Chapter 179: Yang Xuan, Damn You

Zhuang Xian felt a surge of indignation, the flesh on his face twitching uncontrollably. Hearing that his "advancement" would involve common tools like sacks and wooden sticks—items usually reserved for pig catching by ordinary folk—made him feel like he was about to spit blood. Had he not maintained the composure expected of a Master Teacher, he would have surely erupted by now.

When guiding others, he typically employed a few methods: improving cultivation techniques, identifying errors, or prescribing various elixirs. Yet this fellow suggested sacks…

Sacks?! What good are sacks?!

I’m trying to break through; what possible use could a sack be? Others take elixirs; am I supposed to eat a sack?

And summoning a few guards, all armed with sticks…

While using combat to stimulate potential is a valid breakthrough method, the guards in your courtyard are far too weak! I am at the pinnacle of the Tongxuan realm; people like them, even armed with swords and not just sticks, would have no effect on me.

"Yes..."

Hearing the instruction, Sun Qiang scratched his head and exited. He had been with his master for some time and knew his actions were always unconventional, but even he was utterly baffled by this. What exactly was his master planning? Still, since his master had made these arrangements, he must have a purpose; his only job was to obey.

Soon after, he returned with seven or eight guards, each holding a long stick. As a precaution, he had also brought four sacks.

"Master!"

As they approached, the guards bowed in unison.

"Master Zhuang is about to achieve a breakthrough, and he hopes for your assistance," Zhang Xuan said with a nod.

"It is our honor to assist a Master Teacher..."

The guards were initially surprised, then each one became ecstatic. When Sun Qiang had summoned them, he had mentioned that these were Master Teachers. Given their own low cultivation, they wouldn't normally even have the chance to meet, let alone interact with, such esteemed figures. Their excitement at being able to assist was immense. If Master Zhuang truly succeeded in his breakthrough and remembered their contribution, future wealth and honor would be within easy reach! This was a Master Teacher's favor, after all—priceless.

"Excellent, if you're willing!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Liu Ling. "Master Liu, I may need to trouble you to help seal Master Zhuang's acupoints, rendering him immobile."

"Seal my acupoints?" Zhuang Xian frowned. "What for?"

"If my acupoints and meridians are sealed, I won't be able to move. Aren't you supposed to help me break through? How can I cultivate if true qi can't circulate?"

"If you wish to break through, simply follow my instructions, don't worry about anything else," Zhang Xuan said. Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan met Zhuang Xian's gaze with unwavering determination.

Seeing that look, Sun Qiang, standing nearby, inexplicably shivered. It seemed... the last time he was told to smash Ling Tianyu's stone lions, it was with that very same look... He had believed it then and ended up nearly beaten to death. Without a doubt, if Master Zhuang truly believed him, he was in for a rough time. His master was the kind who would trick someone to their death without batting an eye.

"I..." Zhuang Xian began, but then saw Zhang Xuan across from him looking over with an unconcerned expression. "If you don't wish to break through, then don't bother. I won't waste my effort."

With that, he resumed sipping his tea, as still and serene as a painting.

"Fine, we'll do exactly as you say."

Seeing Zhang Xuan's dismissive attitude, which clearly implied "agree or forget it," Zhuang Xian gritted his teeth and turned to Liu Ling. "Brother Liu, I'll trouble you with this." You want me to back down? Dream on! I'll see exactly how you plan to make me break through. If you fail, you'll regret it.

"All right!"

Still skeptical of this "trickster," Liu Ling nodded and stepped forward. With a flick of his hand, true qi streamed from his fingers and landed on Zhuang Xian, sealing all his major acupoints.

"It's done," Liu Ling announced, seeing Zhuang Xian rendered motionless by the sealed acupoints.

"Good!"

Zhang Xuan inspected and nodded his approval. Master Liu had not cut any corners; he had indeed completely sealed all of Zhuang Xian's acupoints.

"In a moment, no matter what happens, I'll ask both of you not to intervene," Zhang Xuan said, looking at Liu Ling and Zheng Fei. Having finished these preparations, Zhang Xuan looked at Liu Ling and Zheng Fei.

"Understood!"

Unaware of his true intentions, both nodded in agreement.

"Let's begin!"

With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan said no more. He casually took the sack Sun Qiang offered, walked two steps to Zhuang Xian, and pulled it over his head.

"What are you doing?!"

With his acupoints sealed, Zhuang Xian had been wondering how the man would assist his breakthrough. Upon seeing the sack pulled over his head, he nearly vomited blood and fainted. I am a Master Teacher, a person of status! Explain yourself! What in the world is this sack for?

Ignoring Zhuang Xian's protests, Zhang Xuan looked at the guards. "It's your turn. Didn't you want to help Master Zhuang break through? Go on, hit him hard with your sticks! Beat him mercilessly!"

"Huh?"

The many guards, who had been fantasizing about receiving a Master Teacher's gratitude, stumbled and almost burst into tears upon hearing this. "Master, are you serious? Beat a Master Teacher? What about the promised help and gratitude? We still believe life is beautiful; we want to live longer, not die young..."

"What? Still not moving?" Zhang Xuan prodded. "Don't worry, with the sack over his head, he won't see who's hitting him." He paused. "Still not reassured? How about... we put a few more on him? That way, he'll be absolutely unable to see anything..."

