Chapter 568: Zhang Xuan Pimping

Palace Master Wu looked utterly bewildered. "You want me to help with your treatment, but you're asking about Hall Master Kang? I've known the Hall Master for many years; you could say we're quite familiar."

Hall Master Kang Gan, standing nearby, was equally mystified, unable to fathom what Master Zhang was thinking.

"Being familiar makes it simple!" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and spoke eloquently, "Our Hall Master is honorable and upright, eager to help others, and he is a master teacher with boundless prospects. Most importantly… he's also quite handsome…"

As he continued speaking, Palace Master Wu's confusion only deepened. She looked utterly perplexed. "Hall Master Kang is indeed a good man. For the sake of the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, he even went to great lengths to secure a spot to enter the Yin-Yang Pond… But what does any of this have to do with treating my Yin-Yang imbalance?"

"Of course, it's related!" Zhang Xuan calmly looked at her. "How about… you two get married!"

Hall Master Kang, standing nearby, choked on his saliva and nearly fainted. Young Master Ruohuan's eyes widened. *Wasn't this person supposed to be a healer? Why did he sound more like a matchmaker? Suggesting Hall Master Kang marry Palace Master Wu… He certainly had a bold idea!*

"Marriage?" Palace Master Wu staggered, her vision blurring. She had only asked this man to treat her illness; how had the conversation suddenly turned to marriage? *Marry this Hall Master Kang? What on earth?*

"Precisely. As a woman, there's no issue with you cultivating powerful, aggressive techniques. The problem lies in switching to a cultivation method with an opposing force halfway through, causing a Yin-Yang clash and creating a hidden danger in your body. To resolve this completely, you must marry someone whose cultivation is similar to yours and who has extremely refined control over their true qi and strength, allowing for Yin-Yang harmony!" Zhang Xuan explained. "Hall Master Kang is at the peak of Transcendent Mortal Fourth Layer, just half a step away from the Fifth Layer. As a peak four-star master teacher, his understanding of cultivation is likely far beyond yours. Therefore… he is the most suitable candidate! If you two are together, in as little as three months or as long as half a year, your so-called Yin-Yang clash can be completely resolved, and you can recover as before."

"This…" Palace Master Wu was stunned. She hadn't expected her condition could be resolved in such a way. Since she began cultivating, she had remained chaste, never indulging in any romantic relationships. Even if it was to cure her physical problems, marrying someone directly was something she found psychologically difficult to accept.

"Isn't there another way? This… this definitely won't do!" While she was still hesitating, Hall Master Kang quickly interjected. Although he had never been married either… marrying a bearded beauty was something he absolutely could not do! The mere thought of her shaving more frequently than he did sent shivers down his spine, filling him with a wave of disgust.

"Of course, there are other methods, but this is the simplest one!" Zhang Xuan said.

"As long as there's another way, I'll do whatever it takes…" Hall Master Kang hastily said. However, before he could finish speaking, a fierce glare was directed at him, and a chilling voice resonated: "Kang Gan, what do you mean by that? Do you think I'm not good enough for you, or something? Why are you so eager to refuse?" Even if it was for her treatment, she didn't want to marry this decrepit old man. But if there was to be a refusal, it should come from *her*. What did this old geezer mean by acting as if he'd touched a hot potato? Was she really so undesirable? In terms of cultivation, she was Transcendent Mortal Fifth Layer, far surpassing him. In terms of status, she was the Palace Master of the Ice Origin Palace, a figure courted by countless Hall Masters of the Master Teacher Pavilion. In terms of looks, though she might not be called a peerless beauty, she was certainly capable of captivating nations, one in ten thousand; even with age, her charm had not diminished from her youth… She hadn't even said she would marry him, so why was he so desperate to distance himself?

"Palace Master Wu, you jest. I didn't mean that at all, I just thought…" Unprepared for her insistence on this point, Hall Master Kang's mouth twitched. "I'm not worthy of you; it's I who am not worthy of you!"

"Good, at least you know your place!" Hearing this, Palace Master Wu felt a little more mollified. She turned back to the young man. "What is this 'other method' you mentioned? As long as I can do it, I'll spare no effort!"

