Chapter 81: Calling Kong Shi
While the three argued, Liu Tianzheng furrowed his brow. As the head of a prominent family, he was perceptive enough to realize that Zhang Xuan must be quite extraordinary to garner such attention from three powerful figures. However, his exceptional abilities seemed to be limited to horse taming, which didn’t particularly benefit the Liu family, whose focus was on commerce and trade.
As he pondered whether he should curry favor with Zhang Xuan by refusing to accept the money, Chen Xiao stepped forward, already counting out a large stack of Source Coins. "I’ve counted it carefully—exactly 320,000. Rest assured, Teacher Zhang would never take advantage of you."
After only a brief hesitation, Liu Tianzheng nodded and accepted the money. "Very well!"
Horse taming had nothing to do with him, after all. Besides, Zhang Xuan was only in his twenties. No matter how talented he might be, how exceptional could he really be? Likely, this was just a case of a few people boosting his reputation by exaggerating his skills. Such things were not uncommon and not worth paying much attention to.
Zhang Xuan scanned the room. "Now that this matter is resolved, perhaps it's time for everyone to leave?"
With such a large crowd in his classroom, it had become quite chaotic. But at least his status as a teacher was now solidified, and he shouldn’t face further doubts about his role.
"Everyone should leave now. Don’t forget to have the door fixed, Patriarch Chen..." Dean Lu Mingrong gestured for the crowd to disperse.
However, the horse taming experts, led by Zhou Qun, were filled with excitement. "Dean Lu, since Teacher Zhang will be teaching a horse taming class, can we enroll as students? We’ll gladly pay the tuition!"
"Yes, please accept us...""We already have some foundational knowledge, so it’ll be easier to teach us, and we’re more obedient than most students."
A group of well-known horse taming experts from White Roc City eagerly pleaded.
After witnessing Zhang Xuan’s beast-taming abilities firsthand, they were in awe of his prowess. Being accepted as his students would be an incredible honor.
Dean Lu Mingrong blinked in surprise. He had known that Zhang Xuan's horse taming skills were high, especially after seeing him appointed as the Chen family’s guest elder and witnessing Zhou Qun and others’ respectful treatment. But he hadn't realized just how high until now. Zhang Xuan's talent in horse taming was likely on par with his cultivation and teaching abilities—an endless treasure trove, growing more valuable the deeper one dug.
As Dean Lu considered the pros and cons of accepting these students, Chen Xiao's voice rang out with a grin, "If you want to learn horse taming, you should come to the stables. That way, you can practice with real horses, and there’s plenty of space... Right, Elder Zhang?"
Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.
"Then it’s settled. Elder Zhang will accept you as students, but the classes will be held at the White Roc Stables..." Chen Xiao’s eyes gleamed with excitement. By accepting these experts as students, they would become tied to the Chen family, making future horse taming much easier. Those 320,000 Source Coins were well spent!
Seeing through his intentions, Dean Lu wasn’t pleased and frowned. "Teacher Zhang is a teacher at White Rock Academy. Why should he go to your stables to teach? I think that’s inappropriate. If space is the issue, our academy can set up a dedicated area for practice."
"Our stables receive wild horses every month, making practice more practical and cost-effective!"
"We have dedicated researchers at the academy who can document everything in detail, making it easier to spread the knowledge..."
In an instant, the two began arguing again.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yu Longqing stepped forward with a smile. "Actually, the City Lord’s Mansion also has a stable, and it’s quite spacious. Perhaps I could take Teacher Zhang there to have a look, and he can decide..."
"Shut up, you!" Both Lu Mingrong and Chen Xiao snapped at him.
"Since this is about horse taming, it makes sense to go to a stable. The space is larger, and there are more horses..." Zhang Xuan interjected, settling the dispute.
After all, the Chen family had already put up over 500,000 Source Coins, so it was only fair to prioritize their facilities.
"Thank you, Elder Zhang! Haha! City Lord Yu, Dean Lu, we at the Chen family humbly accept your concession..." Chen Xiao laughed heartily and turned to his son, who was standing nearby in a daze. He kicked him again. "What are you standing there for? Get to the Martial Arts Field and kneel!"
Chen Hao looked like he was about to cry, but he knew he couldn’t defy his father and left the room. Once he was out of earshot, he couldn’t help but ask, "Dad, what’s going on? Why is this Teacher Zhang our guest elder, and why are the Dean and the City Lord treating him like this?"
"With your intelligence, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Just remember that you must never offend Teacher Zhang. His abilities are unfathomable!" Chen Xiao waved him off.
