Chapter 175: Inducing Turbulence

Tianxuan Royal City.

“Teacher Liu and Teacher Zhuang from the Beiwu Second-Class Kingdom, along with Teacher Zheng from the Hanwu Kingdom, have arrived in the Royal City and even visited this Yang Xuan together?”

“That’s right. After their visit, it’s said that Ling Tianyu, Du Miaoxuan, and others were summoned to the palace overnight. We don’t know what happened, but the next day, the three renowned teachers personally visited the residence again… And… they visited for five consecutive days without even catching a glimpse of him?”

“My goodness, that’s incredible! He didn’t even meet renowned teachers? I know Teacher Liu; he’s considered advanced among one-star teachers. Such a person was even turned away… What level is this Teacher Yang?”

“He’s probably more than just a two-star renowned teacher!”

No one had heard the name Yang Xuan before, and even the Teacher’s Guild couldn’t find any record of him. This led many to be skeptical, believing he wasn't a genuine renowned teacher.

Now, things were different. Teacher Liu, Teacher Zheng, and Teacher Zhuang were three genuine renowned teachers everyone had heard of, famous even in the surrounding major kingdoms. The three of them visiting together for five consecutive days without even getting past the door made it clear to even the most foolish person that this Yang Xuan was certainly extraordinary.

“He’s a renowned teacher, yet untraceable… Perhaps the name Yang Xuan is also fake…”

“Renowned teachers enjoy traveling, honing their skills, and experiencing ordinary life to broaden their minds and elevate their souls. Could this person be a high-level renowned teacher who has been traveling?”

“That’s unknown… But if that’s true, wouldn’t the Tianxuan Kingdom prosper greatly?”

“Indeed. Renowned teachers symbolize national strength. With a one-star renowned teacher, one can apply for a Second-Class Kingdom; with a two-star, a First-Class Kingdom. If a three-star renowned teacher is present, one can apply for a title!”

“Once a kingdom achieves a title, it becomes eligible to construct large teleportation arrays, buy and sell various resources, and receive homage from countless nations. The benefits would be immense, almost unimaginable…”

For a time, various theories circulated, reverberating throughout the entire Royal City.

“Your Majesty, although the three teachers are still uncertain and suspicious, this old servant believes that this Yang Xuan must possess great abilities. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to easily cure so many people. Even if he’s not a renowned teacher, he’s likely a master of medicine. Perhaps the old ancestor… can be saved.”

Inside the Royal Palace, an old eunuch analyzed the latest information.

“Hmm, dispatch people to guard his residence strictly. The moment this Yang Xuan returns, report to me immediately. I wish to see him in person,” Emperor Shen Zhui said, his gaze serious.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The old eunuch quickly nodded.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Wang Chao. If this Teacher Yang takes a liking to us and we become his apprentices, becoming renowned teachers ourselves will be just around the corner!”

At Hongtian Academy, in a spacious classroom, Lu Xun looked at the young man before him with excitement.

“Indeed. We must go and pay our respects, striving to leave a good impression on Teacher Yang!” Wang Chao also nodded, his eyes gleaming. “Even if we can’t become apprentices, a few words of guidance would surely enable us to break through immediately.”

“Mmm!” Lu Xun nodded.

“By the way, what about Zhang Xuan?” Wang Chao asked, looking over.

“Him?” Teacher Lu Xun looked ahead, an air of superiority about him, hands clasped behind his back. “He’s merely a stepping stone on my path to becoming a renowned teacher, nothing significant. Don’t worry, the students I’ve selected to compete against him are all secretly training. In a few days, they’ll achieve major breakthroughs, guaranteeing a decisive victory in this Teacher Qualification Exam, which will surely attract the attention of many renowned teachers!”

“That’s good. I congratulate you in advance…” Wang Chao said excitedly, cupping his fists.

Similar scenes unfolded across the Royal City. The appearance of a renowned teacher stirred all the major powers. Everyone set their sights on the residence where Zhang Xuan resided. In an instant, that unassuming small courtyard seemed to become the very center of the entire Royal City, stirring up a storm.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan had reached the innermost row of bookshelves in the Royal Library. Five days of sleepless, continuous reading had left him utterly exhausted. Forget cultivating, he didn't even feel like speaking.

“Just the last row…”

Knowing that visiting the Royal Library was a rare opportunity, he decided to imprint these books into the Library of Heaven’s Path first, without immediately converting them into corresponding Heaven’s Path books. Even so, he was utterly worn out, feeling like he could collapse at any moment. Seeing only the last row remaining, his eyes immediately lit up with excitement, and tears welled up. After so many days of hard work, he finally saw the end.

“Hmm? These are books about poison…”

This was a row of books on how to use, create, administer, and identify poisons. Like other types, they were only basic, not considered advanced.

“Browse!”

His fingers swept across them, creating a rustling sound as book after book was imprinted into his mind. Among the many professions, the Poison Master profession, in terms of its destructive power, could definitely rank among the upper nine paths. However, similar to assassins, they had to hide in the shadows, unseen, which many people were unwilling to choose, ultimately relegating it to the lower nine paths. Zhang Xuan naturally had no desire to become a Poison Master, but there was no harm in reading about it to protect himself from being framed. While one should not harbor ill intentions towards others, one must be on guard against those who do.

An hour later, he finished reading all the books on poison.

