Library of Heaven’s Path

A gigantic spirit beast glided through a sea of white clouds.

From the back of this gigantic spirit beast, Zhang Xuan glanced out of a window to peer into the distance.

This Transcendent Mortal 3-dan spirit beast was ’gongzi’ Zhao Feiwu’s mount.

Upon knowing that there was a clue to the inheritance of soul oracles in Honghai City, Zhang Xuan immediately gathered Zhao Ya and the others and left for Honghai City.

As Mo Yu was now the empress of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there were countless matters on her agenda, thus making it imperative that she remains in the capital. Before departing, Zhang Xuan instructed Luo Qianhong to take care of her.

Initially, Zhang Xuan intended to ride the Steelfang Howling Beast to Honghai City. However, after learning that it was over a million kilometers away, he immediately dropped the idea.

Given the Howling Firmament Beast’s current speed as a Zhizun realm savage beast, even if it were to travel non-stop through the day and night, it would still take at least a month for it to cover the distance.

In comparison, Zhao Feiwu’s Transcendent Mortal 3-dan mount was much faster. On top of that, its back was broad so it wasn’t cramped even when the entire group was riding on it. Besides, Zhao Feiwu insisted on it, and Zhang Xuan couldn’t find any reason to turn her down either.

To date, it was already the fifth day since they took off from Xuanyuan Royal City.

”Teacher, aren’t you a poison master? Why did you become a subordinate of the envoy...”

It wasn’t easy for Gu Mu to meet his teacher, so the duo started catching up. Gu Mu raised a doubt that he had been harboring in his mind ever since he learned of ’gongzi’s’ true identity.

Poison master was an occupation that left others trembling in fear, and most would choose to keep their distance. Given such, how did his teacher become a subordinate to this ’gongzi’?

”The reason why I left the Poison Hall back then was to exact vengeance. However, I fell into my enemy’s trap instead, and even though I still managed to kill him in the end, I was severely injured in the process as well. It was ’gongzi’s’ father who saved me... In order to prevent others from learning of my identity as a poison master, I’ve been avoiding the use poison in public since then!” Jin Conghai said.

Just like what Gu Mu said, it was rare for a poison master to be subordinated to another. After all, even if poison masters were willing to be subordinated, considering their horrid reputation on the continent, who would be willing to take them in?

After Jin Conghai was saved by ’gongzi’s’ father, he had been serving the latter by his side. To prevent others from learning of his identity as a poison master, he chose to avoid the usage of poison, and it had been several years since then. In the eyes of others, he was nothing more than a diligent subordinate. Little did they know that a fearsome 4-star poison master hid beneath that cover.

”Teacher!”

On the other hand, Yuan Tao and the others walked over to Zhang Xuan.

After consuming the spirit beast blood essence, Yuan Tao’s Emperor’s Bloodline was further awakened, thus inducing a significant leap in his cultivation. With this, he caught up with Zhao Ya, who had been the strongest in the group with a cultivation of Zongshi realm pinnacle.

As for Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan gave them a lotus seed each.

Instead of raising their cultivation through Cultivation Impartation, he imparted them a simplified version of Heaven’s Path Divine Art instead.

Even so, their cultivation increased by leaps and bounds. In just five days, they had smashed through multiple realms consecutively, thus reaching Zongshi realm primary stage.

Even though they were still slightly weaker than Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao, the foundations of their cultivation were strong and stable. More importantly, they hadn’t even consumed a hundredth of the energy contained within the lotus seed.

By the time they fully absorb the energy contained within the lotus seed, they would be Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators as well.

Zhao Feiwu and the others suffered a breakdown when they saw Zhang Xuan giving away the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed so casually to his students and subordinates to enhance the growth of their cultivation. However, as the shocks piled up, they found themselves gradually building up an immunity to his inconceivable actions and feats.

To them, Zhang Xuan was a person who simply couldn’t be measured through common sense.

