Chapter 1136: Danger Danger

“Then I’ll leave it to you,” the old man said, clasping his fist.

Although he felt that the young man in front of him had a profound understanding of formations, with superior insight and knowledge, he still found it hard to believe that a cultivation technique could be modified so quickly. He needed to see it with his own eyes to confirm.

Knowing his thoughts, Zhang Xuan didn't say much. Instead, he stretched out his palm, and true energy instantly formed a curtain-like display in the air. Lines of text slowly appeared before their eyes. It was precisely the modified Glazed Heart Forging Art!

“This… this…” After watching for a while, the old man’s body stiffened, his expression filled with disbelief. “With this modification,” he exclaimed, “various temptations will still appear, but they will progress gradually, from small to large, constantly increasing. Even those with a slightly weaker state of mind will be able to cultivate until they become stronger and stronger…”

He had studied this cultivation technique for countless years and was intimately familiar with it. The modifications made by Zhang Xuan were not numerous, yet they seemed to stem from hundreds or even thousands of years of research, directly addressing the essence of cultivation and altering the very source of the technique.

As a result, while the power upon achieving mastery remained undiminished, the starting point was now entirely different from before. Previously, even a Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall would find it difficult to qualify for cultivation, but now… an ordinary decurion could probably cultivate it with great success.

Seeing his excitement, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

This was indeed a rare secret art for cultivating one's state of mind. Although it was not of much use to him, if Wang Ying and Liu Yang could cultivate it, they could overcome their shortcomings, compensate for their mental deficiencies, and thus become stronger.

Of course, it would be even better if more combat masters could learn it, making the entire Combat Master Hall even stronger!

Having experienced the incident at Qiuwu Palace, he held a deep respect for combat masters. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to help as soon as Hall Master Xing invited him.

“On behalf of all the combat masters of the Combat Master Hall, I thank you…” the old man said, bowing deeply.

“No need for formalities,” Zhang Xuan said, nodding. “As master teachers, it is our duty to contribute our humble strength to humanity!”

This old man had been dead for who knows how long, yet he still left behind his will to pass on cultivation techniques, allowing humanity to grow stronger. Zhang Xuan deeply admired such broad-mindedness.

“Your state of mind is so powerful. If I’m not mistaken, you must be the new Hall Master of the Mind Hall, correct?” the old man asked, his eyes filled with even greater praise upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s demeanor.

Modifying a cultivation technique was a great merit, yet the other party showed no pride or desire for recognition. His broad-mindedness and noble character were stronger, not weaker, than his own back in the day. To be so powerful and yet come here with such ease, he must indeed be the new Hall Master of the Mind Hall.

“No…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He was just passing through the Combat Master Hall; he wasn't even a combat master, let alone a Hall Master.

“Not?” The old man was stunned for a moment before something dawned on him. “I see. Your strength must be your shortcoming. To become a Hall Master, you must reach the Primordial Spirit realm to qualify! You are only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle…”

To become a Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall, there were requirements regarding strength. This young man, in terms of his state of mind, was absolutely qualified to inherit the Mind Hall and become its Hall Master, but his cultivation seemed to be a bit lacking.

“Well then,” the old man said, having seemingly understood the situation, “I am the founder of the Mind Hall and possess the primary control over it. Now I will give this to you as a reward for modifying the cultivation technique! In the future, as long as your cultivation reaches the required level, you will naturally become the Hall Master, and even the Combat Master Hall Master will not be able to interfere…”

“Thank you for your kindness, but I truly don’t need it…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He didn't even want to be a combat master, let alone the Hall Master of the Mind Hall. Just as he was about to refuse, he felt a stream of spiritual energy flow into him from the old man opposite. His heart stirred, and he instantly gained complete knowledge of the Mind Hall’s various formations and structures, along with supreme control over it.

“It is done… the cultivation technique has been modified, and the Mind Hall is now yours…” After imparting all this, the old man’s spiritual presence grew fainter, but a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The reason this spiritual presence had persisted until now was because he hadn't found a successor he was fully satisfied with. Although this young man’s strength was low, his state of mind was very powerful, capable of truly making the Mind Hall flourish. He could finally let go of the burden in his heart.

“I…” Seeing the old man’s attitude, Zhang Xuan was conflicted, unsure how to explain his identity. Just then, the old man’s already fading soul-form grew weaker and weaker, and with a soft ‘pop!’, it vanished before his eyes.

“Sigh!” Seeing him disappear, Zhang Xuan knew that explanations were now useless. He shook his head helplessly.

“When I go out later,” he mused, shaking his head, “I’ll pass the Glazed Heart Forging Art to Hall Master Xing and the others. As for this… I’ll just give it to Hall Master Liao.”

He had no interest in being the Hall Master of the Mind Hall, let alone the Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall.

If worst came to worst, he would just pass on these things to others outside, so as not to betray the old man's trust.

