Chapter 573: The Strange Lu Chong

The young man before him had the same strength as before he woke up—still at the Grandmaster realm, with no significant progress, and no trace of soul power fluctuation in his body, as if everything seen in the sea of consciousness earlier was false.

"That's not right..."

Zhang Xuan frowned deeply.

He had entered the other's sea of consciousness; it was vast and boundless, and his soul was as huge as a mountain. Strictly speaking, it was even stronger than his own. He had thought that after waking up, relying solely on soul power, he would have strength not inferior to his own. How... was there no change at all?

"Could it be that he hasn't drawn his soul out of his body?" A thought emerged.

The strength of soul power is hard to discern when awake; only when the soul leaves the body can one get a glimpse.

"I'll teach you a method of cultivating the witch soul. From now on, focus on cultivating your soul; you can stop practicing true qi!"

Guessing in his heart, Zhang Xuan said.

He extended a finger and tapped it on the other's brow.

Hum!

A simplified version of the Heaven's Path Soul Drawing Art appeared in Lu Chong's mind.

Lu Chong's Grandmaster realm strength was not based on true qi but on a Heaven's Path physical body enhanced by venom, which complemented his soul power, making it smoother than that of true qi cultivators.

"Thank you, teacher!"

After reading through the technique in his mind, Lu Chong looked at his teacher again, full of gratitude.

Although he had been in a coma, his soul was trapped in his sea of consciousness. Strictly speaking, his ears could still hear, and his skin still had sensation.

That is to say, since he fell unconscious, he knew everything his teacher had done for him.

Using the cultivation of a Supreme, he fought against the轩辕 Kingdom, which had a Mortal Transformation realm expert; purchasing the Soul-less Gold Man, risking his life to enter the Witch Soul Tomb; and to nurture the Soul-awakening Grass, splitting his soul to enter his sea of consciousness...

The debt of gratitude was as vast as the heavens, impossible to repay in this lifetime.

Not only that, but he also gave him such a precious technique without reservation...

Teacher, rest assured, I will cultivate diligently and not let you down!

Clenching his fists, Lu Chong's gaze was firm.

He used to be a flamboyant person, but after his family's upheaval, he became taciturn. Even now, though grateful, he would not express it in words; he would only prove himself through redoubled effort.

After reading the technique in his mind twice, fully understanding and memorizing it, Lu Chong exhaled and sat cross-legged on the ground.

Zhang Xuan did not leave but sat nearby to guard him.

The first time the soul leaves the body is very dangerous; if not careful, it can be scattered by the wind in the room. When he first left his body, he was in a sealed underground tomb, and with the complete version of the Soul Drawing Art, the impact was minimal. Lu Chong needed to be more careful.

With a thought, the witch soul left his body, cultivating and observing at the same time.

After an unknown amount of time, a bright light shone in his eyes. Lu Chong, sitting directly in front, shook, and a similar shadow struggled to emerge.

Witch soul leaving the body!

"Hmm? Still very weak..."

Zhang Xuan frowned again.

The soul that emerged from Lu Chong's body was still not as powerful as imagined; it was as weak as a cultivator who had just drawn their soul out, so fragile that a wind that couldn't even blow out a candle could scatter it.

What was going on?

His sea of consciousness and soul were so powerful; why was his soul power so weak after leaving the body?

"Teacher!"

With the witch soul leaving the body, the world looked different from what the naked eye saw. Lu Chong was excited.

"Your soul is still very weak. Avoid great joy and great sorrow. Absorb the spiritual energy from this spirit stone and cultivate quickly!"

He casually tossed out a mid-grade spirit stone and, with another tap, the simplified version of the Heaven's Path Witch Soul Cultivation Technique entered the other's mind.

A soul that has just left the body can hardly withstand external pressure. Not only wind, but even great joy or great sorrow can shake its spirit. At this time, minimize soul fluctuations and cultivate quickly.

However, with him guarding the side, and with the technique and sufficient mid-grade spirit stones, Lu Chong's cultivation conditions were much better than his own at the beginning.

"Yes!"

Controlling his emotions, the soul sat before the spirit stone, absorbing its spiritual energy and beginning to cultivate.

"The cultivation speed isn't fast either. Could there be something I haven't figured out?" Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

Lu Chong's cultivation speed was not fast; in fact, it was completely different from the scene seen in his sea of consciousness.

Originally, based on his guess, Lu Chong was most likely a Postnatal Witch Soul Body. As long as he cultivated, with the powerful soul in his sea of consciousness, his progress would be astonishing, leaving even him in the dust.

But now, the speed was steady and unremarkable, with nothing surprising.

Could it be... he was wrong, and Lu Chong was not the so-called Postnatal Witch Soul Body?

But if not, why was his sea of consciousness so vast, and why was his soul body so huge?

Puzzled, seeing that Lu Chong's cultivation had stabilized and no longer needed guarding, he left the room, found Mo Hunsheng, and asked about his doubts.

Although this six-star witch soul master had taught him the methods and cultivation techniques of the witch soul, when it came to understanding this profession, he was still far behind.

After all, a six-star witch soul master, combined with a lifespan of tens of thousands of years—either of these would be astonishing and shock countless people if spread.

"This... I can't explain it either. How about this: after the young master finishes cultivating, I'll go take a look!"

