Eminence Wang was a 9-star poison master just like them. Putting aside his proficiency in poison, his cultivation itself had already reached an unfathomable level. To be crushed in a single strike such that even his Primordial Spirit had no chance to escape at all… it would probably be very easy for the young lady to do the same to them as well.
The Innate Poison Body, the Poison Soul Constitution, and strength beyond measure… Without a doubt, the young lady before them had to be the founder!
Not only were Shen Jue and Eminence He frightened into kneeling down, all of the poison masters who had gathered around the area hurriedly got onto their knees, not daring to show the slightest disrespect to the young lady before them.
The young lady harrumphed coldly. "I don't wish to see anyone doubt me anymore. If anyone is harboring any thought of turning against me, know that you will share the same fate as Eminence Wang!"
She then turned to Shen Jue and Eminence He, and with an impassive look, she uttered coldly, "Offer your souls to me, and I can spare your lives."
"Yes!"
At this point, could Shen Jue and Eminence He afford to hesitate in the slightest? They hurriedly offered their souls to the young lady.
Given how the other party could slay Eminence Wang as easily as snapping the neck of a chicken, she would not require too much more effort to get rid of them!
Gaining possession of Shen Jue and Eminence He's souls meant that she now held absolute control over their life and death. As such, she no longer had to fear the duo turning against her.
After that was settled, she turned to Lin Jianghai and sent him a telepathic message. "Gather all of the 9-star poison masters in the Poison Hall here to awaken my constitution. I want to recover to my peak as soon as possible."
"Yes!" Lin Jianghai had already heard of the story from his student, Bai Ting, earlier, so he was not too surprised by the happenings.
Hu!
After hearing Lin Jianghai's response, the young lady fell back to the ground with her eyes still tightly shut, seemingly falling back into her unconscious state.
However, after that incident, there was no one who dared to look down on the young lady anymore. All of the gazes directed toward her were filled with fear and deference.
Lin Jianghai quickly gathered all of the 9-star poison masters that were currently in the headquarters, and with their combined strength, they managed to suppress and fully awaken Wei Ruyan's Innate Poison Body.
…
Three days later…
Wei Ruyan had finally awakened. Sitting on the highest throne that belonged to the hall master of the entire Poison Hall, she looked into the distance with her fists tightly clenched.
She might have been unconscious, but she could vaguely feel what her teacher had done for her.
Not only did her teacher risk his life to infiltrate the Poison Hall in seek of a cure for her, he had even severed a portion of his soul and slipped it into her consciousness so as to protect her from whatever danger she might have faced on her journey.
This was a deed so great that she truly had no idea how she could repay him.
Recalling her teacher's kind smile and elegant disposition, Wei Ruyan's eyes reddened, and she secretly made a vow in her heart. Teacher, Ruyan will not let down your expectations.
Her mother had died shortly after her birth, and her father had eventually left her as well. For as long as she could remember, pain and suffering had been an integral part of her life. No matter how she struggled and ran, she could never escape from it. Who knew how many times she had lamented the callousness of the heavens? But just as she thought that she was at the end of her road, the world brought her teacher to her.
For her, he had calculated every single possibility so as to ensure that no harm would come to her. For her, he was willing to brave through danger so as to buy her a sliver of hope. For her, he had stood unwaveringly before 9-star poison masters to protect her.
With such a teacher, what else could she possibly hope for?
…
I never thought that the soul fragment that I left with Wei Ruyan would end up being forced into action as well. The Poison Hall headquarters is far more dangerous than I imagined.
Just as the flying ship was descending upon Qingyuan City, Zhang Xuan felt the will that he had left with Wei Ruyan dissipating from overexertion, and he sighed deeply.
Unlike the Master Teacher Pavilion, chaos and lawlessness was the norm for the Poison Hall. It was a place where only those who possessed absolute strength could win the acknowledgement of others. Fearing for Wei Ruyan's safety, he had decided to deposit a fragment of his soul and a golden page with Wei Ruyan in case she landed herself in a dangerous position.
From the looks of it, it was fortunate that he had prepared thoroughly. Otherwise, that student of his might have lost her life.
Currently, he was a little too far away to perceive what had happened in the Poison Hall headquarters, but considering that the golden page had been used, Wei Ruyan should be safe for the time being.
Putting aside 9-star poison masters, even 9-star master teachers would be helpless before the golden page. It should not be too difficult to instill deference into the hearts of the poison masters once it was used.
