Chapter 241: Guiding Zhao Feng

Every cultivation technique is the result of countless individuals' dedication and exploration, allowing it to be passed down through generations.

Putting aside other techniques, consider the White Jade Technique practiced by Zhao Feng. It has been passed down for at least three hundred years, with countless ancestors having cultivated it. If Zhao Ya hadn't been female and thus unsuitable for it, she would certainly have practiced this technique as well.

He began sensing spiritual energy at four years old and has since become a formidable power. The White Jade Technique has accompanied him for over forty years, and he has never found any issues with it. Yet, this Master Zhang, who is less than twenty years old, claims to have modified it? Is that even possible?

Modifying a cultivation technique requires a profound understanding of power, something only possible for Grandmasters who establish their own schools. Therefore, upon hearing his claim, not only City Lord Zhao Feng but also Emperor Shen Zhui were disbelieving. Even Old Ancestor Shen Hong, who has reached the Grandmaster realm, cannot modify a technique that has been passed down for centuries. Could he *really* do it?

Noticing their doubt, Zhang Xuan was unconcerned. He casually took out paper and a brush and began to write. He was already accustomed to this reaction, as Zhao Ya and the others had reacted similarly when he had organized new cultivation techniques for them.

In a short time, he finished writing down a cultivation technique.

Taking the paper, City Lord Zhao Feng looked down. Indeed, the original cultivation technique had been modified in several places by Master Zhang. However, after reading through it, his expression grew increasingly strange.

"Is there a problem?" Emperor Shen Zhui couldn't help but ask.

"Your Majesty, take a look!" Zhao Feng handed the technique over.

Shen Zhui casually opened it and, after reading for a moment, was also completely baffled. "Your technique was previously reviewed by the Old Ancestor, and I've also specifically examined it myself; it's grand and impressive. But with these modifications, it's completely unrecognizable, even containing conflicting sections... Can it truly be cultivated?"

As a peak Grand Unification realm expert and ruler of a nation, he was knowledgeable and could discern the merits and flaws of this modified technique. If one were to truly cultivate according to what was written, several acupoints would clash, causing chaotic qi flow, which could easily lead to qi deviation.

"Whether it can be cultivated or not, you'll know by trying!" Zhang Xuan wasn't angered by their skepticism.

"I trust Master Zhang!" City Lord Zhao hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Although the White Jade Technique before him had been altered in an bizarre and confusing way, he trusted Master Zhang. This master had been able to instantly identify his daughter's Pure Yin Physique and had enabled his four other students to make such significant progress in just half a month. Neither his discernment nor his guidance in cultivation could be matched. With this thought, City Lord Zhao memorized the modified sections, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began to cultivate on the spot.

Whoosh! As he focused and calmed his breath, the surrounding spiritual energy immediately converged, entering his body through his pores. As soon as he began cultivating, his power was evident: late Grand Unification realm!

Gurgle, gurgle! He hadn't been cultivating for long when City Lord Zhao's previously ruddy face turned pale, and he began to sweat profusely, his body trembling slightly. Seeing his appearance, Emperor Shen Zhui instinctively looked over. "Master Zhang, has he made a mistake in his cultivation? His breathing is rapid, his spirit is unstable—this is... a sign of qi deviation!"

During normal cultivation, as spiritual energy enters the body and is refined into true qi, one should feel increasingly comfortable. However, City Lord Zhao was trembling all over, as if a strange force was about to burst from his body, which he could barely suppress. Clearly, something was wrong. Unlike the Qi Gathering or Dantian realms, qi deviation in the Grand Unification realm is no small matter! At best, his cultivation would be completely ruined; at worst, he would die on the spot, with no possibility of remedy.

"Don't worry. If City Lord Zhao felt something was wrong, he would stop," Zhang Xuan said with a faint, composed smile, not directly answering.

