Chapter 1169: Golden Source Cauldron Battle with the Deputy Hall Master

"Not dead?"

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. "Where is he?"

Elder Xu had trusted him enough to come to the Poison Hall, and Zhang Xuan would have felt extremely guilty if anything had happened to him as a result.

"He was captured by King Zhongqing and is imprisoned in the dungeon..." Ming Zhen said.

"The dungeon?"

"My intel is incomplete, but it seems King Zhongqing intends to make Elder Xu and the others concoct more potent poisons, which is why he spared them. Of course, I don't know the exact details..." Ming Zhen explained.

"Mm-hmm!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Whether they were meant to concoct poisons or not, the fact that Elder Xu and the others were still alive was good news. But he couldn't rescue them yet. Otherwise, it would give others an excuse, just like before.

"You're currently poisoned by me, and only I can cure it. You should know how to speak now..." After asking a few more questions and confirming that Xu You and the others were currently unharmed, Zhang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes!" Ming Zhen nodded, not daring to utter a single unnecessary word. This person before him could poison even Hall Master Ruo's venomous insects to death in the blink of an eye. Even Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai didn't dare to utter nonsense. His poisoning methods were simply terrifying, something Ming Zhen could definitely not compare to. Since that was the case, it was better to obey.

Having learned what he wanted, Zhang Xuan stopped his actions. With a casual flick of his wrist, he removed the surrounding restrictions.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

A series of crashing sounds entered his ears. He looked up and saw Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing still battling the Golden Origin Cauldron. The cauldron's flames boiled furiously, exerting its full power. Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing was in a sorry state, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—a clear sign of serious injury. Although the Vice Pavilion Master was powerful, the Golden Origin Cauldron was no pushover. The two were locked in an evenly matched fight. Seeing that the Golden Origin Cauldron wasn't showing any signs of defeat for now, Zhang Xuan turned to look at King Zhongqing, who was off to the side.

King Zhongqing was covered in blood, with at least forty or fifty holes poked into his body by Sun Qiang. He was on his last breath, seemingly about to die at any moment.

"How dare you torture me! Are you blind? Don't you know whose butler I am..." As he stabbed wildly with a sharp knife, Sun Qiang roared, seemingly venting the humiliation he had previously endured.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Sun Qiang, take it easy, don't kill him..."

"Don't worry, Young Master!" Hearing the instruction, Sun Qiang nodded. From somewhere, he produced a bottle of chili powder and sprinkled it onto the wounds.

Seeing that King Zhongqing was on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan couldn't watch anymore. Just as he was about to give a few more instructions, he saw Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er looking over with worried expressions.

"Teacher Zhang, this has escalated so much... I'm afraid it won't end well!" After holding back for a long time, Yu Fei-er couldn't help but say. Although it was to rescue Sun Qiang, beating the Azure Origin Empire's top prince to such a state and thoroughly thrashing the most powerful Vice Pavilion Master of the Master Teacher Pavilion—if this reached the Master Teacher Pavilion, the matter would truly blow up. At the very least, it would likely lead to the revocation of his Master Teacher qualification.

"It's fine. If it were any other master teacher, I wouldn't dare to do this, but... this Vice Pavilion Master, he's nothing!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. After calculating the time, he took out a jade token, lightly tapped it, and sent out a message.

"Nothing?" The two were utterly confused. No matter what, he was a Vice Pavilion Master, a person of esteemed status and noble identity. Why would Zhang Xuan say he was "nothing"?

"It's beyond doubt that King Zhongqing colluded with the Poison Hall. As for Vice Pavilion Master Tian, not only did he fail to investigate, but he also troubled me. If you told me there wasn't something fishy going on between the two of them, I wouldn't believe it!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. Previously, he had indeed been wary of this individual, but after the unfair ruling and combining it with the information he already knew, it was almost certain.

"If they were already friends and simply helped each other out, at most it would be a favor, not exceeding their bounds, right...?" Luo Qiqi frowned.

"Indeed, it might not be exceeding their bounds. However, there are some things you don't know, and it's not convenient for me to elaborate. We'll wait for Teacher Wu to arrive before making any decisions!" Zhang Xuan said. Seeing that Zhang Xuan was confident and seemed unconcerned, Luo Qiqi and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"Young Master, I'm done teaching him a lesson..." At this moment, Sun Qiang had finished sprinkling the chili powder and walked back with a satisfied expression, as if all the frustration from his previous torture had been swept away.

Zhang Xuan turned his head and indeed saw King Zhongqing on his last legs, seemingly about to die at any moment. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a gourd of fine wine, lifted the King's neck, and forcibly poured it down his throat. The black-clothed youth, Butler Qin, had lower cultivation than him. Even if Ming Zhen was stronger, the difference wasn't significant, so it was possible to directly infuse *zhenqi* into their bodies without being easily detected. But this person before him was different. A Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert had a meticulously refined Primordial Spirit; directly infusing *zhenqi* would still be easily noticed. Heavenly Dao *zhenqi* was his biggest secret, so it was better to be cautious.

As the wine entered his throat, the wounds Sun Qiang had inflicted on his body healed completely in a short time. Although Zhang Xuan's current strength was not as high as the King's, the difference wasn't significant, and the Heavenly Dao *zhenqi* could still easily heal the injuries.

