Chapter 2254: Kong and Zhang Meet

"Zhang Xuan? Challenging the Hall Master? Is he here to cause trouble?""Coming to the Master Teacher Hall to stir up trouble is just asking for death!""Wait, he said his name is Zhang Xuan. Which Zhang Xuan? Could it be... the one known for the beauty pills?""In the God Realm, he seems to be the only famous one.""I heard he just killed the titled God King Baiye Qinghong in Linglong Heaven a few days ago..."

A commotion erupted. Several Master Teachers, who had been about to rush forward and scold him, all recoiled and fell silent upon hearing that even God King Baiye Qinghong was no match for him. To be able to slay a titled God King, regardless of the methods used, implied terrifying strength beyond imagination.

"I am the Master Teacher Hall Master. Master Alchemist Zhang, please come this way!" A white-bearded old man emerged from the main hall. His cultivation was extremely profound, having reached the God King realm, just like Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan nodded and followed him towards the inner hall.

After walking for a while, with no one else around, the old man stopped. "Master Alchemist Zhang, I already know your purpose. I will take you to see the Great Emperor now!""You know I want to see Emperor Tianzong?" Zhang Xuan was startled. He had expected to have to fight or force the other party to take him, but he didn't expect such a statement immediately upon their meeting.

"The Emperor had already instructed me to take you directly to him as soon as you arrived..." The Master Teacher Hall Master smiled faintly. With a wave of his hand, a teleportation array immediately appeared before them."Let's go!" he said, stepping into the array. Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi followed closely.With a flash of light, they appeared on a cloud-shrouded mountain range. A magnificent palace emerged before them, and in the central seat, an old man sat with an amiable expression. It was Master Kong!

On both sides stood several powerhouses, including God Kings and Titled God Kings. Zhang Xuan looked over, his eyebrows twitching. He recognized quite a few of them: Ancient Sage Ziyuan, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Ancient Sage Bu Shang, Ancient Sage Zigong… In fact, all Ten Sages and Seventy-Two Worthies of the Confucian Gate were present! The lowest among them had reached the peak of Upper-Grade Heavenly God. There were more than ten individuals at or above the God King realm, a force no less formidable than any of the other Nine Heavens.

However… when he first entered the Firmament, hadn't he seen the corpses of Ancient Sage Ziyuan and the others? How could they appear completely unharmed now? His heart was filled with questions, but he knew this was not the time to ask. Taking a few steps to the center of the hall, he bowed deeply. "Junior Zhang Xuan greets Master Kong!" With just one glance, he could tell this was indeed the compassionate teacher of a myriad of generations; there was no mistaking it.

"You've finally arrived..." Master Kong smiled faintly and looked around. "You may all leave now!""Yes!" Ancient Sage Ziyuan nodded and led everyone out."Qiqi, wait for me outside!" Zhang Xuan said, turning his head."If anything happens, just call me..." Luo Qiqi nodded.

Soon, only Zhang Xuan and Master Kong remained in the room."Sit," Master Kong gestured, and a chair flew over, landing behind Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan, however, did not immediately sit down. Instead, he cupped his fist with an apologetic expression. "Master Kong, you have shown me the great kindness of nurturing, a kindness as immense as a mountain, yet I captured your clone..."

With a flick of his wrist, he released the clone he had captured in the Firmament."He is a wisp of my consciousness, something I severed from my own body. He was originally suppressed in the Firmament, but I didn't expect him to break through the seal over time... It was my oversight." As if he already knew about it, Master Kong showed no anger. With a flick of his finger, the clone transformed into a wisp of green smoke and vanished. Then, Master Kong smiled faintly. "Originally, I intended to send down a wisp of my will to eliminate him, but seeing you enter the Firmament, I abandoned that idea. You certainly didn't disappoint me..."

"Master Kong... you knew about my actions in the Firmament?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. The Firmament and the God Realm were unconnected. The difficulty of traveling there was so immense that even Luo Ruoxi had suffered serious injuries... Yet Master Kong knew what had happened?

Master Kong nodded. "Like you, I came from the Master Teacher Continent and the Firmament. I left behind my will and contingencies here. Although descending to the lower realms is difficult, knowing what happens there is not so hard!" With his level of cultivation, even Emperor Lingxi wouldn't dare claim to be stronger than him. Leaving behind means to know things in the worlds he had passed through was very simple for him.

"That's true..." Zhang Xuan conceded. Even the Undying Emperor, whose strength was inferior to his, could use the Great Emperor Seal to transmit messages to Du Qingxuan. Master Kong had countless students and extraordinary talent; achieving this shouldn't be difficult for him.

"Not only do I know about your deeds in the Firmament and the Master Teacher Continent, but your journey, step by step, has been even more dazzling than mine..." Master Kong stroked his beard, a gratified smile in his eyes. Zhang Xuan didn't know that his every move had actually been under Master Kong's observation. Master Kong had initially thought Zhang Xuan would be a fleeting phenomenon, but instead, like a meteor, he illuminated the land, soaring ninety thousand miles from the Master Teacher Continent in just over two years, achieving God King status and standing before him... Before, he couldn't have even imagined it."You flatter me..." Zhang Xuan blushed.

The reason he had progressed so quickly was actually by following Master Kong's footsteps. If Master Kong hadn't pioneered the Master Teacher profession and created cultivation methods like the "Sealing Saint Solution," it would have been almost impossible for Zhang Xuan to break through so quickly and reach his current level step by step.

"Let's stop with the pleasantries. I understand your purpose in coming!" Master Kong looked over. "Are you worried about the battle between me and Emperor Lingxi, and do you wish to dissuade us?""Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Before this man, he was like a transparent person; he couldn't hide any thoughts. Since that was the case, there was no need to hide anything.

"There's no need to waste your effort. This kind of contest... is unavoidable, and there's no way to avoid it! I can't avoid it, and neither can you..." Master Kong shook his head."Neither can I?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He was just trying to dissuade them from fighting, so why was it suddenly about him? Could it be that he also needed to compete?

Master Kong looked over. "Have you comprehended the power of the Flawed Heavenly Dao?""Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. There was nothing to hide from Master Kong about this matter.

"I comprehended the Ordered Heavenly Dao. You must already know this," Master Kong said. Zhang Xuan nodded again. He had already known this back in the Firmament; it was no longer a secret.

"Whether it's the Ordered Heavenly Dao or the Flawed Heavenly Dao, they are both parts of the Heavenly Dao... a branch within the Heavenly Dao!" Master Kong looked up at the sky outside the hall, his gaze distant.

"Could it be... Luo Ruo... Does Emperor Lingxi also possess a part of the Heavenly Dao?" Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and a thought emerged. Could the so-called 'unavoidable' and 'unstoppable' be a conflict of the Heavenly Dao? If so, it would explain why he wasn't interested in other girls but fell in love with Luo Ruoxi at first sight, and why she knew he possessed the Library. There was a connection between the Heavenly Daos... perhaps this was the root cause.