LBH 250-274

Chapter 250: Can You Lend Me Your Tamed Beast?



Discourse is the most difficult mode of assessment in the beast tamer theoretical examination. Instead of answering using a brush, one answered by speaking with his mouth. When answering through writing, one is free to contemplate over the question for as long as they wish. Even if they were to write wrongly, they are able to change their answers. However, a discourse is not like that. The examinees aren’t given thinking time or an opportunity to change their answers. The moment it starts, the examinee will have to answer all questions correctly. If he were to spout a single erroneous word, it would mean his failure. This examination model is similar to the Pill Debate of the Apothecary Guild. It is specially prepared for master teachers so as to reduce the time required for the examination. At the same time, it assesses how well-versed one was in the knowledge of beast taming, as well as how fast one can access that knowledge. A normal written theoretical examination takes two hours while a discourse is only an hour long. Even so, the difficulty of a discourse is way higher than that of a written paper. It has high demands on a person's reaction speed and their grasp on their knowledge. Virtually no one dares to take it on, and there is no need for them to do so too. As such, for the past thousand years since this branch's founding, no one had ever taken up the challenge. Hall Master Feng and the others didn't expect that this fellow, who seemed as though he would collapse at any moment, would choose to challenge the beast tamer examination in this format! "Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "You should think it through. You aren't allowed thinking time during a discourse, and the moment you make a mistake, you will be disqualified..." Hall Master Feng advised. "I understand, but I'm really too tired to use a brush. Thus, I can only opt for this method!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Since you insist, let's start then!" Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuan's eyes, Hall Master Feng decided to follow his wishes. Thus, he stepped forward, retrieved the examination papers, and looked at Zhang Xuan. "Tell me about the defining characteristics of Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast!" "The Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast is a Pixue realm savage beast whose entire body is covered by golden scales, providing it with powerful defensive ability. It usually dwells in the marshlands or near mountain streams, feeding on Green Bamboo Grass which grows around that area. Also, it is nocturnal... This is what Senior Hu Yao mentions as in "Stratagem to Beast Taming". In the "Encyclopedia on Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast" written by Beast Tamer Bai Zhen, his descriptions of the savage beast are slightly different from Senior Hu Yao. Based on his observations, the Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast prefers cooling places. As such, it often lives in shadowy places where the sun doesn't reach..." "Thirty years ago, numerous outstanding seniors of the Beast Hall gathered the theories of all of the predecessors and after many years of research, they realized that the Gold Armored Steel Fang Beasts spoken of weren’t of the same species. There is a total of three different species, namely the Marsh Steel Fang Beast which resides in the marshlands, the Mountain Steel Fang Beast which lives near mountain streams, and the Shadow Steel Fang Beast which dwells in the colder regions." "There are clear differences between these three Steel Fang Beasts. Firstly, the scales in the center of their foreheads are different. Secondly, the structure of their tails is different... If you wish to check on my answer, you can browse through the "Detailed Explanation on Gold Armored Steel Fang Beasts" left behind by them. It is toward the left of the 17th bookshelf in the library!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly. "His answer is... completely correct!" The Gold Armored Steel Fang Beast was a rare savage beast. Furthermore, its classification was extremely confusing. Most people would only be able to recall basic characteristics about the savage beast, and the examiner would have already considered their answers to be correct. However, not only did Zhang Xuan provide a complete answer, he even introduced the various books left behind by the senior beast tamers, even... pointing out the exact locations of those books... The heck, is he really just a human? The crowd widened their eyes in shock. The entire room was deathly silent. "The defining characteristics of Steelbacked Monkey!" "The Steelbacked Monkey has a massive spinal bone that towers up high. Most of the strength the Steelbacked Monkey possesses originates from its unique bone. Also, it possesses large feet which grant it swift speed. Even though it is a monkey, it is unable to scale trees. Instead, its body structure resembles larger ape-like savage beasts... These defining characteristics are recorded in "Zashan's Savage Beasts Exposition". Senior Zashan is a famous beast tamer of the Beast Hall 140 years ago..." Before everyone could recover, Hall Master Feng posed another question, and without any hesitation, the young man answered once more. Just like that, with a person asking questions and the other one answering them, the discourse proceeded extremely swiftly. Most of the time, while the crowd was still pondering whether the answer to the question was correct or not, the next question was already answered. In the eyes of the crowd, this young man who wasn't in his twenties yet felt like an answer sheet. Not only were his answers detailed, he even listed out the various possibilities and theories written in the books out. There wasn't a single flaw that could be picked out in his answers. "Completely correct!" "Completely correct!" "The River Worm's living habitat... correct!" "Why the Three Stream River and the Erudite Bird is unable to co-exist... correct!" ... As Hall Master Feng raised question after question, the replies he received left him in so much so much shock that his mind was about to go blank. Initially, he thought that the other party only happened to know the answer to the questions he raised. As long as he increased the difficulty later on, the other party would surely be unable to reply so swiftly. However... Despite the other party seeming as though he was on the verge of fainting, his replies only came faster and faster. Hall Master Feng felt as though he was unable to keep up with the situation. More importantly... Not only was he fast, his answer was flawless. If Hall Master Feng didn't see it for himself, he wouldn't dare believe it to be true. To think that there would be such a monster in the world! It was no wonder why the other party could recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow. In terms of fundamental knowledge on savage beasts, it was likely that Zhang Xuan far surpassed the three 2-star beast tamers. "This... This is impossible!" "These questions are... so difficult!" While the three 2-star beast tamers were overwhelmed by shock, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang were dumbfounded by the sight before them. They could see the fear in each other's eyes. The questions which Hall Master Feng just raised were of such great difficulty that even they would be unable to answer them. It wasn't that their fundamental knowledge of savage beasts was weak. Rather, in several questions, the defining characteristics of the savage beast were extremely similar. With just the slightest lapse in judgment, they would make an error. For example, the River Worm which was just mentioned may sound like an insect, but it is actually an extremely powerful savage beast. Its bones grow on its surface and it possesses immense strength. Yet, such a ferocious and immense savage beast is able to float on the surface of the river. Most people would think that this savage beast lives on the surface of the water upon hearing the word 'river'. Yet, contrary to all expectations, the habitat it is compatible with is the mountains... None of the questions that Hall Master Feng raised was simple. Even on a written paper, they would have to contemplate for a long period before they can jot down their answer. On the other hand, the other party is able to answer immediately, as though he didn’t need to muse over the question at all... How does he do it? Putting aside them, even the super genius Mo Yu would be incapable of answering such a question on the spot! This is the performance of someone who had assimilated all of the fundamental knowledge thoroughly into his bones! Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan shuddered. They actually accused a person of such greatness of knowing nothing at all and putting on an act? Compared to him, the knowledge they had was laughably pathetic. While passing the apprentice theoretical examination through discourse and written paper seemed like the same thing, as someone who had studied beast taming for several years, they knew that it wasn't that simple. Often, while taming a savage beast, unexpected situations would occur. Under such circumstances, one would have to swiftly organize the situation and knowledge in their arsenal to decide on the optimal course of action. Every second count. If they were to miss the timing, it is likely for the situation to complicate, causing the difficulty of the taming process to multiply several folds. This is precisely the reason why a beast tamer who passed the theoretical examination through discourse is highly respected by the others. Every single beast tamer who passed the discourse eventually went on to achieve incredible feats. Initially, they thought that Zhang Xuan was only a clown who wished to make a name for himself. Never in their dreams could they have imagined that... not only did were his answers perfect, he didn't even need to think at all... This isn’t something a human can do! While the two of them were trembling in fear, Shen Bi Ru's mouth was wide opened. The fellow who didn't know what the Beast Forest was two hours ago was now spouting innumerable theories and facts as though they were nothing at all. No matter how foolish she could be, it was clear that something was amiss. "Does he really... possess the talent of a seer?" If it were just a doubt to her before, at this moment, she was completely certain of it. How could he have answered all of the questions so swiftly if he didn't know the questions beforehand? On the other hand, a frown was etched on Mo Yu's forehead. Doubt flashed across her eyes as she pondered. "...This is all. Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, Beast Tamer Wang, are my answers correct?" After a moment, Zhang Xuan finally finished answering the final question and smiled at them. "Your... answers are completely correct!" The three of them glanced at one another before Hall Master Feng nodded his head. The other party had answered all of the questions in the theoretical examination in less than an hour. Not only so, he even brought up the history of how the answers were derived. They couldn't help but admire how detailed and precise his answers were. "Since you've answered all of the questions correctly, you've passed the first test!" It didn't take long for Hall Master Feng to announce the result. Then, he gazed at Zhang Xuan once more and said, "Since you've passed the first test, let's go on to the second one, taming a savage beast. You have half a month, and you only have to achieve Inceptive Taming to pass." "Half a month? That's too long... Do you keep any untamed savage beast here? Can you allow me to tame it?" Even though there are countless savage beasts in Xuanluo Mountain Range, it isn't easy to find a specific one which fits the examination criteria. If Zhang Xuan were to head out to look for one, it would definitely take up plenty of time. Since he is in the Beast Hall now, there is likely to be a suitable savage beast. As he said so, Zhang Xuan stood up. Throughout the duration of the discourse, Zhang Xuan's fatigued physical body had recovered slightly. Even though his condition remained nonoptimal, he was clearly in a much better state than before. "Allow you to tame it?" Hearing those words, everyone became speechless. "What a joke! Every single savage beast is valuable, how can we possibly allow you to tame it? Besides, only tamed beasts are allowed to enter the Beast Hall! Otherwise, if a stampede were to occur, no one would be able to bear responsibility!" Hearing Zhang Xuan spout such amateurish words, Mo Yu harrumphed coldly in displeasure. "Is that the case..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He didn't expect the beast tamer examination to turn out to be so troublesome. Where in the world can he look for an untamed savage beast now? "Ah, right! Can I borrow your Viridescent Eagle to tame?" Suddenly, a thought flashed in Zhang Xuan's mind. He immediately turned to Mo Yu and asked.

Chapter 251: Beast Pummeling Taming Method



The savage beasts in the Beast Hall are those brought back by beast tamers after great efforts to tame them. As such, they are considered as private possessions. Most beast tamers regard their savage beasts as their wives, and Zhang Xuan's request for wanting to borrow a tamed savage beast was no different from borrowing another person's wife to play with. Everyone stared at him as though staring at an idiot. Mo Yu nearly exploded on the spot. Borrowing my savage beast to tame? How in the world did he think of such an idea? How can taming a wild savage beast be the same as taming a tamed beast? Taming the latter is several times harder than taming a wild savage beast. Even though she had only accomplished Inceptive Taming with the Viridescent Eagle, she had already interacted with it for seven to eight days and had agreed to many of its difficult demands. Throughout the days that the both of them were together, a deep and strong bond had already sprouted between them. The Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle had already reached 30 and wasn't too far from 31 to achieve Advanced Taming. Besides, this Viridescent Eagle is arrogant and hates interacting with humans. It was the work of numerous coincidences that allowed her to tame it. Yet, this fellow said that he wanted to borrow it from her to tame it... Do you think that this is a joke? She felt so stifled that she was about to go on a frenzy. She had become so impressed with the solid fundamental knowledge of the other party and thought that he was a beast taming genius when he immediately spoke the words of an amateur. Borrow? Borrow your head! This is my first time I'm hearing that one can borrow a savage beast to tame! Why don't you borrow another person's wife to play with instead? She narrowed her eyes and sneered coldly. Just as she was about to reprimand the other party for his thoughtless words, Zhu Jinhuang walked up and whispered into her ears. "Mo Yu xiaojie, I think that it's a good idea to lend the Viridescent Eagle for him to tame!" "What did you say?" Mo Yu glared at Zhu Jinhuang ferociously. It seemed as though if his answer didn't please her, she would immediately fly into a rage. "You have already tamed the Viridescent Eagle, and its Loyalty Level has also reached 30. It is definitely impossible for him to tame it! Isn't this fellow acting arrogantly and gleefully? You should give him a try, and once he fails, he would definitely be embarrassed!" Zhu Jinhuang harrumphed. "Indeed. Even a 2-star pinnacle beast tamer like Hall Master Feng is unable to tame a tamed beast. Despite not being a beast tamer, he is speaking such arrogant words. I think that we should teach him a lesson!" Zhou Xuan chirped in. "This..." Hearing the words of the two, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. She felt that their words made sense. It is technically impossible to tame a tamed beast. Since this fellow is acting so impudently, it isn’t anything to let him embarrass himself. As she thought so, she harrumphed coldly and looked at Zhang Xuan. "You wish to borrow my Viridescent Eagle? Here it is. If you can tame it, I'll allow you to have it." "Are you serious?" Zhang Xuan was only asking casually, he hadn’t expected the other party to agree to his request. With glowing eyes, he turned to look at Hall Master Feng and the others, "If I were to tame this Viridescent Eagle, will it be considered as a pass for the second test?" "This... Yes, it can be considered as a pass!" Hall Master Feng nodded. He had a bizarre expression on his face. This fellow had just shown his vast knowledge on beast taming through the discourse. Why did he become an ignorant amateur all of a sudden? This Viridescent Eagle is clearly extremely fond of Mo Yu, and it is just a matter of time before it submits completely to her. Yet, you want to try to tame it... Aren't you looking for trouble? You are wasting time like this. You might as well head out and look for a wild savage beast. "Good!" After the moment of rest, Zhang Xuan has roughly recovered from the toll from duplicating those books. Chuckling, he walked forward to the Viridescent Eagle. "Little eagle, your master has already lent you to me. You should hurry up and submit to me!" "Qiu!" A Tongxuan realm savage beast like it is capable of understanding human speech. Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's words, it exploded into a rage. This is blatant provocation! Other people brought it good food, entertainment, and all kinds of treasures when trying to tame me. Yet, you came to me empty-handed. More importantly... What's with this attitude? Acting as though it is my fortune to be able to submit to you... Pui! The furious Viridescent Eagle patted its raised its giant wings and smacked it straight at Zhang Xuan. Hula! The wind blew violently. The resilient wings and the sharp feathers cut through the air as though a sharp knife, causing the air to shrill. This fellow is a Tongxuan realm savage beast, and its fighting prowess is much stronger than an average Tongxuan realm cultivator. The air seemed to part wherever the wings passed by. Everyone's face immediately turned pale as they stepped backward. It would be difficult for a Pixue realm expert to even withstand the shock wave from its movement, needless to say, face it head on. Hu! Even as everyone retreated backward, Zhang Xuan's expression remained completely calm. With a slight sway of his body, he was already seven to eight meters away, thus dodging the attack. Pipa! A dozen meters long crack appeared on the tough bluestone ground after being struck by the wings. The bluestone ground was something the Beast Hall purchased from Baiyu City at an exorbitant price. Even a Pixue realm pinnacle expert would find it difficult to leave a mark with a punch from their fists. Yet, with a slight sweep from the Viridescent Eagle's wings, such a huge crack appeared. "Strong..." Yun Tao and the others turned pale. If it were them, they would surely have been unable to dodge the attack in time. They would have been struck to death in an instant. "If you continue, don't blame me for not going easy on you!" In contrast to everyone's fear, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. Qiu! Upon hearing those words and seeing the expression in Zhang Xuan's face, the Viridescent Eagle was enraged further. Flapping its wings, it flew into the air and struck at Zhang Xuan with its sharp claws. The two most powerful moves of the Viridescent Eagle are the Wing Sweep and Steel Claw. The second move is much stronger than the first one. Furthermore, it has a flight advantage, and the momentum from its swoop downwards adds to its force. Even a Half-Zongshi expert would find it hard to deal with this move unprepared. "One wouldn't die if they don't court death. You shouldn't have been so arrogant in the first place!" "To even dare to taunt a Viridescent Eagle, you deserve it!" Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and the others sneered coldly. Even their strongest guards were unable to withstand this powerful move from the Viridescent Eagle. They didn't believe that this youngster who wasn't even in his twenties yet could survive the attack. "The moment he is grabbed by those claws, even if he isn't torn apart, he will surely sustain severe injuries!" "With this move, the Viridescent Eagle is able to unleash a might exceeding 500 ding, and that is comparable to a Half-Zongshi. The only way to deal with this move is to avoid it!" No one could have imagined that this lad would be so good at incurring the ire of others. With just a few words, he caused the Viridescent Eagle to fly into a rage. Upon seeing it use its powerful steel claws, everyone grew anxious. There are innumerable cases of beast tamers killed while trying to tame a savage beast. However, it was unheard of for a person to be killed by a savage beast in the Beast Hall. Just when everyone thought that misfortune would befall Zhang Xuan, his calm voice echoed. "Since you're unwilling to listen, I've no other choice!" As he spoke, he clenched his fist and faced the other party's claws straight on. "Ah?" Everyone shuddered. The claws of the Viridescent Eagle are more than capable of smashing through steel. Yet, to face it with his fists... Peng! Before anyone could recover from their terror, the fist and the claw had met. Everyone was expecting the youngster would fracture his arm and suffer grievous wounds when the haughty Viridescent Eagle suddenly released a shrill scream. As though struck by a massive mountain, it was unable to control its body and fell from the skies. Pu! It crashed heavily on the ground. At this moment, everyone could see its distorted claws. "Ah?" Everyone exclaimed in astonishment. 'Ah', the same exclamation, but one was in fear while the other one was in shock. They felt as though their moods were on a roller coaster ride, flying from one end of the spectrum to the other, and then end abruptly. Even catching a savage beast isn’t as thrilling as this. "Weren't you acting arrogantly just now?" However... Before they could recover from the shock, Zhang Xuan has already walked up to the Viridescent Eagle and sent a kick at it. Peng! Before the Viridescent Eagle could react, it was sent flying outward. It crashed heavily into a pillar in the room and twitched non-stop. The strength of his kick definitely exceeded 600 ding. Regardless of how powerful the defenses of the eagle was, it should be impossible to withstand. "To dare to make a move against me, you must be tired of living!" It seemed that a single kick wasn't enough to vent Zhang Xuan's frustration. He walked forward and kicked yet again. Peng! The Viridescent Eagle was sent into the air once more. Its haughtiness had disappeared without a trace, and at this moment, it appeared exceptionally shabby. If not for the strong defense it possessed as a savage beast, it would have already died from the two kicks. "Stop..." Mo Yu's face turned red in anger. That was her savage beast! If Zhang Xuan were to continue beating it up like that, even if it doesn’t die, it would become crippled. She couldn't allow the savage beast which she has tamed with great difficulty to die here just like that. "Mo Yu xiaojie, don't panic. This should be the Beast Pummeling Taming Method!" Yun Tao hurriedly walked over to inform her. "Beast Pummeling Taming Method?" "This is the name that I came up with. Every time Elder tames a beast, he would first beat it up. It seems that he's doing the same this time as well!" Admiration gleamed in Yun Tao's eyes. As expected of Elder Zhang Xuan, his beast taming method is indeed extraordinary! This is one of the hardest Tongxuan realm savage beasts to tame! Other people would have to bring tons of delicious food and treasures to coax it. Yet, he started pummeling it immediately without any mercy... He couldn't help but admire his courage! "Can he really tame the savage beast like that? I think he'll only incur the wrath and resentment of the Viridescent Eagle!" Mo Yu's eyes narrowed. She had read nearly all of the books in the library, but she had never heard of any Beast Pummeling Taming Method! Such an action would only cause resentment in the savage beast. If so, how can one successfully tame it? "The Viridescent Eagle, as one of the stronger aerial savage beast, has a wild and arrogant nature. It has great pride, and if one tries to befriend it as an equal, it might still choose to give in. However, if one hopes to tame it by pummeling it, that's no different from daydreaming..." Flinging her sleeves, Mo Yu harrumphed. However, before she could finish her words, her body froze abruptly. Her eyes widened as she muttered, "Ah? This... This... What is going on?" All of a sudden, the hostile Viridescent Eagle struggled to its feet and rubbed its head against Zhang Xuan's body, fawning on him as though a loyal dog. This is... Voluntary Submission!

Chapter 252: Failed?



This is an incomparably prideful Viridescent Eagle. In order to tame it, Mo Yu had specially climbed to the peak of the mountain, personally slaughtered a Pixue realm snake for its dinner, gathered snow water for its bath... Even so, this fellow had only agreed to follow her to the examination. In a sense, she hasn't successfully tamed it yet. Yet, after the beating, it lowered its head immediately... What that maddened Mo Yu the most was the fawning expression it had on its face, as though it was trying to please the other party... What the heck is that? Mo Yu felt a stifling sensation at her chest. All of the sudden, she felt uncomfortable. That was her savage beast, and she wasn't too far away from establishing a contract with it. Yet, at this moment, it was lying on another person's lap, trying to please the person. She felt so depressed that she was not far from sustaining internal injuries from it. Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan, who were extremely confident a moment ago, looked as though they had been slapped in their face. Their faces distorted in disbelief, and they looked as though they were on the verge of tears. Voluntary Submission after a beating? Are our eyes playing tricks on us? "You two..." They were still brooding over the matter when Mo Yu xiaojie turned to them with an icy-cold expression. Her teeth were so tightly gritted together that the sound of them grinding against one another could be heard. "Didn't you two say that... he will fail?" "I..." Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan trembled in fear. They were the ones who persuaded Mo xiaojie to hand over the Viridescent Eagle for the other party to tame. They thought that they would be able to see the other party make an embarrassment out of himself. Not in their wildest dreams did they expect this situation to occur. "Mo xiaojie, don't panic, I think that the Viridescent Eagle is just flustered after being beaten up, so it is feigning submission. It'll probably retaliate in short moment..." With twitching lips, Zhu Jinhuang hurriedly explained. "Indeed, indeed! Savage beasts of such level possess intelligence. It must have thought that it wasn't a match for the fellow, so it decided to pretend to submit to Zhang Xuan and look for another opportunity to exact vengeance..." Zhou Xuan said. However, before he could finish his words, an uproar could be heard. He turned over hurriedly and saw Zhang Xuan place a drop of blood into the other party's throat. The contract had been established. Qiu! After establishing the contract, the Viridescent Eagle lay before Zhang Xuan in satisfaction. It rubbed its head against Zhang Xuan's clothes unceasingly, as though a lazy cat who had just been fed and was filled with fondness for its master. "Is this what you call feigning submission to exact vengeance?" Furious, Mo Yu's face turned beet-red in anger. She kicked the duo, sending them flipping in the air. Have you seen any beast which establishes a contract while feigning submission? Have you ever seen any vengeful savage beast act in such a manner? Mo Yu's breathing hastened, and she felt as though she was about to burst from all the rage. Why did she believe the words of these two fellows and lend the Viridescent Eagle to the other party to tame? It was too late for regrets, given that the two of them had already established a contract. Even so, amidst her anger, she was shocked as well. How in the world did he do it? She had watched the entire taming process carefully. All he did was to incur the other party's wrath before beating it up. Then, he whispered some words to it before patting a few spots on its body... and the attitude of the Viridescent Eagle changed immediately. Its infuriated expression suddenly turned into surprise and excitement. After which... It immediately submitted to Zhang Xuan! Can it be that... That's right! It must be something that he said! Otherwise, how can its attitude have changed so quickly? Just that... what in the world could he have said to drastically change the attitude of the furious Viridescent Eagle who desired to kill him so suddenly? "How is it? My words are true, right? This is Elder Zhang Xuan's skill, Beast Pummeling Taming Method. Any savage beast, after being beaten by him, would willingly submit!" Yun Tao laughed heartily. Didn't you doubt him just now? Take a good look at this then! "The Viridescent Eagle really submitted after a beating..." "This is Mo Yu xiaojie's savage beast! How is this possible?" "I don't understand it as well. It's not like we've never tried taming savage beasts by beating them up before. But, all of the attempts had ended in failure, so how in the world did he succeed?" ... Everyone was dumbfounded. This was especially so for the three 2-star beast tamers. They felt a dizzy sensation in their head. It's not like no beast tamer had attempted to tame a savage beast by beating it up. However... Not only did such actions fail to tame the savage beast, it even incurred their wrath. Most of the savage beasts tamed in such a method would refuse food and die of starvation. There were cases of failures all around. Putting others aside, they had tried this method personally as well. This was the reason why they found it hard to believe Yun Tao's words. Yet... To think that he wasn't lying! Just by beating the Viridescent Eagle up, it immediately submitted to him... Is this the same prideful and wild Viridescent Eagle? Why does it seem like an obedient dog now, fawning on Zhang Xuan so shamelessly? They were still in a state of disbelief when Zhang Xuan walked forward and inquired, "Hall Master Feng and the two beast tamers, have I passed the examination?" "This..." Recovering from his shock, Hall Master Feng coughed immediately, "Cough cough, wait a moment. We have to check the Loyalty Level before deciding on your pass or failure!" Even though it looked like the Viridescent Eagle had been tamed, there was still a need for official verification. Firstly, it was to ensure that the test was impartial and precise. Secondly, they were curious to see if this Viridescent Eagle has sincerely submitted to him. If it didn't submit to him from the bottom of its heart, flying on it may prove to be dangerous. "Let's do the test then!" Zhang Xuan said casually. He was confident in the Viridescent Eagle's loyalty toward him. Naturally, the Viridescent Eagle didn't submit to him just because he beat it up. When it attacked him, a book on it was compiled in Zhang Xuan's head. Thereafter, he swiftly looked through the book and understood the eagle’s flaws. While it seemed that he was merely beating it up, he had infused his pure zhenqi into the body of the other party to cleanse its bloodline. Employing both the carrot and the stick simultaneously, it would be difficult for it to not submit to him. His Heaven's Path zhenqi is an unparalleled tool in cleansing a savage beast's bloodline and raising its cultivation. No savage beast is able to resist its allure. Given that there were only two choices, be killed by Zhang Xuan, or follow him and raise its strength, regardless of how foolish a savage beast could be, it was obvious what they would choose. Compared to cleansing its bloodline and raising its strength, all of the other delicacies, tonics, and such were nothing. Weng! Beast Tamer Lu took the Heart Inquisition Crystal and started conducting the test on the Viridescent Eagle. Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang stood up and walked over to Princess Mo Yu. "Mo Yu xiaojie, don't worry. So what if he has established a contract? Given that the Viridescent Eagle is tamed through brute force, its Loyalty Level must be low. Even at maximum, it will only be 31!" "If it's just 31, given that xiaojie's Loyalty Level is 30, there's a high possibility you might be able to tame it back!" The two of them consoled. Even though Advanced Taming is technically a high level than Inceptive Taming, in practice, a Loyalty Level of 31 doesn’t actually differ much from a level of 30. As long as Mo Yu pleased it by feeding it with delicious food, the Viridescent Eagle might still come back to her. The saying that a savage beast recognized only a single master in their entire life is actually just a general statement. Legend has it that the truly formidable beast tamers are able to tame another person's tamed beast with just a few words, even if it has already established a contract with another tamer. Putting everything else aside, the very fact that Zhang Xuan managed to tame Mo Yu's Viridescent Eagle proved that it wasn't entirely impossible. Since it has changed sides once, it is possible for it to do so once again. "A maximum of 31?" Mo Yu's anger still wasn't placated. "Indeed, how loyal can a savage beast who was tamed through brute force be? Does this even need to be said..." Zhu Jinhuang sneered coldly. Yet, before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a tightening sensation on his arm. "What's wrong?" Turning around to look, it was Zhou Xuan who had grabbed him. "Look..." Zhou Xuan's lips were quivering. Following the direction where he was pointing in, Zhu Jinhuang took a glance and all of the words he was about to spout vanished. In an instant, he felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Numbers had appeared on the Heart Inquisition Crystal. Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle toward Zhang Xuan, 45! Complete Submission, the highest realm possible... Complete silence. Everyone's jaws fell to the ground. Actually, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang weren't the only ones who thought so. Everyone also felt that the Loyalty Level of the Viridescent Eagle would be low, given that it was beaten into submission. Yet... never had they imagined that it would reach 45! This was Complete Submission, the highest level of loyalty a savage beast could have! Countless beast tamers had lived together with their savage beasts for numerous years, but remained unable to induce such loyalty in their savage beast... Yet, this level was reached just by giving a round of beating... Everyone felt their perspective of the world overturn. "This should be considered as a pass, right?" Seeing the number on the Heart Inquisition Crystal, Zhang Xuan wasn't surprised at all. He turned to look at Hall Master Feng with a smile. "In the first round of the theoretical examination, you passed the discourse without making any mistakes. In the second round, you managed to tame a Viridescent Eagle with a Loyalty Level of 45..." Hall Master Feng nodded his head. "I declare that Zhang Xuan has passed the beast tamer examination and that he is officially a 1-star beast tamer!" Seeing that he had passed the examination, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. With this identity, he would be exempted from paying for future rides on aerial savage beasts borrowed from the Beast Hall... "Wait a moment..." The moment Hall Master Feng finished announcing the result, a bellow sounded. "What's wrong, Beast Tamer Mo?" Hall Master Feng turned to look at her. The one who spoke was Mo Yu. She had passed the examination, thus he addressed her as a beast tamer to display his respect. "I disagree with the results. I believe that he hasn't fulfilled the criteria of the examination and thus, he isn't qualified to become an official beast tamer!" Mo Yu stepped forward and spoke. "Oh?" Hall Master Feng frowned. "For the beast tamer examination, one has to tame a savage beast stronger than him. Even though Zhang Xuan didn't display his cultivation, given how he was able to defeat the Viridescent Eagle easily, his cultivation realm is most likely higher than it. At the minimum, he is probably at Tongxuan realm pinnacle!" Mo Yu sneered coldly, "Meaning to say... even though he tamed the Viridescent Eagle, he had merely tamed a savage beast with a cultivation realm lower than him. With this, he doesn’t meet the required conditions, and thus, he shouldn’t pass!" "This..." Upon hearing her words, Hall Master Feng hesitated. The situation was exactly as what the other party said. The conditions for the savage beast tamed for the examination is that its cultivation realm has to be higher than the examinee. Zhou Xuan, Zhu Jinhuang, and Yun Tao had fulfilled this condition. In the previous battle, Zhang Xuan relied solely on his physical body strength, and as such, the others weren't able to see through his cultivation realm. Even so, given how he was able to defeat the Viridescent Eagle so easily, there was no doubt that his cultivation realm was above that of the Viridescent Eagle... Going by the usual practice, Zhang Xuan wasn't yet qualified to become a beast tamer. "You mean to say... I am unqualified to become a beast tamer because the savage beast I tamed has a cultivation realm lower than mine?" Zhang Xuan glanced at her. "Yes!" Mo Yu replied coldly. "Then, what if... this Viridescent Eagle isn't at Tongxuan realm, but at Half-Zongshi, does this mean that I've passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Of course!" Mo Yu nodded. Even though she didn't know how strong the other party was, she didn't think that he had reached Half-Zongshi. "Good..." Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan turned to the Viridescent Eagle and said, "Alright, it's your turn!" Qiu! Following a piercing call, a powerful force suddenly burst forth from the massive body of the Viridescent Eagle.

Chapter 253: You Are a Master Teacher?



