Chapter 1168: Beating the Deputy Hall Master

It was Jin Yuan Ding speaking!

After becoming an Enlightenment Master and gaining the ability to awaken spirits, Zhang Xuan took the opportunity to reawaken Jin Yuan Ding during his various trials at the Combat Master Hall. While Vice President Xu had struggled to restore the artifact's original consciousness, Zhang Xuan, having cultivated the Heaven's Path Enlightenment Art, found it relatively easy with careful application. Before its slumber, Jin Yuan Ding had already reached the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm. A baptism of lightning had granted it a further breakthrough, elevating it to the Half-Step Out-of-Body realm, much like Master Wu. With sufficient materials for re-forging, breaking through to the Out-of-Body realm would only be a matter of time.

With its immense power surge and the boundless strength of a mid-tier Saint Artifact, Jin Yuan Ding slammed Vice Hall Master Tian Qing into the ground before he could even react, leaving him utterly pathetic.

"He's under you... I merely asked you to block him, not to kill anyone!" Zhang Xuan muttered.

Zhang Xuan covered his forehead, feeling utterly speechless at how unreliable the artifact was, having sent Vice Hall Master Tian Qing flying the moment it appeared. Couldn't you have looked before acting? Now, how could a dignified Vice Hall Master possibly let such an affront go unpunished?

"Below?"

Jin Yuan Ding paused, shifted slightly, and indeed saw a person splayed out on the ground, deeply embedded in the floor, resembling the Chinese character for 'big'.

"Uh... Master, I didn't do that on purpose..." A slightly embarrassed voice replied.

"You're asking for death!"

Boom! Before the words fully left his lips, Vice Hall Master Tian Qing, who had been splayed out, suddenly shot up from the ground. Powerful surges of energy erupted from all his acupoints, radiating outwards. He felt as if he were about to explode. The top authority of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, a man of such standing, had been unceremoniously sat on by a Saint Artifact and driven into the ground. The profound humiliation made him feel like he would burst.

"Zhang Xuan! As a Six-star Master Teacher, commanding a Saint Artifact to attack a Seven-star Master Teacher, you have disregarded the dignity of the Master Teacher Way and committed an act of gross insubordination! I will kill you now!" With a roar, Vice Hall Master Tian Qing unleashed a palm strike toward Zhang Xuan.

Undeniably, the Vice Hall Master's strength was terrifyingly immense. King Zhongqing paled significantly in comparison. With just one move, turbulent energy waves filled the entire room, as if the hall itself could not withstand the force and might collapse at any moment.

"Your opponent is me..." Seeing him attack its master, Jin Yuan Ding was enraged. Having only just regained consciousness and eager to prove itself, it found this disrespect unforgivable.

Whoosh! The massive cauldron slammed directly into Vice Hall Master Tian Qing. In a single collision, it shattered the palm strike. However, the impact sent Jin Yuan Ding flying back dozens of meters before it finally stopped.

The man and the cauldron were evenly matched!

"As expected of a Vice Hall Master, truly formidable!" Zhang Xuan nodded approvingly. Vice Hall Master Tian was indeed powerful; Zhang Xuan knew he would likely be no match for him. While he was currently unrivaled in the Primordial Spirit realm, he was still outmatched by a Half-Step Out-of-Body realm expert.

"It's your turn!" Knowing that even if Vice Hall Master Tian Qing were to defeat Jin Yuan Ding, it would take an extremely long time, Zhang Xuan ignored the ongoing fight and turned his attention back to King Zhongqing.

"You... you dare to directly attack a Vice Hall Master of the Master Teacher Hall? This is suicide..." King Zhongqing was utterly bewildered. He had assumed Zhang Xuan was merely an insignificant figure from a backwater, someone who would cower and fall silent after a few stern words. He never in his wildest dreams imagined that this person would not only possess formidable strength but also dare to attack a Vice Hall Master.

A strict hierarchy existed among Master Teachers; attacking a higher-ranked Master Teacher was a grave violation of decorum. If judged, not only would his Master Teacher qualification be revoked, but he would also likely face severe punishment from the Master Teacher Hall, possibly even execution. In short, such an act was nothing short of treasonous! To do all this for a mere subordinate... Was this man insane?

"Whether I'm seeking death or not isn't for you to decide. Injuring my butler means you will pay the price..." Ignoring the king, Zhang Xuan flicked his palm.

Whoosh! The Golden Soul Lock whistled as it shot straight towards King Zhongqing.

Thud! In a single strike, it pierced his shoulder. The Golden Soul Lock, which could suppress strength, immediately withered the surging aura of the First Prince the moment it entered his body. The intense pain contorted his face into a mask of frenzy, nearly driving him mad.

"Now that he's powerless, go take your revenge!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. To Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang was as important as his own students. The king's casual abduction and brutal torture of Sun Qiang, without so much as a word, was akin to touching Zhang Xuan's inverse scale—a profound provocation. Not killing the king on the spot was already a significant act of restraint.

"Yes!" Sun Qiang stepped forward. "You enjoyed arresting me, didn't you?" he growled. "Today, I'll let you have a taste of your own medicine..."

With a roar, Sun Qiang flipped his wrist, produced a pointed ox-ear knife, and thrust it directly into the man before him. Although the king was a Primordial Spirit realm expert, his physical body was not as impervious as Zhang Xuan's. With his shoulder pierced and no true qi to protect him, the blade easily penetrated his flesh, and blood flowed freely.

"You..." The intense pain forced a cry of agony from King Zhongqing. Before he could finish speaking, however, Sun Qiang produced a jar of salt from somewhere and liberally sprinkled it onto the wound.

