Chapter 433: Bai Chen

No sooner had the two finished saying that with Ding Mu succeeding the throne, no one would dare cause trouble, than they heard this blatant provocation. Their faces burned as if slapped.

What's going on?

They stood up at the same time and looked out the window.

The Qingye Tower stood tall, and from its top floor, one could just see the vast and spacious altar for the sacrificial ceremony.

Looking into the distance, above the crowded altar, a young man stood on the head of a huge howling sky beast, hovering in the air, coldly watching the crowd conducting the enthronement ceremony below.

“Judging by his appearance… he's under twenty, with a vigorous and steady aura, his cultivation might have reached the peak of the Supreme Realm… When did such a strong figure appear?”

The corners of their mouths twitched simultaneously.

They had just been discussing Crown Prince Ding Mu, the foremost among young talents, unparalleled for five hundred years past and future… and then this one appeared—what a coincidence!

“Zhang Xuan, I heard a few days ago that there was a beast tamer by that name in the Beast Hall, who just won this beast taming competition. But… I heard he was only at the peak of the Master Realm, how… is he at the peak of the Supreme Realm?”

A beast tamer, at the enthronement ceremony, loudly demanding the soon-to-be-crowned prince to die…

What had happened?

The two most well-informed figures in Qingye Tower looked at each other, feeling they were going mad.

…

A huge beast flew through the air. In a small cabin on its back, several people stood by the window.

At the front was a young man in white, hands clasped behind his back, exuding an air of detachment and calm.

“Young master, ahead is the轩辕 Royal City!”

Gu Mu stepped forward and introduced.

In the distance, a massive city came into view, spanning hundreds of kilometers, its thick walls embedded in the mountains like a sleeping giant.

“This royal city is interesting; it actually incorporates a formation!”

Opening his folding fan, the young master smiled slightly.

The entire轩辕 Royal City was connected with the surrounding mountains. Entering it, one couldn't tell, but from above, it was clear that it followed some formation, gathering spiritual energy and nurturing life.

“The轩辕 royal family originally rose to power through formations. Every king was well-versed in formations, especially Crown Prince Ding Mu, who is a genius in this field…” Gu Mu said.

“Bah, genius? Genius my ass!”

Before he finished, a disdainful voice interrupted, and the fat man Sun Qiang appeared with a look of contempt.

“Am I wrong?”

Knowing that the other might be the steward of a Six-Star Master Teacher, Gu Mu dared not get angry but looked over in confusion.

“This Ding Mu offended our young master, so he won't live long. Besides, when it comes to genius, who can compare to our young master?”

Sun Qiang curled his lip.

He had witnessed Ding Mu sending people to ambush Zhang Xuan, causing Lu Chong to be gravely wounded. He knew that the young master had long decided to kill this crown prince.

The young master had a firm will. Even if he didn't want to trouble the old master, once he made a decision, it was not something a small轩辕 Kingdom could withstand.

After all, in his eyes, all the geniuses in the world couldn't compare to a single finger of the young master.

Genius? Don't embarrass yourselves.

“This… master, is his talent very high?” Gu Mu asked.

“Of course! Our young master, under twenty, is already a Three-Star Painting Master, Two-Star Master Teacher, Two-Star Beast Tamer… and has been appointed as an elder by the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance Physician Guild. His talent is something that Ding Mu can't even hold a candle to!”

Sun Qiang was full of pride.

“Isn't your young master from the Tianwu Kingdom? How did he become an elder of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance?”

The “young master,” who had been standing by the window without speaking, suddenly turned around, revealing a hint of curiosity.

How could a nobody from the Tianwu Kingdom become an elder of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance Physician Guild?

“Who is our young master? He solved all the illnesses on the difficult case wall of the Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild in one go, and even solved a problem that had stumped the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance Physician Guild. That shocked them so much they appointed him as an elder…”

Sun Qiang snorted.

Talking about the young master's deeds filled him with joy. He was about to introduce more glorious achievements when he saw the usually calm “young master” turn pale and tremble slightly.

“Your… young master is called Zhang Xuan, right? How is it that I heard the physician who solved those difficult cases was called Liu Cheng?”

“Oh, Liu Cheng was the alias my young master used when he took the Two-Star Master Teacher exam!” Sun Qiang said.

“Zhang Xuan is Liu Cheng? He is your young master?”

The “young master” and Jin Conghai exchanged glances, both full of shock.

“That's right!” Sun Qiang nodded.

“Since he is a physician, how could he also learn the methods of a poison master? These two are contradictory…” After a while, the “young master” couldn't help asking again.

A Master Teacher could choose multiple professions. Having heard that this Yang Xuan was proficient in poison arts and was Gu Mu's grandmaster uncle, he assumed that this Zhang Xuan was also skilled in poison… If so, how could he be a powerful physician?

“The young master has extraordinary talent. What's strange about him learning two professions at once?” Sun Qiang waved his hand.

“Physicians save lives and require a benevolent heart; poison masters make poisons and kill, requiring a cold personality… They are completely opposite. Could your young master have a dual personality, possessing both?” The “young master” was puzzled.

