Chapter 301: The Excited Young Master Ji Mo

"Teacher, why are you here?"

Zheng Yang couldn't help asking, and the others also looked over.

They had searched everywhere, gone through great hardship, and hadn't seen a single ghost... yet it turned out he was staying in the same inn as them.

Truly a case of dark under the lamp—what a situation.

"I only arrived in Tianwu Kingdom today. This inn is closest to the city gate, so naturally I'm staying here!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

Near the city gate, this was the only decent inn; where else would he stay?

"Arrived today? Then..." Zheng Yang pointed at the departing Physician Bai Chan, full of disbelief.

That fellow had been so arrogant just now, as if he wanted to tear down the sky, but after you arrived and gave him a beating, he became obedient as a grandson. If you said you didn't know him, no one would believe it even if you beat them to death.

Moreover, the patrol had also heard something and left with a face full of fear. How could you make them afraid just by arriving? What was going on?

"Maybe I hit him hard enough that he got scared."

Zhang Xuan said casually.

The matter of the Red Lotus Mountain Range involved the Great Pill King and the Poison Hall, with countless troubles, plus professions like disguise master, poison master, and physician. Even if he explained, he couldn't explain it all, so it was better not to say anything.

Besides, what made Bai Chan so wary was not only the Great Pill King's influence but also Princess Mo Yu's identity. He was just borrowing power; even if he said it, there was nothing to boast about.

"Hit him hard enough?"

The crowd was speechless.

If hitting hard worked, they would have done it long ago. Why wait for you?

If you didn't want to explain, at least make the lie a bit more tactful. Saying something so easily seen through was too perfunctory!

"This guy is always like this..."

Huang Yu rolled her eyes from the side.

He had always been like this before. If he didn't want to say something, he could just keep quiet—everyone had their secrets. But to tell a lie with a straight face, without even blushing, was really exasperating.

"Whatever the reason, teacher is teacher. No matter how big the problem, he can solve it!"

Unlike the others, Zhao Ya and the rest still had burning eyes.

Just now, they had been pushed to a dead end with no way out. As soon as teacher appeared, the situation turned around. More importantly, the other party obediently complied. Teacher was teacher; it seemed no difficulty could stump him.

"Senior Brother, if I'm not mistaken, you've already reached half-step Grandmaster, right?"

Seeing that he didn't want to dwell on this topic, Liu Ling stroked his beard and looked over.

Zhang Xuan's Heavenly Dao true qi concealed his aura so well that even supreme experts and two-star masters could not discern his depth. However, during the earlier battle, his aura leaked out, revealing immense power and astonishing momentum. Anyone who still couldn't see through him would truly be blind.

Even though they saw it, they still found it hard to believe.

Half-Step Grandmaster, though not as difficult to break through as the Grandmaster realm, is still a hard-to-cross threshold.

In Tianxuan Kingdom, there are no fewer than hundreds of peak Tongxuan realm experts, but only one, Ancestor Shen Hong, has truly reached Half-Step Grandmaster, showing how difficult it is.

Not long ago, he was only at the peak of Tongxuan realm. He thought that even if he could take this step, it would require at least two or three years of accumulation. He never dreamed... in just one month, he had already reached it!

"Half-Step Grandmaster?"

Everyone was startled, especially Lu Xun, whose eyes went wide.

In this past month, he had finally broken through to the Tongxuan realm, thinking he could at least start from the same level as the other party. He never dreamed... the other party had already gone further!

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan responded.

"A Grandmaster embraces all rivers, with the ability to establish a sect and preserve a school. It is the first major hurdle in the nine levels of martial arts. Half-Step Grandmaster, though close, is still difficult to break through without proper accumulation and沉淀."

Hearing his confirmation, Liu Ling nodded.

Half-Step Grandmaster sounds close to Grandmaster, but in reality, it's just stepping onto a springboard. To truly leap across is more than a thousand times harder.

Shen Hong, he, Master Zhuang, Master Zheng—which of them wasn't famous in their youth?

Unfortunately, they were all stuck at this barrier for decades, unable to succeed.

If not for meeting Master Yang, they might have spent their entire lives without breaking through.

Therefore, even if one reaches this realm, without proper cultivation, a steady mindset, and gradual accumulation, the Grandmaster realm remains distant, perhaps unattainable for a lifetime.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan knew the other party was giving well-intentioned advice from experience and nodded.

"Your talent is greater than mine, and with the teacher's personal guidance, your breakthrough should be much easier. I say all this only hoping you won't be impatient or anxious, losing your sense of proportion. Breaking through within three years would already make you a genius among geniuses." Liu Ling continued.

This senior brother, having reached Half-Step Grandmaster at such a young age, might inevitably feel proud. He said this to make him guard against arrogance and impatience, not to pursue speed too much and lose his original intent, ending up neither high nor low.

"Alright, I won't delay your meeting with the students. We'll rest now!"

Knowing that Zhang Xuan and the students hadn't seen each other for so long and surely had much to say, Liu Ling smiled, cupped his fists, and took his leave. Huang Yu, Lu Xun, and the others followed and turned to leave.

