Chapter 1657: Witch Soul Breakthrough

Not long after, he arrived in front of a massive pavilion. On the horizontal plaque at the very top, three large characters shimmered with light: Library Pavilion!

"This is the place..." Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and smiled faintly. Although he had peeked at books before, he hadn't done so since becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy and the head of the Saint Son Hall. Since the Jiang family had betrayed humanity first, he saw no reason to concern himself with rules and etiquette.

He took a few steps to the door, lightly tapped his finger, and a passage silently appeared in the seal. He then stepped inside. Having comprehended the Heaven's Path Divination Art to the fourth level, ordinary seals and formations were mere trifles for him.

"Indeed, there are quite a few books about souls!" Upon reaching the first floor of the library, he looked around and found many books on souls. However, none of them were profound, so Zhang Xuan didn't bother to collect them and continued upwards.

On the second floor, there were even more books on souls. After a brief look, he realized they were still too low-level for him. He continued upward, ascending five more floors, finally stopping on the seventh. There weren't as many books here as before, only dozens of bookshelves packed with tens of thousands of books. With a sweep of his gaze, he collected them all into the Library of Heaven's Path, then frowned immediately.

"How can there be so many... Witch Soul books?" Many of the books on the shelves before him were unexpectedly about Witch Soul cultivation methods. While Witch Soul cultivation techniques and regular soul cultivation techniques appeared similar, they were fundamentally different. Soul cultivation techniques were methods for refining the soul and practicing soul martial arts, while Witch Souls were a profession involving eerie methods like soulless golden figures and sacrificial rituals. If soul cultivation techniques were likened to physicians, then Witch Souls were like poison masters. Both involved the soul, but their cultivation methods were diametrically opposed. The former involved normal tempering, gradually increasing power in conjunction with one's cultivation level, while the latter used bizarre techniques and human lives for tempering, which was characteristic of an evil path.

The Jiang family, one of the three major clans, had always been esteemed by the Master Teacher Pavilion for their integrity. How could they possess so many Witch Soul techniques? "Could it be that... the Jiang family's ancestors inherited the lineage of Witch Soul Masters?" His eyelids twitched. The extinction of Witch Soul Masters and the disappearance of their lineage were common knowledge on the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, the Jiang family's seventh floor contained so many secret Witch Soul manuals. He couldn't believe there was no connection between them.

Full of shock, he continued upward. The eighth floor had even fewer books, but there were still many about Witch Souls. "If the Jiang family truly inherited from Witch Soul Masters, then their betrayal of humanity becomes quite plausible..." His eyes narrowed. The reason Witch Soul Masters were eradicated was not just because of their cruel cultivation methods; the main reason was their betrayal of humanity! For example, while Poison Masters' cultivation techniques also had many inhumane aspects, the Master Teacher Pavilion merely confined them to a corner, without completely wiping them out. If all these suspicions were true, then their contact with the fair-skinned young man would be logical and not overly surprising.

After collecting those books as well, Zhang Xuan arrived at the top floor. There were even fewer books here, just a few. He glanced at them, taking them into his mind. "Correct!" Without much hesitation, he immediately merged the cultivation technique Lu Chong had given him with the books he had just collected. Two books appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path. With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

"The cultivation techniques for the Great Sage's first two realms, Impervious to Divine Sight and Golden Body, have both reached the Heaven's Path level! While the remaining two realms still have minor imperfections..." For normal true qi breakthroughs to the Great Sage level, one needed to comprehend and forge their own path, as there was no unified method. But Witch Souls were different. There were no meridians in a soul body; the best technique was simply whatever could make it stronger and grant more control.

"First, let my Witch Soul break through!" Seeing the Heaven's Path cultivation technique formed, Zhang Xuan didn't hesitate. He found a corner, set up a seal, and with a flicker of his body, entered the folded space. After preparing all sorts of resources, he sat cross-legged and meticulously studied the cultivation technique he had comprehended in his mind.

After an unknown period, his spirit stirred. His Witch Soul leaped out from between his eyebrows and, with an ethereal hand, reached out towards the many treasures before him. Boom! The treasures shattered, and countless streams of spiritual energy surged upward, flowing into his body. These items were all obtained from the Luo clan's treasury. They were more than enough not just for Witch Soul cultivation, but even for cultivation breakthroughs. He no longer needed to rely on absorbing lightning tribulations to replenish his strength as before.

A continuous hum of energy filled the space! Nourished by the spiritual energy, his soul body grew increasingly powerful, instantly shattering the previously stagnant shackles. In an instant, his soul body seemed to have been tempered, becoming more transparent and clearer. Streaks of radiant light shone around it, as if he were ascending to immortality or Buddhahood. A normal Witch Soul Master, even after breaking through to the Great Sage level, would have a murky soul body permeated with cold yin energy. However, Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heaven's Path technique, and his soul's essence had undergone a qualitative transformation after countless temperings by lightning. There was no trace of yin or coldness left. Even if members of the Master Teacher Pavilion saw him at this moment, they would likely only think his soul had left his body, never suspecting that he was a genuine Witch Soul Master.

"As expected, I've broken through..." Feeling the changes in his soul body, Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed. It seemed coming to the Jiang family was the right choice. If he hadn't seen these books, who knew when his soul body would have been able to break through.

"Continue!" Having broken through to the Impervious to Divine Sight realm, Zhang Xuan knew there was still some distance before he could enter the Ancient Sage's corpse. Without hesitation, he continued to absorb power, frantically pushing towards a higher realm.

Two hours later, the absorption slowed to a halt, and Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes. "Impervious to Divine Sight realm, Grand Perfection..." Unlike the Saint realm, the four Great Sage realms – Impervious to Divine Sight, Golden Body, Sudden Insight, and Indestructible – were divided into six minor stages: initial, middle, late, peak, perfection, and grand perfection. Reaching Grand Perfection meant reaching the absolute peak of that realm.

"The Great Sage level is indeed much harder than the Saint realm! Previously, a major realm in the Saint realm took only an hour, but now it has doubled, requiring two hours..." Zhang Xuan couldn't help but sigh. Before, he could cultivate through a major realm in an hour, rapidly increasing his cultivation, but now it actually took two... Indeed, cultivation grew harder the further one progressed. "Cultivation truly isn't easy... Even for a genius like me, it takes two hours. Wouldn't it be even harder for others to reach this realm?"

He shook his head. "Never mind. Even if it's tiring, I must continue. I'll strive to cultivate the Golden Body realm to Grand Perfection before nightfall..." While lamenting his slowed cultivation speed, Zhang Xuan continued to cultivate. Even if it became even slower... to improve his strength, he had no choice but to endure this tedious cultivation! After all, he had chosen this arduous path... no matter how exhausting, he had to grit his teeth and persevere!