Physician and poison master were diametrically opposed. He really couldn't imagine how these two professions could exist in the same person.

“What's so strange about that? Our young master has a gentle nature, is approachable, and never argues with others. Although he uses poison, he doesn't go around killing people like other poison masters. On the contrary, whatever he does, he reasons with people and convinces them with virtue…”

Seeing the other's confusion, Sun Qiang gave him a contemptuous look.

And you call yourself a master? Not even knowing that, how embarrassing.

Just as he was about to elaborate on the young master's virtues, halfway through his words, a thunderous roar erupted from the royal city below.

"Ding Mu, I, Zhang Xuan, am here! Get out here and die!"

"Zhang Xuan?"

Hearing this, silence fell upon the beast's back, and then everyone turned to look at him in unison.

So this is... the one you said was approachable, never argued with anyone, and won people over with virtue?

It seems he's already come to kill at the gates of the Xuan Yuan royal palace!

"What is he trying to do?"

Wei Yuqing staggered, stunned.

How could it be that after only a few days away, Beast Tamer Zhang had come to stir up trouble at the royal palace and even wanted to kill the crown prince?

"Elder Wei, hurry over and see!"

Among the group, only Sun Qiang knew what was happening and, realizing this was no time to dwell on it, quickly gave orders.

It seemed the young master could no longer wait and was about to make his move.

"Alright!"

Knowing the urgency, Wei Yuqing nodded, tapped his foot, and the beast shot straight toward the source of the sound.

...

Standing at the center of the sacrificial altar, Ding Mu was about to undergo the final ceremony, ascend the throne, and attain supremacy when he heard this voice and couldn't help but freeze in place.

He had imagined many ways the other might seek revenge—ambush, assassination, sending a challenge letter, arranging a duel...

But he never expected it to be so blatant.

In front of so many citizens of the royal city, so many masters from the Master Teacher Academy, and all the princes and ministers, he charged over without restraint and shouted at the top of his lungs... Had this guy lost his mind?

This was the Xuan Yuan Royal City, his stronghold, heavily guarded and surrounded by numerous formations... To charge in so recklessly, with such audacity—was this really the intelligence of a genius two-star master teacher?

"Is this the master teacher who wants to kill you?"

A middle-aged man approached.

The head of the Master Teacher Academy, Luo Qianhong!

In the past few days, Ding Mu had been staying at the Master Teacher Academy and had mentioned to him that a master teacher wanted to kill him. He had thought it was just paranoia, but it turned out the man had actually come.

"Yes."

Ding Mu nodded and clasped his fists: "It's all a misunderstanding. I hope Brother Luo can help mediate."

"A mere two-star master, that's all. As for me, I dare not defy!"

Luo Qianhong waved his hand.

Masters had an extremely strict hierarchy. A two-star master might be dazzling in others' eyes, but before him, a peak three-star master, it was nothing impressive.

Someone of that level, upon seeing him, must observe the rites of a student; otherwise, he could report to the Master Hall and have their master qualification revoked.

"That's good..."

Seeing that the Master Hall's head was willing to stand up for him, Ding Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bai Chen, go warn him. Don't delay His Highness's coronation. If he doesn't know his place, you may deal with him!"

Luo Qianhong waved his hand.

"Yes!"

A master in a long robe stepped out from the crowd.

Around forty years old, with piercing eyes, and on his chest, a badge with three stars shining brightly.

He was actually a three-star initial-stage master.

His personal cultivation had also reached the peak of the Supreme realm.

Having received the order, Master Bai Chen turned to look at Zhang Xuan in the air, frowning: "This is His Highness Ding Mu's coronation. Stop causing trouble. Leave now, and I'll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

"I'll leave after killing Ding Mu!"

Too lazy to waste words, Zhang Xuan shook his body and leaped down from the Sky Roaring Beast.

Although he had never practiced any specialized light-body martial technique, with his cultivation reaching the Supreme realm and his powerful physique, a height of several dozen meters was nothing.

Whoosh!

Landing on the stairs of the sacrificial altar, he shattered a large patch of stone ground and began walking upward.

"I am Bai Chen, a three-star master. As a teacher, you should know the rules: respect your superiors and obey the commands of higher-ranked masters. Do you still intend to defy orders?"

Seeing that the young man ignored his words and walked straight over, Bai Chen's face darkened.

He had also heard the conversation between the hall master and Ding Mu just now, and knew that the other party was a master.

A mere two-star initial-stage master, upon seeing him, a three-star initial-stage master, should treat him with the rites of a student and dare not contradict... Yet he dared to defy orders, showing no concern at all—utterly audacious to the extreme.

"Scram!"

Unexpectedly, the Master Hall of the Xuan Yuan Kingdom, without asking right from wrong, stopped him and told him to leave. Zhang Xuan snorted coldly.

"You... courting death!"

Thinking that stating his identity would make the other back off and leave, Bai Chen was instead told to 'scram.' His face turned ashen, and he nearly exploded with rage.