Chapter 1466: Please Take Me In

There weren't many books, just twenty or thirty. Zhang Xuan's eyes swept over them, and he immediately frowned.

As the other party had said, these were indeed cultivation techniques for the Saint 7-dan Void Realm. However, most were not secret manuals but reference books for cultivation.

They were teaching materials exclusively for master teachers, densely packed with exercises and assignments for students. Only one set of cultivation formulas was truly useful.

“This…” Zhang Xuan muttered, looking at the books.

“The Zhang Clan’s core cultivation techniques cannot be spread externally. The only one we can show you is this. However, this is a universal technique of considerable level, suitable for any attribute cultivation…” Noticing his confusion, Zhang Wuchen gave an awkward smile.

“…” Zhang Xuan was utterly speechless.

Unlike academies, clans have a relatively singular focus due to their bloodline; most who can cultivate are those of the same bloodline. Therefore, there aren't many cultivation formulas suitable for ordinary people. As for the elders recruited, they generally possess their own cultivation techniques. So… even a clan of this size genuinely struggled to produce a large number of cultivation techniques.

“Do you have any body tempering cultivation techniques, or soul cultivation formulas?” he paused before asking. Such a massive lightning tribulation, like a delicious feast laid before him, was incredibly tempting since he couldn't cultivate with it.

“I have many body tempering techniques here!” Elder Wuzhen flicked his wrist, and a densely packed pile of over a thousand books appeared on the ground.

“I also have some for soul cultivation…” Zhang Wuchen took out a pile of books as well.

As long as they weren't core techniques, there was no issue with others seeing these other formulas. These were all the Zhang Clan’s accumulation over tens of thousands of years, and their quantity was immense.

Seeing that the two were reliable for once, Zhang Xuan let out a sigh of relief. His eyes flashed as he recorded all the books into his mind.

“I’ll confront the lightning tribulation!” With that, he leaped and flew straight into the lightning before him.

“Confronting the lightning tribulation? This…” Zhang Wuchen and Zhang Wuzhen were startled simultaneously, and Zhang Ziqing’s face turned pale.

They thought he had a good method when he said he could resolve the lightning. Charging in like this would surely be suicide!

Zhang Xuan entered the lightning.

After fusing the body tempering and soul cultivation techniques, he successfully forged the Heavenly Dao Witchcraft Soul of the Domain Realm and the even higher-level Heavenly Dao Golden Body.

“I can’t absorb all of this massive lightning by myself. If it descends, the Azure Dragon Beast will certainly be struck dead. All of you, come out!” Gazing at the boundless sea of lightning, Zhang Xuan knew that even with his immense 'appetite,' he couldn't consume this much in a short time. With a thought, his clone, the Void Hollow Gourd, and the vines all shot out simultaneously.

“What a massive lightning tribulation…” Upon seeing such colossal lightning, the clone and the Void Hollow Gourd were filled with excitement and shrieked as they charged forward.

Zhang Xuan didn't stop either. His Witchcraft Soul separated from his body and operated the Witchcraft Soul cultivation technique, while his physical body, free of thoughts, continuously devoured the lightning.

After an unknown period, the lightning, just like before, dissipated in a grand rout. He recalled his clone and the others into his storage ring, and Zhang Xuan mentally introspected, unable to help but breathe a sigh of relief.

His Witchcraft Soul had successfully reached the peak of the Domain Realm, and his physical body had also broken through the limitations of a high-grade Saint artifact, now comparable to a half-step supreme-grade Saint artifact!

With such a physical body, even if he stood still and allowed a Saint 7-dan expert to attack with full force, he wouldn't be harmed in the slightest.

He could truly be considered a human weapon.

“It seems the innate poison is suppressed even further…” While the increase in strength was significant, it wasn’t what made him happiest. What excited him most was that as he absorbed more and more lightning, the innate poison was suppressed even more severely, coiling up in one spot, seemingly afraid to move.

“It seems lightning genuinely helps me greatly. I’ll have to seek out more opportunities in the future…”

Nodding with satisfaction, Zhang Xuan looked down, and his eyelid suddenly twitched violently.

He saw that only a few buildings remained intact within the Zhang Clan’s guest quarters. Although he had charged in to absorb and halt the lightning, its power had still been too immense. These buildings, already somewhat old, simply couldn’t withstand it.

Seeing the unpleasant expressions on Zhang Wuchen and the others around him, Zhang Xuan’s mouth twitched.

He was generally thin-skinned, and this was his first visit, yet he had caused such damage. To be honest, deep down he was still… quite pleased!

With such a massive commotion, even if the young genius didn't appear, his father… Sword Saint Xing, should have emerged by now!

“Many thanks, Master Teacher Zhang, for dispelling the lightning tribulation. Otherwise, the Zhang Clan would have paid an even greater price…” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s face twitching, unsure if he wanted to cry or laugh, Zhang Wuchen’s face turned ashen. Forcibly suppressing his anger, he finally cupped his fists.

Although this lightning tribulation was indeed brought about by the person before him, it was for the purpose of taming the Qilin Beast. Having witnessed it and not intervened, he himself bore an undeniable responsibility.

Fortunately, it was resolved; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Not only would the guest quarters have been destroyed, but a significant portion of the Zhang Clan’s foundation would have been ruined as well.

Reaching this outcome already represented the minimum possible loss.

“This entire affair started because of you…” Zhang Wuchen turned to Zhang Jiang and sternly reprimanded him, “Zhang Jiang, return to the clan immediately to receive your punishment. You are not permitted to leave without orders!”

“Yes…” His fists clenched, Zhang Jiang’s face alternated between red and white. He suddenly looked up and said, “I have no complaints about accepting punishment, but… my competition with Master Teacher Zhang isn’t over yet. I hope Third Elder will grant me some time. After the result is decided, regardless of who wins or loses, I will go to the Hall of Punishments myself…”

They were supposed to compete in beast taming, and the result hadn't been decided yet. Being punished directly felt incredibly unfair.

“Result?” Zhang Wuchen frowned.

“Yes, Master Teacher Zhang and I made a wager: within three days, whoever achieves a higher affinity with the Qilin Beast wins. However, judging by its appearance, as if it wishes to perish together, the outcome should be clear in less than three days…” Zhang Jiang quickly explained.

Using tricks to poison a Saint Beast, this alone violated a major taboo in beast taming. If Saint Beasts could be subdued so easily, the beast tamer profession wouldn't need to exist at all; everyone would simply become poison masters!

Saint Beasts, like humans, possess their own pride. They require genuine recognition to truly submit. Poisoning them or resorting to schemes… none of that works!

Especially for a violent Saint Beast like the Flame Qilin Beast, deliberately plotting to harm it will not only result in zero affinity but also increasing hatred. There will be no chance of taming it thereafter.

Hearing their conversation, Zhang Xuan felt a slight embarrassment.

He had initially thought that helping the Azure Dragon Beast break through would have a deterrent effect and make it submit. However, seeing how the beast deliberately attracted the lightning tribulation at the end, it was likely as Zhang Jiang guessed: taming it would be difficult!

“Never mind, I concede…” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was about to concede defeat when he suddenly felt a burst of heat on his leg. He then saw the Flame Qilin Beast, which had, at some unknown point, prostrated itself before him. Its tongue was sticking out, and its face was filled with piety and reverence: “Master, please accept me…”