Chapter 309: Being Ambushed

Could it be that Uncle Zhang...?

Lu Xun swayed, feeling an urge to spit blood. Ever since he decided to challenge that person back in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had been repeatedly defeated. He thought that after all the effort to come to Tianwu Kingdom, he could finally have some peace and maybe even show off a little. To his surprise, he was immediately defeated again upon arrival.

Are you my nemesis?

Why do you haunt me everywhere I go? And the most crucial thing is... why are you always so formidable?

Suppressing his immense frustration, he asked, "What does this Master Zhang look like?"

"He's about my height, a bit thin, with very good skin—smoother than a girl's..." The young attendant in green thought for a moment before describing the appearance.

Halfway through the description, Lu Xun knew it had to be that guy.

"Never mind, I'm used to being defeated anyway..."

Confirming it was him, Lu Xun, though frustrated, also felt a sense of relief. That freak wasn't just incredibly powerful himself; even the few students he casually taught turned out to be astonishingly skilled. On his way here, Lu Xun had come to terms with it: he couldn't compare himself to Zhang Xuan, or he'd only die of frustration.

When he first heard about the master's legendary feats, he thought Tianwu Kingdom also had such a monstrous talent. Knowing it was the same person put his mind at ease. At least there was still a path for him; otherwise, if everyone were that formidable, there'd be no point in living.

"I'll take the apprentice examination first. Once it's done, I'll go back and tell Teacher and Zheng Yang. They'll probably go crazy with joy!"

With his mindset adjusted, Lu Xun no longer dwelled on it and began the painter-apprentice examination.

Zhang Xuan didn't know that as soon as he left, Lu Xun had gone to the Painter Guild. At that moment, he was aimlessly wandering the streets. To form the golden page, he needed to find students and earn their genuine gratitude.

Where could he find students?

He couldn't just grab a random person off the street and demand they become his disciple; if he did, he'd probably be beaten to death on the spot.

"Tianwu Academy!"

His eyes suddenly lit up. Grabbing someone off the street to take as a disciple would surely get him killed, but... it was different in an academy. Students were learning knowledge, and they would trust anyone who was a teacher. He could easily pose as a teacher. As long as he found suitable students and made them grateful, it would be quite simple. Before arriving at Tianwu Royal City, he had heard that the kingdom's most prestigious academy was located within the city.

"Excellent, I'll go now!"

With that thought, he no longer hesitated. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask someone for directions to the academy, his mind stirred, and his eyebrows suddenly lifted.

"Someone's following me!"

He was now a Half-Master realm expert. Even without the Library of Heaven's Path, his body and mind possessed extremely strong self-preservation abilities. Despite the many people around, he could still clearly sense faint malice being directed his way from time to time. Although this aura was well-hidden, making it difficult for other Master realm experts to detect, his State of Mind had reached above 5.0. With such clarity, he could easily discern it.

"Could it be Young Master Ji Mo?"

He had just arrived in Tianwu Kingdom and knew no one. The only person he had recently taught a harsh lesson to was Ji Mo. He hadn't expected the guy to be so petty, sending people to cause trouble for him so quickly.

He casually glanced over. There were five people in total, all at the middle or late stages of the Tongxuan realm, with two having reached the peak. It seemed Young Master Ji Mo didn't know his true strength, thinking these few people would be enough to cause trouble.

Painters were different from other prominent professions. Beast Tamers and Alchemists needed at least Master realm strength to reach a two-star level, and Supreme realm power to reach a three-star level. Painters, however, didn't require high personal strength. Even at the Tongxuan or Aperture Opening realms, as long as they had sufficient comprehension to create a Five-Realm painting, they could still reach three stars. That being said, those who could create Five-Realm paintings usually had extensive life experience, were often seventy or eighty years old, and held esteemed positions. Their paintings were priceless, and they lacked no resources. Even if they didn't reach the Supreme realm, they were at least at the peak of the Master realm. Overall, their strength didn't differ much from practitioners of other professions.

However, Zhang Xuan was an anomaly, able to create Five-Realm paintings before the age of twenty, directly breaking the established rules of the profession. At the guild, he hadn't displayed his strength, and his Heaven's Path zhenqi was excellent at concealment, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true cultivation level. However, given his age, the Tongxuan realm was a significant hurdle. Thus, in Young Master Ji Mo's eyes, a few experts of that strength would be enough to teach him a lesson.

