Chapter 365: National Guardian Beast

"I won't just take your medicinal herbs for free. How about this?" Just as Prince Fei Xuan was feeling rather dejected, the young man opposite him spoke again: "Just like with Emperor Mo Tianxue, I'll also give you a free medical consultation!"

Although the Beast Spirit Grass was equivalent to two spirit stones, and Zhang Xuan had to get it, he also didn't want to let the other party suffer too much of a loss.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked a circle around Prince Fei Xuan: "When I treated your injuries just now, I noticed that your *zhenqi* is stagnant and your breathing is irregular. Your body appears healthy, but in reality, you're somewhat weak! If I'm not mistaken, have you been having trouble getting up in the morning and difficulty falling asleep at night recently?"

"I..." Prince Fei Xuan, who had been feeling dejected and contemplating whether to try and get the Beast Spirit Grass back, trembled and turned pale upon hearing this: "You... how did you know?"

He had indeed been experiencing these symptoms recently. His *zhenqi* was stagnant, his breathing irregular, his rest poor, and he felt restless and agitated all the time. If not for this, he would have long ago used the spirit stones to attempt a breakthrough to Half-Grandmaster. He wouldn't have kept them until now, only for the man before him to win them... However, he hadn't told anyone about these things, not even Special Emissary Ran Mu by his side. How could this person have known immediately? Could he truly have diagnosed his condition?

"I am a physician. I already examined you when I treated your injuries just now, so of course, I know!"

"Please... President, lend your aid!" Prince Fei Xuan's face turned pale, and he hastily clasped his fists, his former arrogance completely gone.

This condition caused him to be unfocused every day, leading to little progress in his cultivation recently. If it could be cured, then even though the Beast Spirit Grass was precious, giving it away would be no big deal.

"Hmm, it's actually quite simple. Your talent is decent, but there's still a gap between you and reaching the peak of the Tongxuan realm at your age. If I'm not mistaken, you used a special method to boost your strength, didn't you? To tell you the truth, it's precisely that method that left you with a hidden problem!" Zhang Xuan said.

Prince Fei Xuan's body trembled. The other party was correct. His talent was only average-to-above-average, not particularly outstanding. There was no kinship in the royal family; if one's cultivation was insufficient, it was easy to encounter all sorts of troubles. To live better, one could only cultivate quickly. To quickly raise his strength, he had once used a special secret technique, which involved taking specific medicinal herbs to stimulate certain points and unleash potential. While this method allowed for rapid progress, it also left behind hidden dangers. Could it be... that the recent issues with his body were precisely because of this?

"Indeed, it's precisely this. I'll prescribe a formula for you. If you follow it, the hidden danger should be completely resolved within a month. At that time, it won't be impossible for you to seize the opportunity to attempt a breakthrough to Half-Grandmaster!" Smiling, Zhang Xuan walked to a nearby table, casually picked up some paper and a brush, wrote out a prescription, and handed it over.

"Thank you, President Liu!" Taking the prescription, Prince Fei Xuan's face flushed. This condition had tormented him daily, leaving him drained, somewhat dazed, and irritable. It was precisely because of this that he couldn't control himself when provoked by the man before him, completely lacking the composure expected of a prince. If he could be cured and also attempt a breakthrough to Half-Grandmaster, this prescription would be far too valuable. Forget a single spirit stone or a Beast Spirit Grass; he'd be willing to give even more! Because... the Kunqian Kingdom had not yet established a Crown Prince, and if he could advance to Half-Grandmaster ahead of others, that position would very likely be his.

Zhang Xuan waved his hand and looked at Mo Tianxue, who was not far away: "Your Majesty, please bring the patient you wish me to treat. Once I'm done, I have other matters to attend to!" Mo Tianxue, like everyone else, was still in shock. Hearing this, he quickly stood up: "President Liu, this patient's situation is quite special. You might have to trouble yourself to come to them..."

"You want me to go there? That's fine, lead the way then!"

"You two, please go to the guesthouse to rest..." Mo Tianxue clasped his fists towards Prince Fei Xuan and Special Emissary Ran Mu.

The two also understood that this involved state affairs and that Mo Tianxue didn't want too many people to know. They wisely turned and left. Immediately after, a eunuch came forward and led them out.

"President Liu, this way please!" Once the two had left, Mo Tianxue led the way. Zhang Xuan followed closely. After only a few steps, a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, immediately followed by a telepathic message in his ear.

"Zhang Xuan, Master Zhang! You've really fooled everyone well..."

"Cough, cough!" Zhang Xuan was stunned: "Princess Mo Yu, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm Liu Cheng; there's no Master Zhang here!"

"If you don't want to say, then fine. I originally had something to tell you, but since you won't admit it, forget it. I can't be bothered with idle talk!"

Seeing that he wouldn't admit it, Mo Yu snorted. What she wanted to say was about Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing's duel. Since this fellow wouldn't admit anything, she couldn't be bothered to say more. Anyway, they were his students, so let them fight however they wanted.