"Young Master..." Seeing Zhang Xuan heal the other party, Sun Qiang felt a pang of regret. If he knew Zhang Xuan was going to heal him, he would have been even harsher earlier... He wouldn't have held back, and the "lesson" would have been much more satisfying.

"He can't die or be injured now... otherwise, it will be very troublesome!" Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan fed a few more mouthfuls of fine wine into the King's body. However, he secretly concealed the *zhenqi* within it, not activating it. After finishing these tasks, he looked at Sun Qiang again. "What exactly happened? How did you encounter King Zhongqing's men and get captured by them?"

He found this matter a bit strange. Under normal circumstances, he had nothing to do with them. Even if someone called out "Sun Qiang" on the street, a large number of people with that name would appear. Why was it him specifically who was captured, and why were they so convinced that he was Zhang Xuan himself?

"Well..." Sun Qiang scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment. Seeing his expression, Zhang Xuan knew that things weren't so simple. He frowned: "Speak!"

"Yes... Last night, I went out to find something to eat. I had just settled down when I overheard people whispering about my name..." Sun Qiang's face flushed. "Young Master also knows I tend to be a bit of a busybody. When I heard them talking about me, of course I had to ask. Then they said there was someone named Sun Qiang, who was incredibly powerful, with unmatched talent, and they spoke with all sorts of admiration. I thought, 'Someone so formidable... that perfectly matches my demeanor,' so I subtly hinted at my identity, and then... and then, I got beaten up..."

Before he even finished explaining, Zhang Xuan was speechless. He had wondered what the situation was; so that was it. He knew his butler's character all too well. He didn't know who he learned it from, but he loved to show off. When he finally found such an opportunity, how could he let it go? He must have boasted endlessly, exaggerating his abilities to the heavens. When the others spoke of powerful individuals, he must have casually agreed, thinking he would be treated like a master. But instead... he got beaten up!

"Sigh, he's truly a handful. If only he were half as low-key as me, it would be fine..." He shook his head, full of helplessness. Wherever Zhang Xuan went, he was always very low-key, never deliberately flaunting his achievements or strength, nor did he like to cause trouble. He was as pure as a blank sheet of paper. But this fellow? "A bottle half full makes the most noise." With his level of strength, showing off might have been acceptable in a small place like Tianxuan Kingdom, but coming here... wasn't he just asking for trouble? This misfortune was perhaps well-deserved, so he could learn from his mistake and remember the lesson in the future, becoming less reckless than he was now.

"Young Master, I won't dare to do it again next time..." Seemingly aware of his mistake, Sun Qiang looked over with a face full of apology. When the Young Master showed off, he was always incredibly impressive. Sun Qiang just casually showed off a bit, and even then, he was merely agreeing with what the others said... and as a result, he got beaten up like this! Thinking about it filled him with dismay.

"Once you go back, seclude yourself in cultivation. If you don't reach the Saint realm within three months, then get lost! Don't even claim to be my butler!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Yes..." Hearing the instruction to reach the Saint realm in three months, Sun Qiang's face was as bitter as a gourd.

Ignoring the arrogant, show-offish fellow, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the ongoing battle.

"Young Master, this guy is too fierce! I can't beat him, quickly give me some pointers..." At this point, the Golden Origin Cauldron had fallen into a disadvantage, completely suppressed by Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing. Seeing Zhang Xuan look over, it urgently cried out.

"When fighting, you only know how to use brute force and don't use your brain. He has a vital point near the Jianhai acupoint on his waist; try hitting that!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Alright!" Hearing this, the Golden Origin Cauldron's face lit up with excitement. With a long roar, its thick cauldron legs slammed fiercely towards Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing.

"You..." Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing was exasperated. He hadn't expected the young man below to pinpoint his weakness with a single sentence, and he quickly retreated.

"When his *zhenqi* gathers in his chest, it's not very smooth; there's a momentary blockage for about 0.3 breaths. His Primordial Spirit attacks also have flaws..." Seeing the opponent retreat, Zhang Xuan continued to speak, his words coming out very quickly. When the opponent performed a battle technique, it smoothly formed a book. Flipping it open, it was full of flaws. However, the biggest flaw was in his Primordial Spirit. Under normal circumstances, a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert with a powerful Primordial Spirit shouldn't have too many flaws. Yet, this person before him was riddled with them, which made Zhang Xuan feel a bit strange. But this wasn't the time for careful study; guiding the Golden Origin Cauldron was the priority.

*Boom!*

As he spoke, Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing became more and more frustrated with each move. He soon coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, his face growing increasingly pale. "If this continues, I'm bound to lose..." Every single point Zhang Xuan mentioned was a fatal flaw in his cultivation. Under normal circumstances, these flaws were well-hidden, undetectable by those of the same cultivation level, and even Leaving Aperture realm experts would find it impossible to pinpoint them! Yet, Zhang Xuan had stated them all without a single error... It was driving him mad.

"I'll kill this guy first, otherwise, I'm definitely the one who'll die!" Gritting his teeth, a ruthless glint flashed in Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing's eyes. His body swayed, transforming into a phantom image that deceived the Golden Origin Cauldron. The next moment, he was already before Zhang Xuan.

At that moment, Zhang Xuan was speaking with the Golden Origin Cauldron. He hadn't expected the opponent to be so fast. Before he could react, he was struck in the chest, spewing blood, and was immediately sent flying backward.

"Teacher...""Teacher Zhang...""Young Master..."

Everyone's eyes immediately turned red.