King Huai Manor was so huge that it was impossible to see the end of it with a single glance. Many powerful guards dressed in golden armor patrolled the soundings of the majestic buildings rising throughout the entire estate. It felt like even an army wouldn’t be able to take down this manor easily.
It was no wonder Hong shi was so worried when Zhang Xuan said that he would come here. This was indeed the den of a ferocious tiger.
‘The movements of these guards seem to be aligned with some kind of formation. They will be difficult opponents!’
As a formation master, Zhang Xuan could easily tell that despite the seemingly random movement of the guards, their movements were actually aligned with something to form a powerful offensive formation.
If anyone were to attempt to intrude into the manor, they would be able to immediately bring forth a destructive assault upon him.
‘Wang Ying and the others should be fine. If the men from King Huai Manor really intended to mean them harm, no one from the Huanyu Empire party would be able to stop them. There is no reason for them to go through so much trouble…’
Upon seeing the astounding might of the manor, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief instead.
Considering how the other party could easily overcome the entire group from Huanyu Empire just by dispatching a few guards, there was absolutely no need to go through the trouble of inviting Wang Ying and the others to the manor.
Possessing absolute power, there was no need for the other party to hide his actions at all.
“Zhang shi, please wait here. We’ll report your arrival to our old master!”
Soon, they arrived at an elegant gazebo. The guard invited Zhang Xuan to take a seat before taking his leave.
Understanding the rules around here, Zhang Xuan sipped on the fragrant tea that a maid served while waiting patiently.
It must be said that the etiquette of King Huai Manor toward guests was truly impeccable. Even the tea leaves used were freshly picked, and the fragrance drifting from it left one feeling deeply revitalized.
While sipping on the tea, Zhang Xuan took this opportunity to activate his Eye of Insight to examine the area.
After taking a brief look, he couldn’t help but shake his head in disappointment.
Even though the security in the manor seemed tight, he could still see many openings under the scrutiny of the Eye of Insight.
Zhang Xuan was confident that with his current cultivation, he could easily enter and leave the residence without being discovered.
“Zhang shi!”
Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning his surroundings, the guard from before suddenly rushed back and announced, “The old master invites you to the main hall!”
“Un.”
Retracting his curious gaze, impassiveness returned to Zhang Xuan’s face. Standing up, he followed the lead of the guard.
After strolling through a maze of corridors, they soon arrived at a vast main hall with a high ceiling.
“Old master, Zhang shi has arrived!”
Upon reaching the main hall, the guard immediately rushed forward and reported their arrival with clasped fists before backing out of the room. Following which, Zhang Xuan stepped into the main hall.
At the center of the massive room sat an austere middle-aged man who exuded a strong authoritative disposition. On the guest seat by the side was a white-haired elder, and a young man was standing behind him.
These were the three people in the room.
The middle-aged man carried a demeanor which reflected the many years in which he’d held his position of power. The chances were that he was King Huai. As for the white hair elder, his very presence felt unfathomable, making it extremely difficult to assess him. On the other hand, the young man behind him unreservedly exerted his aura, revealing his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage expert!
A Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert in his twenties!
Even among the geniuses in Hongyuan Empire, he could be considered as the cream of the crop!
Walking to the center of the room, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted, “Master Teacher Zhang Xuan pays respect to Your Highness!”
“You are Zhang Xuan?”
Before the middle-aged man could even speak, the young man turned his sharp gaze on Zhang Xuan and questioned him coldly.
Seeing how that young man was devoid of the slightest respect, Zhang Xuan ignored him and walked to the guest seat on the opposite side.
“Didn’t you hear my words?” Realizing he had just been snubbed, the young man’s face darkened.
While he was standing subserviently behind the elder, his cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan at his age made him a respected figure no matter where he went. How dare the other party act so arrogantly as to ignore his words?
Zhang Xuan glanced at the young man and replied, “I heard them.”
“Then why aren’t you answering me?” The young man harrumphed furiously.
Ignoring the young man once more, Zhang Xuan turned to the middle-aged man and clasped his fist.
“Your Highness, I believe you should know the reason for my visit!”
“You…”
Seeing how the other party disregarded him yet again, the young man staggered.
‘Stop ignoring me, I am talking to you!’
Gritting his teeth, the young man bellowed furiously, “If you want His Highness to answer your question, you’d better answer mine first!”
“Fine.”
Zhang Xuan finally turned his gaze back to the young man, “Speak.”
“Answer me, are you Zhang Xuan?” the young man asked rudely.
Zhang Xuan turned his face back to King Huai once more and said, “I heard that my students have been invited to your manor as guests. I hope that you will allow me to take them away with me.”
“…”
Fury gushed to the head of the young man, and his body swayed weakly from side to side.
At this point, how could he possibly not tell that the other party was making a fool of him? The other party had no intention of answering his question in the first place!
“How dare you make a fool out of me! Do you know who I am?” With a furious roar, a powerful aura reminiscent of the expansive ocean burst forth from the young man.
Even though his cultivation wasn’t on par with Ye Wentian, the strength he wielded seemed to be far mightier. Especially now that he was enraged, his muscles began bulged out furiously, creating a formidable sight. With just a glance, one could easily tell that he possessed an exceptionally strong body.
“You?”
