Chapter 456: A Clear State of Mind

Most servants, upon seeing their young master trapped, would anxiously search for help. Yet, this fellow was completely unconcerned, wearing an indifferent expression.

Are you a servant, or an enemy? This was a grand formation that even Hall Master Kang might not be able to decipher. His nonchalant demeanor suggested either extreme confidence or a secret desire for his young master's demise.

The "Young Master" was nearly beside himself with rage, while Wei Yuqing, standing nearby, rolled his eyes exasperatedly. Had Zhang Xuan not personally and solemnly declared him to be his servant, instructing them to protect him well, they would have suspected him of being an imposter. For a servant to show no concern, and even display such a carefree, nonchalant expression, while his master was trapped and facing imminent death, was truly unprecedented.

"What's wrong?" Reprimanded by the others, Sun Qiang looked confused.

"I'll go down!" Gu Mu interjected impatiently. "Master Yang was kind to me; I cannot stand by while his student is in peril."

"Save him?" Sun Qiang finally grasped the situation, a look of contempt on his face. "Look at you bumpkins… You claim to be from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms, and even special envoys… What a joke! It's just a formation, what's so special about it? With the young master here, you can relax!"

"Bumpkins?" A fellow from a small kingdom, who clearly didn't even understand what a formation was, dared to disdain a special envoy from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms… Everyone was so incensed they nearly spat blood.

You're the one who hasn't seen the world; your whole family hasn't seen the world!

The "Young Master" gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear the fatty to shreds on the spot. However, at present, there was no other solution but to have him find Master Yang. Forcibly suppressing his anger, he began to explain, "This is the Xuanyuan Grand Formation, a formation that the Xuanyuan Kingdom has painstakingly developed over a millennium and only activates once…"

"Oh!" After listening to the explanation, Sun Qiang merely nodded indifferently. "Are you done talking? Then let's rest!"

"You…" His vision blurred with anger; the "Young Master" was on the verge of exploding. It was simply impossible to communicate with this man; half an hour of explanation was like no explanation at all. Infuriating! Never mind. Now was not the time to argue with such a callous individual; saving the person was paramount.

With that thought, he ignored the fatty and turned to Jin Conghai. "Elder Jin, I may need to trouble you. This is the warrant representing my authority. If Ding Mu insists on attacking, you may kill him on the spot…"

As he was explicitly stating his identity and preparing to resort to the most forceful measures, before he could finish, Wei Yuqing and Gu Mu on the side simultaneously gasped.

"What?!"

"Young Master, look!"

Seeing their expressions, the "Young Master"'s heart sank. He assumed Zhang Xuan had already been killed and hastily looked down, only for his eyes to widen in shock. The grand formation, which had been stirring up wind and clouds and threatened a fatal strike at any moment, seemed to have vanished into thin air. Below, the area was calm and peaceful, as if nothing had ever happened. Zhang Xuan continued to advance slowly, now less than ten meters from Ding Mu.

"What happened?" Rubbing his eyes hard, the "Young Master" was utterly bewildered. Just moments ago, the formation had been raging, signaling an impending storm, seemingly capable of killing anyone at any second. How could it all have vanished in the time it took to utter a few words? Had he misseen something?

"Just now… just now…" Hearing his incredulous question, Wei Yuqing's lips trembled, and his face turned pale with fear, as if he couldn't articulate his thoughts.

"What exactly happened?" Jin Conghai couldn't help but ask.

"It seems… Zhang Xuan extended a finger, and then… then it just stopped!" Wei Yuqing said with a bewildered expression. Even having witnessed it firsthand, he found it unbelievable. What in the world was that? The incredibly formidable formation, with a mere touch of a finger, instantly ceased. Just moments ago, both Jin Conghai and the "Young Master" had described this formation as something extraordinarily rare, almost mythical. Hadn't they claimed that even the Hall Master of the Master Teacher Pavilion of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms couldn't resolve it, and that it required more than a dozen Transcendent Mortal realm experts to break through? Could it be that simple? Was this a dream?

"Stopped with one finger?" Jin Conghai and the "Young Master" nearly bit their tongues. Just as they were about to ask if they had seen incorrectly, Sun Qiang approached them, hands clasped behind his back, an arrogant expression on his face.

"Our young master, although he hasn't passed the formation master examination, doesn't even bother with these formations that can only trap a few cats and dogs…" Brother Qiang gave everyone another dismissive glance, then curled his lips. What were these people? Special envoys and four-star poison masters, *pfft*! They haven't seen half as much as I have!