“Time to go back and sleep first…”

After imprinting all the books from the library into his mind, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over Zhang Xuan. He felt completely drained, wanting nothing more than to find a place to lie down and sleep immediately. Although he had reached the pinnacle of the Aperture Opening Realm, making him much stronger than an ordinary person, five continuous days and nights without rest, combined with intense mental exertion, was more than even he could endure.

However, despite the exhaustion, it was worth it. The Tianxuan Kingdom had been established for at least a thousand years. While the quality of its collected books wasn't high and they weren't considered secret manuals, they covered every profession and were vast in quantity. For others, this situation would make it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood; the more they read, the more confused they'd become, often leading to mental disarray. But for Zhang Xuan, who possessed the Library of Heaven’s Path, it was no problem at all. As long as he wished, he could instantly form Heaven’s Path books, extracting the most accurate knowledge and making it his own.

Stepping out of the Royal Palace, he glanced at the sun and realized he had been in the library for a full five days.

“I can’t rest yet. It’s been almost ten days since I ordered the Yin-Breaking Pill and Giant Rhinoceros Beast blood. The items should have arrived…” It was only as he walked that he remembered he couldn’t go straight to sleep. He had been busy earning money and reading books recently, and the ten-day period was almost up. The medicinal ingredients he had asked Guild Leader Ouyang to purchase should be arriving soon.

“I should head back to the residence first. Hopefully, someone has been looking for me these past few days, so I can gather enough money…” After a quick thought, realizing he still needed two million for the funds, he didn’t hesitate. He found an secluded spot, changed his clothes, disguised himself as 'Yang Xuan,' and then walked towards his residence.

Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo were famous phantom thieves in the Tianxuan Kingdom, specializing in stealing from wealthy households and redistributing riches to the poor, thus considered righteous bandits. Due to their agile movements and clean methods, they had never failed in years. The Tianxuan Kingdom had even offered a high reward for their capture, but amusingly, no one even knew what they looked like.

“Up ahead is Du Qiao’s residence. That fellow is a ruthless rich man who has committed many evil deeds. Although he recently suffered a major setback in business due to bandits, even a starving camel is bigger than a horse. Stealing a sum from him would be enough to last us for quite some time…” Zhang Liao chuckled and strode forward.

The two of them, having been fiercely pursued, had left Tianxuan Royal City for half a year. Upon their return, they immediately set their sights on the merchant Du Qiao.

“Yes, but we need to scout thoroughly, confirm the guards and his habits, before we can make our move,” Zhang Mo nodded. When the two carried out their thefts, they didn't just steal from anyone they saw. They typically observed for a long time, meticulously planned the defensive layout, identified weaknesses, and then struck with certainty of success. It was precisely because of this that they had carried out no fewer than fifty thefts without a single failure.

“That’s the residence up ahead, I’ve been here once… huh?” Zhang Liao strode forward, turned a street, and as he was about to sneak up to the residence they intended to rob to observe it carefully, he was immediately startled. Zhang Mo’s face also turned pale as he stared ahead, his eyes wide.

They saw a long queue filling the entrance of the residence, with hundreds of people standing in front. If it were merely a large crowd, it would be fine, but the most crucial thing was… the mansion’s gate was tightly shut, seemingly with no intention of opening.

“Look quickly, isn’t that… the Eight-Armed Divine Dragon, Liu Yuankai?” Suddenly, Zhang Liao recognized someone, and his face turned pale.

“It’s him… Liu Yuankai, the Eight-Armed Divine Dragon, a renowned peerless figure among rogue cultivators, a supreme expert at the late stage of the Profound Connection Realm. He disappeared from public view after being injured during a beast hunt. Why is he here? And standing at the entrance?” Zhang Mo also trembled all over.

“And that’s… Longyan Iron Hand, Feng Jun? The top master of Hansnow City, whose iron hands can split stone tablets. He’s such a formidable presence that even Emperor Shen Zhui addresses him as an equal when he enters the palace, and his cultivation is at the middle stage of the Profound Connection Realm. Why is he here… queuing?”

“Eagle-Eyed God, Duan Jiujiang? Iron Caltrop, Long Xuanhai? Pale-Faced Scholar, Hu Xiaobai…”

They had initially thought that those queuing outside were just ordinary people. After recognizing one, Zhang Liao looked back carefully and trembled all over, nearly scared to death on the spot. Every single one of these individuals was a renowned master in the Tianxuan Kingdom, with even the weakest having reached the initial stage of the Profound Connection Realm. Although the two thieves had some tricks up their sleeves, if they were to truly encounter these people, they probably wouldn't even be able to escape and would be beaten to death on the spot.

But…

How could such powerful masters, all arrogant and disdainful of everyone else, who even Emperor Shen Zhui had trouble inviting, all be standing here queuing at this door?

I can’t be mistaken, can I…?

Zhang Liao and Zhang Mo exchanged glances, both frantically scratching their heads, almost driven mad. If these people were just standing in line, it would be one thing. But the crucial point was that none of them dared to breathe loudly, fearing they might offend the person inside the courtyard, or even be kept outside… they didn't even dare to knock on the door…

Damn it, Heaven and Earth, can someone tell me if these people are crazy, or if I am?

Isn’t this Du Qiao’s residence? How could a mere merchant possess such immense deterrent power? Making such a group of people willingly wait outside the door, not daring to speak a single unnecessary word?