Chapter 565: You Are Guilty!

Mortal Transcendence realm experts can only tread the void and rise on air when they reach the eighth level, Void Step. However, they can only stay briefly in the air, rising and falling vertically, with limited height—this does not count as flying.

True flight requires at least the Half-Saint level!

Beyond the nine levels of a martial artist lies Mortal Transcendence.

Beyond the nine levels of Mortal Transcendence lies Half-Saint.

But even a Half-Saint can only traverse the void, unable to move with complete freedom!

The person before them stepped through the air, treating the atmosphere as tangible stairs, like a deity suspended in the sky. A single glance filled one with deep-seated fear.

Most importantly, the aura emanating from him was like an endless tide, imposing a powerful soul-crushing pressure that made one involuntarily submit and unable to lift one's head.

This was not merely an oppressive aura but also a soul-subduing force.

It was like a great mountain pressing down on one's head, making it impossible to muster even a hint of resistance.

To possess such ability, he had likely... already surpassed Half-Saint and reached Sub-Saint, or even Saint!

Even the Huanyu Empire did not have such an expert... How could he appear here?

And... it seemed he was speaking on behalf of... Zhang Xuan?

Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others felt their hearts turn as cold as ice, their faces pale with terror, their earlier arrogance and bluster gone.

They had thought this Zhang Xuan was just a nobody from a small place, but in the blink of an eye, he had become a primordial beast that could tear them apart with ease.

"Master..."

While the others trembled in fear, Sun Qiang's eyes reddened.

The person who had emerged with such a powerful aura, stepping through the air, was none other than his master, Yang Xuan!

He had thought they were doomed this time, but his master had come!

And he had come with boundless might, breaking through the air.

"Is this... Master Yang?"

Xue Yiyao, lying injured on the side, looked at the middle-aged man in the air, her heart trembling and her face flushing with excitement.

No wonder Sun Qiang was so confident—this Master Yang was incredibly powerful!

With such strength and being a master teacher above six stars, perhaps he could truly solve her soul problem and restore her to her former self.

"Su Fan, Ling Hengyu pay respects to Master Yang!"

The courtyard fell into dead silence as two figures broke through the wind—it was Master Su and Master Ling.

Though they had received the news at the same time as Hall Master Kang, they were slower and had only just arrived.

As soon as they arrived, they saw Master Yang stepping through the air, radiating boundless power. Their hearts shook violently, and they respectfully clasped their fists, not daring to speak.

When they had seen the Eye of Insight in his eyes before, they knew he was a master teacher above six stars, extraordinary. But they never imagined that when he truly revealed his strength, it would be so terrifying.

It made one unable to muster any thought of resistance.

"Senior, you misunderstand. This junior didn't mean that..."

Calming his mind and recovering from the shock, Sect Leader Luo Huang clasped his fists. But before he could finish his sentence, he felt a soul-crushing force rushing toward him, as if it would tear him apart.

Pfft!

He spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back seven or eight steps.

In that single blow, he knew his soul had been severely injured.

The soul is different from the physical body. The latter can recover with pills and true energy, but the soul requires time and accumulation to slowly mend. This injury was so severe that it would take at least a hundred years to fully recover!

And he... clearly could not live another hundred years.

With just his soul, he had crushed him to the point of spitting blood, making it impossible for him to advance for the rest of his life. Was this... the power of a Saint?

His face pale, Sect Leader Luo Huang's body trembled.

Having injured him with a single move, the middle-aged man in the air looked coldly around, sweeping his gaze across everyone.

"I, Yang Xuan, live in seclusion, avoid conflict, and never actively seek trouble. I can't be bothered with the affairs of my juniors... But just because I have a good temper, you think I'm easy to bully? You come looking for trouble... Who gave you the nerve?"

His voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, yet it carried an irresistible pressure, as if anyone who dared to resist would be crushed on the spot.

"This junior wouldn't dare..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others hurriedly clasped their fists, their brows twitching as if they were about to cry.

Was this... Zhang Xuan's teacher?

Who said he was only a half-step five-star master teacher?

Even a six-star master teacher wasn't this powerful...

"Wouldn't dare? I think you dare quite a bit..."

Yang Xuan flicked his sleeve. "You've come right to my doorstep. If I hadn't shown up, would you have killed my steward and these grand-disciples of mine?"

"This..."

Everyone trembled.

To be honest, they had indeed thought of that.

But... if they had known in advance that Zhang Xuan's teacher was so terrifying, they would never have come even if beaten to death.

"This junior... didn't know they were senior's descendants. I have offended you greatly..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang gritted his teeth.

