Chapter 1076: He Killed Nine

“You?”

Hearing him interject, everyone paused.

They all looked over as if at a fool.

“Ahem!” Master Wu couldn’t help but interrupt the awkwardness: “Master Zhang, I know you have extraordinary talent and unique methods and insights in cultivation, but… achieving sagehood through heaven and earth is not something anyone can just do. It involves immense stakes, and it’s impossible for anyone to succeed!”

“Yes, I’ve specifically studied Master Kong’s sagehood process, visited the Sagehood Platform, and read countless materials. Based on my deductions, to achieve sagehood, first, the necessary condition is recognition by heaven as a master! Only when heaven and earth recognize your profession do you have the qualification to become a sage. Second, you must cultivate a special technique, with extremely profound true qi, to knock open the gates of heaven and earth, remove defilement, and attain an unparalleled achievement throughout history!”

Zhang Yinqiu, not far away, seeing this fellow speak thus, couldn’t help but offer a word of advice: “Your ability to see through the flaws in Qiuwu Ancient Sage’s palm technique shows you have a deep understanding of martial skills. Your ability to come here with Saint-level strength shows your combat power is decent. But relying solely on this to become a sage… it’s still far from enough!”

“Becoming a sage is no child’s play. Are there not many geniuses in the Sage Clans? Are there not many geniuses in the War Master Hall? With so many experts, over tens of thousands of years, no one has heard of anyone succeeding—that shows the difficulty. Master Zhang, you can try, but I’ll tell you in advance, don’t hold too much hope…” President Han also smiled bitterly.

No one was optimistic.

“Well… alright!”

Wanting to say something, Zhang Xuan shook his head and ultimately didn’t speak.

To be honest, although he had cultivated the Sagehood Unlocking Solution, he wasn’t sure if he could become a sage. As they said, he could only do his best.

He wasn’t a showy person by nature; it was best not to speak of things he wasn’t sure about, lest he fail and be ridiculed.

“Mm, it’s good that you understand. Becoming a sage is not simple. If you can do it, that’s best; if not, you can only accept your fate…”

Ji Yan also nodded, and was about to continue speaking when he saw the light barrier over the stone platform flicker, its glow gradually weakening.

Seeing this, his expression changed: “Time’s up, everyone leave quickly. Dean Zhang, we’ll come see you tomorrow…”

With that, he beckoned to the others, turned, and walked downward.

Seeing his haste, the others said nothing more and followed closely behind. Before long, they returned to the cramped little room where they were staying. Ji Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“What happened? Why the rush to come back?”

Master Wu couldn’t help asking.

“Didn’t I say we only had the time it takes an incense stick to burn?” Ji Yan looked over.

“Mm!” Everyone nodded; he had indeed said that earlier.

“For the past year, the Sagehood Platform has released holy light every day, illuminating the surroundings. During this time, Heavenly Leaf King can only hide in his dwelling and dare not move, or else he’ll be burned by the holy light and severely damage his primordial spirit! And we masters can take the opportunity to come out and move around… However, this time only lasts as long as an incense stick. Once it’s over, Heavenly Leaf King will rush out and take the chance to slaughter us!”

Ji Yan explained.

Everyone suddenly understood.

No wonder this man was so anxious when he saw the holy light about to go out. If they were late, Heavenly Leaf King would appear, and they might not escape.

“I was wondering how your strength had improved so much in two years of being trapped, while Heavenly Leaf King remains only at the initial stage of the Out-of-Body realm. It must be related to this holy light!”

Master Wu realized.

“Mm! Masters absorb holy light to enhance their cultivation, but Heavenly Leaf King cannot. So he hasn’t progressed as fast as us. However, he occupies the entire Sagehood Pavilion, while we can only huddle here. Back then, Master Kong left many good things to help later generations successfully break through to sagehood, but almost all of them have been taken over by him! Over these two years, even without major breakthroughs, his primordial spirit has grown tougher and stronger, beyond what we can contend with.”

Ji Yan shook his head.

“You said that for the past year, holy light has been released every day? It wasn’t released before?” Zhang Xuan’s focus was different; he was more curious about the Sagehood Platform and couldn’t help asking.

“Mm, a year ago, the Sagehood Platform was very ordinary. Although it also released holy light, it was very scarce and irregular. Starting around the end of August or beginning of September last year, it suddenly began to shine brightly, as if waiting for someone to arrive. I don’t know the specifics either…”

Ji Yan thought for a moment and nodded.

Trapped here with no day or night, they had lost track of time somewhat. But as masters, they could still calculate a rough range without too much error.

“Waiting for someone? Could Master Kong return?”

President Han shook his head with a smile.

Master Kong had disappeared tens of thousands of years ago. Even his seventy-two true disciples didn’t know what happened, let alone later generations.

Returning was absolutely impossible!

“Even a sage doesn’t have a lifespan of tens of thousands of years! Waiting for someone—I think it’s impossible. Maybe your arrival triggered some mechanism, causing the holy light to shine every day…” Master Wu nodded.

“That’s possible…”

Ji Yan and the other nodded simultaneously.