Hall Master Kang was speechless. *Wasn't that what I just said? If you hadn't interrupted, he would have finished explaining a long time ago…*

"There's another method," Zhang Xuan continued, "which is to find someone with a Pure Yin Physique whose cultivation is similar to yours. With just a single drop of her blood—no more is needed—it can neutralize the residual Yang qi in your body."

"Pure Yin Physique?" Palace Master Wu gave a wry smile. Special physiques were as rare as a grain of sand in the ocean. If they were so easy to find, everyone would be a master. Their Sourcefire Ice Plain had people cultivating Yin-attribute and Yang-attribute techniques from a young age, even going so far as to create the Yin-Yang Pond, all to cultivate a Pure Yang or Pure Yin practitioner… Unfortunately, they had never succeeded over the years. Moreover, even if someone did succeed, they would immediately be taken away by headquarters. Borrowing such a person's blood to resolve her hidden danger was almost impossible.

"This… this is impossible to achieve. Perhaps… I should just marry Hall Master Kang!" Her face grimaced, Palace Master Wu said hesitantly.

"No need… no need to marry me! There's a Pure Yin Physique right here, isn't there?" Seeing the bearded beauty in front of him considering marriage with him, Hall Master Kang nearly died of fright on the spot and hurriedly blurted out.

"There is?" Palace Master Wu was stunned. "Where is there a Pure Yin Physique?" Such a physique appeared once in a millennium; it was incredibly rare. How could there be one?

"Master Zhang's student, Zhao Ya, has a Pure Yin Physique, and it's already 20% activated…" Fearing that the other party might try to coerce him, Hall Master Kang hastily introduced her.

"You are… Pure Yin Physique?" Her pupils constricted, Palace Master Wu quickly looked at the girl in front of her.

"Yes, she is a Pure Yin Physique, absolutely no mistake!" Hall Master Kang finished, then couldn't help but look at Zhang Xuan. "Since a Pure Yin Physique and a single drop of blood can solve it, why did you want us to get married…?" *This Master Zhang is truly something. Since the second method is so simple, why would he make them consider marriage?*

"Zhao Ya is my student, and I have an obligation to protect her from any harm. Naturally, I had to sacrifice you. Besides, helping you find a wife is a wonderful thing; you truly don't appreciate good intentions…" Zhang Xuan said matter-of-factly.

Hall Master Kang staggered. *So you're using me as a scapegoat to protect your student… "Good intentions," my foot! If you're so capable, why don't *you* marry a bearded woman and see?*

While the two argued, Palace Master Wu, trembling, looked at Zhao Ya, still unable to believe it. "Are you truly… a Pure Yin Physique?"

"Yes!" Zhao Ya raised her eyebrows, and her true qi circulated within her body. Her physique instantly erupted, and a wave of chilling energy shot skyward. As her cultivation reached Half-Transcendent Mortal, her physique manifested even more perfectly. At the same level, perhaps only an anomaly like Zhang Xuan could surpass her; even some master teachers would find it difficult to be her match.

"It truly is… it truly is… The people of Sourcefire Ice Plain are saved…" Feeling the aura emanating from Zhao Ya, Palace Master Wu's eyes reddened. Immediately, she grabbed Zhao Ya's arm. "What's your name?"

"Zhao Ya!" Seeing Palace Master Wu, who had been normal moments before, suddenly become frantic, Zhao Ya frowned and pushed her hand away.

"Miss Zhao Ya, please… come back to headquarters with me! If you agree, you'll immediately receive the best inheritance and, in a short time, activate 100% of your Pure Yin Physique, becoming the strongest expert on the entire continent…" Palace Master Wu said, filled with excitement.

"No need. I want to stay with my teacher!" Zhao Ya said calmly. Master Zhang had guided her all the way to this point, like a father and a brother. He was already the person she most respected and admired; it was impossible for her to leave.

"Teacher? Who is your teacher?" Overcome with excitement, Palace Master Wu had almost forgotten.

"It is Master Zhang Xuan!" Zhao Ya said with pride.