"Didn't know? Weren't you just now full of bluster and authority?" Yang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

"It was... this Ding Hong who came to us, saying that his family heirloom was taken by Master Zhang..." Sect Leader Luo Huang quickly said.

At this moment, he cursed Ding Hong countless times in his heart.

If it weren't for this fellow talking about Kong shi's manuscript, stirring their excitement, why would they have come here?

If they hadn't sought trouble with Master Zhang, how could they have encountered the person before them?

"You mean Kong shi's manuscript? It is with me. What, do you want it?" Yang Xuan looked over.

"This junior wouldn't dare..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang's body trembled.

Kong shi's manuscript was a good thing, but only if one could withstand it... Fight this guy for it? What a joke!

"Kong shi's manuscript belonged to my grand-disciple Qu Chong. This Ding Hong's grandson, Ding Mu, tried to seize it, injuring Qu Chong and leaving him unconscious. My disciple Zhang Xuan then killed him and destroyed the Xuanwu Kingdom... To abide by the rules, he followed protocol and forced his way through the Master Teacher Academy, passing all the assessments."

Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes. "How is it that in your mouth, it becomes a violation of the rules?"

Under normal circumstances, a master teacher could not arbitrarily destroy a kingdom. However, Zhang Xuan had followed the procedure and forced his way through the Master Teacher Academy, so even if the headquarters investigated later, he would bear no responsibility.

"I..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang was speechless.

He was an outsider; even Hall Master Kang didn't know these details, so how could he?

But since the other party, a Saint, had explained, it must be true.

"As master teachers, you cannot distinguish right from wrong, know no restraint, and for the sake of treasure, you recklessly attack fellow master teachers, disregarding the weak and ignoring shame..."

With his hands behind his back, Yang Xuan looked coldly at them. "I sentence you—guilty!"

Sect Leader Luo Huang's entire body went rigid.

"This Sect Leader Bai attacked my steward and spirit beast, disregarding the dignity of a high-level master teacher—guilty!"

Yang Xuan continued.

Sect Leader Bai also swayed.

He had been the most aggressive earlier, injuring Sun Qiang and the others. Even if he wanted to argue, he couldn't.

When beating a dog, one must consider its owner. The fat man lying on the ground, no matter how weak or sharp-tongued, was still the servant of a Saint. Striking him was equivalent to slapping the Saint's face and disregarding the dignity of this high-level master teacher.

"All of you, heeding incitement, lacking analysis and judgment, acting for personal gain, relying on your strength to charge about recklessly—guilty!"

Looking at the others, Yang Xuan pronounced judgment again.

"We..."

Everyone's lips turned white.

Being judged guilty by someone suspected to be a Saint meant there was basically no way to turn things around.

Having judged them all guilty, Yang Xuan said no more. Instead, he turned to look at Garden Master Xue, who was lying on the ground.

"You did well. At the critical moment, you did not bow to power but only sought to repay kindness... I just saw that your soul has been damaged, preventing you from breaking through. If you become my disciple, I can help you resolve it!"

"I can... become your disciple?"

Garden Master Xue's face flushed. Without hesitation, she turned over and knelt on the ground. "I, Xue Yiyao, am willing to become Master Yang's disciple and follow your orders without defiance..."

"Mm."

Yang Xuan nodded, extended a finger, and lightly tapped the air.

Whoosh!

Garden Master Xue immediately felt a surge of thought rush into her mind—it was a cultivation technique for restoring the soul.

Over the years, she had studied how to recover and had a deep understanding of the soul. Though not as good as so-called soul shamans, she was far stronger than the average peak Turbid Clarity realm cultivator. Thus, with just one look at this technique, she knew it could not only heal her soul's hidden injuries but also allow her to advance further and successfully break through to the Soul Harmony realm.

"Thank you, Master Yang, for your grace!"

Filled with excitement, she knelt again.

"Could this be... soul transmission of techniques?"

Seeing Yang Xuan casually transmit a technique while in midair, Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others trembled even more.

Soul transmission of techniques indicated an extremely profound mastery over the soul. Apart from legendary soul shamans, one needed to be at least a seven-star master teacher to achieve this.

The person before them could fly freely, and his aura was like a dragon... He was certainly not a soul shaman, meaning... he was very likely a seven-star master teacher!

A master teacher of this level, even among Saints, was definitely a powerhouse!

They had thought he was just a six-star master teacher, and if they spoke softly, he might show leniency. But seven-star... that was beyond their imagination.

Zhang Xuan's teacher... was this strong?

"Demon Beast Yaochen, loyal in protecting its master, not retreating in the face of danger—good!"

