Chapter 622: Late

At this moment, Luo Zhao, dressed in a bright red master's robe, was exceptionally dazzling under the light. Holding a glass of fine wine, he looked over with a smile.

It seemed he was not at all angry about Master Hong coming to cause trouble at noon.

"Luo Zhao, what do you mean?"

"Nothing, I just feel that the Hongfeng Empire has regressed severely. A peak Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer actually made it into the top three... Tsk tsk, each generation is worse than the last!"

He shook his head as he spoke.

The top three of the Master Competition, Bi Jianghai and Luo Xuan, had both entered the Spirit Fusion Realm, leaving only Zhang Xuan still at the peak of Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer.

Coming to the banquet, Zhang Xuan did not deliberately conceal his cultivation, so the other party saw through it at a glance.

Although the four vassal states were not as powerful as the Huanyu Empire, they were vast and full of geniuses. Those who could reach the top three had basically all reached the Spirit Fusion Realm. Only Zhang Xuan, this freak, despite being at a lower level, managed to confuse others and drive them to the brink of collapse.

"So what if he's at Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer? The Master Competition isn't about who has higher cultivation, but who is stronger!"

Seeing that this guy dared to mock Zhang Xuan's low strength, Master Hong curled his lips.

You haven't seen how terrifying he is...

It seems Master Feng didn't tell you how he ended up falling like that. If you knew, you probably wouldn't have so much nonsense.

Although this Luo Zhao was his old friend and he knew his strength inside out, Master Hong had a feeling that if he locked him and Master Zhang in a cage, the one who walked out would definitely be the latter!

"Oh? Seems quite confident?" Luo Zhao's lips curled. "I wonder if you'll still have that confidence when you see my top three!"

With that, he turned his head, and saw three young men slowly approaching, their auras flickering, not weak.

"Spirit Fusion Realm中期?" Master Hong frowned. "You used... Spirit Fusion Pills?"

Spirit Fusion Pills, fifth-grade pills, after taking them, a Spirit Fusion Realm expert could unconditionally increase their strength by one minor level, with no side effects!

Such pills could only be refined by five-star alchemists, and they were extremely rare, only sold in the Huanyu capital.

These three people, with the fierce medicinal power helping them break through, had clearly taken drugs to advance, and had just broken through recently, not yet fully controlling their power.

"Indeed, the Purification Pool benefits the soul, and the Spirit Fusion Realm is the most suitable, with the greatest effect... Among your top three, there's someone who hasn't even reached the Spirit Fusion Realm... Do you think the Crown Prince will give you the spot later?"

Luo Zhao chuckled lightly.

The three vassal states had arrived in the capital early, spending a great price to collect and purchase Spirit Fusion Pills. Fortunately, before today, they had gathered the medicines and allowed their top three to break through.

The Spirit Fusion Realm and the peak of the Turbid Clear Realm, though only a small step apart, were the difference between soul and body.

Without reaching Spirit Fusion, the soul cannot cultivate independently, and even entering the Purification Pool would have much less effect.

"This..." Master Hong frowned.

The time for the Master Competition was the same for him and the other three vassal states, but this time the competition was held in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, which was really too far from here.

The other party had arrived in the Huanyu capital early and prepared in advance, indeed catching him off guard.

"The Crown Prince hasn't yet set the rules for determining the spots. Besides, so what if they're at Spirit Fusion Realm中期? Who laughs last remains to be seen!"

Though his face showed worry, he couldn't lose in momentum. Master Hong still gritted his teeth and said.

"Since you're so confident, let's wait and see!"

Luo Zhao smiled, holding his wine glass, and led the three into the hall.

"Hmph!"

Master Hong swung his arm.

Knowing full well that the other party had come to show off deliberately, he still couldn't help but get angry.

"Master Zhang, don't mind it..."

He snorted, then turned to look at the young man beside him.

"Me? I'm fine!"

Unexpectedly, because of his low cultivation, he was looked down upon, and the other party comforted him. Zhang Xuan smiled. "By the way, when you went to settle accounts with him at noon, did you challenge him as a master?"

"He did want to challenge... but didn't you say not to accept it for now?"

Master Hong looked over.

The scene he encountered when he went to cause trouble had been discussed with Master Zhang. The words like "greatly depleted vitality, unable to compete for a short time" were taught by the one before him.

Otherwise, with his upright nature, how could he have come up with such shameless words!

"You are both at the early stage of Mortal Transformation Sixth Layer, with similar strength. It's hard to predict who would win in a duel. It's fine not to accept for now, but... things are different now!"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Different?" Master Hong was startled.

What's different?

Only a few hours had passed, his cultivation hadn't increased, and Luo Zhao hadn't weakened at all...

"With me here, you can challenge him. I guarantee you'll win!" Zhang Xuan said calmly, with a proud confidence in his brow.

"You mean... guide me in fighting him?"

Master Hong was stunned, then his eyes lit up.

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan's lips curled up.

Dare to mock my low cultivation?

Fine, in a moment, let Teacher Hong beat you until your own father wouldn't recognize you.