Limited by their strength and knowledge, they couldn’t explain many things. For instance, where did the holy light that constantly flickered on the Sagehood Platform come from? And why could it block Heavenly Leaf King while benefiting masters?

“Alright, let’s not discuss this for now. These things, like achieving sagehood through heaven and earth, are too far from us. Dean Tan Qing, I have a Renewing Tendon Pill here. See if it can help you…”

Shaking his head, they stopped dwelling on these issues. Master Wu looked at Dean Tan not far away and took out a jade bottle.

Dean Tan’s legs and arms had been severed, leaving him disabled. Only the legendary seventh-grade Renewing Tendon Pill could regenerate severed limbs.

Earlier, Zhang Xuan had specifically refined such a pill for Wei Ruyan, allowing her body to recover.

“Thank you, Master Wu!”

Seeing such a medicine, Tan Qing’s eyes lit up, filled with excitement.

No one could refuse the chance to regrow severed limbs.

He quickly took the jade bottle. Inside was a single pill, indeed a Renewing Tendon Pill, but of low grade, barely formed.

After taking the pill, a surge of vital energy flooded his body. Dean Tan Qing felt an itch all over, and his severed arms and legs began to grow slowly. But before they fully grew, his expression darkened, and he shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Although the Renewing Tendon Pill has remarkable medicinal power, this one is too low in grade. Moreover, my limbs were severed by Heavenly Leaf King, and they contain his killing true qi… It seems they won’t recover.”

Though the Renewing Tendon Pill was precious and had strong vitality, his injuries were too severe; one pill was not enough for a full recovery.

“This… I only have one…” Master Wu frowned.

This kind of medicine was extremely precious, rare even in the Qingyuan Empire. He had obtained it at great cost and had never used it. Unexpectedly, it didn’t do much for Tan Qing.

“I have refined Renewing Tendon Pills before. If I had enough ingredients, I could refine one…” Zhang Xuan said.

“Refine? My secondary profession is alchemist, but… I can gather the other ingredients, but I don’t have the main ingredient, Renewing Tendon Grass,” Master Wu said.

“Renewing Tendon Grass is too rare; I don’t have any either…”

President Han shook his head.

Zhang Xuan also smiled bitterly.

Renewing Tendon Grass was indeed hard to find. Back then, he had to apply to the Alchemist Guild of the Qingyuan Empire to get a single plant, which he used to successfully refine the pill.

Although he had killed many alien spirit kings recently and obtained many good things, he had never seen this herb.

“Actually, Renewing Tendon Grass… is right here in the Sagehood Pavilion!” Ji Yan suddenly spoke up as everyone shook their heads.

“It’s here?” Everyone was startled.

“Mm, didn’t I mention earlier that Master Kong left many treasures for later generations to break through? Among them is Renewing Tendon Grass… I once risked sneaking in there and saw it with my own eyes, but it was taken over by Heavenly Leaf King,” Ji Yan said.

“This…”

Everyone smiled bitterly.

If it were somewhere else, they might take advantage of the holy light from the Sagehood Platform to retrieve it, but with Heavenly Leaf King occupying it… getting it was almost impossible.

“Where are these treasures you mentioned? I can sneak over and take a look. If I succeed, Dean Tan won’t have to suffer this pain anymore!”

Zhang Xuan smiled.

“You?” Master Wu and the others frowned. “Since Heavenly Leaf King is guarding it, it must be very dangerous. I think… forget it!”

“Yes, Heavenly Leaf King is a Primordial Spirit realm expert. In his own dwelling, like us, he has set up various seals. If you go rashly and get trapped, no one can save you…”

Ji Yan and the others also said.

“Don’t worry, I have a way! I’ll just take a look. If there’s an opportunity, I’ll bring it back; if not, I’ll return. Rest assured, I won’t come into conflict with him…”

Zhang Xuan said.

“This…” Everyone exchanged glances. Master Wu wanted to speak further, but Zhang Xuan interrupted again: “Don’t worry, even if I encounter Heavenly Leaf King and get caught… I have a way to escape!”

“Alright!”

Seeing his confidence, Master Wu nodded.

“Then I’ll be off…”

Without further ado, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, walked out of the room, and after a few flickers of his figure outside, disappeared from sight.

“This… Master Wu, letting him go alone to find Heavenly Leaf King is too reckless…”

Tan Qing couldn’t help saying.

He didn’t want others to lose their lives trying to save him.

Ji Yan felt the same, full of anxiety.

“Actually, I also think it’s reckless, but… if you knew about Dean Zhang’s exploits in fighting the alien spirits, you might think… he really could succeed!”

Knowing he would ask this, Master Wu shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Exploits? What exploits?” The two looked over.

“You’ve been with Heavenly Leaf King for so long; you must have heard of the Ten Kings of Qingtian, right?” Master Wu looked at them.

“Of course. They are said to be experts no weaker than Heavenly Leaf King, each stronger than the last, extremely terrifying!” Ji Yan nodded.

“They are indeed terrifying. Each one is no weaker than me, and some are even stronger! But our Dean Zhang, alone…”

Master Wu smiled bitterly.

“Killed nine!”