Ignoring the crowd's shock, Yang Xuan turned to look at the Demon Beast Yaochen on the side, nodded again, extended a finger, and lightly flicked. A stream of true energy immediately surged into its body.

Boom!

In the next moment, the Demon Beast Yaochen, which had been stuck at the peak of Mortal Transcendence fourth level, seemed to receive a massive boost. It suddenly let out a sharp roar, its power rapidly surging, and its soul underwent a transformation.

Soon, its power stabilized, giving off an extremely formidable feeling, not inferior to Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others.

Mortal Transcendence fifth level... Soul Harmony realm!

With a single stream of true energy from Master Yang, the Demon Beast Yaochen, which had been stuck at the peak of Turbid Clarity realm for who knows how many years, instantly broke through and successfully advanced to the Soul Harmony realm!

This beast, possessing dragon bloodline, had unmatched strength and defense. At the peak of Mortal Transcendence fourth level, it could fight evenly with early Soul Harmony realm cultivators. Now that it had broken through, even mid- or late-stage Soul Harmony cultivators would find it hard to defeat.

"A single stream of true energy caused a breakthrough—how pure must that true energy be? Could it be... an eight-star master teacher?"

Already filled with despair, Sect Leader Luo Huang's vision went dark, and he felt even more hopeless.

Legend had it that when one reached eight-star master teacher, they would be summoned by headquarters and given a chance to purify their true energy. Thus, master teachers of this level had exceptionally pure true energy, reaching the top three grades.

Such true energy, when infused into a spirit beast, could cause its bloodline to advance and successfully break through.

This Master Yang, with a single stream of true energy, had caused the Demon Beast Yaochen to break through and enter the first major hurdle of the Mortal Transcendence realm—the Soul Harmony realm. Such ability was definitely not something a seven-star master teacher could achieve!

He had probably already reached eight-star!

This was a legendary figure that even titled empires did not possess, a super existence whose mere footstep could collapse the Huanyu Empire...

All the sect leaders and sect masters who had come to seize Kong shi's manuscript also realized this. Their faces twitched, and they all cried.

What kind of mess was this!

They had thought Zhang Xuan was a rookie they could bully at will, never dreaming that his teacher was an eight-star master teacher!

At this level, even if five-star or six-star master teachers came, they would have to kneel on the spot!

...

While these people were shocked to death, not far from the mansion, an old man was also trembling, too scared to move forward.

Master Hong, Hong Qian, a five-star master teacher from the Hongfeng Empire's Master Teacher Academy, had been invited to preside over this master teacher competition.

Resting in the mansion, he had learned of the situation here and rushed over to try to mediate, never dreaming he would witness this scene.

An eight-star master teacher... Even in the entire Master Teacher Continent, there were only a few, each a super existence that dominated the ages. How could one have come to such a remote place?

"I must report this to headquarters immediately..."

With a thought, a palm-sized jade talisman appeared in his hand. He wrote a message, and with a flash of light, the words disappeared.

Low-level kingdoms required huge communication walls, but a five-star master teacher already possessed a communication jade talisman. Through this, he could send messages to headquarters, which would arrive instantly even across tens of millions of kilometers.

It wasn't that he wanted to leak information, but... an eight-star master teacher was too shocking. Even as a five-star master teacher, he dared not conceal it.

...

Hongyuan First-Class Empire Master Teacher Academy.

Hall Master Mo Gaoyuan, a peak six-star master teacher.

At that moment, he was giving a lecture, his words like blooming lotuses, gathering spiritual energy from the sky. Suddenly, he frowned, turned his wrist, and a jade token appeared in his palm.

"A suspected master teacher above six stars... Yang Xuan?"

Hall Master Mo frowned.

Although Hong Qian suspected that this Yang Xuan might be seven-star or even eight-star, given his strength, he couldn't tell and couldn't make a baseless judgment. He could only report that he was suspected to be above six stars.

He didn't write his judgment but recorded everything he had seen.

"Walking through the air, transmitting techniques through the soul, breaking through a spirit beast with a single stream of true energy?"

After reading the message, Hall Master Mo's face alternated between dark and bright.

Based on these descriptions, the other party was very likely an eight-star master teacher. But how could such a high-level master teacher appear in the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance, which was almost on par with a backwater empire?

"Mo Chen, bring me the Master Teacher Registry!"

He turned to look at a middle-aged man behind him.

His student, a peak five-star master teacher, Mo Chen.

"Yes!" Mo Chen turned and left. After a while, he brought back a jade book.

The Master Teacher Registry recorded the names of countless master teachers, covering the entire continent. It was a secret of the Master Teacher Academy, accessible only to hall masters. Moreover, it was equipped with special formations, so even those with extraordinary memories would forget its contents shortly after reading.