Seeing the girl turn and walk away without another word, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It seemed he should reveal less in front of acquaintances in the future, or he would easily be seen through. He had spent quite some time with Princess Mo Yu, and with the presence of the Jade Eagle, it would have been difficult for her not to recognize him.

"Princess Mo Yu, this is a trial from the Master Teacher Pavilion. I hope you won't spread the news!" Knowing that the other party had already confirmed his identity and that he couldn't hide it, he sent a telepathic message.

"Don't worry, even if I wanted to say anything, I wouldn't say much!" Seeing him admit it, Mo Yu smiled slightly: "Since you've told me, I won't hide it either. Come find me tomorrow at noon, and I'll take you to see a good show!"

"Tomorrow noon? What good show?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"You'll know when you get there!" Mo Yu chuckled. Seeing his bewildered expression, it was clear he didn't know about Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing's duel. Taking him to see it tomorrow would surely be amusing.

Honestly, she really wanted to see what kind of expression he would make when he saw his two students fighting for their teacher's honor... This fellow had always annoyed her, and she really wanted to see him in a pickle. Of course, the prerequisite was not to let this fellow return to the academy, otherwise, if someone accidentally let slip the news and he found out beforehand, it wouldn't be fun anymore...

Planning secretly in her mind, her eyes darted around.

"This is it!" Zhang Xuan was about to continue asking what this mysterious matter was when he heard Mo Tianxue's voice from ahead. He looked up and saw that they had arrived at a spacious courtyard without him even realizing it. The courtyard didn't look deep, yet for some reason, he couldn't see its end. It seemed to be sealed off by something, obstructing his view, making it impossible to tell what lay within.

"Could it be... a formation?" Zhang Xuan was startled. Probably only a formation could possess such an ability, allowing someone to stand outside a courtyard yet be unable to see what was inside.

"The patient President Liu is here to treat is not human, but our kingdom's... Guardian Beast!" As if seeing his confusion, Mo Tianxue explained.

"Guardian Beast?"

"Yes, the Tianwu Kingdom doesn't have any particularly powerful ancestors. It relies solely on this beast to guard its territory and prevent other kingdoms from coveting it." Mo Tianxue explained: "However, as it grew older, our Guardian Beast's strength has greatly diminished, and its vitality has begun to wane! Until recently, it fell seriously ill and probably won't last much longer. That's why... I wanted to trouble President Liu to see if it can be treated. If it truly can't be cured, we hope you can find a way to extend its life for a while, until Mo Yu matures!"

For a kingdom to stand firm and not be encroached upon by other nations, it must have a super-expert residing within it. Just like Grandmaster Shen Hong of Tianxuan Kingdom in the past; without his deterrence, other kingdoms would likely have attacked and carved up its territory. As for the Master Teacher Pavilion, they rarely interfere in political affairs. Unless they have a genuinely good relationship with those in power, they generally maintain neutrality. After all, even if a kingdom changes hands, no one dares to target the most formidable profession on the continent. In other words, no matter how a kingdom falls, the Master Teacher Pavilion remains unaffected.

"This formation..." Knowing that the patient was not human, Zhang Xuan looked over curiously. Since this was where the Guardian Beast resided, why was a formation set up?

"The Guardian Beast is old and severely ill. It has been going berserk recently, injuring many people consecutively. I had no choice but to invite an expert from the Formation Master Guild to set up this formation and trap it. With its strength, if it were to truly cause a ruckus in the imperial palace, no one would be able to suppress it!" Mo Tianxue gave a wry smile.

Zhang Xuan finally understood. With its life nearing its end and suffering from a severe illness, neither humans nor beasts would willingly accept death. They would surely struggle and try to find a way to live a little longer. Its struggles weren't the problem; it was the potential disaster for the Tianwu Kingdom. That's why the formation was deliberately used to seal it off, for fear of unnecessary trouble arising.

"President Liu, don't worry. I've already sent someone to invite a Grandmaster from the Formation Master Guild to lead us in. Otherwise, while the formation is active, it's very dangerous. One can easily lose their way and get lost inside..." Mo Tianxue said.

"Understood!" He knew absolutely nothing about formations. Although the Master Teacher Pavilion had many related books, he had never once browsed them, much less read them. His understanding of formations was limited to their names.

"Hmm, that reminds me. Since this formation is active, can I discern anything about it?" After standing still for a moment, a thought suddenly struck him. When a martial artist performed a battle technique, he could discern the martial artist's flaws and the technique's weaknesses. When an alchemist refined pills, he could discern issues with the refining method and whether the pill would succeed. When a formation master set up a formation, he could also discern problems. In other words, as long as something was in motion, the Library of Heaven's Path could identify its flaws. This formation was currently active, so could he discern its loopholes?

"Flaw!" With a thought, Zhang Xuan quickly looked towards it. The Library of Heaven's Path vibrated, and a book appeared.

"It really works..." Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he hastily opened the book to read.