Chapter 370: Master Pinnacle

The Grandmaster realm represents the pinnacle for martial artists. At this level, practitioners' physical bodies, true qi, and spirit all reach the human limit. This is especially true for spirit beasts, whose bloodlines restrict any further advancement. Without a bloodline evolution, making a breakthrough is nearly impossible for them.

This is precisely why the Golden-tailed Lion, despite guarding the Tianwu Kingdom for two hundred years, had been unable to make another breakthrough. Otherwise, with the royal family's financial and material resources, it would have been promoted long ago, instead of remaining stuck at the Half-Grandmaster realm.

"There is a way... but it might come at a huge cost!" Zhang Xuan raised his head, a profound look in his eyes.

"As long as it can break through, I'm willing to pay any price..." Mo Tianxue said hurriedly.

If the kingdom's guardian spirit beast were to die, the Tianwu Kingdom would immediately fall into turmoil. If it could break through to the Grandmaster realm, it would not only avert danger but also significantly strengthen the nation, surely causing any previously restless families to calm down. Therefore, for the Golden-tailed Lion to break through, no cost was too great.

"Mhm!" Seeing this attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He looked over with a calm expression, like an enlightened master detached from worldly concerns. "It's both very difficult and very simple! If you have spirit stones, the more the better, the greater the chance of a breakthrough. Additionally, you'll need some cultivation techniques for the Grandmaster realm—quality isn't important, only quantity; the more, the better!"

These two things, of course, were not for the Golden-tailed Lion's breakthrough, but for Zhang Xuan to improve his own strength. After helping detoxify it, the favor regarding the spirit stones had been repaid. If he were to help the spirit beast advance further, that would be a separate service requiring additional payment.

Of course, asking for spirit stones and cultivation manuals wasn't entirely for personal gain. The Path of Heaven True Qi could purify a spirit beast's bloodline, but only if his cultivation level wasn't too far below the beast's. He could help a peak Grandmaster spirit beast advance to Half-Grandmaster. However, to help a Half-Grandmaster take the final step, it would be difficult to accomplish without reaching peak Grandmaster himself. If there were no such restrictions, and he could continuously purify the spirit beast's bloodline, the Iron-toothed Roaring Beast could easily break through repeatedly, reaching peak Grandmaster or even further, sweeping through even a Conferred Kingdom. There would be no need for him to act coy here. In essence, asking for spirit stones and Grandmaster realm manuals was both for his own cultivation advancement and to ensure the spirit beast's successful breakthrough. It wasn't entirely a deception.

"Spirit stones... we do have some in the kingdom, but only about five. We can't produce any more!" Hearing the request for these items, Mo Tianxue, though puzzled, replied, "As for Grandmaster realm cultivation manuals... we don't have a single one!"

"Only five? Not a single one?"

"Yes... spirit stones are items only Conferred Kingdoms are qualified to trade. The few our Tianwu Kingdom possesses were obtained at great cost. Over the years, they've mostly been used for rewards and forging alliances..." Mo Tianxue continued, "As for Grandmaster realm cultivation techniques, first-tier kingdoms are restricted, and with limited resources, it's essentially impossible to cultivate to that realm. So... having such manuals would be useless and might even bring disaster..."

Mo Tianxue was somewhat embarrassed. Spirit stones were incredibly precious; even Conferred Kingdoms, where they circulated, didn't have many, let alone a kingdom like theirs. Having five in stock was already quite a lot. As for Grandmaster realm cultivation techniques, there wasn't a single Grandmaster in the entire Tianwu Kingdom, so where would they find such a high-level manual? Moreover, if a Grandmaster-level expert truly appeared, the Conferred Kingdoms would surely become wary, leading to more trouble.

"Five... just five. Give them all to me, and I'll find a way to make it break through!" Although he didn't get many spirit stones, which was a bit of a loss, Zhang Xuan still nodded in agreement. The higher his cultivation level, the more spiritual energy he would need. One spirit stone had allowed him to reach mid-Grandmaster; six should be enough to advance to the peak.

"Then I'll leave it to President Liu!" Hearing that five spirit stones were enough, Mo Tianxue breathed a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, a long jade box appeared in his palm and he handed it over.

Opening the box, a surge of spiritual energy emanated from within, where five spirit stones lay arranged. It caused one's pores to open, an indescribably comfortable sensation. Zhang Xuan casually put them away and nodded in satisfaction.

"President Liu, what else needs to be prepared? Do we need elixirs or anything?" Mo Tianxue continued to ask. Bloodline evolution was incredibly complex; even some of the Beast Hall's most skilled beast tamers couldn't achieve it. He genuinely couldn't imagine how mere spirit stones could enable the Golden-tailed Lion to break through its final barrier.

"No need. Just find me a quiet room. I need to prepare thoroughly, and make sure no one disturbs me!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Yes!" Mo Tianxue responded.

With the Golden-tailed Lion cured and no longer in a frenzy, the courtyard was now safe and without danger. Mo Tianxue found a quiet room for him here and asked him to rest inside, before he and Mo Yu and the others withdrew.

As soon as they left the courtyard, Grandmaster Lin Tao turned, bade farewell, and departed in a hurry. Watching him go, Mo Tianxue's eyes suddenly narrowed, a sharp glint appearing within them.

"Father King..." Mo Yu looked over, puzzled.

"It seems we need to be wary of the Lin Clan!" Mo Tianxue shook his head.

