Chapter 17: Someone Attempts Assassination

What now, another question from a parent? You're just a low-level teacher; it's normal not to know the answer!

Coming all the way here to look at the fifth-level techniques just for show—what is that if not hypocrisy and vanity?

"Tomorrow I'll go find the dean. This frivolous character must be expelled!"

With a cold snort in his heart, Old Mo made his decision.

Someone so vain and unwilling to cultivate properly would only corrupt the atmosphere if left in the academy!

Zhang Xuan had no idea that after just two meetings, he had already landed on the expulsion list. Even if he knew, he would probably find it both amusing and exasperating.

Those were just excuses!

In reality, his cultivation had reached that level!

After all, he couldn't just have the cultivation level without a technique to practice!

Soon, he found the last row of techniques.

Among the teachers, the most famous and highest in strength were only at Martial Artist Fifth Stage. Once they reached the Sixth Stage, the Acupoint Opening Realm, they would automatically become academy elders.

This was only the teachers' library, which contained no records of Sixth Stage techniques. Therefore, the Fifth Stage techniques were placed on the last row.

"The books for the Fifth Stage are noticeably fewer than those for the Fourth!"

For the same type of technique manuals, the Fourth Stage had a dense collection of two to three thousand, while the Fifth Stage had at most a thousand—nearly half as many.

In fact, thinking about it, it was quite normal. Almost everything follows an increasing relationship; the higher you go, the rarer it becomes. Although the academy had been passed down for quite some time, those who reached Martial Artist Fifth Stage were certainly far fewer than those who reached the Fourth.

Naturally, the techniques and notes left behind were also fewer.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan put aside these thoughts, casually pulled out a book, and began to flip through it.

After about an hour.

He had finished flipping through all the thousand or so technique manuals on the last row of shelves, and the Library of Heaven's Path had formed corresponding books for each.

Having obtained what he wanted, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly, took his leave of Old Mo, and headed back to his residence.

Seeing him again randomly flipping through books without even pausing, Old Mo couldn't help cursing him once more in his mind.

Back at his residence.

Zhang Xuan used the same trick, searching through the thousands of books in his mind for all the correct sentences and paragraphs.

Sure enough, after a short while, the library generated another book. This time it wasn't nameless but bore the four large characters: "Heavenly Dao Divine Art."

He continued cultivating.

The Martial Artist Fifth Stage, the Strength Cauldron Realm, was actually a continuation of the Skin and Bone Realm. Its purpose was simple: to refine one's true energy to greater purity. The varying strength at each level of the Strength Cauldron Realm essentially reflected the degree of coordination between true energy and muscles.

The better the coordination, the greater the power exerted.

Reading the description of the Strength Cauldron Realm in the Heavenly Dao Divine Art, Zhang Xuan focused his mind, carefully controlling the clear, water-like true energy in his dantian, slowly guiding it through his body to perfectly integrate with his physical rhythm.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Art, true to its name as a technique compiled from over a thousand manuals, cultivated at an extremely fast speed. Following its method, true energy and muscles operated and merged rapidly.

The coordination between physical strength and true energy shot straight upward.

Strength Cauldron Realm Initial Stage!

Strength Cauldron Realm Intermediate Stage!

Strength Cauldron Realm Advanced Stage!

Strength Cauldron Realm Peak!

Rumble!

Two hours later, his body shook once more.

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes again, filled with disbelief: "This... I'm at the peak of Martial Artist Fifth Stage?"

He had thought that the Fifth Stage would require a long time of cultivation, but never dreamed that using the method of the Heavenly Dao Divine Art, he would reach the peak in just two hours.

Cultivation, which for his predecessor was as difficult as reaching the heavens, for Zhang Xuan, who practiced the Heavenly Dao Divine Art, was as simple as eating and drinking.

In just half a night, he had gone from Martial Artist Third Stage, the True Energy Realm, to the peak of the Fifth Stage... this was too exaggerated!

Moreover, if he had known the method for the Sixth Stage and which acupoint to open, he would probably have already broken through and become a Martial Artist Sixth Stage, Acupoint Opening Realm expert!

The Martial Artist Sixth Stage, Acupoint Opening Realm, involves opening acupoints throughout the body. Each acupoint opened thickens the true energy and enhances strength.

