent. Even a Zongshi realm expert will suffer greatly if he were to accidentally ingest it!"

With a flick of his hands, a jade bottle appeared in his hands.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 357: Second Promised Duel (1)

She was obstinate and unruly. Yet, Liu laoshi forgave her and solved the pill poison that was plaguing her, guided her on her cultivation, and even imparted her a formidable saber art. He was her benefactor!

She wanted to repay her teacher by earning him honor. Yet... she ended up sullying his reputation instead...

Despite that, he didn't give up on her. Worried that she would be wounded, he even dashed onto the stage to save her!

Teacher, thank you!

Teacher, please pardon Qing-er for causing you trouble!

Teacher, I'll never do it again...

Mu Xueqing clenched her fists tightly.

The teacher before her may be young, but his existence felt like a humongous mountain, a reliable figure which she could fall back on, giving her an aim in life and allowing her to charge forward fearlessly.

It was because of him that she was motivated to train hard and grow stronger!

...

Just as Zhao Ya was conflicted over whether she should slice all the way down, a figure appeared right between her sword and Mu Xueqing.

It was a twenty-four to twenty-five-year-old young man with a slightly yellowish complexion.

Huala!

Under the momentary shock from the sudden appearance of the other party, she failed to stop her sword in that crucial moment, and it continued to fall straight down.

The young man frowned. Stretching out his hand, he bent his middle finger and flicked it lightly.

Weng!

As the tip of his finger came into contact with the sword, Zhao Ya suddenly felt a surge of pain in the area between her thumb and her forefinger, causing her grip to loosen. The sword immediately broke into two before flying straight out of her hand.

Deng deng deng deng deng!

Retreating two steps, Zhao Ya immediately adjusted her chaotic breathing. Fearful that the other party would attack her once more, she kept her guard up. Fortunately, it seemed like the other party only intended to flick away her sword—it was only due to the immense force of her slash that resulted in the sword breaking abruptly when coming in contact with the other party's finger.

"Incredible!"

Her eyes narrowed.

It was an attack with the full might of her physical constitution behind it, and the strength behind the slash was so great that even she was losing control of her movements. Yet, the other party, with just a single finger, neutralized her attack without hurting her in the least. The eye of discernment and precise movements required for this feat were completely unimaginable. In fact, she would have never believed it to be possible if not for the fact she had just witnessed it.

"May I know why elder is interfering in our fight?"

Even though Zhao Ya was astonished by the sudden turn of events, she didn't panic. Clasping her fist politely, she spoke impassively. Her attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant.

"You two are really... preposterous!"

Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously. He was truly dismal by the actions of his two students.

Of countless people in Tianwu Royal City, you two just had to fight with one another. Despite being under different personas, the both of you are my students. Is there really a need for you two to compete with one another like that?

I imparted one of you a sword art and the other a saber art, but the both of you simply ended up using them to hack at one another.

The heck!

You call this vying for honor for me?

Clearly, you are trying to destroy my reputation!

That explains the bizarre expression on Mo Yu’s face when she said that she was going to bring me to a good show. The heck... this truly is an incredible show!

"You must be Liu laoshi!"

Having guessed the identity of the young man before her, Zhao Ya walked forward with a look of determination on her beautiful face. "Your students have insulted my teacher, and to defend the honor of my teacher, I challenged her to a fair duel. Why would you speak of our actions as preposterous?"

"Hm?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

It wouldn't have been wrong for Zhang Xuan to reprimand his own students for acting preposterously, but in his persona as Liu laoshi, that would be equivalent to making light of the other party’s actions.

It was one thing for him, as a teacher, to hinder a fight among students. Yet, on top of that, he even said that the other party was acting preposterously. If this wasn't being unreasonable, what else could this be?

So it is right for your student to hit me, but if I do the same, I am acting preposterously?

"Enough, let's stop this matter here. You should return!"

Not expecting to be questioned by his own student in this persona, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt his head hurt.

He really couldn't have imagined that such a farce would occur.

If only he had paid these two ladies a little more attention, he could have avoided this embarrassing misunderstanding!

