In less than a day after leaving his students, Zhao Ya was injured by someone. Then, in less than four hours since leaving the classroom, Mu Xueqing was injured as well?
Wasn’t this too coincidental? Was the God of Misfortune lingering around him?
“Yes!” Meng Tao’s face was flushed.
“Bring me to her!”
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan followed him into the classroom.
Upon entering the classroom, he saw Mu Xueqing leaning against the wall of the classroom with a pale face.
Walking up to her, Zhang Xuan took a look and…
He suddenly felt dismayed.
Indeed….
He couldn’t discern anything at all!
Zhao Ya was cultivating a cultivation technique he imparted, and the technique could be considered as an offshoot of Heaven’s Path Divine Art. Furthermore, he had been with her for a significant period of time, thus even without knowing the illness, he was able to cure her easily.
On the other hand, Mu Xueqing was a student he had just accepted today. As such, he didn’t have a clear idea of her physical condition and thus, was unable to see through the root of her affliction in a glance.
If he couldn’t even discern the root of her problem, how could he possibly treat her?
“Execute a battle technique!”
After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan could only decide on the crudest course of action.
“Yes!”
Even though Mu Xueqing was perplexed over her teacher’s instructions, she still nodded out of trust for the other party. Clenching her fist tightly, her arm shot out swiftly.
Her offense caused the book of her in the Library of Heaven’s Path to be refreshed. After taking a look, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
This lass had forcefully used battle techniques beyond her and injured her meridians. This wasn’t a big problem for him.
With a flick of his fingers, a few silver needles appeared and flew toward several parts of her body.
A moment later, Mu Xueqing felt a surge of comfort gushing through her body. The injuries she had sustained from forcefully executing battle techniques beyond her had disappeared without a trace.
Sensing the change in her body, Mu Xueqing widened her eyes in disbelief.
Her father was an apothecary who often formulated pills to treat the traumas of others. She knew that injuries caused by forcefully using battle techniques beyond one’s capability were hard to resolve. A single mistake in the treatment could potentially cause one’s cultivation to be crippled.
Yet, why did this complicated problem seem so easy in the hands of Liu laoshi?
“I apologize for adding to teacher’s troubles…”
Mu Xueqing understood that Liu laoshi’s means far surpassed that of ordinary physicians or apothecaries, and her admiration for the latter deepened.
“It’s nothing. How did you get injured?”
Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.
“Senior got…”
Meng Tao was about to explain when Mu Xueqing raised her hand and interrupted.
“I was trying out battle techniques and forcefully used battle techniques beyond my cultivation out of my negligence… Teacher, sorry for worrying you!”
Zhang Xuan could tell that that Mu Xueqing was hiding something, but since the latter was unwilling to talk about it, Zhang Xuan decided not to ask any further. “Alright! If there’s nothing else, Lu Chong, you stay behind. As for the rest, you should return and rest for the day!”
“Teacher…”
Mu Xueqing hesitated.
“Is there something?” Zhang Xuan turned to look at her.
“Teacher, can you impart me a battle technique…” Mu Xueqing asked with a reddened face.
She was the one who tried to turn the entire class against him at the very start. Thus, she felt embarrassed asking the other party to impart her a battle technique at this moment.
However, she knew that if she didn’t learn a new battle technique, it would be impossible for her to triumph over that lady.
Her father’s battle technique was too powerful for her. If she didn’t execute it well, she would sustain heavy injuries just like how she did earlier.
More importantly…
It was impossible to become adept at a battle technique without several years of effort. She was going to fight against that person three days later. If she were to ask this of anyone else, she would never make it in time. Thus, she could only pin her hopes on Liu laoshi, who had created miracle after miracle.
“Battle technique?”
Zhang Xuan turned to look at her doubtfully. “What do you want to learn?”
“I specialize in saber, so if possible, I hope that teacher can impart me a saber art…”
Mu Xueqing said.
“Saber art?”
Zhang Xuan was surprised.
Ladies tended to prefer swords due to their lightness and elegance which complemented their disposition. Yet, this lass favored sabers instead. This was something that was beyond Zhang Xuan’s expectations.