"Bear with it, I'm applying some medicine for you..."

King Zhongqing was speechless. No sooner had he finished than he drew the knife again, creating another puncture and once more sprinkling salt into the fresh wound.

Zhang Xuan took one glance and couldn't help but turn his head away... it was truly too cruel! However, having just treated Sun Qiang's injuries, Zhang Xuan knew the butler had endured even more severe torture previously. At this point, whatever was done, no matter how excessive, seemed mild in comparison.

Vice Hall Master Tian Qing and Jin Yuan Ding continued their evenly matched battle, which Zhang Xuan paid no mind to. Instead, he turned his gaze to Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen, who was not far away. The Vice Hall Master of the Poison Hall had tried to flee upon realizing the situation was dire, but the formation had trapped him, making escape impossible. Now, seeing Zhang Xuan look his way, he was filled with terror, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Come here!" With a wave of his hand, Ming Zhen was drawn through the air and held captive before him.

"What happened to the Poison Hall? Where are Elder Xu You and the others?" Zhang Xuan casually set up a restriction around them so that Luo Qiqi and the others couldn't overhear, then asked. Elder Xu You and Zhang Xuan had a good relationship, and he was a kind person. Zhang Xuan wanted to know his current situation.

"You... how do you know Xu You?" Vice Hall Master Ming Zhen was startled. When Zhang Xuan had visited the Poison Hall, he had been disguised and used the alias Sun Qiang, so Ming Zhen did not recognize him.

"Could it be... you are Sun Qiang?" However, he was not foolish. In the blink of an eye, he understood, his pupils contracting in shock.

"Indeed! You're very clever!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan patted his shoulder, and a stream of true qi immediately surged into Ming Zhen's body.

"Ah..." The true qi instantly transformed into potent poison, causing cold sweat to pour down Ming Zhen's face as his body contorted in agony. Even poison masters like Hai Dushi couldn't endure the Heaven's Path True Qi, let alone him.

"You are a Master Teacher... assaulting King Zhongqing and disregarding the Vice Hall Master's authority are already grave acts of insubordination... If you kill me, the Master Teacher Hall will undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation..." Ming Zhen endured the intense pain and hastily spoke. He knew Zhang Xuan had a good relationship with Elder Xu You, and since he was responsible for the Poison Hall's destruction, Zhang Xuan would surely kill him without hesitation. Therefore, he knew what to say to make him stop. He was currently a 'tainted witness,' and if he died at Zhang Xuan's hands, anything he said would become worthless.

"I only want to hear what I want to know... I was capable of bringing the founding patriarch to the Poison Hall, which means I am capable of making you die silently, with no one suspecting a thing!" Zhang Xuan replied indifferently, disinclined to waste words. If it were any other Master Teacher, killing Ming Zhen would certainly arouse suspicion. But Zhang Xuan was also a Poison Master... he possessed countless methods to ensure Ming Zhen's death would be untraceable, even by the Master Teacher Hall.

"I..." Upon hearing this and seeing Zhang Xuan's resolute demeanor, Ming Zhen knew he truly meant it. Gritting his teeth, he confessed, "When I escaped the Poison Hall, I came directly here!"

"You came here? You and King Zhongqing knew each other before?" Fleeing the Poison Hall to avoid pursuit, he would naturally seek a place he deemed safe. His presence here indicated a pre-existing connection with King Zhongqing.

"Yes, we had business dealings," Ming Zhen admitted. "He purchased many potent poisons from me... and I, in turn, acquired numerous valuable cultivation resources from him..."

Zhang Xuan's expression darkened. It appeared Yu Fei'er's information was accurate. However, the king wasn't a poison master himself, merely a client of the Poison Hall. Still, some questions remained.

"He buys poisons; can he use them?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask. Poisons, especially those of a higher grade, are not merely concocted by poison masters; many also require specialized techniques for effective deployment. Someone who isn't a poison master, even with the drugs in hand, could at best use them crudely, making their actions easily discoverable. Like You Xu, whose methods of using poison were crude, even after obtaining potent poisons from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he still dared not use them on a large scale.

"That, I don't know... His demand for high-grade poisons was substantial. I once applied to headquarters for several Seven-star level poisons, all of which I sold to him..." Ming Zhen dared not conceal anything.

"Hmm!" Zhang Xuan glanced at King Zhongqing suspiciously, but did not press further. This man was a prince of the Qingyuan Empire, and Zhang Xuan hadn't heard of any malicious incidents involving his use of poison. Therefore, even as a Master Teacher, he couldn't interfere too much. Otherwise, it could easily cause conflict between the empire and the Master Teacher Hall. While punishing the king for his actions against Sun Qiang was justifiable, delving deeper into his dealings with poison might implicate imperial politics.

"Let's talk about Xu You and the others!" Zhang Xuan looked at him intently.

"I dedicated my life to the Poison Hall, only to be subjected to a poisoning myself. Unwilling to accept this injustice, I sought out King Zhongqing, hoping to use his influence to find justice... However, King Zhongqing, eager to gain merit, disregarded my objections and had everyone in the Poison Hall arrested. Nearly all who resisted were slaughtered..." Ming Zhen's face darkened as he spoke. "Though I detested Xu You and the others who caused my misery... I was still a part of the Poison Hall. This outcome was truly not what I desired to see..." Shaking his head, Ming Zhen knew that since the matter originated with him, further words would be useless. He then looked up at Zhang Xuan.

"I'll tell you the truth: Elder Xu You... is not dead!"