Chapter 1889: Green Sprout Wheat

A vast world stretched out before them. The sky was high and clear, the grass lush, and orioles flew overhead. Countless plants, a vibrant green, were cultivated in the fields. The spiritual energy in the surroundings felt almost tangible, even denser than in some sacred lands.

"What is this place?"

Wei Ruyan frowned, a look of doubt on her face, and stepped forward, circulating her True Qi, wary of potential dangers.

"It must be an ancient land or perhaps some ruins!" Zheng Yang commented from the other side.

Zhang Xuan didn't reply. With a curious glint in his eyes, he slowly walked along a field path. Soon, he reached the plants, bent down, and pulled one from the ground. After studying it for a moment, he smiled faintly. "Have either of you noticed anything?"

"Noticed what?"

The two students exchanged confused glances.

Seeing the expectant look in their teacher's eyes, Zheng Yang paused before speaking. "This wheat seems much sturdier than the kind on the Master Teacher Continent, and it absorbs spiritual energy more efficiently!"

"It does seem stronger..." Wei Ruyan nodded in agreement, though a hint of confusion crossed her face. She wondered why their teacher wasn't concerned about their location or their next steps, but was instead so focused on a single stalk of wheat. With their cultivation levels, they no longer needed to eat and wouldn't feel hunger, making these agricultural crops quite irrelevant to them.

"This is Green Bud Wheat," Zhang Xuan explained. "It contains incredibly potent spiritual energy. If ordinary people consume it regularly, it can improve their physique and strengthen their bloodline. For someone like you, Ruyan, with an Innate Poison Body, if you had consumed this from birth, you wouldn't have endured so much suffering; your abilities would have been easily activated instead."

Wei Ruyan's Innate Poison Body was so powerful it couldn't be activated, leaving her frail from childhood and constantly on the brink of death. Had it not been for her father, Wei Changfeng, who painstakingly searched for treasures to sustain her, she might not have survived long enough for Zhang Xuan to take her as a disciple. If she had consumed Green Bud Wheat from birth, her physique would have significantly improved, perhaps sparing her much suffering. And perhaps, Wei Changfeng wouldn't have sacrificed his life for a single medicinal herb.

"That powerful? If we bring this back to the Master Teacher Continent, wouldn't it benefit everyone?" Zheng Yang's eyes sparkled with excitement. As the Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall, he tended to think more broadly than others. If something that could improve physiques and strengthen bloodlines became widespread, wouldn't everyone on the continent become exceptional, like dragons among men?

In the war between the Human Race and the Spirit Race, even with countless Master Teachers dedicating their efforts, the Master Teacher Hall struggled to gain a decisive advantage. The primary reason was the innate strength of the Spirit Race. They were born at the Transcendent Mortal realm; the stronger their bloodline, the more formidable they became. Compared to them, humans simply weren't on the same level. The fact that humanity could withstand their attacks without falling entirely was a testament to their utmost effort.

"It can't be grown on the Master Teacher Continent!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, understanding Zheng Yang's thoughts. This particular vegetation wasn't recorded in the Master Teacher Hall's archives. Zhang Xuan had encountered it in the Book Mountain, where it was described as the ideal plant envisioned by Kong Shi, not something that actually existed. He had spent considerable time confirming its nature.

"Why not?" Zheng Yang asked, confused. This place, at most, had abundant spiritual energy. With their strength, creating such an environment wouldn't be difficult. So why couldn't it be cultivated?

"The Master Teacher Continent has been ravaged by countless battles with the Spirit Race," Zhang Xuan explained. "Their aura lingers everywhere. Green Bud Wheat, however, is extremely sensitive to the aura of slaughter. If it comes into contact with it, it will be instantly poisoned and die!"

As he spoke, Zhang Xuan gently spun a wisp of True Qi on his fingertip, imbuing it with a faint aura of slaughter, and lightly touched it to the field before them.

*Whoosh!*

Like a drop of pigment in clear water, the effect spread rapidly outwards from his fingertip. In an instant, dozens of acres of Green Bud Wheat withered and died on the spot, turning a sickly yellow, as if scorched.

"This..."

Zheng Yang and the others were aghast, and even Zhang Xuan couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. He knew the plant was highly sensitive to the aura of slaughter and easily killed, but he hadn't anticipated such a potent effect. The wisp of True Qi he had used was incredibly faint, yet it had produced such devastation. It was clear that even the slightest trace of the aura of slaughter on the Master Teacher Continent could cause a massive disaster, leading to complete crop failure. Without food, talk of improving physique or enhancing cultivation would be meaningless.

"The Master Teacher Continent has many Spirit Race members lurking within it," Zhang Xuan sighed. "Their aura permeates the air. Although it's not dense enough to harm ordinary people, for Green Bud Wheat, it would be a complete catastrophe."

Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan nodded in unison, rendered speechless. The Master Teacher Hall's role in guarding the Master Teacher Continent and strengthening humanity was one reason, but it was also to ensure that the Spirit Race would never have another opportunity to cause harm.

"Tianxuan Kingdom... there's no aura of slaughter there. Could this be grown there?" Wei Ruyan asked after a pause. She had noticed upon entering Tianxuan Kingdom that this ancient land seemed to possess a natural barrier, automatically isolating the aura of slaughter that permeated the air elsewhere. In other words, there was no aura of slaughter within this ancient land.

"While there's no aura of slaughter, the spiritual energy isn't sufficient," Zhang Xuan replied. "Also, haven't you noticed? There's no special power here that allows Master Teachers to advance."

"Oh..." Wei Ruyan trailed off. As a Poison Master, she hadn't paid attention to the unique aura that enabled Master Teachers to advance. But now that her teacher mentioned it, she realized he was right. Tianxuan Kingdom lacked the aura of slaughter, but it also lacked the special power necessary for Master Teachers to improve. To become a Master Teacher, one had to leave and go elsewhere. Just like Master Lu Xun, whom they had recently met, he had become a two-star Master Teacher only after traveling to other kingdoms, not by remaining here.

"Ancient lands cannot retain that special aura, nor do they have much spiritual energy," Zhang Xuan sighed. "Even without the aura of slaughter, they aren't suitable for growing Green Bud Wheat. Even if it survived, it wouldn't thrive." Previously, he hadn't fully understood ancient lands. But after abandoning the special power of a Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher, his perception had sharpened, allowing him to immediately grasp the crucial point. While he didn't know why ancient lands functioned this way, he understood that even if this plant were taken out, it still wouldn't grow. Otherwise, Kong Shi would surely have long ago transformed ancient lands into the most vital regions of the Master Teacher Continent.

"If it doesn't grow in ancient lands, yet flourishes so densely here, then what kind of place *is* this?" Zheng Yang asked, full of curiosity. Something that couldn't survive anywhere else was thriving here. Could there be something special about this place?

"Your guess is correct," Zhang Xuan said after a pause. "This should be the place where the Hundred Schools of Thought resided... It's no longer just ruins or a folded space, but has been transformed into an entirely new world!"

"The Hundred Schools of Thought?"

The two students exchanged wide-eyed glances, visibly startled.

*Woo-woo-woo!*

Just as they were about to ask how their teacher could be so certain, a horn blast echoed in the distance. Immediately, they saw a large group of people rushing towards them, all of them looking furious.