Boom! At this moment, the Viridescent Eagle seemed like a bomb that is about to explode at any moment. The sound reminiscent of flowing water sounded from its body, and its numerous acupoints were flickering, as though a powerful energy was gushing into them. Geji! Geji! The sound within its body crescendoed, and its three-meter-tall body grew suddenly. At the same time, its feathers also extended outward. "This… is this Bloodline Evolution? Is it breaking through its cultivation realm?" Hall Master Feng narrowed his eyes. Coming to the same conclusion as well, Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wang's faces grew red with agitation, and they clenched their fists tightly. "Bloodline Evolution? What's that?" Someone asked doubtfully. Not everyone in the room was a beast tamer, such as the guards of Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang, and Zhou Xuan. They didn't have a complete knowledge of beast taming. "The strength of a savage beast is affected by several factors, and of which, there are three which is the most commonly seen. Firstly, age. A savage beast would grow along with age, reaching the peak of its strength only when it reaches adulthood. This is also the most common limiting factor of a savage beast's strength. Secondly, bloodline. The more powerful a savage beast's bloodline is, the more potential it has. Even when it reaches adulthood, if its bloodline is sufficiently potent, it can continue to raise its cultivation. Thirdly, cultivation techniques. Some of the more intelligent savage beasts are capable of cultivating alongside their beast tamers and improve along with them." One of the more knowledgeable people in the room replied him with a hushed voice. "Usually, it is impossible for a savage beast to improve its bloodline. However, sometimes upon eating unique herbs or undergoing an exceptional experience, it is possible for a savage beast's bloodline to break through its limits and reach higher levels!" "As its bloodline evolves, its cultivation also breaks through its limit and reach higher realms. This kind of evolution is similar to mutation and is extremely rare. To think that the Viridescent Eagle would be so lucky as to chance on such an opportunity. It's truly lucky..." "Along with the Bloodline Evolution, its cultivation soars rapidly. Will this Viridescent Eagle really reach Half-Zongshi?" "If it succeeds to reach Half-Zongshi, it would mean that Zhang Xuan has successfully tamed a Half-Zongshi savage beast. If so, he would meet the conditions for the test, thus passing the beast tamer examination!" Upon hearing the explanation, everyone came to a realization. "This... This is impossible..." Upon witnessing such a situation right after challenging Zhang Xuan's qualification, Mo Yu's face turned red. She was on the verge of going insane. This Viridescent Eagle was her tamed beast, and she had investigated its background clearly. It had become an adult and it hadn't eaten any precious herbs that could possibly trigger a Bloodline Evolution. As such, it should have been impossible for such a situation to occur. Yet, right after being beaten up by Zhang Xuan, not only was its cultivation raised, its bloodline even evolved... You must be joking with me! If I knew that it would undergo Bloodline Evolution, I would have never given you a chance to tame it! A Half-Zongshi realm savage beast... Once tamed, one can cultivate along with it. It would be much easier for her to reach Half-Zongshi with its assistance... Yet, she gave away this opportunity just like that! She felt so stifled that she was about to go insane. "Mo Yu xiaojie, can it be that fellow's beating which triggered the Viridescent Eagle's bloodline to evolve, resulting in the rise in its cultivation?" Zhu Jinhuang asked. "That's impossible!" Before Mo Yu could reply, Zhou Xuan shook his head. "Usually, a Bloodline Evolution can only be triggered by consuming precious herbs or blood essences left behind by powerful savage beasts and purifying its bloodline. How can it achieve a breakthrough just by undergoing a beating?" Bloodline Evolution requires a huge amount of luck to occur. Regardless of whether a savage beast consumed a precious herb or the blood essence of a powerful savage beast, it has to be completely compatible with the savage beast for it to work. The success rate is below 1 in 10000. The concept of its bloodline evolving through a beating... is a joke! "Zhou Xuan is right. No matter how capable that fellow is, it is impossible for him to purify the Viridescent Eagle's bloodline and trigger a Bloodline Evolution just by beating it. The only explanation is that... the Viridescent Eagle had consumed something special before coming here, and that it began to take effect here..." Agreeing with Zhou Xuan's words, Mo Yu nodded her head. "If I'm not wrong, it might be the Bewildering Soul Flower that I fed it before coming here! I heard that it is a tonic to the Viridescent Eagle, and I had specially spent a huge sum of money to purchase it for the purpose of taming the eagle..." Recalling the price of the Bewildering Soul Flower, she felt her heart ache. Just as she was gritting her teeth in resentment, she saw Yun Tao walk over, muttering something beneath his breath. "As expected of Elder Zhang Xuan. Any savage beast which he beats up experiences a Bloodline Evolution. It was the same for the Gold Alloyed Panther and the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow as well... I thought that it was just a coincidence, but to think that this Viridescent Eagle has achieved a breakthrough as well!" "What did you say?" Upon hearing his words, Mo Yu swallowed back the words at the tip of her tongue. With widened eyes, she stared at Yun Tao. "Oh, nothing much. I am just impressed by Elder Zhang Xuan. You have all seen his Gold Alloyed Panther as well. It should have been a Pixue realm savage beast, but it has already reached Tongxuan realm! The Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow was also merely a Pixue realm primary stage savage beast, but at this moment, it has reached intermediate stage... All because of Elder Zhang's beating." Yun Tao replied seriously. "After being beaten up... Not only is he able to get the savage beast to submit, he can trigger a Bloodline Evolution as well?" Mo Yu, Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and the others felt themselves entering a frenzy. Why... do Yun Tao’s words seem so incredulous? This was especially so for Mo Yu. It hadn't been long since she declared that it was due to her Bewildering Soul Flower that the Viridescent Eagle was able to achieve a breakthrough. Upon hearing Yun Tao's words, she felt a stinging sensation on her face. Who is she? An incredible genius. Even considering the entire Beast Hall and Tianwu Kingdom, she belonged to the very top. Being awarded a grade-1 in the beast tamer examination, she outshone everyone. But while she was still gleeful over this feat, this fellow tamed her savage beast, pummeled it, and even helped it achieve a breakthrough... Are you sure your purpose here isn't to humiliate me? Otherwise, why would you disprove every single word that I say... Boom! Amidst everyone's shock and frenzy, the Viridescent Eagle's rising aura finally came to a standstill. At this moment, its physique was significantly larger than how it was previously, reaching a height of four meters. At the same time, it emanated a much more powerful aura than before. It felt as if with a slight scratch of its claws, cracks would appear on the bluestone ground. Half-Zongshi! This Viridescent Eagle has actually reached Half-Zongshi! "So... have I passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "You pass!" The three beast tamers nodded. If this can’t be considered a pass, what can? Besides, they were also overflowing with doubts. Mo Yu might not be able clearly to tell what Zhang Xuan did, but as 2-star beast tamers, they could tell that the Bloodline Evolution of the Viridescent Eagle was Zhang Xuan's credit. To trigger a Bloodline Evolution within a savage beast... If he can do this for any savage beast, it will definitely cause an uproar in the Beast Hall. At this point, Hall Master Feng couldn't hold himself back anymore. Clasping his fists, he said, "Beast Tamer Zhang, I have something I would like to ask..." "I know what you want to ask. Are you curious why this Viridescent Eagle would suddenly undergo a Bloodline Evolution?" Zhang Xuan looked at him. "Yes!" Hall Master Feng replied. Hearing the exchange between the two, the others immediately focused their attention here. After beating up the Viridescent Eagle, not only did it submit, it even underwent a Bloodline Evolution. If they hadn’t witnessed this sight for themselves, they would never have believed it to be possible. Everyone was dying to know what happened. "It's simple. I used the blood essence of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow as a bait to induce its submission. Then... I fed the blood essence to it, thus triggering the Blood Evolution." Zhang Xuan said. Inducing a breakthrough in a savage beast was no easy feat. If others were to know that Zhang Xuan's zhenqi could trigger a Bloodline Evolution, it would bring him a whole lot of trouble. Thus, he attributed the matter to the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow. In any case, there were precedents of savage beast consuming the blood essence of powerful savage beasts and achieving breakthroughs... As an ancient beast, the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow possessed a pure bloodline. Even though the Viridescent Eagle had a massive physique, it was nevertheless considered as an avian. There was a possibility that the bloodline of the ancient sparrow might be compatible with the eagle... However, if someone else wanted to try the same thing, Zhang Xuan wouldn't take the blame if their tamed beast dies. More importantly, the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow was Yun Tao's savage beast. Even if anything happened, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t be held responsible. Since that fellow obtained a free ancient beast from him, he should at least contribute by becoming his whipping boy! "So that's the case!" Upon hearing his explanation, Hall Master Feng and the others exchanged gazes and nodded their heads. This seemed to be the only plausible explanation. Otherwise... to achieve a breakthrough by receiving a beating... it sounded nonsensical no matter how they looked at it. "It's the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow..." Upon hearing the explanation, Mo Yu came to a realization. At the same time, she felt intense regret. If she knew that the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow could help trigger a Bloodline Evolution in the Viridescent Eagle, she would have tried to get close to Zhang Xuan and Yun Tao. It could have been the final trigger for her to achieve Advanced Taming. But now, she has nothing left... Her savage beast was completely tamed by the other party, and the Loyalty Level was at an astonishing 45. Even though he said 'borrow', it was unlikely that he would return it... "To be able to recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and possess so many means, can it be..." Upon recalling something, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before walking over to Zhang Xuan. "Damn it!" Seeing numerous emotions flicker across Mo Yu's face and her walking toward Zhang Xuan, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang clenched their fists tightly. They had been completely outdone by this fellow this time. Needless to say, Mo Yu must have fallen for him. "I heard that this fellow came from Tianxuan Kingdom and doesn't have any strong backing. If things come down to this..." Zhu Jinhuang gestured his intentions to murder Zhang Xuan. Given that Yun Tao was the prince of a country, they didn't dare to push things too far. However, Zhang Xuan was different. As an insignificant figure without any backing, his life and death meant nothing. They might not be a match for the other party, but as princes of their kingdoms, it wasn't difficult for them to gather a few powerful subordinates to deal with him. "Alright!" Zhou Xuan spat through gritted teeth. Today, they were completely humiliated by that young lad. It would be hard to quench their anger if they didn't get back at him. To dare to offend two princes without having any backing, he is truly courting death! The duo was discussing how they could murder this Zhang Xuan when Mo Yu was already right before Zhang Xuan. With glowing eyes, she spoke of her doubt. "The essence blood of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow is probably just one of the contributing factors. There should be a more important reason behind its breakthrough... If I'm not wrong, you are a master teacher, right?" "Master teacher?" Upon hearing Mo Yu's words, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, who were just discussing how they could kill Zhang Xuan, shivered uncontrollably. At that moment, they could no longer hold themselves back and cried. Those two fools had actually intended to kill a master teacher... They sure are brazen! The heck, didn't they say that he doesn’t have any backing? But his backing seems to be even greater than the heavens...

Chapter 254: Critically Ill Savage Beast



Master teachers are protected by the Teacher Guild and the Master Teacher Pavilion. Putting aside whether they would be able to get off with assassinating a master teacher, even if they were to just offend one, a sanction may be imposed on them. Given their power and prestige of the, almost all powers and experts have no choice but to show respect to the Teacher Guild and the Master Teacher Pavilion, needless to say, a mere Tier 2 Kingdom. Even if the sanction was applied on a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom, it would merely be a matter of time before the country fell apart. That was to say, if they were to attempt to assassinate a master teacher and be discovered, not only would they be killed, even their kingdom would be implicated! This is how fearsome master teachers are! The number one occupation in the world mustn't be insulted or desecrated! Regardless of emperors or sect leaders; regardless of how powerful or influential one can be, with a single word from the Master Teacher Pavilion, his existence would be erased. It was said that an emperor of a Conferred Kingdom once teased a beautiful female master teacher, incurring her wrath. Without even using the power of the Master Teacher Pavilion, simply just by conducting a lecture on the same spot for seven days straight, she attracted countless experts, and with a single command, captured the emperor alive and beat him to death. There was a very powerful old elder in the kingdom, and he could have stopped them. Yet, he dared not to do so. When an emperor dies, another one can be appointed. But if a kingdom were to be destroyed, nothing would be left. It was hard to tell how many students a master teacher could have, With just a single pointer, one can already be regarded as half a teacher. Thus, master teachers were thought to be beehives. If a person were to agitate them, he would be crippled even if he were to survive the ordeal. Assassinating a master teacher... Honestly speaking, it was no different from courting death. Zhu Jinhuang and the others trembled in fear. He immediately suppressed the thoughts in his head. "Master teacher?" Not expecting Mo Yu to come to this conclusion, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I'm not one yet!" Even though he was acknowledged by three master teachers, he could only be considered as one of the more incredible master teacher apprentices. Since he hasn't passed the master teacher examination yet, he couldn't be considered as a master teacher. "You aren't?" Mo Yu was stunned. She thought that the reason why the other party possessed such formidable means was that he was a master teacher. To think that he wasn't one... "He isn't a master teacher? Great..." "As long as he isn't a master teacher, he must die by hook or by crook!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan confess that he wasn't a master teacher, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, who were panicking a moment ago, heaved a sigh of relief. Their killing intent started to emerge once more. But in the next moment, Shen Bi Ru's voice rang, "Although Zhang laoshi isn't a master teacher, he is a senior to Beiwu Kingdom's Liu shi, Zhuang shi, and Hanwu Kingdom's Zheng shi!" "The senior of three master teachers?" The duo stared at one another. This time, they really burst into tears. As princes from Tier 2 Kingdoms, they have heard of the name of the three master teachers. They were considered as one of the top-notch figures in the Tier 2 Kingdoms, and even the lowest of men knew of their existence. And Zhang Xuan was their senior... Even if he wasn't a master teacher, his standing was already way above that of a master teacher! It was fortunate that they didn't make a move. Otherwise, the one who would die by hook or by crook would be them two... ... "I know Liu shi from Beiwu Kingdom, and I've met him once at 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu's lecture. If you're his senior, can it be..." Upon hearing Shen Bi Ru's words, Mo Yu immediately realized something and her eyes narrowed. Given that he was the senior of a master teacher, it meant that they have the same teacher. For a person to make a master teacher willingly acknowledge him as his teacher, that person had to be at least a 2-star master teacher, or even... above that! For Zhang Xuan to be the direct disciple of a master teacher of 2-star or higher. His standing was even above that of hers, a princess of Tianwu Kingdom. Furthermore, to be accepted as a direct disciple of such an incredible figure meant that Zhang Xuan possessed incredible potential. It was likely that his future achievements would far surpass hers. After all, even though she was an apprentice of 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu, she wasn't his direct disciple. Upon realizing these, she glanced at the young man before her once more. This time, admiration could be seen in her gaze. ... "So you’re a direct disciple of a master teacher, no wonder you have such an in-depth understanding of beast taming!" Upon coming to a realization, Hall Master Feng and the others nodded their heads. They were just about to ask Zhang Xuan about the Beast Pummeling Taming Method and learn it from him. However, upon knowing of his true identity, they immediately dispelled this thought. Even though beast-taming was an occupation in the Upper Nine Paths, it was far from matching up to master teacher, who stood at the zenith. It was likely that Zhang Xuan's Beast Pummeling Taming Method came from that master teacher... If the other party were to find out that they had tried to learn his skills from his direct disciple, they could be in trouble. Rather than that, it was much wiser to just build a good relationship with Zhang Xuan. "This is your 1-star beast tamer emblem!" Upon knowing of Zhang Xuan's 'identity', the attitude of the three master teachers immediately improved. They swiftly retrieved an emblem representing one's identity as a beast tamer and presented it to Zhang Xuan. Upon grabbing the emblem, Zhang Xuan casually placed it into his storage ring before asking. "I would like to go to the Red Lotus Ridge and I need an aerial savage beast. What do you think I should do?" Even though he had become a beast tamer and read a large collection of book on beast taming, he had never ridden on an aerial savage beast before, and there might be a difference between theories in the book and practical situations. As such, he hoped to receive some professional input. "Red Lotus Ridge?" Hall Master Feng stroked his beard as he calculated, "Tianwu Kingdom is around tens of thousand of kilometers from here. If you ride on the Viridescent Eagle which you've just tamed, it should take around half a month!" "Half a month?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He thought that since the Viridescent Eagle had reached Half-Zongshi, the journey should only take a couple of days. The thought that he would still require half a month never crossed his mind. "That's right. This Viridescent Eagle has just achieved a breakthrough, and its cultivation hasn’t yet stabilized. At most, it can travel 4000 to 5000 kilometers per day. Furthermore, it has to take frequent rest, so it is unable to fly overnight. Therefore, half a month is the fastest that it can go!" Hall Master Feng said. Zhang Xuan nodded. Even though he didn't know how fast the Viridescent Eagle could fly, given how it had just reached Half-Zongshi, it was unlikely that it was able to unleash the full strength of the realm. In addition, it has to stabilize its cultivation and adapt to its new strength. As such, the estimate of half a month made sense. After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan recalled what Han Qiong said before and asked. "I've heard that the Beast Hall have [Lightning Mounts] which travel at swift speeds and are able to easily cover distances of tens of thousand of kilometers within a few days. May I ask if that's true?" "The Beast Hall does have Lightning Mounts, which are Zongshi realm savage beasts. They are given the nickname of 'lightning' due to the swift speed at which it can ferry humans. However..." Hall Master Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There are only two such Beast Mounts in the Beast Hall. One of which is on the way to Qianxue Kingdom, while the other one..." At this point, he shook his head. The other two beast tamers beside him also seemed to be dispirited upon talking about this matter. "What's wrong?" Zhang Xuan became puzzled after seeing their strange expressions. "The other Lightning Mount has become critically ill. Today, it was unable to even stand up, needless to say, fly. Just earlier today, I, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang were examining it to identify possible treatments. That is also the reason why we weren't able to make it for the examination and had Beast Tamer Hong stand in for us!" Hall Master Feng said. "Critically ill?" At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled Beast Tamer Hong saying that Hall Master Feng and the others were busy with something and as such, they were unable to make it for the examination. A while ago, he was wondering what could be more important than the beast tamer examination. Turns out, this was the matter they were attending to. The Zongshi realm savage beast could be considered as the trump card of this Beast Hall. Given that it was too ill to even stand up, it was no wonder why they were feeling flustered. "What illness is it?" Zhang Xuan asked. The condition of the savage beast didn't matter to him at all... What Zhang Xuan was concerned with was how much time he could save if he flew on that Lightning Mount. Upon hearing his question, Hall Master Feng shook his head, "It's precisely because we can't tell what's wrong that we're helpless on this matter!" "The three of us had used all kinds of beast tamer diagnosing methods, but we remain unable to tell what's wrong!" Beast Tamer Lu smiled bitterly. Since they were unable to even tell what illness it was, they were, naturally, unable to treat it. "Is there any solution?" Mo Yu could not help but ask. As a beast tamer, she was concerned over the health of the savage beast after hearing about its plight. "We've already sent someone to Beiwu Kingdom to invite Grandmaster Qing Yang over. Perhaps he would be able to diagnose the root of the illness!" Beast Tamer Wang said. "Grandmaster Qing Yang? Is Beast Tamer Wang talking about the only 2-star physician in Beiwu Kingdom?" Shen Bi Ru pondered for a moment before asking. "That's right! Even though we, beast tamers, do possess methods to diagnose and treat the illnesses of savage beasts, we are still far from matching up to real physicians. I've already sent someone to invite him, so he should be arriving soon!" Beast Tamer Wang smiled. Even though beast tamers have their own methods to treat savage beast illnesses, their treatment methods mainly catered to common symptoms. They were helpless toward the more complicated illnesses, such as the one the Lightning Mount was afflicted with at the moment. The only option for them was to employ the help of a grandmaster physician. Beiwu Kingdom wasn't too far from the Beast Hall, and a roundabout trip on an aerial savage beast wouldn't take more than two hours. Since they were waiting for the arrival of Grandmaster Qing Yang, they decided to spectate the beast tamer examination and happened to witness the conflict between Zhang Xuan and Beast Tamer Hong. Beast Tamer Wang seemed to be extremely confident in that physician named Qing Yang, and turning toward Zhang Xuan, he smiled, "As soon as its illness is cured, we can lend it to you for a trip to the Red Lotus Ridge! However... The price for riding on a Zongshi realm Beast Mount is quite steep. You will have to prepare yourself for it!" "How much does it cost?" Zhang Xuan asked. "According to the price of the Beast Hall, a journey to the faraway Tianwu Kingdom on a Zongshi realm savage beast would require at least twenty [Beast Bloodstone]. As Beast Tamer Zhang is one of our members, we can give you a 20% discount, thus you will only require 16 Beast Bloodstone. In terms of common currency used in the kingdoms, it is around eight million gold coins!" "Eight million gold coins?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock. In order to earn that sum, he had to disguise himself and work himself down to the bones. Yet, it cost so much money just to make a single trip... That was no different from daylight robbery! "There's no way around it. A Zongshi realm savage beast requires a 2-star beast tamer to drive it. Furthermore, you are riding it as an individual. This is already the lowest price we can give you!" Beast Tamer Wang smiled bitterly. Even though the Zongshi realm Lightning Mount had been tamed, it was impossible for one to drive it without sufficient expertise. Thus, a 2-star beast tamer had to tag along for the ride. Beast tamers who have reached 2-stars were at least Zongshi realm. That is to say, for a single trip, a Zongshi realm expert and Zongshi realm savage beast have to be mobilized. Thus, how can the price possibly be low? One must know that a Zongshi realm expert can be considered as a stabilizing pillar in a Tier 2 Kingdom! Eight million gold coins weren't demanding too much given that a person of such immense standing would have to be mobilized. Even so, Zhang Xuan still found the price hard to accept. "Didn't you say that... beast tamers can ride on Beast Mounts for free?" Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan asked. The reason why he took the beast tamer examination was that Yun Tao said that he could ride for free. Yet, it turned out that he has to pay eight million... He felt depressed just by thinking about it. "A 1-star beast tamer can only ride on aerial savage beasts below Zongshi realm for free. If he wishes to ride on Zongshi realm savage beasts for free, he has to be a 2-star beast tamer!" Seeing that Zhang Xuan was ignorant of the matter, Hall Master Feng explained. "A 2-star beast tamer can ride on the Lightning Mount for free?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked, "If that's the case... What's the requirement for the 2-star beast tamer examination? I'll try challenging the examination!"

Chapter 255: Grandmaster Qing Yang



Try challenging the examination? The corner of the mouths of Hall Master Feng and the others twitched. Of the countless examinees who had ever taken an examination in the Beast Hall, this was the most eccentric reason they have ever heard. Most people took the beast tamer examination because their capability and strength had met the basic requirements, and they hoped to receive recognition. Yet, this fellow was doing it just so that his ride would be free... You are a senior to master teachers! With such incredible capability, as long as you are willing to put in some effort, you should be able to earn a few million gold coins easily. To act like that just for some money... Where is your pride? Where is your dignity? What about your standing? More importantly, the examination he wanted to take was the 2-star beast tamer examination. In the thousand years since the establishment of the Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, there hadn't been more than ten 2-star beast tamer. Try challenging the examination... You make it sound as though it is as easy as eating and drinking, and there's nothing to be scared or nervous about. Do you know the difficulty of the examination? Do you know that an expert like Beast Tamer Hong has already failed it seven times? To speak of the matter so casually, aren't you underestimating the profession a little too much? Mo Yu's chest expanded and contracted violently. She was close to bursting into a rage. Despite being one of the top geniuses in Tianwu Kingdom, she spent a year before achieving the status of a 1-star beast tamer. She thought that she would win the admiration of everyone here, but... she met this fellow. It took her countless resources, coaxing, and pleading to achieve Inceptive Taming with the Viridescent Eagle. Yet, just by beating it up, the Viridescent Eagle submitted completely to the other party... He had just passed the 1-star beast tamer examination, yet he wasn't satisfied and wanted to take on the 2-star beast tamer examination immediately... It was one thing if Zhang Xuan had built up a solid foundation and wanted to take on both examination at once to amaze others. However... He obviously didn't have such intentions beforehand. It was only after hearing that he would get to ride on the Lightning Mount for free did he have such thoughts. Other people tire themselves to death in order to become a 2-star beast tamer, yet you regard it as though a walk in the park. You don't have to demoralize others like that, do you... "The 2-star beast tamer examination requires..." Suppressing the stifling sensation in his chest, Hall Master Feng was just about to start explaining when an elder abruptly walked in with an agitated expression. "Hall master, hall master! Grandmaster Qing Yang is here!" "He's here?" The eyes of the three beast tamers lit up immediately. They stood up in a hurry and walked out without saying a word. After taking a few steps, Hall Master Feng abruptly stopped. He turned around and said, "Since you are all official beast tamers already, you are qualified to examine the proceedings as well. This is a good opportunity for you to spectate how a grandmaster physician treats a Zongshi realm savage beast and build on your knowledge!" "Yes!" Mo Yu, Zhu Jinhuang, and the others nodded their heads and followed along. "Elder, let's take a look as well. It's a rare opportunity to witness the treatment of a savage beast, and we might be able to learn a thing or two from it!" Seeing the others walk into the distance, Yun Tao walked over to Zhang Xuan. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. He had been wanting to ride on the Lightning Mount all along. Once that fellow was treated, he would be able to save considerable time and effort for his journey to the Red Lotus Ridge. Following behind the crowd, he soon arrived at a giant courtyard. It was large and vast, and the infrastructures were several times larger than those of an ordinary residence. It felt as if one had stepped into a country of giants. The stone stools in the courtyard were all seven to eight meters wide. If one didn't examine it carefully, he might even think that it was a stage. The stone pavement by the courtyard was also extremely wide, around several dozens of meters large. There was a pond at the center of the courtyard, and the entire place felt like a majestic palace. "This is the residence specially built for the[Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast]. There are seven apprentice beast tamers who live together with it to manage its day-to-day necessities..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan's bewildered expression, Yun Tao explained to him telepathically. "The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is the ill Zongshi realm savage beast." "A residence built specially for a savage beast?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. Does it have to be so extravagant? Regardless of the land area or the grandeur of the infrastructure, it was a match for Tianxuan Royal Palace. As such, Zhang Xuan thought that an important figure lived in the residence. Yet, to think that it was built specially for a savage beast... Furthermore, seven apprentice beast tamers were assigned to it to take care of its day-to-day living... The privileges it enjoyed seemed to be beyond that of an ordinary expert. It was no wonder why a single trip to Tianwu Kingdom would cost eight million gold coins. Without such fees, it was impossible to sustain the cost of housing it. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, we will be depending on you..." Zhang Xuan was lamenting how the living conditions of a savage beast surpassed even that of a human when Hall Master Feng's excited voice sounded. Glancing over, Zhang Xuan saw a tall elder dressed in green standing not too far away. With his hands behind his back, he exuded a distant aura that seemed to ward off strangers. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be in his fifties. And without any emotions on his face, it was difficult to fathom what was going on in his mind. He appears to be the legendary Grandmaster Physician Qing Yang! Usually, a 1-star for any occupation would be addressed as a master while a 2-star would be addressed as grandmaster. Grandmaster Qing Yang, as a 2-star physician, was clearly much more capable than Master Yuanyu. "Alright! Where's the Howling Firmament Beast? Bring me to it!" Nodding at Hall Master Feng words, Grandmaster Qing Yang dived straight into the matter at hand. "Yes, over here!" Hall Master Feng led the way. Soon, they arrived at the backyard. A humongous savage beast could be seen lying on a massive stone pedestal. Its eyes were tightly shut, and it was hard to tell whether it was alive. This savage beast bore some resemblance to the Viridescent Eagle but was significantly larger. With a physique of a dozen meter wide, it looked like a small mountain from afar. "Unconscious?" With a single glance, Zhang Xuan could tell that the humongous fellow was in a comatose. It was no wonder why Hall Master Feng and the others were in such a panic, rushing off upon hearing that Grandmaster Qing Yang had arrived. It seemed that the Howling Firmament Beast was truly in a critical condition. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, the illness struck three days ago. Initially, it only refused food, and the condition didn't seem to be serious, so we didn't pay it much attention. But this morning, it passed out all of a sudden. We've tried several methods to wake it up, but it was futile..." Hall Master Feng explained. "Un!" Nodding, Grandmaster Qing Yang stepped forward. He circled around the Howling Firmament Beast, and the more he walked, the darker his complexion became. "Tell me about its recent diet!" Hall Master Feng beckoned, and an apprentice beast tamer who was in charge of waiting on Howling Firmament Beast walked over and bowed respectfully. "Ten days ago, the Howling Firmament Beast started to lose his appetite, and it seemed to have become slightly agitated. As it is the dry season of autumn and it is easy for internal heat to accumulate, we fed it the calming [Spirit Rejuvenation Water], and its symptoms were somewhat alleviated." "However, something remained amiss with its situation. It would thrash around the residence at night, and from time to time, it would howl toward the sky. Especially, in the past few days, when there was a full moon present, it stayed up all night, running about, as though it was trying to look for an outlet for its inexhaustible energy!" "Yet, when it wakes up, it would lose all appetite, and nothing can catch its attention. Today, it even fainted!" "The amount of food it consumed has been decreasing constantly through the days, and other than the cooked beast meat and porridge, it doesn’t eat anything else. Oh, abiding by Hall Master Feng's words, it was fed two [Heat Dissipation Pill] yesterday, but it seemed to be ineffective. On the contrary, its condition seemed to have worsened." Very quick;y, the apprentice beast tamer conveyed the basic condition of the Howling Firmament Beast. After which, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded and waved his hands, "You can leave now!" "Yes!" Not daring to say anything else, the apprentice turned around and left. "How is it?" Hall Master Feng asked. "Wait a moment!" Grandmaster Qing Yang didn't explain anything. Instead, he continued circling around the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. In the midst, he plucked a strand of fur and pulled up its eyelids. A deep frown was etched on his forehead, and he seemed to be trying to deduce the condition. ... "Can physicians treat savage beasts too?" Seeing Grandmaster Qing Yang in deep thoughts, Zhang Xuan asked. "Grandmaster Qing Yang is the best grandmaster physician in Beiwu Kingdom. It's said that he has already reached 2-star pinnacle, and is just a step away from reaching 3-star. Many of the illnesses which the Beast Hall was stumped by was treated by him!" Yun Tao said with a suppressed voice. "The fundamental theories behind illnesses, be it for a human for a beast, are the same. Since he is able to treat humans, naturally, he is able to treat beasts as well! Otherwise, how can physicians, despite their lacking combat ability, be ranked among the top of the Upper Nine Paths?" Hearing their conversation, Mo Yu interjected. Without a doubt, the master teacher was the number one occupation among the Upper Nine Paths. On the other hand, the rankings for the other occupations were blurred, and there wasn't a standardized ranking. Even so, apothecary, physician, formation master, and beast tamer were commonly accepted to be the few occupations which ranked at the front, and their practitioners were highly respected. Compared to formation master and beast tamer, physician, as an occupation, possessed no fighting ability at all. However, it was able to be ranked alongside them because their capability extended beyond just treating humans. "Aren't you skilled in beast taming? I thought that you are knowledgeable in everything. Why, do you know nothing about the Way of Medicine?" Seeing Zhang Xuan's confused expression, Mo Yu lifted her head haughtily. Aren't you formidable, taming a savage beast just by beating it up? Yet, to know nothing about the Way of Medicine! You shouldn't have acted so arrogantly. Embarrassed now, aren't you? "Err..." Hearing the other party words, Zhang Xuan smiled awkwardly. The books on the Way of Medicine in Tianxuan Kingdom were far too lacking, and the only physician he knew was Master Yuanyu. Furthermore, he had merely conversed with him on painting. As such, Zhang Xuan didn't know much about physician as an occupation. This was the first time he heard that a physician could treat savage beasts as well. "Not only is Mo Yu xiaojie a 1-star beast tamer, 1-star apothecary, and a master teacher apprentice, she is an apprentice physician as well!" Yun Tao whispered to Zhang Xuan with a hushed voice. His admiration for Mo Yu gleamed in his eyes. "Apprentice physician?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Even though this Mo Yu was rather arrogant, she did have the achievements to back it up. Despite her young age, she was adept in numerous occupations. Of all of the people Zhang Xuan had met, she was probably the most talented one. "There are some points of overlap between a physician and an apothecary, so I went ahead to learn a little. For me, it isn't difficult at all! After this, I'll be returning to Tianwu Kingdom to take the physician examination!" Mo Yu chuckled lightly. For what seemed to be an incredibly profound occupation in the eyes of others, to Mo Yu, it was as simple as playing house. She had always towered over others as a genius, but over here, she had been humiliated time and again because of this Zhang Xuan. Thus, upon seeing that the other party knew nothing about physicians, she decided to leverage this fact against the other party and rebuild her confidence. She thought that she could win his admiration just by saying so, but when she turned to look at him, he had already disappeared from sight. "Damn it!" Stomping her feet, her face flushed with anger. ... "Did you manage to diagnose anything? Seeing a deep frown on Grandmaster Qing Yang's forehead, Hall Master Feng asked once more. "Un, I have a rough idea on its condition now. I should be able to deduce what it's suffering from..." Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded. Halfway through his words, his face suddenly darkened and he bellowed, "What are you doing?" Hearing his voice, everyone turned their gazes over. Unknowingly, a youngster was already standing before the Howling Firmament Beast. After stretching his hands over... he touched its head. --- Internal heat is a concept of traditional Chinese medicine. It is normally associated with a body's discomfort and various symptoms.

Chapter 256: I Said That You Are an Inept Physician



"This..." Seeing the actions of the youngster, everyone became dumbfounded. Isn’t this fellow too brazen! Don’t you see that the grandmaster physician is examining the Howling Firmament Beast? Why did you come over? Furthermore... This is a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, a Zongshi realm savage beast, not your family's pet. Touching it... as if it were a domesticated dog, what in the world are you up to? "I, too, would like to take a look to see what this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is suffering from!" Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes, the youngster turned around and smiled. "Hmph!" Hearing his words, Mo Yu harrumphed. She recognized the person as soon as he turned around. It was the person who had been embarrassing her time and time again, Zhang Xuan. No wonder he disappeared just now! He had headed forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast. Hall Master Feng invited us over to view how Grandmaster Qing Yang would treat the savage beast. We're here to learn, so we should remain obediently at our spots and observe the proceedings quietly. Yet, to interrupt the other party's diagnosis... Why the heck are you trying to touch it! Aren't you asking for a scolding? As expected, the moment this thought appeared in her mind, Grandmaster Qing Yang's face steeled and his eyes narrowed. "Audacious!" Flinging his sleeves, he turned to Hall Master Feng and criticized sharply, "Is this how the people in the Beast Hall act? Are they usually this undisciplined? Take a look... Does he even know what he is looking at? To be touching around so casually despite knowing nothing at all, how conceited can one be!" "Grandmaster, calm down. He didn't do it intentionally. He is probably just worried about the Howling Firmament Beast..." Not expecting Zhang Xuan to act so rashly so as to run forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast, Hall Master Feng tried to placate Grandmaster Qing Yang immediately. "After years of working together, you should know that I need absolute silence during my treatment!" Interrupting his words, Grandmaster Qing Yang spoke haughtily. "I know, but..." "It's good that you know, there are no 'buts'. Since we've been friends for numerous years, I won't pursue this matter. However, this shouldn't be a place where an incompetent nobody can enter. I am in the midst of treating the Howling Firmament Beast, so chase all of them out." After finishing his words, Grandmaster Qing Yang waved his hands arrogantly. Who was he? A grandmaster physician, a highly respected figure in the Beiwu Kingdom. While he's in the midst of treating someone, a fellow suddenly popped out and said that he would like to take a look as well. What do you know about the Way of Medicine? Do you know what to look for? "Please calm down, Grandmaster Qing Yang. These few youngsters are beast tamers who just passed the examination today. The reason why I brought them over was so that they can watch the treatment process. They definitely didn't mean to offend you!" Hall Master Feng said. "Indeed. Beast Tamer Zhang merely touched the Howling Firmament Beast out of curiosity. I guarantee you that it won't happen again!" Beast Tamer Lu walked up to persuade him as well. "Hmph, I will let this matter go on your account then. I hope that the Beast Hall can be more disciplined in the future! To treat someone, I require absolute silence. Not everyone is qualified to watch the proceedings, and my treatment isn't something just anyone can understand! If some ignorant fool were to mess about, interfere with the treatment process, and delay the optimal treatment timing, can any of you take responsibility?" Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed as he scanned the surroundings, him holding an irrefutable authority. "Yes, yes!" Hall Master Feng hurriedly nodded. The standings of beast tamers and physicians were similar, but given that he was the one who had a request for the other party, he had no choice but to lower his head. This was the only person who was capable of treating the Howling Firmament Beast. Thus, even though the physician was speaking so harshly, he had no choice but to tolerate it. "Un!" Observing the other party's pleasant attitude, Grandmaster Qing Yang decided to not pursue the matter. Instead, he turned his attention to the unconscious Howling Firmament Beast. "You said earlier that you have identified the problem. Is there a way to treat its illness?" Hall Master Feng asked nervously. "After my initial diagnosis, I have confirmed the root of its illness." Grandmaster Qing Yang gestured grandly. Everyone's eyes lit up. As expected of a grandmaster physician. He was able to locate the root of the problem swiftly. One must know that the three 2-star beast tamers and numerous 1-star beast tamers have examined the Howling Firmament Beast for two whole days but to no avail. Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded his head in satisfaction. He calmly said, "Given how this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is vigorous at night, filled with internal heat, and often howled to the heavens, I suspect that... it's craving for a mate!" "Craving for a mate?" "That's right. Savage beasts possess libido as well, and this libido heightens during the autumn season, reaching a level where it is hard for them to control itself. Based on what I saw previously, its body is warm and it urgently needs an outlet to vent its frustrations. However, as it is unable to find a release, it is growing more and more restless. As time went by, the internal heat that gathered within its body diffused into his organs, causing him to descend into a coma." Grandmaster Qing Yang lifted his head slightly, and he seemed to be glowing with wisdom. "We've also thought of the possibility before, just that... given the age of the savage beast, it is unlikely that it has reached that point..." Hall Master Feng asked doubtfully. "Savage beasts cannot be gauged using the human standards. Once its bodily functions mature, it will experience libido. Its symptoms of being unable to sleep at night, howling toward the skies, and such are all signs of its desire for a mate. It's impossible for me to be mistaken!" Grandmaster Qing Yang turned to look at the crowd, and there was a bizarre glint in his eyes which exerted pressure on those he gazed upon. "Why? Do you doubt my diagnosis?" "That's not it, just that..." Hall Master Feng shook his head, choosing not to linger on this problem. Rather, he looked at Grandmaster Qing Yang anxiously, "So... How can such an illness be treated?" "Even though it appears complicated, once the root of the problem is identified, it isn't that difficult to solve. Since it wishes to look for a mate, we can just find one for it!" Grandmaster Qing Yang smiled. "Find one?" A bitter expression appeared on Hall Master Feng’s face. The other two 2-star beast tamers also shook their heads. "It's not that we don't want to find one for it, but the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is a rare species. It is nearly impossible to find another female which is of a comparable age!" An aerial savage beast such as the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast which could possess the strength of a Zongshi before maturing was extremely rare. Even considering the entire range of the vast Xuanluo Mountain Range, it was unlikely for there to be more than two of them. More importantly, it is capable of flying at incredible speed. Even if they happen to find one, how can they possibly capture and tame it? The reason why there was a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast in the Beast Hall was that they had raised it from young, even going to the extent of building a residence for it and sending apprentices to wait upon it. That was the main reason why it chose to remain here. Honestly speaking... Until now, no one had managed to tame it, and it hadn't established a contract with anyone either. It's not that they didn't want to do it, but that it was impossible for them to do it! The Howling Firmament Beast was prejudiced against humans, so taming it completely was impossible. Assuming if it was tamed completely, it would have been able to communicate with its master. If so, the beast tamers would know what was wrong with it and treat it by themselves. They wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble as to invite Grandmaster Qing Yang to diagnose its condition. Since they weren't even able to tame a Howling Firmament Beast which they raised from young, how could they possibly bring a mate for it within a short period of time? Clearly, this isn't a feasible solution! "It is impossible to find another one?" "Yes!" Hall Master Feng nodded. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, please look for another solution. I'm willing to give anything as long as the Howling Firmament Beast can be saved!" "I do have a solution, and it will solve the problem once and for all. Just that... this solution will be slightly troublesome." Grandmaster Qing Yang hesitated for a moment. "Since there's a solution, then I'll have to trouble you to hurry up and treat it." The eyes of Hall Master Feng and the others lit up as they hurriedly said. "Un, alright!" Placing his hands behind his back, Grandmaster Qing Yang nodded his head. "Even if it's impossible to find a mate for it, there's actually another simple solution to curb its frustration. That's... castration! As long as the operation is successful, it will not be plagued by such problems in the future. It'll then be able to focus its attention on working for the Beast Hall." "Castration?" Hall Master Feng and the others became dumbfounded. "Only through castration will it be able to calm its mind. At the very least, it will not feel frustrated and be overwhelmed with heat every day, and such a situation wouldn't occur again." Grandmaster Qing Yang turned to Hall Master Feng and questioned, "Aren’t there many other savage beasts in the Beast Hall which were castrated to avoid trouble?" "This..." Hall Master Feng hesitated before nodding. There were plenty of savage beasts in the Beast Hall who were castrated upon birth. This way, its attention wouldn't be diverted to its other needs, and it would be more obedient to its master. "Alright, this is my diagnosis. You should give it some thought. If you want to go through with it, you should make your decision quickly. It is clear that this fellow will not hold on for long. If you don't resolve the problem soon, I'm afraid that it might not survive even until tomorrow!" At this point, Grandmaster Qing Yang stopped speaking and stood quietly on the spot as he waited for the others to make their choice. "Must we do this?" Hall Master Feng and the others stared at one another in dilemma. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had been with them since young. They had been together for many years, and the beast tamers had already regarded it as their kin. To castrate it... They really couldn't bring themselves to do it. Besides, while there were plenty of precedents of savage beasts having been castrated in the Beast Hall, a significant number of them didn't survive the operation and died on the spot. The Howling Firmament Beast was critically ill, and at this moment, it had already descended into a coma. Conducting such an operation when it wasn't in a good physical condition bore a huge risk to its life. Besides, a Zongshi realm savage beast possesses wisdom. If they were to infuriate it by doing so, it was likely that it might just leave the Beast Hall permanently. In fact, it might even try to exact vengeance on the Beast Hall, and this would put the Beast Hall at a huge peril. It wasn’t that there were no precedents to such a situation. There were other Beast Halls who had met with similar situations and castrated a Half-Zongshi savage beast. This infuriated the savage beast, and not only did it leave the Beast Hall, it viewed the personnel of the Beast Hall with enmity and often returned to wreck havoc. Eventually, the Beast Hall could only dispatch experts to kill it. It's said that after it was killed, the master of the savage beast cried for three days straight. Due to his excessive grief, his zhenqi dissipated and he died a few days later. Just like humans, savage beasts have to be respected. Castrating the other party without informing it is a type of extreme humiliation. "Grandmaster Qing Yang, is there any other solution? This... really isn't an easy choice!" After hesitating for a moment, Hall Master Feng asked. "This is already the best solution to the problem! If you are unwilling to do so, we can just forget the matter. I have already presented my diagnosis and the treatment to you, and it's your choice to go through with it or not. However, if there are any other problems in the future, you don't need to dream of looking for me!" Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed in displeasure. He had presented the root of the problem and the treatment method, yet the other party kept questioning his judgment. Did they not trust his capability as a grandmaster physician? "This..." Upon hearing the other party's words, Hall Master Feng gritted his teeth and decided to go ahead with the other party's solution. However, before he could speak, an impassive voice suddenly echoed in the air. "In the past, I've heard that inept physicians could kill their patients. Back then, I thought that it was impossible, but to think that I would be seeing one right before me..." "What did you say?" Grandmaster Qing Yang burst into an outrage. He turned his head over immediately and saw a youngster standing amidst the crowd, looking at him with a calm expression. It was the fellow who sneaked forward to touch the Howling Firmament Beast awhile ago. Zhang Xuan! "I say that you are an inept physician! If you don't understand what I'm saying..." With a serious expression, Zhang Xuan said, "It means that you are a fool with inferior medical skills. When you are unable to determine the root of the illness, you make up a random diagnosis using your own imagination!"