Mo Hunsheng couldn't figure it out either and finally shook his head.

No matter how much one hears, it's not as good as seeing for oneself to understand.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded, stopped dwelling on the matter, and returned to his residence.

Helping Lu Chong cultivate felt like a short time, but in reality, an entire night had passed. Today was the day of the Master Teacher Competition, and he needed to prepare and go participate.

Although mid-grade spirit stones no longer interested him, participating in this competition was a good opportunity to gain fame, which he couldn't miss.

Otherwise, it would become difficult to challenge higher-level master teachers in the future.

"From today on, you are called the clone, and you address me as the original body!"

Entering the room, he saw the clone sitting and cultivating. Zhang Xuan spoke.

The clone nodded.

"I'm going out to participate in the Master Teacher Competition. You can't stay here; otherwise, if someone cleaning the room discovers you, it will be hard to explain..."

The place they lived was found by Zhao Feiwu, and there were people from the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance Lord's Mansion responsible for cleaning. If he was here, it was fine, but if he wasn't, and the cleaner saw another Zhang Xuan here, wouldn't they be scared to death?

As for pretending to be Yang Xuan... even if the clone could disguise his appearance identically, without the Heaven's Path Library, he would be exposed when meeting high-level master teachers, and the effect would be far inferior to the original body.

"I'll enter the storage ring!" The clone also thought of this problem and said.

"You can go in?" Zhang Xuan was startled, then smiled wryly.

A storage ring is a vacuum environment without air. If a living being enters, they would turn into dried meat. Not even a Mortal Transformation realm expert, let alone a Saint, could withstand it!

However, his clone was different. The body was made from the divine material Nine Heavens Lotus Fetus, which didn't require breathing, was impervious to water and fire, and immune to blades and swords. Entering the storage ring was no problem.

Accustomed to the fact that space rings cannot hold living beings, Zhang Xuan asked, then immediately realized.

"Collect!"

Knowing the clone could enter the storage ring, there was nothing to worry about. He extended his hand and moved his mind.

Whoosh!

The clone disappeared from sight and entered the ring.

Carrying it with him would avoid many troubles. As for what to do if Teacher Yang wasn't in the courtyard... joking, it would be strange if a master teacher of this level could be casually seen.

Leaving the room and arriving at the living room, he saw Hall Master Kang, Ruohuan Gongzi, and others already waiting.

Ruohuan Gongzi had now fully consolidated his cultivation at the peak of Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer, his eyes shining brightly, giving a sense of overflowing energy.

It seemed that during this time, not only had his cultivation increased, but his understanding of master teachers had also greatly improved.

"The Master Teacher Competition will be held publicly in the square outside the Alliance Lord's Mansion. Master Zhang, let's go!"

Seeing him come out, Hall Master Kang smiled.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to follow them out, a figure blocked his way.

"Senior Brother, let me accompany you!"

"Senior... Brother?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned and turned to see that Garden Master Xue was also standing in the room.

At this moment, Garden Master Xue's aura was steady, her soul perfectly integrated with her body. She had actually reached Mortal Transformation Fifth Layer, the Spirit Fusion realm!

She had been stuck at the peak of the Turbid Clarity realm for many years due to soul damage, unable to advance.

Half a month ago, 'Teacher Yang' taught her a method to resolve the problem, curing her old ailment. With years of accumulation, she broke through in one go and, like Yao Chen Beast, successfully became a Spirit Fusion realm expert.

Moreover, her aura was faintly discernible, already at the early peak of the Spirit Fusion realm, ready to reach the middle stage at any time.

At first, he found it strange, but then he understood.

To treat her soul, she had been absorbing the spirituality of the medicine garden every day. Over the years, her accumulation was immense. If his guess was correct, her strength would advance by leaps and bounds in a short time, and it was not impossible for her to reach the peak of the Spirit Fusion realm.

"Yes, I am a student taught by Teacher Yang, and you are his personal disciple... automatically one level higher. If I don't call you senior brother, what should I call you?" Garden Master Xue clasped her fists.

"Uh, that's true!" Zhang Xuan then realized.

That day, the situation was critical. He knew that relying solely on 'scare tactics' would not be enough; when necessary, he had to intimidate. So he accepted this Xue Yiyao as a student and taught her the method to resolve the soul problem.

In this way, he could earn her gratitude.

As expected, a golden book formed in his mind, and he smashed the White Sect Leader into a meat patty, intimidating the entire audience.

Accepting her was just a temporary measure, a last resort. He forgot about it afterward, but she took it seriously.

However, it made sense. She was a student taught by 'Teacher Yang,' while he was a personal disciple. Personal disciples automatically become senior brothers... calling him that was only natural.

"The Master Teacher Competition is not dangerous; no need to worry. Just stay here and guard the place!"

Knowing she meant well, Zhang Xuan still waved his hand.

The Master Teacher Competition was an event organized by the Master Teacher Hall. Anyone who caused trouble would be opposing the Master Teacher Hall, so safety was certainly not an issue.

"This..." Garden Master Xue hesitated.

"There's nothing to worry about!"

Waving his hand, he ignored her and followed Hall Master Kang and the others outside.

Master Teacher Competition, I, Zhang Xuan... am coming!