Chapter 1138: Zhang Xuan Passes On His Skills

"I misunderstood..."

Hall Master Xing bowed deeply. Regardless of the other party's true strength, the sheer miraculousness of their method for repairing soul injuries was utterly astonishing. Someone with such medical skill must be at least a Seven-Star pinnacle master, holding a position of immense status and dignity. How could such a person possibly launch a sneak attack?

Moreover, the other party was right: if they truly intended to kill him and already controlled the Mind Hall, they would have acted long ago without any need for discussion. For him, the dignified Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall, along with two Hall Masters, to attack someone who genuinely wanted to help them... The thought filled him with deep shame. His judgment had been clouded by preconceived notions and the recent experience with inner demons. Otherwise, he certainly would have realized these facts.

"For what we have done, I don't dare to ask for Master Sun's forgiveness. I only ask for the chance to compensate you. Whatever the cost, just name it, and I will not hesitate!" Hall Master Xing stood up. This was their mistake. No matter what, they could not let the other party suffer injustice; otherwise, if word got out, their Combat Master Hall would lose all face.

"Forget the compensation. As long as you trust me, I can help resolve your current issues right now," Zhang Xuan shook his head. He hadn't suffered any real harm, and the other party's actions were merely out of caution, not malicious intent. Compensation, therefore, was insignificant.

"Of course, I trust Master Sun!" Hearing that the person before him refused compensation and was still focused on resolving his problems, Hall Master Xing was deeply grateful. This was the true magnanimity of a Master Teacher! Compared to him, they had truly judged a noble heart with a small-minded one, and the thought filled them with shame.

"Then open up your soul..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright!" Without the slightest hesitation, Hall Master Xing immediately sat down cross-legged, opening up his soul without any further defenses. The other party controlled the Mind Hall and possessed unparalleled strength; if they truly wanted to kill him, they could do so in an instant. Since resistance was futile, it was better to simply let go of all defenses.

"Good." Seeing the other party's cooperation, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, plant spiritual energy integrating into a soul was problematic, but as long as his own consciousness could enter and eliminate it, it wasn't overly difficult. His consciousness left his body, entered the other's soul, and returned relatively quickly. Zhang Xuan let out another breath.

"Master Sun... how is it?" Hall Master Liao and Hall Master Wei quickly looked over.

"You'll see soon enough..." Zhang Xuan didn't explain, sitting cross-legged on the ground to recover his strength. The other's soul was powerful, and searching for the plant spiritual energy within it exerted immense pressure even on him. Although it had only been a little over ten minutes, his soul power was already seventy to eighty percent depleted.

Suddenly, Hall Master Xing let out a resonant hum. Unsure how long he had been recovering, a soul immediately leaped from his glabella, emitting a gentle radiance.

"Ethereal Form Realm..." Hall Master Liao and Hall Master Wei's pupils contracted in disbelief. How long had it been, and he had already broken through?

His soul returned to his body, and Hall Master Xing opened his eyes. With a shake, the cactus on his head and the flowers on his back all fell to the ground, withering instantly. He stood up, looked at the young man before him again, filled with admiration, bowed his body, and knelt on the ground.

"Thank you, Master Sun!" His soul had originally been very powerful; if not for the severe injuries, he likely would have broken through already. Now, with Zhang Xuan's help, his injuries were healed, and his internal energy was smooth and unrestrained, leading to a successful breakthrough! While his soul had successfully emerged, it hadn't undergone the lightning tribulation, so it wasn't strong enough to be considered a true Ethereal Form Realm. Even so, his strength had doubled, becoming immeasurably greater than before. Only at this moment did he truly understand that the person before him was genuinely benevolent and truly cared for him. He was filled with utter admiration.

"No need to be polite!" After helping Hall Master Xing up, Zhang Xuan remembered something and looked over. "Just now, I went to the Inner Demon Path and met the founding patriarch of the Mind Hall!"

"Master Sun met the patriarch?"

"What... Master Sun actually passed the assessment, even with so many inner demons from Zang Xu?" Everyone was startled, especially Hall Master Liao of the Mind Hall, who widened his eyes. He had initially thought that, given Zhang Xuan was only a Saint 1-dan, the possibility of him passing was low. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had mentioned that Zang Xu's soul had attracted so many inner demons, making it even more impossible to pass. He had assumed Zhang Xuan used some method to stop the formation midway to exit. He never expected that Zhang Xuan had actually resolved the inner demons and successfully passed the assessment! He knew very well the difficulty of the Inner Demon Path; historically, fewer than five percent of successive Hall Masters had passed. For a Saint 1-dan master to pass successfully... wasn't that truly terrifying?

"Did the patriarch... impart the 'Glazed Soul Cultivation Art' to Master Sun?" Hall Master Liao couldn't help but ask after the initial shock.

"Yes, he did!" Zhang Xuan nodded and looked over. "Since you're all here, I'll pass this secret art on to you. It's incredibly helpful for improving one's mental fortitude."

"Us?" Hall Master Xing quickly shook his head with a bitter smile. "Thank you for your kindness, Master Sun, but this cultivation technique is far too profound. We couldn't pass the assessment, and our mental fortitude is insufficient. If we were to force ourselves to cultivate it, we wouldn't just fail to progress; we might even suffer a qi deviation..."

