Chapter 1404: Call Me Senior Brother

To become the Holy Son of the Holy Son Hall, everyone exerted their utmost effort. Like him, for three days of assessment, he dared not close his eyes even once, deploying every means at his disposal, without the slightest carelessness.

This one, however, was content to barely enter the elite class; as for his rank, he simply didn't care!

He didn't even speak up to refute the many who questioned him!

Quiet as water, he seemed to contend with no one. This was truly a master, a true genius, a genuinely humble person.

"Yes, he is indeed very low-key. If it weren't for Feng Ziyi's challenge, I wouldn't have known there was such a formidable individual among this year's new students..." Master Fei also sighed. Just as he was about to continue praising, a student hurried over, whispered something in his ear, and Master Fei's eyebrows shot up. He quickly turned around.

"Elder Han Fu, why are you here?" His face filled with respect.

Zhang Xu quickly turned around and saw an elder with white hair and beard, possessing a transcendent aura, approaching.

"Elder Han Fu?" He quickly thought, recalling information about the Holy Son Hall he had seen previously in the Zhang family, and his expression soon became solemn.

"The Grand Elder of the Spirit Awakener Guild in the Holy Son Hall, whose cultivation has reached the peak of Saint Realm Eightfold..." He nodded secretly and bowed with clasped fists: "Zhang Xu of the Zhang family greets Elder Han!"

"No need to be so polite..." Elder Han waved his hand casually and looked at the arena, a bit anxious. "Master Zhang... when will the battle be over?"

"May I ask why Elder Han is looking for Master Zhang? If you're in a hurry, I can try to make them stop..." Master Fei couldn't help but look over. The other party was the strongest Spirit Awakener in the Holy Son Hall. Even if Master Zhang became the Holy Son, it wouldn't warrant Elder Han personally coming to find him.

"I'm looking for him..." Hearing the question, Elder Han's face flushed crimson with shame. "I want to ask when that continuously running Guardian Stone Statue will stop? Because it's running faster and faster, it has already destroyed the halls of four nearby guilds. If it doesn't stop, I'm afraid... the Spirit Awakener Guild will be hunted down by other guilds..."

When others awakened a Guardian Stone Statue, taking seven steps already broke a three-thousand-year record. This one, however, not only did warm-up exercises but also couldn't stop running... For so long, it had been running wildly. He had gone to stop it but was stomped on until he vomited blood three times, yet he still couldn't do anything.

Honestly, if it just ran obediently, it wouldn't be a big deal. Given the statue's unique nature, it would eventually stop. But... this thing was truly enormous, and it was running faster and faster, occasionally doing frog jumps, push-ups, squats, high-knees, sprints, accelerations, front rolls, back handsprings, and backflips. That would be fine. But its running circle was getting bigger and bigger, completely shaking and collapsing all the surrounding adjacent guilds, which was quite out of line...

If it didn't stop soon and truly angered the other guilds, they might directly destroy the stone statue, and then... it would truly be troublesome.

"The Guardian Stone Statue... won't stop?"

"It toppled several guilds?" Master Fei and Zhang Xu simultaneously trembled.

"Also, when I arrived, I saw that the Heaven's Will Master Guild had also collapsed into ruins. I heard it was related to him. I just wanted to come over and check if they came looking for trouble..." Elder Han continued.

"The Heaven's Will Master Guild... turned into ruins?" Master Fei and Zhang Xu exchanged glances, their mouths twitching...

Isn't he supposed to be very low-key? How are these things something a low-key person could do...?

They could no longer hold back and looked up at the arena.

Immediately, they saw Feng Ziyi, plastered against a glass-like seal, his face contorted beyond recognition, sword qi surging endlessly behind him, his eyes unfocused, his whole person displaying an expression of utter despair, as if he would go mad at any moment.

"So strong..." Seeing Feng Ziyi's four previously prepared defenses all shattered, his body covered in sword holes, looking like a beggar, the two swallowed again.

Having broken through so many attacks, the sword qi's power remained undiminished... Even Master Fei couldn't do that.

"I'll ask when it can end..." Seeing the surging sword qi showing no sign of stopping, Master Fei took a deep breath, just about to call out, when he heard Feng Ziyi's angry groan.

"You lied, you lied... You clearly only used one-tenth of your power just now, but you told me one-sixth..." This direct disciple of Master Yang was on the verge of going crazy.

Previously, when the other party said one-third of his strength, he found it fake. Later, when he said one-sixth, he found it even faker... That's why he suggested demonstrating full strength here, hoping to peek and see if it was as the other party claimed...

As it turned out, this guy really lied...

It wasn't one-sixth at all, but only one-tenth!

One-tenth, fine, one-tenth... But why say one-sixth, making my defense insufficient? Now I'm almost beaten to death...

Do you know? Sometimes being low-key can really kill someone...

Rumble! Rumble!

All the true energy in his body was completely depleted, and only then did Zhang Xuan stop, panting heavily with a look of helplessness.

Although the amount of true energy in his body had increased fivefold, and his strength had increased from the early stage of the Out-of-Body Realm to its peak, 'One Sword Cleaves the Sea' still couldn't be fully controlled. Once unleashed, he had to completely deplete all his true energy to stop.