Rather than racking their brains over it, they might as well just accept him as he is.

”Honghai City is right before us!”

Before long, a massive city appeared before everyone’s sight.

From their height, the countless buildings beneath the sun looked no different from gleaming small dots.

The scale of Xuanyuan Royal City was astonishing, but it couldn’t hold a candle against Honghai City. It was as though putting a remote mountainside village against a bustling city!

As expected of one of the largest cities of Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting everything aside, just the large and refined infrastructures reflected wealth far above that of a Conferred Kingdom.

”Honghai City is a trading hub where merchants from all over Myriad Kingdom Alliance, be it Xuanyuan Kingdom, Chihe Kingdom, or Liusu Kingdom, gather... Goods tend to fetch a higher price here, so the merchants from the various Conferred Kingdoms would export their goods here to earn a greater profit margin. Over time, Honghai City grew to become the most prosperous commercial city throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!” Zhao Feiwu explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

There was some information on Honghai City among the books of Tianwu Kingdom’s book collection vault. Known as the City of Merchants, most of the trade and interactions among the vassal kingdoms of Myriad Kingdom Alliance were conducted here.

In terms of prosperity, it even exceeded that of the capital, Myriad Kingdom City.

”Myriad Kingdom Alliance is of a significantly higher-tier than Xuanyuan Kingdom. Even though your strength has reached Half-Transcension and you can be considered rather strong for those around your age, it’s best for you to remain careful here.”

Zhao Feiwu advised with a grim expression. ”The Honghai City Master Teacher Pavilion has a 4-star master teacher behind it. Even though he’s only a 4-star intermediate master teacher, his true strength is at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, and he’s not to be trifled with!”

”Yin-Yang realm?” Zhang Xuan asked.

He knew that above the Fighter realm was Transcendent Mortal, and that there were nine levels to it. However, he didn’t know the details behind it.

”There is a total of 9 dans to Transcendent Mortals, and they are 1-dan Prolonged Longevity, 2-dan Origin Energy, 3-dan Yin-Yang, 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity, 5-dan Consonant Spirit, 6-dan Cosmos Bridge, 7-dan Perfect Harmonization, 8-dan Ethereal Treading, and 9-dan Chrysalis!”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan was unaware of the details about the Transcendent Mortal realm, Zhao Feiwu began explaining, ”You should already be aware of Prolonged Longevity realm by now. While one’s strength will remain at 100,000 ding throughout this realm, one’s lifespan will increase by a fair amount with every breakthrough. The average lifespan of a Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle cultivator is around two hundred years.

”At 2-dan Origin Energy realm, the zhenqi within a cultivator’s body will be converted to Origin Energy, thus granting one the strength of manipulating the natural energy present in the environment. The beginning of another origin, the unraveling of a whole new world... There’s a huge difference between zhenqi and Origin Energy. The former represented strength and one’s existential potential whereas the latter allows one to tap into the power of nature to actualize the mysticisms of the world!

”Take for example, if an ordinary paper is infused with Origin Energy, it could gain ’spirit’, enabling it to float in the air and dance by itself. Thus, Origin Energy realm is also known as Mystical Energy realm, in which, Origin Energy is equates to Mystical Energy.

”As for 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, the contrasting nature of yin and yang energy present in one’s body will amalgamate, complementing the flaws of one another to bring forth greater power. As such, Yin-Yang realm cultivators are capable of drawing forth incredible destructive might! Take that cliff in the distance for example, a Yin-Yang realm cultivator would be able to easily crush it with a single fist.”

Zhao Feiwu had a deep understanding of the various cultivation realms of Transcendent Mortal, and she began explaining them to Zhang Xuan.

”Destroying a cliff with a single fist?”

Zheng Yang and the others were dumbstruck.

They thought that the ability to hurl rocks weighing over a thousand kilograms at Zongshi realm was already an impressive feat.