Chapter 257: What Else Can You Be If Not an Inept Physician?



"He said that Grandmaster Qing Yang is an inept physician?" "He said that he is a fool with inferior medical skills?" Everyone was stunned. Even Mo Yu, who was resentful against Zhang Xuan, was stunned. To say that Grandmaster Qing Yang is an inept physician... This is equivalent to insulting the other party's professionalism, and there is no way for reconciliation. Why in the world is a fellow like you, who is ignorant in the Way of Medicine, acting big? Even though it wasn't common for a savage beast to be castrated, it wasn't as though it had never happened before. If they don't castrate it, is there any other solution to treating the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast? "Beast Tamer Zhang..." Not expecting him to insult Grandmaster Qing Yang all of a sudden, Hall Master Feng's complexion darkened. He immediately turned to Grandmaster Qing Yang and tried to appease him, "Grandmaster Qing Yang, don't get angry. He isn't doing this on purpose..." "Shut up!" Grandmaster Qing Yang's expression warped savagely. As though a furious lion, he stared coldly at the young man before him. With a frosty tone, he declared, "I, Qing Yang, have been practicing medicine for more than thirty-nine years. I have saved countless lives and relieved countless people of their ailments. This is the first time I have been insulted by someone like that. Lad, regardless of whether you are a beast tamer or not and who is backing you, if you don't explain yourself clearly today, don't blame me for getting nasty!" Boom! The moment he finished speaking, a powerful aura immediately burst forth from him, reaching even the heavens. It was so powerful and repressive that it forced Yun Tao and the others to retreat continuously. Grandmaster Qing Yang is a Zongshi expert! Regardless of occupation, while talent was a factor, one required a cultivation realm that could match up with it. All those who have reached 2-star were mainly Zongshi realm experts. This was also the reason why those who have reached 2-star were termed as grandmasters. This wasn't just a show of respect toward the person's mastery in the occupation, but to the person's cultivation and strength as well. As the most skilled physician in Beiwu Kingdom, Qing Yang had never suffered such humiliation while practicing his medical art. If not for his sophistication, he would have already lashed out at Zhang Xuan. "The reason why you've never been insulted... is because you've never met me. If you've met me earlier, you would have long been insulted!" Despite the other party's intimidation, Zhang Xuan simply looked at him indifferently. Grandmaster Qing Yang's eyebrows twitched, "Do you think that I dare not kill you?" "Kill me? Being unable to see through the Howling Firmament Beast's illness, you came up with a nonsensical diagnosis. If it were to be treated as you said, not only will the Howling Firmament Beast not be saved, it will die on the spot... Is this the result of your diagnosis? What else can you be if not an inept physician? And you still want to kill me... Despite erring so severely, you refuse to allow anyone to talk about it. How can one be so thick-skinned?" Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows. "You..." Upon hearing those words, Grandmaster Qing Yang was so maddened that he almost spurted a mouthful of blood. After releasing his full might as a Zongshi realm expert, he thought that the other party would apologize to him fearfully. Yet, not only did Zhang Xuan continue to criticize him boldly, he even reprimanded him for being thick-skinned... A dignified grandmaster physician getting scolded by a young lad in public. He felt so humiliated that he was about to go insane. "Do you feel indignant? Fine, I'll explain it to you then!" Just as Grandmaster Qing Yang was about to fly into a rage, the young man approached and stood before the Howling Firmament Beast. "The most direct way to determine the age of a Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast is through its teeth. The teeth exposed outside for a mature Howling Firmament Beast will be exactly three chi and three cun. I believe that all beast tamers should know about it, so I need not elaborate more!" (Three chi and three cun ~1.1m) Zhang Xuan pointed to the Howling Firmament Beast and said, "The teeth of this fellow are only two chi and seven cun long, proving that it is still some age away from adulthood. If I'm not wrong, it should be only seventeen-year-old. Based on the two hundred years lifespan of a Howling Firmament Beast, it should still be a child... I would like to ask you, how can a prepubescent savage beast possess libido?" (Two chi and seven cun ~90cm) Initially, Hall Master Feng and the others thought that Zhang Xuan was just causing trouble. However, after hearing his words, they were all taken aback. Other people might not know how old this Howling Firmament Beast was, but they were extremely clear of this. Ever since it was an infant, it had been living in the Beast Hall. It had been seventeen years since then. Zhang Xuan's words were completely accurate. If one didn't know beforehand, it was impossible for one to fathom that a fellow possessing such a gigantic body would be merely seventeen-years-old. For a savage beast which has a lifespan of two hundred years, it was no different from a seven to eight-year-old human. "It is a savage beast..." Grandmaster Qing Yang harrumphed. However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan had already interrupted him. "Don't tell me that the physical condition of a savage beast is different from that of a human, so their physical development is different. If this fellow is truly suffering from excessive libido and craves for a mate, it would only suffer from excessive heat, discomfort, and a fiery temper. Libido causing one to go into a coma like that... Grandmaster Qing Yang, for you to make such a judgment, can it be that... you experience the same phenomenon?" Zhang Xuan asked. "That's true!" "Even if it is overwhelmed by lust, it would only be in discomfort. I have never heard of anyone going into a coma from an overwhelming desire for the female body!" Everyone was taken aback by Zhang Xuan's words. Finding his explanation logical, they began to mutter in agreement. It is a physiological need for a mature adult to look for a mate. This isn't applicable to just savages beast, the same goes for humans as well. However, never have they ever heard of a person being stifled to the point of going into a coma just because they were unable to find a girlfriend. That isn't logical at all! "Hmph!" Grandmaster Qing Yang's face flushed furiously. He wanted to refute Zhang Xuan's words, but he found himself unable to say a single thing. Flinging his sleeves, he harrumphed, "Since you claim that it isn't libido, what do you think caused it to be agitated then? Also, why would it run about as though finding an outlet for its inexhaustible energy during the nights of the full moon?" "Does being agitated and possessing inexhaustible energy at night mean that it is looking for a mate? What reasoning is that?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If that's the reason, why would its appetite dwindle, with nothing able to catch its attention?" Grandmaster Qing Yang was stumped. Even if it were looking for a mate, despite being unable to talk as a savage beast, there were plenty of ways for it to express himself. It was truly inexplicable why it would it refuse food and be disinterested in everything. "From the words of the apprentice, we know that ten days ago, the Howling Firmament Beast merely suffered from a lack of appetite. As the days went by, his condition worsened, and by morning today, it was unable to endure any longer and finally fainted. If it was truly just looking for a mate, it could just fly away. There doesn't seem to be any chains binding it to the Beast Hall, preventing it from flying away!" The crowd nodded their heads. The Beast Hall would try to fawn up to that fellow at every available chance, how can they possibly bind it? If it was truly distressed by the lack of a mate, it could simply fly outward to look for one itself. There was no reason why it should stifle itself in the courtyard to the point of fainting! Upon hearing his analysis, everyone started to doubt Grandmaster Qing Yang’s diagnosis. They turned to look at him with a bizarre expression. "Then... What do you say it is?" Grandmaster Qing Yang's complexion paled. He realized that he had neglected many details, and at this moment, his rage had already vanished. Unable to hold himself back, he asked. "Since it's not seeking a mate, the answer is simple... The Howling Firmament Beast is either truly critically ill or is plagued by some other problem!" Zhang Xuan surveyed the crowd. "Everyone, you should look at the claw of the Howling Firmament Beast." "Different from the usual eagle-type savage beast, the Howling Firmament Beast has a thick layer of flesh covering its claws, similar to human feet. Under normal conditions, the claw should be greenish-gold in color. However, at this moment, red veins can be seen within the flesh." Everyone immediately turned to look at the claw of the Howling Firmament Beast. Taking a closer look, they realized that there were really blood-red veins. The veins were extremely thin, similar to the capillaries in a human's body. If one didn't pay careful attention to it, it was easy to neglect. "Most savage beasts have a meat crown, and the Howling Firmament Beast isn't an exception either. Under normal circumstances, the meat crown would be slightly red. However, it is slightly pale at the moment. Even though it is inconspicuous, it remains visible to the eye." Zhang Xuan said. Everyone quickly looked over, and it was exactly as Zhang Xuan said. "What kind of illness is this?" Zhang Xuan's ability to point out the numerous inconspicuous symptoms on the Howling Firmament Beast had convinced the crowd of his judgment. Unable to hold himself back, Hall Master Feng asked immediately. "In a sense, it isn't really an illness. In fact, I should congratulate Hall Master Feng." Zhang Xuan smiled. "Congratulate? Why would you congratulate me?" Hall Master Feng was stunned. The Howling Firmament Beast was still in a coma, and it was hard to tell whether its life was still in danger or not. Furthermore, if you know the cause of the problem, you should know the solution as well. Such congratulatory words should only be said after it rises from its coma, why would you say it now? "If I'm not wrong, the Howling Firmament Beast is probably undergoing Bloodline Evolution!" Zhang Xuan said. "Bloodline Evolution? How... How is that possible?" Hall Master Feng was stunned. The rest of the crowd also found Zhang Xuan's words inconceivable. The Bloodline Evolution of a savage beast was similar to a mutation in the genes, it was extremely rare. Furthermore, without a trigger, it was impossible for it to happen. The trigger could be the absorption of an even purer blood essence or the consumption of precious herbs... However, the Howling Firmament Beast didn't appear to have experienced any of the two. Furthermore, a Bloodline Evolution shouldn't have caused the Howling Firmament Beast to descend into a coma, as though it had fallen into critical illness. Seeing the disbelief in everyone's eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled and turned to Hall Master Feng, "Half a month ago, did the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast visit a location dense in yin energy?" "This... Half a month ago, it ferried a person to the Yin Tempest Valley!" The one who replied was Beast Tamer Wang. He was the one who drove the beast there, so he remembered the details clearly. "The Yin Tempest Valley is dense in yin energy, and an extremely potent yin attribute fruit called Yin Tempest Fruit grows there. It has the ability to raise the cultivation of a person whose physical constitution is aligned toward the yin. If I'm not wrong, the person probably presented this fruit as payment!" Zhang Xuan said. "That's right!" Beast Tamer Wang nodded. One could pay the fee for the Beast Mount through gold coins or rare herbs. The Yin Tempest Fruit was an extremely well-known commodity, and it was worth a fortune. Furthermore, it was the kind of product which rarely appeared in the market, and one might not be able to buy it even if one had money. Naturally, Beast Tamer Wang accepted his payment. "The cause of the incident is the Yin Tempest Fruit!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "Everyone should be aware of the gender of the Howling Firmament Beast, male. As such, it has overwhelming yang attribute within its body. After consuming the Yin Tempest Fruit, the yin and yang clashed with one another. Even so, the worst that would have happened to it was discomfort. Given its gigantic physique, it was just a matter of time before it tides through the period! However, at this point, you fed it Spirit Rejuvenation Water." "The Spirit Rejuvenation Water calms one's mind, revitalizes one's spirit, and eases one's agitation. The main ingredient in it is [Fermented Mother Grass]." "This is a neutral medicinal herb which served as a mediating factor. Logically speaking, no matter how many of it one consumed, it wouldn't cause any adverse effect. However, it just happened that the property of this herb clashes with the nature of the Yin Tempest Fruit. Upon contact, the yin aura of the Yin Tempest Fruit is amplified by more than three times. These two happened to be the main ingredients required for the forging of [Unravel Yang Pill], and it is extremely potent in awakening yang attribute physical constitutions." Zhang Xuan continued, "It was due to the stimulating of the yang attribute within the body of the Howling Firmament Beast that it was unable to sleep at night and possess inexhaustible energy, as though afflicted with overwhelming libido!" "If this was only it, it would have been able to tide through the matter. As long as the yin and yang within its body achieve a balance, the problem would be resolved. However, it is a pity that... Hall Master Feng had someone feed it two [Heat Dissipation Pill] At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity. "The Heat Dissipation Grass contains the Arctic Grass, and the Arctic Grass dispels yang flames within one's body... The yang energy within the Howling Firmament Beast was stimulated when it was fed this. Not to mention, it had consumed two at once. That is equivalent to throwing ice cubes onto a fire seedling... With the clash of hot and cold within its body, it is already extremely fortunate that it didn't die on the spot!" Honestly speaking, the Howling Firmament Beast was truly a pitiful soul. Initially, it would have been able to recover on its own after resting for a few days. Yet, under the kind intentions of those around it, it was sent to the brink of death. And yet, they claimed that they were trying to treat it... More like murdering it! The complexion of Hall Master Feng and the other beast tamers immediately turned awful. Clearly, they hadn’t expected that the condition of the Howling Firmament Beast was a result of them... feeding the wrong medication! "Try recalling the matter. Is it after feeding the medication that the condition of the Howling Firmament Beast slowly deteriorated?" Zhang Xuan continued asking. "Yes..." Recalling the words of the beast tamer apprentice, everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement. That was indeed the case. No one could have imagined that feeding it a common medication would cause such adverse side effects. "Currently, the yang energy is currently in conflict with the yin aura within its body. If you were to castrate it right now, the yang energy would be quenched and the yin energy would overwhelm it. In less than two hours, it would breathe its last!" At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Grandmaster Qing Yang and said, "This is also the reason why I said that you are an inept physician. If the treatment is carried out as you've said, not only will the Howling Firmament Beast not be saved, it would have already become a corpse by now." "This..." Grandmaster Qing Yang felt his body turn cold. As a 2-star physician, he had an in-depth knowledge in the Way of Medicine. The other party's deduction was logical and backed up by facts, to the point that he was unable to pick any flaws with it at all. It was as though the other party has witnessed the entire scene for himself, and he couldn't help but feel admiration for the other party's capability. He felt that there was a need for him to refute the other party's words to protect his reputation, but he couldn't find a word to say. "Then, what about the Bloodline Evolution you spoke about previously?" Afraid that Grandmaster Qing Yang would be put in a difficult position, Hall Master Feng quickly interjected and changed the topic. "Once the stimulated yang energy within its body stabilizes, it will undergo a Bloodline Evolution. On the other hand, if it fails to strikes a balance between the yin and yang, it would die. That's to say, if the Howling Firmament Beast is able to survive this ordeal, its cultivation will reach new heights. If not, death awaits." "Then... Is there any way to help it?" Hall Master Feng asked anxiously. "Of course there is. However... I will need the help of an apothecary." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying. "Mo Yu xiaojie is an official apothecary. She can help you." Yun Tao hurriedly said. Everyone's gazes shot toward Mo Yu immediately. "I am willing to help. What do I have to do?" Mo Yu placed her hands behind her back confidently. Even though she didn't like the fellow before her, she wanted to help save the Howling Firmament Beast. Besides, even though she was inferior to the other party in the other aspects, this provided her an opportunity to showcase her talents as an apothecary and cleanse herself of her past shame. Aren’t you an incredible beast tamer, the senior of master teachers, and a capable physician? I may not be able to compare to you in these fields, but at the very least, I am able to forge pills! At the very least, I'm a 1-star apothecary! Thus, she proudly stepped out from the crowd and asked the other party what she should do. Yet, she was welcomed with a frown and a questioning tone. "You... can you forge pills?" "You..." Mo Yu staggered. She nearly exploded upon hearing those words. Can't you say anything good? I am a 1-star apothecary, of course, I can forge pills! How can one become an apothecary without being able to forge pills? Even though she knew that this fellow couldn't speak any good words, she didn't expect him to be so hateful. Gritting her teeth, her breathing hastened, and her chest expanded and contracted rapidly. "Have you ever seen an apothecary who is unable to forge pills?" "I have..." Zhang Xuan nodded. "I was worried that you passed the apothecary examination through Pill Debate. If so, you probably won't be able to forge pills..." "Pill Debate? Only those who have reached a high mastery in the Way of Pills are capable of passing the examination!" Reverence brimmed in Mo Yu's eyes, "All of the seniors who managed to pass the Pill Debate are amazing talents, and yet, you say that they are unable to forge pills? What a joke! If you were to say such words in the Apothecary Guild, you will surely be beaten to death..." Before she could finish her words, the young man before her silently took out an apothecary emblem and pinned it on his shirt. While scratching his head, an awkward expression appeared on his face. "I am the type of senior you are talking about, and I happen to be unable to forge pills..."

Chapter 258: Guidance on Pill Forging



This time, Mo Yu really cried. Are you toying with me? The moment I scored the top in the beast tamer examination, you ran over immediately, pummeled my savage beast, and became an official beast tamer. Just when I proudly declared that I am an apprentice physician, you popped out once more. Not only did you criticize a 2-star physician, you even explained the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast and offered a solution to the problem... Just when I thought that I can brag about my accomplishments in the Way of Pills... you took out your apothecary emblem and said that you passed the examination through Pill Debate... Who in the world did I offend? Can't you allow me to show off my capabilities for a bit? "Pill Debate? What is that?" "It is an examination where one challenges ten official apothecaries and forces them to admit defeat! I heard that this method of examination is extremely harsh, and the success rate isn't even one percent." "An examination with a success rate below one percent?" ... Most of the beast tamers present weren't knowledgeable about apothecaries. Upon hearing the explanation, they became dumbfounded. How incredible does one have to be in order to force ten official apothecaries to admit defeat? All along, Yun Tao thought that he was a genius. However, after the various affairs, he finally understood that his talents were nothing in comparison to this Elder Zhang Xuan. Formation, beast taming, medical skills, master teacher, pill forging... Brother, is there anything in the world that you aren't good at? I'll go and learn that now... Forget it, I think I better not ask about it. Every single time I ask you about something, you would say that you don't know about it. I would be naive if I take your words for it. Judging from the usual pattern, I'm afraid that I would be slapped so hard that I wouldn't be able to recover from the blow... After all, look at Mo Yu xiaojie. Even Yun Tao couldn't help but pity Mo Yu. In any case, this fellow is a monster. It is best to not compare ourselves with him. "Since you are able to forge pills, you should have a pill cauldron with you or something like that, right?" Ignoring everyone's shock, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu. "Un!" Gritting her teeth, Mo Yu suppressed her anger and harrumphed. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Then, turning to the other beast tamers, he said, "Hall Master Feng, I'll need the medicinal herbs that I'm about to recite. A stalk of thirty-year-old Searing Sun Grass, a tael of fifteen-year-old Solar Flame Grass..." In one single breath, he mentioned the names of a bunch of medicinal herbs. Upon hearing the names of these herbs, Mo Yu was stunned. Then, a thought appeared in her mind and her eyes narrowed, "You... It can't be that you want me to forge... the Searing Sun Pill?" "That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head as though it was the most natural thing to do. "Are you joking? The Searing Sun Pill is a grade-2 pinnacle pill while I am merely a 1-star apothecary. How can I possibly succeed?" Mo Yu's body trembled and she nearly fainted. Is there something wrong with this fellow's head? Forged using nine yang attribute medicinal herbs, the Searing Sun Pill was rich in yang energy. As a grade-2 pinnacle pill, even 3-star apothecaries would find it hard to successfully forge. Yet, Zhang Xuan was trying to have a 1-star apothecary like her to do it... Are you sure you aren't mistaken? "Rest assured, I will guide you. It is sufficient as long as you know how to use a cauldron and control the temperature of the fire. It is actually very easy!" Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Use a cauldron? Control the temperature of the fire? Very easy?" Mo Yu wished she hadn’t listened to his explanation. After hearing his words, she could feel the final thread of her rationality snapping. Brother, are you really an apothecary? Even apprentices know such fundamental knowledge. If pill forging were that easy, everyone would have become a grandmaster apothecary! Pill forging isn't just a mere routine one-plus-one-equals-to-two. More importantly, one has to have an absolute control over the temperature and timing during forging. She had just reached 1-star this year, and she wasn't capable of forging even the slightly more incredible grade-1 pills. Yet, Zhang Xuan was trying to get her to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill... More importantly, one has to be forging the pill by oneself to grasp the progress of the forging in real time so that he can decide on the next course of action. If he wasn't going to be involved in the pill forging process... how was he going to guide her? Where does this fellow's confidence come from? "Indeed. If you feel that you're unable to rise up to the task, I can find another apprentice. It might be difficult to find 1-star apothecary in the Beast Hall, but it should still be possible to find a few apprentice apothecary!" Seeing her frenzied expression, Zhang Xuan frowned. There must be something wrong with this woman. Do you have to react so greatly to everything I say? I have already told you that I will guide you, so why are you spouting so much nonsense? If you feel like you aren't able to do it, I can just look for another person. "There's no need for it, I'll do it!" Seeing the other party's contemptuous gaze, Mo Yu felt as though her heart had been scratched by ten thousand cats. Unable to bear the humiliation, she gritted her teeth and accepted the task. Other than that person in Tianwu Kingdom, she was a top-notch genius in all fields. She hadn’t expected to be scorned by a countryside bumpkin in such a remote location. Damn it! Fine. Trying to act incredible? I'll see what you do when I fail to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill later on! "Un. Later on, follow my instructions strictly. There mustn't even be the slightest error." Afraid that the other party would cause trouble, Zhang Xuan reminded. "Don't worry!" Mo Yu's obstinate nature surfaced. "That's good then!" Zhang Xuan nodded and did not speak further. Knowing that this matter was urgent, Hall Master Feng didn't dare to dawdle. Soon, a bunch of medicinal herbs appeared before them. Even though this wasn't the Apothecary Guild, as savage beasts have an innate interest in medicinal herbs, the Beast Hall had an abundant inventory of herbs. "Let's begin!" Upon the arrival of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan examined them thoroughly and made sure they were sufficiently mature to be used for the pill. Thus, he nodded in satisfaction. Of all of the occupations, the one Zhang Xuan was the most familiar with was pill-forging. Putting aside the fact that the first examination he took was the apothecary examination, more importantly, under the effects of the golden book, he had assimilated the knowledge contained within the books he flipped through in the Apothecary Guild into his mind. In terms of fundamentals, even 2-star and 3-star apothecaries would find it difficult to match up to him. "Un!" Albeit stifled, Mo Yu didn't waste any time. With a flick of her wrist, a massive cauldron appeared before her. She then lit up the flames immediately to warm the cauldron. Her smooth motions bore testimony to her strong foundation in the occupation. Even though she was hundred percent sure it was impossible for her to forge a grade-2 pill, given how confident the other party was, she decided to give it a try. After all, it wasn't too late to mock him after they fail. "Not bad!" Seeing her fluid motions, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. As expected of a genius from Tianwu Kingdom. Even though Mo Yu was young and slightly condescending, her skills in pill forging were significantly better than Bai Ming, Chen Xiao, and the others. As Zhang Xuan thought so, he walked toward the cauldron and casually touched it. Without saying another word, he stood there unmoving. "Do you think that... he will be able to succeed?" Staring at the duo, Beast Tamer Lu couldn't help but to start feeling worried. "I've no idea. However, if I were to tell you that someone is able to tame a savage beast by beating it up with the resulting Loyalty Level hitting 45, will you believe it?" Hall Master Feng asked bitterly. "This... I would probably have never believed it." Beast Tamer Lu hesitated for a moment before replying. If someone were to have told him such words before the astonishing sight he witnessed today, he would definitely have beaten the person to death. To tame a savage beast by beating it up, furthermore, with its Loyalty Level reaching 45... Isn't that clearly a joke? However, after witnessing it personally today... There was no way he could retort even if he wanted to. This young man before him seemed to be a creator of miracles, rewriting everyone's understanding of the world with every single action. "I have once seen a 3-star master teacher guide an apprentice apothecary in a Conferred Kingdom. The feat astonished everyone at the scene. To think that I would have another opportunity to witness such a sight!" Beast Tamer Wang's eyes glowed as he muttered to himself. "I know about that as well, but the pill forged back then was a grade-1 pill. On the other hand, the pill which Beast Tamer Zhang is going to guide Princess Mo Yu on is a grade-2 pinnacle pill. The difficulties for both tasks are on entirely different levels." "Indeed, there is a huge difference in difficulty with each increase in the grade of the pill. If a 1-star primary stage apothecary were to be able to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill, it would definitely pop some eyes!" Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Lu nodded in agreement. "Look, the pill forging is about to begin!" They were discussing the matter when the pill forging begun. Xiong xiong! The flames in the cauldron burnt furiously. As though a skillful butterfly treading through the flowers, Mo Yu's slim and slender hands flew about the cauldron at a speed so swift that afterimages could be seen. "Place the Green Kudzu Leaves in. Seven breaths later, place the White Beard Grass in. Then, fourteen breaths later, use the Thousand Illusory Cloud Rippling Hands to place the Searing Sun Grass in..." With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan's calm and clear voice sounded. There wasn't the slightest pause or hesitation in it. Even though the Searing Sun Pill was known to be forged using nine types of yang attribute herbs, many other medicinal herbs had to be placed in to act as mediators. Otherwise, with so many yang attribute herbs placed into the cauldron, it would be a miracle if the cauldron didn't explode. "Un?" Initially, Mo Yu didn't think that following the instructions of the other party would allow her to craft a grade-2 pinnacle pill. However, as the medicinal herbs disappeared one after another into the cauldron, the disdain in her mind slowly faded away. Instead, her face grew increasingly grim, and she couldn't help but feel astonished by Zhang Xuan's capability. She had seen the pill formula for Searing Sun Pill. The nine yang attribute herbs were like nine bombs. Even with other medicinal herbs act as mediators, if one fails to grasp the timing accurately, an explosion would ensue immediately. Many 2-star apothecaries have failed due to a slight lapses in their timings. She was already more than halfway through the forging process, having thrown in five of the yang attribute medicinal herbs but the cauldron continued to function normally. There were no signs of instability in the pill at all... That was to say, the sequence and timing of the medicinal herbs thrown in were perfect! This... How can this be possible! One must know that with the difference in one's cultivation, zhenqi, the cauldron, and fuel used makes huge differences in the forging process. As such, during forging, one has to make constant adjustments with no room for any breather. In fact, if the same person, with a different cultivation and state, were to craft the exact same pill twice, can’t use the same sequencing of placing the medicinal herbs! For such a complex pill formula, there wasn't the slightest instability when following Zhang Xuan's instructions. That was to say, there wasn't the slightest error in his instructions. How could Mo Yu not feel astounded? More importantly... How did the other party know her forging techniques and her pill forging standards? There wasn't a single instruction of his that surpassed her current pill forging capability! She was certain that she had never forged pills before the other party. But if so... how could he possibly know about her in such great detail? "Don't let your thoughts wander!" Mo Yu’s mind was wandering when a bellow suddenly echoed by her ear. At this point, she suddenly realized that the temporary lapse in her attention had caused her to throw in a medicinal herb half a breath earlier than the instruction given by the other party. Gugugugu! In an instant, the yang energy in the cauldron surged. The energy, that had remained stable all along, seemed as though it had suddenly been set alight. The entire cauldron shook violently. "Oh no, the cauldron is going to explode!" There was a random cry from the crowd, and everyone's face warped immediately.

Chapter 259: Cauldron Explosion



"Cauldron explosion?" Hall Master Feng and the others could not help but clench their fists. Cauldron explosion is the most fearsome event an apothecary can encounter during pill forging. It is usually due to an apothecary failing to control the energy contained by the medicinal herbs, causing the process to turn violent and uncontrollable. The moment an explosion happens, the medicinal herbs within, as well as the entire cauldron, will be ruined. The apothecary might also get injured by the impact of the explosion. The higher the grade of a pill, the more violent the energy contained within, and the higher its tendency to explode during the pill forging process. If Mo Yu were a 2-star apothecary and that her cultivation had reached Zongshi realm, given her own strength and her grasp over medicinal herbs, she might have been able to suppress the raging strength contained in the cauldron forcefully. But at this moment, the entire cauldron was swaying violently, and it seemed as though it would blow at any moment. It was clear that it was too late to reverse the cauldron explosion. "Is this is a failure?" Hall Master Feng's complexion looked awful. He knew how important the Searing Sun Pill was to the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. If the pill was successfully forged and fed, the yang attribute energy in its body would be augmented. This would increase the chances of it successfully achieving a Bloodline Evolution and raise its strength significantly. On the other hand, if the pill forging fails, the chances of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast overcoming its current crisis would be low. Once it fails, it would be difficult for it to ever wake up and only death awaits it. Before, with Beast Tamer Zhang guiding Mo Yu to forge the pills, he had carried a sliver of hope. However, looking at the rocking cauldron, he reckoned that it was all over. The cauldron would definitely explode, and the pill would be ruined. It was an unchangeable fact. "It's over..." Not expecting such a situation to occur, Yun Tao's face paled. Even though it hadn't been long since he met this young man, his confident smile and his ability to achieve the impossible had long left a deep impression in his mind. Will this seemingly omnipotent Elder Zhang Xuan fail in this pill forging? "Who asked you to act so haughtily? You're getting what you deserved!" Distinct from the tense looks on others’ faces, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang exchanged gazes and sneered coldly. Weren't you bragging just now that nothing would go wrong with your guidance... Pui! Now that there's a cauldron explosion, I would like to see how you explain yourself later on. Despite being a brat, you kept acting as though you know everything. See how we'll mock you later on! ... Oblivious to the tension in the air, Zhang Xuan frowned. This Mo Yu is simply too unreliable. To think that her attention would waver at such a crucial timing. It is a wonder how she became an apothecary. Even though she was early by just half a breath, that half a breath was more than sufficient to destroy the balance which he had sustained with great difficulty. It caused a vast difference in the results. Formidable apothecaries were capable of using their own strength to forcefully suppress the violent reaction between medicinal herbs. However, Mo Yu was only a 1-star apothecary, and her strength and capability didn't allow her to do so. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only ensure a balance among the various herbs to forge the pill. Yet, a mistake occurred, and if he didn't salvage the situation quickly, all of his previous hard work would go to vain. "Calm your mind, don't panic and don't retreat!" Seeing that the cauldron was on the verge of exploding, Mo Yu instinctively tried to retreat. With a darkened complexion, Zhang Xuan bellowed at her. She mustn't back down at this point. The moment she leaves her spot, the medicinal properties in the cauldron would spiral out of control and an explosion would definitely occur. "I..." Mo Yu's face turned red. "Why? Are you scared? If I knew earlier, I wouldn’t have asked for your help. If only I had looked for another apprentice apothecary, such a situation wouldn't have occurred!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "You..." Mo Yu was enraged. She was a proud and competitive person. That was also the reason why she was able to take on so many different occupations at once and achieve great accomplishments in them, thus becoming the genius in the eyes of others. Initially, when she saw that the cauldron would explode at any time, she was hesitant to continue the pill forging. However, when she heard the other party say that looking for her to forge the pill for him was a mistake on his part and that even an apprentice would do better than her, her anger peaked. If she were to back down now, wouldn't she be ridiculed by the other fellow later on? Gritting her teeth, she forcefully held herself in place. "What do we do now?" Seeing that his provocation had worked, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Throw the remaining White Sun Leaf and Turbid Solar Vine in together!" "Throw all of them in?" Mo Yu was taken aback. The energy was already running rampant, and if she were to throw in the remaining yang attribute medicinal herbs in, wouldn't that just cause the explosion to be even more violent? Who in the world forges a pill like this... At the very most, under the current situation, only the cauldron would be destroyed. If she were to throw these two herbs in, not only would the cauldron explode, the violent and searing heat from within would deal her a severe injury! Could it be that this fellow is seeking vengeance... "Hurry up!" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up. "Fine!" Not expecting the other party to bellow at her, her face darkened. Gritting her teeth, she made up her resolution. If I die from this, so be it! At the very least, this is much better than being mocked by that fellow! Agreeing to it, she flicked her wrist and threw the two remaining yang attribute medicinal herb into the cauldron. Boom! As she expected, the moment the two yang attribute medicinal herbs were thrown in, the cauldron began to shake even more violently. Before, if it only looked as if the cauldron might explode, at this moment, everyone was hundred percent sure that it would explode. This was because the cauldron was obviously nearing the limits of its durability. Cracks had started to appear on its walls. "Everyone, back away..." With a dignified expression, Hall Master Feng's zhenqi billowed and created a barrier before himself. Knowing the danger of a cauldron explosion, everyone else also retreated hurriedly. As though facing a dangerous enemy, all of them stood on their guards. Geji, geji! The cracks grew larger and larger, and the violent aura grew increasingly vigorous. It seemed that the cauldron was unable to take any further pressure. "Add in the Green Toad Grass and the Crepe Myrtle Flower..." Without the slightest panic, Zhang Xuan continued instructing. Knowing that she had no other choice than to listen to the other party's words, Mo Yu swiftly grabbed the mediating medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan spoke of and threw them in. At this moment, all of the medicinal herbs required for the Searing Sun Pill had been fully thrown into the cauldron. The addition of the herbs resulted in the cauldron rocking even more violently. The scorching heat waves caused even the air to distort. At this sight, everyone subconsciously wiped away the cold sweat on their forehead, and anxiety gripped their hearts. "Raise the intensity of the fire by a single fold!" Zhang Xuan instructed. "Raise the intensity of the fire?" Mo Yu clenched her fists tightly together. The cauldron was on the verge of exploding, yet Zhang Xuan ordered her to raise the intensity of the fire. It was comparable to adding fuel to explosives! Even so, having made up her mind, she decided to go through with it without care for the result. Zhenqi furiously surged from her palms into the flames. Xiong xiong! Triggered by Mo Yu's zhenqi, the flames grew by a single fold immediately. The searing flames embraced the entire cauldron. Kacha! Kacha! Kacha! The cauldron had been pushed to its limits by the violent reaction among the medicinal herbs, so how could it survive this abrupt rise in temperature? A series of cracking sounds echoed and a slight crack crept along the surface of the entire cauldron immediately... "It's exploding!" Someone exclaimed. The next moment, the cracked cauldron gave way. Boom! A powerful explosion occurred. Strong heat waves gushed into the surroundings, and fragments of the originally sturdy cauldron flew in all directions. "It's over..." Mo Yu, who was still in the midst of infusing zhenqi into the cauldron, hadn’t expected the explosion to come so suddenly. Caught off guard, she didn't even have the time to react when a powerful pressure came gushing straight toward her. Amidst the intense outward pressure were cauldron fragments. If she were to be struck by any of it, despite her powerful cultivation, she would be severely injured. "It's over. I'm really going to die because of that fellow..." Mo Yu shuddered. Knowing that it was impossible for her to escape at this point, she drove her zhenqi to protect her vitals. Hu! She was thinking that she would be severely injured this time round when a figure suddenly appeared before her. Boom boom boom! The violent shock wave burst forth vigorously, but the figure before her didn't budge in the least. As though an immovable mountain, he took all of the impact himself. "Zhang Xuan..." At this point, she recognized the fellow to be the one whom she had resented all along. At the moment of the explosion, he rushed to her front to shield her from the impact... Her eyes reddened slightly. Even though this fellow spoke words that sounded awful, he was warm-hearted within. The trio, Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and Yun Tao, declared that they would do everything for her. Yet, at such a crucial period, they simply watched from the side. Instead, it was this foul-mouthed fellow who shielded her. Hu! Soon, the dust settled. At this moment, the towering cauldron had already been reduced to pieces after pieces of shattered metal. The coal within spilled onto the floor. Zhang Xuan was standing right before the cauldron, shielding Mo Yu from the brunt of the explosion. His appearance was unkempt... His clothes were tattered and his face was charred black. "Are you alright?" Hall Master Feng and the others walked over. "I'm okay!" Zhang Xuan smiled. Possessing the Heaven's Path Golden Body and Heaven's Path zhenqi, his defensive capability was nowhere beneath that of steel. While the might of the explosion was incredible, he had only sustained superficial wounds. "It's good that you're alright... It's impossible to forge it, I'll send someone to Beixu Kingdom to render the service of Apothecary Wang Xing." Hall Master Feng consoled. Wang Xing was the guild leader of Beixu Kingdom's Apothecary Guild and was a 2-star pinnacle apothecary. Usually, it would be difficult for anyone to employ his services. But Hall Master Feng had some ties with him and furthermore, they were of equal standing, so it wouldn’t be too hard to obtain his assistance. "There's no need..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to explain the situation, Zhu Jinuang and Zhou Xuan hurried forward to help Mo Yu up. They had concerned looks on their faces. "Mo Yu xiaojie, are you injured..." Seeing them rush over, a disappointed expression flashed across Mo Yu's face. She quickly shook her head. Zhang Xuan had taken the brunt of the impact from the cauldron explosion for her, so she didn't sustain any physical injuries. Rather, she was only alarmed by the force of the explosion. "It’s all this fellow's fault! What about guiding you to forge pills, he spoke as if he is so incredible. Yet, what happened in the end? Not only did the cauldron explode, Mo Yu xiaojie was almost injured! Are you sure that you can take responsibility if something happens to her?" "Pill forging isn't a child's play, it's not like one can simply guide another. Do you really take yourself to be a master teacher? Even a master teacher wouldn't dare to claim that they would be able to guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pill. You should really learn some humility!" Seeing how their goddess didn't say anything, the duo felt even more furious. They immediately turned to Zhang Xuan and began to criticize him. "Shut up!" She was already disappointed by the actions of the duo. Upon seeing them harping on this issue, she felt her anger escalate. Thus, her complexion darkened and she lashed out at them. "Mo Yu xiaojie..." The duo was just trying to speak up for her, so they didn't expect that they would agitate her further. They were about to explain themselves to their goddess when they saw her walk to Zhang Xuan with an apologetic look. "It's my fault that the pill forging failed. If it's possible, I can do it once more. This time, I promise you that my attention will not waver!" "Don't worry about it!" Zhang Xuan casually waved. "Thank you for standing in front of me and shielding me from the impact of the exploding cauldron. I've never had a man treat me this way before. I understand your intentions..." Seeing the casual look on the other party, Mo Yu felt even more guilty. "Cough cough, wait a moment! You're mistaking something... I wasn’t shielding you from the impact of the exploding cauldron!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Stretching out his hand, a few round pills could be seen in his palm, "I was just collecting the freshly forged pills!"