"Return? Why should we return? Mu Xueqing has clearly lost the duel, so she should fulfill the end of her bet and apologize at this very instant and admit that you are inferior to our Zhang shi. Otherwise, even if we have to cause a ruckus at the Teacher Guild or even the Master Teacher Pavilion, we won't back down!"

Bellowing furiously, Zheng Yang jumped onto the stage and glared furiously at Zhang Xuan.

This time, he was truly angered.

How can a respectable teacher like you blatantly side with your own student in public?

It is one thing for you to stop the duel as soon as you see that your student is falling in defeat, but to say that we are acting preposterously and declare that this matter will stop here like that... I have seen shameless people, but you are truly one-of-a-kind!

As a teacher, are you going shamelessly refuse to admit defeat?

"Indeed! We've already agreed on it before the duel. Could it be that you are going against your words?"

"A loss means a loss. As a teacher, you should at least have some dignity!"

"Shameless!"

Yuan Tao, Liu Yang, and the others charged up and bellowed at Zhang Xuan furiously.

"The reason why I've lost is because of my own inability. It has nothing to do with teacher!"

Upon seeing her teacher being doubted by others, Mu Xueqing stepped forward.

She had intended to vie honor for her own teacher; never in her dreams did she expect her actions put him in such an awkward position instead. Clenching her jaws tightly together, she said, "I'll apologize, but it'll only be in my capacity as an individual. It doesn't mean that my teacher is inferior to your Zhang shi!"

"What do you mean by that... After all that has been said, you’re simply refusing to admit defeat? Surely you should remember the words you uttered so arrogantly three days ago! Are you trying to avoid fulfilling the end of the agreement now that you’ve lost?"

Zheng Yang glared at Mu Xueqing coldly.

Three days ago, you arrogantly declared that Zhang shi is inferior to Liu laoshi, and proposed for the loser of the duel to admit that their own teacher is inferior to the other’s. How could you simply disregard your words now? Do you think that we're easy targets to bully?

"Apologize immediately and admit that Liu laoshi is inferior to Zhang shi, and we'll end things here. Otherwise, don't blame me for getting nasty!" Liu Yang stepped forward.

"I..."

Mu Xueqing's face steeled.

If she were to admit to this matter here, how was Liu laoshi supposed to face others and build his prestige in the academy?

"Enough!"

Seeing how the few rascals were trying to force their own teacher into a corner, Zhang Xuan felt even more dismal. "We'll just take the duel today as a draw. You can return now!"

He had never seen them getting so motivated in other matters.

For his own students to pressure his other students to admit that he was inferior to himself...

What in the world was this!

"Draw?"

"Why should we accept it as a draw?"

...

After hearing those words, Zheng Yang and the others immediately erupted. Even Zhao Ya, who was usually the most rational one of the group, couldn't help but darken her face at those words.

How could a person say those words unabashed?

It was obvious that the other party had lost! It was one thing for the other party to not fulfill their end of their promise, but how dare they brazenly claim that it was a draw?

Initially, they were still impressed by Liu laoshi ability in inducing such massive growth in his student and thought that he was a true genius worthy of respect. But from the looks of it now, the word 'genius' seemed to be completely wasted on him!

How could a person who doesn't even dare to admit his defeat be considered a genius?

How could a person who pulled his seniority to twist the truth be considered a genius?

Do you think that you're really a big shot? To put an act before us, why don’t you try your luck somewhere else!

You should at least try to retain the final shreds of your dignity!

"Zhao Ya didn't win, and Mu Xueqing didn't lose either. What else can this be if not a draw? Stop causing a commotion here and return! Otherwise, I will tell your teacher to teach you a lesson!" Zhang Xuan shook his hands.

He had no other choice but to announce it as a draw.

If he said that Zhao Ya had won, wouldn't that mean that he, in his persona as Liu Cheng, was inferior to Zhang Xuan? When his identity finally gets exposed, he would really die of embarrassment!

On the other hand, if he were to claim that Mu Xueqing had won, wouldn't that mean that Zhang Xuan was inferior to Liu laoshi...

The consequences were the same!

What in the world was this?

