Chapter 700: Zhang Xuan Comes Out

"Let's change the condition!"Luo Qiqi frowned and waved her hand, seeing this man's intentions towards them. If he weren't the Young Hall Master of the Beast Hall and dared to speak like that, she would have long since knocked him unconscious. Two five-star master teachers, one also a princess of the Hongyuan Empire — were they truly something a mere four-star beast tamer could covet? However, they weren't experts in beast taming, and offending someone who clearly wasn't a good person could lead to significant trouble if he decided to be difficult.

"Change it?"Qin Zhong frowned, surprised they even refused to have a meal with him. He prided himself on his good looks and respectable status; rarely did anyone decline his invitations. Yet these two, who were seeking his help, not only refused but also wore expressions of displeasure. What did that mean? They clearly didn't appreciate his generosity!

"It's just a meal. Surely you won't refuse even that? If you continue to keep people at such a distance, I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to choose a good flying spiritual beast when you arrive at the Beast Hall!" Qin Zhong sneered.

"What do you mean by that? Are you threatening me? Do you even know the consequences of threatening a master teacher?" Luo Qiqi's eyes narrowed.

"Threatening? How could I dare! I'm merely offering a friendly reminder! Furthermore, aren't you two asking me for a ride? Is this the attitude to have when you're asking for a favor?" Qin Zhong chuckled ambiguously, rolled his eyes, and waved his hand. "I've set the price. Whether you accept or not is entirely up to you. I'm not in a hurry, and as long as I'm here, no one else in the entire Beast Hall would dare to let you board!"

Yu Feier, with her fiery temper, could not tolerate such shamelessness. She sneered coldly, just about to charge forward and teach him a lesson, to make him understand his place and to whom he was speaking, when she heard the sound of earth churning from the sinkhole below.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle! The earth continuously churned outwards, like a giant bubble about to emerge from the pit.

"Could it be..."Yu Feier and Luo Qiqi froze simultaneously, no longer paying attention to the arrogant man. Their eyes were fixed on the pit, afraid of missing even a tiny detail. Could it be... Teacher Zhang was about to emerge? Was he truly not dead? Their eyes simultaneously reddened. After waiting for five full days and experiencing all sorts of despair, could it be that just when they had given up all hope, it was rekindled?

*Rumble!*Just as they were filled with tension, the earth burst open with a "pop!" and a massive head emerged."It's... a puppet!"The two women stiffened, their faces simultaneously paling.Indeed... it was still a disappointment! They had thought it was Teacher Zhang, but it turned out to be this thing!

The puppet crawled out of the opening, looked left and right, and then stood outside, scanning its surroundings warily, as if waiting for someone. Seeing the puppet completely unharmed, Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier felt their hearts twist in pain. Teacher Zhang had risked his life to stop it, but it seemed he had ultimately failed. How else could it be that he hadn't emerged, yet this creature had?

Just as he was waiting for the two beautiful women to yield, he was surprised when they not only ignored him but instead fixed their gaze on the large pit before them. Qin Zhong frowned, then couldn't help but look over, raising an eyebrow. What was that thing? How did it emerge from underground? Although he was a four-star beast tamer, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was intertwined with the continent's greatest secrets, and few outside of master teachers ever encountered them. He had no idea this was a puppet refined from an Otherworldly Demon's corpse; he simply assumed it was a large human. Normal Otherworldly Demons are just over two meters tall; the one previously seen in Myriad Kingdoms City was three meters because it was a hybrid, resulting in a larger physique. A person over two meters tall, while uncommon, was not unheard of, so he saw nothing particularly alarming about it.

"So it's just a big fellow, eh? Doesn't look like it has much strength. Do they prefer big ones?" Qin Zhong's eyes flashed as he saw the two beauties, who had previously ignored him, now looking "excited" and flushed at the sight of this large figure. "It's just a bit taller. I'll soon make you understand that no matter how big, it's all show and no substance in front of me!" With that thought, he stepped forward, his gaze uplifted, full of intense pride: "I am Qin Zhong, a four-star beast tamer from the Beast Hall. My friend, may I know your name? Would you be kind enough to come up for a chat?"

"Huh?"Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier, deep in their sorrow, couldn't help but be taken aback by his words. Was he out of his mind? He wanted to have a conversation with an Otherworldly Demon puppet? Could it even understand him?

Seeing their astonishment, Qin Zhong's eyes lit up; he knew he had found the right approach. He looked down again, noting that the large figure completely ignored him, standing as straight as a javelin, exuding a unique aura and demeanor. "What? Looking down on me? Very well, I was just about to see what kind of abilities you truly possess!" With a cold shout, the Greenleaf Dragonwing Beast, standing nearby, roared and immediately took to the air. With a swift movement, Qin Zhong landed on its back and charged directly downwards.