"Yes!" Chen Hao nodded, regretting his earlier actions. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would never have provoked Zhang Xuan. Now, not only was he being punished, but even his goddess seemed to think he was meddling and didn’t want anything to do with him anymore...
A total loss!
...
At White Rock Academy, in Yu Xiaoyu's dormitory, Yu Longqing frowned as he looked at his daughter. "What exactly did Teacher Zhang teach you?"
Since Zhang Xuan had asked them all to leave, they hadn’t stayed much longer. Besides, the longer they stayed, the more likely they were to slip up. Arriving late, Yu Longqing had only heard about the earlier commotion and hadn’t witnessed it himself, so he immediately sought an explanation.
"I’m not sure. It was just some basic cultivation techniques. At the time, I was more focused on learning the Five Directions Accumulation Technique, so I didn’t pay much attention..." Yu Xiaoyu explained, recounting the earlier events in detail.
Yu Longqing urged, "Try to recall the techniques he taught you. I’ll see if there were any flaws and help you improve."
"I... I didn’t remember them!" Yu Xiaoyu admitted, embarrassed.
"You really..." Yu Longqing sighed, shaking his head. "You didn’t even practice, and your strength increased by 20%. I suspect that Teacher Zhang’s techniques might be more powerful than the Five Directions Accumulation Technique, yet you didn’t remember a single thing... Even if I wanted to help, I can’t."
"What should we do..." Yu Xiaoyu scratched her head, feeling lost, until a thought struck her. "Hong Yi seemed to remember quite a bit. I could ask him to write it down for me..."
"Good, go quickly!" Yu Longqing urged.
He was eager to find out what Teacher Zhang had taught them that had caused all three students to improve so dramatically after just one lesson.
It wasn’t long before Yu Xiaoyu returned with a piece of paper, the ink still wet, indicating it had just been written.
Yu Longqing furrowed his brow. "Is that all? It seems Hong Yi didn’t remember much either, likely only a small portion of the complete technique..."
Even though Yu Longqing didn't know the exact technique Zhang Xuan had taught, he had seen plenty of techniques for the Energy Storing Realm. He was familiar with the typical length and complexity of such techniques. The one Hong Yi transcribed was just a single, thin sheet of paper with only a few hundred words. While it might have more content than his daughter recalled, it was still just a fraction of the complete technique.
"Even if you practice it, a partial technique won’t have much effect. Let me take a look and see if I can fill in the gaps. If not, you might as well stick with the Five Directions Accumulation Technique. That technique is the best in White Roc City and should be far superior to an incomplete method."
With a sigh, Yu Longqing took the paper and glanced at it.
"Three Practices, Three Non-Practices... This theory is quite novel, controlling energy into threads, passing through obstacles... Hm?"
Yu Longqing was taken aback. He had started reading with the intention of filling in the missing parts, but as soon as he read the first sentence, he was stunned.
If previous techniques were like seeing the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror, Zhang Xuan's technique was like holding the moon in your hands or placing a flower in your palm—direct, clear, and targeting the very essence of the Energy Storing Realm. Even someone of Yu Longqing’s level found it astonishing.
"Breaking through obstacles with Source Energy, using strength to guide finesse, the specific method is as follows..."
As he read further, Yu Longqing’s expression grew increasingly serious. Initially, he had thought that the incomplete technique was far inferior to their family’s Five Directions Accumulation Technique, but now he realized that the two were on par.
To think that just a small portion of the technique, even with some uncertainties, could rival White Roc City's top method... This was astounding!
And he had only read about one-fifth of the content on this single sheet of paper.
"Dad, how is the technique Teacher Zhang taught?" Yu Xiaoyu asked, curious after seeing her father's expression shift from one extreme to another.
"You... you have no idea what kind of opportunity you missed!" Yu Longqing shook his head in disbelief.
Yu Xiaoyu was confused.
Yu Longqing sighed, "This technique is extraordinary, reaching directly to the essence of cultivation. It’s not just beneficial for the Energy Storing Realm; even I find it incredibly helpful! Such a high-level technique, when taught in person, would be far more effective than practicing it later..."
Powerful techniques carry a special "latent power." Experiencing this latent power firsthand during a lesson makes subsequent practice much easier, allowing for smoother progress. This is why even though the City Lord’s Mansion and the three great families have strong traditions, they still send their heirs to the academy to learn from the teachers.
If Teacher Zhang's technique was this advanced, then during the lesson, it must have released a latent power that caused her strength to increase even without practice. Had she paid close attention, the benefits would have been far greater than a half-month of rigorous training. Missing out on such an opportunity was a major loss.