Chapter 260: Half-Zhizun



"Freshly forged pills?" Mo Yu was taken aback. With quivering lips, she asked, "Can it be that... is the forging a success?" Due to the explosion of the cauldron, everyone thought that it was a failure. However, Zhang Xuan carried in his hands round pills which exuded a powerful yang attribute aura. What else could those pills be other than the Searing Sun Pill? "A success?" "How is that possible?" With Mo Yu's exclamation, everyone turned their attention to the pills in Zhang Xuan's hands and upon seeing the pills in his hands, turned dumbfounded one by one. What is going on? To think that... pills were actually formed! Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan's body stiffened, and they felt as though they had been slapped in their faces. They had just criticized the other party for attempting something beyond his means, and in the next moment, he whipped out these pills... Even the cauldron had been blown into smithereens, where could this stuff have come from? If not for the fact that the pills had a lustrous appearance and were emanating heat, which screamed that they were freshly out of the cauldron, the crowd would have suspected if he had prepared these pills beforehand to play out this act. "Didn't the cauldron explode? Your pills..." Trembling, Zhu Jinhuang asked. The others in the room also swiftly turned their heads over. Unable to believe the sight before them, they experienced fainting spells. "Who says that it is impossible for pills to be successfully forged in the case of a cauldron explosion?" Zhang Xuan lifted his eyebrows. "Is it possible for pills to be formed even with a cauldron explosion?" Everyone felt faint. It was common knowledge that a cauldron explosion was a sign of the failure of a pill forging process. Yet, this fellow broke all preconceptions. Despite the broken cauldron, the pill remained completely intact. What in the world happened? "What is going on?" Hall Master Feng couldn't help but ask. As the hall master of the Beast Hall, he had come across by all sorts of bizarre happenings. Even so, he had never heard of such a thing. "The cauldron merely acts as an intermediary for pill forging. The main factors that result in the formation of the pill are the flames and the medicinal herbs!" Seeing that everyone's eyes were widened in disbelief, Zhang Xuan explained. "Earlier, because Mo Yu xiaojie placed in a medicinal herb at the wrong timing, the medicinal properties within the cauldron clashed, resulting in the violent reaction. Even so, at the very last moment, right before the moment of the explosion, the rise in heat forced the pills to form successfully." If the other party had followed his instructions strictly, she would surely have been able to successfully forge the Searing Sun Pill without any mishap. However, Mo Yu's attention wandered at a crucial moment, resulting in a mistake. Even so, as long as Mo Yu continued forging the pill, the book in the Library of Heaven's Path would continue to refresh itself. Thus, he chose not to give up, and instead, continued instructing to her, trying to avoid all mistakes in the process. Even though the cauldron eventually exploded, the pills were formed at the very last moment. "The pills formed at the moment of explosion?" "This..." Everyone stared at one another in a frenzy. The situation sounded even more incredulous after hearing the explanation. How did you know that the pills had formed given that it was in the cauldron then? Furthermore, to form them at the moment of explosion... How much mastery does one need to possess over medicinal herbs in order to do this? Just when everyone thought he was only skilled in beast taming, he stood out and showcased his medical knowledge; just when everyone thought that possessing some medical knowledge should be the real limit of his abilities, he ran forward and declared that he was an apothecary... Fine, we'll accept that you are an apothecary. After all, while it's rare, it's not impossible for one to be skilled in multiple occupations. Yet... You don't know how to forge pills. Fine, we'll take that as well. However... Despite being unable to forge pills yourself, you are able to guide a 1-star apothecary to successfully forge a grade-2 pill. Furthermore, for the pill to be formed at the moment of the explosion... This is inconceivable! People often said that geniuses are eccentric. However... Aren't you being too eccentric! Each and every single time, you exceed all of our expectations and accomplish the unthinkable! "Even though the cauldron exploded, because the pills were within the cauldron, they managed to survive the primary impact. However, if I didn't swiftly rush forward to guard them, the shock wave from the explosion would still reduce the pills to powder. Thus, I rushed forward to grab the pills at the moment of the explosion. It is fortunate that I managed to make it in time!" Zhang Xuan explained. Then, he turned to Mo Yu, and with an earnest look, he said, "The reason why I charged forward was really to save the pills. Because you were apothecary, when the pills form, they would definitely fly in your direction. Thus, standing before you was the ideal location to catch it. Please do not misunderstand, I really didn't mean to save you..." "You..." Seeing the other party explaining the situation to her earnestly, Mo Yu's face twitched. Rage surged through her trembling body, and she nearly exploded. When she saw the other party charging forward to protect without care for his personal safety, she was incredibly moved. Yet, now with Zhang Xuan's words, the goodwill she held for him vanished without a single trace. Damn it! Can't you say anything good? To have won the favor of a beautiful lady by mistake, even if it wasn't one's original intention to do so, one would usually accept it politely. Yet, Zhang Xuan was in a rush to deny the fact, as though it would blemish his reputation... No matter what, she is a top beauty, and, not to mention, is the princess of a Tier 1 Kingdom. To be in such a rush to deny the matter... What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I am not worthy of you? Or do you find my looks repulsive? Mo Yu gritted her teeth angrily. If she didn't know that she wasn’t a match for him, she would have long stepped forward in an attempt to give him a good bashing. Taking a few deep breaths, she forcefully suppressed the anger within her heart. Then with tightly clenched jaws, she said, "I'm the princess of Tianwu Kingdom, and I won't owe anyone a favor. No matter what, you saved me. So, feel free to speak of anything you want!" "That's to say... I'll receive a reward for saving you?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. "That's right!" Mo Yu spat out. "So that's the case!" Putting on a serious expression, he said grandly, "Actually, it was because I noticed your precarious situation that I rushed forward despite the personal risks. As for the pill... That was of secondary concern! Saving you was my greatest priority. Look, I've even sustained injuries on your behalf. Honestly, I won't mind if you pay me ten million or so. Otherwise, some pills for the wounds would do..." "..." Mo Yu. "..." Hall Master Feng and the others. They've seen shameless people, but they've never seen such a shameless one. Mo Yu was so infuriated that she nearly breathed her last. After so much commotion, despite being a princess of a powerful country, the verdict was that her value was beneath that of gold and silver to the other party... "What should we do now that the pill has been forged? Do we feed it directly to the Howling Firmament Beast?" Hall Master Feng's mouth twitched. Seeing that Mo Yu was on the verge of tears, he quickly interjected and changed the topic to avoid the awkward situation. He was afraid that if he allowed things to progress like that, this princess of a Tier 1 Kingdom would die from anger. "Oh, dissolve it in water and force it down the Howling Firmament Beast using zhenqi." Zhang Xuan passed forward a Searing Sun Pill over. Then, he kept the remaining two into his storage ring. "Alright!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's instructions, Hall Master Feng dissolved the pill in water anxiously and fed it to the unconscious Howling Firmament Beast. Gugugu! As the medicinal fluid entered the body of the Howling Firmament Beast, a sound reminiscent to the roar of lightning reverberated. Its body began to emanate a wave of heat, just like a pot of oil that has been set on fire. Pi li pa la! Soon, the noise of the cracking of bones sounded. The massive physique of the Howling Firmament Beast grew and expanded once more, and it became just like an insurmountable mountain. Hu! The massive savage beast opened its eyes abruptly and released a long howl. The clouds parted immediately, and its voice shook the entire valley. Feeling its intimidating presence, all savage beasts fell silent immediately and trembled in fear. "Is this... Half-Zhizun?" "He leapt straight from Zongshi realm to Half-Zhizun?" Hall Master Feng's lips quivered in agitation. On the other hand, Beast Tamer Lu and the others widened their eyes in disbelief. They knew that the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast would grow significantly stronger after undergoing the Bloodline Evolution, but they didn't think that it would be able to surpass Zongshi realm immediately to reach Half-Zhizun! Zhizun realm was the highest realm of a fighter. The strength of a Zhizun realm expert was several folds greater than that of a Zongshi realm cultivator, and every single Zhizun expert stood at the very top of the pyramid. As a Half-Zhizun, the Howling Firmament Beast had yet to take the final step into the realm. Even so, it wasn’t far from it. Even in Tier 1 Tianwu Kingdom, an expert of this level was considered as a national trump card! With such a powerful savage beast in Xuanluo Mountain Range, the standing of the entire branch would rise exponentially. "His words are right..." Grandmaster Qing Yang's complexion paled, and he staggered a few steps back. While the other party's words sounded logical, he had remained a little doubtful. However, upon witnessing the situation, the answer couldn't be any more clear to him. The other party's conjecture was completely true. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had fallen into a coma due to the clash of differing attributes within its body. If they were to have really treated it using the method he had proposed, instead of making a breakthrough to Half-Zhizun, this powerful savage beast would have been dead by now. As a 2-star physician, he had treated countless people. He didn't expect that he would make such a grievous mistake because of a savage beast. In an instant, he looked as though he had aged a decade, and the imposing aura from when he first arrived faded into thin air. "For a fellow who hasn't reached twenty to be able to see through the root of the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast with a glance and guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill..." Grandmaster Qing Yang's lips trembled uncontrollably as he turned to look at Zhang Xuan. The more he looked at him, the more he found the situation unbelievable. Putting him aside, even the famous Liu shi of Beiwu Kingdom wasn't capable of such a feat. As long as such a person doesn't die, he would definitely become so well known in time, his name resounding throughout the world. "Young lad, what's your name?" Unable to hold himself back, he walked forward and asked. "My name?" Zhang Xuan glanced at him. "I am an incompetent nobody!" "Incompetent nobody?" Grandmaster Qing Yang froze. Previously, when the other party touched the Howling Firmament Beast, he insulted him as an 'incompetent nobody', and demanded for Hall Master Feng to chase him out... To think that the other party would return those words to him now. The Beast Hall specially invited him to treat the Howling Firmament Beast, but not only did he fail to do so, he nearly killed it. On the other hand, not only did the youngster who he called an incompetent nobody cure the beast of its illness, he even helped it break through and achieve Half-Zhizun... At this moment, all Grandmaster Qing Yang could feel was a burning sensation on his face. Unable to remain here for a second longer, he said, "Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang, I'll be taking my leave!" After saying so, not even getting onto the savage beast he arrived on, he left the Beast Hall. This time, he had truly made a fool of himself. He felt too embarrassed to remain any further. "This..." Seeing how Zhang Xuan sent a grandmaster physician leaving in shame, everyone's mouth twitched. This fellow may seem to be casual and light-hearted, but when someone steps on his toes, he becomes fearsome monster. They wouldn't doubt it if someone said that he had killed a person with his words before! "Beast Tamer Liu, go and send off Grandmaster Qing Yang!" Hall Master Feng didn't expect Zhang Xuan to reply in such a manner. Smiling bitterly, he shook his head and made arrangements for the grandmaster physician. In any case, Zhang Xuan was still young and, not to mention, he was capable. It was natural for him to retaliate when someone insulted him. "Yes!" The elder rushed out immediately. Even though Grandmaster Qing Yang had misdiagnosed the Howling Firmament Beast, it didn't mean that he was incompetent. On top of that, he specialized in treating humans rather than savage beasts. Furthermore, which physician could ensure that every single one of their diagnosis was accurate? Even a 9-star physician would be unable to achieve that. There are many different kind of bizarre illnesses in the world. No one would dare to claim that they've seen all of the illness there is in the world and that they can treat all kinds of sickness. Huala! Soon after Beast Tamer Lu left, the aura of the Howling Firmament Beast finally hit a ceiling and stopped rising. Turning around its gigantic head, its gaze fell on Zhang Xuan. Then with a roar, it walked to him, lowered its head, and rubbed it against him. "Is this... Voluntary Submission?" Even though the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast was raised by the Beast Hall, it had never submitted to anyone. Yet, at this instant, it actually took the initiative to submit to Zhang Xuan. The eyeballs of all beast tamers on the scene popped out immediately, and they were just a slight push away from fainting. This was especially so for Hall Master Feng. His entire body trembled, and he was on the verge of tears. He was just thinking that the Beast Hall could rise to greater heights with a Half-Zhizun savage beast backing it, yet this savage beast chose to submit to someone else. The moment it leaves with its owner... Without a backing, how could the Beast Hall rise? "You wish to submit to me?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he realized the intentions of the Howling Firmament Beast. Most likely, this fellow found out that it was Zhang Xuan who saved it after waking up and decided to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its master out of gratitude. "Alright!" It just happened that Zhang Xuan was unsatisfied with the Viridescent Eagle's speed. Since the Howling Firmament Beast had reached Half-Zhizun, its speed should be sufficient to meet his expectations. With a tap of his finger, a droplet of blood flew into the mouth of the Howling Firmament Beast. The other party's intention to submit to him could be felt immediately. It was exactly as Zhang Xuan had guessed. The Howling Firmament Beast found out that someone nearly castrated it, and that it was Zhang Xuan who saved its life and helped it achieve a breakthrough, that's why it chose to submit to him. After choosing a master, it could communicate with its master if anything happens. At the very least, it wouldn't be put into such danger in the future. "Un!" Upon realizing these, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. On this trip to the Beast Hall, he had tamed three savage beasts and even became a 1-star beast tamer. This was a huge gain for Zhang Xuan. "Ah, right! Hall Master Feng, how does the 2-star beast tamer examination go? I asked you this question previously, but you've only answered half of it and..." Suddenly recalling a matter, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask. Previously, after he inquired how the 2-star beast tamer examination worked, Grandmaster Qing Yang happened to arrive. Due to the urgent matter at hand, Hall Master Feng rushed off immediately, and the session ended abruptly. Since the issue had been settled, the Hall Master was free and Zhang Xian could clarify his doubts and decide whether he should take the 2-star examination. Even though he already possessed this Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, it would be a waste to allow this opportunity to take the 2-star beast tamer examination slip him by. Besides, there might come a time when he would need to borrow Zongshi realm Beast Mounts from other Beast Halls. "For the 2-star beast tamer examination..." Hall Master Feng shook his head, "There's no need for you to take it!" "There's no need for me to take the examination?" "Yes, that's because... you've already passed the examination! You're already a 2-star beast tamer!" Hall Master Feng flashed a bitter smile.

Chapter 261: Beast Taming Competition



"Passed the examination?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by his answer. "When did I even... take the examination?" Before the other party could finish his explanation on the 2-star examination, the issue of the Howling Firmament Beast came up. Given how Zhang Xuan didn't even know what the 2-star beast tamer examination was about, how in the world did he... suddenly pass the examination? "The 2-star beast tamer examination is significantly easier than the 1-star examination. One just has to tame a Zongshi realm savage beast... Given that the Howling Firmament Beast has submitted to you, you have already met the criteria for promotion!" Beast Tamer Lu said. "Ah... It's that simple?" Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded. He had to run about and undergo a Pill Discourse for the 1-star examination. He didn't expect the 2-star examination to be so easy and straightforward. Upon hearing his words, everyone fell speechless. Savage beasts who managed to reach Zongshi realm possessed their own pride and did not submit easily to humans. This could be clearly seen from how the Howling Firmament Beast had never submitted to anyone despite Hall Master Feng and the others having taken care of it for more than a decade. Zhang Xuan only happened to earn its gratitude by treating it when it was in a dire state, thus prompting its submission. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for one to tame a Zongshi realm beast so easily under normal conditions. "Beast Tamer Zhang, I'm afraid that your 2-star beast tamer emblem won't be ready by today. At the earliest, I can only deliver it to you tomorrow. Why don't you remain here today? I also have something that I would like to discuss with you!" Hall Master Feng smiled. "This..." Zhang Xuan hesitated. "The Howling Firmament Beast has reached Half-Zhizun, so its speed has increased tremendously. Even though the Red Lotus Ridge may be far, you can reach in two days. Besides, it's also getting dark, so it would be good for you to rest here for the night as well." Hall Master Feng persuaded. "Alright then!" Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan realized that the sky had dimmed unknowingly while he was busy, and it was already nearing sunset. Thus, he nodded in agreement. "Alright, Beast Tamer Zhang, this way." Seeing the other party agree to the matter, Hall Master Feng was delighted. He immediately ushered him along. "Let's go!" Zhang Xuan nodded and followed behind him. Since the commotion had come to an end, the crowd gradually dispersed from the scene. ... "Are you saying that... not only did Beast Tamer Zhang treat the Howling Firmament Beast but also tamed it?" "And he treated an illness which even Grandmaster Qing Yang is incapable of solving?" "You must be joking with me, surely?" "The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast has reached Half-Zhizun?" The news spread across the Beast Hall swiftly. Upon hearing the news, everyone's first reaction was disbelief. Shen Bi Ru, who was waiting outside, was completely dumbfounded. She knew that Zhang laoshi had a tendency to cause an uproar wherever he went, but she didn't expect that he would cause such a huge commotion! For him to see through an illness which even Grandmaster Qing Yang was unable to discern... When did this fellow become so adept in the Way of Medicine? Furthermore, he tamed the Howling Firmament Beast and became a 2-star beast tamer... "I wonder if Han Qiong will believe me if I tell her about it..." After confirming the news again and again with Yun Tao, a bitter smile appeared on Shen Bi Ru's face. Her best friend, Han Qiong, had spent a great effort before she managed to become an apprentice beast tamer. It had been several years since then, and she had been unable to complete the final step to becoming an official beast tamer. On the other hand, this fellow’s original intention was to borrow a Beast Mount at the Beast Hall ... Yet, not only did he become an official beast tamer, he even reached 2 stars... More importantly, he even managed to take the prized treasure of the Beast Hall for himself... If she were to tell Han Qiong about this matter, she might just go insane on the spot. ... As a 2-star beast tamer, Zhang Xuan was entitled to numerous privileges. For one, he was immediately given a residence in the Beast Hall. Knowing that Shen Bi Ru had no lodging here, Zhang Xuan had her move in to settle down first. On the other hand, he followed behind Hall Master Feng to a large and wide lounge. "Beast Tamer Zhang possesses outstanding talents, and not to mention, you are a master teacher apprentice. This thing will probably be of use!" After they sat down, Hall Master Feng smiled and passed an object to Zhang Xuan. Casually grabbing it, Zhang Xuan took a look and was astonished. "Enlightenment Jade?" The Enlightenment Jade was the item which Zhao Ya's father, City Lord Zhao Feng, gave him back then in Tianxuan Kingdom. It is useful for raising one's Soul Depth. "That's right!" Hall Master Feng nodded his head. Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. Despite the huge amount of jade that Baiyu City mined throughout the years, only a single Enlightenment Jade was found. This showed how rare and valuable the object was, yet this Hall Master Feng was giving it to him so casually... "I only happened to obtain it by coincidence. As a beast tamer, this object is completely useless to me. On the other hand, you are a master teacher apprentice, and since you're going to take the master teacher examination eventually, there's a need for you to raise your Soul Depth. Rather than allowing this item to collect dust in my storage, I might as well give it to you." Sensing Zhang Xuan's doubt, Hall Master Feng explained. Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Just as he was about to speak, Beast Tamer Lu grinned, "I realized that Beast Tamer Zhang has reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, and you aren't too far from Half-Zongshi. I happen to still have the cultivation technique manual that I practiced back then, as well as a notebook on the epiphanies I had, so I'll give them to you! Even though you already have an incredible teacher and probably don't lack these, please accept this token of sincerity on my part." As he said so, he retrieved a few books and passed them over. Zhang Xuan flipped through them, and they were indeed manuals and cultivation pointers for reaching Half-Zongshi. "I am not as wealthy as the other two and do not have many prized possessions. All I own is this sword. It was crafted by Grandmaster Blacksmith Qing Yanzi of Tianwu Kingdom personally, and I'll give it to you now!" Beast Tamer Wang stroked his beard with a smile and passed forward a sword. "Wait a moment..." Seeing the three smiling elders stuffing objects at him, Zhang Xuan stopped them hurriedly. There is no such thing as a free lunch. He didn't think that his reputation was so sound as to have three great 2-star beast tamers gift him with such treasures despite having just met. "If there's anything on your mind, feel free to speak of it!" "As expected of Beast Tamer Zhang, you sure are a frank person!" Hall Master Feng glanced at the other two before nodding. "Since that's the case, I'll get straight to the point. Actually, there's something that we require your help with." "You require MY help?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. While Zhang Xuan had become a 2-star beast tamer, the same could be said of the other three. Besides, having served as leaders of the Beast Hall for many years, their connections far surpassed his. Zhang Xuan couldn't think of anything that might require his help. Could it be... "The Beast Pummeling Taming Method was created by my teacher. He has strictly instructed me to not impart it on to anyone, so..." After digesting all of the books in the library of the Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan understood why everyone was so shocked by his feat of taming a savage beast by beating it up. It was precisely due to the pure Heaven's Path zhenqi and the ability of the Library of Heaven's Path to peer into the flaws of savage beasts that he could easily tame them. Even if he wanted to impart it to them, they wouldn’t be able to replicate his means. Furthermore, there was a risk that the existence of the Heaven's Path Divine Art might be revealed. It was clear that these three elders had something to request of him given how they were stuffing gifts toward him. However, there was no way that Zhang Xuan could teach them the Beast Pummeling Taming Art. Thus, it was best for him to turn them down in advance. In any case, teachers were highly respected in the world, and a teacher's words were absolute to his students. If Zhang Xuan's teacher instructed him to not impart the technique on to anyone, then he mustn't impart it regardless of the situation. Therefore by saying so, it would be hard for the three elders to persist on the issue. In a sense, it was the best excuse for the situation. "Ah, every single beast tamer has their own secret technique. We won't ask for it if you are unwilling to impart it. However, our purpose isn't this!" At this point, Hall Master Feng shook his head. Just like how most established apothecaries have their own personal forging technique, most famous beast tamers also possess their own beast taming methods. On top of that, depending on one's disposition and cultivation technique, everyone has different beast taming methods that were compatible with them. Even if they were to learn the other party's means, it wasn't guaranteed that they would be able to replicate his accomplishments. Rather than offending a rising beast tamer for an unlikely probability, they would rather not touch on the subject. "It's not that?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "Can it be that... you three have some incurable disease, and you all want me to treat you? Are you suffering from the same symptoms as the Howling Firmament Beast, being unable to sleep at night as well? If it's really that bad, you can try Grandmaster Qing Yang's treatment method..." "Cough cough!" Upon hearing those words, Hall Master Feng and the others choked on their saliva. They felt a cold sensation in the lower half of their body. What the heck are you thinking about? We merely require your help! If we allow you to ramble on like this, we might really end up as eunuchs... "It's like that!" Afraid that they would lose their dignity if Zhang Xuan went on like that, Hall Master Feng hurriedly interjected. "Just like the Apothecary Guild, the Beast Hall has many branches as well. Since you're an official beast tamer, I probably won't have to explain too much." "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After reading through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had gained some understanding of the Beast Hall. The Beast Hall wasn't just a singular entity. There were many branches just like the Xuanluo Mountain Range branch spread all over the world. "Our Beast Hall is a Tier 2 Kingdom level branch, and we are under the jurisdiction of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall." There were many different tiers to the various branches as well. The Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall mainly dealt with the surrounding dozen or so Tier 2 Kingdoms, and it was considered as the lowest tier branch. Xuanyuan Kingdom was the closest Conferred Kingdom in the area. Kingdoms can be classified as Conferred, Tier 1, Tier 2, and unranked (Meaning, there's no master teacher backing the country, and that it is unqualified to be ranked). Tianxuan Kingdom was an unranked kingdom. While Beiwu Kingdom, with 1-star master teachers holding reign in the kingdom, was a Tier 2 Kingdom. Tianwu Kingdom, who had 2-star master teachers, was a Tier 1 Kingdom. On the other hand, Xuanyuan Kingdom had 3-star master teachers, thus it was ranked as a Conferred Kingdom. As a Conferred Kingdom, it was qualified to build a gigantic transportation portal to trade with other countries. As such, this solidified its standing as a trading hub, and its national power was on the constant rise. "The Xuanyuan Kingdom conducts a Beast Taming Competition once every five years, and it invites young beast tamers from the various subordinate beast halls to participate." Hall Master Feng explained. "Since you officially became a beast tamer at our Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall, you are considered as a member of our branch. I hope that... you can attend the competition in the name of our Beast Hall." "Beast Taming Competition?" "That's right. This Beast Taming Competition brings the various talented beast tamers from surrounding kingdoms together, and if you can stand out from the group and emerge victoriously, you will be highly regarded by the Beast Hall, and all kinds of resources will be devoted into grooming you. At the same time, the reputation of our branch will also grow." After saying so, Hall Master Feng looked at Zhang Xuan expectantly. "This..." Zhang Xuan didn't expect the request to be this. Glancing at Hall Master Feng, he asked, "When is the competition?" If the competition was coming up soon, Zhang Xuan would reject them immediately. His main priority at the moment was to deal with the deadly poison lingering in his body and take the master teacher examination. The only reason why he took the beast tamer examination was for the fee exemption on using their Beast Mount. "It will be held half a year later in Xuanyuan Royal City." Hall Master Feng said. "Half a year later? That... I'll have to see if I have the time then!" Zhang Xuan didn't dare to agree immediately. He didn't want to make empty promises. "Despite your young age, you have already reached the level of a 2-star beast tamer. On top of that, you're skilled in the Way of Medicine and are a master teacher apprentice. If you were to join the competition, you will surely be able to achieve remarkable results..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unmoved by his words, Hall Master Feng decided to throw in his trump card, "Furthermore, you'll be entitled to generous rewards if you win the competition!" "The rewards aren't important. It's just that I might be busy during that period of time!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Rejected by the other party, Hall Master Feng and the others couldn't help but feel disappointed. However, before they could wallow in their disappointment for long, the other party's voice sounded once more. "Ah, by the way... what are the rewards?

Chapter 262: Guiding Mo Yu



"The rewards of the competition differ every single time but it has always been very generous. More importantly, if you earn the acknowledgment of the Beast Hall, you might get an opportunity to study in higher tier kingdoms." Hearing his question, Hall Master Feng hurriedly explained. "In fact, the previous champion won the Tutelage Jade Token of a 3-star master teacher and a Flowing Water Beast Taming Method manual." "You call this abundant?" Zhang Xuan was speechless. He thought that the champion would obtain some incredible treasure, but a 3-star master teacher Tutelage Jade Token and a beast taming secret manual... To him, these were useless. "If I win the championship and don't want their rewards, can I swap it for something else?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. "It depends on what you want!" Hall Master Feng looked at him with a perplexed gaze. Even to him, the Tutelage Jade Token of a 3-star master teacher was a priceless treasure. Was this fellow unsatisfied even with this much? Does he still wish for something even more valuable? "Can I trade those for a few cultivation technique manuals instead?" Zhang Xuan asked. "Cultivation technique manuals? A few of them?" Giant question marks hung on the faces of the three beast tamers. Do you think that cultivation technique manuals are like cabbages in the market? Asking for... a few of them at once? Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Un. Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals. It'll be better if there is more of them. In fact, if possible, I would like a thousand books." "A thousand books?" Everyone's body swayed. They thought that Zhang Xuan's 'a few' would mean a dozen or so. Yet, a thousand books... Are you trying to rob the entire Beast Hall of its wealth? "What tier of cultivation technique are you looking at?" Hall Master Feng couldn't help but ask. There were different tiers to cultivation techniques. The higher the tier, the more valuable it was. Finding even a single high-tier cultivation technique was difficult enough, needless to say, a thousand of it. "Oh, I don't have any requirements on the tier, I'm fine with anything. All I require is a great quantity of Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals." "This..." Everyone was taken aback. If Zhang Xuan has no requirements on the tier, then... the cultivation technique manuals are truly inexpensive! While Zongshi realm secret manuals are valuable in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Kingdoms, they actually aren't worth much in Conferred Kingdoms. As long as one had sufficient gold coins, he would be able to buy them easily... This fellow actually wanted to trade a 3-star master teacher Tutelage Jade Token for this? This was a huge waste of the treasure! Even in Conferred Kingdoms, 3-star master teachers stood at the very top of the pyramid. Their lessons were something that countless cultivators dreamt about, and yet, Zhang Xuan wanted to swap such an object for a bunch of useless cultivation techniques? Why does it feel like Zhang Xuan was picking the shell of a clam over the pearl within? One must know that a cultivator can only practice one cultivation technique. If he wants to change his cultivation technique, he has to start from scratch. They might be able to understand it if Zhang Xuan had asked for a powerful cultivation technique, but to have no demand on the quality... He would only ruin his cultivation at this rate! Upon realizing these facts, the three beast tamers stared at Zhang Xuan with strange gazes. This Beast Tamer Zhang's preferences... were simply too eccentric! "If you don't have any requirements on the tier, your request actually isn't that difficult to fulfill. They should approve of it... However, the prerequisite is that you'll have to win the Beast Taming Competition first." After hesitating for a moment, Hall Master Feng nodded his head. There was a precedent of someone swapping the prize of the Beast Taming Competition for something else. As long as its value didn't exceed the prize by too much, and it was within their means, given that this would win them the goodwill of a talented beast tamer, the Beast Hall wouldn't object. "Alright, I agree to your request!" Zhang Xuan replied. As his cultivation realm rose, gathering cultivation techniques had been becoming increasingly difficult. It was just a matter of time before he would have to head to the Conferred Kingdoms, and having the backing of the Beast Hall would be for the best. "That's great! We'll meet in Xuanyuan Royal City half a year from now then!" Upon hearing Zhang Xuan agree, the eyes of the three beast tamers immediately lit up, and they clenched their fists in agitation. Their Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall had been at the very bottom of the competition every single time. Now with a talented beast tamer joining their ranks, they might be able to awe the other Beast Halls. After resolving the issue regarding the Beast Taming Competition, they chatted for awhile longer. While they called it a chat, their actual purpose was to pry information from the other party. However, upon seeing that they were unable to get anything out of the other party's mouth, they decided to let the matter slip. Whenever they reached a crucial point, that fellow would act ignorant. They were frustrated with his display but could do nothing about it. If you say that you don't know about anything else, we can let it slip. But as a senior to master teachers and a master teacher apprentice, you should at least know how the master teacher examination goes, right? Or at the very least, you should at least know how to raise one's Soul Depth, right? In the end... It turned out that he knew nothing about them! Fine, we'll tolerate it! But given how skilled you are in the Way of Medicine, you should at least know some basic medical knowledge, right? Yet... How could you not know anything! We'll tolerate that as well! However... You are already a 2-star beast tamer. How can you not even know how to ride an aerial savage beast and the various branches of the Beast Hall... Alright, assuming that we tolerated that as well, what about when we asked you about how large the Beast Forest is, how many apprentice beast tamers there are in it, how many apprentices a beast tamer could accept... Aren't you going too far with your act! If you don't wish to tell us anything, you can just say so. Acting ignorant about everything... Is that fun? Previously, when you tamed a beast, treated the Howling Firmament Beast, forged pills, and slapped everyone's faces, it seemed as if there is nothing you are incapable of. Yet, at this moment, you are acting like a fool. Seeing you in such a state, some might even think that you have dissociative identity disorder... After chatting for a short while longer, the three beast tamers couldn't stand Zhang Xuan any further and bade farewell hurriedly. "Ah, don't go... I still have a lot of things to talk to you about!" Zhang Xuan tried to stop them. Hu! Executing their battle techniques, the three figures blurred and disappeared without a trace immediately. Whoever who wants to talk to him, feel free to do so. We do not want to die of frustration... "In short chat, I learned quite a lot of things." Oblivious to the thoughts of the trio, Zhang Xuan reflected as he stood up. While Hall Master Feng and the others were just beast tamers, they had a good grasp of the powers and situation of the surrounding kingdoms. They were quite knowledgeable about the various occupations, and their words had expanded his horizon. Even though this world wasn't as modernized as the one Zhang Xuan was in before his transcension, the knowledge which grew throughout the ages here was much more profound than that of his previous world. It had just been barely twenty days since Zhang Xuan has transcended, and his line of thoughts had yet to fully adapt to this world. Thus, he was unclear of numerous matters, and speaking to these veterans was extremely helpful in expanding his outlook. After the days of journey and the events that took place at the Beast Hall, Zhang Xuan had become slightly fatigued. Under the guidance of an apprentice, he headed to the residence assigned to him. Upon reaching the residence he saw an elegant and beautiful figure, reminiscent of a painting, standing at the entrance. "Mo Yu?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. It wasn't anyone else. It was the genius who had pitted herself against him for the entire day, the third princess of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Yu. "Beast Tamer Zhang!" Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu immediately walked forward to greet him. "Xiaojie, were you waiting for me?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully. It was already sunset by the time he was done treating the Howling Firmament Beast and after that, he chatted with the three beast tamers for around four hours. By modern standards, it was already around ten o'clock. Why would she be waiting at the entrance at such a timing? "That's right. There is something which I am unable to comprehend no matter how much I ponder, so I came over personally to ask you about it." Mo Yu gritted her teeth. "Oh?" "How can you be so sure that the pills had already formed in the cauldron when the cauldron was on the verge exploding?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan. No matter how much she contemplated, she was unable to understand how he did it. As an official apothecary, she knew very well how difficult it was for a pill to be formed. A split second error in the timing could spell the difference between success and failure. It would take incredible coincidence for a pill to be formed at the very moment of the cauldron explosion. Even though Mo Yu witnessed everything with her own eyes, she nevertheless found the matter hard to believe. It felt surreal. "It's luck!" Zhang Xuan casually said. With the Library of Heaven's Path overseeing the situation, Zhang Xuan had a complete grasp of the timing of the cauldron explosion and the formation of the pill. However, he couldn't possibly reveal the truth, so he could only make up an excuse. "Luck?" Mo Yu shook her head. "There's no such thing as luck in pill forging! I will be truly grateful if Beast Tamer Zhang can enlighten me." As a genius who dabbled in numerous occupation, Mo Yu possessed a strong desire for knowledge. Initially, she didn't think much. However after returning, she tried recalling the matter, and to her surprize, she realized that the other party's understanding of medicinal herbs and control over flames were superior to even that of her teacher! One must know that her teacher was a 2-star pinnacle grandmaster apothecary. Even in Tianwu Kingdom, he was an incredible existence. A fellow who isn't even twenty being superior to her dignified teacher... How is this possible? Thus... She concluded that Zhang Xuan had used trickery. She contemplated over the various possibilities, but she realized that none of them could explain his feat. Thus, she made the trip here in hope that she could be enlightened. "You wish to learn from me?" Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would back off after a few nonsensical statements. Yet, to his astonishment, the other party continued to stare at him with an earnest look. "Yes! I really wish to learn from you." Mo Yu looked at Zhang Xuan earnestly. "Un!" Satisfied with the other party's attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Without the airs of a princess, she was willing to lower her head to seek enlightenment. With such humility and intense desire for knowledge, it was no wonder that she was able to master so many occupations. "Since you wish to learn, I'll tell you more!" Toward those who sincerely desired to learn, Zhang Xuan wasn’t selfish with his knowledge. Placing two hands behind his back, he spoke, "Pill forging is an art of melding medicinal herbs together to better bring out their medicinal properties. However, there are many factors that one has to consider in the process of doing so." "If I'm not wrong, the cauldron that exploded then was forged using the Glacial Metal of the Glacial Metal Mountain at the northwest of Tianwu Kingdom. There were many processes to its forging, and the entire process took a total of forty-nine days. Even though it wasn't forged by an official blacksmith, it came from the hands of a famous 5-mo craftsman. After several refinements, it became exceptionally sturdy. However..." At this point, his tone suddenly changed, "You've forged pills with this cauldron a total of eighteen times, and there were seven times when there were signs of cauldron explosion! Even though they were suppressed by using overwhelming energy eventually, the pressure had damaged the cauldron, creating numerous cracks in the interior of the cauldron. If that was just it, it wouldn't have been a big deal. However, if I'm not wrong, half a month ago, you forged an [Ice Soul Pill] using it. The clash between the lingering frost from back then and the heat from the forging of the Searing Sun Pill damaged the cauldron significantly." "One should use their zhenqi to line the cauldron so as to prevent it from getting damaged. However, you didn't do so, and this caused several problems to appear with the cauldron. Even if it didn't explode this time, it is unlikely that it would last for long!" "Now that we're done with the cauldron, let's talk about the environment where the pill forging was conducted. Given that it was an autumn evening, the surroundings were slightly chilly. When you first started the forging, you didn't warm the cauldron properly before raising the heat in your haste to show off your fire control mastery. Even though it did look flashy, it was equivalent to destroying one's own cauldron..." At this point, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and smiled, "Mo Yu xiaojie, is what I've said... true?" "This..." Trembling, Mo Yu's lower jaw fell to the ground.