"The Lin Clan?" Mo Yu was surprised. Didn't they have a good relationship before? Why the sudden change?

"I suspect the Lin Clan is behind the Golden-tailed Lion's poisoning!" Mo Tianxue snorted. As the ruler of a kingdom, he was naturally no fool. Once Zhang Xuan diagnosed the Golden-tailed Lion's illness, suspicions arose in his mind.

Mo Yu found it hard to believe.

"The Golden-tailed Lion is our kingdom's guardian spirit beast. If it were to die, who do you think would benefit?" Mo Tianxue looked at her.

"The royal family has been established for over a thousand years, with solid foundations. Even without the Golden-tailed Lion, other families and forces could be easily suppressed without much impact. Only the Lin Clan has grown beyond our control... without the Golden-tailed Lion's deterrence, they might indeed..." After analyzing the situation, Mo Yu's expression also grew solemn.

The Lin Clan had a Half-Grandmaster ancestor, many powerful formations, and the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom's backing. If they truly harbored ill intentions, their chances of success were indeed high. Furthermore, a poison potent enough to affect a Half-Grandmaster would likely not be obtainable by an ordinary family. Moreover, only a handful of individuals could infiltrate the royal palace with spies and poison the guardian spirit beast without the King's knowledge.

"When the Golden-tailed Lion went mad, Lin Ruotian happened to be at the palace, discussing matters with me. Even then, I found it strange and highly suspicious. Now it seems he probably planned it all along! As long as the formations contained the lion and the illness remained undiagnosed, it would eventually succumb to the poison!" Mo Tianxue clenched his fist. He hadn't noticed it before, but now, tracing back from the spirit beast's poisoning, he realized many clues pointed to the Lin Clan.

"Even if we confirm it's them, what can we do? Lin Ruotian's daughter is the Crown Princess of the Xuanyuan Kingdom..." Mo Yu shook her head. Although they suspected the Lin Clan was responsible, they dared not confront them. Setting aside Lin Ruotian's Half-Grandmaster strength, his daughter's status alone meant no kingdom would dare make a move against him.

"Indeed... I only hope President Liu can help the Golden-tailed Lion break through. Once it reaches the Grandmaster realm, even if they harbor intentions, they'll have to show some restraint!" Mo Tianxue said. The Master Teacher Pavilion was present in the royal city and didn't interfere with royal power struggles. However, if anyone violated their principles, causing widespread suffering through illicit means, they would certainly intervene directly. The Master Teacher Pavilion's goal was to educate the world, so that everyone could reach their potential. Minor conflicts were acceptable, but if moral boundaries were crossed, they could easily annihilate anyone, regardless of their status. It was precisely due to this deterrence that, despite numerous kingdoms existing, none had managed to unify. Of course, some kingdoms were simply too remote, like the Tianxuan Kingdom. Their remote location and poverty meant that even if unified, it would only be a drain on resources; no one would be foolish enough to invest effort there. If the Golden-tailed Lion broke through to the Grandmaster realm, the Lin Clan wouldn't be able to contend with it, and their ambitions would naturally dissipate. Otherwise, they would only be asking for trouble.

"I believe President Liu will succeed!" Mo Yu said. The scene of Master Zhang using his unique beast taming method to help the spirit beast break through was still vivid in her mind. Perhaps this omnipotent young man could truly create a miracle and help the Tianwu Kingdom overcome this crisis.

"Let's hope so!" Mo Tianxue also nodded. Then, remembering something, he looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Xiaoyu, didn't you say you had an unpleasant encounter with this Teacher Liu yesterday? How is it that your Azure Eagle Beast is so familiar with him, and you seem to know him well too?"

"I..." Mo Yu's pretty face flushed. "How could I possibly know him well? I was just... speaking casually!"

"Whatever you're thinking, your Father King still has the same advice: seize this opportunity. This President Liu is a dragon among men. If you can win his heart, the Tianwu Kingdom might even advance to a Conferred Kingdom in the future!" Mo Tianxue added, "And of course, there's also Master Zhang Xuan. For these two, it's enough to secure one of them."

"Secure one..." Mo Yu slapped her forehead. *I'd like to secure just anyone, but it seems they're the same person...*

In the quiet room within the Golden-tailed Lion's courtyard.

Sitting inside, Zhang Xuan adjusted himself for an unknown period, finally recovering from the exhaustion of treating the Golden-tailed Lion. Immediately after, with a flick of his wrist, a spirit stone appeared in his palm.

"Let's begin!"

With his condition adjusted and enough spirit stones gathered, it was naturally time to improve his cultivation once more. With a thought, the Path of Heaven cultivation technique for the Grandmaster realm began to circulate rapidly. A rumbling sound filled the air! The Path of Heaven technique rapidly drew spiritual energy from the spirit stone, purifying it into true qi that flowed into his dantian. His cultivation also progressed continuously.

Peak mid-Grandmaster! Late Grandmaster! Peak late-Grandmaster!

Boom! After about half an hour, his qi sea rumbled, and his entire body felt as if it had broken through a barrier. Violent true qi surged through his limbs, and a powerful aura emanated from him. Compared to before, he was more than twice as strong, seemingly possessing inexhaustible power.

Swish! Feeling the surging and fierce true qi within him, Zhang Xuan suddenly stood up, his eyes shining brightly.

Peak Grandmaster realm... he had finally reached it!