"Master Zhang?" Palace Master Wu finally registered this, quickly looking at him. "Master Zhang, might you… lend your student to our Sourcefire Ice Plain? We truly need a Pure Yin Physique expert…"

"Lend?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "My student is a person; she has her own thoughts and her own decisions. If she wishes to go, I will raise my hands in agreement. If she doesn't, no one can force her!" His voice was calm, yet it carried an unrestrained confidence. Indeed, with his capabilities, he was destined to forge a path different from everyone else's. As long as Zhao Ya disagreed, he could guarantee that no one could force her.

"I… I didn't mean it that way. Please don't misunderstand, Master Zhang!" Hearing such confident words, Palace Master Wu recovered from her excitement and hastily shook her head.

"Tell me what's truly going on," Zhang Xuan said, looking at her. With his discerning eye, he could naturally tell that Palace Master Wu was genuinely delighted, not merely being polite. Hearing that her physical hidden danger could be resolved hadn't even made her this excited, suggesting the matter was not as simple as it seemed. Furthermore, she had spoken of "activating her physique" and "Sourcefire Ice Plain being saved."

"This… involves a secret of our Sourcefire Ice Plain, and I cannot disclose it on my own initiative…" With a conflicted expression, Palace Master Wu hesitated. "How about this: you're certainly going to enter the Yin-Yang Pond anyway. After you come out, regardless of whether headquarters agrees or not, I will give you an explanation."

"Alright," Zhang Xuan nodded. Every profession had its unspoken secrets. It was normal for the other party not to wish to disclose them.

"You requested three spots, so I presume all three of you intend to enter the Yin-Yang Pond?" Not dwelling on the previous issue, Palace Master Wu looked over.

"Myself, Young Master Ruohuan, and Zhao Ya," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Very well. Ahead is the Ice and Fire House. You can only enter the Yin-Yang Pond after passing its assessment!" Palace Master Wu explained. "The reason for this assessment is that the Yin-Yang Pond is incredibly strange, with Yin and Yang energies merging in a tormenting way. If you cannot even endure the Ice and Fire House, rashly entering the pond could very likely lead to your death, being burned to ashes by the scorching Yang currents or frozen into an ice block by the extreme Yin currents."

"I see," Zhang Xuan nodded. He had just been wondering why, after so much discussion, an assessment was still required. Now he understood the reason. It was like a penicillin skin test; without a preliminary assessment, one might die from an inability to adapt. Therefore, the so-called assessment was actually a protective measure, a way to test whether one could enter the Yin-Yang Pond.

Arriving at the Ice and Fire House, Zhang Xuan looked at it. It resembled the Trust House used during the master teacher assessment in Tianwu Kingdom, requiring a drop of blood to enter.

"Who will go in first?" Palace Master Wu asked with a smile.

"I…" Before he could finish speaking, Young Master Ruohuan anxiously darted to the front. Having passed several assessments with Master Zhang, he had learned his lesson. If he let this idiot go first, not only would his own brilliance be overshadowed, but Palace Master Wu might also get implicated, suffering injury or bad luck… From the experiences of Elder Wu, Elder Yun, Elder Bai, and others, they had learned never to let this guy go first. To stay safe, one had to keep far away from Zhang Xuan. Rather than facing various troubles and embarrassment later, it was better to complete the assessment first. At least he could retain some self-confidence.

"Drip a drop of blood onto the crystal stone outside the door, then you can enter!" Seeing his eagerness, Palace Master Wu nodded and instructed.

"Yes!" Taking a few steps forward, Young Master Ruohuan bit his finger, dripped blood onto the stone, and stepped inside. As soon as he entered, continuous rumbling sounds, like thunder and lightning, immediately echoed from within, suggesting some terrifying ordeal was taking place.

Palace Master Wu seemed to have expected this, standing quietly with her hands clasped behind her back.

*Creak!* After an unknown period, a charred figure with hair standing on end and black smoke continuously rising from him stumbled out. It was none other than Young Master Ruohuan. At this moment, Jun Ruohuan no longer resembled the elegant young master he once was; instead, he looked like a beggar who had just emerged from a trash heap, burnt and utterly miserable.

"Although his state of mind was broken, he managed to exit within an hour, which means he's quite good and can enter the Yin-Yang Pond!" Glancing at the lit incense stick outside and calculating the time, Palace Master Wu nodded. Young Master Ruohuan had stayed inside for nearly an hour, but he had emerged within the allotted time and even seemed relatively clear-headed, indicating astonishing endurance and perseverance, making him qualified to enter.

