Chapter 574: Zhao Ya Leaves (Part 2)

"Destroy the Glacier Palace?" Envoy Liu Xuan was startled.

"Precisely. I always keep my word!" Zhang Xuan’s gaze was calm, imbued with an undeniable certainty.

"This..."

If anyone else had said that, Envoy Liu Xuan would have surely thought the person was insane. After all, the Glacier Palace’s power was renowned across the continent. Not to mention a newly advanced four-star master teacher, even the most powerful nine-star master teacher might struggle to achieve such a feat. For someone she could easily crush to utter such arrogant words...

Under normal circumstances, she would have scoffed at his overestimation of himself. Yet, for some reason, seeing the young man’s resolute gaze, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. A subconscious thought seemed to whisper within her: his words might... truly come to pass!

"Don't worry, the Glacier Palace values its promises above all else; we won't go back on our word..." She found herself making the promise involuntarily.

"Good!" Hearing her say that, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Zhao Ya again: "If, after you go, you find things aren't to your liking, you can come find me at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Don't worry, by following your teacher, you can still become one of the most powerful experts in this world!"

"Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded.

"Alright, I'll be leaving now!" Knowing she had made her decision and wouldn't be leaving with him, Zhang Xuan had nothing to hold her back. He swayed and walked away.

"Teacher..." Watching him walk into the distance, facing his retreating back, Zhao Ya knelt down once more, kowtowing eight times with firm, unwavering eyes: "Please don't worry, I will become a powerful expert and I won't... disappoint you!"

"You are a good student!" Helping Zhao Ya up from her kneeling position, Envoy Liu Xuan looked up at the distant retreating figure and sighed again: "He is also a good teacher."

"He is the best teacher, but I am not a good student!" Zhao Ya shook her head. Her teacher had poured his heart and soul into her, yet she was leaving him at this moment.

"It's nothing. Once your unique constitution is activated and you become the Palace Master, helping him will become very simple. Continuing to follow him would only hinder his progress and development. All feasts must end; students leaving their teachers is a necessary step. It's impossible to remain behind a teacher forever, living under their wing." Envoy Liu Xuan continued: "If he had forced you to stay, he wouldn't have been a good teacher either!"

People must always grow. Even if a teacher is the strongest, they cannot guide students their entire lives, nor can students rely on them forever. Only by truly weathering storms can one stand on their own and become a peerless expert.

"I know! It's just... I'm a bit reluctant to part!" Zhao Ya's eyes reddened. She stopped speaking and turned back to walk away. Envoy Liu Xuan knew that Zhao Ya would feel sad for a while, but... once she adjusted, the pain of separation would become a motivation for progress, making her stronger and stronger. Her state of mind would also become increasingly formidable.

Zhao Ya's departure was both unexpected and anticipated. Zhang Xuan had actually considered letting his students train independently, but he had always been unable to let go. Now that such an opportunity had arisen, it was naturally for the best.

Sitting cross-legged in the room on the back of the flying spiritual beast, he remained motionless, like a stone sculpture.

"Teacher, Master Teacher Zhang... it's been almost five days like this. Is he alright?" Young Master Ruohuan couldn't help but ask. Master Teacher Zhang had been sitting motionless ever since the three of them left the Glacier Palace five days ago. Even Young Master Ruohuan found it strange.

"I don't know either..." Hall Master Kang shook his head, full of worry. Knowing Master Teacher Zhang's feelings for his students, could he be too sad because of Zhao Ya's sudden departure?

"No, wait, could it be..." Doubts filled his mind. He couldn't help but take another look, and suddenly his eyebrows shot up, revealing an expression of disbelief.

"What's wrong, Teacher?" Young Master Ruohuan quickly looked over.

"This... he isn't overly saddened; he's experiencing... a Heart of Insight breakthrough!" Hall Master Kang stated.

"Heart of Insight breakthrough?" Young Master Ruohuan was full of curiosity. He had never heard that term before.

"Yes, cultivators have a Heart of Insight scale. Master teachers, in particular, rely on their Heart of Discernment to navigate and identify problems and flaws, guiding others in their cultivation. Although Master Teacher Zhang is sitting still, there are no spiritual energy fluctuations, meaning he isn't cultivating true qi. To sit motionless for five days without cultivating, he must have entered some special state of mind!" Hall Master Kang explained.

Cultivation knows no time; five days is very little. The lack of spiritual energy fluctuations on his body, yet his ability to sit perfectly still, indicates a change in his state of mind. The most direct explanation for this is a Heart of Insight breakthrough.

"A Heart of Insight breakthrough is a rare and coveted state of mind. Once achieved, the scale will increase significantly..." As he spoke, Hall Master Kang revealed an envious expression. Before this breakthrough, Master Teacher Zhang could use the Heavenly Impartation of Teacher's Wisdom to influence him, indicating their Heart of Insight scales were similar. How powerful would he become once he successfully broke through?

"The stronger the better. It's time for the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms to rise..." His eyes gleamed. The stronger Master Teacher Zhang became, the better the achievements of Ten Thousand Kingdoms City would be, bringing more glory to him as a Hall Master. Ten Thousand Kingdoms City had been stagnant for too long; it was time to... wipe away its past shame and make other powers take notice.

"Don't disturb Master Teacher Zhang. You should also cultivate quickly. Before we return to Ten Thousand Kingdoms City, you must reach the peak of the Impure-Clear realm. If you don't, don't call me Teacher!" Excited, he turned to look at Young Master Ruohuan beside him.

