Chapter 447: The Witch Soul Master

Alliance of Nations, Mentor Hall.

A gray-robed elder stood at the front, his gentle voice resonating in all directions, drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, like flowers blooming.

Words gathering spiritual energy, spitting lotuses from the mouth.

An ability possessed only by five-star mentors!

Before him sat rows of elders, all dressed in mentor attire, sitting upright, listening with rapt attention.

Hum!

As the sound ended, the gray-robed elder stood with his hands behind his back.

“That concludes today’s session. If there are any further questions, please raise them quickly!”

“Master Hong has worked hard, coming all this way to give a lecture. We are extremely grateful!” Hall Master Kang stood up and said with a smile.

Master Hong, Hong Qian, a five-star mentor from the Hongfeng Empire’s Mentor Hall, had been invited to preside over this Mentor Competition.

“It is our duty as mentors to resolve all cultivators’ doubts and help everyone become like dragons. It’s no trouble at all!” The gray-robed elder, Master Hong, nodded.

“Yes!” Hall Master Kang nodded, about to speak, when the ground shook and the bell rang four times in succession.

“Four bell rings—someone is challenging the hall? I didn’t expect to encounter such an interesting event as soon as I arrived!” Master Hong smiled.

The bell of the Mentor Hall had specific meanings for the number of rings. Four consecutive rings indicated someone was challenging the hall.

Challenging the hall, though equivalent to challenging the entire Mentor Hall, was something many attempted each year. Because success would surely bring great fame and be remembered for ages.

Mentors were not only ‘teachers’ but also needed ‘fame.’ Many young people, eager to quickly gain renown, took risks.

Of course, challenging the hall was like kicking down the door: success brought great benefits, but failure brought severe punishment.

“Master Wu, go check which branch it is…”

Frowning, Hall Master Kang waved his hand.

Having Master Hong encounter this upon arrival made him feel disgraced.

“Yes!” The elder called Master Wu withdrew and returned shortly: “Reporting to Hall Master and Master Hong, the news comes from the Xuanyuan Kingdom under the Alliance of Nations.”

“Xuanyuan Kingdom?”

Startled, Master Hong raised his head slightly and stroked his beard: “I spent some time there. I took my three-star mentor assessment there!”

“Now that you mention it, I recall. You did come from there. Though you stayed less than three years, you suppressed countless mentors and left them unable to hold their heads high!”

After a moment’s thought, Hall Master Kang said.

This Master Hong, though now in the Hongfeng Empire with even higher status, had come from the Xuanyuan Kingdom over a hundred years ago, sharing a deep connection with the Alliance of Nations.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken the trouble to travel from such a distant empire to personally observe the new generation’s Mentor Competition.

“Yes, the past is like wind, not worth mentioning. If I’m not mistaken, this person trying to challenge the Xuanyuan Kingdom’s Mentor Hall will likely suffer a loss!” Master Hong smiled. “I left a will there. Not just ordinary people, even four-star mentors would find it difficult to pass.”

“Master Hong left a will? Then passing through will indeed be very difficult…”

Startled, Hall Master Kang smiled wryly.

Challenging the hall did not mean defeating all the mentors inside; the main task was answering questions posed by the wills of predecessors.

This Master Hong, a five-star mentor with earth-shattering abilities, had left his will in the Xuanyuan Kingdom’s Mentor Hall. Who could possibly pass?

Not to mention someone from a kingdom, even he, the Hall Master of the Alliance of Nations’ Mentor Hall, would have to go through great trouble to succeed.

“Some young people hope to gain fame by challenging the hall. It’s not that easy.”

Responding, Master Hong’s thoughts drifted into the gates of memory: “The Xuanyuan Kingdom’s Mentor Hall produced not only me, a five-star mentor, but also three four-star mentors, all of whom left wills. To reach me, one must pass their three trials!”

“These three trials alone would probably make them retreat…”

Hall Master Kang nodded, about to continue without dwelling on the matter, when the ground shook again and the bell rang five times in succession.

“This… the challenge succeeded?”

In an instant, everyone stood frozen.

From the start of the challenge to now, only about ten minutes had passed, yet someone had overcome the wills of three four-star mentors and one five-star mentor…

Wasn’t that too fast?

Even the composed Master Hong stood frozen.

“Quickly check… who this is?”

After a moment, his lips trembling, he couldn’t help but speak urgently.

Ten minutes to solve the problems left by his will and succeed in the challenge… how was it done?

The entire Mentor Hall buzzed with commotion.

…

Whoosh!

The Alliance of Nations’ Mentor Hall was in an uproar, but the people of Xuanyuan Kingdom were completely unaware. At this moment, Luo Qianhong looked at the Mentor Tower, now pitch black before him, with a helpless expression.

Challenging the hall required several steps. The first was to defeat all the mentors in the Mentor Hall.