“Alright, I’ll think about a suitable saber art and impart one to you tomorrow. You should leave for now!”
Zhang Xuan nodded.
“Alright!”
Mu Xueqing bowed in gratitude before leaving with Meng Tao and the others.
“Senior, why didn’t you allow me to say it?”
After leaving the classroom, Meng Tao couldn’t hold himself back and immediately questioned.
She obviously got injured while trying to uphold Liu laoshi’s honor, so why did she stop him from saying it?
“Say? What do you intend to say? That I got injured while sparring with Zhang shi’s student? If I were to say so, Liu laoshi would most probably drag me to the other party to apologize!”
Mu Xueqing harrumphed.
“This…”
Meng Tao froze.
The standing and influence of a master teacher mustn’t be underestimated. A genius like Zhang shi wasn’t someone that an ordinary teacher like Liu laoshi could stand up against.
If Liu laoshi were to find out that his students had conflicts with other party, it was highly possible that he might drag senior there to apologize.
“It’s not a big deal for me to lower my head and apologize, but I earnestly feel that Liu laoshi isn’t inferior to Zhang shi in any way… In fact, I think he is even more capable than the latter! How can there be such a huge difference between their reputations? I must defeat that fellow and bring honor to Liu laoshi’s name!”
Determination gleamed in Mu Xueqing’s eyes.
How could Liu laoshi, despite his capability, remain as an unknown figure in the capital? Clearly, it was due to the lack of a suitable platform for him to display his prowess. The duel with Zhang shi’s student was an excellent platform to prove Liu laoshi’s ability. As long as she wins against the other party… Liu laoshi’s name would be known throughout the entire capital instantly.
Everyone would know that even though Liu laoshi wasn’t a master teacher, his capability wasn’t inferior to one!
“I agree with you!”
Meng Tao nodded his head in agreement.
Indeed.
If senior were to report this matter to Liu laoshi, it would be impossible to continue on with the duel. If so, how could she bring honor to Liu laoshi’s name? How could she make everyone understand that he is an incredible teacher?
Of course, he also knew that she was only trying to justify her actions. That wasn’t her primary aim at all.
Mu Xueqing was a mini tyrant in the academy, having chased away several teachers. Someone had crossed her path and even wounded her. If she didn’t get her revenge and make the other party apologize to her, she wouldn’t be able to let this matter rest.
“Alright, don’t let Liu laoshi know about this matter. I’ll teach whoever who dares to babble to him a lesson!”
Mu Xueqing glared at her juniors menacingly.
“Yes!”
Everyone hurriedly nodded their heads.
“We won’t say anything, but what if Lu Chong…”
Meng Tao suddenly thought of something and pointed toward the classroom.
Lu Chong was currently alone with Liu laoshi in the classroom. Even if they were to seal their mouth, it would be for naught if Lu Chong revealed the matter.
“Lu Chong? That fellow is reluctant to even open his mouth! Do you think it is possible for him to babble to Liu laoshi?” Mu Xueqing rolled her eyes.
“That’s true…” Meng Tao scratched his head awkwardly.
In the two years that they had been with Lu Chong, the latter had spoken less than three sentences. How could he possibly start gossiping about this matter…
…
And just like they had guessed, Lu Chong didn’t say anything.
At this moment, he was staring cautiously at Liu laoshi… The request that Liu laoshi raised had put him in a difficult position.
“Take off your clothes…” His teacher’s voice sounded.
“Take off my clothes…”
Scratching his head in embarrassment, Lu Chong was at a loss.
“The cultivation of Poison Body is extremely difficult. For that, the physical body enhancement technique that I taught you has to reach Major Accomplishment at minimum. You are still lacking in mastery, and I’ll have to give you a boost!”
Zhang Xuan said.
Cultivating the Poison Body was an extremely difficult and dangerous matter. Otherwise, countless poison masters wouldn’t have died in the midst of doing so.
“Yes!”
Upon hearing that his teacher was only getting him to strip for cultivation purposes, Lu Chong heaved a sigh of relief.
