Chapter 1097: Pretending and Being Struck by Lightning

Zhang Xuan was utterly distraught at this moment. He never dreamed that King Tianye would enter at this particular time. His arm was now trapped within the seal, unable to go in further or pull out. He wanted to escape but couldn't, a truly unspeakable predicament.

"Hi?" Hearing the greeting, King Tianye was momentarily stunned. Seeing him, the other party not only didn't flee in terror but also uttered a strange language, which bewildered King Tianye. In a flash, however, he reacted: "You're trapped by the seal? Haha, heaven is truly on my side!"

This fellow had made him suffer greatly, completely ruining the reputation of the dignified first king of Qingtian. King Tianye had been plotting revenge, assuming the other party would retreat into that small nest and never emerge, making them impossible to capture. He never expected them to walk right into his trap. Indeed, he chose to barge into hell's gate when heaven's path was open to him!

He had studied these seals for two full years and knew that once a hand touched inside, it was impossible to withdraw it without first acquiring the treasure. The other party's current state clearly indicated they were attempting to retrieve something, trapped with no means of escape.

"Haha, since you're here, you might as well stay!" His eyes gleamed as he abruptly raised his hand, ready to seize the man before him.

"Wait!" Before his True Qi could fully surge forth, he heard the young man's voice.

"What, seeking mercy? It's too late!" Knowing the cunning nature of the man before him, King Tianye let out a cold sneer. His True Qi gathered into a massive palm print, poised to strike at any moment. He was an expert in the Soul Division realm, Saint 5-dan, with astonishing power. If that palm print truly descended, not only would Zhang Xuan be unable to resist, but even President Han and Master Wu combined would undoubtedly be flattened on the spot.

"Beg for mercy? What a joke! Would I ever beg for mercy from a lowly creature like you? Do you even know who I am?" With no trace of fear, Zhang Xuan looked over, exuding a natural air of authority.

"Who are you? You're the principal of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy! The only Master Teacher in Hongyuan Academy recognized by everyone! As long as I devour you, my strength will surely break through, allowing me to escape this cursed place!" King Tianye roared, his eyes turning ferocious.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could enhance their power by consuming Master Teachers. In the past, the ruthless individual's finger bone had used the "Emperor" of Cloud Mist Mountain to ambush and slay Master Teachers, absorbing their strength to generate flesh and blood. The higher a Master Teacher's rank and talent, the greater the boost to cultivation after consuming them. King Tianye had long desired to slay Zhang Xuan. Now that Zhang Xuan had delivered himself into the trap, how could he possibly let him go?

"Impudent!" His face darkened as Zhang Xuan circulated the Heaven's Path True Qi within him, transforming it into Slaughtering Qi. In the blink of an eye, a vast aura spread forth. "I am..."

Crackle!

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a thick electrical current surge from the seal around his palm. In a flash, his entire body was scorched black from the electric current, his body stiffened, and his hair stood on end. Had his physical body not already reached the Saint artifact level, he probably would have died instantly.

His eyes rolled wildly, and Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. All he wanted was to put on a show and trick King Tianye. Was that such a grave sin, to be struck by lightning for it? Filled with frustration, he instantly understood what had happened.

He had previously suspected that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe couldn't retrieve these treasures, and now it seemed his suspicions were correct! He had transformed his Heaven's Path True Qi into Slaughtering Qi, and the array, mistaking him for an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe member, immediately electrocuted him. Fortunately, he realized the mistake and swiftly reverted his True Qi. Otherwise, even with his robust physical body, he would surely have perished there. To not be killed by King Tianye, but instead to be electrocuted by the array for simply showing off — if that were to happen, it would be utterly humiliating.

"You..." King Tianye, who had been about to attack, was momentarily stunned when he saw Zhang Xuan's scorched face. The Slaughtering Qi that had suddenly emanated from the other party just now, though faint, was purer than his own. Coupled with being struck by lightning from the array, could it be that this person wasn't a Master Teacher, but one of their own tribe?

"Cough, cough, you should understand my identity now, shouldn't you?" Zhang Xuan coughed out a puff of white smoke.

"You're also from the Ling Tribe?" King Tianye's brows furrowed, he was stunned for a moment, then his eyes flickered. "No, that's not right. You're a Master Teacher, and you've been recognized by so many Master Teachers. How could you be from the Ling Tribe? I know! You must have killed King Hongye and the others, used a special method to retain their Slaughtering Qi, and now you're trying to confuse me. Dream on!"

Boom! As he spoke, the True Qi in the air swirled chaotically once more, and King Tianye's powerful pressure was poised to strike at any moment. As a Soul Division realm expert, this man was clearly not as easily fooled as the previous kings. Although Slaughtering Qi was unique to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, this man could well have killed other kings, gathered their Slaughtering Qi using a special secret art, and disguised himself as one of their kind. Years ago, a Master Teacher had done precisely that, causing them immense losses.

"Killed King Hongye? That was just a trick to fool them. Look who this is..." Zhang Xuan reached out with his other hand, and a figure appeared before them. The figure was tall and well-built. Upon seeing King Tianye, he immediately smiled and said, "It's me!" It was none other than King Hongye!

