Chapter 1022: Looking for Trouble

"Sun Jin is one of the strongest artificers in the guild. He has many disciples and followers. I am merely an apprentice, and a banished one at that. I am not qualified to take you to see him..."

Hearing that Zhang Xuan wanted to go directly to see Sun Jin, the middle-aged man hesitated and said.

Fire Source City was rich in earth fire, and artificers and alchemists held extremely high status. They were not people anyone could see on a whim, especially someone like Sun Jin, a peak six-star artificer.

"Not qualified? Don't worry, I'll take you to see him!"

With a snort, after ascertaining the other's location, Zhang Xuan strode forward.

The artificer guild of Fire Source City was indeed bustling. The entire hall was filled with cultivators selling and buying weapons. Many one-star and two-star artificers were responsible for reception, bringing order to the arriving crowd.

After walking along the hall for a while, they arrived at a spacious chamber. Just as they were about to enter, two four-star artificers came forward, recognized the middle-aged man behind, and both revealed cold smiles.

"Who do we have here? Isn't this Song Zhen, who studied artificing for over twenty years but is still an apprentice? What, not giving up? Want to try the exam again?"

"It's useless no matter how many times you take it. Haven't you taken it before? A waste is a waste! No matter how many times you try, you can't change your nature!"

The two had faces full of contemptuous smiles. Clearly, they already knew about the middle-aged man's situation.

"I..." Hearing their mockery, the middle-aged man Song Zhen's face turned pale. He wanted to say something but ultimately couldn't get the words out.

"Alright, no more 'I' this or 'you' that. Get lost right now. The teacher doesn't want to see you at all. Even if you keep coming, it's useless!"

One of them waved his hand, looking extremely impatient.

Song Zhen was about to explain when Zhang Xuan raised his hand, interrupting him, and looked over: "It's not him who wants to see your teacher—it's me! Tell Sun Jin to come out and greet us!"

"Have the teacher come out to greet? Who do you think you are!"

Hearing this young man, not very old, speak with such arrogance, actually demanding that their teacher come out to greet him, the four-star artificer guarding the door snorted coldly, a sneer on his face.

What status did his teacher have? Even if the city lord of Fire Source City wanted to see him, he had to send a visiting card in advance. This fellow before him, who looked only about twenty years old, was brazenly asking his teacher to come out and greet him—utterly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

"I'll count to three. Leave now, or believe me, I'll have you thrown out!" The other artificer also frowned.

Seeing their expressions, which clearly showed no intention of letting him in, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly: "Since he won't come out, I'll just have to go in myself."

Having said that, he ignored the two blocking his way and strode inside.

He was the dean of the prestigious Master Teacher Academy; even if he went to see a seven-star master teacher, the other party wouldn't dare to shut him out.

"How dare you! What do you think you're doing?" Seeing him force his way in, the two four-star artifact smiths' expressions changed simultaneously. They hurriedly blocked his path, their palms flipping as power surged, ready to strike.

But before their attacks could be launched, they felt a tremendous force surge toward them.

Bang! Bang!

Both of their bodies involuntarily flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Their faces flushed, and they spat blood.

These two, as Zhang Xuan could tell, were used to bullying others by virtue of their connections, often oppressing those of lower status. So he didn't hold back; with a release of his inner energy, he severely injured them.

Four-star artifact smiths were only at the Bridge Heaven stage; even casually released inner energy was more than they could withstand.

"Something's wrong! Someone's forcing their way in!"

Struggling to his feet, one of the four-star artifact smiths shouted loudly.

His voice was loud, instantly echoing through the entire guild hall.

"Forcing their way in? What's going on?"

Countless gazes turned in unison.

Ignoring the attention, Zhang Xuan continued walking inside with a calm expression.

The middle-aged man Song Zhen, who had thought that this person would come to find a solution to his condition, was startled to see him force his way in. He shrank his neck, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed closely.

After all, the other party was forcing his way in for his sake; as the one involved, how could he back down?

Seeing him follow without any superfluous words, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Although he was displeased with this false teacher and intended to deal with him, if the person involved behind him was timid and hesitant, it would be troublesome for him.

"Daring to force your way into the guild? You're asking for death!"

"Stop this guy!"

Hearing the shout from the four-star artifact smith, six or seven middle-aged men immediately rushed out of the room.

All wore artifact smith robes, most of them four-star or five-star. As soon as they appeared, they blocked the path of the two, and without a word, various attacks rained down.

The Artifact Smith Guild in Fire Source City held a revered status; it wasn't a place anyone could just barge into. If they didn't stop this, what face would they have left? So these people didn't think twice; they would first subdue this intruder.

"How noisy!"

Seeing them attack directly, Zhang Xuan sneered coldly. Without a word, he kept his hands behind his back and continued walking forward.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

All the attackers were sent flying backward; the stronger their attacks, the harder they fell, their faces pale and blood gushing from their mouths.

