Chapter 428: He Is My Master

A formation that is just one minor level lower is more than twice as weak in power, and it becomes even harder to find its core.

Everyone had thought it was astonishing and defying that Master Zhang could stop an early-stage Grade-3 formation with a single kick, but upon seeing this, they realized...

Grade-2, Grade-3, or even Grade-4 formations were nothing to him!

As long as he was there, no matter how powerful the formation, it would be destroyed with a single kick.

Lu Chong’s mouth twitched, and he vigorously shook his head.

His father had told him that this formation was incredibly powerful, painstakingly reinforced by their ancestors, and imbued with great wisdom. Now, it seemed like "wisdom" was utter nonsense; with his teacher present, everything became utterly worthless.

With the formation stopped and the danger gone, everyone filed in.

A few simple stone rooms, whose age was unknown, appeared dilapidated despite frequent renovations by descendants.

"Go!"

Zhang Xuan stopped in front of the stone rooms.

These were items left by Lu Chong’s ancestors. He had accompanied Lu Chong merely to break the formation. Now that the objective was achieved and the danger was gone, it no longer mattered whether he went inside.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Nodding, Lu Chong went inside and emerged a short while later, his eyes slightly red.

His parents and relatives had been annihilated years ago, forcing him to flee without even being able to collect their remains. Last night, he had made many memorial tablets and placed them alongside those of his ancestors, finally bringing them a sense of 'returning home.'

"Unsatisfactory things often happen in this world. Let’s go!"

Understanding Lu Chong's feelings and knowing that no words of comfort would suffice, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Teacher!"

Taking a hurried step forward, Lu Chong handed him a scroll.

It was a book made of bamboo slips. Its ancient and worn appearance was immediately evident, yet it seemed to have been processed with a special method. Despite its age, it was incredibly tough and wouldn't easily break.

Knowing this must be the manuscript personally left by Master Kong, Zhang Xuan took it and casually unrolled it.

To be honest, he was quite curious about Master Kong, the teacher of the world. Although he didn't covet his student's belongings, taking a look at his handwriting shouldn't be a problem!

As the manuscript opened, a sense of profound antiquity surged forth.

The handwriting in the first half of the bamboo slips, though good, wasn't particularly striking. However, the latter half, despite having only a few words, gave off an impression of powerful, soaring strokes, like a mighty mountain pressing down.

As he lowered his head to look at the words left by Master Kong, Zhang Xuan felt a vast aura surge directly into his mind, instantly transforming his serene state of mind into one as clear as a polished mirror.

Teacher's Calligraphy, Tempering the Heart!

Legend has it that the handwriting left by powerful Master Teachers contains their spirit and their insights into the world. Frequently observing it greatly aids in improving one's mental state, a process known as "Teacher's Calligraphy, Tempering the Heart."

However, this tempering is a form of resonance. Unless one has inherited the teacher's lineage or has a blood relation, the probability of an ordinary person triggering this effect by observing a predecessor's calligraphy is very low—it's difficult to succeed even once in ten thousand attempts.

Zhang Xuan and Master Kong had no inherited teacher lineage or blood relation, yet he could directly trigger this effect. It must be said his luck was exceptionally good.

Boom!

Holding the manuscript, Zhang Xuan felt his mental state become increasingly stable, and his Heart of Tranquility level slowly increased.

He seemed to have entered a special meditative state, standing motionless where he was.

"Your Highness, Your Ladyship, it seems they have already obtained the item!"

From behind a large rock above the mountain hollow, Liang Qingming cupped his fists.

Having made their decision, Ding Mu, Lin Long, and the others pursued them.

Although ambushing a talented two-star Master Teacher carried great risks if discovered, the rewards would be even greater if successful.

"As a two-star Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan must possess many life-saving artifacts bestowed by his teacher. We must strike with a decisive blow, allowing no chance for him to breathe. Otherwise, if he sends out a distress signal or activates a life-saving artifact, success will be difficult!"

Ding Mu arranged with a grave expression: "Of course, more importantly, that manuscript must be acquired."

Since Master Yang felt confident enough to let Zhang Xuan venture out alone, Zhang Xuan must possess many life-saving items. We must act quickly, without the slightest hesitation.

"Rest assured, Your Highness!" Liang Qingming nodded.

"Strike now!"

With a hardened expression, Ding Mu nodded.

If they didn't kill him and merely snatched the manuscript, they would certainly be discovered, no matter how well they hid their involvement. At that point, the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom might face destruction because of it.

If they killed him and handled it properly, fabricating the illusion that they were killed by a sneak attack from savage beasts to mislead others, by the time the truth was truly discovered, they might have already found a powerful backer through Master Kong's handwritten manuscript and would no longer need to worry.

Although the Master Teacher Pavilion was just and subject to the headquarters' control, it still had internal power divisions.

Just like provincial governors are controlled by the imperial court, comparisons and struggles between different regions are commonplace.

Struggles between Master Teacher Pavilion factions were rarely interfered with by the headquarters, as long as they didn't involve issues contrary to humanity.

Competition fosters progress, allowing humanity to flourish even more. For the Master Teacher Pavilion, competition was also a form of encouragement.