They also longed to cultivate this supreme treasure of the Combat Master Hall, but unfortunately, the temptations within it were simply too great. They knew they couldn't withstand the assessment of the Inner Demon Path. Even if the manual were placed right in front of them, they dared not touch it lightly, lest they die without knowing how. Throughout the Combat Master Hall's ten-thousand-year history, many combat masters who disbelieved these warnings forcefully tried to cultivate alongside Hall Masters who had already learned the Glazed Soul Cultivation Art. Without exception, all of them suffered qi deviation and died. For this very reason, this cultivation technique was also known as the forbidden art for combat masters. Even Hall Master Xing himself had only come to challenge the path out of dire necessity; ordinarily, he would never dare to attempt it lightly. The fact that the young man before them could pass the assessment indicated that his mental fortitude had reached an admirable level, allowing him to cultivate it. However, even if he presented the manual, they themselves wouldn't dare to try. Otherwise, once they started, the temptations would grow increasingly strong, leading them to unconsciously continue cultivating, with qi deviation as the only outcome.

"This technique does indeed have that flaw," Zhang Xuan smiled, "but don't worry. You can take a look first and then decide." With a flick of his hand, a screen of vital energy immediately appeared before them, displaying a series of glowing characters.

"This..." Hall Master Xing and the others looked conflicted, surprised that Zhang Xuan would display the technique directly. If they looked, they feared they wouldn't be able to resist learning it, which almost guaranteed qi deviation if they became engrossed. But if they didn't look, such a powerful secret art made their hearts itch with unbearable curiosity.

"Just a look. The worst that can happen is... we don't cultivate it!" Gritting their teeth, the three stopped agonizing and fixed their eyes on the characters.

They watched for a while, and the more they watched, the stranger it became. Although their discernment wasn't on par with the founding patriarch of the Mind Hall, they were still prominent figures in the Combat Master Hall with impressive knowledge. It didn't take long for them to realize that this technique was different from what was legendary. Its demands on mental fortitude weren't very high; not only could they learn it, but even some ordinary combat masters in the Combat Master Hall could.

"This..." They exchanged glances, filled with confusion.

"Master Sun, is this truly the Glazed Soul Cultivation Art?" After a long moment, Hall Master Xing couldn't hold back and asked.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"But... this technique cannot be cultivated without sufficient mental fortitude..." Hall Master Xing said, his face flushing.

"That's right, the previous version of the technique indeed had that flaw!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I thought it wasn't very good, so I just casually modified it. Now, ordinary people can cultivate it too!"

"Modified it?"

"Master Sun modified... the Glazed Soul Cultivation Art?" The three combat masters felt their throats go dry, and their bodies involuntarily trembled. This cultivation technique had existed since the founding of the Mind Hall. If it were easy to modify, someone would have done it long ago. Yet, Master Sun, before their eyes, had only been in the Mind Hall's path for a little over twenty minutes from entry to exit... During that time, he not only resolved hundreds of Zang Xu's inner demons but also received the inheritance... and casually modified the technique? Are you kidding us? This was the Combat Master Hall's ultimate secret art... He just modified it? And so quickly?

"Yes, this technique has too many flaws. The biggest one is that ordinary people can't cultivate it! If ordinary people can't cultivate it, what's the point of having such a technique?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I truly don't know why the esteemed founding patriarch of the Mind Hall would leave behind such a cultivation method!" To treat a technique that no one could cultivate as a treasure—this Combat Master Hall was truly something else.

"Unfortunately, my knowledge is shallow, so I couldn't correct all its flaws. I only modified it so that ordinary people can cultivate it. Although it's still a bit lacking, you can make do with it for now..." Zhang Xuan continued. His current level wasn't high, so he could only modify it this much. To present something still full of flaws for others to learn filled him with shame and an inexpressible awkwardness. The techniques he had previously taught were simplified versions of Heaven's Path cultivation arts, which, while having flaws, were few. This one... he had only modified one aspect, leaving at least nine others, yet he was offering it to others. It truly felt a bit shameful!

"Shallow knowledge..."

"Make do?" The three combat masters swayed.

"Big brother, are you sure you're not joking? None of the previous patriarchs could correct it, yet you did... and you call that 'shallow knowledge'? Are our past ancestors supposed to smash their heads in? Most importantly... how could such a profound cultivation technique be dismissed so casually by you, as if it were nothing?"

"What? Are you afraid I modified it incorrectly? You can cultivate it without worry. The founding patriarch himself has reviewed it and found no issues, which is why he granted me the primary control of the Mind Hall..." Seeing their strange expressions, Zhang Xuan thought they were worried and explained.

"The patriarch reviewed it?" The hearts of the others were shaken, and they suddenly understood. They had previously wondered why this person had gained control of the Mind Hall after just one trip through the Inner Demon Path. It turned out the founding patriarch had handed over control. From this, it was clear that Zhang Xuan's modifications were flawless; otherwise, the patriarch would not have done so. The patriarch acknowledged it and even granted control... factoring in all the time seemingly 'wasted' inside... Didn't that imply that the time he spent modifying the technique was even shorter? To modify a cultivation technique so quickly, was Master Sun's true forte not enlightenment, but rather his comprehension of cultivation arts?