Chapter 715: Still Not Leaving

The Huai King's Mansion stretched endlessly, with countless layered buildings disappearing into the distance. Numerous gold-armored guards patrolled back and forth, giving the impression that even with a vast army, it would be impossible to force entry. No wonder Master Hong had been so worried before their arrival; this place was truly a den of danger.

"These soldiers' movements subtly align with a formation, making their combat capabilities extraordinary!"

As a formation master, it was easy to discern that the soldiers, despite their seemingly random movements, actually followed a pattern. Their coordinated actions formed a grand combined attack formation. Should anyone launch an attack, they could immediately retaliate, unleashing astonishing combat power and force.

"They should be fine. If the other party truly intended to harm them, they would only need to send a single team, and no one in the Illusion Feather Empire could resist. There's no need for such elaborate preparations..."

Seeing the immense power of the King's Mansion, Zhang Xuan actually felt a sense of relief. Just a few of these soldiers would be enough to overpower Master Hong and the others. Why go to the trouble of inviting them for a short stay? In the face of absolute power, providing too many explanations would only lead to complications.

"Master Zhang, please wait here. I will go report to the King now!"

They soon arrived at a pavilion. The guard gestured, then turned and walked away. Zhang Xuan, familiar with the customs, was not in a hurry. He accepted the tea offered by a maid and slowly savored it. It had to be said, the Huai King's Mansion offered impeccable hospitality. The tea leaves were freshly picked, their refreshing aroma lingering and providing a delightful aftertaste.

While sipping his tea, Zhang Xuan also took the opportunity to observe his surroundings subtly, activating his Eye of Insight. After observing for a while, he couldn't help but shake his head. Although the mansion was well-arranged and its soldiers strong, under the scrutiny of the Eye of Insight, many vulnerabilities became apparent. If it weren't for Yuan Tao and the others, even with his current strength, he could easily enter and exit undetected.

"Master Zhang!"

As he was still observing his surroundings, the guard who had gone in earlier hurried back: "The King requests your presence!"

"Understood."

He withdrew his gaze, his expression once again serene. He stood up and followed the guard forward. After navigating several corridors, a spacious and grand hall soon appeared before them.

"Your Highness, Master Zhang has arrived!"

As they entered the hall, the guard bowed and then withdrew. Zhang Xuan then looked ahead. In the spacious room, a stern-faced middle-aged man sat prominently in the center. On a guest seat to one side was a white-haired elder, and behind him stood a young man. There were only three individuals present.

The middle-aged man exuded the aura of someone long accustomed to a high position; he was likely the so-called King. The white-haired elder, on the other hand, had a calm expression that made his true depth unfathomable. The young man, however, openly displayed his internal aura, revealing himself to be a super expert at the early stage of Mortal Transcendent 8-dan! A Mortal Transcendent 8-dan in his twenties! Even within the Hongyuan Empire, he would undoubtedly be considered among the absolute elite.

After a quick glance, Zhang Xuan stepped into the center of the room, cupped his fist, and said, "Master Teacher Zhang Xuan greets Your Highness the Huai King!"

"You are Zhang Xuan?"

Before the middle-aged man could speak, the young man's eyes, sharp as lightning, fixed coldly on him. Noticing the young man's impolite tone, Zhang Xuan chose to ignore him. Without waiting for an invitation, he turned and took a seat on the opposite guest chair.

"I'm speaking to you, did you not hear me?" Seeing Zhang Xuan's attitude, the young man's face darkened. Although he stood behind the elder, his Mortal Transcendent 8-dan strength meant he was a prominent figure wherever he went. To be completely ignored after asking a question was utterly disrespectful.

"I heard you," Zhang Xuan replied, turning his head with a serious expression.

"Then... why didn't you answer?" the young man retorted with a snort.

"Your Highness the Huai King, I believe you can guess the purpose of my visit!" Zhang Xuan cupped his fist again, looking at the middle-aged man in the center.

"You..."

Seeing that he had been ignored once more, the young man's vision blurred, and he nearly fainted. "I am speaking to you. Are you listening or not?"

"Answer my question first! The King will naturally address your concerns afterward!" The young man roared, gritting his teeth.

"Alright!"

Zhang Xuan nodded: "Go on!"

"I asked if you are Zhang Xuan!" the young man reiterated with a snort.

Zhang Xuan once again turned to the Huai King: "I heard that several of my students were invited here as your guests. I came today to take them back."

The young man's body swayed, and he nearly fainted from sheer frustration. At this point, he realized the other party was deliberately toying with him, with absolutely no intention of answering his questions!

"How dare you mock me? Do you know who I am?" The young man roared, his entire aura surging forth like an ocean. Although his cultivation was not as high as Ye Wentian's, his physical power seemed even more profound. Especially when enraged, his body appeared to double in size, his exposed muscles bulging, creating a fierce impression and clearly indicating an extremely powerful physical body.

"You?"

Seeing the other party's anger, Zhang Xuan's expression remained unfazed. He simply raised an eyebrow and said, "Who do I care who you are? I am a Master Teacher officially recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, one who single-handedly resisted the Foreign Spirit race. Wherever I go, I am to be respected and revered. How dare a mere martial artist like you act so presumptuously in front of me? Who gave you such audacity?"

As he spoke, his mental state activated, and his voice carried the 'Teacher's Impartation of Heaven's Will,' coupled with the inherent aura of a Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher. This created an unassailable and awe-inspiring presence. It made one feel that to disrespect him was akin to blaspheming a deity.

"I..."