If Zhang Xuan were to know what the other party was thinking, he would definitely die of rage.
The students nowadays… Do they all mature that early?
What in the world is going through their minds…
Soon, Lu Chong took off his clothes and lay horizontally on a bench in the classroom.
Frowning slightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm.
With a slight movement, the silver needles immediately pierced into Lu Chong’s acupoints. The pure Heaven’s Path zhenqi started flowing through his body.
Lu Chong’s talent was nothing short of ordinary. Given his current cultivation speed, it would take at least two days or so before he could reach Major Accomplishment for the simplified version of Heaven’s Path Golden Body. After reinforcing his cultivation, around four days would have already passed.
Zhang Xuan had already boasted that he would grant Lu Chong the ability to exact vengeance within ten days. If Lu Chong were to spend so long a time on the Heaven’s Path Golden Body, it would be difficult for him to form the Poison Body within the deadline.
Thus, in order to hasten the process, he intended to use his own zhenqi to drive the other party’s and raise the other party’s cultivation.
If he were to do so for Zhao Ya and the others, they might grow reliant on him, and this kind of mindset could potentially limit their future accomplishments. However, Lu Chong was different.
He had kneeled at the entrance of the academy just so to come under the tutelage of a teacher. Furthermore, to prevent himself from revealing anything, he could even play off as a mute for two years… His mental fortitude was far beyond Zhang Xuan’s other students.
With such mental fortitude, how could he possibly lose his confidence even if his rate of growth of his cultivation was slow after this?
More importantly, the method of forcefully raising one’s cultivation would expose one in excruciating pain. Zhao Ya and the others, and this was including Yuan Tao as well, would be unable to endure such grievous pain.
Peng peng peng peng!
Zhang Xuan flicked his five fingers, and silver needles danced around.
Surge after surge of zhenqi flowed through Lu Chong’s body via his meridians, and the previously narrow meridians began to tear apart.
It was as though thousands of knives were lodged into his body, slicing his flesh simultaneously into innumerable pieces. It was fortunate that Lu Chong possessed a strong will. Otherwise, his mind could have broken down by now.
“Endure it!”
The zhenqi in Zhang Xuan’s body pumped furiously as he shot all of the silver needles in his hands out.
Zhang Xuan was well-versed in the pathways that one’s zhenqi had to flow through for the cultivation of the Heaven’s Path Golden Body. The silver needles seemed lodge into Lu Chong’s body in a certain pathway, heading upward until it eventually reached the cap of his head.
Boom!
Under the guidance of Zhang Xuan’s silver needles, zhenqi gushed into Lu Chong’s head. In that instant, Lu Chong felt as if an explosion had occurred in his head, as though he had broken through a bottleneck.
“Pixue realm… I have actually reached Pixue realm?”
He instantly realized that he had broke through Dingli realm pinnacle, reaching Pixue realm.
“Don’t move, it’s not over yet!”
Feeling the agitated trembling of Lu Chong’s body, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. With a flick of his hands, the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan obtained from the Physician Guild appeared in his hands. With a sudden burst of zhenqi, he reduced all of those medicinal herbs into powder.
Tzzzzzzz!
The powder melded together, and a reaction immediately occurred. Swiftly, it morphed into an extremely toxic substance.
With a grasping action, the silver needles across Lu Chong’s body flew back and plunged into contact with the toxic powder. In an instant, the entire needle turned black.
Then, with another flick, these poison needles flew back into Lu Chong’s body.
“AH…”
The lethal poison flowed through the silver needle and seeped into the Lu Chong’s body. An excruciating pain several times greater than that of the previous one struck him. His face immediately paled, and unable to hold himself back, he yelled in agony.
Hu!
After striking all of the silver needles back onto the other party’s body, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he kept the remaining medicinal powder back into his storage ring.
He was done conducting the first round of poison tempering. Whether the other party was able to pull through would depend on his mental fortitude.
If he failed to hold on, he would fall into death’s embrace!
But if he held on, he would be able to metamorphose from a cocoon into a butterfly, becoming one of the strongest experts in Tianwu Kingdom!
