Chapter 529: Flying, I Can Do

Transcendent Mortal practitioners, while far more powerful than martial artists and capable of some natural control, still cannot fly. The mechanism on the ceiling was at least seventy or eighty meters above the ground, and the surrounding walls were smooth, hard, and unbreakable. Reaching it seemed utterly impossible.

“What should we do then? Are we… really going to be trapped and die here?”

They had thought the other party had left them a way out, but hearing this, everyone’s heart sank.

Since this fellow’s body snatching wasn’t successful, he naturally couldn’t use the power of a Spirit Awakener. Even if he could, they wouldn’t trust him.

He couldn't use his power, and they couldn't fly, so they might truly be trapped here and unable to leave.

“How about this: one of you sacrifices yourself, allows me to take over your body, and then I’ll lead you out. Otherwise, none of you will escape. No matter how many supplies you have stored, they’ll eventually run out, and you’ll die here sooner or later!”

The tomb owner said.

This was a sealed environment with no way out. Even with abundant food, it would eventually run out, and they would be trapped to death.

“Shut up! You have no say here!”

Seeing that the fellow was still not giving up and trying to possess someone, Zhang Xuan slapped the lotus, his face displeased. “You don’t need to worry about how we leave. You have two choices now. First, become my subordinate or servant. Obediently write down all the Spirit Awakener techniques you know for me, and I can find a way to free you from this cursed thing.”

“Become your subordinate or servant?” The tomb owner was stunned and almost cried. “Didn’t you say I could become your student?”

“That was before,” Zhang Xuan waved his hand. “At that time, if you had agreed, I would not only have helped you escape but also taught you authentic cultivation techniques to make you fearless of the Five Decays of the Soul. Now… it’s too late!”

“I…” The tomb owner’s voice sounded constipated; he was so depressed he felt like dying.

He was right. Before, he had the upper hand, and the other party hadn't found his exact location. If he had become his student, bound by the master-disciple relationship, he would certainly have been diligently guided. But now, he was like a fish on a chopping board, and Zhang Xuan could kill him with a single thought. Taking him as a servant was already very merciful.

“What’s the second option?”

After a moment of frustration, his voice sounded helpless.

“I’ll slowly interrogate you. Once I’ve learned everything I want to know, I’ll kill you!” Zhang Xuan said calmly.

Although Zhang Xuan spoke calmly, the tomb owner knew he could certainly do it. The lotus couldn't help but tremble. “Alright, I, Mo Hunsheng, am willing to be Master Zhang’s subordinate…”

This fellow in front of him had broken his attacks, seen through his schemes, and even split the crimson-gold coffin in half with one blow. His methods and abilities were beyond imagination. If he truly wanted to kill him, it would probably be a simple matter. Instead of struggling, it was better to agree readily.

Having lived for an unknown number of years, he knew the preciousness of life.

As long as he could escape this cursed thing, he would do anything, let alone be a servant!

Having made his decision, he was about to continue speaking when he heard the other party impatiently ask, “What are you doing?”

“I’m making an oath…” Mo Hunsheng, the tomb owner, stopped.

“What good is an oath?” Zhang Xuan slapped the lotus again. “Sign a soul contract! Don’t tell me a dignified Spirit Awakener doesn’t even know how to do that!”

It was a joke. Spirit Awakeners had so many methods; if an oath were useful, they wouldn't even know when they were killed.

“A soul contract?”

The lotus trembled.

He felt like he was going crazy. He had originally thought about fooling Zhang Xuan with an oath and then making him pay once he was free from this thing. But who knew… Zhang Xuan didn't fall for that at all!

A soul contract was similar to a beast contract. Once signed, one dared not violate it, or their soul would be scattered, and no one could save them.

Make him, a dignified Transcendent Mortal ninth-stage expert, a six-star Spirit Awakener who was almost stepping into that realm, become the servant of a Transcendent Mortal first-stage practitioner through a contract?

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became, almost going mad.

“What, unwilling?”

While he was still struggling, he felt a silver needle stab him, a pure stream of *zhengqi* piercing directly into his soul.

“Ah… I agree…”

Sensing that the other party could slaughter him as easily as killing a chicken, Mo Hunsheng dared not hesitate any longer. Immediately after, a white light flashed before everyone's eyes, and a wisp of soul shot directly into Zhang Xuan's mind.

The soul contract was formed!

“Alright!”

Feeling a wisp of soul in his mind that he could extinguish at will, knowing that the other party had completely submitted, he then flipped his wrist and put the lotus into his storage ring.

This was a divine artifact. Studying it back home might prove very useful; it made the trip worthwhile.

“This lotus is extremely strange. I hope none of you will spread word about it!” After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan looked at Pavilion Master Sai and the others.

Zhao Ya and the others were his trusted students, but he wasn't so sure about the others.

A divine artifact was a treasure far exceeding a Saint artifact. If news of it leaked, it would certainly lead to endless pursuit.

Even with his identity as a Master Teacher, others might show some restraint, but there was no guarantee against sneak attacks.

“Master Zhang, rest assured. If I leak this matter, I will be punished by heaven and earth, die instantly, fall into reincarnation, and never be reborn!”

Knowing what he was worried about, Pavilion Master Sai raised his hand and swore to the heavens.

Immediately after, Zhao Feiwu, Jin Conghai, Gu Mu, Luo Zhu, and others also swore an oath.