"You're not dead?" Seeing King Hongye, who had been forcibly killed within the array, actually alive and intact, King Tianye was bewildered. What was happening? His remnant soul had been severely wounded back then, but he hadn't left the vicinity. He had personally witnessed King Hongye trapped and slain by the array on the spot. How could he be alive again?

"No, that's not right. The Slaughtering Qi in your body isn't King Hongye's, and your strength is off." After a moment of doubt, he suddenly noticed something amiss. Although this "King Hongye" had Slaughtering Qi within him, it gave off an ancient, ethereal sensation, completely different from the cultivation art the real King Hongye practiced. What's more, there appeared to be a significant difference in strength; this one was only at the pinnacle of Half-Saint, still far from the Saint realm. The true King Hongye, however, was a genuine half-step Soul Division realm expert.

"To deceive those Master Teachers, I sustained injuries, so my cultivation naturally weakened. If you think there's something wrong with me, then you should also recognize him!" "King Hongye" furrowed his brows and snorted. Immediately after, King Tianye's vision blurred, and another figure appeared before him: the missing King Ziye.

"Greetings, King Tianye!" Upon seeing him, King Ziye quickly cupped his fists in salute. King Tianye frowned. This King Ziye showed no anomalies whatsoever; his True Qi cultivation and soul aura were precisely as King Tianye remembered them. Releasing both King Hongye and King Ziye like this... Could Zhang Xuan truly be one of their own tribe, and not a Master Teacher after all? Publicly slaying several great kings, but secretly saving them?

"No, that's not right. If you were truly from the Ling Tribe, why would you reveal my presence?" King Tianye frowned again as a thought struck him. His own strand of consciousness had been hidden within Jiang Yuan's body; by all rights, no one should have discovered it. Yet this fellow had forcibly extracted him and caused him such immense suffering! If he were truly a member of the Ling Tribe, why would he have done that? He had been hidden so deeply that even Feng Xun, who was with him day and night, hadn't discovered him.

"That was to gain the trust of the human race, to easily obtain the map!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, his face full of sincerity. However, as he was currently scorched black from the lightning, his earnest expression appeared strangely eerie.

"To easily obtain the map? You acquired it?" King Tianye was startled.

"Indeed, it's in my hands!" Zhang Xuan nodded, and with another movement of his palm, a map appeared, slowly floating above his palm.

"It truly is..." King Tianye's eyes lit up as he saw the ancient parchment, which emanated a special aura that resonated with Qiuwu Palace. He had obtained the introduction to the relic and knew the appearance and aura of the true map. This one before him was unquestionably authentic.

"May I see it?" Filled with excitement, he extended his hand.

With a flick of his palm, Zhang Xuan stowed it into his storage ring. He shook his head and asked, "Do you understand my identity now?"

"This..." Seeing him put away the map, King Tianye was stunned for a moment, then frowned. "Who exactly are you?" Judging by the other party's actions and aura, he could indeed be from the Ling Tribe. But King Tianye couldn't recall anyone else in the Qingtian lineage who possessed such pure Slaughtering Qi.

"Who I am, I cannot tell you yet. You only need to know that I was sent by Emperor Qingtian to assist in the completion of this mission." Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"Sent by the Emperor?" King Tianye scrutinized the man before him more closely. His True Qi was pure, emitting a faint Master Teacher aura. No matter how he looked, he seemed to have no connection whatsoever to the Ling Tribe.

"Indeed. Alright, I'm going to retrieve this item now. You step back for a moment. Once I've taken the treasure, I'll explain everything to you in detail." Seeing that King Tianye seemed somewhat convinced, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and hastened the work with his other hand.

"Retrieve the treasure?" Stunned for a moment, King Tianye's eyes flashed, and he gave a cold sneer. "Trying to fool me? Who exactly are you?"

"Fooling you? King Tianye, what do you mean?" Zhang Xuan had a headache; he hadn't expected the other party still wouldn't believe him. Any of the other kings would surely have fallen for it, but this fellow remained entirely unconvinced; he was simply too cunning.

"Even if I can't discern who you truly are, the array left by Master Kong certainly can! If we Ling Tribe members could deceive Master Kong, we wouldn't be in such a passive state." He sneered again, King Tianye continued to raise his palm, his True Qi surging like boiling water, ready to erupt at any moment. This person in front of him had only been electrocuted once when his palm touched the seal, indicating he was fundamentally not a member of the Ling Tribe. He had to be an imposter.

"You..." Zhang Xuan was filled with anxiety.

"How about it? I've seen through you, haven't I? Since that's the case, stay here!" With a cold sneer, King Tianye's raised palm was about to strike when he felt a sudden, intense pain in his head. With a "bang!" his head abruptly exploded. His body flew backward, crashing straight into a nearby wall like a heap of mud.

"King Hongye" clapped his hands, and his body writhed, transforming to look exactly like Zhang Xuan. "I told you we should just finish him with one punch," he muttered. "But no, you had to indulge in all this chatter. You really bring trouble upon yourself."