Chapter 1148: Causing a Scene at the Prince's Mansion

Entering the underground cavern for three months, without involving the mentor profession, although not an extremely severe punishment, was by no means light.

The underground cavern was a place where the Mentor Continent and the extraterritorial battlefield intersected, filled with a thick aura of slaughter, and from time to time, alien creatures appeared, making it extremely dangerous. To be trapped there was a matter of life and death!

Usually, it was mentors who had committed grave errors, believing their sins were unforgivable, who voluntarily requested to go there, striving to use the remainder of their lives to contribute a final bit of warmth to humanity.

Like Dean Lu Feng back then.

Not to mention that Sun Qiang was not a poison master; even if he were, having done nothing heinous, he could not be considered a great criminal. Even a mentor had no right to kill him, and as his master, I should not be implicated!

A vice hall master of the prestigious Mentor Hall, in charge of a branch, actually delivering such a verdict... it was the height of absurdity!

"Vice Hall Master Tian, showing leniency and granting you such generous treatment, you not only fail to appreciate it but even dare to refuse?"

Raising his eyebrows, Prince Zhongqing shouted loudly.

"Keep such generous treatment for yourself!" Ignoring the other party, Zhang Xuan took a few steps to Sun Qiang's side.

Clatter!

Seeing him approach, the two guards escorting Sun Qiang drew their weapons in unison, their faces alert.

However, their longswords had barely left their sheaths when, with a crisp sound, they broke into two pieces, the tips flying off to who knows where. Then, without seeing Zhang Xuan make any move, the two guards groaned, flew backward, and slammed heavily against the pillars outside the hall, their vision going dark as they fainted.

"You've been wronged..."

With a sigh, the Golden Soul Lock on Sun Qiang flew off and fell to the ground. Zhang Xuan flicked his finger.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The severe injuries on the latter visibly healed.

Sun Qiang's strength was far lower than his, so using Heavenly Way True Qi to heal his injuries was effortless.

"How dare you! Zhang Xuan, this is Qingyuan City, not your Hongyuan Empire! Disobeying the Mentor Hall's decree, acting on your own, disregarding laws and propriety, acting recklessly—what audacity! Guards, seize him!"

Prince Zhongqing shouted loudly.

Clatter!

Following his words, a crowd of people rushed in from outside.

"Young master..."

Seeing the young master confront the first prince of the Qingyuan Enfeoffed Empire for his sake, Sun Qiang's face turned pale, but a warm current flowed through his heart.

Breaking ties with the vice hall master of the Mentor Hall could very well ruin his future, yet the young master did not hesitate, only to save a servant like him... This kindness was deeper than heaven and earth.

Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei'er also stood on guard on either side.

"Seize me? Prince Zhongqing, are you truly not afraid of death, or do you think I dare not kill you?"

Ignoring the guards rushing in, Zhang Xuan turned to face Prince Zhongqing, who was in the center of the room.

"Kill you? Haha, a six-star mentor from a first-class empire, who gained some strength by chance, and now speaks arrogantly! Your refusal to obey Hall Master Tian's words is equivalent to violating the Mentor Hall's regulations... I will now purge the Mentor Hall of its defector!"

With a cold laugh, Prince Zhongqing's aura surged, reaching its peak in the blink of an eye.

The surrounding air twisted, as if folded under the control of his primordial spirit.

Saint Domain Fourth Layer, Primordial Spirit Stage Peak!

Not much different from Master Wu when he first entered Qiuwu Palace, and his combat strength even surpassed that of Array Masters Guild President Han.

"Prince Zhongqing, regardless, Master Zhang is a mentor. Even if he is at fault, he must be taken back to the Mentor Hall for interrogation. Capture him, but do not kill him..." Seeing his aura surge, Vice Hall Master Tian Qing instructed.

"Rest assured, Vice Hall Master, I know my limits..."

With a cold laugh, Prince Zhongqing's hand suddenly grasped, and the entire hall seemed shrouded in dark clouds, with wave-like power crashing down.

This first prince cultivated some unknown technique; not only was his power immense, but when his true qi surged, it also gave one the feeling of being on a battlefield, surrounded by blood, with a red haze before the eyes, making it hard to extricate oneself.

"This is... the Great Blood Robe Secret Art!"

Seeing this move, Luo Qiqi's beautiful eyes immediately narrowed, sharp and intense.

"Great Blood Robe Secret Art?"

"It is the most slaughter-heavy technique of the Qingyuan Empire. To cultivate it, one needs the nourishment of blood to progress. Once activated, it only retreats when blood is drawn... extremely eerie! Even the same-level Inclining Sea Art would find it hard to overcome!"

Luo Qiqi quickly added: "But this move is against the natural order. Neither mentors nor battle masters learn it... I never thought he, a prince, would learn it... Teacher, be careful!"

"Just a clown!"

Seeing the girl's full concern, Zhang Xuan showed no tension on his face; instead, he smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Whoosh!

The Golden Soul Lock on the ground shot out, fast as lightning, reaching Prince Zhongqing in an instant.

