Chapter 586: Mogao Yuan Requests an Audience

"I'm truly sorry, but our Young Master is still in secluded cultivation and is unable to receive visitors at the moment!"

In the manor courtyard, Butler Sun Qiang looked at the two people before him with an expression full of apology. Elder Hu and Master Teacher Song Chao, standing before him, had been coming almost daily since they learned of Master Zhang's return. They simply wouldn't leave, and even Sun Qiang felt a bit helpless.

"I know, but... the Grand Competition begins tomorrow. I thought Master Zhang would surely emerge from seclusion today..." Elder Hu said with an awkward smile.

Though the fourteen major powers had suppressed the news of that night's events, other forces participating in the Grand Competition had still learned some details. For so many powerful entities to retreat and not dare utter a word afterward, Master Zhang's background had to be incredibly powerful. Thus, their original intention of purchasing soulless golden figures became a daily routine, with the simple goal of first building a good relationship with Master Zhang.

"I don't know when the Young Master will emerge from seclusion either..." Sun Qiang shook his head. Since the Young Master returned, he hadn't shown his face once, and nearly half a month had passed. Furthermore, the Old Master had only appeared that one time and hadn't been seen since. Even Sun Qiang wasn't sure if either of them was still in the manor.

"Then... Butler Sun, could you please send someone to notify me immediately once Master Zhang emerges from seclusion? As you can see, I am truly sincere in my desire to purchase the soulless golden figures!" Elder Hu said.

"This..." Frowning, Sun Qiang waved his hand, exuding the demeanor of a high-ranking master teacher's butler. "This is not for me to decide; I must seek the Young Master's approval. If he doesn't wish to see you, I wouldn't dare act on my own!" Since that day, his status as a butler had soared. Even Alliance Leader Zhao and Hall Master Kang had to come in person if they wished to meet someone. Over time, he had developed a certain dignified air.

"Yes, yes, a genius like Master Zhang isn't someone just anyone can meet..." Elder Hu agreed.

"Of course. The Young Master's talent is unparalleled; he is a figure of the highest standing. Even Sect Leader Luo Huang of the Flowing Cloud Sect came these past few days and I drove him away!" Sun Qiang said, his face filled with pride. Sect Leader Luo Huang had indeed come to visit recently, but Sun Qiang had chased him away with a stick before he even reached the gate. *Hmph*, he thought. *When you attacked us back then, why didn't you think about a day like this? Now that you know how powerful the Old Master is, you want to come apologize? There's no such free lunch.*

"That's right, Master Zhang possesses an elegant temperament and a lofty demeanor; meeting him isn't so easy. I just hope Butler Sun can put in a good word for me..." Elder Hu's mouth twitched, and he quickly spoke.

Before he could finish, a violent roar echoed, and then a figure crashed headfirst onto the ground in front of them, convulsing uncontrollably.

"How audacious! Who dares cause trouble at Master Zhang's manor!" Seeing the person daring to strike here, even breaking down a wall, Elder Hu let out a loud shout and was about to step forward to make a show of himself, when he saw Butler Sun Qiang rush forward. "Young Master, what's wrong?"

"Young Master? Master Zhang?" His vision blurred, and his body swayed. Elder Hu felt a mouthful of fresh blood rising, ready to spew forth at any moment. This... this person, who had crashed headfirst into the ground, covered in dirt and looking like a beggar, was Master Zhang? And *elegant temperament, lofty demeanor*... This face-plant landing, the wild twitching, the way his head was buried in the ground... what did any of that have to do with elegance?

He had just cooperated with Butler Sun Qiang to praise this master teacher to the heavens, and then he made such an entrance... Elder Hu felt like he was about to cry. Not only him, but Song Chao, standing to one side, also had his mouth twitching.

Having met him several times, he could tell at a glance that the person before him was indeed Master Zhang Xuan. Previously, when he met him, Master Zhang was always righteous and solemn, giving off a sense of immense authority. But now... This... this was simply too damaging to his image.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Pulling his head out of the ground, Zhang Xuan was utterly dejected. Both were at the peak of the Leaving Mortal Realm stage three. He cultivated the Heaven's Path cultivation technique, while the other was a simplified version. Yet... a punch of equal power had almost killed him on the spot! What kind of situation was this?! His main body couldn't defeat his clone... that was just too embarrassing.

Though dejected, he quickly understood. The clone was refined from the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo, a treasure that surpassed even sacred artifacts. Even if the cultivation technique it practiced was slightly inferior to his, its physical body alone was absolutely invincible among those of the same level; there was no comparison. Unless... he continued cultivating the Heaven's Path Golden Body to a more profound level, otherwise, he would likely be easily suppressed by this clone for quite some time.

"Forget it, it's me anyway, there's no point in feeling frustrated..." He quickly recovered. Whether it was the clone or the main body, it was still him, so there was nothing to be upset about.

"I'm fine, just had a small issue during cultivation, nothing serious!" Seeing Butler Sun Qiang look over with a worried expression, Zhang Xuan patted his clothes and said.

"Oh!" Hearing it was a cultivation issue, Sun Qiang, though feeling it was strange, suppressed his doubts and quickly cupped his fist. "Young Master, Elder Hu of the Cold Azure Sect and Master Teacher Song Chao wish to purchase the soulless golden figures from you. They've been coming for several days now..."

