Chapter 829: Talkative Donkey

As a peak six-star physician, I possess an extremely profound mastery over my body. There's no way I wouldn't know if I had been poisoned!

In that instant, he realized that the potent poison had already invaded his heart and lungs, reaching a depth that even he, a physician, could not treat.

This meant... he had been unknowingly poisoned!

Hadn't the Circulatory Cauldron already detoxified the poison?

What was going on?

"That's right, you haven't detoxified it at all..." Zhang Xuan said, looking at him.

"Not detoxified? How is that possible!" You Xu's body trembled. He hastily circulated his True Qi, attempting to suppress the toxins within him, but found it had no effect whatsoever. "Could it be that your venom wasn't in those Azure Nectar Spirit Liquids? You... cheated!"

He had expelled every drop of the urine he drank, yet he was still poisoned. Could it be that this fellow merely used the sacred beast's urine as a diversion, and the real potent poison was actually somewhere else?

"Cheated?" Zhang Xuan's gaze turned cold, his voice accusatory and piercing. "I sincerely offered to buy the Ten-Leaf Flower from you, with not a single word of disrespect. It would have been acceptable if you had simply refused to sell it, but instead, you tricked Wei Changfeng into going to Cloud Mist Ridge to collect Cloud Mist Flowers, causing him to be besieged by sacred beasts and die a tragic death... Was *that* me cheating?"

As he spoke, he advanced, emanating an aura that deterred anyone from confronting him directly.

"Sending someone to collect Cloud Mist Flowers? Isn't that... sending them to their death?" "Could that be the source of their conflict?" "I had thought Zhang Xuan was challenging the vice head for fame, but I didn't realize the latter had been disrespectful first..." An uproar rose from the audience as they heard the majestic, bell-like voice from the stage.

Hearing the accusations from the audience and the mention of Wei Changfeng's death, You Xu's heart seized with panic, and he involuntarily took a step back.

"I obtained the Cloud Mist Flower, and you insisted it had to be alive. Alright, I revived it, and then you went back on your word again... Was *that* me cheating?"

Zhang Xuan continued to advance, his gaze like lightning.

You Xu's body trembled. Unable to retort, he retreated once more.

"You claimed the Ten-Leaf Flower wasn't mature and couldn't be sold. I then used a special method, expending True Qi to mature it, yet you still refused to sell, completely disregarding the reputation of a Master Teacher... Was *that* me cheating?"

His words, sharp as knives, seemed to pierce You Xu's very soul, and his voice, like a resonating bell, echoed throughout the entire stage.

After uttering "I" three times consecutively, You Xu's lips trembled. He wanted to explain but found himself unable to.

There wasn't a single flaw in Zhang Xuan's statements, and even if You Xu wanted to refute them, he had no grounds to do so.

"Something like that happened?" "So Master Zhang tried to buy medicine from Vice Head You... and not only did he refuse to sell, but he deliberately made things difficult? That's going too far!" "I used to admire Vice Head You, but I never imagined he was this kind of person. He's a disgrace to the Physician Academy!" As Zhang Xuan's words reached their ears, the audience below erupted in an uproar.

Previously, many senior students had thought that Zhang Xuan, as a newcomer, was challenging a vice head out of arrogance and disrespect for hierarchy. Only now, upon hearing this, did they realize that You Xu's actions had forced his hand.

For a dignified six-star Master Teacher to go back on his word and be untrustworthy—forget Master Zhang—even they would be absolutely furious and find it impossible to forgive such behavior.

"The medicine I cultivate is mine to sell or not sell as I please! Am I to be condemned simply because I refuse to sell it to you?" Seeing the overwhelmingly one-sided public opinion below, You Xu steadied himself, clenching his teeth.

"You're right, the Ten-Leaf Flower is yours to sell or not sell as you wish; I have nothing to say about that! However... as for a Physician's Life-and-Death Duel, I challenge when I want to challenge. What can you do about it?"

Zhang Xuan's expression was stern.

"You..." You Xu's entire body went rigid.

He wasn't even a match in a detoxification competition; in any other kind of competition, he would certainly have even less hope!

This meant... he simply could not win the Physician's Life-and-Death Duel.

This time, in front of so many people, even if Zhang Xuan didn't dare kill him, You Xu wouldn't be able to endure constant challenges!

Each challenge would strip him bare; a few more and he would be as good as dead.

"This time... I concede! Tell me how you want compensation, and I'll provide it. At worst, I'll give you that Ten-Leaf Flower." You Xu gritted his teeth and said.

"Compensation?" Zhang Xuan stepped forward. "Can you compensate for Wei Changfeng's life?"

You Xu recoiled. "Then what do you want?"

"It's simple... pay with your life for Wei Changfeng's!" Zhang Xuan's gaze was cold.

Wei Changfeng's death was entirely due to You Xu. Therefore, Zhang Xuan had only one thought: a life for a life!

Wei Changfeng was beaten to death by sacred beasts, all for his daughter, for the unwavering devotion of a father. How could You Xu, the true culprit, possibly remain alive in this world?

"Pay with my life?" You Xu's face contorted in a sneer. "I am the dignified Vice Head of the Physician Academy, a peak six-star Master Teacher. Pay with my life for a nobody like him? On what grounds!"

"On what grounds? Haha!" Zhang Xuan burst into laughter. "Then I'll tell you, on what grounds!"

"Because I, alone, resolved five hundred and three complex ailments on the Wall of Doubts!"