"You two looked down on me and fawned over this big fellow, didn't you? I'll beat him up right now and show you just how poor your judgment is!"Before the Dragonwing Beast even reached its target, Qin Zhong leaped, using his momentum to step into the air. His robes fluttered as he shot straight towards the large figure below. This aerial leap showcased his strongest light-body martial skill, allowing him to glide with an unparalleled elegance. Such a display had previously attracted countless screaming beauties who longed to offer themselves to him. While still airborne, he couldn't help but look up, expecting the two women he had just met to have sparkling eyes of excitement, filled with admiration for him, no longer keeping him at arm's length. Instead, he saw them looking utterly sympathetic, simultaneously closing their eyes. Closing their eyes? Was his performance not impressive enough? As he pondered this, he reached the puppet. Before he could even make a move, a massive fist appeared before his eyes, growing larger and darker. A colossal force surged towards him. Before he could react, he felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, and a mouthful of blood gushed out. He was instantly sent flying into the air at an even faster speed.

"A power exceeding Transcendent Mortal 8-dan..."His vision went black, and Qin Zhong was on the verge of madness. The puppet operated via mechanisms, its level and strength unknown until it exerted power. Thus, he had no idea of its true capabilities, foolishly assuming it would be easy to intimidate with his own strength. He never dreamed that the opponent's strength would be endless and inexhaustible, far more terrifying than facing his own father, the Hall Master of the Beast Hall, who was at the peak of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan! Didn't this mean the opponent's strength had already surpassed Transcendent Mortal 8-dan? How was this possible! He had met and knew almost all the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts in the Phantasm Feather Empire. He had never heard of such a towering individual...

After spewing out several mouthfuls of blood, he finally felt a little relief. His body slammed violently against the wall of the sinkhole, his bones feeling as if they had shattered. One punch had inflicted severe injuries. Had he not possessed numerous life-saving techniques as the Young Hall Master of the Beast Hall, and had his opponent not intended to kill him, that single blow might have ended his life! Even so, his injuries were extremely severe; it would be difficult to fully recover in less than one or two months.

Struggling to open his eyes, just as he was about to summon the Dragonwing Beast to pick him up, he saw another large figure emerge. Two massive figures stood outside the opening, their expressions respectful. "Are they... welcoming someone?" Qin Zhong was stunned by their demeanor. But the strangeness didn't end there. He then saw even more large figures emerge from inside, standing side by side, their heads bowed, as if awaiting some important personage. Seventeen or eighteen of them emerged consecutively, and then a palanquin, carried by several individuals, slowly came into view. On the palanquin sat a young man, who stretched lazily as he looked at the sunlight outside, a look of pure delight on his face, as if he hadn't seen the sun in days. Four massive figures, each exceeding Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, carried him, while seventeen others greeted him respectfully... Who exactly was this man? And how had he emerged from underground? Qin Zhong's eyes widened, and for a moment, he even forgot the pain in his body.

"Teacher Zhang..."As he wondered, he heard an excited cry from above, and two delicate figures leaped down. Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier had believed they would never see this young man again in their lives. They never dreamed he would reappear in such an unimaginable way! Too excited to control themselves, they jumped directly down. The sinkhole was thirty to forty meters deep, but for cultivators at the Bridging Heaven realm, it was nothing.

"Little Qi, Princess Feier? Why are you here?"The one sitting on the palanquin was, of course, Zhang Xuan. After cultivating underground for five days, the group of puppets had finally dug a passage. Since he now controlled their hearts, he wasn't worried about them disobeying. He had instructed them to prepare a palanquin and carry him up. He had assumed they would have left long ago, so he was surprised to still find them there.

"You're alright..."Seeing that it was indeed Teacher Zhang, Luo Qiqi and the other woman were filled with questions after their initial excitement. Weren't you being chased by puppets? How are the puppets carrying you up now? Most importantly, the underground palace collapsed, and there was no trace of life inside. How did you survive?

"I'm fine! It's a long story, just a series of fortunate opportunities!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "I honestly thought I was doomed, but I managed to activate a life-saving item my teacher left for me. Not only am I safe, but these puppets now obey my commands. I must say, I'm incredibly lucky!" He certainly couldn't mention the heart; if he did, the Heaven's Path Divination wouldn't make sense. Therefore, he had already devised a strategy before coming out: to attribute everything to his fictitious teacher. Anyway, they had witnessed his teacher's astonishing performance. The more he spoke about it, the more unfathomable they would find him, increasing their awe without causing them to overthink.

"Teacher Yang?"Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier exchanged glances, both sighing in relief. They still vividly remembered Teacher Yang's graceful appearance, stepping from the heavens and subduing the Qing with a single shoe. Even Teacher Mo couldn't achieve such a feat. With such strength, it was entirely plausible for him to make these puppets cease fighting or even surrender obediently. "It's good that you're alright..." Knowing that it involved a master teacher of such high caliber, and as lower-ranked master teachers, they shouldn't overstep their bounds by asking further, so the two said no more.

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan sighed in relief, then couldn't help but look at Qin Zhong, who was nearby with a bright red face from the punch, a puzzled expression on his face. "Who... is this guy?"