"Song Chao, soulless golden figures?" Zhang Xuan was startled, then he remembered. Back in the city's southern medicinal garden, he had conned Song Chao into spending a spirit stone on an empty coffin, and had promised to sell him three golden figures if he had the money. He hadn't expected the man to actually come.

However, he couldn't find a suitable body for Mo Hunsheng in a short period and could only rely on the golden figures for his survival. If they were damaged in combat, having a few spares would allow for replacements... Once he sold them all, finding more would be almost impossible. After all, the profession of Soul Oracle had long disappeared into the river of history. Soulless golden figures were a finite resource; finding a fifth one would be extremely difficult. Furthermore, he wasn't particularly short on mid-tier spirit stones. His mind had changed, and he wasn't very keen on selling them anymore.

"Master Zhang, I am Elder Hu of the Cold Azure Sect, and this is Master Teacher Song Chao; I presume you already know each other..."

While he was hesitating, Elder Hu and Song Chao approached. "Oh, Elder Hu, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Seeing him approach, Zhang Xuan cupped his fist and scratched his head awkwardly. "I'm truly sorry, I did indeed have three soulless golden figures before, but... you've come too late. I've already sold them all. I don't have any left now... I apologize for making you come all this way for nothing!" He couldn't say too much about Mo Hunsheng, and it was hard to refuse them directly, so he could only claim the golden figures were already sold.

"Sold out?" Elder Hu was stunned, not expecting this outcome.

"Yes, as you know, soulless golden figures involve the secrets of Soul Oracles, and there are simply too many people who want to buy them. I only had a few to begin with..."

As Zhang Xuan was apologetically waving his hand, the ground rumbled, and a tall figure rushed out from the inner courtyard. "Young Master, what just happened? Are you alright?" Mo Hunsheng looked over, filled with worry. He had been guarding the inner courtyard to ensure the Young Master's safety, but when the Young Master was sent flying by a punch, he immediately rushed out to see what had happened.

"This is... a living soulless golden figure..." Elder Hu's vision went dark. *Brother, didn't you just say all the soulless golden figures were sold? What in the world is this living one that just ran out?*

"Cough, cough!" He hadn't expected the figure to appear right after he said he had none left. Zhang Xuan was utterly embarrassed. "This, this... isn't a golden figure. This is one of my guards who cultivated a strange martial art, which is why he looks like this!"

"A strange martial art?" Elder Hu and Song Chao swayed again. *Do you take us for blind men?! This is clearly a soulless golden figure, alright?* They were all master teachers; even with poor eyesight, they could distinguish between a guard and a golden figure.

"Alright!" However, since the other party wasn't willing to elaborate, it was impolite to press further. After all, the golden figures were a minor matter; forging a connection with Master Zhang was what truly mattered. After chatting a bit more and seeing that Zhang Xuan had no intention of selling the golden figures, Elder Hu and Song Chao had no choice but to withdraw. Before leaving, they also received instructions not to spread rumors about Mo Hunsheng.

No sooner had the two left than Zhang Xuan glared angrily at the tall figure before him. "You came out looking like that, do you want people to recognize what you are?" Soulless golden figures were sensitive due to their connection to Soul Oracles. A living one that could run around freely would certainly cause a lot of trouble if word got out.

"I..." Mo Hunsheng also knew he had caused trouble and looked very embarrassed.

"Is there a way to conceal your aura and appearance?" Knowing he couldn't entirely blame the other party, since he hadn't thought of it beforehand, Zhang Xuan snorted and asked.

"There is a way, but it might take a few days..." Mo Hunsheng hesitated before answering.

"That's good, then don't appear for the next few days..." Seeing that there was a way to conceal his aura and appearance, Zhang Xuan nodded and looked at Sun Qiang, who was nearby. "Butler Sun, has anything happened while I was in seclusion?" He had entered seclusion as soon as he returned, nearly half a month ago, so quite a few things must have happened.

"Reporting, Young Master. After the Old Master's last appearance, other sects have become much more low-key, and no one has caused any trouble. Hall Master Kang, Alliance Leader Zhao, and Princess Feiwu have been coming every day recently, but they all left disappointed once they learned you were in secluded cultivation." Sun Qiang said. With the Old Master's deterrence, Myriad Kingdom City was unusually quiet. The previously arrogant sect disciples were now as docile as house cats, daring not to act recklessly for fear of inadvertently offending Master Yang and thus causing the downfall of their entire sect.

"Also... Ding Hong, who sowed discord among others, was killed by Sect Leader Luo Huang of the Flowing Cloud Sect on the very night the Young Master returned!" Sun Qiang thought for a moment, then continued. That day, Zhang Xuan, disguised as Yang Xuan, had originally intended to eliminate this hidden threat. However, acting personally would certainly reveal his true strength, and given Master Yang's distinguished status, how could he possibly act himself? So, he didn't make a move. However, it seemed Sect Leader Luo Huang of the Flowing Cloud Sect was quite sensible. He understood Zhang Xuan's intentions and helped to eliminate the problem beforehand, saving Zhang Xuan the trouble of seeking him out later.

"Besides these, is there anything else?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Young Master Lu Chong should wake up in the next few days, and then there's the Master Teacher Grand Competition, which is about to begin..." Just as Sun Qiang was about to continue, a faint voice drifted in from outside.

"Mo Gaoyuan, Hall Master of the Master Teacher Hall of the Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, and a peak six-star master teacher, requests an audience with Master Yang!"