"This place is too crowded. I should find a secluded spot and have some fun with them!"

He chuckled softly. Since transmigrating and cultivating for so long, he hadn't really fought much, and he was itching for some action. Since these guys dared to come looking for trouble, it was a perfect opportunity to practice.

Pretending not to notice them, he looked left and right, trying to find a secluded alley. To his dismay, Tianwu Royal City was too prosperous. It had only recently turned dark, and every street was bustling, making it impossible to find a suitable place.

"I'll head out of the city!"

It was right on the city's edge, not far from outside the walls, so he strode out.

"Why is this guy going outside the city?"

The trackers were utterly baffled as they watched him stride out through the city gates. Inside the city, with so many people, any conflict could easily escalate. They were just wondering how to lure him to a deserted spot, but unexpectedly, he went there on his own. He was too cooperative!

"Who cares? He's just a young lad under twenty. Are we really afraid of him?"

"True, even if this guy started cultivating in his mother's womb, he'd at most be at the Tongxuan realm. There's no way he could stop us!"

The others hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Although the cultivation environment and resources in Tianwu Kingdom were much better than in Tianxuan Kingdom, a Tongxuan realm cultivator was still considered an expert. Sending out five people to deal with a young man under twenty, it was no wonder they were so confident.

"Let me add something in advance," the leader, a peak Tongxuan realm expert, whispered. "Young Master just instructed that this guy is a three-star painter, so he cannot be killed. If he dies, headquarters will definitely investigate, which will cause a lot of trouble! We can only humiliate him thoroughly. I don't need to explain the specific procedure, do I?"

"Don't worry, we know our limits!"

Everyone nodded simultaneously. Although the Painter Guild wasn't a combat-oriented organization, if a three-star professional were killed, the headquarters would surely send people to investigate. Even if the Ji Clan was powerful, they couldn't withstand such an inquiry. Therefore, Young Master Ji Mo had already given instructions: they were not to kill him, but to humiliate him—to humiliate him severely.

Following behind, the group quickly left the royal city. After walking for a while, they arrived at an uninhabited forest.

"Be careful," the leader whispered. "This guy must have noticed us and deliberately led us here..."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's better with no one around; we can teach him a good lesson!"

The other men dismissed his concern. In their opinion, they had seen people court death, but never someone actively seeking it. Knowing he was being followed, yet daring to go to an unpopulated area—wasn't he tired of living?

With a swish! They simultaneously drew their weapons and entered the forest.

Just as they wondered if the guy was hidden somewhere, stealthily waiting for them, they saw him leaning calmly against a tree trunk, smiling at them.

"Did Ji Mo send you?"

Since no one else was around, Zhang Xuan didn't bother to hide. They were just a few small fry, nothing to worry about.

"Attack!"

He hadn't expected the young man not to hide, but to be so brazen. The leader snorted coldly and gestured.

"I'll do it!"

The weakest among them, a mid-Tongxuan realm cultivator, chuckled. Stamping his foot, he shot straight forward. With a whoosh! As he moved through the air, the surging zhenqi caused the surrounding plants to bend and emit a whistling sound.

"Zhang Qing's move is good; his aura is complete, and his strength is full. It seems he's not far from the late Tongxuan realm!" The leader nodded secretly, then called out, "Control your strength a bit, don't kill him..."

"Don't worry, I know my limits..." He replied, just as he was calculating how much force to use to injure his opponent, when his vision blurred.

With a crisp slap, a hand struck his face. Before he could react, intense pain flared, and his body twisted like a pretzel. He was sent flying dozens of meters, landing with a crash, spitting out mouthfuls of blood, his teeth scattered on the ground.

"Ah?"

"What?!"

They had thought Zhang Qing would easily handle him, but to their shock, he was sent flying with a single slap. The leader and the other three were all startled.

"My apologies, I've always cultivated alone and haven't fought much with others. I used a bit too much force!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

He had always cultivated by himself and hadn't fought much. He didn't know how much power a single strike of his contained. He had thought a light slap would only cause some pain, but... the opponent was almost dead from the blow, leaving him feeling immediately embarrassed.

"This guy is not simple! Everyone, use your full strength!"

Seeing his move and such an understated expression, the leader's face went pale. Even he had previously thought that their young master was making a mountain out of a molehill by sending so many people to deal with such an insignificant figure. They believed it was just a simple, trivial task. Witnessing this scene, he realized... it was nothing of the sort. This guy's strength was definitely higher than his own. Under twenty years old, and already possessing strength beyond the peak of the Tongxuan realm? Perhaps only the number one genius, Mo Hongyi, could compare!