Still at the mid-stage of Unity Spirit Realm...

I wonder, when your teacher turns into a pig's head, will you still be as smug as before?

"Good!" Teacher Hong nodded repeatedly.

Although the young man before him had a lower rank as a master teacher, his teacher was an eight-star master teacher, and in terms of guidance, he had seen it with his own eyes—it was beyond comparison.

If he could really get his help with guidance, perhaps he truly wouldn't lose in the fight against Luo Zhao.

"Let's go in!"

Having agreed, they said no more and the four entered the banquet hall.

As befitting the crown prince's palace, it was lavishly decorated, with countless huge luminous pearls hanging inside, illuminating the entire room as bright as day.

Bright carpets, various beautiful murals, and countless lush green plants... set off the hall before them, magnificent and splendid, giving an extraordinary sense of beauty.

"The crown prince has exceptional talent. In his twenties, he became the top figure among the younger generation of the Huan Yu Empire and a four-star master teacher. Thus, he was accepted as a student by the teacher and recommended to the Master Teacher Academy!"

Teacher Hong transmitted his voice: "He holds a high status and is favored. Although this is the Eastern Palace, it is built no less than the imperial palace, and even has more charm..."

"Mm."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had never been to the imperial palace, but he had been to many royal palaces. Compared to this one, they were indeed far inferior.

On the walls were not only murals but also works by many calligraphy and painting masters, with spiritual energy writhing and aura swirling around. Moreover, upon entering the room, he immediately felt a comfortable temperature, likely due to a temperature-regulating formation.

It seemed this crown prince was not only a master teacher with excellent talent but also one who valued enjoyment.

Walking forward along the soft carpet, they entered the hall and saw two rows of tables and chairs on either side of the spacious room. Luo Zhao and the others, who had arrived earlier, were sitting behind them.

Teacher Feng, who had been thrown and nearly killed earlier, was also there, but in worse condition than when they saw him in the morning—bruised and swollen, haggard, probably punished by Teacher Hong.

He could still manage to sit in his seat, likely due to taking some powerful healing pill. Even so, he had no spirit, completely different from his smugness in the air that morning.

"Is that... Teacher Feng?"

Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.

When they encountered this man in the morning, he stood on the back of a flying spirit beast, imposing and majestic, forcing Teacher Hong to halt, indescribably impressive. As a result, Teacher Zhang's shout sent him tumbling from the sky... turning him into this.

Combined with what had just been said... it seemed that offending anyone was better than offending Teacher Zhang...

Ignoring Teacher Feng, Zhang Xuan looked at the others.

As Luo Zhao had said, the top three from Fengyuan Empire, Qianfeng Empire, and Zhuyue Empire had all reached the Unity Spirit Realm, and one had even reached the late stage of Unity Spirit Realm.

In terms of cultivation, he was indeed the lowest.

Apart from the visitors from the four major vassal states, a young man sat at the central seat of honor, drinking alone, appearing out of place.

He wore a long robe, and the five stars on the master teacher emblem on his chest reflected light.

"A five-star master teacher?"

Zhang Xuan was startled and looked at Teacher Hong: "Is this the crown prince?"

"He is not the crown prince. The crown prince is only a half-step five-star master teacher, not yet reached five stars. He should be a senior from the Master Teacher Academy... either Xing Yuan or Wu Zhen!"

Teacher Hong transmitted his voice.

From Luo Zhao, they had learned the names of four people. The man before them, being male, was naturally not the Sixth Princess or Luo Qiqi, so he must be one of Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen.

Otherwise, he couldn't sit on equal footing with the crown prince without any fear.

"Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen?"

Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Mm. The Master Teacher Academy sent four people. I heard two of them are five-star master teachers with those names!" Teacher Hong explained and then called out: "The crown prince hasn't returned yet. Let's sit down first!"

From the guards at the door, they had learned that the crown prince had gone to invite the Sixth Princess and others. Now it seemed that only one of the four geniuses from the Master Teacher Academy had arrived.

"Teacher Hong, since you came from a distant place, we won't say anything about your lateness, but you arrived in the capital this morning, didn't you? Coming only now, making Teacher Wu wait here... isn't that a bit deliberate?"

As soon as they sat down, a faint voice rang out.

It was an old man from across the room.

Chen Yue, the five-star master teacher leading the Zhuyue Empire delegation.

Hearing his words, Teacher Hong frowned.

Though the voice was not loud, everyone in the room heard it, and Teacher Wu, who was drinking, obviously heard it too.

If he admitted to being late, with a genius from the Master Teacher Academy already present, arriving late would be a breach of etiquette, immediately leaving a bad impression in the other's mind.

If he denied it, arriving late but not admitting it, quibbling, would likely leave a bad impression as well.

In one sentence, he was put in a dilemma.

What to do?

His face turned ugly, pale, and as he was worrying about how to answer, he suddenly seemed to hear something and his body stiffened.

Then, his eyes lit up, he snorted, and looked straight ahead.

"Chen Yue, mind your words. A banquet is a gathering for joyful celebration. When the crown prince arrives later, will you also say he is late?"