There is a limit to a human’s strength, and destroying a cliff with a single fist is far beyond the means of a human. That is already at the level of deities.

That is also why the Transcendent Mortal realm was known as the Divine realm. The strength Transcendent Mortals possess isn’t something that mortal Fighters, or even Half-Transcension cultivators, can take on.

”And for Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity, as most would know, different cultivators will have different levels of purity for their Origin Energy and different weights for their soul. Cultivate diligently in this realm, and one will be able to bring up the purity of their Origin Energy. In other words, this is an opportunity for one to purify their Origin Energy (zhenqi). I believe you should understand the huge difference between an inferior zhenqi and an intermediate zhenqi!”

Zhao Feiwu chuckled as she continued, ”Pavilion Master Kang of Myriad Kingdom City is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and his cultivation realm is at this level. Only one who has reached this level of cultivation can one tread fearlessly around Myriad Kingdom Alliance. As for 5-dan Consonant Spirit, it’s only hearsay for me. It’s already beyond the level of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so I’m not too sure about the details either.”

”I see!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The 9 dans of Transcendent Mortal is similar to the 9 dans of Fighter. The progression through Transcendent Mortal realm can be considered to be a layer stacking over the previous, and there are no shortcuts to it. The only way to advance is through ceaseless diligence and perseverance.

But to Zhang Xuan, it was just a matter of finding sufficient cultivation technique manuals to form the corresponding Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

”We’re here, let’s alight!”

Amidst their conversation, they finally arrived at Honghai City. The spirit beast flapped its wings gently as it gradually descended to the ground.

Just like the other cities, one needed to pay a toll fee to enter the city. Zhang Xuan flashed his master teacher emblem and he was exempted from the fee.

The broad streets of Honghai City were bustling, and one could see all kinds of objects being sold everywhere.

Phantom pinnacle weapons, the strongest weapon tier among the possessions of the wealthy Lin Clan, could be found easily in any shop in the area.

”Gold coins are technically useless in Honghai City. The currencies that are most commonly used here are Tutelage Jade Tokens and spirit stones,” Zhao Feiwu said. ”The Tutelage Jade Token of master teachers are valued based on the rank of the issuer. A 4-star master teacher Jade Tutelage Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 3-star master teacher, and a 3-star master teacher’s Jade Tutelage Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 2-star master teacher, so on and so forth. As for spirit stones, a 3-star master teacher’s Tutelage Jade Token is worth around ten of them!”

”One can use Tutelage Jade Tokens for trading?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

It was no wonder why master teachers were so well-respected around here. To think that even their lesson time was regarded as a currency! Even if one wasn’t interested in cultivating, there is no reason for one to shun money.

But thinking deeper into it, it did make sense.

The guidance of a master teacher could solve the various problems and hiccups that cultivators meet during their training. Putting aside two hours, even just a few minutes of guidance could play a pivotal role toward a cultivator’s breakthrough.

Given the value of these Tutelage Jade Tokens, it wasn’t surprising for it to be traded as a form of currency.

After listening to Zhao Feiwu’s introduction of Honghai City and gaining a deeper understanding of it, Zhang Xuan asked, ”I heard that a Soulless Metal Humanoid has been uncovered in this area. If I wish to find where it’s sold, where should I go?”

”A treasure as invaluable as the Soulless Metal Humanoid would usually be auctioned by the Appraiser Hall. If I’m not wrong, it should be within the Appraiser Hall at the moment!” Zhao Feiwu pondered for a moment before replying.

”Appraiser Hall?” Zhang Xuan asked. ”Is it the guild for appraisers?”

Back in Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had once met a ’master appraiser’... Mo Yang.

That fellow was only an apprentice, but he impersonated a master appraiser to scam others for money.

And unfortunately, many fell for his deception.

Even though appraiser was only a Middle Nine Paths occupation, due to their ability to determine the value of treasures, it was an exceptionally popular profession.