"Yes!"

Hearing the command to act, Liang Qingming's eyes became grave. His true qi circulated within him, and with a flick of his wrist, a long sword appeared in his palm.

Swish!

His figure flashed, bursting out from behind the rock and transforming into a bolt of lightning, stabbing directly towards Zhang Xuan amidst the crowd.

His peak Grandmaster realm strength was fully unleashed, and in the blink of an eye, he covered hundreds of meters, arriving before them.

The formation had been stopped, and there was no defense within the mountain hollow. Thus, his speed was incredibly fast, without the slightest hindrance.

Zhang Xuan was currently immersed in the "Teacher's Calligraphy, Tempering the Heart" state and remained completely unaware.

Mo Yu and Lu Chong had even less expectation that someone would launch a sneak attack at this moment.

Seeing the dazzling sword gleam and hearing the sound of air being torn apart, everyone's pupils constricted, and their expressions drastically changed.

"Teacher!"

"Zhang Xuan!"

"Young Master!"

Shouts erupted, and their bodies trembled one by one.

"Teacher, be careful!"

Lu Chong, who was closest to Zhang Xuan, saw the dazzling sword gleam and knew that if struck, death was certain. His eyes reddened.

To help him seek revenge, his teacher fought against the Lin Clan alone, never uttering a single word of reproach. To help him improve his strength, his teacher expended countless resources without asking for anything in return...

Imparting combat techniques, teaching cultivation methods!

Guiding him on the principles of conduct, explaining the essence of cultivation!

Without his teacher, he would only cultivate ordinarily and never be able to seek revenge in his lifetime!

Without his teacher, he might sooner or later have been discovered by the Lin Clan, and his life and death would not have been his own.

It was his teacher who pulled him out of the mire; it was his teacher who allowed him to face his deceased relatives with dignity...

This was the person he respected and loved the most.

Nothing must happen to him!

"With your current cultivation, you won't be able to break through to the Aperture Opening realm within ten years. You might never... get your revenge in this lifetime!"

"You don't need to know how I know this! Hatred, when suppressed in the heart, can be a motivator, but also an impediment. You are currently suppressing your thoughts too much, which will only shackle your cultivation, making breakthroughs difficult! I know you're silent because you're afraid you won't be able to hold back from speaking the names of your enemies and suffer retaliation."

"Don't worry, as long as you trust me, I guarantee you can have your revenge within ten days!"

"You can believe it or not; the choice is yours! However... you only get one chance!"

"The assassin you speak of, I happen to know them. They are my student, and I... am their teacher!"

Scene after scene of his interactions with Teacher Zhang flowed through his mind, and sentence after sentence echoed in his head. Instantly, boundless power surged within him. He seemed to teleport, darting several meters in the blink of an eye to block in front of Zhang Xuan.

Thud!

Liang Qingming's long sword, at that very moment, arrived before him, piercing directly into his chest. The true qi of a Grandmaster expert surged furiously into his body along the sword's blade, instantly destroying his vitality.

"Ah!"

Feeling the opponent's sword qi raging within him, as if his entire body would be torn apart at any moment, Lu Chong let out a furious roar. He stretched both hands forward and firmly gripped the opponent's long sword in his palms.

"You..."

Unexpectedly, his killing blow was blocked by this fellow. Liang Qingming's expression darkened. He wanted to pierce through him and then kill Zhang Xuan, but found his long sword gripped so firmly it was like it was embedded in rock, unmoving whether he tried to thrust or withdraw it.

"Let go..."

He never expected to be blocked by a mere Grandmaster realm practitioner. Both anxious and enraged, Liang Qingming roared, continuously pouring his true qi into the opponent along the long sword, intending to kill him first before acting against Zhang Xuan.

"You cannot harm him, because..."

Feeling his vitality gradually dissipating under the onslaught of the opponent's true qi, Lu Chong felt no regret whatsoever. Instead, his gaze became solemn, filled with an unshakeable resolve.

"He is my teacher!"

(End of Volume 4, "He Is My Teacher." The next volume, "Invincible," is about to begin. In "He Is My Teacher," I aimed to explore the bond between teacher and student—a story of mutual respect and admiration. Fortunately, I didn't stray from that theme.

Of course, towards the end of this volume, due to personal reasons—with many family and work matters—I might not have written it to my full satisfaction. However, overall, I believe I captured the intended mood and essence. As a teacher myself, I have many feelings on the matter: teachers are not solely givers, nor are students solely takers. Both parties must respect each other, trust each other, and consider each other to achieve greater heights.

As for Lu Chong's character, from the moment this volume's title was decided, he was destined to be the final flashpoint. Of course, rest assured, this book is not a tragedy. Those who followed "Limitless Dan Tian" know that I don't like tragedies, nor do I write them. As for the next volume, "Invincible," Zhang Xuan's mindset will undergo a complete transformation. Here's a brief preview: causing a ruckus in the Beast Hall, storming the Master Teacher Pavilion, destroying the Xuanyuan Kingdom, and single-handedly dominating twenty-seven nations... the story will become even more exciting. I hope everyone will support me with legitimate subscriptions and also vote.)