Legend has it that the human body has 108 acupoints, but only 72 can be opened, and there is a specific order for opening them. Each person's constitution is different, requiring a different order to achieve the best results. Without finding the method, one might only open thirty or forty acupoints in a lifetime and then be unable to progress further.

It's like clearing silt from a river: clearing from upstream to downstream can clean it thoroughly, but clearing from the middle to both ends will not only fail to clean it but may also clog the river, making it impossible to continue!

Opening acupoints follows the same principle. Without finding the best order, once other acupoints are blocked, one can never open them again in a lifetime.

Therefore, without a technique, Zhang Xuan dared not cultivate recklessly.

Still, he wasn't anxious. Breaking through two major levels in one night was already astonishing enough; for him, it was very satisfying.

"Better not reveal my cultivation unless absolutely necessary!"

As a transmigrator, having read many books and watched many shows in his previous life, he understood the principle of 'having a treasure invites trouble.'

He was originally the worst teacher in the academy. If he suddenly possessed peak Martial Artist Fifth Stage strength overnight, wouldn't everyone come after him once they found out?

Therefore, it was best not to tell anyone about reaching the peak of the Strength Cauldron Realm; the more secret, the better.

"Let's test how much strength I have now!"

Having made his decision, Zhang Xuan went again to the strength-testing stone tablet.

Others at the initial Strength Cauldron Realm had only one cauldron of strength, while he had five. Now, having reached the peak, he wondered how strong he was.

Bang!

The strength-testing stone tablet flickered with light, revealing a line of text.

8 cauldrons!

"Eight cauldrons of strength? That's almost comparable to an Acupoint Opening Realm expert who has opened four acupoints!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

An ordinary peak Strength Cauldron Realm had four cauldrons of strength. Upon reaching the Acupoint Opening Realm, each acupoint opened added one cauldron of strength.

He, at the peak of the Strength Cauldron Realm, already possessed eight cauldrons of strength, equal to an expert who had opened four acupoints.

"As expected of the Heavenly Dao Divine Art—impressive!"

With a sigh of admiration, Zhang Xuan was overjoyed. After cultivating continuously for so long, he was about to find something to eat and then sleep when his ears twitched.

"Who's coming here at this hour?"

He furrowed his brows.

With his increased cultivation, his hearing and vision had greatly improved. He clearly heard someone hiding not far away, watching his dormitory with a menacing gaze.

"Judging by his line of sight, he's focused on my room. He probably hasn't noticed me here!"

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was not in his room but standing behind the strength-testing stone tablet, some distance from the courtyard. After testing his strength, he had kept his breathing low, and the other party hadn't detected him.

"Let's see who's looking for trouble with me!"

Having just finished cultivation and already having someone coming after him, Zhang Xuan's curiosity grew.

Searching his predecessor's memories, although he was very unambitious, nothing like someone sneaking over in the middle of the night to deal with him had ever happened!

"Whoever it is, I can't let him recognize me!"

Just as he was about to go confront the person, a thought struck him.

Everyone in the academy knew he was a useless Martial Artist Third Stage True Energy Realm. If he suddenly appeared as a Fifth Stage peak, wouldn't that scare the living daylights out of them?

Moreover, once word got out, there would certainly be no shortage of people wanting to study him.

Therefore, no matter who the other party was, he couldn't let them recognize him.

With this in mind, recalling various movies he had seen in his previous life, he tore a piece of cloth from the hem of his clothes and tied it around his face.

Whoosh!

Having made his preparations, Zhang Xuan lightly tapped his feet and, taking advantage of the night, quietly approached the other person.

Although he had just advanced and hadn't learned any light body techniques, he had cultivated the Heavenly Dao Divine Art, giving him excellent control over his body and familiarity with his surroundings. He approached to within less than ten meters behind the other person without being detected.

At such close range, he could also see that the other person was wearing a night suit with a covered face, making it impossible to identify who it was.

"Kid, blame your lecherous guts for daring to lay hands on our young lady!"

Hiding behind a large tree, watching the hidden figure ahead, Zhang Xuan faintly heard the other person muttering.

"That voice sounds familiar..."

He furrowed his brows.

He was certain he had heard this voice before, but he couldn't recall where.

Whoosh!

Just as he was trying to recall whether it was from his predecessor's memories or his own after transmigrating, he saw the figure move, slowly walking toward his dormitory. At the same time, a flash of cold light appeared in his hand, and a sharp dagger had somehow appeared in his palm.