Chapter 263: To the Poison Hall!



Mo Yu's cauldron was a gift from her teacher when she first passed the 1-star apothecary examination. Thinking about it, she had forged pills with it eighteen times, and of which, there were signs of cauldron explosion seven times. Each time, her teacher would help her suppress the violent energy within. And she did forge an Ice Soul Pill a month ago. The other party's words were completely true. Being able to tell all of these just by looking at her cauldron? Mind-blowing! Mo Yu felt her entire body shudder in disbelief. It was as if she was dreaming. "Of course, these are just the fundamentals. They give one a gauge on when a cauldron can explode, but it isn't sufficient to determine when exactly it will explode, how strong the explosion will be, and how long the cauldron will last." Seeing the other party remain silent, Zhang Xuan continued. "To ascertain this, one's grasp over medicinal herbs must reach a certain level. The main ingredients of the Searing Sun Pill are the nine yang attribute medicinal herbs. Only by maintaining a delicate balance among the nine herbs and have them counteract one another can one prevent the energies from conflicting. Once the balance is broken, it would be difficult to salvage the situation. It would be equivalent to lighting a bomb." "Previously, when you followed my instructions strictly to place the medicinal herbs in, there was no problem at all. However, on the seventeenth step, you placed the Rooted Grass half a breath early." "The Solar Flame Wood in the eleventh step and the Golden Sun Flower in the fourteenth step counteracted one another. Given the conditions of the cauldron then, it required twelve breaths and seven breaths respectively for their essences to meld with one another, and that was also the ideal and only timing to put in the next medicinal herb!" "When you placed the Rooted Grass in, the two medicinal herbs had yet to meld together, and the yang attribute of both medicinal herbs were still in the midst of counteracting one another. Thus, it was as though you were lighting up a bomb, and a shock wave was induced. The strength of the shock wave wasn't sufficient to break the pills but it hastened the crumbling process. After which, when I had you throw in all of the other ingredients and increase the firepower, It was actually to deduce the impending impact, as well as the durability of the cauldron." "Based on my calculations, I gauged that it was possible for the cauldron to last until the formation of the pill. Thus, I decided to have you continue forging." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused and looked at Mo Yu calmly. "Do you have any other questions?" "I... No, that's all!" Mo Yu was unable to calm down from her shock. She thought that it was some secret technique that had allowed the other party to accurately gauge the situation of the pill forging. But now, she realized that even though he had indeed used a technique, as she has deduced, it wasn't something she could learn. There were too many factors contained within it for her to do the same. Equipment, medicinal herb, forging technique, environment, and even the state of mind during forging... She had to take all of that into account when doing her calculations. A single error could mean an entirely wrong answer. A while ago, she was still thinking that she would work hard so as to quickly catch up with the other party in the field of pill forging. But at this moment, she realized that... the difference between them was so great that they weren't even on the same track. It was no wonder why the other party was able to pass the Pill Debate. Just his understanding of pill forging was sufficient to send her into despair. "If you don't have any more questions, I'm going to rest!" Seeing that he had managed baffle Mo Yu after much effort, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In truth, he was unable to tell any of it as well. If not for the Library of Heaven's Path, not to mention him, even a 5-star apothecary would be unable to analyze the moment of pill formation and cauldron explosion just through those minor details. At the very least, one has to be 6-star to be able to do so. "Beast Tamer Zhang, wait a moment..." Seeing that the other party was about to enter the residence, Mo Yu hurriedly shouted. "I heard that you're heading to Tianwu Kingdom?" "How did you know?" The moment he asked the question, he realized that it must have been Yun Tao. However, he didn’t have the intention to hide this fact. Thus, he nodded, "I'm heading to the Red Lotus Ridge." "The Red Lotus Ridge is quite a remote location, and rarely do anyone travel there. Can it be that you're looking for the... Poison Hall?" Mo Yu asked. The Xuanluo Mountain Range was lush and filled with countless savage beasts. In comparison, the Red Lotus Ridge seemed as though it had been razed by savage flames, and there was nothing there. There were practically no cultivators who would want to go there. As a result, Legend has it there was a Poison Hall hidden in the depths of the mountains, and the poison masters there had laid lethal poison in the surroundings. Those who enter the depths of the Red Lotus Ridge would be afflicted with the poison and die swiftly. No one knew for sure whether it was true or not because those who headed for the Poison Hall never returned. As time went by, it became one of the forbidden zones where no one dared to venture. As such, it became a remote land which everyone avoided. The reason why Zhang Xuan was heading there... was probably because of that Poison Hall. "You know of the Poison Hall?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. Zhang Xuan has only heard of the Poison Hall in the Red Lotus Ridge from Liu shi and the rest, and they weren't sure of its existence as well. Thus, hearing the matter from Mo Yu, he became agitated immediately. "It is said that there's a Poison Hall in Red Lotus Ridge. However... no one knows of its specific location!" Mo Yu shook her head. "It's fine as long as there is one there. I will find it eventually!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. As long as there was truly a Poison Hall in the ridge, finding it wasn't a problem. In the worst case scenario, Zhang Xuan would just try verifying the location of the Poison Hall using a map through the Library of Heaven's Path. Given its ability of discerning truth and false, even if Zhang Xuan wasn't able to pinpoint the exact location, he could at least avoid the wrong ones. And the location which has no flaws would be the correct one. "Speaking of which, the Red Lotus Ridge spans for several thousand kilometers. If you were to search every single acre of land, you would first die of exhaustion. Besides, there is lethal poison present in the surroundings of the Poison Hall. Even if you were to find the exact location, without someone to lead the way, it is impossible for you to enter." At this point, Mo Yu paused for a moment and stared at Zhang Xuan with her beautiful eyes. "If you wish to head for the Poison Hall, I can help you with the matter." "You?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "You know of a way to enter the Poison Hall?" "I don't know of a way, but I know of someone who does." Mo Yu chuckled mysteriously. "Oh?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. He didn't expect Mo Yu to possess such connections. If she could bring him in, it would save him a lot of trouble. "If you teach me how to forge pills, I'll bring you to that person. How is it?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan intently. "Deal!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Then when do we head out?" "Tomorrow morning. Right, do you have an aerial savage beast?" Zhang Xuan glanced at her. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had achieved Half-Zhizun and possessed astonishing speed. If her aerial savage beast were unable to keep up, she would just slow him down. "You!" Hearing the other party's question, Mo Yu's eyes trembled. Gegege, the sound of her teeth crunched against one another could be heard, and her breathing hastened. Are you intentionally rubbing salt on my wounds? "Ah..." Only upon seeing her expression did Zhang Xuan recall that she once had an aerial savage beast, just that... it had betrayed her for him! "Alright, how about you ride on the Howling Firmament Beast with me?" The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast had a huge physique which was more than sufficient to ferry seven to eight people at once. "Hmph!" Only after hearing those words did Mo Yu's complexion improve. However, it didn't last for long. "The Howling Firmament Beast is my tamed beast. If you wish to ride on it, you will have to pay a fee. When it was still at Zongshi realm, a trip to Tianwu Kingdom would cost around 20 Beast Bloodstone. Now that it has reached Half-Zhizun, its speed has increased significantly... I'll charge you double then. 40 Beast Bloodstone." After calculating for a bit, Zhang Xuan said. "Prepare the sum by tomorrow and pay in advance. Do not renege on the deal!" There was information on the Beast Bloodstone within books in the Beast Hall. Similar to gold coins, it was a common currency used by Beast Halls. The Beast Bloodstone was extremely useful in triggering a Bloodline Evolution in savage beasts. While a cultivator absorbed spiritual energy from the air, a savage beast ate the Beast Bloodstone. "..." Mo Yu staggered. Given how you are adept at so many occupations, do you have to be such a money-grubber? "Hmph!" Knowing that her blood would boil just talking to this fellow, she decided to leave before she could be angered to death. However, after barely taking a few steps, the mutterings of the other party echoed behind her. "Sigh, people nowadays sure are miserly. Despite saying that she is grateful to me, the moment I talk about money... she turns silent. Now, she even expects to sit on my aerial savage beast for free... If you don't have any money, you should say so earlier. You raised my expectations for nothing. To think that you are a princess, can a princess default on her payment?" "You... Zhang Xuan, you better explain yourself! Who doesn't have money..." Mo Yu could no longer hold herself back and turned around abruptly. Just as she was about to confront the fellow, he shook his head and entered the residence sighing. "Damn it! Damn it! You stinky Zhang Xuan, darned Zhang Xuan, just you wait!" Seeing him disappear into the residence, Mo Yu glared furiously at the mansion for a moment before stomping away with a puff. Given how infuriated she was, it was unlikely she would be able to fall asleep tonight. Feeling fatigued, Zhang Xuan went straight to bed after entering the residence. The night passed silently. Then the next morning, a 2-star beast tamer emblem was sent to the residence. Keeping the emblem in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan made some arrangements. Shen Bi Ru’s purpose was to guide Zhang Xuan to the Beast Hall and would be returning to Tianxuan Royal City. Initially, he intended to give her a lift on the Viridescent Eagle, but she refused him adamantly. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to give her the Gold Alloyed Panther instead. Possessing the two great aerial savage beasts, the Viridescent Eagle and the Howling Firmament Beast, the Gold Alloyed Panther was of no help to him. Rather, it would be of a greater help to Shen Bi Ru. At the very least, no one would dare to cause her trouble in Tianxuan Royal City. In a sense, this was Zhang Xuan's way of repaying the other party for the care and concern she had shown him on the journey. After making arrangements with Shen Bi Ru, Zhang Xuan headed to the courtyard of the Howling Firmament Beast. At this point, he realized that there was a room-like infrastructure built on its back. It was forged using metal, and it was streamlined to the body of the Howling Firmament Beast. This way, no matter how strong the wind was during the flight, it would not shake. Most of those riding on Beast Mounts didn't possess powerful cultivation, and there was a risk of them falling when traveling at high speeds. As such, the Beast Hall prepared these rooms on aerial savage beasts to prevent such cases. The Howling Firmament Beast had a large physique, and as though reflecting that, the infrastructure on its back was around six to seven meter wide. There were table, chairs, and beds in it, and it didn't feel as if one was soaring in the air. Not to mention two people, even with the Viridescent Eagle inside, it wouldn’t feel cramped in the least. "Farewell!" Zhang Xuan bided Hall Master Feng and the others farewell before walking into the room. Huhu! The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast's powerful wings flapped, and the two humans and two beasts soared into the air. Gazing at the Beast Hall and Xuanluo Mountain Range which was growing smaller by the second, Zhang Xuan smiled. Poison Hall, here I come.

Chapter 264: Heaven's Path Disguise Art



White clouds floated by and the wind whistled. The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast's massive body soared through the skies. Sensing the powerful aura of a Half-Zhizun, the other savage beasts immediately fled in fear. In the housing on the savage beast’s back, Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu were seated opposite to each other. "There are so many savage beasts in the air. If not for the Howling Firmament Beast, even though our safety wouldn’t have been a problem, we would still face quite some hassle with them." Mo Yu said as she stared out of a window to observe the boundless sky. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had gained some understanding on this matter. The aerial space may seem peaceful like a safe haven, but in truth, it was actually no different from the world below. In the end, the strong still preyed on the weak. If the savage beast one rode on wasn't strong enough, there was a probability of it being targeted and attacked by other savage beasts. This was precisely the reason why the cost of savage beasts increased exponentially along with their cultivation realm. As much as it was a matter of speed, it was also a matter of safety. "To find the Poison Hall, we'll have to first head to Red Lotus City!" After a night of rest, Mo Yu finally managed to suppress her anger and reverted back to the prideful and cold princess. "Red Lotus City?" "Right, it is an ancient city at the foot of the Red Lotus Ridge. One has to pass through the city in order to enter the mountains. The person whom I spoke of previously lives in the city." Mo Yu nodded. "Is he a poison master?" Zhang Xuan asked. "No, he's a herb king!" Mo Yu replied. "Herb king?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Regardless of whether it was for pill forging or to treat illnesses, there was great demand for medicinal herbs. Herb kings were people who had special connections to those who cultivated, purchased. and sold these medicinal herbs. Given the sinister nature of the Poison Hall, why would a herb king have ties with it? "This is a classified secret of the kingdom. I only happened to overhear people speaking of it." Frowning, Mo Yu explained, "The Poison Hall is hidden in the depths of the mountains. Every year, countless people attempt to scale the mountain in hopes of learning the Way of Poison. However, most of them end up dying because of the poisonous mist. Rumor has it that the only way to find the Poison Hall is through the herb kings. The reason is that the Poison Hall requires intermediaries to purchase a large amount of medicinal herbs for the crafting of poison, as well as to sell their poison... And the intermediaries are the herb kings! There is a total of thirteen herb kings in Red Lotus City, and the one that I'm bringing you to is the greatest of them all, the Great Herb King." "The Great Herb King controls the flow of medicinal herbs in the Red Lotus City, and if anyone has connections to the Poison Hall, it must be him. However..." Mo Yu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I heard that the Great Herb King is already advanced in age and has gone into seclusion. It would be almost impossible for us to meet him and get him to bring us to the Poison Hall." "Impossible? You said that you were going to bring me to the Poison Hall..." Zhang Xuan was speechless. This person said that she would help me find the Poison Hall. Yet, it turns out that it would be impossible to meet with the Great Herb King and, not to mention, for him to bring me there. What kind of help is this? "I only said that I will you to find that person. As for whether you can meet him and convince him, that's none of my business!" Mo Yu said gleefully. Aren't you always trying to anger me? See how I'll get back at you! "Ah, that seems to be the case!" Recalling carefully, it was true that the other party only mentioned that she would bring him a person who knew the way to the Poison Hall. She had never said that she would bring him to the Poison Hall. Zhang Xuan felt that he had been taken advantage of, having guided the other party in pill forging only to receive such a miserable amount of information in return. All along, he had been the one to hoodwink others. To think that this fellow would get the better of him. Even so, Zhang Xuan wasn't too bothered. Compared to his previous situation, at least he now had an idea of where he should begin to work from. "Un?" Mo Yu thought that the other party would panic upon hearing her words. In the end, he only said an 'Ah, that seems to be the case' and fell silent. Sneaking a peek at him, she saw a relaxed expression on the other party's face, as though none of it concerned him. "Aren't you worried that the other party might refuse to meet you?" After a moment, Mo Yu couldn't hold back her curiosity anymore. I said that the Great Herb King is advanced in age and doesn’t meet anyone. Why isn't this fellow flustered at all? "Of course I'm worried!" Zhang Xuan replied. "Then, you..." Mo Yu blinked in surprize. Is this how you look when you're worried? I can't tell at all. "But there's no use worrying about it. Rather than wasting my time, I might as well think about when you'll pay me my money..." At this point, Zhang Xuan stared at her doubtfully, "Right, can it be that your identity as a princess is impersonated? Otherwise, how can you be so poor? Having not paid the fee, how can you be so thick-skinned as to ride on my Beast Mount?" "..." Mo Yu's slender body swayed violently. She initially thought that she had finally won one over Zhang Xuan and would be able to admire the exasperated look on his face, but contrary to her expectations, he appeared completely calm. On the other hand, the moment he spoke, her rage soared once more. Damn it! I knew that nothing good can come out from this man’s mouth... Looks like I should avoid talking to him in the future. Otherwise, it would just be a matter of time before I die from his words... "Hmph!" Mo Yu ground her teeth together, but she didn't dare to say anything else. She decided to ignore the other party and pouted her mouth. "Sigh, despite owing money, you refuse to let me speak about it. Why are people so thick-skinned these days?" Muttering under his breath, Zhang Xuan stretched his back. "You..." Mo Yu felt a strong regret for following this fellow to Red Lotus City. On seeing her beauty, everyone would always act carefully for fear of offending her. Yet, this fellow managed to push her buttons with every single word he said. It was as if he wouldn't be content until he gave her a heart attack. How can there be such a fellow in the world? She thought that she would die from anger in the two-day journey, but unexpectedly, the fellow didn't pay her any attention. Rather, he sat quietly in a corner of the room and remained in... a daze. "What is he up to?" Initially, Mo Yu thought that the other party was intentionally putting on an act to vex her. However, his trance lasted for an entire day, and his eyes had reddened in fatigue. Deciding that it was unlikely for the other party to go such great lengths just to prank her, she became perplexed. Speaking of provoking others, this fellow was capable of murdering with his words. In terms of talents, even Mo Yu, a renowned genius, wasn't a match for him. In terms of wisdom, he had been in a mindless daze. What was he up to? Staring at the fellow before her, she realized that the more she knew about him, the less she comprehended. Oblivious to the other party's confusion, Zhang Xuan was occupied inside the Library of Heaven's Path, fully engrossed in reading through the books. Given that his awareness was immersed entirely within the library, it looked as if he was in a daze from the outside. Zhang Xuan was able to access the books duplicated in the library with a single thought in his mind. However, while they were stored in the library, this knowledge didn't yet actually belong to him. He was still unable to utilize it freely under all situations. Having transcended into this world for over twenty days, Zhang Xuan knew that he mustn't just rely on the Library of Heaven's Path if he wants to become a true master teacher. He has to read more books and learn more. Only with sufficient knowledge will he be able to reach greater heights. While the golden book has the effect of assimilating the content within all of the books in the library into his very own knowledge, no one can tell when it would be formed. In any case, since Zhang Xuan didn't have Heaven's Path Divine Art for the Half-Zongshi realm to raise his cultivation and was free, he might as well read some more books and take in more knowledge. Perhaps, it might even turn out to be useful to him later on. "Hm? To think that there would be so many books on disguising in the Tianxuan Kingdom's Book Collection Vault." Sweeping through the innumerable books he had collected in the kingdom's Book Collection Vault, Zhang Xuan stopped before a particular bookshelf all of a sudden. There were more than a thousand books placed on it and all of them were about altering one's appearance and disguise. "I heard that when Emperor Shen Zhui was younger, he once roamed around the world. Could he have collected these books then? After all, as an emperor, there are too many people who wish to take his life. It would be much safer for him to don a disguise." An idea popped into Zhang Xuan's mind. Rumor has it that Emperor Shen Zhui once traveled around the world when he was younger to train himself and to widen his boundaries. However, if he were to have walked around in his original appearance, he would have probably been killed by his enemies back then. After all, the allure of a throne is too great. Even blood-related brothers would brutally slaughter one another for that one and only seat. When Emperor Shen Zhui was traveling around the world, his cultivation had yet to mature. He probably collected these appearance altering and disguise books in consideration for his safety. "Since there are so many books here, I might be able to form a Heaven's Path secret manual!" Thinking so, Zhang Xuan started to organize the correct content within the books. Soon, they melded together to form a single book. "It worked!" A delighted gleam flashed through Zhang Xuan's eyes. "The art of disguise is centered around intent. Changing one's appearance with pills and suppressing one's voice is actually the most mediocre type of disguise. A true disguise requires one to have absolute control over their muscles..." The book was filled with knowledge on disguising oneself. After having flipped through a few pages, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was no wonder why Liu Ling and the others could tell that something was amiss when he was disguised as Yang Xuan. After reading through this book, he realized how subpar his disguise then was. It was due to the lack of powerful experts in Tianxuan Kingdom that no one could see through his disguise. Otherwise, even if it weren't Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan's disguise would have been exposed in any other Tier 2 Kingdoms. Very quickly, he finished reading the entire book. "Even though these are just the fundamentals to disguising, I should be able to hide my appearance from most people!" Even though the books in Tianxuan Kingdom covered just the bare fundamentals of disguising, after mastering these, Zhang Xuan was nevertheless able to easily alter his appearance to the extent that even Liu shi and the others would find it difficult to notice. "This disguising method has a demanding requirement on one's control over their muscles as it works by moving muscles around to change one's appearance. It would be impossible for anyone else to cultivate this technique because being able to control every single muscle in their body is a nearly impossible. However, it's a different story for me! After cultivating the Heaven's Path Golden Body, the muscles in my body have gained immense flexibility and I am able to move them as I please." Zhang Xuan smiled gently. Just by reading through the Heaven's Path Disguise Art, Zhang Xuan had more or less mastered the skill. At this moment, even without using pills for his disguise, Zhang Xuan was able to easily alter his appearance without anyone noticing anything amiss. With this ability, even if Zhang Xuan was unable to defeat someone, he would be able to avoid him by altering his appearance. This meant that Zhang Xuan had just gained another mean for survival. "We've reached!" Zhang Xuan was about to test out his disguising technique when Mo Yu's voice resounded. Looking out of the windows, Zhang Xuan could see massive mountains appearing before his eyes. The entire ridge extended for several thousand kilometers. The barren land was devoid of any greenery and its crimson surface was filled with sand and rocks. "Is that the Red Lotus Ridge?" The rise and fall of the geographical terrain extended toward the horizon, and one couldn't see the end with a single glance. It looked as though a massive red lotus had spread across the vast area of the earth. It was no wonder why Mo Yu said that it would be impossible to locate the hall by casually fumbling around. Given the massive size of the ridge, it would be indeed difficult to discover an intentionally concealed Poison Hall. "That's right. That over there is Red Lotus City!" Mo Yu pointed. Following her finger, Zhang Xuan saw an ancient-looking city beneath the glow of the morning sun.

Chapter 265: The Great Herb King’s Residence



Unlike Tianxuan Royal City, this city was built using red-colored bricks, and it blended in perfectly with the entire Red Lotus Ridge, looking extremely ancient. In terms of size, it was much smaller in size and could not be compared with the Beast Hall. "The Red Lotus City is older than even Tianwu Kingdom. It is said that it has more than three thousand years of history, and is the trading hub of medicinal herbs for the dozen or so countries around Tianwu! However, due to the influence of the Poison Hall, no one is willing to remain here for long. As such, it had been on a decline, and now it doesn't match up to even those third-rate cities." Mo Yu explained. The Red Lotus City belonged to Tianwu Kingdom, and as the princess of Tianwu Kingdom, Mo Yu was well aware of its background. "The Howling Firmament Beast and Viridescent Eagle are too conspicuous, and we might attract unwanted trouble if we enter like that. It would be best if we enter by foot." Even though the Red Lotus City was merely a small city at the borders, it acted as a major trading hub for medicinal herbs and poison. As such, there was a large traffic of experts from surrounding kingdoms through the city gates. Given the humongous size of the Viridescent Eagle and the Howling Firmament Beast, entering just like that would bring unwanted attention to themselves. In terms of strength, there were few who could defeat the Half-Zhizun Howling Firmament Beast. However, there was a possibility of poison masters hiding within the city, and attracting scrutiny to themselves might be perilous. While Zhang Xuan and the others didn't fear a straightforward assault, it would be hard for them to guard against sneak attacks that used poison. "Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied. He got the Howling Firmament Beast to land somewhere a distance away from the city and instructed the two beasts not to stray too far away before heading to the Red Lotus City together with Mo Yu. Walking on the streets of the ancient city, surrounded by ancient buildings, it felt as though they had traveled into the past. Despite the small city, there was quite a huge crowd on the streets. Lined along the long streets were vendors, and huge piles of medicinal herbs stacked up before them. There was a significant number of herbs which one usually couldn't find in any other market. "Withering Earth Grass, Gossamer Cicada, Five Poison Silk Thread..." Briefly glancing at the herbs, Zhang Xuan recognized quite a few of them and frowned. These medicinal items contained lethal poison within them. They were rarely used in treatments and pill forging, and this was Zhang Xuan's first time seeing it sold in such great quantities. "There must be poison masters here!" Only poison masters would stock up on these items at great quantities. There was no need for ordinary apothecaries and physicians to store so much of them. "There are poison masters here, but you won't be able to recognize any if he doesn't concoct poison before you!" Mo Yu said. Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. Unlike master teachers, skills of a poison master are independent of his cultivation. Sometimes, a seemingly powerless child or a stumbling old lady is capable of concocting poison which even Zongshis are unable to withstand. That's why it was hard to recognize poison masters. Even if a person with high cultivation realm were to purchase poisonous herbs, he may not necessarily be a poison master. On the other hand, an inconspicuous and fragile looking lady may just happen to be a famous assassin. "If you wish to look for a poison master, you can sell medicinal herbs here. If you were to continue for three to five years, you might just meet with one." Mo Yu said. "There are plenty of people who are seeking vengeance but unable to raise their cultivation waiting here for an opportunity to be accepted into the tutelage of a poison master. However, those who succeed are among the minority." "Three to five years?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. I might already be dead by then… why not kill me with a stab of the knife right now. While the Library of Heaven's Path revealed a person's occupation, the requirement was that the other party had to first execute a battle technique. Otherwise, the person had to be unconscious... If Zhang Xuan were to try to knock someone out here, endless trouble would surely ensue. Others might think of him as a lunatic and chase him away. "Let's first look for the Great Herb King!" Thinking of that, Zhang Xuan said. "Indeed, the only clue we have at hand is the Great Herb King. However, have you ever wondered why everyone chose to sell medicinal herbs here despite being aware that the Great Herb King knows the location of the Poison Hall and is acquainted with poison masters?" Mo Yu stared at Zhang Xuan. "This..." "The Great Herb King isn't someone anyone can meet easily!" Mo Yu shook her head. "Even so, we should give it a try." Zhang Xuan also knew that it wouldn't be easy. However, since he was already here, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Perhaps, the other party might just meet him. "Alright then! However, I'll just say this first. The Great Herb King isn't someone anyone can offend. Even though your cultivation isn't weak, it's best for you to keep a low profile here. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!" Mo Yu advised. "Rest easy, I'm not a rash person!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Fine, follow me!" Seeing the other party agreeing to the matter, Mo Yu led the way. She seemed to be well-acquainted with the roads here, as though she had been to this Red Lotus City. After around an hour, a massive manor appeared before them. Red bricked with an emerald roof, green trees, and a beautiful stream, this manor which contained some modern elements in its design seemed out of place in this ancient city. Several guards stood proudly at the door, exuding an astonishingly powerful aura. "Tongxuan realm?" With a glance, Zhang Xuan's expression turned grim. The guards at the entrance were all Tongxuan realm primary stage experts. In Tianxuan Kingdom, experts of such level were capable of rattling the lands with a stomp. Yet, over here, they acted as mere guards. "This is the manor of the Great Herb King!" Mo Yu whispered telepathically to Zhang Xuan. Even without her explanation, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at that conclusion. Just as he was about to speak, a young gentleman approached the entrance with two retainers beside him and passed a name scroll forward. "I am the prince of Tier 2 Baili Kingdom, Qing Yu. I'm here to seek an audience with the Great Herb King." Tier 2 Baili Kingdom was a country of equivalent standing as Beiwu Kingdom. It was significantly larger and more powerful than Tianxuan Kingdom. "I'm sorry, the old master had instructed us to turn away all guests." A guard spoke expressionlessly, blocking his way. "Audacious! Our master is the prince of a Tier 2 Kingdom. How dare you obstruct his path?" A retainer behind the young man bellowed. Stepping forward, he roared, "Get out of the way!" "In the Red Lotus City, our old master is the ultimate authority. Even if the emperor comes personally, we will turn him away, needless to say, a prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom! Scram, otherwise don't blame us for getting nasty." The guards narrowed their eyes. With a swift movement, all of them drew their swords. "You're courting death!" Upon hearing those words, the retainer flew into a rage. He charged forward, aiming his palm straight at the guard’s neck. A powerful wind blew into the surroundings. "Tongxuan realm intermediate stage?" The retainer was actually a Tongxuan realm intermediate stage expert! It was no wonder why he would act so arrogantly. Hu! At Tongxuan realm intermediate stage, one possesses 200 ding of strength. Before his hands could reach the guards, the compressed air as a result of his movements had already let out a piercing screech. "Are you trying to barge into the Great Herb King’s residence?" The guard who spoke took a step back. "So what if I'm trying to barge in?" Prince Qing Yu's retainer harrumphed coldly. Not only did he not back down, he exerted even more strength into his palm. "If that's the case, you can... die now!" Sensing the increasing vigor in the other party's movements, the guards and harrumphed and flicked their wrists. Huala! The retainer was covered in a white mist immediately. "You..." Before the retainer could react, the white mist came into contact with his skin. His entire body convulsed, and soon afterward, white foam leaked out from his mouth. It wasn’t long before he fell to the ground and his eyes rolled backward. Just like that, he met his end. "What?" Qing Yu and his remaining retainer were shocked by the sight before them. They hurriedly retreated in fear. The retainer charged forward to attack was significantly stronger than the two of them, but yet, he died before he could even touch the other party. The poison they used was simply too vicious. "Scram!" After killing the retainer, the guards waved the two of them away. This time, Yu Qing and his retainer didn't dare to say anything else. Carrying the corpse with them, they left in a hurry. "This..." All of these happened within a few breaths. Taking this scene into sight, Zhang Xuan's expression became grim. The other party was a prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom, yet the guards poisoned his retainer without any hesitation... This was something that Zhang Xuan never expected. It was no wonder why Mo Yu treated this matter with grave importance. This Great Herb King was indeed a difficult and cruel figure. "Are we unable to enter, even with your name scroll?" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan asked. No matter what, Mo Yu was the princess of Tianwu Kingdom after all. Her prestige should be much greater than a Tier 2 Kingdom prince. "That’s right." Knowing Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Mo Yu shook her head. "The Red Lotus City may belong to Tianwu Kingdom in name, but it's actually a free zone. Even if a prince were here in person, he would be unable to interfere with the matter here, not to mention that I am a mere princess. Haven’t you seen for yourself? Despite having his retainer killed before him, that prince didn't dare to say anything at all." "Then... Is it possible to sneak in?" "Sneak in? That's even more impossible! Since the Great Herb King is able to become the sovereign of this city, there is no doubt that he possesses incredible means. If anyone can sneak in that easily, his manor would have been patronized by countless people." Mo Yu said. "That's true..." Zhang Xuan nodded. Given the Great Herb King's position as the most powerful man in the chaotic Red Lotus City, if anyone could sneak into his manor freely, he would have already died hundreds of time by now. "Yet another person seeking death!" "Do you think that it'll be that easy to enter the Great Herb King's manor?" "It's said that only three types of people are allowed to enter the manor. Herb kings, poison masters, and those with an invitation letter! Otherwise, it's best not to loiter here, or you might die without knowing why!" "That's right!" ... Seeing the prince from a Tier 2 Kingdom sent running, hushed discussions arose in the surroundings. "Invitation letter? Old uncle, do you mean that anyone with an invitation letter can enter?" Hearing the discussion, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. He walked up to the group and passed forward a gold bill. "That's right!" Grabbing over the gold bill, the elder smiled and nodded. "Then, how does one obtain an invitation letter?" Zhang Xuan asked. "That I don't know..." The elder shook his head. However, he seemed to have recalled something all of a sudden and added, "Oh, there's another type of person who can enter with an invitation letter." "Oh?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu's attention was piqued. "The Great Herb King is old, and his physical condition hasn't been well recently. He has been inviting physicians the last few days, and all official physicians with a physician emblem in their hands are allowed to enter the manor." The elder said. "Physician?" Zhang Xuan looked at the elder. "Is there a Physician Guild here?" Physicians, just like the many other occupations, have an organization behind them, and it is called the Physician Guild. Due to Tianxuan Kingdom's remote location, it didn't have a Physician Guild. If there was one in the Red Lotus City, Zhang Xuan could try taking the physician examination. "How can there be a Physician Guild here? All of them are physicians who are stopping by to purchase medicinal herbs." Pointing forward, he continued, "Look, that person over there should be a physician!" Hearing his words, Zhang Xuan directed his gaze to the manor immediately. A middle-aged man was walking up to the entrance. "I am 2-star Physician Nie Yuan from Beichen Kingdom. The Great Herb King has invited me." As he said so, he produced an emblem and passed it to one of the guards. "It's Physician Nie Yuan, this way please!" Upon seeing the emblem, the guards bowed hurriedly and opened up a path for him. "Thank you!" Physician Nie Yuan walked into the manor.