"Couldn’t you explain it to me, Dad? Wouldn’t that have the same effect?" Yu Xiaoyu asked, not fully understanding.
"Explain? How could I possibly do that? I’m not qualified..." Yu Longqing's face reddened in embarrassment. "You should focus on practicing according to the technique. Compared to this, the Five Directions Accumulation Technique is worthless!"
Though Yu Longqing was White Roc City’s most powerful figure, even he found Zhang Xuan's technique to be something beyond his understanding. He realized that he was far less capable of teaching the Energy Storing Realm than Zhang Xuan. It was almost laughable that he had previously thought he could supplement the technique with his own knowledge.
But then he wondered how someone who, just the day before, hadn’t even ignited a Source Furnace and didn’t know how to cultivate, could create such a powerful technique in such a short time. Was this truly the extent of human talent?
No, he couldn’t let the opportunity to build rapport with Zhang Xuan slip by. He needed to find another chance to gain his favor, especially since the chance to give 300,000 Source Coins had already been snatched by Chen Xiao.
Seeing that her father was serious, Yu Xiaoyu didn’t hesitate further. She took the paper, studied it carefully, and then sat down to begin her cultivation.
As she started, her meridians, nourished by the Source Energy, became stronger and more resilient, and her overall strength continued to grow.
Satisfied that his daughter was on the right path, Yu Longqing quietly left the room.
This Zhang Xuan—able to tame beasts, ignite a Source Furnace, and teach such a profound technique—was far more powerful than anyone had imagined. Yu Longqing resolved to strengthen their connection with him without delay.
He quickly turned to Adviser Liao. "Go and watch over Teacher Zhang’s classroom. The moment he leaves, notify me immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Adviser Liao nodded and left.
...
Meanwhile, Liu Tianzheng had also arrived at his daughter Liu Mingyue’s dormitory. He looked at the technique she had just written down and frowned slightly. "This technique doesn’t seem as good as our family’s Fuyao Accumulation Technique."
Liu Mingyue, feeling a bit embarrassed, explained, "I didn’t remember much—probably only about a twentieth of it..."
Liu Tianzheng replied, "Even with just a fragment, it’s enough to gauge the quality. Let’s take a look at the note Teacher Zhang gave you."
"Wait..." Liu Mingyue quickly intervened. "Teacher Zhang said not to open it until tomorrow, just before class."
"Nonsense! That’s just a childish trick. There’s no harm in looking at it now." Liu Tianzheng dismissed her concern, reached into her pocket, and took out the pouch. He casually opened it, revealing a folded piece of paper inside.
He unfolded it, revealing the message written within: "Increase your strength to 1.2, and you can become my student!"
Liu Tianzheng couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. "You currently have a strength of 0.6. He’s asking you to double it to 1.2—a 200% increase—overnight. Is he serious?"
"A 200% increase?" Liu Mingyue was equally stunned.
While it was true that she had increased her strength by 50% during class, that was only due to the initial boost from practicing the technique for the first time. Expecting a similar increase on the second try, especially on top of an already higher baseline, seemed impossible.
"This guy must be joking! He likely used some unknown trick to boost your strength quickly, but I’d bet it’s some unconventional method," Liu Tianzheng speculated.
"Unconventional?"
"Yes, unconventional—something outside the mainstream. If practiced too long, it could lead to problems like cultivation deviation. You’d better not continue with this technique. Stick to the proper methods instead," Liu Tianzheng advised.
"What should I practice then?" Liu Mingyue asked.
"I will teach you the Liu family's secret technique, Fuyao Accumulation Technique. While it may not be as powerful as the City Lord’s Five Directions Accumulation Technique, it’s not far off. With diligent practice, you can reach 1.2 strength within a month," Liu Tianzheng assured her.
"A month? That long? Then how did Hong Yi double his strength in just one class..." Liu Mingyue questioned, confused.
"His initial strength was very low, so doubling it didn’t require much power. But you, already at 0.6 strength, surely don’t think you can reach 1.2 overnight, do you? That’s impossible! Stop daydreaming and follow my advice—practicing the Fuyao Accumulation Technique is the right path!" Liu Tianzheng insisted, waving his hand dismissively.
Having always followed her father’s guidance, Liu Mingyue hesitated but ultimately didn’t argue. She sat down and focused on listening to his instructions.
As a seventh-level Source Pool expert, Liu Tianzheng's strength was not far behind that of Dean Lu. Teaching a basic Source Pool technique was easy for him.