"Principal Zhang, Combat Master Feng and Combat Master Jiang are here."
While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, Ruohuan gongzi walked over and reported. Raising his gaze, he saw that Feng Xun and Jiang Yuan were indeed in the midst of flying over to the ship.
Zhang Xuan walked forward to greet them.
In the past month of absence, Feng Xun had managed to achieve a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm as well. His strength had grown significantly greater and steadier from before. It was apparent that he had been working hard over the past month.
As for Jiang Yuan, he had successfully reinforced his Primordial Spirit realm primary stage cultivation, and his mind had grown considerably more resilient as well. It seemed like being possessed by the Skyleaf King had made him realize that his greatest weakness lay in his mind, so he had decided to focus his efforts on that aspect.
"Principal Zhang, you are finally here!" Feng Xun said with a smile.
Considering the enormous size of their ship and the comparatively lower cultivation of the aerial saint beasts pulling the ship along, it was natural that Zhang Xuan's group would take longer to arrive at Qingyuan City.
However, this had worked in their favor as well. So far, those from the Combat Master Hall had already learned about the happenings in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so they had all prepared beforehand. So as to uphold their honor, the combat masters were far more motivated and driven than ever, and morale among them was at an all-time high.
Within just the span of a single month, the overall fighting prowess of the Combat Master Hall had risen significantly; even the head of the Combat Master Hall was delighted to see it.
"The Combat Master Hall has prepared accommodation for you and your students. Come, let me bring you over!" Jiang Yuan said.
"Alright!"
Controlling the saint beasts, the flying ship ascended once more, and not too long later, under Jiang Yuan and Feng Xun's lead, they arrived at a massive manor. It was extremely vast, spanning over an area of a hundred qing 1 . Even though Zhang Xuan had brought a large number of students along with him, the size of the manor was still sufficient to house all of them comfortably.
After settling the group into the manor, Feng Xun walked to Zhang Xuan and said, "Principal Zhang, the exchange will be held three days from now. Our Combat Master Hall will hold a grand welcoming ceremony to receive you then!"
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"I'll be troubling Combat Master Feng then." Zhang Xuan nodded.
Considering how his students had just made the long journey from Hongyuan City to Qingyuan City, it was natural that they were feeling mentally fatigued at the moment. In order to be in their peak state for the exchange, it would be best for them to have a few days of rest. The date of the exchange had probably been arranged in consideration of that.
After confirming the date that the exchange would be held, Feng Xun and Jiang Yuan took their leave. Shortly after that, Zhang Xuan beckoned for School Head Mo to come over.
"Have the students condition their state and cultivate diligently in preparation for the exchange three days from now. I have some matters that I have to attend to, so I'll be heading out for the time being."
The purpose for holding an exchange with the Combat Master Hall was to broaden the students' horizon, so it did not matter whether they won or lost.
After all, it was impossible for everything to go smoothly in cultivation. Besides, occasional losses weren't too bad either. It would help to build their mental resilience and aid them in maturing as a person.
Putting everything aside, even Zhang Xuan had suffered constant losses to his clone as well. Yet, despite losing time and time again, he had never lost his confidence and drive. Instead, he saw his clone as a goal that he should strive for, and that only served to fuel his motivation.
Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was heading out, School Head Mo nodded slightly. A moment later, he suddenly realized something, and he turned a worried gaze toward Zhang Xuan. "Principal Zhang, we are currently in the capital of Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and there are many experts here. When you are outside, you must make sure to not act recklessly. Otherwise, even we will be unable to help you when you get into trouble."
Their principal was an incredible person. On top of possessing unparalleled talent, he was righteous as well. However, he had just one single flaw—recklessness.
Back in Hongyuan Empire, they could still cover up for him given the prestigious standing of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, in Qingyuan City, there were many individuals whose standing was above theirs, so it was still best for them to proceed carefully. They were only there for an exchange, so it would be best if they did not cause trouble beyond their means.
Seeing the worried look on School Head Mo's face, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. "Rest assured, I am only heading out to find a way to treat the Golden Origin Cauldron. I won't cause any unnecessary trouble!"
He had always conducted himself prudently, so why did School Head Mo have such a poor impression of him? It was as if the other party regarded him as a troublemaker.
"That's good…" School Head Mo heaved a sigh of relief.
Honestly speaking, he was a little skeptical about what Zhang Xuan had said. However, the latter was still the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, his direct superior. As an elder of the academy, it was within his rights to offer words of advice to the principal, but if he went too far, it could be considered insubordination.
