Chapter 1139: Fourth Heaven-Approved Master

"Master Zhang, I take my leave..."

President Ruan also turned and left.

In the courtyard, only Sun Qiang and Liu Yang remained.

Turning around, Zhang Xuan gazed at the night sky where Wang Ying and the others had vanished, his hands clasped behind his back, standing motionless.

"Go on, all of you go!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Those who must leave will always leave.

A dragon cannot be kept by one's side forever; otherwise, how can it grow?

"Master..."

Heart-wrenched, Liu Yang stepped forward, wanting to say something, but felt his arm tighten.

"Let the young master be alone for a while..."

Sun Qiang sighed.

Glancing at him and seeing the latter shake his head, Liu Yang nodded and followed him out of the courtyard.

Indeed, the master did not need comfort now, but silence.

It was indeed hard to bear when students left one after another.

"What can I do for the master?"

Stepping out of the courtyard, looking at the watery night, Liu Yang couldn't help asking.

"What you can do is cultivate well and not let down the young master's efforts in nurturing you!" Sun Qiang said.

"Yes, Zhao Ya, Lu Chong, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying... they've all left, leaving only myself. I must become stronger to not disappoint the master's deep affection!"

Clenching his fists, Liu Yang narrowed his eyes.

Before, they all cultivated and progressed together. Though he wasn't the fastest, he wasn't too slow either, and he was quite satisfied.

But now, that feeling had vanished, replaced by immense pressure.

Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, Wei Ruyan, and Lu Chong had all gone to places suited to their physiques to receive inheritances. Once fully activated, rapid improvement was a certainty.

Zheng Yang and Wang Ying had gone to places suited to their talents, with complete inheritances and various resources for cultivation; their progress would surely not be slow.

Only he remained here.

If his cultivation speed were slower than theirs, wouldn't that mean the master was inferior to those forces?

"No, I must work even harder!"

With a solemn gaze, Liu Yang turned and walked toward his own room.

He needed to cultivate; he couldn't waste a moment.

As fellow disciples, he didn't want to meet again and be left far behind, truly becoming the master's burden.

"Sigh..."

Unexpectedly, Liu Yang left without a word, not pausing at all. Sun Qiang was speechless.

"Forget it, I won't compare myself to these cultivation maniacs. I'll go out for a stroll and see if there's any tasty food in Qingyuan Empire..."

Stretching lazily, Sun Qiang walked outside.

Since arriving in Qingyuan City, he had been accompanying the Xuanxuan Society members, staying in the courtyard without ever going out, never having experienced the nightlife of a titled empire.

Now that he had time, he decided to take a walk.

He wasn't very interested in cultivation; otherwise, with the young master personally teaching and unlimited resources, his strength would have long broken through to Half-Saint, not be as it was now—half-baked.

...

Standing quietly in place, Zhang Xuan felt an unprecedented loneliness.

His students had almost all left, Luo Ruoxin had also left; it seemed the whole world had only him left.

It was as if he had just returned to the time when he first transmigrated into this world.

At any moment, he could be expelled, with not a single student under him...

Everything was so unfamiliar, so lonely.

"Although staying by my side allows them to learn better, leaving is the better choice!"

In fact, he also knew that their departure was more beneficial for their growth.

"Keeping them by my side would only limit their development, with no benefit..."

Thoughts flowed through his mind, and in an instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to grasp that small thread again.

"Yes, a teacher's love for his students is to plan for their long-term future... Teaching students is not forging weapons; one mold can produce many. They must experience their own lives, their own joys and sorrows, their own struggles! Keeping them always by one's side with force-fed teaching can make them grow quickly, but they lose the opportunity for trials. It's like a weapon that hasn't been quenched; it can never become a true strongman, a hero of one side. Leaving means they have grown up..."

Rumble!

A violent tremor shook his mind, like thunderous roars. Then, countless special auras descended from the sky, instantly enveloping him.

The fourth Heaven-Approved Master!

Zizi!

Special power surged into his body, rapidly increasing his mental state, and his entire aura soared.

He himself seemed to enter a special state of mind, becoming deeper and more profound.

...

Warrior Hall Meeting Hall.

"Hall Master, these are the combat theories we've compiled from the Xuanxuan Society these past few days, said to be taught by Master Zhang!"

Lu Wangqiu, the Hall Master of the Body Movement Hall, flipped his wrist and produced several thick books.

They had only gone to the Xuanxuan Society to learn, not to never return.

Hall Master Xing casually flipped through the pages, looked down, and his eyes grew brighter.

"This Master Zhang is truly a genius. His understanding of combat has reached an astonishing level! Though his theories are simple, they directly point to the core of cultivation. Any martial technique placed before him can easily find its flaws and break it..."

