Chapter 526: Witch Soul Master Trapped

Hearing this, Zhao Feiwu, Pavilion Master Sai, and the others almost choked on their blood. Weren't they supposed to be in grave danger, with the opponent threatening to kill them? Soul Oracles were one of the most bizarre professions from ancient times, even more terrifying than poison masters. Moreover, this opponent was exceptionally strong, having reached the six-star level. How had the conversation suddenly shifted to recruiting a student? Was this a joke? Even if you were a renowned master, your personal strength had only just entered the Cleansed Mortal realm, while the other party was at its peak. The difference in their power was immeasurable. Was he truly not afraid of death by speaking like this?

Luo Zhu's eyes, too, widened in astonishment. This Master Zhang, who had known nothing when he first arrived at the Soul Oracle tomb, had simply glanced at the Soul Guiding Art. Not only did he understand the Five Declines of Soul Power, but he had also found a solution. This was simply incredible! No wonder he was a renowned master acknowledged by the heavens; his abilities were truly terrifying! Sun Qiang and the others, meanwhile, were filled with immense admiration. Their Young Master (or Teacher) was truly exceptional, incredibly formidable. Be it a Soul Oracle or a six-star expert, they would all be swayed by him.

"Become your disciple?" The voice's owner seemed to falter. He was a revered six-star Soul Oracle, a supremely powerful figure at the pinnacle of the Cleansed Mortal realm. How could this mere junior, only at the first level of the Cleansed Mortal realm, demand he become his student? What a preposterous joke! "How dare you…" In a fit of rage, the voice became sharp and grating. A click sounded as a sword beam shot straight towards Zhang Xuan, seemingly intended to punish his impudence.

However, before the attack could reach him, Zhang Xuan had already moved from his position, effortlessly dodging it. No matter how formidable, a mechanism was still inanimate. With his Eye of Insight, he could predict its trajectory, and his Way of Heaven movement technique allowed him to evade. Striking him was far from easy. "You can stop wasting your time," Zhang Xuan stated calmly. "If you attacked me yourself, you might be able to injure me. But these mechanisms… don't bother. I was the one who disabled the previous ones. Do you truly believe these things will work on me?"

"Hmph!" the voice snorted. The entrance mechanisms, despite their power, had been disabled with a single kick by this young man. Even if his current mechanisms were more potent, they would likely struggle to inflict any harm. Realizing this, the voice's owner said no more and ceased deploying the mechanisms. This Soul Oracle tomb had been buried underground for countless years. Even if the mechanisms were still functional, their supply was limited; each use depleted them. Since they were proving ineffective, further use would be a sheer waste.

Seeing that the opponent had truly stopped using mechanisms, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He could only generate a book and identify the flaws of a mechanism by physically touching it. The mechanism the opponent was using was of unknown origin and location; he had only managed to dodge it by sheer luck once. If it unleashed a full barrage, he knew his current amateurish skills would be insufficient to escape. His previous words had merely been a bluff to make the opponent hesitate, and he hadn't expected it to actually work. Against someone hidden and unseen, he had to rely on cunning and verbal tactics to gain the upper hand.

"What a pity!" Seeing that the opponent had fallen silent and wasn't activating any more mechanisms, Zhang Xuan didn't relent. Instead, he shook his head, sighed, and wore a look of profound disappointment. "Such a golden opportunity, yet you failed to grasp it. Alas, you truly are just a soul, utterly devoid of intellect!" "You…" Hearing this, the frigid voice was so enraged it nearly exploded. "You insolent wretch! I am a dignified six-star Soul Oracle, and this is your attitude? Other cultivators, even those at the fourth level of the Cleansed Mortal realm, tremble and dare not utter a sound in my presence. But you! Not only do you propose to take me as your disciple, but you also call me brainless… You're the one without a brain; your entire family is brainless!"

"Don't assume I'll hesitate just because I want to possess your body," the voice growled menacingly. "If you truly desire death, I wouldn't mind granting it to you right now…" "Kill me? Do you dare?" Zhang Xuan looked forward indifferently, a sneer on his face. "Besides, you're merely a creature long dead, only capable of relying on mechanisms to exert your power. If you could have killed me, you'd have done it by now, wouldn't you? Why wait?" "You…" "Enough with the 'you's and 'me's! If you have the guts, do it quickly. Stop wasting time. Or else, hurry up and present all three challenges. A six-star Soul Oracle, yet so incredibly dim-witted!" Zhang Xuan sighed. "Never mind. Even if you wished to become my disciple now, I wouldn't accept you. I'm afraid it would tarnish my reputation!" "You…" The voice's owner was on the verge of exploding. Become *his* disciple, and it would tarnish *his* reputation? Could he possibly be any more shameless?

"What's wrong? Are you all talk and no action?" Zhang Xuan pressed on, seeing the opponent fuming but still not making a move.

"You're asking for death!" Seeing Zhang Xuan's utterly defiant demeanor, as if he were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, the voice's owner finally exploded in rage. A thunderous roar erupted, and a powerful oppressive aura instantly enveloped the space. This Soul Oracle, who had been dormant for countless years and feared expending his strength in combat, was now so utterly provoked that he could no longer restrain himself and attacked directly.

Whoosh! Zhang Xuan's neck tightened, as if gripped by an invisible hand, and he was instantly lifted into the air. "Teacher…" "Master Zhang!" Alarmed that the Soul Oracle had been provoked into attacking, everyone rushed forward.