He was no match for them, so fighting was pointless. Upon arriving, he had activated the Mentor Tower.

Here, the wills of predecessors were preserved. To truly succeed in the challenge, one had to walk from the bottom of the tower to the top and extinguish the burning lamps within.

Now all the lights on the tower went out, indicating... that this Zhang Xuan had passed all the floors and succeeded in the trial.

Creak!

The young man walked out from the tower gate.

Looking up at the youthful face, not yet twenty, Luo Qianhong shook his head.

The other party's stunning performance at the Sacrificial Altar had led him to guess that success was possible, but... he never dreamed it would be this fast.

The wills left by one five-star and three four-star masters, all passed in just over ten minutes—even a five-star master couldn't do it so easily!

What kind of freak was he?

"Master Zhang has succeeded in the trial. Our Xuan Yuan Kingdom Master Teacher Hall admits defeat and is willing to follow any orders."

Stepping forward, Luo Qianhong clasped his fists.

With the trial succeeded, the losing party had to agree to the victor's demands without objection.

"I need books and medicinal herbs that can awaken a sleeping soul."

Zhang Xuan said.

Causing a ruckus at the Sacrificial Altar and killing Crown Prince Ding Mu—all of it was to avenge Lu Chong.

"Is Master Zhang trying to save your student?" Luo Qianhong couldn't help asking.

During Zhang Xuan's trial, he had also inquired about the whole affair, learning the cause and effect. While feeling frustrated at having believed Ding Mu's lies, he admired this Master Zhang even more.

A student willing to die—that was not something ordinary teacher-student bonds could achieve.

And a teacher who would offend the Master Teacher Hall and cause a scene in a titled kingdom for his student... that showed even deeper affection.

"Mm," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"A sleeping soul... involves the secrets of the soul. To be honest, our Master Teacher Hall, though not weak, is not qualified to touch upon it, unless..."

At this point, Luo Qianhong hesitated.

"Hall Master Luo, please speak freely." Seeing him falter, Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Unless one reaches the level of a seven-star master, one can influence consciousness and search the soul... or find the inheritance of the ancient Soul Shaman!" Luo Qianhong said.

"Soul Shaman? What is that?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had heard from Mo Yu that a seven-star master could search the soul and awaken sleeping consciousness, but he had never heard of a Soul Shaman.

Having read so many books and integrated so much knowledge, there was no record of it anywhere.

"The Soul Shaman is a special profession from ancient times, extremely mysterious. I've only heard of it from my predecessors. It is said that these people use shamanic dances to summon souls, gather spirits, and even gather yin souls. Of course, this profession has been lost for at least ten thousand years; it's just a legend. Whether it truly has such abilities, no one knows."

Luo Qianhong said after thinking.

"Whether it's a legend or has real abilities is easy to judge!"

Flipping his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a book, casually wrote a line on it, then grabbed with his hand and called out 'Deficiency' in his mind.

Hum!

Whenever he couldn't determine right from wrong, he used this method.

The Library of Heaven's Path, under the way of heaven, nothing could hide. Using it to verify was more accurate and useful than consulting any material.

He casually opened it, and his breath immediately quickened, his fists involuntarily clenching.

On the blank page was only one line: 'Soul Shamans can summon souls and gather spirits.' And the book generated in his mind showed no error.

That meant...

This was correct!

The profession of Soul Shaman truly existed in the world, and it could indeed alter souls.

"Does Hall Master Luo know... where the inheritance of the Soul Shaman is? Or books about this profession?"

Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

As long as he could find relevant books, he could form a Heaven's Path secret manual and automatically learn this profession. Whether it was lost or not didn't matter to him.

"I don't actually know about the Soul Shaman inheritance, but... I heard that in Honghai City of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance, a [Soulless Golden Man] was excavated and will be auctioned in the coming days. This item was refined by Soul Shamans. If there is any inheritance, clues should be found from it."

After thinking for a while, Luo Qianhong said.

"Honghai City?" Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

The map of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance surfaced in his mind, with Honghai City clearly marked.

Though called an alliance, the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance was essentially a kingdom, what others called a state above states.

The so-called alliance leader held a status equal to that of a king.

Honghai City was a major city within the alliance, no less than the alliance's capital, Ten Thousand Kingdoms City.

"Honghai City is the trading center of the entire Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance. The Soulless Golden Man is a special puppet refined by ancient Soul Shamans to protect themselves, never leaving their side. Since it appears there, perhaps we can really find something."

Luo Qianhong said.

Although the Soul Shaman was ethereal, it was still more reliable than a seven-star master.

A seven-star master was already considered standing at the world's peak. Such a powerful figure—not even the many experts of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance had seen one—how could they possibly help a nobody save his student?

"Mm."

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan made his decision: "Since I'm going to Ten Thousand Kingdoms City anyway, and it's on the way, I'll go to Honghai City and take a look!"