"He managed to slaughter the other nine of them?"
"Are you sure you aren't messing with us?" Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing widened their eyes in shock.
Over the past two years, they had pitted their wits, courage, and strength against the Skyleaf King day after day, and they were on the verge of being driven mad from all of that, but they were still unable to faze the latter in the slightest. On the contrary, the number of master teachers on their side was slowly growing fewer and fewer, such that only the both of them were left.
Yet, that fellow, a Nascent Saint cultivator, encountered the remaining nine of the Ten Great Kings and managed to slaughter all of them? Was that for real?
"Not only so," Wu shi continued, "on one occasion, the Skyleaf King was hidden a fragment of his Primordial Spirit among our expedition team, and he ended up nearly being crippled by Principal Zhang."
"Thus, I feel that as long as he proceeds carefully, it might just work out. In fact… I am wondering that if we place him and the Skyleaf King in the same room, would he just happen be the one to walk out from the room alive?"
"This…"
For a very long time, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing found themselves unable to speak a word at all. They glanced at one another for a very long while before they finally found their words once more. "Just what kind of principal did the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy nominate this time around?"
All this while, due to Zhang Xuan's young age, they had thought that it was infeasible for him to become the principal. After all, there were bound to be more experienced and qualified master teacher who could hold the fort much better than him. However, after hearing the latter's accomplishments…
Probably not even Zhang Yinqiu could match up to the latter.
…
While the crowd were still in the midst of a shock in the small room, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at the vast lobby of the Saint Ascension Hall.
There is no doubt that I will be found if I head there in my current form. I should switch to my soul instead.
With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan found a remote corner before drawing his soul out from his glabella. After which, he stored his physical body in the Myriad Anthive Nest before placing the Anthive Nest into his storage ring.
If he were to head there with his physical body, it would be very easy for the Skyleaf King to notice him, and it would be difficult for him to escape as well. He would be in a much safer position in his soul form.
At Leaving Aperture realm, the Skyleaf King's Spiritual Perception was probably strong enough to easily discern everything in his surroundings, but Spiritual Perception wasn't an ability that one could constantly maintain.
As the saying goes, 'even the wary tiger occasionally rests'. As long as Zhang Xuan sneaked in while the other party had his guard down, it would not be too difficult for him to sneak the Grand Intermittence Grass away.
Thus, Zhang Xuan's soul began discreetly heading to where Vice Principal Ji Yan had pointed out earlier. Not too long later, a chamber appeared before his eyes.
Just like the room that Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing dwelled in, the chamber had all kinds of grade-7 formations constructed around it. If an ordinary man were to step into it, he would find himself losing his sense of direction in an instant. However, Zhang Xuan was a 7-star pinnacle formation master himself. As complex as the formations were, they were not sufficient to keep him at bay.
After maneuvering nimbly around the formations, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at the entrance of the chamber. He secretly took a peek in.
The chamber was extremely spacious, and it was permeated with concentrated spiritual energy. Innumerable treasures were laid out neatly around the room, reminiscent of a massive treasure vault.
Most of them were medicinal herbs, pills, books on how to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm, and the sort. In comparison, there were very few weapons in the chamber, or perhaps even none at all.
It seemed like Kong shi had really put quite some effort into preparing the room so as to ensure that the later generations would have a Celestial Saint of their own as well.
The Skyleaf King actually isn't around…
Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the room, and upon realizing that the Skyleaf King was nowhere to be found, his eyes lit up in excitement.
I should move quickly!
Zhang Xuan was still in the midst of thinking up a countermeasure for how he should enter the room if the Skyleaf King was within. However, since the latter was not around, there was no need for him to restrain himself.
Grabbing his storage ring tightly, he carefully entered the chamber in his soul form.
Medicinal herbs took up the bulk of the treasures within the chamber. All in all, there were at least several hundred types of saint herbs within the room. Despite being stored in the chamber for innumerable years, they had not lost their medicinal properties as a result of ageing. Instead, under the nourishment of the concentrated spiritual energy in the area, they were becoming more and more potent!
However, one thing that Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed was that there was a unique formation sealing away every single one of the medicinal herbs, preventing anyone from coming into contact with them.