Chapter 266: Physician Bai Chan



"That's right, I can do that!" Seeing the physician entering unobstructed after flashing his physician emblem, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind. "Let's go!" Wasting no time at all, Zhang Xuan returned to the street where he came from with large strides. "Do you intend to take the physician examination? I intend to take the examination as well, so we can go together. There is a Physician Guild in Tianwu Kingdom, and a roundabout trip should take a total of only five to six days. It won't take too much time." Following behind him, Mo Yu asked. To enter the Great Herb King's manor, one had to be a herb king, a poison master, or possess an invitation letter... Those three were too difficult to achieve, and the best chance Zhang Xuan had was to earn a physician emblem. Mo Yu was an apprentice physician, and she intended to take the physician examination after becoming an official beast tamer. Watching Zhang Xuan treat the Howling Firmament Beast had deepened her understanding of the occupation, and accompanied with the knowledge she had accumulated throughout the years, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to pass the examination and become an official physician once they found a Physician Guild. "Five to six days?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There's no need for it, I have another idea in mind!" There were too many possible deviations that could occur if he were to spend five to six days obtaining a physician emblem at Tianwu Kingdom. What if the Great Herb King was cured by another physician while he was away? What if the Great Herb King failed to hold on until Zhang Xuan's return? If so, he would have wasted his effort obtaining the physician emblem. "Then what do we do? Do you want to gather medicinal herbs to become a herb king? However, the difficulty of achieving this is even higher, and you will suffer the oppression from other herb kings as well..." Mo Yu was perplexed as to what Zhang Xuan was up to. After the short commotion at the Great Herb King's manor, he should be aware that the Great Herb King don’t meet with anyone except for the four types of people. Since Zhang Xuan does know where the Poison Hall is, it is impossible for him to become a poison master. On the other hand, if he has the invitation letter, he wouldn't have had to inquire Mo Yu about the matter. Therefore, the only solution is to become a herb king... But this is even harder than earning a physician emblem. Despite its three thousand years of history, there were only thirteen herb kings in the Red Lotus City. They had already established a stable distribution of power among themselves, and if Zhang Xuan were to barge into the industry abruptly, it was highly possible that they might just make attempts on his life. "We're here!" Instead of answering the other party's doubts, Zhang Xuan simply smiled mysteriously. After walking around for a bit, he stopped abruptly. Mo Yu lifted her gaze. They were at a luxurious medicinal herb trading market. It wasn't as busy as the street they were previously at, and there were only a few people browsing through the herbs. "Atrocious! Do you take me for a fool? For you to dare to use such subpar products to swindle me, is it because you've found a new buyer and don't want to work with me anymore?" Walking along the trading market, a bellow could be heard from a vendor not far away from them. It was a middle-aged man in his forties dressed in a light green robe. On his chest, there was a physician emblem gleaming beneath the sun. "It's Physician Bai Chan!" Mo Yu frowned. "Do you know him?" Zhang Xuan glanced at Mo Yu. "Un, he's a 1-star physician in Tianwu Kingdom. Greedy and lustful, he likes to take advantage of others. In fact, there's nothing good that can be said about his character. To think that I would meet him here." Mo Yu harrumphed. "Since his reputation isn't good, that makes it much convenient for me!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Let's go and take a look!" Mo Yu nodded. "Physician Bai, you are already an old customer of mine. No matter who I swindle, I can't possibly swindle you. This is already the best Green Bamboo Grass in my possession!" Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan heard the negotiation between Physician Bai Chan and the vendor, "How about this, instead of five thousand, I will just charge you three thousand gold coins for each stalk. It'll just be thirty thousand for ten of them! This is already the lowest price I can offer you..." "Thirty thousand? Twenty-five thousand and I'll take all of them!" Physician Bai Chan said impatiently. "I will be making a loss at twenty-five thousand..." The vendor shook his head. The duo was negotiating when Zhang Xuan approached with an agitated expression, "Physician Bai, what a coincidence! To think that you'll be here as well!" "You are..." Unable to recognize the foreign-looking face, Physician Bai Chan asked with a puzzled expression. "I am an admirer of Physician Bai. I've long heard of your name, and I've been wanting to get to know you, but I wasn't able to find a chance. It must be fate that brought us together today!" Zhang Xuan said. "Boss, help me wrap these ten stalks of Green Bamboo Grass up. Here is thirty thousand!" Zhang Xuan gave three ten-thousand gold bills. "Alright!" Grabbing the gold bills, the vendor wrapped up the medicinal herbs immediately. "Physician Bai, here you go!" Zhang Xuan passed the wrapped medicinal herbs to him. "This..." Physician Bai was taken aback. Even though his words showed his embarrassment, his hands have, in actual fact, already grabbed hold of the gift, "How can I accept such a valuable gift from you when it's our first time meeting..." "You're my idol, so it's only right for me to buy medicinal herbs for you." Zhang Xuan smiled. "What's this fellow up to?" Following behind Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu was perplexed. How can it be possible for this miserly fellow to pay thirty thousand for someone else's medicinal herbs? Isn’t he is so money-minded and petty that he has to demand money from me every single day? Why is he being so generous now? "Can it be that... he wants Physician Bai to bring us into the Great Herb King's manor?" Suddenly, a thought appeared in Mo Yu's mind. Since the other party was fawning on Physician Bai instead of going for the examination, this was probably the intention he has in mind. However, Zhang Xuan didn't understand Physician Bai Chan's character. She had heard numerous rumors about him back in Tianwu Kingdom. He was lustful, greedy, and incapable. It wasn't likely that he would even want to approach Great Herb King's manor. After all, the Great Herb King's manor could be said to be a dangerous place. If he were to approach it despite not possessing the necessary capability, wouldn't he be courting death? "Since you insist, I will accept it humbly!" Mo Yu was still trying to fathom Zhang Xuan's thoughts when Physician Bai Chan had already kept the medicinal herbs. "It's nothing! It's my honor to be able to purchase medicinal herbs for my idol!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "Is Physician Bai free? Since we've met, I would like to treat you to a drink, as well as to express my admiration for you." "This..." Physician Bai Chan hesitated for a moment. This fellow suddenly appeared from nowhere, paid his bill, and invited him to a drink. Even though Physician Bai Chan was greedy, he couldn't help but be suspicious of the other party's intentions. "Oh, looks like Physician Bai is a little hesitant because you don't know me!" Seemingly guessing the thoughts of the other party, Zhang Xuan smiled. He walked to Mo Yu and said, "You should know her, she is my friend. With her here, there is nothing for you to worry about." "Princess Mo Yu?" Physician Bai Chan was astonished to see Mo Yu. Even though she was merely an apprentice physician, she was the third princess of the kingdom. Her status was way above that of a 1-star physician like him. "Un!" Mo Yu didn't expect Zhang Xuan to make use of her name. Even so, she complied with him and nodded. "Oh, you are a friend of our princess! I should be the one treating you then..." Seeing that the young man was a friend of the princess and, from the looks of it, that their relationship seemed to be close, Physician Bai Chan didn't dare to behave arrogantly. He agreed to the invitation hurriedly with a polite smile. "It doesn't matter who's the one treating. Since fate has brought us together, we should have a good drink. Let's go!" Zhang Xuan led the way with a smile. The trio swiftly left the trading market and arrived at an isolated street. "Why would we come here? I know a good tavern that serves excellent wine..." Upon reaching the alley, Physician Bai Chan put up his guard. Even so, after considering the fact that the princess was tagging along and it was unlikely for anything to happen to him, he continued to follow behind Zhang Xuan. "We can have our fill of wine later on. Actually... I have something that I would like to discuss with Physician Bai." Zhang Xuan turned around. "Oh, may I know what it is?" Physician Bai asked, bewildered by the situation. "Actually, it's like that. I would like to borrow Physician Bai's emblem for awhile. Would you be so kind as to lend it to me?" Zhang Xuan asked. "My emblem?" Physician Bai was taken aback. "How can I lend that to you! The emblem represents my identity as a physician, I can't lend it to others so easily..." Before he could finish his words, the sight before him turned dark. A fist had already smashed into his face. Pah! It was an exceptionally crisp sound. Knocked unconscious, Physician Bai Chan collapsed to the floor. "When I asked you for it courteously, you should have just lent it to me instead of yapping away!" He stretched out his hand to retrieve the physician emblem from the other party. "You... What are you doing?" Initially, Mo Yu thought that Zhang Xuan was going to have Physician Bai Chan lead them into the Great Herb King's manor. Yet, contrary to all her expectations, the other party knocked him out with a single fist. Mo Yu was completely dumbfounded. "Oh, it's nothing much. I'm just borrowing his emblem to use!" Zhang Xuan explained. "Borrow?" Mo Yu went into a frenzy. "This is equivalent to robbing an official physician! There'll be huge trouble once he reports this incident to the Physician Guild when he comes to..." Every single occupation is protected by a guild of their own. If he were to file a report to the Physician Guild about how you swindled him, knocked him out, and stole his emblem, you'll definitely be in for deep trouble. This is too reckless! "Trouble? What kind of trouble? He doesn't know me anyway. I didn't tell him my name!" Zhang Xuan answered nonchalantly. "Doesn't know you..." The moment she heard those words, Mo Yu nearly spurted blood. "He doesn't know you, but he knows me!" "That's not a matter of mine. In any case, since you're a princess, you should be able to resolve the matter easily. If it really comes down to it..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment. "I'll overlook the money you owe me then. Besides, I spent thirty thousand gold coin to purchase medicinal herbs for him. In a way, I have already compensated him..." "You..." Mo Yu staggered. At this moment, she was on the verge of going on a rampage. The heck! Do you have to be so darned? He might not know you, but you brought me out into the picture just now. Even if he is unable to find you, he'll look for me! And to bring up the money that I owe you... How much does riding a savage beast cost? What you robbed is the emblem of an official physician, and you expect me to bear the consequences... My reputation as a princess... "Put down the emblem, let's find some other solutions... Ah, what are you up to?" Just as she was about to stop Zhang Xuan, the other party did something which frightened Mo Yu once more. That fellow had squatted down and stripped Physician Bai Chan of his clothes. Is stealing an emblem not enough for you? To think that you would take his clothes as well... But what Mo Yu was more concerned about was that she had actually become his accomplice... Mo Yu felt as if she would faint at any moment. "Make some preparations. We'll be going to the Great Herb King's manor now!" Couldn't be bothered to argue with the other party over this matter, Zhang Xuan took off his outer layer of clothing and, in its place, put on Physician Bai Chan's clothes. "Are we going to the Great Herb King's manor just like that? Physician Bai Chan may not be famous, but his name is marked on the emblem. If any other physician were to be there, we'll be exposed in an instant..." Mo Yu was still wondering what the other party has in mind. In the end, what Zhang Xuan intended to do was to impersonate Physician Bai Chan in order to sneak into the Great Herb King’s manor. This may have been possible for any other occupations, but the physician emblem was marked with the name of its owner. The circle of physicians wasn't too large in Tianwu Kingdom, so it was highly probable that Zhang Xuan would be exposed instantly. "What exposed?" Before Mo Yu could finish her words, Zhang Xuan was already done putting on the clothes, and he turned to look at her. Seeing the face of the young man, Mo Yu was stunned for a moment. Then, her body trembled violently, and her eyes widened into circles. "Physician Bai Chan... No, that's not right. Is this... the ability of a disguiser? How is this possible..."

Chapter 267: Butler Lu



All she saw was that Zhang Xuan appeared identical to Physician Bai Chan, who was lying on the floor. If Mo Yu hadn’t seen him put on the other party's clothes, she would have suspected that Physician Bai had a twin brother. She had heard of disguising from others. However, in her opinion, it was just a way of tricking the eye. As long as one was careful, he would definitely be able to see through any disguise. However, the sight before her shattered her understanding of disguises. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan had turned into another person. Furthermore, she couldn't discern any differences between the disguised Zhang Xuan and the real Physician Bai Chan... How did this fellow manage to do it? Can he really be a... professional disguiser? Legend has it that there is an extremely formidable job in the Middle Nine Paths known as disguiser. Even though it doesn’t add to one's fighting prowess, it allows one to impersonate anyone that he comes across perfectly. It is the best method to escape from any pursuit. However, the occupation had long disappeared in the annals of history. No one had seen a disguiser for a very long time. Mo Yu only happened to overhear it from the conversation of some elders. All along, she had thought that it was just a legend, but to think that... it would be true! Physician, beast tamer, apothecary, master teacher... She thought that this was already his limit, but to think that he would be a disguiser as well! Even when devoting an entire life to a single occupation, a normal cultivator may not even be able to master this one item. Yet, this fellow seemed to be capable of everything... Does your family deal in occupations? Otherwise, how can you be so skilled in so many occupations when you aren't even twenty? How is it possible for there to be such a monster in this world! More importantly, if this fellow were just a monstrous genius, it wouldn't be anything... But his talents were matched with his eccentric nature! Initially, she thought that this fellow just had a provocative mouth. Not even in her dreams could she expect that his actions... would be even more vicious! In the Beast Hall, he stole a savage beast that she tamed with great difficulty. She thought that it was as bad as it could get. Yet, this time, he knocked out Physician Bai with a fist and left her to bear the consequences... I am only here to offer help. Tell me, did I offend you? With this blemish in my history, how can I take the physician examination in the future? Upon thinking of this, Mo Yu felt an urge to enter a rampage. "Let's go!" Ignoring the conflicted Mo Yu, Zhang Xuan completed his preparations and, with big strides, began to head toward the Great Herb King’s manor. The Heaven's Path Disguise Art allowed him to alter the muscles and bones in his body as he pleased. Not only was his appearance identical to Physician Bai Chan, even his voice was remarkably similar. It was nearly impossible for anyone to tell that he was a fake. This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan chose to impersonate a physician instead of taking the examination. This way, he didn't have to worry about offending the Physician Guild. On the other hand, given Mo Yu's status as a princess, wouldn’t it be a joke if she were unable to resolve such a small issue? Besides, his reason for impersonating him was to meet the Great Herb King and ask about the location of the Poison Hall. He wasn't committing any heinous crimes, so no harm was done. "Damn it..." Seeing the other party walk out of the alley, Mo Yu gritted her teeth and followed behind him. Now that the other party had already dragged her down, it was too late for her to back out. She could only go along with him. "It's easy to obtain a physician emblem, but as for treating Great Herb King... Let's see what you'll do when you can't say a single word!" There were physicians who specialized in treating humans, and there were those who specialized in treating beasts. Since this fellow was able to treat the Howling Firmament Beast with ease, it was likely that he belonged to the latter group. When it comes to humans, he might not be able to showcase the same level of expertize. If you aren't able to treat the Great Herb King, there is no point meeting him. Walking through the streets, it didn't take long before they reached the Great Herb King's manor once more. As before, the entrance was protected by guards. Aware of the fact that the Great Herb King wouldn't meet with any guests, even though a huge crowd has gathered outside, no one dared to rush forward to offer their name scroll. After tidying up his clothes, Zhang Xuan tried to recall Physician Bai Chan's walking habits. Then, while imitating it as closely as he could, he walked toward the entrance. "Look, another person is courting death!" "Hehe, there are already quite a few brazen fellows who have been beaten to death today. This fellow sure is gutsy to dare to approach the manor!" "Let's just watch the show. I bet that he won't even know how he died!" Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, the crowd in the surroundings began to gloat over his impending doom. There were countless people who wished to visit the Great Herb King, and there was a reason why they had held themselves back. To head toward the entrance so leisurely, what else could he be doing if not seeking death? "Halt!" Lifting his eyebrows, one of the guards blocked Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu's path. "I am a physician!" Zhang Xuan whipped out his emblem. "Physician?" The guard glanced at the emblem before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, the manor only allows the entry of physicians who are ranked 2-star and above!" "2-star and above?" Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood. After hearing the elder say that all physicians could enter, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed off to look for an emblem. He didn't expect that there would be further conditions. Even if he has the time, where in the world can he find a 2-star physician emblem? 1-star physicians were mostly Pixue realm and Tongxuan realm cultivators, so Zhang Xuan was able to deal with them easily. However, virtually all 2-star physicians were Zongshi realm experts. Even if Zhang Xuan intended to steal the emblem from them, there was no way he could succeed! "Please leave!" Stepping forward, the guard gestured for them to leave. Seeing the other party's actions and hearing his words, Mo Yu knew that it was a hopeless cause. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Zhang Xuan placed both his hands behind his back and his eyebrows shot up. "Audacious!" With imposing might, he bellowed, "I, Bai Chan, am a 1-star physician, but who says that 1-star physicians are inadequate to cure illnesses?" Mo Yu felt her sight turning dark. You're right in saying that a 1-star physician can cure illnesses... But even your 1-star ranking is fake. Where in the world does your confidence come from? Aren't your guts a little too inflated! Didn't you see what happened to the prince’s retainer? If things go wrong, you might very well die... Mo Yu's heart beat furiously in anxiety. She was already regretting following this fellow here. "It's true that a 1-star physician can cure illnesses, but..." The guard didn't expect a mere 1-star physician to speak so confidently, and he was overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the middle-aged man gestured grandly, and with a questioning tone, asked, "Did those 2-star and 3-star physicians who entered previously manage to cure your old master of his illness?" "This..." The guard was taken aback. Quite a few 2-star and 3-star physicians have come and left the manor, but until now, not a single person was able to deduce their old master’s affliction, needless to say, cure him of his illness. "One's emblem isn't representative of one's medical standards. Are you certain that you can take responsibility for delaying your old master’s treatment?" Raising his eyebrows, he bellowed sternly, "Hurry up and get out of the way!" "This..." The several guards stared at one another. For a moment, they were unable to make up their minds. While it was true that higher ranked physicians were more skilled, there were also rare experts who were unconcerned with the ranking of the Physician Guild. If this fellow were truly capable and they obstructed his entry, none of them would be able to withstand the rage of their old master. However, their superior had given instructions that only physicians of 2-star and above were allowed to enter. As such, they felt conflicted. "What's wrong?" At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded, and a middle-aged man walked out. "Butler Lu!" Upon seeing this middle-aged man, the guards immediately bowed. "What's going on?" The middle-aged man saw Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu standing a short distance from the manor’s entrance, and the guards were blocking their way. A slight crease appeared on Butler Lu's forehead. "This is Physician Bai Chan. He's a 1-star physician..." A guard quickly explained. "A 1-star physician? Chase him out then!" Butler Lu waved his hands impatiently. As the butler of the Great Herb King, he had met with numerous 2-star and 3-star physicians. As such, he didn't think highly of a mere 1-star physician. "But he said that... we won't be able to take responsibility if we delay the treatment of the old master. He seemed confident of treating the old master's illness..." The guard spoke hesitantly. "How arrogant!" Harrumphing coldly, Butler Lu turned to Zhang Xuan, his eyes filled with contempt. "Did you claim that you are capable of treating the old master? Not even 2-star and 3-star physicians dare to say such words, where in the world does your confidence come from?" These guards may not know much about the old master's illness, but as the butler of the manor, he was well aware. Several 3-star physicians had seen him, but they were helpless at diagnosing the root of his illness. If so, what can a mere 1-star physician do? "It's none of your business where my confidence comes from! If you don't believe my words, we can make a bet!" Zhang Xuan looked at him. Butler Lu stared at Zhang Xuan with disdain, "What do you want to bet?" "Whether I will be able to point out your illness through your punches!" Zhang Xuan said with his hands behind his back. "What rubbish are you talking about? Butler Lu is still young and healthy, what kind of illnesses can he have?" "It is clear that you are just an arrogant brat. I've met numerous 3-star physicians, and all of them make their diagnosis based on their examination of the patient. I've never heard of anyone who can diagnose someone just by observing his punches!" "He is merely a boastful fellow, we should just chase him away!" The guards roared furiously in unison. Standing beside Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu felt her face heating up. She was just a step away from digging a hole and leaping into it. Other physicians diagnosed patients through examining, smelling, and asking questions. It was unheard for one to examine someone through their punches... Do you think that this is a circus act? Initially, Mo Yu thought that Zhang Xuan possessed an in-depth understanding of the Way of Medicine given how he was able to treat the Howling Firmament Beast. But in the end... Are you sure you are treating a human, not a savage beast? Due to the inability of a savage beast to speak, physicians often require them to move about in order to determine the root of the illness. For you to ask Butler Lu to do the same as well, are you trying to ascertain whether he is a savage beast? Besides, the one who is sick is the Great Herb King. Why are you trying to diagnose the butler... "You..." Butler Lu often came into contact with physicians, so he knew that such a situation only applied to savage beasts. Humiliated, his face grew beet-red. Just as he was about to criticize the other party, a blur flew across his eyes. A fist shot straight toward him. "Audacious!" A 1-star physician had actually dared to punch him at the entrance of the Great Herb King's manor! Butler Lu felt so angered that he was on the verge of exploding. His hands shot out immediately to counter the other party's fist. "You're seeking death!" "Impertinent fellow!" The guards didn't expect Zhang Xuan to be so daring. They drew their weapons immediately and in an instant, a strong killing intent was released into the atmosphere. There were even some who had grabbed poisonous pills, prepared to throw them at any moment. Hu! Before Butler Lu's palm could come into contact with the other party's fist, the physician who assaulted him backed away abruptly. With a calm expression, he placed his hands behind his back, as though nothing had happened at all. "Men, take him down!" Butler Lu roared. The Red Lotus City was the territory of the Great Herb King, and his prestige mustn't be sullied. Regardless of what the other party was up to, whether he was a 1-star or 2-star physician, even if he were the prince of the kingdom, for causing trouble at the manor of Great Herb King, it was the death penalty! "Take me down?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Staring at the middle-aged man before him, he said, "If you feel that you can continue enduring the hyperventilations you suffer at night, I can leave right now!" "What did you say?" Butler Lu froze at the other party's words. His face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

Chapter 268: Entering the Courtyard



Ever since he met a problem in his cultivation three years ago, he had been suffering from hyperventilation every night. He would feel as if a person was strangling his neck, torturing him to the verge of death. He had consulted physicians, but regardless of 2-star or 3-star physicians, they were unable to identify the cause. They had prescribed him several different medications, but none of them were effective. He thought that he would have to suffer the torture of the illness for his entire life, up till he steps into his grave. Yet, the seemingly unimpressive 1-star physician before him was able to point out his condition with a single glance. Can he, in actual fact, be an expert despite being just a 1-star physician? "May I know how to address you?" Stopping his guards, who were on the verge of charging up to the other party, Butler Lu suppressed his shock with great effort and bowed politely. "Tianwu Kingdom's Bai Chan!" Zhang Xuan replied impassively. "So you're Physician Bai Chan! May I invite you in for a talk?" Butler Lu didn't want the entire city to know about his hyperventilation issue. "Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Ah..." Witnessing this sight, Mo Yu's pair of beautiful eyeballs nearly fell onto the ground. No matter how slow she could be, it was obvious that Zhang Xuan's diagnosis of the other party's condition was correct. Otherwise, there was no reason for this Butler Lu's sudden change in attitude. Without any questioning or a close-up examination, just by observing one punch, he was able to tell what the other party was suffering from... To think that the method of diagnosing savage beasts would work on humans as well... Why does the situation seem so incredulous? Other people might have suspected the middle-aged physician of having looked into Butler Lu's condition beforehand, using it as a tool to enter the Great Herb King's manor. However, Mo Yu knew that Zhang Xuan hadn't even heard of the Great Herb King, so it was possible for him to know of this butler’s condition. The only possible explanation was that Zhang Xuan had diagnosed his condition on the spot. To tame savage beasts through brute force, instructing her to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill, diagnosing someone through observing their punches... She already knew from long ago that this fellow wasn't ordinary, but wasn't this... way too extraordinary? "I should go over and take a look." After a moment of shock, Mo Yu realized that the duo had already walked into the manor. She ran forward hurriedly in order to catch up with them. Butler Lu had given the orders, so the guards didn't dare to block her way. "Even though I don't know how that fellow managed to accurately diagnose Butler Lu's condition from just a punch, it would be futile if he isn't able to solve it!" Mo Yu thought. Red Lotus City was the greatest medicinal herb trading hub for the surrounding dozen or so kingdoms, and there were innumerable physicians who traveled in and out of it. Given the Great Herb King's esteemed position, if Butler Lu was injured, how could there not be any physician to treat him? Since even 2-star and 3-star physicians were unable to cure his affliction, Mo Yu found it hard to believe that Zhang Xuan could cure him. Mo Yu speculated as she walked into the courtyard. She was considering what she would do if Zhang Xuan failed to treat Butler Lu's illness when she caught sight of the duo who entered the manor before her. With a single glance, Mo Yu staggered backward, nearly falling onto the floor. At this moment, Butler Lu was standing respectfully before Zhang Xuan. As though a student, his eyes were filled with gratitude and admiration. "This..." Mo Yu rubbed her eyes, fearful that they were playing tricks on her. She entered the manor mere moments after the duo, and Butler Lu was clearly infuriated with the two of them just seconds earlier. What in the world happened to cause such an abrupt change in the situation? If it weren't because of the fact that there was no one lying on the floor, she would have even suspected that the fellow had knocked Butler Lu out and disguised as him. Thus, she walked forward, wanting to ask Zhang Xuan about the matter. But at this moment, Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said impatiently, "Alright, bring me to the Great Herb King!" Mo Yu staggered once more. Impatient? What the heck are you getting impatient about? This is the Great Herb King's manor! To get impatient with his butler, are you that tired of living? Mo Yu thought that Butler Lu would definitely be displeased with Zhang Xuan's attitude. Yet, contrary to her expectations, the latter bowed so politely that it was as if he was bowing to his parents. "Yes, this way, please. I will bring you to the Great Herb King now!" Mo Yu swayed violently, feeling giddy all of a sudden. What in the world is going on? Even though he identified your illness, you need not behave in such a manner! Accurately diagnosing an illness and curing it are two different manners! To act in such a manner before the other party has treated you, aren't you lacking backbone? The situation was too strange for Mo Yu to accept. She walked over to Zhang Xuan's side immediately and communicated to him telepathically. "What is going on? Why would Butler Lu act..." "Oh, I've just solved his problem!" Zhang Xuan replied telepathically. "So-Solved?" Mo Yu froze. A sudden vertigo overwhelmed her. In that single minute, he solved the other party's illness? Are you joking with me? "He wasn't really ill, he was merely poisoned. I helped him expel the poison, so naturally, he's grateful to me for that." Sensing the other party's doubt, Zhang Xuan explained. The reason why Butler Lu suffered hyperventilation in the middle of the night wasn't a fault in his cultivation. Rather, someone has secretly poisoned him. The poison was extremely strange. Even 3-star physicians would be unable to identify it, needless to say, treat it. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing the Heaven's Path zhenqi, he was able to expel such a poisonous aura from the butler’s body easily. The duration of a few breaths was more than what he required. "Poisoned? Expelled the poison?" Even though Zhang Xuan made it sound as though it was a simple task, Mo Yu went into a frenzy over his words. Expelling poison is way harder than treating just an illness! Otherwise, poison masters wouldn't have been such a fearsome existence. Besides, only official poison masters, who are well-versed in the properties of poison, are capable of expelling poisonous aura from a person’s body... Isn’t it that you don't even know the location of the Poison Hall? When did you learn how to expel poison? Initially, Mo Yu had intended to return to Tianwu Kingdom right after bringing Zhang Xuan here. However, her curiosity toward this young man was growing by the moment. She felt impelled to follow him and witness personally what kind of unbelievable legends this fellow would continue to forge. ... Oblivious to the thoughts flowing through Mo Yu's mind, Zhang Xuan examined the surroundings silently as he followed behind Butler Lu. It was no wonder why the princess said that it was impossible to sneak in. Taking a good look at the interiors of the manor now, Zhang Xuan realized how true the other party's words were. Putting aside the complicated layout within, the manor was packed with sentries. Most guards possessed a Pixue realm cultivation, and some of the commanders had even reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Not just so, Zhang Xuan could also see several formation flags and formation core at the corners of the courtyard. If an intruder were to enter without knowing the position of the formation and stepped into one of them, it was highly likely that the person would be trapped for good. And these guards and formations made up only the things that could be observed on the surface. Given the relationship between the Great Herb King and the Poison Hall, how could the defenses of the manor not include lethal poison? Thus, despite Zhang Xuan's high cultivation, it was almost impossible for him to sneak into this manor. With the butler leading the way, Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu didn't meet with any obstructions. Soon, they arrived at a vast hall. Walking in, they saw more than ten middle-aged men and elders seated on chairs located by the sides. Each of them had donned an emblem on their chests. With a single glance, Zhang Xuan felt astonished. They were all physicians of at minimum 2-star, and three of them had even reached 3-star. Even in a Tier 1 Kingdom, a 3-star physician could be considered to be a part of the highest echelon of the country. For three of them to be gathered here, the Great Herb King was indeed an impressive figure. "Butler Lu, I thought that only physicians of 2-star and above are allowed to enter. Why did you bring a 1-star physician?" Noticing Zhang Xuan, one of the 3-star physicians could not help but frown. "Isn't this Physician Bai Chan? This isn't a place where you should be. Scram!" Another physician recognized Zhang Xuan's disguised identity and harrumphed. "Physician Mu Hong and Physician Cheng Feng, even though Physician Bai Chan is just a 1-star physician, his mastery in the Way of Medicine isn't mediocre. Thus, I specially invited him in." Seeing the contempt in the eyes of the two physicians, Butler Lu quickly explained. "Did you say that his mastery in Medicine isn't mediocre? Butler Lu, you must be joking!" The one who recognized Zhang Xuan, Physician Cheng Feng, sneered, "I've known him for over twenty years, do you think that I’m unaware of his standard?" Even though Physician Bai Chan was merely a 1-star physician, due to his greedy and lustful nature, he had committed numerous atrocities, making him a notorious figure in the Tianwu Kingdom's Physician Guild. At one particular point in time, he almost had his physician license revoked. If not for his absurd luck at that crucial moment, that 1-star emblem on his chest would have long been gone. Yet, Butler Lu said that his mastery in the Way of Medicine isn't mediocre... Even going to the extent of inviting him in... "Butler Lu, you must have been mistaken!" "I know this fellow as well, and he barely made it to qualify as a 1-star physician. How can his mastery in the Way of Medicine not be mediocre?" "Do not be fooled by his flowery words..." There were quite a few people within the group who had either heard of Physician Bai Chan or knew him personally, and all of them felt nothing but contempt toward him. Despite being a 1-star physician, he didn't possess any true medical capability. In fact, he didn't even dare to treat anyone and made a living by trading medicinal herbs. When in the world did he become an expert? "He..." Hearing everyone's words, Butler Lu was stunned as well. Clearly, he hadn’t expected this formidable physician who resolved his issue so easily to have such a poor reputation. Just as he was about to speak up in Physician Bai Chan's stead, a 3-star physician in the group interjected. "Alright, who the hell cares whether he is a 1-star or 2-star physician. If he fails to produce any results later, he will be ashamed to remain here, so let's not waste our words. Our purpose here is to treat the Great Herb King. Butler Lu, since so many of us are gathered here already, shouldn't you bring us to meet the Great Herb King already?" "Yes, I will now invite the old master here for everyone to examine!" Seeing that the crowd was no longer pursuing the matter, Butler Lu arranged for Zhang Xuan to sit by the side before nodding his head in agreement.

