Chapter 1308: I’m in a Hurry

"Chen Leyao of Ice Plain Palace greets Young Master Zhang!" The woman withdrew her power and returned the bow.

"A Zhang Clan member?" Zhang Xuan looked over. Zhang Qian appeared to be twenty-five or twenty-six years old, his power as profound as a vast river or sea. His strength was comparable to Chen Leyao of Ice Plain Palace, having already reached the pinnacle of the Ethereal Cultivation realm. It was no wonder that Zhang Jiuxiao, though also from the Zhang Clan, was only considered a collateral branch; compared to Zhang Qian, he was still far too inferior, even with Zhang Xuan's personal guidance.

"So it's Fairy Leyao," Zhang Qian said with a gentle, refined smile. "I've long heard of your deeds: a single palm breaking seven swords, freezing three thousand li... The seven ruffians of Shunyan City caused chaos everywhere; if you hadn't intervened, the people would probably still be suffering now!"

"Young Master Zhang, you flatter me!" Chen Leyao's heart brightened at the praise, and a hint of pride appeared in her eyes. To enter the Saint Son Hall, she had relentlessly trained herself after resolving hidden dangers in her cultivation. Her most famous feat was single-handedly eliminating the Seven Shunyan Scoundrels who plagued the Alliance with a single palm strike. This event wasn't widely known, but the fact that he could recount it so accurately showed he had indeed heard of her, and his words were not empty flattery.

"I have always admired Fairy's strength and talent!" Zhang Qian praised her again, taking a step forward. "I overheard your conversation just now. This fellow is disrespectful and doesn't know any better. Why don't I teach him a lesson for you, so you don't have to dirty your hands?"

"Thank you, Young Master Zhang!" Knowing he intended to curry favor with her, Chen Leyao paused, then accepted. "However," she added, "just teach him a lesson and make him apologize. Don't hurt him!" She was merely indignant that he had addressed the Young Palace Mistress so casually by name, not that there was any deep-seated hatred. Teaching him a lesson to make him realize his mistake would be sufficient; there was no need for serious injury.

"Fairy, you are kind-hearted. Rest assured, I know my limits!" Zhang Qian opened the folding fan in his hand with a crisp snap. He turned to Zhang Xuan, his smile completely gone, his eyes cold and revealing the shrewd demeanor of a decisive leader. "My friend, I'll give you two options. First, apologize and compensate! Just two mid-grade Saint artifacts will suffice. Second, I'll make my move and force you to compensate and apologize, in which case it won't be as simple as just two mid-grade Saint artifacts!"

"Apologize? Compensate?" Zhang Xuan was utterly dumbfounded. He had only wanted to inquire about Zhao Ya's current situation, never expecting to stir up such big trouble.

Too lazy to bother with the self-important man, Zhang Xuan looked back at the woman. "Miss," he said, "I wasn't aware she had become your Young Palace Mistress, and my words were indeed offensive. I apologize now! Your Young Palace Mistress and I have known each other for a long time... So, I just wanted to ask how she is now and if she's doing well in Ice Plain Palace?" Knowing Zhao Ya had become the Young Palace Mistress, he understood that his previous words had been inappropriate. As long as he could get news of his student, an apology was a small price to pay.

"Brat, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?" Before Chen Leyao could even speak, Zhang Qian's face darkened. As a genius of the Zhang Clan, he was respected wherever he went, and no one dared to show him any disrespect. This fellow, however, simply ignored him, causing his anger to flare up instantly.

"I'm asking a friend from Ice Plain Palace about something; it has nothing to do with you, does it? What, do you Zhang Clan members like to interfere whenever you see a pretty girl?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning cold as he flicked his sleeve. "Who indulged you with such rotten habits?"

"Did I give you permission, or what's your problem? If it were another family coming to cause trouble, it might be tolerable, but the Zhang Clan... Hmph, it's already good enough that I haven't come looking for trouble with you. How dare you still strut around here... Do you really think that throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent, only your clan is powerful?"

"What did you say?" Unexpectedly, the other party not only showed no fear of him but also spoke such challenging words. Veins popped out on Zhang Qian's forehead, as if ready to burst. Although his bloodline was purer than Zhang Jiuxiao's, his status within the clan was still not particularly high. If he could establish a connection with Ice Plain Palace, he could expect to be heavily relied upon and rise quickly in the future. It was precisely for this reason that when he saw Chen Leyao in a conflict, he immediately rushed over to help. He had assumed that by announcing his family and name, the other party would be frightened into immediate submission and dare not retort. He never dreamed that... not only was the person unafraid, but he was also full of hostility!

"You know what I'm talking about. Get lost, or else, if you anger me, I don't mind teaching you a lesson first..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand, scoffing coldly. It was only because he had a good temper; otherwise, let alone causing trouble, he would surely have attacked any Zhang Clan member he saw.

"It's over..." Zhao Xingmo, standing to the side, swayed, almost fainting on the spot. This fellow had just claimed he was low-key, yet in the blink of an eye, he was antagonizing both Ice Plain Palace and the Zhang Clan... "Is this what he calls low-key?" Zhao Xingmo thought. "If he were truly high-profile, wouldn't he tear down the entire Saint Son Hall?"