Clang! The others weren't foolish; even without being told, they knew this guy was formidable. Their expressions grew solemn, and they raised their longswords, surrounding Zhang Xuan. The four, consisting of two peak Tongxuan realm cultivators and two late-Tongxuan realm cultivators, combined their efforts. Their aura was like a dragon, solidifying around them.

"Attack!" Knowing their opponent was powerful, the leader didn't hesitate and immediately gave the command.

Swish, swish, swish! The four men's weapons simultaneously thrust forward. These four were all guards of the Ji Clan. Having lived together for at least five or six years, they had long formed a tacit understanding. Striking simultaneously, their longswords, driven by zhenqi, moved like a whirlwind, blocking Zhang Xuan's upper, middle, and lower sections, as well as any routes for dodging or escaping. Their exquisite coordination, combined with their martial techniques, would give even an ordinary Half-Master realm expert a severe headache.

However, Zhang Xuan was no ordinary Half-Master; he was a genius capable of fighting above his rank. As the four men's longswords thrust out, they expected at least one to strike him. But as soon as their swords moved, they felt their palms empty. Looking up, they saw that their sharp attacks had vanished without a trace, and all their swords were now resting in his palm.

"Ah!"

All four were startled, exclaiming in unison. Good heavens! This was too terrifying! Catching their longswords barehanded wasn't just a sign of profound cultivation. It also required a clear understanding of their martial techniques, strength, the precise landing points of their swords, and their next moves. Otherwise, even a slight miscalculation could result in severed fingers! Even a Master at the peak... would find this difficult to achieve! They had thought teaching a lesson to a young man under twenty would be effortless, but never in their wildest dreams did they imagine... they had provoked a tiger!

"Retreat!" His pupils constricted. The leader knew that staying any longer meant certain death. With a shout, he turned and fled. The other three didn't hesitate either, wishing their parents had given them a few more legs. As for the guy Zhang Xuan had slapped away earlier, who was still twitching on the ground, they didn't even bother with him.

"You just arrived and haven't even finished speaking, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Zhang Xuan was speechless that they wanted to run after not even exchanging a single blow. He waved a hand.

Before the four could react, a dark shadow appeared before their eyes, and a massive figure dropped from the sky. Thud! The four men were struck as if by a small mountain and sent flying backward like cannonballs. Their vision went black, and they coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

"It's... a Half-Supreme realm spirit beast..."

Struggling to regain consciousness, they rubbed their eyes. When they saw the massive creature before them, the four nearly went insane on the spot. It was... a Half-Supreme realm spirit beast! Half-Supreme realm was a power level only possessed by the Tianwu Kingdom's Old Ancestor; it was essentially the highest combat strength in the kingdom. To think he had such a beast companion... What kind of monster had they provoked?

The Howling Firmament Beast had been roaming the forest. Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's command, it immediately rushed over. They were just small fries; if it hadn't held back, they would have probably been smashed into a pulp by that impact. After sending the four flying, before they even landed, the Howling Firmament Beast's massive body blurred again, appearing before them, and it lashed out with a wing.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! With four consecutive thwacks, the four men's faces flushed, and they spurted blood. They collapsed uniformly to their knees, their entire bodies feeling like they had fallen apart. The Howling Firmament Beast was a Half-Supreme realm expert and a powerful spirit beast with terrifying strength. Even though it had only lightly swept its wings a few times, half of these four men's bones were nearly shattered, and their zhenqi was dispersed. Even if they recovered, they would be mostly crippled.

"I told you to go easy, why didn't you listen? I still have things to ask them! How can I question them when they're like this?"

If he hadn't said that, it would have been fine. But upon hearing it, everyone, including the leader, twitched at the corners of their mouths and nearly burst into tears. Big brother, how can you even say that? You were the one who hit Zhang Qing, weren't you? It seems he's even worse off than us, still spitting blood, and his entire facial structure is distorted; even his own mother wouldn't recognize him. If he doesn't get treatment soon, losing his cultivation is the least of his worries; he probably won't even make it through the night... You struck so ruthlessly, and you still have the nerve to blame others?

Sob...

Who told us this was a simple task?

Young Master, come here. We promise we won't beat you to death...