The young man froze in shock. Master Teachers, renowned as the world's foremost profession, not only possess a prestigious name but also hold an exceptionally high status, commanding respect from all other professions and martial artists. To offend one was equivalent to provoking the Master Teacher Pavilion and challenging the entire human race! This was the dignity inherent to Master Teachers and the respect due to their profession. Just like an emperor, if someone dared to insult him to his face, regardless of their identity, their entire family would certainly be executed. While Master Teachers weren't as strict, they weren't people anyone could simply yell at. Otherwise, how could the Master Teacher Pavilion establish rules and bring peace to the world?

The young man, upon seeing him, had only focused on what he perceived as Zhang Xuan's weaker strength, intending to assert dominance. He had completely forgotten this crucial point. Being directly challenged, especially with the added force of the 'Teacher's Impartation of Heaven's Will,' he immediately became speechless, his face turning pale.

Seeing the young man suppressed by his mental state, Zhang Xuan didn't wait for a reaction. He raised an eyebrow and continued, "In the Huai King's Mansion, I am a guest. The King hasn't even spoken, yet you, a mere attendant standing to the side, are shouting loudly. Do you still hold the King in any regard? Do you show any respect to the senior standing before you?"

"I..." The young man's body swayed, his earlier fierce aura immediately dissipating. His body trembled uncontrollably. Just now, upon hearing that the other party was Zhang Xuan, he had been so preoccupied with giving a lesson that he completely forgot the elder was still present, and that he was a guest in the Huai King's Mansion. He had indeed been presumptuous.

"Disregarding elders and juniors, ignoring hierarchy, ignorant of your place... You are not welcome here. Now get out!"

Zhang Xuan flicked his sleeve.

"I, I..."

The young man was speechless, his face growing increasingly distorted. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and walked out. Zhang Xuan's current Mental State of Mind had already reached 19.1, which was significantly stronger than that of an average 6-star Master Teacher. Although the young man was a Mortal Transcendent 8-dan expert, he was still far too inferior in comparison to Zhang Xuan. Several consecutive sentences, each aimed at his core, had made him completely lose himself.

"This..."

The middle-aged man, the Huai King, in the center of the room, and the seated elder exchanged glances in utter astonishment. They had not expected Master Zhang to utterly bewitch the young man with just two sentences, making him completely lose his bearings and turn to leave. Wasn't he said to be a 4-star Master Teacher? How could even a Mortal Transcendent 8-dan expert fall victim to that?

"Enough!"

Helplessly, the elder shook his head.

*Boom!*

The sound wasn't loud, yet it resonated like a startling clap of thunder exploding in their ears. The young man's body stiffened. His mind, previously bewildered by Zhang Xuan's 'Teacher's Impartation of Heaven's Will,' instantly recovered. He spun around sharply, looking back with a furious, man-eating expression. He felt like he was going insane. As a dignified Mortal Transcendent 8-dan expert, he had intended to assert his dominance and teach Zhang Xuan a good lesson. Instead, he had been bewitched by just two sentences and was about to walk straight out. The intense humiliation and frustration made him feel like he was about to explode.

"I'll kill you!"

With a roar, the young man stomped his foot, preparing to charge forward.

"Enough, haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

The elder's brow furrowed.

"Yes!"

His entire body trembled, and the young man's aura immediately vanished. He retreated to the back, no longer speaking. However, his eyes, fixed on Zhang Xuan, still burned with the hatred one would reserve for a mortal enemy, as if he wished to tear him limb from limb.

Zhang Xuan chose to ignore such a gaze. Although he was not the young man's match in direct combat, if they were to meet elsewhere, he could easily dispatch ten or eight individuals like him in a matter of minutes. With so many Saint realm puppets in his possession, he was not to be trifled with.

Ignoring the young man, his gaze, however, settled on the elder. He was well aware of the immense power of his 'Teacher's Impartation of Heaven's Will'; once someone was bewitched, it was difficult for them to recover. Yet, this elder merely spoke a single sentence, and the young man returned to normal. His strength was truly terrifying! His power likely surpassed anyone Zhang Xuan had ever encountered, even Master Mo Gaoyuan from before probably didn't possess such an ability.

"Master Zhang's students are indeed guests at my mansion. I will have them brought here now!"

Seeing the strained atmosphere between the two parties, the middle-aged Huai King offered an awkward laugh, then quickly turned and gave an order. An attendant promptly left.

"Then I thank Your Highness!"

Hearing that his students were indeed merely guests and seemed unharmed, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, though he remained puzzled: "My few students can be a bit mischievous; I hope they haven't disturbed Your Highness. If they have caused any offense, I, Zhang Xuan, am willing to bear full responsibility!"

"Disturbed? How could that be! Master Zhang's students are exceptionally gifted; I am delighted to have them..."

Knowing that it would be impossible to conceal anything from a Master Teacher, the Huai King shook his head, dropped the pleasantries, and directly revealed the reason: "To be frank, the reason I invited Master Zhang's students here was at the request of Elder Yuan!"

"Elder Yuan?"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Who was Elder Yuan? He didn't know the person at all. Why would he invite his students?

"I am Yuan Cheng, humbly an elder of the Yuan clan from the Boundless Empire!" The elder, who was standing in front of the young man, stroked his beard and said.

"You are Elder Yuan? From the Boundless Empire?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback. On the way, Yu Fei'er had told him about numerous first-grade empires, including those of the same rank as the Hongyuan Empire, as well as their subordinate second-grade empires. However, he had never heard of this Boundless Empire. Could it be... a Conferred Empire?