Chapter 269: Let Me Take a Look



Not long after Butler Lu's departure, an elder was carried in. He looked significantly older than Shen Hong, and his skin was saturated with creases and age spots. Lying on a reclining chair, his breathing was faint, and it seemed that he would die at any moment now. It was no wonder why the manor strictly rejected all guests except for physicians. Given the current state of the Great Herb King, it was unlikely that he would be able to hold on for long. "You are all highly famous physicians of the Physician Guild. I beseech you to save the old master!" Butler Lu bowed to the crowd. "Tell us about the condition of the Great Herb King in detail!" The 3-star physician, who interjected previously, said. "Yes!" Knowing that physicians needed to know about the medical history of the patient, Butler Lu answered without any hesitation. "The old master used to be extremely healthy until a disease abruptly struck him half a month ago. He found himself without appetite, and his physical condition deteriorated continuously, day by day, to the point that he is now unable to speak. As for the cause... We've no idea as well. We only know that his physical condition is worsening by the moment and that no medicine he ate alleviated his condition." "Ill all of a sudden? Can it be that he has been poisoned?" A physician asked. Usually, when one becomes ill without any signs beforehand, it is highly likely that it is due to poison. "We've taken into account that possibility and used a unique method to check, but there wasn't any sign of poison." The Great Herb King had been reigning over the Red Lotus City for many years, and he had close ties with the Poison Hall. It shouldn't be a difficult task to check if he was poisoned. Since they claimed that he wasn't poisoned, that was likely to be the case. "Let me take a look!" A 3-star physician approached the Great Herb King and examined him. A moment later, a deep crease appeared on his forehead. "Lips are white, breathing is inconsistent, loose skin, deep age spots, spiritless eyes..." After taking a look, the physician shook his head. "These are signs that his lifespan is coming to an end!" A person's lifespan is determined by fate, and if one has really come to the end of his lifespan, it is impossible for any physician, regardless of how capable they are, to offer any help. Unless his cultivation reaches greater heights. "While the title, Great Herb King, is well-known, it is actually a title that is passed on from one generation to the other. It has only been a few years since the old master had received the title, and he is currently only in his forties." Butler Lu hesitated for a moment before answering. The Great Herb King of the Red Lotus City didn't refer specifically to anyone. Rather, it was like a noble conferment that could be passed on. Anyone who managed to become the Great Herb King would become the sovereign of the Red Lotus City. "Still in his forties?" The crowd was taken aback, and even Zhang Xuan was astounded. No one would have doubted if Butler Lu said that the elder before them was in his nineties. Yet, for him to be in his forties... At forty, a Zongshi realm expert should have been at the peak of his power. Regardless of strength, spirit, energy, or stamina, they should be at their best. It wasn't logical for his lifespan to reach its end at this age. "Has he consumed the [Energy Rejuvenation Pill]?" After hesitating for a moment, the 3-star physician asked. Energy Rejuvenation Pill allows one's deteriorating physical condition to burst with strength once more. It is effective even on those who have reached the end of their lifespan. "He has already consumed it, but... it isn't effective!" Butler Lu shook his head. "Even the Energy Rejuvenation Pill is useless?" This time, the 3-star physician wasn't the only one to frown. All of the physicians had grim expressions on their faces. The Energy Rejuvenation Pill was a grade-2 pill, and it had mystical effects on Zongshi realm experts. Its ineffectiveness meant that the physical condition of the Great Herb King had deteriorated to an unimaginable level. "I know a set of acupuncture routine that can stimulate one's acupoints and recover their stamina. I can give it a try!" Saying so, Physician Mu Hong stood up. "I've heard of Physician Mu Hong's impressive acupuncture. It should be effective." The crowd nodded. Without wasting any time, he retrieved his silver needles immediately and pierced them into the acupoints of the horizontally lying Great Herb King. A moment later. Shaking his head, Physician Mu Hong walked back. His impressive acupuncture was renowned, but it was completely ineffective on the Great Herb King. "I have the formula for a mystical medicine here, I can give it a try..." Someone else stood up. Just like that, the physicians tried all of their specialties while discussing the condition of the Great Herb King. The various means and theories they raised left Mo Yu electrified. Those who were present were the most incredible grandmaster physicians within their country, and even the worst of the lot here was much more skilled than Grandmaster Qing Yang. As a mere apprentice physician, she had never experienced such a majestic gathering. She benefitted greatly from their conversation, and her knowledge in the Way of Medicine deepened significantly. "He..." Suppressing the agitation in her heart, she turned to Zhang Xuan and with a glance, her expression darkened. She thought that the fellow would, like her, immerse himself in the profound theories that were spoken here. Yet, he was sitting blankly on the spot. She was familiar with this expression. This was the confused look of an amateur who couldn't understand a single word. Do you not understand what they are saying? How is this possible? Unable to believe her eyes, she sent a telepathic message to him. "Zhang Xuan, I don't understand the [Extreme Treatment Method] that Physician Mu Hong spoke of. What does it mean?" Taken aback by her sudden question, Zhang Xuan was stunned. He hadn't browsed through much books on the Way of Medicine, so how could he know of these theories and terms? He pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't know either. I've never heard of it." Mo Yu's vision turned gray. Extreme Treatment Method was a diagnosis method that assumed the worst situation to determine the root of an illness. Needless to say physicians, even apprentices would have known it. Yet, this fellow said that he has never heard of it... "Then... What about Observation Diagnosis Method?" She asked once more. "I've never heard of it either!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. There was only one 1-star physician in Tianxuan Kingdom, and he was Master Yuanyu. Zhang Xuan had never conversed with him about the Way of Medicine, so it wasn't wrong to say that he didn't know a single thing about medical theories. The corners of Mo Yu's mouth twitched violently. Observation Diagnosis Method referred to the standard steps of determining an illness through observation of the patient. This was one of the topics that would surely be tested for the apprentice physician examination, and it wasn't possible for any single physician to not know of it. Yet, he said that he hasn't heard of it... To not even know the basics of the Way of Medicine and still dare to pass off as a physician to treat the Great Herb King... Brother, are you that sick of living, or are you that bored? Mo Yu felt a stifling sensation in her chest. At the same time, she was also baffled. Zhang Xuan isn’t acquainted with the fundamentals of the Way of Medicine... but how was he able to diagnose the illness of the Howling Firmament Beast and Butler Lu accurately, and treat them? While Mo Yu's thoughts were wandered, Zhang Xuan looked at the Great Herb King helplessly. The Library of Heaven's Path could only compile a book when one executed a battle technique or when one was unconscious. Even though the Great Herb King was unable to speak a word, he was conscious. His current situation was not much better than Shen Hong's back then, and if Zhang Xuan were to ask him to execute a battle technique for him... He would probably die before he could lift his fist. On the other hand, if he were to reenact what he did with Shen Hong and knock the Great Herb King unconscious with a slap... It was highly likely that he would be cut into innumerable pieces before he could even read the contents of the book compiled. Although this lounge seemed quiet, there were numerous experts lurking in the shadows. If he were to make a move on the Great Herb King, these people would definitely charge out immediately. "I must think of a way to knock this Great Herb King out open and aboveboard..." Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan scrabbled to find an excuse. "I'm truly sorry. This is my first time seeing an illness like the Great Herb King's, and I am helpless before it!" "Indeed, Butler Lu. We can't find any other possible solutions, sorry." "My skills are still lacking..." Mo Yu and Zhang Xuan were still deep in contemplation when Mu Hong and the others stood up and shook their heads in embarrassment. In the end, they weren't even able to determine the illness of the other party, needless to say, treat him. "This..." Looking at their expressions, Butler Lu couldn't help but reveal his disappointment. Many physicians have come to and fro ever since the old master fell ill, and this wasn't his first time hearing such answers. "Even though you weren't able to treat the old master, we're still grateful. The Great Herb King Manor will not allow all of you to make this trip for nothing..." Shaking his head, Butler Lu was in the midst of addressing others when Physician Cheng Feng glanced at Zhang Xuan with a contemptuous gaze. "Butler Lu, we have tried to diagnose the Great Herb King and discussed the matter, but if I'm not mistaken, this Physician Bai Chan whom you invited over has been sitting in the same spot throughout the whole time. Is it because he looks down on us, and does not think that we're worthy of his words? Or is it because he has an idea in mind and he doesn't want to discuss it with us?" Hearing Physician Cheng Feng words, everyone was taken aback. At the same time, they recalled that the fellow named Bai Chan didn't seem to have spoken a single word throughout the entire diagnosis, as though a mute. "This fellow has been seated the entire time!" "Not just that, he didn't even say a single word." "He's a mere 1-star physician, it would be weird if he could contribute to our discussions." "It's because he knows that his skills are lacking that he chose not to speak. At the very least, he has avoided being mocked because of his words." Recalling that the other party was just a 1-star physician, disdain flashed through their eyes. A 1-star physician would be a respected figure anywhere else, just not here. Given how even 3-star physicians didn't comprehend the illness, what could a 1-star physician possibly understand? It was wise of him to choose to keep mum. "It shouldn't be put like that. Since Butler Lu has specially invited him over and praised his mastery in the Way of Medicine, how can he possibly be afraid to speak up?" Physician Cheng Feng flashed a contemptuous smile at Zhang Xuan. He was well aware of this Physician Bai Chan’s standards. He felt envious of the fact that Butler Lu had invited him personally and praised him in public. This was a treatment which even he didn't receive. Now that there was an opportunity to shame him, he found it a waste to let it slip by. "This..." Butler Lu hesitated for a moment before turning to Zhang Xuan, "Physician Bai Chan..." Since this Physician Bai was able to determine his illness with a glance, Butler Lu was confident in his medical skills. However, the other party hadn't spoken a word from the start to the end, and this had left him perplexed. Only upon hearing Butler Lu call him did Zhang Xuan snap back to reality. With a puzzled look, he asked, "What's wrong?" "The matter is like this!" Butler Lu coughed, embarrassed by the fact that the fellow blanked out while the others were examining the old master. Then, he explained, "The other physicians were unable to determine the root of the old master's illness, and they would like to hear your opinion." "They failed to even determine the root of the illness?" Standing up, Zhang Xuan glanced at the crowd before shaking his head. "Since they are unable to make it, I'll give it a try!"

Chapter 270: Zhang Xuan's Secret Art



"Atrocious!" "Who did you say is unable to make it?" "Being a mere 1-star physician... how dare you speak such arrogant words!" The crowd burst into an uproar immediately. What do you mean by we are unable to make it and that you'll give it a try... Do you mean that you are more skilled than us? Despite being a measly 1-star physician, how can you be so confident? "What arrogant words. Bai Chan, you sure became capable in just a few days!" Even Physician Cheng Feng hadn’t expected him to say such words. He narrowed his eyes angrily at Zhang Xuan. "Ignorant lad, how dare you utter such conceited words. I would like to see what you are capable of then!" Physician Mu Hong flung his sleeves in displeasure. Even we 2-star and 3-star physicians aren't able to determine the root of the illness and treat it, so what is a 1-star physician like you bragging for? Give it a try? Do you even understand what is going on? "This fellow..." Mo Yu rolled her eyes. Even the 3-star physicians present weren't able to make sense of the Great Herb King's condition. Yet, you, who don't even know what Extreme Diagnosis Method and Observation Diagnosis Method are, dare to declare that you would give it a try, disregarding everyone else... Aren't you afraid of getting beaten to death? Where does your confidence come from? Ignoring their furious and doubtful gazes, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Great Herb King. He didn’t notice it from afar but upon walking closer, Zhang Xuan realized that the Great Herb King’s condition was indeed critical. His flesh was hanging loosely off his body, his skin was incredibly dry, and the life in his eyes seemed to be flickering as if it would extinguish at any moment. Circling around the other party, Zhang Xuan touched and examined him meticulously... As expected... He wasn't able to discern anything at all! "Physician Bai, are there any results from your observation?" Seeing the other party deep in contemplation, Butler Lu couldn't help but ask. The others paid close attention as well. The man had acted arrogantly, and they wanted to see if he did have the capabilities to back his words. "Un, I've noticed a few things. However, I'm not very sure!" If Zhang Xuan were to say that he was unable to discern anything, he would surely be beaten to death on the spot. Thus, after a moment of silence, Zhang Xuan replied. "You noticed a few things? Really?" Hearing Zhang Xuan's reply, Butler Lu was thrilled. The other party was able to tell that he was suffering from asthma with just a glance, so perhaps, he might be able to do what others were unable to accomplish. "Hmph, putting on an act!" "I would like to see what you have managed to find out!" The other physicians responded disdainfully to Zhang Xuan's words. There were particular methods and steps to examine a patient’s condition, and all the fellow did was to circle around the patient. He had disregarded the most important aspects, yet he arrogantly declared that he noticed a few things... Are you dreaming? Feel free to brag all you want, let's see what you can do later on! "Don't be in such a hurry. Even though I now have a rough idea about the problem, I should confirm his condition before starting the treatment!" Ignoring the disdainful gazes of the crowd, Zhang Xuan shook his head and paused for a moment. "I do have a secret art which would allow me to easily ascertain the root of the illness. However..." At this point, Zhang Xuan paused, and hesitation hung on his face. "However?" Hearing that there was a secret art which could ascertain the root of the illness, Butler Lu became agitated immediately. Even the corpse-like Great Herb King rolled his eyeball over as well. The greatest problem they were facing wasn't the treatment. Rather... they didn't even know what the condition was. If they could ascertain his illness, they might be able to search through the books and look for a solution. "Just that... the Great Herb King might have to suffer for a little!" Zhang Xuan slowly spoke. "As long as you can ascertain the illness, a little suffering means nothing. Physician Bai, feel free to speak of what that needs to be done!" After discussing with the Great Herb King, Butler Lu looked at Zhang Xuan with determined eyes. Compared to death, suffering or that sort was nothing. "I don't require any other preparations. Since you have already said so, I will be executing my secret art now..." Zhang Xuan said seriously. "Un!" Butler Lu nodded his head. Then, he asked doubtfully, "Since you're going to use a secret art, do you require us to excuse ourselves..." Just as the name stated, secret arts tend to be something personal. It might have been inconvenient for Zhang Xuan to display his secret art before so many physicians. However, before he could finish his words, he saw Physician Bai Chan lift his hands and send a slap straight at the Great Herb King. Pah! It was a crisp sound. His palm struck the back of the Great Herb King's head, and before the latter could even react, his vision went dark. With a look of disbelief... he fainted. "What are you doing..." Not expecting the other party to knock the old master out instead of executing his secret art, Butler Lu was enraged. He was about to rush forward when the other party touched the Great Herb King and clapped. "Alright, I'm done executing my secret art..." "You're done... executing it?" The crowd staggered and they nearly fainted on the spot. Brother, you must be joking with us! Do you mean to say that... your secret art is to slap the Great Herb King? Secret art my foot! Even a dog can execute such a move... To think that I even thought of excusing myself so that you can execute it freely... On the other hand, Mo Yu's slim body was trembling in fear, and she nearly fell limply to the ground. When the other party declared his intention so confidently previously, she thought that it might be possible that he had a good idea in mind that could help ascertain the illness. To think that this would be it... Slapping the Great Herb King out of consciousness with a single slap... If Zhang Xuan failed to come up with a valid excuse, the two of them might very well die here. "Old master..." Butler Lu rushed forward and massaged the other party. It took him great effort before the latter regained his consciousness, and only then did he heave a sigh of relief. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he suppressed his urge to tear the fellow into pieces and spat, "Physician Bai, you..." Honestly speaking, if the other party hadn't treated the poison in his body, he would certainly have ordered the guards to kill him just now. The old master's body was already in such a weak condition. Knocking him out... was no different from murder. "My secret art requires the patient to be unconscious to be performed. I have no other choice, so I beg of your understanding!" Zhang Xuan had thought of an excuse beforehand. "Is there such a secret art?" "The patient has to be unconscious in order to be diagnosed?" Members of the crowd stared at one another, and for a moment, they found it hard to comprehend the situation. Is it possible for such an eccentric skill to exist? The three 3-star physicians looked at one another, and they could see the confusion in each other's eyes. They had read countless books in the Physician Guild but had never heard of any diagnosis method that required one to be unconscious. This method was in conflict with the fundamental principles of the Way of Medicine. "So that's the case..." Butler Lu hadn't heard of it either, but that fellow's previous action of diagnosing him through his punch was against common sense as well. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "May I know if Physician Bai was able to ascertain the illness that the old master is suffering from?" Upon hearing the question, everyone's gazes immediately turned to Zhang Xuan. They wanted to hear what this braggart had to say. "I've verified the illness!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed, "It's... suffering for one's own deeds!" "What did you say?" Butler Lu was stunned for a moment before he lashed out. "Audacious!" The sound of swords being drawn echoed in the air and countless guards charged forward immediately.

Chapter 271: Contract Gu [2in1]



The guards were gritting their teeth and had tolerated the other party’s action of knocking the Great Herb King unconscious since he said that it was a secret art. However, he went overboard and claimed that the Great Herb King reaped what he sowed. That was clear provocation, so how could they take it lying down? "How dare you!" "You're looking for death!" The numerous guards glared furiously at Zhang Xuan, and a cold gleam flashed from the swords in their hands. The moment the command was given, they would immediately mince this braggart of a fellow. "There must be something wrong with his head." "I've known Bai Chan for a while, and while his character is so-so, his brain should be functioning normally. Why has he... become so dumb all of a sudden?" Initially, everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would bring up some astonishing theory, so upon hearing those words, the physicians present nearly spurted blood. All of them stared at Zhang Xuan dumbfounded as if they had seen a monster. Every single person who had been to Red Lotus City were all aware of the Great Herb King's might. In this piece of land, he was no different from an emperor. Even if a prince of Tianwu Kingdom were to come here, he would have no choice but to lower his head before him. Zhang Xuan's action of smacking him unconscious was already provocative, yet he went a step further to say that he was 'suffering for his own deeds'... Have you grown tired of living, or do you think that the Great Herb King has an amiable personality? Physician Cheng Feng stared at Zhang Xuan as if he were looking at a fool. Can it be that... this fellow's head had been kicked by a savage beast? Otherwise, why would he say such preposterous words? "Doomed. This time... we're really doomed..." Mo Yu smacked her forehead. At this moment, she was on the verge of tears. Zhang Xuan could explain his action of knocking the Great Herb King out as a requirement for his secret art, but the words he spoke afterward thoroughly offended the other party. There was no point of return. If you want to die, go ahead. But why must you drag me down with you... My purpose here is to gain some knowledge and worldly experience. Who did I offend to warrant this... Forget it, since we came together, even if this fellow has suicidal tendencies, I shouldn't leave him in the lurch! Even though she felt stifled, Mo Yu gritted her teeth and spoke telepathically to Zhang Xuan, "Zhang Xuan, inform the Howling Firmament Beast to come over right now. I have with me the formation plate that my father left behind for me. I should be able to buy some time with it, so hurry up. Perhaps, we might still stand a chance." They might be in the depth of the enemy's base, but given the Howling Firmament Beast's Half-Zhizun cultivation and its ability to fly, there was a good chance that they could successfully flee. However, the crucial problem was how they could survive until the Howling Firmamant Beast's arrival. Grabbing her storage ring tightly, Mo Yu surveyed her surroundings warily. The moment anyone makes a move on them, she would immediately retrieve and toss the formation plate. As the princess of a kingdom, she possessed several tricks for survival up her sleeves. Formation plates were convenient tools on which a large formation was engraved through special means. Even if one wasn't a formation master, one could easily activate it in times of need by pumping their zhenqi into the plate. While it was significantly weaker than true formations, it was portable and could be triggered instantaneously, making it a nifty tool for survival. However, this object was expensive and was a one-off consumable. Only someone of her standing would be able to afford it. "Why should I call for it? Don't worry!" Seeing the anxiety on the other party's face, Zhang Xuan smiled. "You..." Seeing the fellow continue to act so calmly despite being in grave danger, Mo Yu was on the verge of exploding. "You've offended the Great Herb King, and if we don't leave right now, we might just die here!" "Offended him? I'm explaining his illness to him, how will this offend anyone?" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually as he assured her. "There's no need to worry, just stay here and wait patiently!" "Explaining his illness?" Mo Yu went insane. How can gloating over the other party by claiming that he is suffering for his own deeds be considered as explaining illness? I've been an apprentice physician for so long, but I've never heard of such a case. Stay here and wait patiently? I would really be insane if I were to stay and wait patiently under such circumstances! Mo Yu was infuriated, but she knew that it wasn't the time to throw a tantrum. She surveyed her surroundings and analyzed the ideal escape path. If she had known that this fellow was so unreliable, she wouldn't have come adventuring with him. "Physician Bai Chan, I've invited you over with goodwill to treat the old master, and yet, you spouted such derogatory words. If you don't explain yourself, you don't even have to dream about leaving this manor!" Ignoring everyone's shock, Butler Lu flung his sleeves angrily and glared at Zhang Xuan. If the other party hadn't treated his problem, he would have decapitated the other party with a sword before he had a chance to explain himself. "There's no need to rush, I'll explain everything clearly. Just that... there are many people present. Are you sure that you want me to speak?" Zhang Xuan was nonchalant toward his threat, simply smiling in response. "Stop putting on an act here. No matter how incredible your words may sound, the only thing that awaits you is death!" "To dare to taint the Great Herb King’s honour, you deserve to die!" "Butler Lu, why waste words on him? With just a single command, we will mince this fool who dares to insult the old master immediately!" ... Seeing how the other party was unrepentant, the guards were on the brim of erupting. Not hiding their killing intent for Zhang Xuan, they bellowed furiously. Every single one of these guards was Tongxuan realm experts, and with several dozens of them unleashing their cultivation at once, people in the room began to breathe heavily under the pressure and their hands became moist with perspiration. Even the faces of the numerous Zongshi realm physicians turned pale. Unable to withstand the might, they retreated uncontrollably. While Zongshi realm experts were far stronger than Tongxuan realm cultivators, the guards had been living together and had forged a strong teamwork. On top of that, they wielded various lethal measures that even Zongshi realm experts would find it hard to guard against. "Enough!" Seeing how the guards were on the verge of attacking Zhang Xuan, Butler Lu waved his hands and roared, "Step down!" Then, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Physician Bai, these guards are loyal to the old master. Your words have offended them, and if you don't explain yourself, even I will find it hard to stop them." His words were laced with threat. If Zhang Xuan failed to provide a reasonable explanation, these guards would destroy him in an instant. "I'm fine with explaining yourself, but this involves a secret. My view is that I shouldn't speak of it before such a huge crowd!" Even though he was standing on the edge of the cliff, Zhang Xuan didn't seem worried in the least. He walked leisurely to the Great Herb King and declared calmly, "How about this, I will just say two words. If you think that my diagnosis makes sense, we can talk about it. Otherwise, you can just kill me right away!" After interacting with the Great Herb King, Butler Lu nodded his head, "Fine!" "Alright then!" Zhang Xuan smiled, "My two words are simple... Contract Gu!" "Contract Gu? What's that? Butler Lu was wondering what miraculous words Zhang Xuan would spout, and he couldn't help but fall into a daze upon hearing his words. Just as he was considering whether he should make mincemeat of the other party, an expression of shock suddenly appeared on the dying Great Herb King’s face. His murky and lifeless eyes suddenly gleamed in agitation. "Get... get... the others out..." Struggling with all his might, his hoarse voice echoed in the air. "This..." Seeing how Bai Chan had caused the withered Great Herb King to struggle so terribly to speak with merely two words, everyone turned to look at him as though he was a monster. They thought that he was doomed and didn't expect such a twist. Can it be that... these two words wield some kind of magic? "Old master!" Seeing the old master speak, Butler Lu rushed to him immediately. Then after a moment of conversation, he stood up and scanned the surroundings. "I apologize, but the diagnosis ends here, so I'll have to invite all of you to leave! I will have my men send the compensation each of you." After which, he couldn't help but glance at Zhang Xuan. The Great Herb King's condition was critical and he wasn't able to say anything. Even so, Butler Lu had been serving the other party for numerous years, and he was able to understand the other party's intention just through his gaze. The old master's intentions were simple. Do as Physician Bai says! He's the only one who can save him! Can such a brazen fellow, who seemed to be spouting nonsense, really be capable of saving the old master? Can it be that it is as he said, that the old master is suffering for his own deeds? "Alright!" "Great Herb King and Butler Lu, we will be taking our leaves then!" Seeing that Butler Lu had already invited them to leave, even though the crowd was baffled within, they turned around to leave without any hesitation. However, before walking out of the lounge, they couldn't help but send a confused glance at Physician Bai Chan. With just two words, this fellow is able to get the Great Herb King to chase them out. Can his words be really true? But... I don’t recall any illness that is called [Contract Gu]... "You all should leave as well!" Ignoring the bewilderment that the crowd was in, Butler Lu ordered for the guards to leave as well. "Yes!" Knowing that this was the intention of the old master, they answered and left the lounge quickly. Upon seeing everyone leave, Mo Yu hesitated for a moment and, eventually, decided to remain. Regardless of whether the fellow was right or not and whether he would be reduced to meat mince in a moment's time, she had come with him, and it wouldn't be right for her to leave alone. Even though the prideful princess had an unpleasant mouth, she seemed to be a loyal buddy. Inconspicuously, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in response to her decision. Soon, they were the only ones left in the room. "Physician Bai Chan, now that everyone has left, can you explain the matter?" Knowing that Mo Yu came along with Physician Bai, Butler Lu turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed respectfully. "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Actually, I already had a rough idea of the situation when I first saw the Great Herb King earlier. After using my secret art, I have now ascertained his condition..." At which, lamentation flashed through Zhang Xuan's eyes. "The Great Herb King isn't ill or poisoned. Rather, he's afflicted by something called [Contract Gu]! This was implanted in him when he made a deal with a specific someone, and now that the person is dead, under the effects of the Contract Gu, he, expectedly, will lose his life as well!" "Contract Gu... What's that?" Butler Lu was still unable to comprehend the situation. Despite coming into contact with physicians and medicinal herbs daily, he had never heard of this term. The Great Herb King clearly knew what the other party was talking about, but it wasn't convenient for him to speak now. Even though Butler Lu could perform basic communication with him, it was impossible for the other party to express such a complicated matter. "Contract Gu is a special practice used when making a deal with someone to win the other party's trust, and it is one of the means unique to a poison master. To summarize, it is similar to the life and death contract between beast tamers and their savage beast. Once established, it is equivalent to becoming a loyal subordinate of the other party. Once the master dies, the subordinate wouldn't live for long either, and he would soon follow the other party." "This thing is normally used by poison masters to manipulate their subordinates. The moment one establishes the contract, his life and death are no longer within his control. If he were to disobey the will of his master, he would suffer the ache of thousands of bugs nibbling at his heart!" With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan explained slowly. "Is there... such a thing in this world?" Butler Lu was astonished. He found the entire affair hard to believe. If the other party hadn't spoken of it, he would have never believed that such a thing could exist. At the same time, Mo Yu's eyes were about to pop out from her sockets. She hadn't heard of Contract Gu, but she knew clearly what a life and death contract was. With this kind of contract, the moment the master dies, regardless of how strong or where a savage beast was, it would also breathe its last. From Zhang Xuan's descriptions, it seemed that the Contract Gu was much more potent than that. If that was truly the case, didn't that mean that humans could be commanded and tamed as though savage beasts? That was an extremely terrifying thought! "Can it be... that this Contract Gu is related to the old master's condition?" Butler Lu recovered from the shock, but his face remained ghastly pale. "Not only is it related, it is exactly the cause of it!" Glancing at the Great Herb King, Zhang Xuan shook his head in lamentation. "As the Great Herb King and the sovereign of the Red Lotus City, he chose to become another person's subordinate and willingly allowed the other party to implant this kind of vicious gu into him. If this wasn't suffering for his own deeds, what else can it be?" The emperor of Tianwu Kingdom dared not to offend the Great Herb King of Red Lotus City, and 3-star physicians willingly lowered their heads before him. His standing was far superior to the kings of Tier 2 Kingdoms. Despite possessing such prestige, he willingly consumed a Contract Gu to become another person's servant. If this wasn't courting his own death, what else could it be? He couldn't blame anyone else for his own plight. Upon hearing those words, the dried face of the Great Herb King turned slightly red. Regret brimmed in his eyes. "Physician Bai, please save the old master!" Finally knowing what the old master was suffering from, Butler Lu's body trembled, his knees bent, and he knelt to the floor. Watching the old master grow weaker and weaker and being unable to identify the cause had left him distraught, but as the second-in-command of the manor, he couldn't cave in. Now that a glimmer of hope had finally appeared before him, he could no longer hold it in. Having grown up in the Great Herb King Manor, he possessed absolute loyalty toward the Great Herb King. On top of that, if the old master were to die, the other herb kings would make use of this opportunity to attack the manor and the Great Herb King Manor’s crumble would be absolute. As the butler of the manor, he would suffer the brunt of the impact, and it would be hard for him to live for long. Regardless of whether it was for his loyalty toward the Great Herb King or for his own life, he mustn't allow anything to happen to the Great Herb King. Since this Physician Bai was able to see through and treat his own affliction, as well as determine the root of the old master's frailty, he might have a solution for the matter. "Get up first!" Zhang Xuan reached out to help the other party up. Shaking his head, he said, "Once the contract is established, the Contract Gu enters one’s bloodstream. It is extremely difficult to solve the matter!" After establishing a contract, the gu worm dives into one's innards and moves along with his blood flow. It is impossible for it to be located and destroyed. "As long as Physician Bai treats the old master, the Great Herb King Manor is willing to accede to any of your requests..." Butler Lu clenched his jaws. "To save him, I'll have to find the location of the gu worm and extract or exterminate it!" Zhang Xuan explained. "However, the gu worm is alive, and it flows along with the blood. The moment it realizes that it is in danger, it will escape immediately. How can I capture it like that?" The main reason for the Great Herb King's suffering was the gu worm living in his body. The solution for the problem actually sounded extremely easy; one merely had to extract or exterminate it. However, it was hard to put into practice. That thing lives in one's bloodstream, and cannot be seen or felt. In addition, it is constantly moving about and knows how to avoid danger. How is it possible to remove and destroy it? Before the gu worm can be killed, the person would have probably died first. "Since Physician Bai is able to determine what the old master is suffering from, you must have a solution. I beseech you to save him!" Butler Lu knelt down once more. The many physicians that had examined the old master weren't even able to identify the illness. Bai Chan was their only hope. "I can save him, but... I have a condition!" After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan said. While others would be hard-pressed to look for the gu worm, Zhang Xuan was different. With the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan could plainly see the location of the gu worm. Thus, it was still possible for him to treat the Great Herb King. "Physician Bai, feel free to speak of your condition!" Hearing that the other party could really treat him, Butler Lu clenched his fists tightly in agitation. "I want to go to the Poison Hall. I hope that someone can bring me there after I cure the Great Herb King!" Zhang Xuan glanced at Butler Lu. "This..." Butler Lu didn't expect the other party to come up with such a condition. "Currently, the Poison Hall isn't accepting any guests, especially physicians. It'll be extremely dangerous for you to head there now!" Poison masters and physicians are at perennially odds. Aren’t you, a physician, courting death to want to visit the Poison Hall? "Dangerous for me to head there now? What do you mean?" Noticing a hidden meaning to the other party's words, Zhang Xuan stared at him doubtfully. Glancing at the old master and seeing that the other party wasn't objectionable to him revealing the issue, Butler Lu gritted his teeth and said, "An internal conflict has broken out within the Poison Hall, and it is currently closed to outsiders. They refused all guests, and even the old master isn't allowed to enter. Heading there now... is truly an unwise decision!" "Internal conflict?" "Yes!" Butler Lu said. "However, if Physician Bai really wishes to visit the Poison Hall, the conflict should probably die down within a year. By then, it should be much safer..." "A year? That's too long!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. In the first place, the reason why he chose to disguise as Physician Bai Chan instead of taking the physician examination at Tianwu Kingdom was so that he could get to the Poison Hall as soon as possible to resolve the poisonous aura that was lingering in his body. Since he was unwilling to wait even a month, how could he possibly wait a year? What joke is this! "As long as you bring me to the entrance of the Poison Hall, I'll settle the rest myself. If you promise to accede to my condition, I will save the old master now. Otherwise, let’s forget about everything!" Zhang Xuan calmly said. "However, I doubt that there's anyone else in the surrounding thirteen kingdoms who can save the old master!" The other party seemed to be determined. Thus, Butler Lu turned to consult the old master, and upon seeing him blink his eyes, turned back to Zhang Xuan. "Alright, the old master has agreed!" "Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "Place your old master horizontally. I'll begin my treatment now." "Yes!" Given that this was the Great Herb King Manor, Butler Lu wasn't worried about the other party doing anything foolish. Thus, he adjusted the reclining chair to place the old master in a lying position. Knowing that the other party was about to remove the Contract Gu from his body, nervousness flashed on the Great Herb King's dry face. Butler Lu and Mo Yu might have never heard of the Contract Gu, but as the person who had it implanted into his body, he knew that there was nearly no cure for it. Yet, the person before him claimed that he was capable of treating it! Even though he didn't truly believe the other party's words, he, nevertheless, wanted to give it a try. Hu! Since he had already decided to treat the other party, Zhang Xuan immediately got on with it. With a jerk of his hand, a box of silver needles appeared in his palm. Then, submerging his consciousness into the library, he flipped to the page where the flaws were listed (which reflects the location of the Contract Gu's worm). He drove his zhenqi and immediately pierced a silver needle right at the spot where the worm was last located. The silver needle which was infused with the Heaven's Path zhenqi would definitely be able to easily destroy the gu worm if it were to pierce through it. "Hm?" After piercing the needle into the other party's body, Zhang Xuan circulated zhenqi around the other party's body for a moment. Noticing the absence of the presence of the gu worm, Zhang Xuan's complexion darkened. "The gu worm actually escaped..." Time was wasted discussing the matter after the compilation of the book, and the gu worm in the Great Herb King was no longer at the position indicated in the book. It seemed that the book had to be refreshed for him to pinpoint the new location of the gu worm. Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Great Herb King sheepishly. "Great Herb King, I'm sorry but... is it convenient for you to pass out once more?" --- Gu is a venomous being used often in voodoo and black magic in the south China. There are many methods of preparations depending on the custom, but the most traditional one is to keep countless poisonous animals into one jar and let them fight it out.