"Huh?" Young Master Ruohuan was stunned. His Heart of Insight breakthrough, what did that have to do with him? Why was he being made to cultivate desperately?

However, knowing his teacher had good intentions, he simply sat down, took out the mid-tier spirit stone Master Teacher Zhang had given him, held it in his palm, and continued cultivating. His cultivation differed from Zhang Xuan's; mid-tier spirit stones were highly effective for him. One stone was enough to let him advance from the early Impure-Clear realm to its peak. Therefore, even though he had been using it since the early Mortal-Transcendence 4-dan, the spiritual energy within the stone was still abundant.

Just as Hall Master Kang had guessed, Zhang Xuan had indeed entered a state of Heart of Insight breakthrough. Parting with Zhao Ya made him feel a little sad, but it also allowed him to understand the true meaning of teacher-student separation, deepening his understanding of the teaching profession. Sitting quietly, events since his transmigration flowed through his mind like a movie. His spirit became increasingly clear, like polished jade, growing more serene and brilliant.

One must experience storms to see a rainbow. Zhao Ya's departure was a form of tempering for her, and equally so for Zhang Xuan. As his state of mind opened up, his Heart of Insight scale slowly increased from its previous 14.1. A Heart of Insight breakthrough, unlike the Heaven's Path Divination or the Master Teacher's Heart Refining, does not instantly grant significant boosts or reach extremely high realms. Instead, it's a meticulous process, like water dripping on a stone, increasing gradually. Over five days, his Heart of Insight scale continuously improved, increasing by a full 2.0 points, reaching 16.1!

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes. His gaze was like lightning, imbued with a convincing allure. A Heart of Insight scale of 16.1 was already comparable to a five-star master teacher. Previously, influencing Hall Master Kang required many words to succeed unnoticed, but now... with his state of mind operating, merely using the Heavenly Impartation of Teacher's Wisdom could easily earn respect and make rebuttal impossible. With the change in his state of mind, not only was his Heavenly Impartation of Teacher's Wisdom ability enhanced, but his Eye of Discernment also grew stronger, allowing him to perceive more details. Over these five days, not only did his state of mind improve, but his cultivation also became more consolidated. Now, if he wished, he could easily break through to Mortal-Transcendence 3-dan, the Yin-Yang realm.

"Let's continue cultivating..." With the increase in his Heart of Insight scale, he gained a clear understanding of cultivation, and his cultivation speed also increased. Although he didn't have enough mid-tier spirit stones at the moment, he could still continuously improve his cultivation. The Master Teacher Tournament was about to begin; there was no need to waste time.

As Zhang Xuan and his group flew back, an old man wearing a bamboo hat arrived before the gates of Ten Thousand Kingdoms City. He looked up at the magnificent and massive city wall before him, clenching his fists, his gaze like lightning.

"Ten Thousand Kingdoms City... I'm finally here! With the Master Teacher Tournament being held here this time, I must seize the opportunity to reclaim what I lost, and... he must die!" Gritting his teeth, the old man's face was distorted with surging hatred. This old man had only one arm, and his eyes, like those of a wild wolf, carried intense resentment and madness.

If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely recognize him: it was none other than the old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom, Ding Hong! It had taken him nearly three months to finally reach Ten Thousand Kingdoms City—the very heart of the entire Alliance—after escaping by burning his essence blood back then! He wanted revenge! His opponent had killed his descendant, destroyed his kingdom, and left him like a stray dog. How could he possibly be reconciled?

"I can't go to the Alliance Leader's Manor. All the envoys are biased towards him; going there would be like walking into a trap!" Although his heart was filled with raging hatred, he understood his situation and wouldn't act rashly. The Alliance envoy who wielded the imperial sword back then had shown no concern for the destruction of a kingdom, even supporting a woman in power. If he were to seek justice from the Alliance now, he would surely be trapped like a turtle in a jar, dying without knowing how.

"This Zhang Xuan is a master teacher, so naturally, I absolutely cannot go to the Master Teacher Pavilion!" The opponent was a master teacher, and within the past month, news of his successful four-star master teacher assessment and his participation in the Master Teacher Tournament on behalf of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms had spread everywhere. Even if Ding Hong was poorly informed, he would have heard about it. A four-star master teacher, and one who represented the Ten Thousand Kingdoms City Master Teacher Pavilion... Going to the Master Teacher Pavilion to cause trouble would be like rushing onto a blade, wouldn't it?

"If I can't rely on... Ten Thousand Kingdoms City, then I can only rely on... other powers!" His eyes lit up, and a ruthless glint flashed within them. Neither the Alliance Leader's Manor nor the Master Teacher Pavilion in Ten Thousand Kingdoms City would help him get revenge. But... wasn't the Master Teacher Tournament about to begin? If the Alliance wouldn't help him, he could seek out the Master Teacher Pavilions of other powers! This Zhang Xuan was such a deviant; once other powers knew about him, they would definitely take action. At that time, not only would he get his revenge, but he would also make Zhang Xuan's reputation utterly ruined, living a life worse than death!

"Among the 28 powers participating in the tournament, the Mingxia Empire, Huanhai Empire, and Alliance of Ten Thousand Kingdoms are similar in strength, perhaps not much stronger. But the Falling Sand Sect and Cold Qi Sect... are much more powerful! And the strongest among them is precisely the Flowing Cloud Sect!" Ding Hong pondered. As the former king of a Conferred Kingdom, he was very familiar with the distribution of surrounding powers in the Alliance.