As Zhao Xingmo's frustrated face turned pale, Zhang Qian opposite him almost exploded. With a furious roar, he launched a palm strike in mid-air. The surrounding space immediately seemed to congeal, and an extremely powerful force spread out, enveloping Zhang Xuan. As expected of a Zhang Clan genius, also at the pinnacle of the Ethereal Cultivation realm, his combat power was even stronger than the formidable expert Zhang Xuan had faced before. It wasn't that the formidable expert was inherently weaker, but that after tens of thousands of years of death and being sealed by Emperor Qingtian, the power he could exert was limited, far less than this young man, who was in the prime of his life and had received the best cultivation.

"Hmph!" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed. Although Zhang Qian's strength was considerable, Zhang Xuan was no longer the inexperienced person he had been twenty days ago; his strength and insight had increased immeasurably. Just as he was about to make his move, he saw a sword gleam whistle over, meeting Zhang Qian's attack.

Boom! Energy waves surged, sword qi dissipated, and a muffled grunt came from nearby; someone seemed to be injured. "Zhang Jiuxiao, how dare you defy me?" Zhang Qian roared furiously. Turning his head, he saw Zhang Jiuxiao rushing over, standing not far away, his face pale. He had just taken a direct blow from Zhang Qian and was already injured. He was only at the pinnacle of the Nascent Spirit realm, a full major cultivation realm below the pinnacle of the Ethereal Cultivation realm.

"Zhang Qian, everyone here is participating in the Saint Son Hall assessment; it's best if we prioritize harmony..." Zhang Jiuxiao said, forcing down the stuffiness in his chest and cupping his fists. Zhang Xuan's kindness to him was immense; even knowing he was no match, he would not retreat.

"Prioritize harmony? You had a chance just now, but not anymore..." With a distorted expression, Zhang Qian raised an eyebrow. "Get out of my way, or I don't mind teaching you a lesson too!"

"Then let's fight..." Zhang Jiuxiao stepped forward. "You're no match for him; let me do it..." Zhang Xuan said, stopping him and shaking his head. He knew Zhang Jiuxiao's intention was not to overestimate his own strength or to curry favor, but to defuse the situation—to reduce a major issue to a minor one, and a minor one to nothing. The Zhang Clan was the foremost family on the continent, with extensive connections in the Saint Son Hall. Offending them would make it impossible to advance. By taking the brunt of it, a fellow clan member would at most receive some punishment, which wouldn't cause too much impact. However... while Zhang Jiuxiao's intentions were good, he didn't know that Zhang Xuan had no fear of the Zhang Clan; in fact, he was even looking for an opportunity to teach them a good lesson!

"Alright, if you want to fight, make it quick. I'm in a hurry to inquire about something and don't have time to waste with you!" After stopping Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan looked over blandly.

"You..." Unexpectedly, the other party not only showed no fear of his threats but even urged him to hurry and attack. Zhang Qian roared furiously and unleashed another grab. True Qi roared, even more powerful than before. Before it even reached him, it emitted muffled thunderous sounds, seemingly intending to tear through the air.

"So strong..." "Although Zhang Qian isn't the strongest among the many Zhang Clan geniuses who came this time, he's not to be underestimated!" "Indeed, it's best to avoid him in a direct confrontation; otherwise, you won't be able to resist at all..." "This presumptuous brat is in for trouble!" "Even if he wanted to flirt, he should have found a better reason. Now, he's offended both Ice Plain Palace and the Zhang Clan. Even if he passes the assessment, he probably won't last long in the Saint Son Hall..." Everyone around looked over in unison, some shocked, some gloating. Since they were all participating in the assessment, they were competitors. Seeing someone fall was cause for joy, so naturally, no one would step forward to dissuade.

"This..." Unexpectedly, with things escalating so much, Chen Leyao's delicate brows furrowed. Before, she had only thought the other party was speaking without restraint, but she never expected such arrogance! She had heard of Zhang Qian's name long ago. He was twenty-six years old this year, not only having reached the pinnacle of the Ethereal Cultivation realm but also possessing an astonishing understanding of martial arts. More importantly, he had rich combat experience; even she would find it difficult to defeat him. For this young man, who was only at the pinnacle of the Nascent Spirit realm, to confront him... wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Boom! Amidst everyone's shock, Zhang Qian's palm strike arrived. The neat ground of the square was torn apart by his True Qi, cracking into a huge fissure. "It's a mid-grade peak martial art, Soul-Splitting Palm!" "This move not only has physical attack but also powerful soul attack. Once hit, one will instantly fall into a coma and be unable to resist!" "Stone-splitting and soul-wounding... This move is exceptionally potent among mid-grade martial arts..." Seeing the power of this move, everyone gasped again. However, before their exclamations ended, Zhang Xuan's slightly helpless voice sounded from the opposite side.

"Is that your move? Not bad, but... I'm really in a hurry and don't have time to play with you. My apologies..." As his voice ended, the young man stepped forward and abruptly pressed his palm forward. *Crack!* There was no astonishing power, no dazzling aura, but for some reason, Zhang Qian's magnificent palm strike instantly disintegrated upon contact. Immediately after, with a *thud!* Zhang Qian fell to the ground like a toad struck by a mountain. He couldn't move, his face contorted with humiliation.

"This..." "He defeated Zhang Qian in one move?" Everyone's eyes widened, nearly going mad. "This... How is this possible?" Chen Leyao's red lips parted in utter disbelief.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan turned around and smiled faintly. "The troublemaker has been dealt with. Miss, you still haven't answered my question... How exactly is your Young Palace Mistress doing now?"