Far from being comforted, the guards started sobbing even harder at his words. They had seen clearly when they arrived. What good would a sack do now? He wasn't deaf; everything was said loudly and clearly. Besides, this wasn't simply a matter of adding a few more sacks, was it? No matter how many sacks, he'd still know it was *them* who did it...

It wasn't just the guards who felt like crying; Liu Ling and Zheng Fei, standing to the side, also felt their mouths twitching and exchanged bewildered glances. This wasn't helping with a breakthrough... it felt more like he thought they doubted him and was seeking revenge! They had never heard of anyone achieving a breakthrough by being blindfolded with a sack and then beaten by a group of people.

However, having already promised not to intervene, they couldn't speak up. They sat stiffly to the side, their faces turning green from suppressed frustration, and ultimately remained silent.

"Still not moving?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "This is what Master Zhuang agreed to. Can you bear the consequences if you delay his breakthrough?" Since they weren't obeying, he could only resort to anger.

"Yes..."

The guards' faces twisted into expressions of bitter despair. They had believed that helping a Master Teacher was an immense honor, but they never dreamed it would turn out like this... However, since their own master was also a Master Teacher, they dared not refuse him. They could only grit their teeth in unison.

"Go!"

Since it felt like a death sentence either way, there was nothing to agonize over. Once they accepted that, it didn't seem so bad. Stepping forward, the guards raised their wooden sticks and began to ruthlessly strike Master Zhuang, who was hidden beneath the sack.

Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!

Zhuang Xian's acupoints were sealed, but his ears were not. He had heard their entire conversation, and as the sticks rained down on him, he felt his head spin. He was on the verge of madness.

"Yang Xuan, you bastard!"

You're not helping me break through; you're deliberately tormenting me... The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. A furious rage welled up within him, threatening to consume him. In the decades since he became a Master Teacher, he had never suffered such humiliation—being blindfolded with a sack and then ambushed with sticks... It was an utter disgrace!

If his assailants had been powerful, it might have been tolerable. But they were merely ordinary guards from the courtyard, with cultivation levels only at Martial Artist 3rd or 4th stage... Most importantly, with all his acupoints sealed, true qi couldn't circulate, preventing him from healing or defending himself. The sticks landed directly on his physical body, causing an unbearable, inexpressible pain.

As rage consumed him and he teetered on the brink of madness, he heard "Yang Xuan's" voice from outside the sack once more.

"You're hitting the wrong spot. Ah, yes, right here..."

Before Zhuang Xian could even react, he felt a sharp pain on his face and a burning sensation on his head as several wooden sticks whipped across his cheeks and skull. Until now, the pain had been limited to his body. Now, they were directly striking his head.

"Oh, hell..."

Feeling his mouth instantly swell from the blows, Zhuang Xian was beyond tears. This was his own fault for being so foolish. He knew the man was a fraud, yet he still sought his guidance for a breakthrough. Wasn't this just asking for death?

Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of curses, the conversation outside resumed.

"Master, how long should we continue?" A guard couldn't help but ask. We can't just keep hitting him indefinitely; there must be a time limit, right?

"Time? Let me think... How about this!" "Yang Xuan's" voice paused, then continued, "Until he's dead..."

"Beat me to death? You..." Zhuang Xian was furious.

I'm here to break through, not to commit suicide! You actually ordered the guards to beat me to death... Yang Xuan, I swear we cannot live under the same sky! If I don't kill you today, I'm not Zhuang!

Shouting internally, Zhuang Xian no longer cared about cursing. Forcing himself to endure the excruciating pain, he mobilized all his true qi and directed it forcefully against his sealed acupoints. If he didn't unseal his acupoints and regain his freedom, he might truly die here today... This wasn't helping him break through at all; it was an attempt to murder him and silence him...

The more he thought, the angrier he became. His immense fury grew, accumulating like grains of sand gradually forming a towering dune.

"Put some effort into it! Didn't you eat?" The shouts continued from outside the sack.

Zhuang Xian's eyelids twitched. The physical pain and the profound humiliation he felt could no longer be contained.

*Boom!*

After an unknown period, all the sealed acupoints in his body finally ruptured under his frenzied assault. With a mighty shake of his arms, he tore the sack from his head.

*Crack! Crack!*

The wooden sticks in the guards' hands were shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground.

"Yang Xuan, you bastard...!"

With a roar, Zhuang Xian lunged for Zhang Xuan, the instigator. However, he saw the "fake Master Teacher" calmly seated, sipping tea. Zhang Xuan's expression was serene, his gaze tranquil, and he spoke with elegant composure, "Master Zhuang, please mind your dignity. As a Master Teacher, how can you use such language?"

"Curse? I'm going to kill you!" Zhuang Xian grew even angrier, letting out a roar and preparing to charge forward. You try being beaten senseless with a sack over your head! Status, my foot! If I don't beat you to death, I'm no Master Teacher!

"Check your cultivation first, then decide whether to kill me..."

Zhang Xuan, unfazed by the outburst, merely raised an eyebrow.

"My cultivation?" Zhuang Xian froze, then looked down at himself. His pupils immediately contracted. "This... how is this possible?"