They also understood the principle that an innocent man is guilty only because of the treasure he possesses.

After Zhang Xuan took the most valuable lotus and Sun Qiang collected the other coffins, Zhang Xuan pointed to the coffin boards embedded in the wall. “Everyone worked hard to come here, so you shouldn't leave empty-handed,” he said. “Those coffin boards were refined by a six-star artifact forger and can be considered treasures. If sold, they should fetch a considerable price!”

These were parts of the crimson-gold coffin, refined by a six-star artifact forger. They were incredibly sturdy, and even if they couldn't compare to peak-tier spirit weapons, their material was certainly no less superior!

If sold, they would definitely fetch a good price.

“Let’s forget about it. We didn’t really help much…”

“Master Zhang, you’re too kind…”

Knowing his intention not to let them leave empty-handed, Pavilion Master Sai and the others hesitated for a moment before shaking their heads.

If it hadn't been for Master Zhang, they would have been wiped out long ago. Treasures... that was out of the question.

Although they didn't get any treasures, they had learned a Soul Guiding Art, which, if slowly comprehended later, would certainly benefit their strength's advancement.

“Since you don’t want them, then I won’t be polite. Sun Qiang, collect all these things…”

Before their words of refusal were even finished, Master Zhang's voice rang out.

“Understood!”

Immediately after, Steward Sun, with an excited expression, went to the crimson-gold coffin and collected the shattered coffin boards, piece by piece, into his storage ring.

Everyone watched.

This fellow in front of them was clearly such a formidable Master Teacher, one who could possess any kind of treasure if he wished, yet he was so greedy for wealth.

These coffin boards were shattered into pieces, yet he was still collecting them one by one. If he could take away the mechanisms outside, would he not let those go either?

Just as they were thinking this, they heard Zhang Xuan's voice: “Sun Qiang, take little Mo and look around. Take any mechanisms you can dismantle as well; these are good things!”

Everyone was speechless.

“Cough, cough… Master Zhang, collecting treasures is actually a bit premature. Neither the mechanisms nor the coffin boards… will be useful until we get out first…”

Choking on his saliva, Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but say.

The most important thing now wasn't whether the lotus would speak out, nor whether to take these coffin boards and mechanisms, but… how to leave this place!

With the Dragon Severing Lock in place, there was no way out, and they couldn't fly. How could they leave?

If they couldn't leave, all their previous discussions were useless.

“How to get out? Didn't little Mo just say it? There's a passage above!”

Zhang Xuan pointed.

“But… it’s so high. If we can’t fly, it’ll be impossible to leave!”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan hadn't considered this at all, everyone was speechless. Zhao Feiwu rolled his eyes and couldn't help but say.

“Just flying!” Seeing him stuck on this point, Zhang Xuan glanced at him, his expression calm. “I can!”

“You can?”

Startled, everyone's eyes widened simultaneously.

Really?

Even a Transcendent Mortal ninth-stage expert couldn't fly, yet he, a Transcendent Mortal first-stage practitioner, claimed… he could?

“Yes!”

Zhang Xuan nodded, his expression casual. “It's just one of the abilities of a Heavens' Acknowledged Master Teacher, nothing special!”

The matter of the Heaven's Path Footwork, like the lotus, couldn't be spread. Since flying was necessary to leave and couldn't be hidden from everyone, after much thought, he decided to attribute it to being a Heavens' Acknowledged Master Teacher.

After all, this highest opportunity for a Master Teacher wasn't available to everyone. Even if they knew, despite their envy, there was no way for them to learn it.

Furthermore, only Kong Shi had ever become a Heavens' Acknowledged Master Teacher. No one could say for certain whether such a Master Teacher could fly, nor was there any way to verify it, making it the perfect excuse.

“Nothing special…”

Everyone felt like spitting blood.

This was flying… something even a Transcendent Mortal ninth-stage expert couldn't do. How could it sound as simple coming from him as buying a cabbage from a street vendor?

While shocked, they also wondered: could a Heavens' Acknowledged Master Teacher enable flight?

Why… was there no record of it in books about Kong Shi?

However, they weren't entirely clear about Master Teachers, so they genuinely didn't know whether it was truly possible.

“Wait for me!”

Without further explanation, Zhang Xuan's spirit stirred, and he ascended directly, flying rapidly towards the mechanism at the very top.

Heaven's Path Footwork, Qi Tian Scroll!

At the Half-Transcendent Mortal level, he could only stay in the air for a few breaths before falling. Now that his cultivation had reached the peak of the Transcendent Mortal first-stage, his *zhengqi* was purer, and the duration he could sustain flight naturally increased significantly.

It had reached several tens of breaths.

In such a short time, similar to flying beasts, long-distance travel was impossible, but opening a passage and flying out was still very simple.

“He can really fly?”

Seeing him ascend from flat ground, everyone's mouths twitched.

Flight was humanity's most coveted desire, yet this person, only at the Transcendent Mortal first-stage, had flown into the sky…

This was truly terrifying!

“Regarding the Heavens' Acknowledged Master Teacher and the Spirit Awakener, it's best not to speak of it outside… Master Zhang will undoubtedly be a figure soaring through the nine heavens in the future. Such a person must never be offended!”

After a long silence, this thought simultaneously emerged in everyone's minds.

A dragon will always gallop across the world, and a hero will eventually become famous throughout the land.

Such a person should only be befriended, never offended.

And Master Zhang…

Was precisely such a person.