After reading the books and recalling the knowledge in his mind, Hall Master Xing couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing it firsthand, he realized combat could be like this. No wonder he was a top disciple of Master Yang—truly formidable.

"Yes, I listened carefully to his lecture today. The knowledge he explained, though simple, could enlighten people and greatly improve their understanding of cultivation..."

Yan Qinghai, the Hall Master of the Palm Technique Hall, spoke.

The other hall masters nodded simultaneously.

If before, some had psychological resistance to joining the Xuanxuan Society, now it had completely disappeared, replaced by delight.

As long as they studied seriously, it was foreseeable that the overall combat strength of their Warrior Hall would rapidly improve!

"It seems this exchange was correct..." Hall Master Xing felt the same. He sighed and was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something and his pupils contracted.

Clatter!

The hall masters also sensed it and quickly stood up.

"Let's go see..."

Without hesitation, Hall Master Xing dashed outside and in an instant arrived at a hall not far from the meeting hall.

Here stood the ancestral tablets of the Warrior Hall's past generations, along with a statue of the founding patriarch.

Entering, he immediately saw the many tablets and the founding patriarch's statue shaking incessantly, as if they had encountered something terrifying.

"What's happening?"

Lu Wangqiu's face changed.

Having lived over eight hundred years, he had never seen such a situation, nor had it been recorded in the history of the Warrior Hall.

Clatter!

Just as they were puzzled, they saw the tablets all fall in one direction, with reverence and respect.

The founding patriarch's statue also bowed to the ground, as if encountering something it wholeheartedly admired.

"This... could it be..."

Thinking of something, Hall Master Xing's pupils contracted.

"What is it?"

Everyone looked at him.

Warriors primarily cultivate combat; in breadth of knowledge, they are far inferior to masters.

"Ten thousand masters paying homage, bowing in submission—this means... a Heaven-Approved Master has emerged!"

His lips dry, Hall Master Xing's voice trembled.

"Heaven-Approved Master?"

Everyone's face turned pale.

...

Lu Ran was a master apprentice at the Qingyuan Empire Master Hall.

He was usually responsible for cleaning and tidying the Sealed Master Hall. He was supposed to have the day off, but the person replacing him had something urgent, so he was called back.

"I had an appointment with Luo Yan to meet her parents. Now it's ruined; I'll definitely be scolded to death..."

His brow furrowed into a knot, his face full of displeasure.

If he hadn't come here, he would have been on a date tonight. Perhaps, moved by passion, he could have won the beauty and ended his single life... Now it was all ruined.

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became.

"They're just empty tablets; it's not like they need to be guarded every day..."

Pushing open the door, looking at the empty hall, Lu Ran shook his head.

The Sealed Master Hall contained only empty tablets and a statue of Confucius.

But these were all inanimate objects; just cleaning them occasionally was enough. There was no need to come every day or even watch over them!

"Forget it, I'm just an apprentice now. If I can hold on for another half year and become a true master, I won't have to do these menial jobs anymore..."

He was just an ordinary apprentice, only doing cleaning and organizing. But once he became a true master, his status would immediately change.

Although in the Qingyuan Empire, a one-star master wasn't much, he was still a master with a status that commanded respect. He wouldn't have to be at others' beck and call like now.

"I'll sleep here and apologize to Luo Yan tomorrow."

Stretching, Lu Ran went to a corner of the hall, arranged several meditation cushions together, and lay down sideways. Just as he was about to sleep, he felt a violent tremor in the hall.

"What's wrong?"

Startled, he quickly sat up.

This was the Master Hall, the most important place in the entire Qingyuan Empire, surrounded by various formations. Even earthquakes or flash floods couldn't affect it... How could such a violent tremor occur?

While wondering, he saw the countless tablets in front jump down from their altars.

"This..."

His face pale, Lu Ran trembled all over.

He had never seen or heard of such a thing.

These tablets were inanimate, merely inscribed with the names and biographies of the Master Hall's predecessors. When he cleaned before, he had accidentally knocked over several, and nothing happened...

Why now, as if alive, did they jump down?

Clatter!

Landing on the ground, the tablets stood in neat rows, as if commanded, all facing one direction.

His body stiff, not daring to move, Lu Ran hid in a corner, covering his mouth with both hands, afraid to make a sound.

Rumble!

Just as he was tense and unsure what to do, he saw the previously motionless statue of Confucius also come to life, turning around to face the same direction.

Its gaze was deep and profound, like a living person.

Clenching his teeth, Lu Ran's breath stopped. Then he saw the stone-carved Confucius gently bow, hands clasped together.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist..."