It's no wonder the Skyleaf King didn't store the medicinal herbs into the storage ring. He probably has no way of breaking these seals, Zhang Xuan thought internally.
The seals were built in a manner similar to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery. Master teachers could pass through the seal with relative ease, but Otherworldly Demons weren't able to do the same.
In other words, despite having guarded the chamber and watching over these medicinal herbs for two years, the Skyleaf King was still unable to obtain a single one of them.
Otherwise, even with the suppression from the sacred light, he still should have made significant advancement in his cultivation through consuming the precious medicinal herbs in the room.
If I wish to obtain the medicinal herbs, it will need to be in my body.
Thus, Zhang Xuan swiftly drew his physical body out from the Myriad Anthive Nest before returning his soul to it.
He stretched his stiffened body for a while before turning his gaze toward the medicinal herbs and books around him.
Most of the books detailed the various methods of how one could achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm. He had already collected many of those and compiled a correct version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, so there was no need for him to collect any more of them.
Saint Void Heart Grass, Heavenly Dragon Flower, Woodscent Stalk… While these medicinal herbs aren't particularly high-tiered, they possess the ability to induce a metamorphosis of one's soul and physical body, thus making them ideal medicinal herbs to push for a breakthrough to Saint realm.
After a swift scan around the chamber, Zhang Xuan nodded.
The medicinal herbs within the room were all useful in one way or another in achieving a breakthrough to Saint realm. It was probably with the differing needs that different cultivators would have when attempting a breakthrough in mind that Kong shi prepared an entire room of medicinal herbs within the Saint Ascension Hall.
Soon, a certain medicinal herb appeared in Zhang Xuan's sight.
As expected, there's indeed the Grand Intermittence Grass here!
The Grand Intermittence Grass could nourish a person's vitality. If paired with suitable medicinal herbs, it could metamorphose a cultivator's physical body into the flesh of a true Saint. That being said, it would be rather extravagant for one to use such a precious medicinal herb for a breakthrough to Saint realm.
I should quickly take it first.
With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan's hand reached for the seal to grab the medicinal herb.
Weng!
As soon as his hand came into contact with the seal, he immediately felt a powerful force pushing him back, stopping his hand from stretching any further in.
If he could not touch the Grand Intermittence Grass, he would be unable to store it within his storage ring. If so, he would have made a wasted trip.
Humph, I don't believe that I can't overcome a mere seal!
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Seeing that the seal only served the purpose of hindering his movements, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he increased his strength, causing his muscles tighten.
Geji! Geji!
The seal dented inwards like a crushed ball, and the deeper the dent, the greater the resistance Zhang Xuan felt.
That's weird…
Despite increasing the strength exerted several times, such that his zhenqi and physical strength were already pushed to their limits, he was still unable to touch the Grand Intermittence Grass. Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about to retract his arm and try again when he realized that the seal had bound itself tightly to his arm like glue. No matter how he struggled, he could not free himself from it.
What a bizarre formation…
Zhang Xuan did not know whether he should cry or laugh in this situation.
Other formations were dangerous and lethal, but this seal… when he tried to push his arm in, it tried its hardest to keep him out. Yet, when he tried to retract his arm, it ended up sticking onto him, not allowing him to leave. Given the current situation, it seemed like he would be trapped until he successfully retrieved the Grand Intermittence Grass.
Soul!
Since his zhenqi and physical body were not sufficient for him to reach the medicinal herbs, he had no choice but to drive his soul energy as well.
Weng!
As Zhang Xuan further increased the force he exerted, energy ripples spread across the seal as it gradually grew more and more dented.
Zhang Xuan's zhenqi cultivation had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle, his physical body had achieved the Fifth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle as well after being nourished by the Lightning Elemental Orb. With the three powerful sources of strength stacking upon one another, not even a Saint 3-dan expert would be able to stand their ground against him.
Jiya!
Go in!
Due to Zhang Xuan driving his zhenqi too quickly, steam was rising from his head.
There was a brief standstill between Zhang Xuan's hand and the seal as the both sides depleted the strength of one another. Eventually, after two minutes, Zhang Xuan's hand finally overcame the seal and touched the leaf of the Grand Intermittence Grass within.