Chapter 272: I Understand



"Are you asking if it's convenient for... him to pass out once more?" Butler Lu and Mo Yu's mouths twitched. The Great Herb King shook his head vigorously. No one liked to be knocked out, so who would possibly agree that it's convenient for them to pass out? Hearing those words, the Great Herb King would have struck first if not for his physical disability, needless to say, to allow the other party to knock him out. "Physician Bai Chan, this..." Seeing the objection in the old master's eyes, Butler Lu hurriedly spoke up. However, before he could finish his words, the middle-aged man before him seemed to have come to an epiphany, "Forget it, there's no use asking you about it. It's best that I do it myself!" Thus, he stretched out his arm. Padah! With tears brimming in his eyes, the Great Herb King passed out once more. Having knocked out the Great Herb King, Zhang Xuan noticed that Butler Lu was in the middle of his words and turned to look at him with a doubtful expression, "What's wrong?" "I... That... Nothing!" Butler Lu smiled awkwardly. He had intended to stop the other party and to see if there was a way to treat the old master without knocking him out. However, since the daylights had already been knocked out of the old master, there was no longer any need for him to speak up. "Un, I'll continue on with the treatment then!" With the Great Herb King now unconscious, the book in Zhang Xuan's hands jolted the moment he came into contact with the other party's body. The location of the gu worm was refreshed. Having ascertained the location, Zhang Xuan's hands jerked, and a silver needle was pierced into the other party's body. "Hm? I missed it..." Checking the area with his zhenqi, he realized that the gu worm had escaped once again. "Looks like killing the gu worm is much more difficult than I have expected!" Zhang Xuan's expression was grim. He thought that it would be easy for him to eradicate the gu worm with the Library of Heaven's Path providing him its location. However, from the looks of it, he had underestimated the gu worm. Even though the delay between browsing the book in the library and the piercing of the needle was extremely short, it was more than sufficient for the gu worm to escape from its original position. Zhang Xuan touched the Great Herb King once more and pierced a silver needle into the other party's body. Puhe! Puhe! Puhe! Under the numerous assaults by the silver needle, the gu worm seemed to have realized that it was in danger, and it escaped furiously through the other party's blood vessels. "The blood vessels within a human are complicated, and countless small capillaries spread out across the entire body. If this goes on, I won't be able to catch it even after a day of effort. I have to find a way to corner it before I can destroy it!" After inserting a few needles in quick succession, he noticed that the gu worm moved faster and faster, and its movements were erratic without any specific pattern. Troubled, a deep crease emerged on Zhang Xuan's forehead. "Is it dead yet..." After a dozen of consecutive needles, Zhang Xuan eventually managed to force it to a corner and just as he was about to deal the final blow, a weak voice sounded. Turning his head to take a look, he saw that the Great Herb King had roused from his sleep. Him becoming awake meant that the location of the gu worm on his book in the library couldn't be refreshed. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan didn't even bother to speak this time. He stretched out his hand immediately and 'padah!', the other party was knocked out once more. "Not good! That fellow has escaped again..." By the time the book was updated, the gu worm had already escaped. Zhang Xuan's expression darkened. The other party's awakening had hastened his blood flow, allowing the gu worm to escape far away from Zhang Xuan's encirclement. "Damn it!" He didn't expect that a small gu worm would be that sly. With his eyebrows shot up, he turned to Butler Lu. "Come here. Knock out the old master the moment he awakens..." The Great Herb King's cultivation had reached Zongshi realm pinnacle. Even though his body had been driven to the brink of death under the torture of the gu worm, the defensive mechanism from the zhenqi in his body remained functioning, allowing him to recover swiftly from his unconscious state. On the other hand, in order not to worsen the dying Great Herb King’s condition, Zhang Xuan couldn't exert too much force when knocking him out. In order to prevent the gu worm from getting away again due to him awaking, it was best to make preparations beforehand. Thus, Zhang Xuan decided to render Butler Lu’s help. With someone to knock the Great Herb King out, Zhang Xuan would be able to direct his undivided attention toward killing the worm. "Knock the old master out the moment he awakens..." Butler Lu's body trembled in agitation, and he was on the verge of tears. The man before him was his old master. If he were to do this, he could imagine the kind of trouble that would await him if the old master were to choose to pursue this matter in the future... "Can I turn down your request..." "Don't waste my time, hurry up!" Seeing a conflicted expression on the other party, Zhang Xuan frowned. "If you don't want to save the old master, feel free to reject my request!" "I..." Even though Butler Lu was torn, he knew that the priority was to save the old master. Thus, he walked over and stretched out his hand. Just as his heart was in turmoil, Mo Yu's voice suddenly sounded. "That... Physicians often use [Soul Numbing Powder] to knock their patients out. With a single whiff, one should stay unconscious for a significant period of time. Furthermore, it doesn't hurt one's body... Will that work?" "Soul Numbing Powder? Is there such a thing? Of course, it will work!" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. His goal was just to keep the other party in an unconscious state. It didn't matter whether the other party was knocked out through physical means or through medicine. "The Soul Numbing Powder works as well?" Hearing Zhang Xuan's reply sent tears flowing down Butler Lu and Mo Yu's face. The Soul Numbing Powder was a common medicine used by physicians, and it was often utilized on the less courageous patients. There wasn't a single physician who hasn't heard of it, and most would carry several doses with them wherever they go... Yet, this fellow has never heard of it... The heck! If not for the incredible skills he has displayed, we would really doubt if he is a physician! Otherwise, how can he possibly not know the basics? If Zhang Xuan had used this earlier, the Great Herb King wouldn't have to be smacked on the head so many times. If this continued, even if he successfully treated the other party, it was likely that the Great Herb King would become dumb from the multiple impacts on his head... "We have the medicine here, I'll fetch it right now..." Fearful that the old master would be struck once more, Butler Lu rushed out in a hurry. The Great Herb King dealt in medicine, and it was absurd to think that they wouldn't possess such an elementary herb in their storage. In no time, Butler Lu arrived with several sacks. Zhang Xuan grabbed a sack casually and placed it before the Great Herb King's nostril. As expected, the medicine quickly sent the latter into a deep sleep, and it didn't seem likely that he would regain consciousness so soon. "To think that you would have such a good stuff. You should have taken it out earlier!" Seeing how amazing the medicine was, Zhang Xuan glared at Butler Lu. "I..." Butler Lu felt wronged. As a physician, you brought a cleaver into the surgery room. Naturally, I thought that you specialize in using it. Who in the world would expect that... you don't even know what a scalpel is... Mo Yu shot a look of sympathy at Butler Lu as well. If not for her having gotten used to Zhang Xuan’s bizarre actions, she herself would have thought that he was doing it on purpose. Under the potency of the Soul Numbing Powder, the Great Herb King fell into deep sleep. Zhang Xuan continued with his treatment; leaving a single hand in constant contact with the other party's body while having the other hand pierce needles into the other party swiftly, forcing the gu worm to a corner in the bloodstream. This time, his operation went successfully and the gu worm was entrapped shortly. "Go!" With a jerk of Zhang Xuan's fingers, a silver needle immediately pierced straight into the Great Herb King's body. Jijiji! In that instant, a piercing shrill sounded from the Great Herb King's body and the worm could be seen to be struggling about in his blood vessel. "Die!" With a tap of his finger, a surge of pure zhenqi flowed into the other party's body through the silver needle. And in the next instant, the worm, as though meeting with its nemesis, thrashed for awhile longer before falling motionless. Just like any other poisonous substances, the Heaven's Path zhenqi, which was reminiscent of pure water, was the gu worm’s greatest nemesis. Upon contact, that resilient lifeform crumbled immediately and died on the spot. "Come on out!" Exerting pressure on the other party's blood vessel, Zhang Xuan sent a burst of zhenqi into the other party, and the silver needle and gu worm flew out simultaneously. Padah! The two landed on the floor. "Is this the so-called Contract Gu?" Butler Lu and Mo Yu walked over immediately. The gu worm on the floor was the size of a firefly. There were unique runes scribbled on its dark green body, and it looked so disgusting that it could send a cold chill down one's spine. "Un!" Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply. The greatest problem that plagued the Great Herb King's body was this gu worm. With this little fellow extracted from his body, his languishing body should recover with time. Moments after removing the sack of Soul Numbing Powder from the other party's nostril, the Great Herb King slowly awoke. "Old master..." Butler Lu walked forward. "Do I... still need to be knocked out?" After waking up, the Great Herb King glanced at Zhang Xuan and his lips quivered uncontrollably. He was traumatized after getting knocked out continuously. He was afraid that a fist would be awaiting him the moment he awoke. "There's no need for that anymore. The gu worm has already been killed!" Butler Lu pointed to the worm on the floor. "It's dead?" The Great Herb King was taken aback. Glancing at the corpse of the gu worm on the floor, his face reddened in agitation. After being afflicted with the Contract Gu, his life and death became something beyond his control. The reason why the Contract Gu was used to gain another's trust was that even the most incredible poison masters were unable to cure one of it. Yet, the physician before him was able to kill it easily. Even though he had witnessed the event personally with his own two eyes, he found the situation hard to believe nevertheless. "Physician Bai, thank you for saving my life!" Standing up from the reclining chair, the Great Herb King knelt to the floor. Initially, he thought that it was his fate to die from the Contract Gu. Never in his dreams did he expect that he would be saved by the man standing before him! In order to be rescued from his despair, not to mention three times, even if he were to be knocked out ten times or hundred times, it would have been worth the suffering. "Old master, you... you..." Seeing the Great Herb King get up to kneel on the floor, Butler Lu grew agitated. It was just awhile ago that the old master was unable to move or speak. Yet, at this moment, he had stood up and knelt down all by himself. This went to show that his body was already starting to recover. "With the gu worm in my body dead, my strength is gradually returning to me. However, the trauma within caused by it isn't resolved yet. Physician Bai, I beseech you to treat me..." Stopping Butler Lu from helping him up, the Great Herb King kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. While the death of the gu worm had solved the root of the problem, that little fellow had been on a rampage inside the Great Herb King's body for the past few days, sapping his spirit and energy dry. He would still require the help of this physician to nourish his damaged body and rejuvenate his stamina. Otherwise, now possessing the appearance of a person in his nineties despite not having reached even fifty, it was clear that he would not have long to live. "You want me to solve your current problem?" Reading through his book in the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan frowned. Tortured by the Contract Gu for numerous days, his body was severely injured. If not for the innumerable precious herbs he possessed as the Great Herb King, he wouldn't have been able to survive until this day. His physical and mental frailty could only be gradually treated through the consumption of various tonics over a long period of time. However... Zhang Xuan was different. Not only could the Heaven's Path zhenqi heal one's stamina and bring him back to his peak, it could also heal the Great Herb King's damaged blood vessels completely, simply by driving it through his bloodstream. However, the Heaven's Path zhenqi was too pure. Previously, when Zhang Xuan was treating the other party, he was unconscious. Furthermore, by the time he awoke, the Heaven's Path zhenqi had already melded as one with the zhenqi in his body, making it impossible for the other party to detect any abnormality. However, if Zhang Xuan were to treat him now, the other party would definitely realize the uniqueness of his zhenqi, and this could bring about unwanted trouble. Zhang Xuan was unwilling to take this risk. "I can treat you, but..." After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan spoke up. However, before he could finish his words, he realized that the Great Herb King was staring at him with incredible determination. "Physician Bai, you need not speak any further. I understand!" After which, he lifted his hand and struck his head. Padah! He fell limply onto the floor, unconscious.

Chapter 273: What's Going On [2in1]



Not expecting the other party to knock himself out before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan became speechless. "Cough cough, what I meant to say was... I can solve your problem, but you'll have to increase the compensation. How can I negotiate with you now that you're unconscious?" Zhang Xuan's condition for removing the Contract Gu from the other party's body was to bring him to the Poison Hall. Zhang Xuan had fulfilled his end of the deal, but the other party was now requesting for him to treat his wounded body. This was an entirely different matter, and Zhang Xuan couldn't possibly expend his own zhenqi for nothing. Yet, before he could say anything, the other party had already fainted. No matter what, I am a physician. Aren't you being too disrespectful to me? Hearing Zhang Xuan mutter to himself, Butler Lu hurried up to Zhang Xuan and coughed awkwardly, "The old master wishes for you to treat him as soon as possible. If Physician Bai has any requests, feel free to speak to me of it. I'll do my best to satisfy them!" "That's more like it!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "How about this, you're selling this [Soul Numbing Powder] as well right? If so, you should have an inventory of it. Help me prepare three doses... No, ten doses." If Zhang Xuan had this, he wouldn't have to resort to knocking anyone out by force again. Since he had learned of this object, it was only natural for him to want more of it. Who else would he exploit if not the rich tycoon in front of him? "Ten doses of Soul Numbing Powder?" Butler Lu blinked. "Indeed. Don't tell me that your Great Herb King Manor can't even afford this meager amount of medicinal herbs?" Zhang Xuan frowned. At the same time, he was pondering whether he had asked for too much and that the other party was incapable of bringing out that much. "No, it's... it's that..." Butler Lu seemed conflicted by the request and he looked as though he was suffering from constipation. "It's that this object is too inexpensive..." The Soul Numbing Powder was one of the most fundamental prescriptions in a physician’s arsenal. A single dose costs only a few hundred gold coins, and ten of it was worth mere thousands. To think this little amount of money could save the old master's life... Aren’t you thinking to cheaply of the Great Herb King’s life? "Inexpensive?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He immediately turned to Mo Yu, only to see her nodding her head with a speechless expression. Only then did he laugh awkwardly, "That... right. Do you have any Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals in your manor? The tier of the manual doesn't matter, and all I need is quantity. If you can manage to gather more than a thousand of them, I will accept it as the compensation." Zhang Xuan's cultivation had already reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle, and to achieve a breakthrough, he would have to gather higher-realm secret manuals. Tianxuan Kingdom was too backward, and excluding the old ancestor, the strongest cultivators were merely at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. As such, there was only a handful Half-Zongshi realm manuals in its territory. Red Lotus City was the city of a Tier 1 Kingdom, as well as a medicinal herb trading hub, so it might be possible for the other party to gather a sizeable quantity amount of cultivation technique manuals for him. "Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm secret manuals? More than a thousand of them?" Not having expected Physician Bai Chan to ask for something so peculiar, Butler Lu contemplated for a moment before answering, "Our Great Herb King Manor controls the flow of all medicinal herbs in Tianwu Kingdom and the twelve surrounding nations. Many cultivators do not possess sufficient money to purchase herbs, so they could only trade in their unique secret manuals." "Thus, we have accumulated several hundreds of Half-Zongshi secret manuals over the years. With the rallying ability of our Great Herb King Manor, we should be able to gather more than a thousand books swiftly. As for Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals... If you have no requirements on the tier, it isn't a problem for us to gather a few hundred books for you. However, gathering above a thousand of it would be difficult." "Alright, I'll take these then!" Hearing that the other party could gather more than a thousand Half-Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals and a few hundred Zongshi realm manuals, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. He nodded in agreement hurriedly. As expected of a city of Tianwu Kingdom, resources flowing through this single city weren't what that the entire Tianxuan Kingdom could compare up to. With sufficient manuals, Zhang Xuan would be able to reach Half-Zongshi or even Zongshi realm effortlessly. By then, he should at least possess the ability to protect himself in the Poison Hall. "Alright, you should go on and make arrangements. I'll treat the old master now!" Contented with the compensation, Zhang Xuan instructed Butler Lu before grabbing the Great Herb King's arm and beginning to transfuse a surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi into his meridians. Actually, why the Great Herb King looked lifeless and withered was because of the blockage in his meridian, causing the flow of his zhenqi to stagnate. As long as Zhang Xuan cleared up the blockages, the other party's dense and powerful Zongshi zhenqi would naturally rejuvenate his spirit, energy, and soul, thus inducing a complete recovery. Boom! The pure zhenqi gushed through the blocked meridians one after another. The damage left behind by the Contract Gu, as though snow meeting with the radiant sun, disappeared completely. The dry and loose skin on the Great Herb King regained its elasticity and liveliness. In an instant, he seemed to have turned several decades younger. "This..." Mo Yu, who was standing by the side, blinked her eyes furiously, unable to believe her sight. She thought that Zhang Xuan's treatment, like any other physicians, would require the complement of medicinal herbs, and would be over the course of numerous months. She hadn’t expected the Great Herb King to recover instantly just by having his wrist grabbed... Is this really something a physician can do? Why haven't I heard of it? All of her preconceptions of the world seemed to be overthrown one after another. "Alright!" Soon, the Heaven's Path zhenqi circulated a full round around the other party's body, clearing all of the blockages completely. Zhang Xuan stood up and exhaled deeply. It was much easier than he expected. The Great Herb King, who had his trauma resolved, slowly awoke from his slumber. Feeling the softness and elasticity of his skin and the overwhelming strength surging through his body, even though the Great Herb King was impressed, he wasn't as surprised as Mo Yu. The physician before him had managed to cure him of his Contract Gu, a feat which countless physicians and poison masters were incapable of. Rather, it would be bizarre if he couldn't do something as easy as treating his wounds. "Physician Bai Chan, you have my gratitude!" The Great Herb King's face flushed in agitation as he knelt onto the floor once more. If not for the physician before him, he would have been dead by now. The gratitude he felt wasn't something that could be measured using money. "It's merely a deal! However, I'm curious why a person of your standing would accept a Contract Gu and allow yourself to be manipulated." Zhang Xuan waved casually before turning to look at the Great Herb King doubtfully. Mo Yu was baffled as well. The Great Herb King's status and influence were so great that even the Tianwu Kingdom's royal family didn't dare to offend him. Yet, such a great person actually chose to take on a Contract Gu. This was something beyond their imagination. "Sigh, this is a long story. If you knew the person whom I formed a contract with, you would not be thinking like that!" Seeing the doubt in the duo's eyes, the Great Herb King flashed a bitter smile. The other party had saved his life, and he felt that his life belonged to the other party. Thus, he didn't think that there was anything inappropriate to say before the other party and didn't intend to hide anything from him. "The person I contracted with is... the Hall Master of the Poison Hall!" "Hall Master of the Poison Hall?" "Un!" The Great Herb King nodded his head. With a complex expression, he explained, "The Great Herb King may seem like an awe-inspiring and powerful figure whom no one in the Red Lotus City dares to offend, but the truth is that we're merely the spokespersons for the Poison Hall! I'm not the only one; every single Great Herb King of previous generations had established a contract with Poison Hall Masters and became their puppets." "Every single generation?" Zhang Xuan and Mo Yu was stunned. However, as they thought further, they realized that it was logical. The Red Lotus City was the only intermediary to the Poison Hall, and it was hard to believe that the Poison Hall didn't establish any power within the city. Without the support of the Poison Hall, how could the Great Herb King of every generation control the gigantic medicinal herb market and earn massive profits? Similarly, they wouldn't have been able to kill princes and princesses of the various kingdoms without fear either. It was only because of the Poison Hall's support that the Red Lotus City was powerful. Otherwise, how could a declining ancient city be able to stand against powerful countries like Tianwu? After all, Tianwu Kingdom had the backing of several 2-star master teachers. With the guidance of a master teacher of such tier, even though it would be pushing it to say that everyone was an expert, the average level of cultivation within the city was much higher than that of Tianxuan Kingdom. Its army was capable of splitting the ocean and collapsing mountains. If not for the backing of the Poison Hall, how could a mere Red Lotus City escape the Tianwu Kingdom’s jurisdiction? Otherwise, it would have long been destroyed. "The only reason why a Contract Gu would act up is that a contractee is dead. Could it be that... Upon realizing something, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Great Herb King. "That's right!" The Great Herb King nodded. "The Hall Master is dead!" "Butler Lu wasn't lying when he said that an internal conflict has broken out within the Poison Hall, and it is turning away all guests! The Hall Master died abruptly without declaring his successor, and three candidates are currently vying for the top seat, resulting in chaos. Even I myself am trying to keep away from the Poison Hall or else, I might not even know how I die." The Great Herb King smiled bitterly, "To them, I am only a puppet. As long as the Poison Hall exists, they can always raise a new Great Herb King." Even though he did not want to admit it, Zhang Xuan knew that it was true. With the strength of the Poison Hall, it was merely a walk in the park to make someone the Great Herb King. For the prestigious and powerful Great Herb King to be an inconsequential puppet, it would be hard for anyone to believe it to be true if not hearing it from the person himself. The Great Herb King glanced at Zhang Xuan with a grim expression. "Physician Bai Chan, you saved me, and in return, I'll bring you to the Poison Hall. However... There are currently three candidates vying for the seat, and the Poison Hall is filled with uncountable dangers. Death is the only thing that awaits any visitor. If you have time to spare, you can stay here in my manor for the moment, and I'll help you look into the matter. If we go after the Hall Master is confirmed, we'll be spared from unnecessary danger." The fight over the position of Hall Master was no different from princes vying for the throne; it would be filled with schemes and assassinations. If outsiders were to enter, it was highly likely that they would be taken as pawns, and they wouldn't even realize how they had died. It wasn't wrong to say that the Poison Hall at present was at its most chaotic and dangerous. However, once the Hall Master was confirmed, the situation would settle down, and the place would become much safer. "I can't wait that long!" Even though Zhang Xuan knew that what the other party said was valid, he couldn't wait that long. The poison aura in his body was suppressed by Heaven's Path zhenqi, but no one could guarantee when it would counterattack. If it was just three to five days, he could still wait. However, a year or two was too long for him. "Actually... If Physician Bai does have a pressing urgency, there's another way." Seeing that his benefactor seemed to be in a rush to head to the Poison Hall, the Great Herb King contemplated for a moment before speaking, "The three main disciples of the old Hall Master each possess support from a faction of the Poison Hall, and their influences are roughly equal. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a victor to emerge without a year or two of grinding it out. However, there is an exception." "Tell me about it!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. The Great Herb King continued, "Just like the Apothecary Guild and Blacksmith Guild, the Poison Hall has a headquarter and numerous branches. The Poison Hall in our Red Lotus Range is a minor branch of the lot!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. After reading through books of all kinds, Zhang Xuan knew that the Tianwu Kingdom and the other countries surrounding it formed just a small part of the world. While the Poison Hall of the Red Lotus Range was famous, its reputation was limited to the area around Tianwu Kingdom. Much more incredible branches could be found in higher tier kingdoms. "Based on what I know, the old Hall Master died suddenly, and he didn't appoint a successor beforehand. Thus, the elders in the hall have reported this matter to the headquarter! If the headquarter decides to interfere, it will send an envoy to calm the chaos and decide on the new Hall Master. If so, the entire process can be resolved quickly!" The Great Herb King said. "Oh? There's such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. All branches had to follow arrangements by the headquarter. No matter how chaotic the situation was after the death of the Hall Master, the envoy from the headquarter should be able to resolve the issue swiftly. "In such situations, how long does it usually take for the Poison Hall to send an envoy? Also, how soon will the internal conflict be resolved? Are there any precedents?" Zhang Xuan could not help but ask. "There are indeed precedents in the history of the Poison Hall, but..." The Great Herb King hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly, "This time, I can't confirm this matter. While the Poison Hall of the Red Lotus Range sounds impressive, it is just an unimpressive countryside branch to the headquarter. If an envoy is sent over, the conflict should be settled in less than half a month. However... If the headquarter feels that it is a waste of personnel and decides not to send anyone over, it will take at least one to two years!" Even though an envoy could settle the issue easily, the Red Lotus Range Poison Hall branch was an unimportant branch, and the headquarter might think that there was no need to waste any effort on it. Thus, it wouldn’t be unordinary if they did not send any personnel. There were similar cases in the past. As such, it was difficult to guess the headquarters’ decision. Even the Great Herb King was unable to determine when the internal conflict would end. "Even so, I can't simply keep waiting like that!" After hearing the other party's explanation, Zhang Xuan felt even more dismal. He needed to gather sufficient books on poison to learn how to rectify the hidden poison aura in his body. He couldn't possibly wait mindlessly for news which might not arrive. "The best way is to keep waiting. However, if Physician Bai hopes to head there now, I can bring you there. Just that... I can't guarantee your safety!" The Great Herb King hesitated before speaking. "Allow me to consider for a moment!" Zhang Xuan's main purpose of heading to the Poison Hall was for the books. As long as he didn't interfere in their fight for the position of the Hall Master, he should be able to stay out of danger. But of course, he didn't know much about the poison masters, so he couldn't say for sure. He could only go with the flow. "After you're done collecting the books, let's head to the Poison Hall!" Zhang Xuan hesitated for a short while before making up his mind. It wasn't easy for him to come to the Red Lotus City, and he couldn't wait endlessly for the conflict to cease. Thus, he decided to brush aside the internal conflict and do what he had to do. But before that, it was imperative for him to raise his cultivation. As long as he achieved Zongshi realm pinnacle, with the Library of Heaven's Path and his pure Heaven's Path zhenqi, he would be able to match even a Half-Zhizun. Even if those from the Poison Hall wanted to kill him, it would not no easy task. "Collecting the books?" The Great Herb King asked doubtfully. When Zhang Xuan was negotiating the terms with Butler Lu, the Great Herb King has already knocked himself unconscious, so he wasn’t aware of the deal. "It's like that..." Zhang Xuan explained. "Oh, so Physician Bai wants those books. That isn't a difficult task, I'll supervise them personally. Within three days, we should be able to gather all of the Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals in Red Lotus City!" Upon hearing that Physician Bai Chan wanted these books as compensation, the Great Herb King was taken aback. Then, he smiled, and intense confidence shone through his eyes. He had managed Red Lotus City for many years, and it was under his complete control. Those books might be precious, but if he were to demand them personally, it would be an easy feat. "That's great, I'll be relying on you then!" Hearing that the matter could be settled in three days, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. "Physician Bai, feel free to stay here for the time being. I'll go and urge them right now." The Great Herb King stood up and called for a guard, arranging for the duo’s accommodation before heading out in a rush. It was a request from his benefactor, he didn't dare to dawdle. "We'll stay here for the time being then!" Zhang Xuan knew that there was no rushing the issue. Thus, he decided to stay in the manor with Mo Yu for the time being. ... "Do you think that the fellow's diagnosis is correct?" Outside the Great Herb King Manor, the numerous physicians who left earlier were gathered together. Every single one of them had a deep frown on their foreheads. Ever since they departed from the manor, they had been keeping vigil outside discussing Physician Bai. For 2-star and 3-star physicians with astounding reputations to be outdone by an unimpressive 1-star physician, they found the matter hard to accept. "Do you think that a mere 1-star physician can make an accurate diagnosis on the Great Herb King? What a joke! He was probably just spouting bullshit!" "That might not be the case, his words have generated a huge reaction in the Great Herb King. Why else would be Great Herb King get so agitated if the other party's words aren't right?" "Assuming that he is right, then what in the world is that [Contract Gu]? Why haven't we heard of it?" The more they discussed, the more confused they got. If this fellow was spouting rubbish, it is impossible for the Great Herb King to have such an intense reaction, even causing him to drive us away. But if what he said is true, then what in the world is a Contract Gu? Why haven’t we heard of it? Is there such an illness in the world? Besides... How can a 1-star physician notice something that we couldn't discern? "I've known Bai Chan for several years, but I never knew that he has such abilities!" Of the crowd, Physician Cheng Feng felt so stifled that he was about to lose it. He was the most familiar with Physician Bai Chan, and his original intention was to mock the other party and embarrass him. He didn't expect the other party to outdo him and slap him hard so on the face. "There's no need for us to debate. Our questions will be answered soon enough!" "If he had indeed diagnosed the condition of the Great Herb King successfully, he would be to strut out of the manor openly. Otherwise, the only fate that awaits him is to become a corpse!" Mu Hong and the other 3-star physicians interrupted the crowd's discussion. "That's right!" Everyone nodded in agreement. That arrogant fellow had overstepped his boundaries, knocking out the Great Herb King with a single fist. It was one thing if he could treat him, but if he failed, he would definitely be killed. Knowing this, the others decided not to make a fuss. If that fellow were to walk out, it would simply mean that his diagnosis was spot on. On the other hand, if he were to be carried out, it would mean that he was spouting nonsense and had paid for his arrogance. "There's no need to think about it, he will definitely be carried out..." Physician Cheng Feng gritted his teeth. However, before he could finish his words, 'jiya!', the doors to the manor opened. "Look, someone is coming out..." Upon hearing the loud creaking, the physicians turned toward the door and with just a single glance, all of their eyes widened, and they nearly passed out. The one who walked out was an elder, and Butler Lu followed behind him respectfully. "Is he... the Great Herb King?" After getting a clear view of his appearance, every physician present swallowed a mouthful of saliva simultaneously. They had examined the other party for an extended period of time, so how could they not recognize him! Even though he looked so much younger, given how Butler Lu was acting respectfully to him, who else could he be? Just a moment ago, the other party was lying motionless on the reclining chair and was on the verge of death... And in less than twenty minutes, he is now walking with large strides. His movements are filled with vitality, and he now looks several decades younger... Can anyone tell me what happened? Even if the other party's diagnosis was spot on, it isn’t possible for the treatment to be so quick, right? To be fully treated in twenty minutes... and for him to walk about without assistance... The heck, my eyes must be playing tricks on me! "This..." Physician Cheng Feng's body swayed, and he nearly vomited blood. He had just mentioned that the other party would definitely be lifted out and, instead, it turned out that... the Great Herb King came out on his own two feet. Can anyone tell me what's going on? "Distinguished physicians, you’re still here?" Seeing that the crowd had not yet left, the Great Herb King walked over with a smile. "Great Herb King, this..." Physician Mu Hong could no longer hold himself back, and he walked forward with a bewildered expression. "Physician Bai Chan has treated my affliction. His medical skills are incredible!" A hint of reverence flashed across the Great Herb King's eyes. Then, he clasped his hands and said, "Alright, I still have affairs to attend to, so I will not hold you up. Farewell!" After which, he walked away with light footsteps. "Was it really Physician Bai Chan who treated him?" "In less than twenty minutes, he returned a person who looked to be in his nineties to his fifties?" Even though they had guessed so the moment they saw the Great Herb King, they could not help but feel faint-headed upon hearing his personal affirmation. There were so many of them and they had spent a significant amount of time examining the other party but weren't able to identify his illness. Yet, Physician Bai Chan was able to treat him in such a short period of time... The difference in their standards was clear. Is he really a 1-star physician? "Looks like... we have all misjudged him. That Physician Bai Chan is probably not just a 1-star physician!" After a long moment of silence, one of the 3-star physicians spoke up. The emblem isn't representative of one's true abilities. "Indeed. How can a 1-star physician treat the Great Herb King so easily... With his skills, he is probably at minimum a 4-star!" Another 3-star physician commented. Even though he was unwilling to admit it, Physician Mu Hong nodded in agreement. "4-star physician... When he comes out, I'll have to pay my proper respects and make up for my impertinence!" "That’s right. I would like to consult him as well..." Upon hearing the three 3-star physicians’ judgment, everyone's faces froze. Back then, when they were in the lounge, they had mocked Physician Bai without restraint. Now that they knew that he was likely to be an incredible 4-star physician, they started to panic. "Damn it, don't let me see you. Otherwise, I will beat you to death..." Just as everyone made up their minds, a furious bellow sounded from the manor. Turning around, they saw a fellow who wasn't even wearing a coat in this cold weather standing not too far away, shaking his fists angrily. "Physician Bai Chan?" Obtaining a clear view of his appearance, all of the physicians were dazed for a moment. After which, a gleam appeared in their eyes, and they dashed forward. The pitiful Physician Bai had just regained his consciousness and he realized that his physician emblem and coat had gone missing. Thus, he howled furiously and was about to search for the culprit when he saw a mob of 2-star and 3-star physicians charging toward him, as though they had seen their idol. Frightened, he clamped his bottom and his body went limp... These fellows usually act so haughtily upon seeing me, disregarding my presence. Why would they be bowing to me as though they had seen their senior? Can anyone tell me... What the heck is going on?

Chapter 274: Half-Zongshi



"Physician Cheng Feng, this... What's going on?" It took Physician Bai Chan a moment before he recovered. Upon recognizing a familiar face, he asked hastily. "Physician Bai, I was blind to not notice your greatness, to think that your medical skills have reached such an astounding levels in just a few years. I hope that you can forgive me for the times that I've offended you!" With a reddened face, Physician Cheng Feng clasped his hands respectfully. "..." Countless question marks popped in Physician Bai Chan's head. Did these fellows eat something wrong this morning? Why have all of their attitudes changed after I fainted? After a moment of doubt, the confused Physician Bai finally understood the situation. The fellow who stole his emblem seemed to have treated the Great Herb King under his identity. Despite knocking him out, that fellow didn't take his money or his possessions. In fact, he even bought him medicinal herbs that were worth thirty thousand gold taels... All of these, just to help treat someone? Why does this feel so suspicious? How can there be such a good thing in this world... If that’s really the case, shouldn’t I consider finding another remote alley to loiter in? Shouldn’t I beg the heavens to show mercy and bring me a few more robbers like him... ... Zhang Xuan was oblivious to Physician Bai Chan’s earnest pleas. In the past three days, he had been staying in the Great Herb King Manor. Other than reading through the books in the Library of Heaven's Path, he spent most of his time tutoring Mo Yu. This was what he had promised her. Now that he had managed to convince the Great Herb King to help him, it was time for him to fulfill his end of the promise. After a few days of tutelage under Zhang Xuan, Mo Yu was completely impressed with the capability of the man who was even younger than her. Her apothecary teacher was a famous figure in Tianwu Kingdom, but in terms of imparting knowledge, his ability to identify crucial points and mistakes was nowhere near Zhang Xuan’s. In just three days, her pill forging skills had made a huge leap. At this moment, she was already capable of forging a grade-2 pill independently. And being able to forge a grade-2 pill meant that she could take the 2-star apothecary examination. To be able to reach such a standard with just three days of tutoring, even until now, Mo Yu could not believe that this was indeed reality. Under normal circumstances, without at least five to six years of hard work, it is impossible for one to advance from a 1-star apothecary to a 2-star. "Physician Bai, we've gathered all of the books that you require!" On the morning of the fourth day, Zhang Xuan was guiding Mo Yu as usual when the Great Herb King walked in. "Let's go and take a look!" Zhang Xuan stood up. He had been staying in the manor for the past three days for this, and he was glad that the other party didn't let him down. "This way!" The Great Herb King led the way, and soon they arrived at a huge room. Books of all appearance filled the interior, and with a glance at the outermost row, they were verified to be indeed Half-Zongshi and Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals. "I'll take a look, you can all leave first!" Aware that his reading method was beyond unorthodox, Zhang Xuan waved them away. "Yes!" The moment the Great Herb King and Butler Lu stepped out of the room, they heard hurried footsteps from within, and it seemed to them that someone was running in the room. Didn't he ask us to gather these books here so that he can browse through them? Running? The duo stared at one another in puzzlement. "Physician Bai is an extraordinary expert, so it's not surprising for him to have extraordinary methods of doing things. It would be best for us... to leave him be!" Suppressing the urge to peek inside, the Great Herb King shook his head. Other physicians would observe and ask the patient numerous questions in order to confirm their diagnosis... Yet, this fellow does so by knocking the patient out! The other physicians usually demand medicinal herbs and gold coins in return for treating others, but this fellow requested cultivation techniques that were regardless of tier... 'Being gluttonous just results in indigestion', this was a principle that everyone knew. Furthermore, cultivators could only practice a single cultivation technique, so they couldn't understand why Zhang Xuan required so many books. For the past three days, this question had been plaguing their minds. They had come up with dozens of reasons, but none of them seemed viable. They thought that they would be able to guess the other party's intention by observing his actions, yet all they got was the sound of running... Since they've brought the books here, the other party should at least browse through them and learn! Yet, he was running about in the room... They knew that experts usually do things peculiarly, but... this was way too peculiar! "Old master, what do we do now?" They stood outside the room for a long while, but other than the sound of hurried footsteps, their ears failed to catch anything else. Finally, Butler Lu couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "Should we... run with him as well?" "There's no need, we'll just wait outside. He should come out once he's done!" Shaking his head, the Great Herb King was just about to continue speaking when, 'jiya!', doors opened and Physician Bai walked out. "That... Physician Bai, is something wrong with the manuals?" Seeing the other party walk out of the room, the Great Herb King was astonished. He was unable to comprehend the situation at all. Zhang Xuan had specially demanded these cultivation technique manuals, so the Great Herb King thought that he would at least immerse himself in them for a day or two. Why would he be out... right after running for a while in the room?" He shouldn't be able to finish more than a handful of books in such a short period of time, right? "I'm done looking through them!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "If there's anything wrong with the books, I can think of another way... Ah? What did you say? You fi-fi-finished reading all of them?" The bodies of the Great Herb King and Butler Lu staggered, and they nearly vomited blood. It took us so much effort to gather more than a thousand books. You've barely entered for a few minutes... and you say that you're done reading through them? All we've heard was the sound of you running in the room, when did you read those books? "Un, those books were extremely helpful to me. Thank you!" Ignoring the shock on their faces, Zhang Xuan nodded. There were just a thousand plus books inside, and it only took a few moments for Zhang Xuan to finish touching all of them. In fact, the reason why he took a few minutes was that he was busy breaking through Half-Zongshi, which took up some time. Otherwise, he would have probably finished 'reading' through them even before the other party walked out the door. Of the books which the Great Herb King gathered, there were more on Half-Zongshi, and Zhang Xuan was able to form a complete Heaven's Path Divine Art, so he practiced his cultivation on the spot. Half-Zongshi was merely a transition phase to Zongshi realm. With the correct cultivation technique, Zhang Xuan was able to improve swiftly. In just a few minutes, he managed to reach Half-Zongshi and reinforced his cultivation. On the other hand, the Great Herb King had only gathered seven hundred to eight hundred of Zongshi realm cultivation technique manuals, so Zhang Xuan was still lacking a little more to forming the complete cultivation technique. Thus, he stopped at Half-Zongshi. Upon reaching Half-Zongshi, Zhang Xuan's strength increased immensely. He broke through the 1000 ding barrier and reached 1500 ding. At Zongshi realm, a cultivator usually possesses 1000 ding at primary stage, 2000 ding at intermediate stage, 3000 ding at advanced stage, and 4000 ding at pinnacle! Possessing 1500 ding, Zhang Xuan's strength had already surpassed that of Zongshi realm primary stage cultivators despite being a Half-Zongshi. More importantly... Other people took several years, some even decades, to reach Half-Zongshi realm, yet he... only took a few minutes! It was fortunate that the Heaven's Path zhenqi was pure, making it impossible for anyone to see through his cultivation. Otherwise, if the Great Herb King were to know that Zhang Xuan's cultivation made a tremendous leap in the few minutes that he was inside the room, he would definitely cry on the spot. One has to know that he had eaten countless medicinal herbs back then to reach Half-Zongshi. If one were to equate it to money, it was already more than sufficient for one to buy an entire city. He had to spend so many resources in order to achieve a breakthrough, yet this 'Physician Bai' succeeded just by running around the room for a moment... Even the world's greatest genius would blush furiously before Zhang Xuan. "Don't worry about it, this is something that I should do!" Suppressing the urge to tug out his hair, the Great Herb King asked, "Physician Bai, so... what do we do now? Are you still determined to head to the Poison Hall?" "Of course I am!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Not only so, we'll also walk through their doors proudly!" "Proudly?" "That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Didn't you say that the headquarter has already been informed of the old Hall Master's death?" "Un! Just that, it's hard to tell whether the headquarter would send an envoy. If they do send one, the chaos should be quenched swiftly, and that would spare us from danger!" The Great Herb King said. "Otherwise... It would be troublesome." "I have a plan in mind! Rather than waiting here for an envoy who might not even come, why not we... make an envoy ourselves!" Zhang Xuan said. "Make an envoy?" The Great Herb King was confused. "It's simple. You'll bring me to the Poison Hall claiming that I'm the envoy! In any case, none of them has seen the envoy before, so I doubt that they'll be able to tell that I'm a fake." In the past three days, Zhang Xuan gave this matter much thought. Rather than waiting here, he might as well take the initiative. Since an internal conflict had broken out in the Poison Hall and it was dangerous to enter, why not he make an envoy himself to quench the conflict... After all, no matter how much they want the seat of the Hall Master, they wouldn't dare to lay their hands on an envoy of the headquarter. On top of that, they didn't know who the headquarter would send! Thus, why couldn't he pass off as the envoy? In any case, his main motive was to get his hands on the books. He could leave right after duplicating them in the library, and even if someone were to notice that he was a fake after that, he would have been long gone. He has already impersonated as a master teacher before, an envoy of the Poison Hall shouldn't be much of a problem. "You want to pass off... as the envoy?" The Great Herb King's face paled, and his body trembled in fear. Brother, I'm already old and my heart is weak... Are you sure you aren't pulling my leg? Impersonating the envoy wasn't a joke. If someone were to notice a flaw in their disguise, they would be beaten to death on the spot! "Un! Make some preparations, we'll set out now. You've already promised me that you'll bring me to the Poison Hall. Surely you aren't thinking of going back on your words, are you?" Zhang Xuan glanced at the Great Herb King with a frown. "If you're afraid, you only have to bring me to the Poison Hall. You don't have to follow me in!" "I..." This isn't a problem of being afraid or going to the Poison Hall... If your impersonation of the envoy were to be exposed, even dying a thousand times wouldn't be sufficient to make up for our sins! I was just pulled back from the hands of the grim reaper, and now, you are expecting me to leap into a valley of flames... If I knew that this was the intention you have in mind, I would never have agreed to your condition! Is it too late... to take back my words? The face of the Great Herb King twitched. This time, he really burst into tears.

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