"Teacher!"

After the three left, Zheng Yang and the others knelt down, each filled with excitement.

Especially Zhao Ya, whose face was full of gratitude.

If not for Teacher Zhang's timely appearance, who knows what might have happened.

"All of you, perform a set of punches so I can see your progress!"

Flicking his sleeve, Zhang Xuan sat down and looked at the crowd.

Since I am a teacher, I must set an example and strictly oversee their conduct.

"Yes!"

Everyone began practicing their boxing techniques together.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The room was instantly filled with the sound of wind and powerful energy.

If it were someone else, watching five people boxing at once, even if they could discern their cultivation levels, they would certainly be unable to identify the root of the problems.

Zhang Xuan was different. With a turn of his mind's library, he immediately wrote down the flaws in their recent training.

"Not bad, you've all made progress in a month, but you're still far from where you need to be."

After reviewing everyone's training issues, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Zheng Yang, I gave you a cultivation technique to train the Lung Taiyin meridian. Why are you training the Three Leg meridian? That's superfluous and neither fish nor fowl. If I catch you training like this again, get out of here and stop wasting my time!"

"Liu Yang, although your right arm has recovered, you still need to be careful during training. Forcing it with great force—do you want it to be crippled again?"

"Wang Ying..."

...

Soon, he had gone through the recent mistakes made by the five disciples and taught them some new training methods.

Although Zhang Xuan was somewhat chaotic in other matters, he was serious and rigorous in teaching students, never slacking off.

Boom! Crackle!

An hour later, everyone broke through one after another. Zheng Yang and Wang Ying were the first to break through the Skin and Bone realm, reaching the early stage of the Strength realm, followed by Yuan Tao, who also reached the peak of the Skin and Bone realm.

Among them, Zhao Ya made the greatest progress. Previously, she had only opened two acupoints, but after Zhang Xuan's explanation, she opened ten more acupoints in just one hour, her strength surging.

Feeling such a rapid breakthrough in such a short time, everyone was both excited and astonished.

Previously, Teacher Liu had said that they needed an opportunity to break through, and it would take at least ten days to half a month. But with Teacher Zhang's arrival and a few casual pointers, they all improved. Didn't that mean his methods were even more effective than Teacher Liu's?

Realizing this, their admiration for him grew even stronger.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Rest well and recharge. Tomorrow, I have to go take the Master Teacher examination!"

Zhang Xuan instructed.

After the incident with Zhao Ya, he understood that no matter how powerful one's background, it was not as good as being strong oneself. Taking the Master Teacher examination was imperative.

...

"I have urgent business and wish to see Young Master Ji Mo!"

At the Ji family, one of the three great clans of the Tianwu Kingdom, a figure hurried over.

If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely recognize him as the leader who had been thoroughly beaten outside the city earlier.

The leader was still covered in bruises, but after treatment, he had recovered considerably, at least able to move freely.

"How did it go? Success?"

Creak!

The door opened, and seeing him approach, Young Master Ji Mo's eyes lit up.

"Reporting to the young master, although we suffered heavy injuries, we did not fail in our mission!" The leader knelt down.

"Hmm, good, good!"

Hearing the affirmative answer, a flash of excitement crossed Young Master Ji Mo's eyes.

That brat had made him lose all face; if he didn't teach him a proper lesson, how could he vent his anger?

"Quick, show me what the recording crystal recorded!" He extended his hand, his face full of anticipation.

Weren't you arrogant before?

Going on about the third realm, fourth realm, fifth realm, like a juggler, and a three-star calligrapher... Now you're naked and hanging from a tree. Let's see how cocky you can be.

"Reporting to the young master, the recording crystal was destroyed during the fight!" The leader said, full of shame.

"Destroyed?"

"Yes. However, we have hung that brat on a large tree outside the city. Several other brothers are guarding him. The young master can come with me to mock him face to face, which will be more satisfying!"

The leader said.

"Good, mocking him face to face is what I like best!"

With a sly grin, a gleam flashed in Ji Mo's eyes.

That arrogant fellow stripped naked and hung from a tree—not going to see it in person and mock him would be a disservice to himself.

"Let's go!" Putting on his clothes, Ji Mo prepared to leave.

"Young master, after all, we have offended a three-star calligrapher. Even if we have the recording crystal as a backup and he dares not retaliate, once some old fossils in the mansion find out, a scolding is inevitable. I think... perhaps you should change into night clothes and slip out quietly. It's best not to alert anyone or say anything, to avoid leaking news and causing unnecessary trouble."

Seeing him about to swagger out the front gate, the leader advised.

"Good point, you've thought it through thoroughly. Those old fossils should have been dealt with long ago. Once I become a two-star calligrapher and make a name for myself, succeeding as clan head, I'll teach them a lesson!"

Ji Mo nodded with satisfaction.

See? This is what a truly loyal subordinate looks like, always thinking of me.

Only someone with my charisma could inspire such unwavering loyalty.

With that thought, he was filled with excitement, feeling as if he were floating on air.