That was true. City Lord Zhao had cultivated for many years; he wasn't a novice student who understood nothing and would blindly follow whatever a teacher said. If he truly sensed something amiss, he would certainly stop. Realizing this, Emperor Shen Zhui's tension eased slightly, though he still frowned. He had seen the changes Master Zhang made; they were completely different from the original White Jade Technique City Lord Zhao had practiced, even containing many reversals. Could cultivating like this... truly work? One had to remember that recklessly modifying cultivation techniques could... kill someone! Furthermore, wasn't City Lord Zhao being too reckless? Master Zhang had modified it, but it hadn't been thoroughly scrutinized or verified. Wasn't he afraid of encountering serious problems by cultivating it directly?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, City Lord Zhao's face grew even paler, and he could no longer hold back, spewing out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"City Lord Zhao..." Seeing him vomit blood, Emperor Shen Zhui was about to rush to his aid. Before he could move, he heard Master Zhang's voice calmly say, "Don't rush. First, look at the blood he spat out."

Looking down, he saw that the blood on the ground was dark red, completely different from normal bright red blood. Emperor Shen Zhui's expression tightened. Even a fool would realize something was wrong when someone spat out abnormal blood.

As he pondered whether to inquire, he saw City Lord Zhao, not far away, whose entire aura instantly converged to its peak after he finished vomiting blood. Boom! With an explosive roar, he seemed to transform entirely; his aura rapidly ascended, and his power grew immensely.

"Grand Unification realm... peak? He broke through?" Emperor Shen Zhui's pupils contracted. Even a fool would know that City Lord Zhao had gained immense benefits from this situation, his cultivation advancing from late Grand Unification realm to the peak. Although it was just a minor breakthrough, achieving it in such a short time was enough to illustrate how extraordinary Master Zhang's modified technique was.

"This technique..." His heart stirred, and he couldn't help but want to pick up the technique and study it again. But then, he saw Zhang Xuan casually pick it up and lightly toss it away. Whoosh! The pages landed in a nearby brazier and were quickly reduced to ash.

Emperor Shen Zhui grew increasingly confused. As the ruler of a nation, he had always considered himself exceptionally intelligent, but today, seeing Master Zhang's various actions, he felt like an idiot, completely bewildered. He claimed to modify a cultivation technique for someone else; the Emperor saw it afterwards and found it completely unrecognizable and seemingly nonsensical. Yet, such a technique allowed City Lord Zhao, who had been stuck in the late Grand Unification realm for years, to break through instantly. Given such efficacy, this technique should have been incredibly valuable, but... he burned it on the spot... If he had modified it for someone else, he would naturally want them to cultivate it properly in the future. Why destroy it?

"Truly worthy of being Master Yang's disciple. His actions are unfathomable..." Unable to comprehend, a figure suddenly came to mind: Master Yang! To be honest, Master Yang's actions were even stranger, yet they yielded extraordinary results. Zhang Xuan was indeed his direct disciple, already exhibiting a similar demeanor.

"Thank you, Master Zhang!" As he mused, he saw City Lord Zhao, not far away, who had already stopped cultivating and was now looking at Master Zhang with profound respect.

"You understand now?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Yes, I understand!" City Lord Zhao nodded.

"Very well, you may leave then!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Understood!" City Lord Zhao nodded and retreated, not mentioning the technique that had just been burned in the slightest.

Seeing that the two were stranger than the other, and their words even more perplexing, Emperor Shen Zhui found it inappropriate to ask further. He stood up and said, "Master Zhang, I shall also take my leave." After speaking, he quickly followed them out.

Stepping out of the classroom, he saw City Lord Zhao standing nearby, looking at Master Zhang's room with a mix of admiration and solemnity.

"What exactly happened?" Emperor Shen Zhui couldn't help but ask. These two were speaking in riddles, almost making him dizzy.

"The technique Master Zhang just modified for me, Your Majesty saw it too. What did you think?" City Lord Zhao didn't answer directly but instead asked.

"I thought... the modifications were a mess, incomprehensible..." After a moment of hesitation, Emperor Shen Zhui frankly expressed his thoughts. Although he had personally witnessed City Lord Zhao break through using the modified technique, he still felt that its content was incongruous and somehow wrong.

"Yes, it was indeed a mess. To be honest, Master Zhang deliberately made those changes incorrectly..." City Lord Zhao nodded.

"Deliberately incorrect?" Emperor Shen Zhui was bewildered. "You knew it was wrong, yet you still cultivated it?" A flawed cultivation technique is no laughing matter; it can easily lead to qi deviation. Why would these two cultivate something they knew was wrong? What in the world were they up to? Furthermore, if it was incorrect, how did you manage to break through to the peak of the Grand Unification realm? What exactly is going on here?