"Just because he’s good at taming horses, doesn’t mean he’s good at teaching... What a joke! I’ll show everyone that steady practice is the true path, and anything else is just a detour!"
...
Unaware of the differing approaches of his two students, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged in his classroom, channeling the refined Source Energy into the final meridian in his body.
Boom!
A loud roar echoed within him, like thunder reverberating in his core. The last meridian was fully tempered, and the Source Energy in his body flowed smoothly, forming a complete circuit. Zhang Xuan's aura surged, signaling his breakthrough to the fourth level of the Source Pool Realm: the Body Tempering Realm!
After two days of training, not only had his internal injuries completely healed, but his cultivation had also advanced.
"I wonder... how much strength I’ve gained."
The thought popped into Zhang Xuan’s mind.
Yu Xiaoyu had 0.5 strength, Liu Mingyue 0.6—how much could he achieve?
As the ruler of his own world, within that realm, Zhang Xuan could move mountains, fill seas, and traverse infinite distances with a single step. His power was boundless, incomparable by worldly standards. But in the Source World, using such power would inevitably be detected by the Source World’s Heavenly Dao, leading to his annihilation.
Therefore, the strength he could wield here was limited to what he had cultivated in the Source World over the past two days. What he wanted to test now was his maximum strength without drawing from his otherworldly powers.
"According to the technique, the Energy Storing Realm can reach a maximum strength of about 5. I’ve just broken through, so I should be around that level."
In the Energy Storing Realm, refining Source Energy and connecting meridians allowed one to become a true Source Warrior, with a strength potentially reaching 5 horse power.
However, Zhang Xuan’s situation was unique. Unlike others who relied on a Source Pool, he used the Suspended World as a substitute. Whether this affected his strength remained to be seen.
Standing up, he approached the strength-testing array in his classroom.
This array, similar to the force-testing pillars on the Master Teacher Continent, could measure the full extent of one’s strength with a single punch.
Activating the array, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, letting Source Energy flow through his meridians before delivering a powerful punch.
Crack!
The air snapped like a whip, the sound crisp and clear. The array shuddered, and a number slowly appeared—10!
He had the strength of 10 horses.
Double that of a typical Energy Storing Realm expert, comparable to a Physique Stage master.
Of course, this was just the physical strength derived from cultivating Source Energy. Now that his injuries had healed, he could do much more.
Ever since killing the Su Shang horse, Zhang Xuan had been studying the relationship between his new world and the Source World, learning various methods to harness and convert the power of mountains, rivers, and even space within his domain into usable strength.
"Let’s test the power of the new world. It’ll give me a better idea of my potential opponents..."
With a raised eyebrow, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath. Instantly, mountains in the new world ignited, burning away as vast amounts of Source Energy surged into his meridians.
Boom!
This time, his punch didn’t sound like a whip crack but rather a thunderclap.
The array trembled as the numbers on it flashed rapidly, shooting from 10 to 99 in the blink of an eye. Then, with a loud crack!, the array shattered into pieces, scattering across the room.
He had destroyed the strength-testing array with a single punch.
But Zhang Xuan immediately felt his meridians tearing apart from the immense power, Source Energy rushing to the surface as if trying to rip him to shreds. Thunder seemed to gather in the skies above.
Recognizing this as the Source World’s Heavenly Dao attempting to eliminate an anomaly, Zhang Xuan quickly retracted the power generated by burning the new world, reverting to using only Source Energy.
It took a while for the pressure to dissipate.
When he finally examined himself, Zhang Xuan sighed in exasperation.
Just that one punch had burned through over ten mountains and five rivers, each stretching thousands of miles, leaving behind empty voids in the new world.
"It’s clear I shouldn’t use this power unless absolutely necessary..." Zhang Xuan mused with a wry smile.
The new world was akin to his body. If it were completely burned out, he would die, with no hope of recovery. So long as he was in the Source World, he would rely on its power. Only in dire situations would he unleash his true strength—maintaining a low profile was still his primary goal.
"Let’s see how they’re doing."
Now that his body had recovered and he had gained a certain level of self-protection, Zhang Xuan knew it was time to check on things. He raised a finger, and a stream of sword Energy extended from it.
"Heaven and earth will end, but this hatred will never cease!"
The Heavenly Sword Technique, surpassing even the Pathos of Heaven, was once again unleashed.
A vortex of sword light appeared before him, transcending the limits of time and space, crossing the vast distance of the Source World to an unknown destination.
"Kong Shi, Kong Shi, are you there?"
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