"Palace Master Wu, didn't you say the Ice and Fire House tests endurance and mental fortitude? How…" Zhang Xuan looked over, puzzled.

"The Ice and Fire House is indeed a place to test endurance and mental fortitude. However, once one's mental state loses its defenses, the physical body will also suffer. Nevertheless, being able to emerge under such circumstances sufficiently demonstrates extraordinary endurance." Palace Master Wu finished speaking and turned to Zhang Xuan. "Master Zhang, will you go in, or Zhao Ya?"

"I'll go!" Zhao Ya stepped forward. Following the same steps, she entered. However, she completed it in just over half an hour, which deeply frustrated Ruohuan, making him exclaim "monster!" One must remember that Zhao Ya was much weaker than him in both age and strength. Of course, it wasn't that Zhao Ya's ability was stronger than Young Master Ruohuan's. Rather, her Pure Yin Physique made her impervious to extreme Yin cold and resistant to Yang qi… What was a near-fatal trial for him was not nearly as terrifying for her.

Therefore, when Zhao Ya emerged, she also looked somewhat disheveled, but compared to Young Master Ruohuan, she was in a much better state.

"Let me see!" With both of them having passed the assessment, Zhang Xuan also walked in.

"Teacher, how long do you think… Master Zhang will take to come out this time?" Seeing Zhang Xuan enter the room, Young Master Ruohuan looked over.

"You took nearly an hour, Zhao Ya took over half an hour. Master Zhang… I think he might be out in less than fifteen minutes!" Hall Master Kang said. *This fellow has created too many miracles. If even his student can do it in over half an hour, he probably won't even need half that time.*

"Fifteen minutes?" Young Master Ruohuan shook his head. "I think five minutes at most!" He had a deep understanding of this fellow's extraordinary nature. Even when something seemed impossible to succeed, he would somehow accomplish it in an even more impressive manner. Like this time, he also thought Zhang Xuan could finish in about fifteen minutes, but… for some reason, unconsciously, he felt the result would be even more astonishing than that.

"Five minutes?" Hearing their conversation, Palace Master Wu shook her head. *This was the Ice and Fire House, the most terrifying place. To come out in five minutes? They must be dreaming.*

"Palace Master Wu doesn't know how formidable Master Zhang is… Honestly, sometimes I even wonder if five minutes is too long to say," Young Master Ruohuan explained.

"That powerful?" Seeing the genius master teacher speak with such certainty and conviction, Palace Master Wu was somewhat swayed. This Master Zhang could indeed discern problems that even Hall Master Kang couldn't. To be honest, he was certainly strange, and perhaps truly capable of accomplishing what others couldn't.

"Indeed, let's wait and see!" Young Master Ruohuan said, full of confidence, even more so than for his own assessment.

"Five minutes passed…" Five minutes was short, and it quickly went by, but the room showed no sign of opening. "Perhaps… ten minutes…" With an awkward expression, Young Master Ruohuan changed his guess. Ten minutes also passed quickly, and still no one emerged. "Could it be… fifteen minutes?" Having guessed incorrectly twice in a row, Young Master Ruohuan grew a little doubtful. But… unfortunately, fifteen minutes quickly passed, and still no one appeared. Thirty minutes! Fifty minutes! Eighty minutes… An hour passed quickly, but Master Zhang, who had entered the Ice and Fire House, was like a stone sinking into the sea—there was no movement at all.

"Time's up, and he still hasn't come out… It seems he didn't pass the assessment!" Palace Master Wu shook her head, a look of regret on her face. She had truly believed he would create a miracle as everyone said, but now it seemed she had thought too much. Not only had he not created a miracle, but he hadn't even passed.

"Didn't pass…" Young Master Ruohuan's face twisted, looking as grim as if he were constipated. Every time he doubted this guy, Zhang Xuan would prove him wrong. This time, he had finally sworn confidently that Zhang Xuan would succeed, even exceeding expectations… and now, he had gone in and not come out… *Master Zhang, are you intentionally trying to undermine me…?* Clenching his chest, Young Master Ruohuan felt utterly deflated.