The mighty palm force could not stop the rapidly approaching Golden Soul Lock at all; in a blink, it pierced through the palm force and appeared before the first prince.

Bang!

The Golden Soul Lock struck his chest. His face flushed, and Prince Zhongqing spat out a mouthful of blood.

Stagger, stagger, stagger, stagger!

He retreated seven or eight steps, his back crashing into the seat behind him. The precious chair carved from fine wood could not withstand the impact and shattered into pieces.

His internal true qi seethed, roaring like tidal waves. Only then did Prince Zhongqing steady himself, feeling his blood surge and his face pale. He looked at the young man not far away, unable to believe his eyes.

He was a Saint Domain Fourth Layer Primordial Spirit Stage peak expert, while the other was merely Saint Domain Second Layer Divine Sense Stage peak... a gap of two whole major levels.

Logically, it should be insurmountable, yet the other had easily broken his palm force with a single strike and even repelled him effortlessly...

This was too terrifying!

Not only him, but even Vice Hall Master Tian Qing on the side was momentarily stunned.

Clearly, Zhang Xuan's combat strength had exceeded imagination, catching even him off guard.

"No wonder you dare to be so arrogant; you have a backing. But... if this is all you've got, then stay here!"

Motioning for Vice Hall Master Tian not to intervene, Prince Zhongqing let out a long roar, his fingers flicking repeatedly, while his palm turned over as if pressing down a lotus leaf.

"Three Autumn Palm!"

Zhang Xuan recognized it.

He had read all the martial arts books in the Battle Master Hall's Martial Arts Hall and fused them together. This move was already thoroughly learned, familiar beyond familiarity.

Three autumn osmanthus, ten miles of lotus!

The power of this move was no less than the Great Star Luo Finger, and it was quite famous in the Battle Master Hall. Many battle masters spent decades to achieve some success, yet this Prince Zhongqing had already reached the grand completion level.

Such a formidable technique, combined with the Great Blood Robe Secret Art, made the entire hall seem like a muddy pond, with blood-red lotuses blooming one after another, as if ready to reap souls and lives at any moment.

"This move would indeed be hard to handle for other battle masters; even Hall Master Liao and others would probably have to avoid its edge... Unfortunately, you've used it on the wrong person!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan advanced instead of retreating, stepping forward, his foot landing on a blood-red lotus, and raised his finger to point.

Hum!

Stars shimmered at his fingertip, outshining the light of the hall's night pearls.

Sword light shot from his fingertip, tearing apart the Three Autumn Palm in an instant. Then, Prince Zhongqing spat out a mouthful of blood, retreated several steps, and slammed into the wall.

Clatter!

Dust flew from above, and stones scattered.

"You know... the flaw in the Three Autumn Palm?"

Prince Zhongqing could not believe it.

Under normal circumstances, the Great Star Luo Finger and the Three Autumn Palm were of the same level and similar power; even in a clash, it should not be so easy to lose. But this Zhang Xuan somehow knew the flaw in his move, pointing right into it, causing his true qi to falter, unable to withstand even a single blow before being severely injured.

Too lazy to answer the question, Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, as if he had not been in a fight, and calmly looked at Sun Qiang not far away.

"He has harmed you so badly. How should we deal with him?"

"He pierced my collarbone. If I had the chance, I would pierce his too... make him suffer this pain!" Sun Qiang gritted his teeth.

"Simple!"

With a light smile, Zhang Xuan waved his hand again.

Whoosh!

The Golden Soul Lock on the ground flew up, like a long snake with a ferocious look.

Not expecting that this young man would discuss how to deal with him with a servant, Prince Zhongqing's face flushed with anger, and he shouted, "Why haven't you moved!"

Clatter!

Following his command, the guards who had rushed in earlier roared and charged forward.

"Hmph!"

Without turning around, Zhang Xuan stamped his foot on the ground.

Clatter!

A ripple spread from under his foot, and in an instant, the hall's formation seemed to activate, blocking the guards outside, unable to reach him no matter how they charged.

"You are nothing in my eyes. Do you really think some riffraff can stop me?"

Looking at Prince Zhongqing before him, Zhang Xuan raised his eyelids.

Having studied all the halls of the Battle Master Hall, his strength had reached the level of being invincible at the Primordial Spirit Stage. Even if the other was not weak, compared to him, he was nothing.

Clatter!

With the end of his words, the Golden Soul Lock stood upright again, like a great dragon, ready to devour at any moment.

"Vice Hall Master, save me..."

Knowing he was no match, and that this young man, though young, had unimaginable strength, Tian Qing could no longer care about face and shouted loudly.

"Stop now, or I will issue a mentor arrest warrant and bring you to justice..."

Tian Qing also saw that Prince Zhongqing was no match. Shaking his head, he stepped forward, raising his hand to interrupt Zhang Xuan's attack, when he heard a "whoosh!" and a huge cauldron flew over from somewhere.

Plop!

It smashed directly onto his head, and with one hit, he lay on the ground, sprawled out like the character "大."

"Master, where is the guy you want me to beat up? Watch me turn him into slag!"

"..." Zhang Xuan.

"..." Vice Hall Master Tian Qing.