Having made his decision, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around the room, finding no other items that could temper his state of mind, and felt a slight disappointment. He lifted his foot to walk out, but after only a few steps, his heart seized, and the hairs on his body suddenly stood on end.

His Heaven's Path Movement Art instantly activated, and his body vanished from its spot. Immediately after, he saw a cactus fall onto the very spot where he had just stood, creating a large crater in the ground.

Boom! Before he could stop, he felt the surrounding air explode once more, as a surge of immense power crushed in from one side, as if to flatten him into a patty.

His pupils constricted. Zhang Xuan knew this was no time for hesitation. He stomped his foot on the ground, forcibly changed his direction, and leaped into the air.

Crack! Just as he left the ground, a wave of light flashed beneath his feet. The air in the spot he had just occupied was instantly compressed into thin sheets. It looked as if a slight delay would have resulted in him being crushed to death on the spot.

Before he could rest, another sword gleam shot through the air.

It seemed as if his movements had been precisely calculated. Even with his incredibly fast reactions and adaptability, he still fell within the attack's range.

If the previous two moves had merely forced him to flee, this move was definitely a killing blow among killing blows. A single sword swept across, its energy spreading throughout the entire room, leaving no way to dodge!

“What’s going on?” His fists clenched, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

He had never imagined that he would be ambushed and attacked while inside the Combat Master Hall! However, there was no time to ponder. If he couldn't dodge, the only path was death.

In this critical moment, his mind became highly focused, as if he had instantly entered a special state. Under the illumination of his Eye of Insight, the sword gleam before him seemed to slow down.

In this state, he lost his previous panic, replaced by a sense of having everything under control. With a soft whoosh, his body contracted, his bones creaking, ‘creak! creak!’ His previous height of about 1.8 meters instantly compressed into a watermelon-sized sphere.

The sword gleam in the air not only enveloped all directions, making it impossible to dodge anyway. Even if he could dodge, judging by the consecutive attacks, he would inevitably fall into another trap and be unable to escape. Since that was the case, he decided to do the opposite!

As soon as his body contracted, he felt a cold chill whistle past his head. The sword gleam cut past, scraping against his skin, causing a stinging pain.

“Break!” Zhang Xuan’s body expanded, his eyebrows raised, and he pointed his finger forward.

Swish! From his fingertip, a sword qi, as fast as lightning, immediately caught up to the previous sword gleam. Upon contact, it instantly sounded like rain on banana leaves, emitting clanging sounds.

From the continuous attacks just now, he had already seen that the opponent’s strength was significantly greater than his, possessing at least the power of a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert. With his current strength, a direct confrontation would certainly be indefensible. Since that was the case, he would overwhelm it with numbers!

His fingers continuously tapped, and sword qi, like a torrential rain, fell one after another onto the sword gleam. Although the latter was powerful, under the continuous assault, it weakened considerably and vanished with a ‘whoosh!’ into the air.

“Eh?” This series of exchanges happened in a flash. From the initial passive evasion to the counterattack, while it sounds complex, it actually took less than half a breath. The person launching the sneak attack seemed not to have expected that he could not only dodge the attacks but also counterattack and shatter the sword gleam, unable to help but let out a surprised cry.

“Go!” Knowing it wasn't time to relax, Zhang Xuan, still airborne, stomped again and shot upwards.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” an enraged voice roared, and a giant palm print descended from the air.

The palm print covered a range of over ten meters, blocking all possible escape routes. It seemed that no matter which direction he chose, he would be easily intercepted and unable to escape.

“This combat awareness is too strong…” Zhang Xuan’s expression grew solemn.

He had thought that the opponent’s surprise would allow him to escape calmly, but he didn’t expect the opponent to react so quickly, unleashing such a powerful palm print with a single move. The opponent’s reaction speed and combat awareness were both terrifying!

Even Master Wu from back then could hardly compare.

Of course, this was not the time for surprise. Zhang Xuan knew that if he was hit by the palm print, he would be severely injured. He glanced around and continued to dart forward.

Swish! In the blink of an eye, he reached a corner of the main hall. At this moment, the palm print finally descended directly above him.

“Break!” Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan pointed his finger upwards.

Something in the room seemed to be activated. The giant palm print, like a fish frozen in water, was instantly immobilized in mid-air.

Having accepted the old man’s inheritance, he already had complete knowledge of the Mind Hall, and its formations could be easily controlled. Knowing he was being attacked, he had dodged all along, his objective being to reach this formation node and activate it.

If anyone were to draw his trajectory from the moment he stepped out of the entrance to his current position, they would be astonished to find it was a perfectly straight line, without any deviation.

In other words, although he was dodging, he had instantly found a solution. His adaptability was terrifying.

“Hall Master Xing, Hall Master Liao, Hall Master Wei, what are you doing?!” As the formation activated, he finally clearly saw the people who were attacking him, and his brows furrowed.