Hall Master Kang also swayed, almost in tears. Master Zhang had performed so phenomenally in the Master Teacher Pavilion, so why had he failed here? What on earth… had happened inside?

The time rewound to one hour ago, when Zhang Xuan entered the room.

Behind the door was a long, narrow passage extending into the distance, its length unknown.

*Boom!* As the main door closed, a suffocating heat immediately enveloped him, making him feel as if he had fallen into an oven, ready to melt at any moment.

His Heaven's Path True Qi circulated, resisting the scorching heat. Looking back, he couldn't help but frown. The door that had just closed had vanished from behind him, as if it had never existed.

"Do I have to walk through this passage to leave?" His brows furrowed. He had just entered, and the door was gone. Could it be that this Ice and Fire House was an extremely powerful formation? And the way out was to reach the end of the passage before him?

Filled with doubt, he walked forward. *Roar!* After just a few steps, the heat intensified, and a vast sea of fire appeared all around. To proceed, he had to pass through it; there was no way to avoid it.

"Fine, I'll just walk through it and see!" After searching around and finding no exit, Zhang Xuan could only stride forward. His Heaven's Path True Qi was incomparably powerful. Although the flames made his skin and muscles ache, they couldn't actually harm him.

Reaching the edge of the flames, just as he was about to step through, his vision blurred again. It was as if he had plunged into a world of ice and snow. Bone-chilling cold rushed into his body through his meridians, making him shiver uncontrollably. He felt like he was about to freeze solid.

He was already a Transcendent Mortal expert. Normally, even if he slept in an ice cave, as long as he had true qi protecting him, he wouldn't feel cold. Yet now, he was shivering uncontrollably, a bizarre and indescribable sensation.

"No wonder Young Master Ruohuan was so miserable. He was probably corroded back and forth by these flames and icy cold qi…" His true qi flowed, resisting the cold, as Zhang Xuan pondered. Although Transcendent Mortal experts possessed the ability to resist natural elements, drastic and rapid changes from hot to cold could still make one collapse from the inability to endure. It was like putting one's hand in ice water, which one could withstand, but if one first soaked it in hot water for a while before putting it in ice water, even at the same temperature, it would become unbearable.

"Flames, extreme cold… No, even a peak four-star formation couldn't achieve this." Just as he was about to continue forward, a thought suddenly struck him. This Ice and Fire House, with its rapidly changing temperatures, couldn't be achieved even by a peak four-star level formation. How could the Ice Origin Palace have accomplished it?

"Moreover, there wasn't the slightest change in spiritual energy before entering the door. If there were a formation, I would definitely have noticed it…" He was a four-star formation master. If a formation were truly here, even if it wasn't active, he would certainly be able to detect it. Yet, there was no formation, but flames and extreme cold alternated at will, making it impossible to guard against… Escaping probably wasn't as simple as just walking to the end of the passage.

Adding to this, Palace Master Wu had specifically mentioned tests of mental fortitude and endurance, and "broken states of mind," which made him even more curious.

"Let's see what's actually going on… Eye of Insight!" With his guard up, he stopped moving forward and stood still, activating his Eye of Insight. Before his eyes, dazzling light shone, and countless patterns emerged. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"So it's a test of the mind, with the physical body merely a side effect… My soul and consciousness have entered an illusion!" Through his Eye of Insight, he finally understood what was happening. The flames and ice that appeared before him were not real at all, but illusions. Just like the Trust Crystal, it created illusions through blood, making people feel as if they were experiencing a land of fire and ice. Those who couldn't endure it would become trapped, unable to leave without rescue.

The Eye of Insight could dispel illusions. Although this illusion was incredibly realistic, under his observation, it was easily broken. He could see at a glance that the door from earlier was still right in front of him, and his physical body was sitting in the middle of the room, completely still. The surrounding air alternated between hot and cold, but it wouldn't cause any fundamental harm.

In other words, the pain and torment he had just experienced were all a tempering of his will and spirit.

"This isn't a formation, yet it can produce such effects. The Ice Origin Palace is truly impressive!" After observing for a while, he realized that it was indeed not a formation, but it could achieve the same, or even greater, effects as one. The Ice and Fire House was truly remarkable.