This was to protect the secrets of master teachers from outsiders.

He casually flipped it open and scanned line by line, quickly reading through the entire book.

"Master teachers above six stars are basically all recorded here. There's no one named Yang Xuan..."

His brows furrowed deeply.

If what the other party said was true, this Yang Xuan was definitely far stronger than him. Even if not eight-star, he was at least seven-star... Yet the Master Teacher Registry had no record of this name.

"Either the name Yang Xuan... is not his real name, or... he never took the higher-level assessment at the Master Teacher Academy!"

The Master Teacher Registry only recorded those who had taken the master teacher assessment. If the other party used a false name, it naturally couldn't be found. Another possibility was that he had never taken the assessment at the Master Teacher Academy.

Many master teachers preferred to cultivate alone. Even if they had reached a very high level, they might not have taken the assessment. Sometimes, the badge they wore was five-star or six-star, but their actual strength had long reached seven-star or eight-star.

Perhaps this Yang Xuan was exactly such a powerhouse.

"Regardless of which case it is, I need to go and see!"

With a raised eyebrow, Hall Master Mo stood up.

No matter which case it was, such a high level of strength warranted a personal visit.

"Mo Chen, bring the Langya Saint Beast. I'm going on a long journey!"

Flicking his sleeve, he put away the Master Teacher Registry and turned to give orders.

The Langya Saint Beast was his beast companion, as fast as lightning, capable of flying millions of kilometers in a day!

The Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance was too far from them. Even if he could fly, he couldn't fly faster than the saint beast.

"Teacher, where are you going? Should I accompany you?"

Soon, the saint beast was brought over, and Master Mo Chen couldn't help but look over.

"I'm going to the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance. Since you want to follow, come along!"

After a moment's hesitation, Hall Master Mo nodded.

This student of his was only a step away from six-star master teacher. Since he wanted to go, he would take him along. On the way, he could offer some guidance, and perhaps he would break through the bottleneck and reach the six-star level.

Both had spatial rings, so there was nothing to prepare. They jumped onto the saint beast's back, identified the direction, and flew straight out, heading toward the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance.

...

From the Hongyuan Empire, a peak six-star master teacher was personally coming. Here, Sect Leader Luo Huang knew there was no escape. His lips trembling, he gritted his teeth and looked over.

"Senior, we confess our guilt. Please punish us..."

Since the other party had pronounced them guilty, they would confess.

They would see what the punishment was.

"Since you confess, each person present, hand over 20 mid-grade spirit stones, and you may leave. Sect Leader Luo, Sect Leader Bai, you insulted my steward and injured my juniors... I can't be bothered to act. You... commit suicide!"

Looking over calmly, Yang Xuan's voice was as calm as an ancient well.

"Suicide?"

Sect Leader Luo Huang and Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi's eyebrows jumped.

They had thought the punishment would be just a lesson, or even severe injury... Offending such a high-level master teacher was deserved, and they dared not argue.

But... once they committed suicide, they would be dead, and everything would be gone.

"Want me to kill myself? Dream on! I, Bai Kaizhi, may not be strong, but I won't resort to suicide. Since you're concerned about your status and unwilling to act personally, then sorry... farewell!"

With a long howl, Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi suddenly stood up, leaped, and dashed straight outward.

His thinking was simple.

You are a high-level master teacher, concerned about your status, so you won't personally act against us... If that's the case, if I can't win, I can at least flee!

As long as you don't act, once I leave here, the sea is wide for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly—can you still find me?

Sneering inwardly, Bai Kaizhi moved swiftly.

He used the most formidable movement technique of White Sun Sect, combined with his strength at the late stage of Mortal Transformation Fifth Layer Harmonious Spirit Realm, and pushed it to the limit. His entire body became like a phantom, and in the blink of an eye, he had dashed out of the mansion.

"This..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang and the others, clearly not expecting this Sect Leader Bai to refuse to admit guilt and instead turn and flee, were all stunned.

Fleeing from an eight-star master teacher... quite bold!

But this was indeed the best course of action. If he didn't flee, he would die here. Better to escape than to die!

After all, as an eight-star master teacher, he couldn't really disregard his status and act directly, could he?

Just as they were admiring this Sect Leader Bai's decisiveness, they saw a blur before their eyes.

Boom!

A vast, unmatched force descended from the sky. Before the fleeing Sect Leader Bai could react, he was crushed into a meat patty on the spot, leaving a pit over ten meters in diameter on the ground.

Then, a faint voice sounded.

"I only said I couldn't be bothered to act... who said that being concerned about status means I won't act?"