Hu!
He swiftly stowed it into his storage ring.
Huala!
As soon as the medicinal herb was stored into his storage ring, a loud popping sound echoed from the seal as it abruptly vanished from sight.
It was as if the seal had become worthless with the disappearance of the medicinal herb inside, so it chose to dissipate of its own accord.
While Kong shi has left behind a huge collection of medicinal herbs for the later generations, it seems like he has set up a trial around them so that they would only be used by those who are qualified. Without sufficient strength, it's impossible for one to retrieve the medicinal herbs.
If I'm not mistaken, the seal automatically adjusts its durability according to the cultivation realm of the person attempting to retrieve medicinal herb, so it would be nigh impossible for cultivators who are beneath or beyond Nascent Saint to obtain it. This serves as a measure to ensure that the medicinal herbs would be used for breakthroughs to Saint realm, as well as to ensure that the Nascent Saint cultivator retrieving and using the medicinal herb is qualified to be conferred as a Celestial Saint! Zhang Xuan thought as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead.
As expected of the World's Teacher, he sure had everything well thought out.
It seemed like Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing were unaware of this matter, which resulted in them attributing the Skyleaf King's rise in strength to the medicinal herbs.
Speaking of which, the Skyleaf King sure was pitiable. Despite having so many valuable medicinal herbs around him, he was not able to obtain even a single one of them.
It would be good to obtain all of these medicinal herbs, but… it's simply too difficult to draw them out. It'd be best for me to leave with just the Grand Intermittence Grass for the time being. Otherwise, once the Skyleaf King returns, I'll be in deep trouble, Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas.
Of course, it would be for the best if he could obtain all of the medicinal herbs in the room, but that would be extremely dangerous as well. He dared not imagine what would happen if the Skyleaf King were to return while he was in the midst of retrieving one of the medicinal herbs.
Thus, Zhang Xuan turned around, and just as he was about to leave the room, his eyes suddenly fell upon a certain peculiar object.
It was a gel-like fluid that emanated a radiance of seven colors. Flowing slowly within the seal that it cased in, it exuded a peculiar aura that seemed to draw him in.
T-this… Could it be… Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence? Zhang Xuan's breathing hastened as his entire body stiffened in shock.
His Saint Ascension Decipher required one last artifact for him to achieve a breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, and that was the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence.
After browsing through innumerable records, he had learned that the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence only sprouted in the very depths of the earth veins, making it an extremely rare commodity, such that even the author of the book had not seen it before. As such, there were no descriptions on the artifact in the book.
Even so, he felt a peculiar feeling of intimacy to the seven-colored fluid. Furthermore, considering that it had been left behind by Kong shi himself… Without a doubt, it was definitely the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence!
With this, I should have no trouble becoming a Celestial Saint… Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation.
Without any hesitation, he dashed forward and reached his hand into the seal.
This was an artifact that he had to obtain regardless of the cost. He had already been at Nascent Saint pinnacle ever since he left the Subterranean Gallery, and it had been a long time since then.
As long as he could assimilate the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he would finally be able to reach Saint realm!
Geji! Geji!
Driving his zhenqi, physical strength, and soul energy to their limits, the seal casing the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence immediately dented inwards.
"Humph, for pesky rats, you sure scrambled fast! Zhang Xuan, you'd better pray that you don't meet me ever again, or else I will tear you apart into innumerable shreds…"
Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of pushing his hand into the seal to obtain the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, a cold harrumph abruptly sounded outside. Following which, a towering figure walked into the chamber.
The Skyleaf King.
He pushed open the door while mumbling furiously beneath his breath. As soon as he got into the room, he immediately noticed that something was amiss. Scanning the room swiftly, he found a hand plunged right into one of the seals, and attached to the hand was a young man who was trying his best to struggle free.
"You…"
Many emotions flickered across the Skyleaf King's face. From the initial bewilderment, it slowly warped into shock before eventually turning into rage. Clenching his fists tightly, he was just about to rush forward to make a move when the young man suddenly raised his free hand and waved.
"Yo!"