Five-star artifact masters, who had already reached the eighth or ninth level of Mortal Transformation, were so powerful, yet they couldn't even qualify for him to make a move—they were knocked away. Behind him, Song Zhen was so frightened that his face turned pale and his body trembled slightly.

Earlier, when the other flicked away the long sword in his hand with a finger, he knew his strength was not weak, but he never expected it to be so terrifying.

The strongest person he had ever seen since childhood was the president of the Artifact Masters Guild, but this man before him was probably even more powerful.

"Quick, someone is forcing their way in..."

Clatter!

As these people fell, another crowd surged in, almost all of them five-star artifact masters. As soon as they appeared, they attacked Zhang Xuan, but these attacks were equally ineffective, and like those before them, they lay sprawled on the ground.

After knocking down three waves of attackers, the two had already entered the hall before them.

"Song Zhen, what do you mean?"

Entering the main hall, they saw an old man glaring coldly at them, anger in his eyes.

Beside him were two six-star artifact masters.

"I..." Seeing the old man, Song Zhen's face turned pale, as if intimidated by long-standing authority, and he was too scared to speak.

"Nothing much, I just came to ask, as a peak six-star artifact master, how can you have peace of mind ruining apprentices like Song Zhen, filling them with hope yet leaving them helpless?"

Ignoring the other's rebuke, Zhang Xuan turned and sat in the other's seat, raising his eyebrows and looking over.

The old man's face twitched, his expression darkening: "Who are you? This is the Artifact Masters Guild, not a place for you to run wild!"

"Run wild?" Zhang Xuan shook his head: "I'm just here to seek justice for Song Zhen, that's hardly running wild."

"Justice? What justice does he seek? He studied for twenty years but couldn't even pass the one-star artifact master exam. What justice is there for such a waste? It's only because Artifact Master Sun is generous and magnanimous that he kept him this long; otherwise, trash like him wouldn't even qualify to stay in the guild!"

A six-star artifact master beside the old man stepped forward.

This man looked about forty years old, had already reached the Saint level, and glanced at Song Zhen with a mocking expression.

"I'm talking to Sun Jin, do you have the right to interrupt?"

Zhang Xuan's face darkened: "Kneel!"

Crack!

The six-star artifact master's pupils contracted, and then he felt a tremendous force surge over; without even a chance to resist, his knees went weak and he knelt on the ground.

"How dare you act recklessly here, what audacity!"

Seeing that a single sentence made his companion kneel, the other six-star artifact master flew into a rage. With a roar, a long sword appeared in his palm, and he thrust it straight at Zhang Xuan.

The sword light shot out like a bolt of lightning, carrying a dense chill. Although the opponent's cultivation was only at the initial stage of Saint Domain Level 1, the long sword in his hand had reached the peak of the Spirit Grade!

With such coordination, even a mid-stage Saint Domain Level 1 expert would find it hard to contend.

Ignoring the other's roar, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and the long sword in the six-star artifact master's hand immediately flew out of his grasp, then landed in Zhang Xuan's palm with a "ding!" as it acknowledged its new master.

Pfft!

His own weapon acknowledging another as its master, the six-star artifact master looked as if he had seen a ghost; his face turned pale, blood spurted from his mouth, and in an instant, he was severely injured.

"Who exactly are you?"

Seeing the young man before him make one of his students kneel with a single sentence and make a peak Spirit Grade artifact acknowledge him as master with a flick of his finger, Sun Jin's expression finally changed.

"I'm just here to seek justice for Song Zhen!"

Zhang Xuan looked over: "What, you don't want to talk?"

"He followed me for twenty years and couldn't even pass the one-star artifact master exam. His talent is too poor. What does that have to do with me?" Sun Jin gritted his teeth.

"Nothing to do with you?"

Zhang Xuan picked his ear with a finger, somewhat disappointed: "I don't like hearing that... tell me the truth."

"You..."

Seeing the other's demeanor, as if he had him cornered, Sun Jin's veins bulged, his expression slightly ferocious: "What I said is the truth. Talent is something you can't help. If you don't believe me, ask Song Zhen. He can't even forge a one-star weapon himself. What does that have to do with me..."

"It seems telling the truth is... hard for you! Since that's the case, let me give you a hint..."

Smiling lightly, Zhang Xuan looked over: "The true qi he cultivates is suitable for finding ores but clashes with earth fire, making him unable to forge artifacts... Can you tell me what's going on here?"

"This..."

His expression changed, Sun Jin clenched his fists behind his back: "He's just an ordinary apprentice of mine. How would I know what cultivation technique he practices? What, as a dignified six-star artifact master, do I need to concern myself with how an apprentice cultivates? If that were the case, I wouldn't have time for anything else!"

"You..."

Hearing his words, Song Zhen's face flushed red, full of anxiety: "My cultivation technique was taught to me by you personally, and you often gave me guidance. How could you... not know?"