Previously, with less true energy, it would stop after a short while. Now, with the sword qi surging, it lasted for over ten minutes before finally being exhausted.

He let out a breath and retracted the myriad swords filling the sky. Looking up, he saw Feng Ziyi in a strange pose, plastered against the seal. His clothes were almost completely shredded. Although not dead, he was severely injured, looking indescribably miserable.

"I really didn't lie to you. While performing the sword art just now, I gained new insights, and its power increased slightly..." Approaching him and prying him off the seal, Zhang Xuan explained with a slight awkwardness.

He really hadn't intentionally deceived the other party. He had just never fully unleashed this move like that before. With abundant true energy and enough time to experiment, he gained more insights as he performed it, and its attacking power grew stronger and stronger.

Although the Heaven's Path cultivation method was flawless, his physical and mental energy were limited. The more he utilized it and the better he coordinated, the naturally more powerful it became.

"It can still increase..." Feng Ziyi spat out blood again.

With this much power, and it can still increase? Is there any way for others to live?

After a long while, Feng Ziyi finally recovered and glared at him fiercely.

"Your strength is indeed formidable, but for a master teacher, the strongest aspect isn't combat, but teaching... Do you dare to compete with me?"

At this moment, Zhang Xuan had also finished explaining to Elder Han how to control the stone statue. Seeing that Feng Ziyi still wanted to compete relentlessly, he couldn't help but say: "Let's forget it. I'm afraid you'll suffer an even greater blow!"

Although he didn't know why the other party insisted on competing with him, a teaching competition... he was truly afraid the other party wouldn't be able to handle it and would go directly mad.

"There's nothing to be disheartened about. My teacher once told me that he only took me as a student, but now you've appeared. I want to see what kind of aptitude could make him break his rule!" Feng Ziyi said.

"Break his rule? Aptitude?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

From the other party's tone, it seemed he didn't know that Zhang Xuan's identity was fake. He thought Zhang Xuan was another student Master Yang had taken, which was why he came to challenge him with a hint of jealousy.

As it turned out, he was defeated so miserably.

"Some formidable experts take disciples as fate dictates. No one knows exactly how many disciples they have except themselves, and even disciples themselves won't know!" He had read many books and knew some habits of renowned masters.

Just like him, if he took disciples now, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and others would certainly not know about the existence of a junior brother or sister.

"I was just lucky enough to gain my teacher's favor..." Seeing that the other party was unaware and not trying to expose his false identity, Zhang Xuan finally relaxed, looking over with anticipation: "I haven't seen my teacher in a long time. Do you know where he is now? Can you take me to see him?"

"My teacher and I separated two years ago. I don't know exactly where he went. Anyway, I can't reach him through the communication jade token..." Feng Ziyi shook his head.

"Excellent!" Zhang Xuan was so excited he almost jumped up.

He had originally worried this guy would spill the beans and report him. Since he couldn't be contacted, that was excellent; at least he had dodged a bullet for now.

As long as he became the Head of the Holy Son Hall in the future, even if the other party came to expose his impersonation, with such a status, probably no one would dare to cause trouble again...

In other words, time was extremely important to him; any time he could save was a gain.

"Excellent?" Feng Ziyi frowned.

Hearing that he couldn't contact his teacher, shouldn't he be disappointed? Why are you so excited?

"Oh, I meant, how disappointing..." Knowing he had been a bit inappropriate just now, Zhang Xuan quickly spoke.

"Your disappointment sounds like that?" A black line appeared on his forehead, Feng Ziyi's eyebrows twitched wildly, and he could no longer hold back: "Well? Do you dare to compete with me in teaching?"

"Junior Brother Ziyi, you're not my match. Let's just forget it. Since we're both Master Yang's students, I won't discourage you..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Junior Brother?" Feng Ziyi nearly exploded: "I followed our teacher at seven, I started earlier, and I'm older than you, so you should be the one calling *me* Junior Brother!"

"Don't be so polite... The more capable one is the elder. My strength is greater than yours, so I am naturally your Senior Brother! When you can surpass me, it won't be too late to call me Junior Brother..." Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan felt a wave of relief.

Since this person in front of him didn't know, he could use him as a shield in the future to confirm his identity as Master Yang's disciple.

"You..." His face flushed crimson from holding back, Feng Ziyi wanted to say something but couldn't.

The other party's cultivation was lower than his, but his combat strength was indeed much stronger. If he really unleashed that sword technique, Feng Ziyi couldn't resist it at all.

Both being direct disciples, before the teacher confirmed their seniority, the stronger one indeed had the final say. Since he couldn't defeat the other party, wanting to be the Senior Brother truly wasn't convincing.

"Let's talk after the teaching competition. If you win, I'll naturally acknowledge you as my Senior Brother..." With a flick of his sleeve, Feng Ziyi said.

"Teaching?" Seeing he was still persistent, Zhang Xuan frowned, just about to speak, when a young man hurried over with a strange expression.

"Master Fei, Elder Liao from Puppet Alley is waiting outside, insisting on becoming Zhang Xuan's disciple..."

"Elder Liao... wants to become his disciple?" Feng Ziyi was stunned, and everyone burst into an uproar.