"Kill me? Not so easy!" Despite being gripped by the opponent, Zhang Xuan remained calm, chuckling softly. With a thought, a gray, scale-like object materialized before him. A soft hum filled the air. A luminous shield instantly enveloped his body, causing the hand gripping Zhang Xuan to recoil as if it had touched scorching oil. "Ah…" A series of agonized cries followed, indicating the opponent had sustained a significant injury. This was the Dragon Scale Talisman! He had acquired this treasure from the Treasure Pavilion, where tests showed it could defend against attacks from experts at the ninth level of the Cleansed Mortal realm. It had finally found its use! The talisman was purely defensive and wouldn't actively attack. However, once activated, it could counter incoming damage. This was precisely why Zhang Xuan had deliberately provoked the opponent with words, baiting him into an attack, then used the talisman's power to repel him. This item could be used three times, and in this situation, if he didn't force the opponent to act, everyone would be at his mercy. It was better to strike decisively. Furthermore, the opponent was merely a Soul Oracle who had been dormant for countless years; his strength was undoubtedly far from its peak. How could he withstand a talisman that even a ninth-level Cleansed Mortal expert couldn't breach? With a single strike, the Soul Oracle was severely wounded.

"This…" Everyone had assumed Master Zhang would face certain doom with the opponent's direct attack. They were utterly shocked to witness the sudden appearance of such a formidable object, capable of injuring even a six-star Soul Oracle.

"I want you dead!" Severely wounded, the Soul Oracle was beside himself with rage, roaring wildly as he seemed to prepare another attack.

"Want me dead? Earlier, that might have been debatable, but now… I'm afraid you no longer have the chance!" The luminous shield, still active and not yet dissipated, allowed Zhang Xuan to act. His eyebrows rose, and his body suddenly shot forward, crashing straight into the stone tablet before him. Previously, he hadn't known the opponent's exact location, so even with his capabilities, he couldn't attack. But now, with the opponent having used a martial skill, the Library of Heaven's Path had not only pinpointed his location but also meticulously listed all his flaws.

Boom! Having reached the peak of the first level of the Cleansed Mortal realm, Zhang Xuan wielded a tremendous force of 200,000 ding. How could a mere stone tablet withstand such an impact? It instantly shattered into powder, fragments scattering everywhere. After smashing the stone tablet engraved with the Soul Guiding Art with his shoulder, he didn't pause, continuing his charge forward. In the blink of an eye, he reached the coffin. Just as everyone expected him to open the lid, they watched him run his palm over it, then blur into a phantom, rapidly patting the coffin's surface over a dozen times. *Clack-clack-clack-clack!* He struck a total of sixteen times. The taps appeared to have no discernible pattern, and the force wasn't particularly heavy; it might have shattered ordinary rock, but it seemed to have no effect on a coffin crafted by a master artifact forger. Everyone was utterly confused about his intentions.

After patting, he stopped, making no further movements. Just as everyone was wondering what he would do next, he suddenly turned and called out, "Pavilion Master Sai, the saber!" "The saber? Alright!" Pavilion Master Sai paused for a moment, then instantly understood. With a flick of his wrist, a long saber shot directly towards Zhang Xuan. He had used this saber once before when carving array plates at the Formation Master Guild; if Master Zhang needed a saber, it had to be this one. Taking the long saber in his palm, Zhang Xuan's presence transformed as he stood before the coffin. A profound true intent of weaponry immediately surged from his body. *Whoosh!* The saber gleamed like a rainbow, its aura vast as the sea, as it cleaved straight downward. The instant the long saber connected with the coffin, a tremendous roar erupted. The entire coffin exploded as if ignited by dynamite, and its enormous, heavy lid flew outwards, embedding itself firmly into the solid wall.

"'Crimson Gold, once sealed, none can break; sleep for ten thousand years, free from worry…' This is a Crimson Gold Coffin! Even a ninth-level Cleansed Mortal expert couldn't break it, yet Master Zhang shattered it with a single saber strike… How is this possible?" While others were merely amazed, Luo Zhu trembled uncontrollably, on the verge of losing his mind. "A Crimson Gold Coffin? Are you referring to… the Crimson Gold Coffin that only a six-star artifact forger can refine using deep-sea cold iron combined with melted gold?" Seeing Luo Zhu's state, Pavilion Master Sai was momentarily stunned. Then, as if a realization struck him, his pupils suddenly constricted. "Yes, that… is the Crimson Gold Coffin!" Luo Zhu confirmed with a nod. "But weren't we told… that once this thing is sealed, it's impossible to break, that no one can open it? How…" Pavilion Master Sai, too, was now utterly bewildered.

As the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Pavilion, he had seen countless treasures and heard of many more. Ordinary coffins were categorized into nine grades. For instance, the four coffins they had seen outside earlier were designated as Fine Gold Grade 7 Coffins. Cast from fine gold, they were incredibly sturdy; even a Spirit-grade Mid-tier weapon would find it nearly impossible to breach them. Beyond Fine Gold Grade 9 was Crimson Gold. A Crimson Gold Coffin, crafted by a six-star artifact forger, once sealed, was impenetrable even to the most skilled tomb raiders, unless one's cultivation surpassed the ninth level of the Cleansed Mortal realm. This was the origin of the saying: "'Crimson Gold, once sealed, none can break; sleep for ten thousand years, free from worry!'" Many powerful cultivators would commission such coffins to ensure their bodies remained preserved after death and to prevent disturbance from lesser individuals.

A coffin that even a peak Cleansed Mortal realm expert couldn't breach had now been split open and shattered into pieces by Master Zhang's single saber strike. How could they not be utterly astonished? They were lucky not to have died of shock on the spot. In a single glance, he had identified the flaws of the Soul Guiding Art. With one move, he had injured a six-star Soul Oracle. With one saber strike, he had broken open a Crimson Gold Coffin… His cultivation was profound, his divine might unmatched. Was this Master Zhang… truly only at the first level of the Cleansed Mortal realm?