"Because I left four hundred and thirty-two diagnostic methods on the Diagnosis Platform!"

"Because I provided new treatment plans for countless ancestral illnesses in the Ancestor's Forest, making many age-old diseases easier to resolve!"

"Because I flawlessly challenged for six-star physician status, leaving the most accurate prescriptions for seventy-three different diseases!"

"Although I destroyed the Physician Tower, I left behind countless more medical prescriptions for treating diseases, so many that the headquarters was willing to initiate a Physician's Life-and-Death Duel for me. And you dare ask me 'on what grounds'?"

"I rely on my identity as a physician, achieved honorably; I rely on this life-and-death duel, in which I have defeated you!"

With each declaration, Zhang Xuan took a step forward, his booming voice like a torrent, elevating him to the stature of a deity descended from the heavens, not to be underestimated or insulted.

Retreating repeatedly, You Xu's legs suddenly gave way, and only then did he realized he had retreated to the very edge of the stage.

Indeed, Zhang Xuan had used no underhanded tactics. He had relied on his strength and the life-and-death duel—a fair and honorable contest. If You Xu lost and refused to admit it, he would have no reason or excuse.

"Commit suicide!" Seeing You Xu's face turn ashen and unable to speak, Zhang Xuan knew his confidence had been utterly shattered and waved his hand.

You Xu's body trembled, his face ashen. In that instant, he felt his life was an utter failure; it would be better to die than to live.

He raised his palm without the slightest hesitation and struck directly at his own head.

"Stop!" Just as You Xu's palm was about to connect with his head, a loud shout suddenly boomed from the sky, and a figure descended rapidly from above.

At the sound of the shout, You Xu, who had worn a despondent expression, suddenly jolted. He then looked at Zhang Xuan, his eyes blazing red.

"You dared to use Heavenly Impartation on me? I'll kill you..."

At this moment, even a fool would understand that Zhang Xuan had just used Heavenly Impartation, leveraging the pressure of the heavens and earth to make You Xu lose control of his will and body. If the figure's shout had been half a step later, You Xu would likely have already committed suicide.

*Boom!* With a sudden lunge, You Xu charged at Zhang Xuan, unleashing a torrent of explosive power with an invincible, crushing force.

The full aura of a peak Saint 1-dan cultivator was unleashed, and the entire stage seemed to buckle under the pressure, on the verge of collapse.

Zhang Xuan's expression remained impassive. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stood proudly on the stage, exuding an aura that conveyed utter disdain for You Xu's attack.

"Enough, Dean You!" Just as the attack was about to land on Zhang Xuan, the previous booming shout rang out once more. The figure waved a hand, and You Xu's overwhelming attack instantly dissipated into thin air.

Seeing the attack vanish, Zhang Xuan sighed, silently lamenting the missed opportunity.

Since the Physician's Life-and-Death Duel was sanctioned by the headquarters, it was naturally under their direct supervision and authority. Had You Xu's palm truly landed just now, he would likely have been instantly eradicated by the headquarters from afar!

Unfortunately, he had been stopped.

He turned to look at the figure: an old man with a white beard, clad in a Master Teacher robe, his brow conveying an air of authority. It was clear at first glance that he was no ordinary person.

"You are Zhang Xuan?" The old man regarded him coolly, with an air of inherent superiority.

Seeing this man prevent him from executing You Xu, and then brazenly displaying his authority, Zhang Xuan frowned.

"I am Lu Feng, the Head of the Pill Refinement Academy!"

After introducing himself, Head Lu Feng's gaze held an intimidating power that brooked no argument. "You Xu, regardless, is an academy teacher, a dignified Vice Head. Even if he has made occasional mistakes, they are not punishable by death. Let's settle this: I will have him compensate you with the Ten-Leaf Flower and some spirit stones, and then we will drop this matter entirely!"

"Drop it?" Zhang Xuan's expression darkened.

If not for this old man's interference, You Xu would certainly be dead!

The Ten-Leaf Flower and spirit stones... could these two items truly compensate for Wei Changfeng's life?

"Indeed, the academy has its own rules. As a student, challenging a teacher, you have already violated those rules and the proper etiquette between teachers and students. As long as this matter is dropped today, the academy will also treat you leniently..."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Head Lu Feng's tone was tinged with what he likely considered benevolence.

"Leniency?" Zhang Xuan's gaze turned frigid. "What if I don't want compensation, but only his life?"

"His life? Hmph, this is the Master Teacher Academy! Do you truly think a mere student like you can do whatever he pleases here?"

Seeing that he, a powerful head, had personally intervened, and this new student, far from being terrified or tearfully grateful, actually dared to openly defy him, Head Lu Feng's face turned ashen.

"Furthermore, You Xu is not merely a physician; he is also a registered peak six-star Master Teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion. How to deal with him requires joint discussion between the Master Teacher Pavilion and the academy. It is not for a minor four-star like you to dictate terms here!"

"Are you the academy head?" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed.

"No!" Lu Feng was momentarily taken aback by the question, then replied, "However, with the old head missing, and the Pill Refinement Academy being the largest division, many matters concerning the Master Teacher Academy are currently decided by me. I am, in effect, the acting head. Rest assured, my decisions are binding. Even You Xu wouldn't dare contradict them!"

"Since you're not the head, why are you interfering? There's green grass by the river; we don't need a meddling donkey! Get out of my sight."

"Otherwise, believe me or not, I will challenge your Pill Refinement Academy right now!"