"You…" Once more, the "Young Master" felt disdained. Just as he was about to furiously confront the man, Jin Conghai pointed downwards with a grave expression. "Young Master, look!" Fearing to miss something again, as had happened moments before, and too disinclined to bother with the man, the "Young Master" quickly looked as well.

"You… this is impossible!" Up above, the "Young Master," Jin Conghai, and the others were utterly dumbfounded. Below, Ding Mu was equally on the verge of collapsing. His greatest reliance was the Xuanyuan Grand Formation. Once he became king and controlled the imperial seal, he would have the authority to activate it. He had believed that once activated, the formation would render everyone insignificant, let alone this individual, even the special envoy. He had never dreamed that such a formidable formation, before it had even fully activated, would instantly cease with a mere touch from the other party.

Elder Brother, who exactly are you? Bai Chen had been so terrified that he'd retreated as if dancing before even lifting a foot; Hall Master Luo Qianhong, a half-step Transcendent Mortal realm expert, had been sent spitting blood from a single shoulder strike; and now, to top it all, such a potent grand formation had ceased to function with a mere touch of a finger… You're not a two-star master teacher; you're Confucius reincarnated, aren't you?

"When you intended to kill me, you should have foreseen this outcome!" Ignoring Ding Mu's panic, Zhang Xuan looked at him. While the Xuanyuan Grand Formation covered a vast area and possessed immense power, it adhered to the fundamental principles of all formations, meaning it also had a core. Since it could be activated with the imperial seal, its core was naturally located at the Altar to Heaven, making it much simpler to halt.

"Until the very end, it's uncertain who lives and who dies…" After a moment of terror, a fierce expression returned to Ding Mu's face. Knowing the formation was no longer usable, he flung the imperial seal to the ground, clenched his fists, and as true qi surged through him, his palms instantly became enveloped in a swirling mass of energy. It was a Ghost-rank martial technique, the Heaven-Rending Fist! Although he was only at the late-stage Zun realm, the fact that this martial technique allowed him to secure the top position on the Talent List spoke volumes about its power.

"Die!" Knowing his opponent was formidable and difficult to defeat, Ding Mu wasted no time. He channeled his full strength to its absolute limit and, without a word, unleashed a punch.

*Boom!* The air compressed into a sharp sonic boom, and in the blink of an eye, the fist was before Zhang Xuan. It aimed for his chest.

"So strong!"

"He's also at the peak of the Zun realm… I didn't expect him to have broken through!" Everyone was stunned by the rapidly unleashed power. Many who knew the Crown Prince well only then realized that the individual before them was not merely at the late-stage Zun realm, as rumored, but had already reached its peak!

"It's not a breakthrough, but… he used some kind of secret art!" Luo Qianhong's expression turned grim. He was friends with the Crown Prince and had been hiding in the Master Teacher Pavilion for the past few days, so he knew the latter's true strength. Although he had been at the late-stage Zun realm for a long time, breaking through would still require at least half a year. It was impossible to achieve a breakthrough in the blink of an eye; the only explanation was that he had employed a special secret art. Rumor had it that there was a Blood-Burning Secret Art within the royal family that allowed one to ignite their essence blood for a temporary surge in strength, boosting it by one or two minor realms at most.

"If that's truly the case, then Zhang Xuan… is likely in danger!" His fists clenched tightly. Ding Mu had earned his position as the top of the Talent List not merely because he was the Crown Prince, but due to his genuine capabilities. Without even resorting to a secret art, he could defeat peak Zun realm experts beyond his level. If his strength were to increase further, even Luo Qianhong himself would find it incredibly difficult to win. Zhang Xuan had injured him merely by exploiting the flaws in his techniques and relying on his powerful physical body. However, Crown Prince Ding Mu also possessed a formidable physique, and his cultivation technique, martial arts, and physical body were almost entirely without flaws. Attempting to defeat him again with the same method would be nearly impossible!

"Is this your move?" Just as Luo Qianhong was idly contemplating that Zhang Xuan might not be able to resist, he heard the young man's faint voice. He then watched Zhang Xuan, who had remained motionless, gently sway. With fingers spread, he appeared to be catching a rabbit trapped in a cage. Ding Mu's furious fist technique instantly dissipated. The next moment, he was casually lifted off the ground, like a chick grasped by the neck.

The Heaven-Rending Fist, peak Ghost-rank martial technique, Blood-Burning Secret Art… Before Zhang Xuan, they were as laughable as children playing house!

"This is… the ‘Dispelling Falsehood, Retaining Truth, and Achieving Mental Clarity’ realm, something even four-star master teachers find difficult to reach?" His pupils contracted, and Luo Qianhong's lips trembled, his face etched with disbelief.