Despite the other party’s rage, Zhang Xuan remained completely impassive. “Do you think it matters to me who you are? I am a noble master teacher who stood against the Otherworldly Demons for humanity, a respected figure of all mankind. How dare a mere cultivator like you act so haughtily before me? Who gave you the guts to act this way?”
Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan’s words were imbued with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will. Paired with the inviolable aura he possessed as a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan’s presence suddenly towered before the young man as though a giant before an ant.
It was as if desecrating him was an act of blasphemy.
“I…”
The young man froze in fear.
As the number one occupation in the world, the prestige of the master teachers wasn’t just for show. All cultivators had to respect them.
Dishonoring them was equivalent to provoking the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the entire human race!
This was simply the prestige that master teachers commanded!
If anyone could shout and order a master teacher around, how was the Master Teacher Pavilion supposed to establish order on this continent?
The young man tried to take advantage of Zhang Xuan’s weakness to instill fear into him, but he forgot about this unspoken rule. Thus, upon being questioned under the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, he was immediately rendered speechless. His face swiftly paled.
Seeing that the young man was suppressed entirely by him, Zhang Xuan continued, “No matter what, I am a guest in King Huai Manor. His Highness hasn’t even spoken yet, and a subordinate like you actually dares to overstep your bounds and cause such a fuss. Do you have no respect for His Highness and the elder before you?”
“I…” The young man’s body trembled weakly. The ferocious aura he had exuded on earlier vanished completely at this moment.
He had been too engrossed with forcing some humble pie onto Zhang Xuan that he forgot that he was in the presence of King Huai and the elder before him. He had gotten ahead of himself, and his actions could be easily interpreted as insubordination.
“To forget your own place and act so conceitedly before your elders… You aren’t welcomed here. Scram!”
Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves.
“I-I…”
The young man couldn’t find a single word to say. His complexion swiftly turned awful, and after a moment of hesitation, he turned around and walked out.
Zhang Xuan’s current Soul Depth was 19.1, making him comparable to even a 6-star master teacher. Even though the young man was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, he was far too weak to withstand Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will.
With just a few words, Zhang Xuan had made him lose himself.
“This…”
The middle-aged man and the elder were stunned. They didn’t expect Zhang Xuan to be able to beguile the young man into leaving just like that, and they glanced at one another in astonishment.
Wasn’t Zhang shi supposed to be a 4-star master teacher?
How could his words be effective even on a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert?
In the end, the elder shook his head and uttered, “Enough.”
Boom!
That voice wasn’t loud, but it resounded clearly in one’s ears as though a clap of thunder.
The departing young man suddenly froze. The elder’s words had shaken him out of the effects of Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, and he immediately turned around to glare at Zhang Xuan in animosity.
He was on the verge of going insane.
To think that he, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, would actually be beguiled into leaving the room while trying to teach the other party a lesson. The immense humiliation induced a furious blaze within him.
“I will kill you!”
Howling angrily, the young man stepped against the ground and charged forward.
However, at that very moment, the elder’s voice rang in his ears. “Enough! Don’t you think you have embarrassed yourself enough today?”
“Yes!”
Hearing the displeasure in the elder’s tone, the young man shuddered and hurriedly retracted his aura. He swiftly returned back to his place behind the elder and fell quiet. Even so, his vengeful eyes were still fixated on Zhang Xuan, seemingly trying to tear him apart.
However, Zhang Xuan couldn’t care less.
While he wasn’t a match for the other party, there was no need for him to fear the other party either.
After all, the Saint realm puppets he had on him weren’t just for show.
Ignoring the young man, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the elder instead.
Zhang Xuan knew how strong his Impartation of Heaven’s Will was. Those whom he had beguiled couldn’t be awakened that easily by external force. Yet, with just a single word, the elder actually managed to return the young man’s rationality. Without a doubt, the elder was a formidable expert!
In fact, even Mo Gaoyuan didn’t seem to wield such capability either.
“Zhang shi’s students are indeed guests in my manor. I’ll have my men invite them over.”
Noticing the peculiar atmosphere drifting in the air, the middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly issued some instructions to a servant.
The servant swiftly left the room.
“I’ll be thanking His Highness in advance then!”
Hearing that his students were indeed just guests of the manor, the heavy stone weighing down Zhang Xuan’s heart was finally released. But even so, he still had some doubts in mind and said, “My students are mischievous, so I beg Your Highness’s pardon if they have troubled you in any way!”
“Troubled me? How can that be? Zhang shi’s students possess astonishing talent. If anything, I am impressed by them…”
Knowing that it would be impossible for him to hide the truth from the master teacher before him, King Huai shook his head and explained, “To tell you the truth, it was by Elder Yuan’s request that I invited Zhang shi’s students to the manor!”
“Elder Yuan?”
Zhang Xuan was perplexed.
Elder Yuan? He didn’t recall ever meeting such a figure. Why would the other party invite his students to King Huai’s manor?
The elder before the young man stroked his beard and said, “I am Yuan Cheng, the elder of Boundless Empire’s Yuan Clan!”
“Boundless Empire? Yuan Clan?”
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
On the way here, Yu Fei-er had told him about the various Tier-1 Empires and Tier-2 Empires around Hongyuan Empire, but he didn’t recall any of them going by the name of Boundless Empire.
Could it be… a Conferred Empire?