No matter what he said, he would be the one to take the bullet.

Instead of going through so much trouble, he might as well throw these rascals out first.

"You..."

Not expecting this Liu laoshi to act so shamelessly, not admitting to the defeat of his student despite clearly losing, even going to the extent of acting so brazenly about it, Zhao Ya and the others were on the verge of erupting.

......

"This truly isn't a wise move on Liu laoshi's part!"

Principal Xie and the others shook their heads.

"He shouldn't have interfered. What in the world is a teacher like him interfering in a fight between the students for?" Another elder harrumphed.

"Even so, if he didn't stop the duel just now, Mu Xueqing would definitely be severely injured. As a teacher, he couldn't simply watch idly from the side as his students got injured!" Principal Xie replied.

"That's true..."

The crowd nodded.

On top of guiding them, teachers had a responsibility to protect their students from harm as well before they mature. If they were in Liu laoshi’s place, they would surely be unable to remain idle too if their students were getting injured right before them.

"The academy is in a difficult position now. If it were to help Liu laoshi, Zhang shi will be dissatisfied. However, if we help Zhang shi, Liu laoshi will be angered. What makes things even more difficult is that Liu laoshi is no ordinary teacher. Not to mention, he's the guild leader of the Physician Guild as well. Helping one side would simply bring the academy the ire of the other. But if we were to wash our hands clean and stay out of the matter, we would risk angering the both simultaneously. After all, we simply watched idly as this duel went on..."

Principal Xie rubbed his glabella in distress. This matter had truly left him with a splitting headache.

A while ago, he was just excitedly thinking that regardless of which of the two ladies won, Tianwu Academy would stand to win.

He couldn't have imagined that the things would get to this point.

With this turn of events, the entire academy was put into a difficult position.

"If it comes down it... Principal, why don't you step out and invite Zhang shi and Liu laoshi to sit down together and get to know one another. After all, given that they're both geniuses, there is a good chance that they might just find fellowship in one another through this."

An elder proposed.

Principal Xie contemplated over the matter.

"It's not a bad idea, but Zhang shi is currently in the midst of taking his 2-star master teacher examination and isn't in the capital now. If he were to know of the conflict and refuse the meeting, what should we do?" Another elder asked.

It was a good method to solve the conflict by having the both of them sit down and talk things out. However, the problem lies in getting them to do so.

Liu laoshi was a teacher of their academy, so at the very least, he wouldn't blatantly turn down the principal's instructions. However, Zhang shi was a 2-star master teacher, and his standing was superior to even that of the principal. If he were to refuse to meet Liu laoshi, then all of the plans they had prepared beforehand would be for naught.

"Forget it. I'll just to plead with Zhang shi on this matter. At the very least, I am still a 1-star master teacher and the principal of Tianwu Academy. Zhang shi should probably sell me this favor!"

After hesitating for a moment, Principal Xie shook his head.

"Also, prepare a few of the academy's [Esteemed Guest Token]. I want to give them to Zhang shi's students so that they can freely enter the academy and browse through our books or any other resources!"

"Yes!"

The elders nodded in agreement.

......

Below, Mo Yu, who initially intended to watch the commotion from below, was completely dumbfounded.

She thought that it would interesting see the students of Zhang Xuan under two different identities of his fight one another. However, she didn't expect things to evolve to this point.

Zhang Xuan was put in an extremely awkward position with this.

Regardless of which side wins, his reputation would be tarnished.

"I have to stop them..."

At this, she pushed aside the crowd and walked up.

"Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang..."

"Mo shi!"

Just as Zhao Ya and the others were burning with anger, they heard someone calling them, and turning around, they saw Princess Mo Yu. Teacher had once taught her, so in a sense, they could be considered as fellow peers.

They had met her back when their teacher was taking the master teacher examination.

"Why don't... you all return for now? If Zhang shi were to know that you all are causing a ruckus at Tianwu Academy, he would surely be displeased!"

Nodding her head, Mo Yu tried to persuade them.

If not for her selfish motives, Zhang Xuan might have learned of this matter in advance, and things wouldn't have gotten so troublesome.