After leaving the manor, Zhang Xuan asked around for the direction to the Blacksmith Guild before heading over.
The Golden Origin Cauldron had fallen into a coma after saving the expedition team, and as its master, it was only right for him to find a way to save it.
Before Zhang Xuan reached the Blacksmith Guild, a rather peculiar looking building came into sight. The building was reminiscent of a tower, rising straight into the clouds. Its top was rather slender, and it arched slightly downward like the neck of a swan.
Reading the plaque that hung at the entrance, Zhang Xuan was intrigued.
Spirit Awakener Guild? What kind of occupation is a spirit awakener?
He knew quite a bit about the various occupations in the world, but he had never heard of spirit awakeners before.
Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, an attendant suddenly walked up to him and said, "This young master over here, are there any artifacts that you need enchanted? At just a price of ten middle-tier spirit stones, I can introduce you to the best spirit awakener in our guild. I guarantee that it will definitely be well worth your money."
The attendant was a young man in his early teens. His cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, but the brilliant gleam in his eyes seemed to hint that he was a particularly resourceful person.
Zhang Xuan casually took out ten middle-tier spirit stones and tossed them over to the attendant.
To the current him, middle-tier spirit stones were not worth much. He would not feel guilty no matter how many of them he splurged. Since the attendant seemed to know quite a lot regarding spirit awakeners, it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the occupation.
"Is spirit awakener… a unique occupation?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking.
Hearing Zhang Xuan's question, the attendant replied with a question of his own. "Young Master, you aren't a local, right?"
"I came from Hongyuan Empire," Zhang Xuan answered with a nod.
The attendant chuckled. "That explains it. It's not uncommon for those who came via Qingyuan Empire to have never heard of spirit awakeners before."
"In the strictest sense, spirit awakener cannot be considered as a unique occupation, but without a doubt, it's one of the most lucrative occupations in Qingyuan Empire. There are countless cultivators who have come in seek of their services, and even those from the Master Teacher Pavilion visit often!"
Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked, "What can spirit awakeners do?"
Even if spirit awakener was not a unique occupation, considering how even master teachers sought their services, there was bound to be something extraordinary about them. It was probably an occupation similar to herbologist; even though it might not have a distinct heritage required for it to be considered a unique occupation, their outstanding prowess in handling medicinal herbs was indeed something that mankind direly needed.
"As the name suggests, spirit awakeners have the ability to enchant spirits!" the attendant said. "For example, there are some cultivators who might find it hard to advance to Consonant Spirit realm due to having reinforced their cultivation too much. In such circumstances, if a spirit awakener assists in guiding the soul along, the cultivator will be able to achieve a breakthrough smoothly.
"Also, when weapons lose their spirit, spirit awakeners are also able to enchant a new spirit into it, thus breathing life into the weapon once more. On top of that, spirit awakeners are also able to guide souls into a unique state of mind that makes it easier for them to be refined and tempered. All in all, it is an occupation that is centered around support!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "This… Do spirit awakeners have the ability to awaken a dormant spirit within an artifact as well?"
"Of course! Other occupations might be completely helpless before a dormant spirit, but spirit awakeners definitely wield such a capability," the attendant replied proudly. "Anything concerning souls and spirits come under the expertise of spirit awakeners! If that's what you are seeking, then I must say that you have come to the right place!"
"Very well, take me in," Zhang Xuan said with a nod.
His purpose of heading to the Blacksmith Guild was to awaken the Golden Origin Cauldron's spirit, but seeing that the spirit awakeners happened to specialize in this field, he decided to pay their guild a visit first.
While leading the way forward, the attendant asked, "Young Master, do you have an artifact whose spirit has become dormant?"
The spirits contained within artifacts were not too different from souls. They could be severely damaged in the midst of battle, and they would also gradually erode with time as well. Many powerful artifacts had met their downfall in such a manner.
While reforging an artifact would grant it a new spirit, such a process could be highly damaging to the artifact, resulting in a decline in its tier. This was where spirit awakeners came in.
In addition, there were formidable spirits who were unwilling to submit to their masters. In such cases, a cultivator might also opt to have the spirits erased so as to have a more subservient spirit enchanted into it.
"That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
"May I know what tier your artifact is? Depending on the tier of your artifact, the rank of the spirit awakener you need will differ as well," the attendant said.
"Saint intermediate-tier!" Zhang Xuan replied.