Chapter 1182: A Palm Technique Descending from the Sky

Zhang Jiuxiao cried.

He truly cried.

As a scion of a noble family, he had seen countless prodigies and knew how terrifying they could be. Being struck down by such people, he could recover quickly. But... to be beaten up by his own refined weapon, and worse, threatened—if he kept yapping, it would whip him...

This left him utterly devastated, his heart aching beyond breath.

Was this still his weapon?

Just by attending a lecture, was it enough to betray him?

Full of frustration, he couldn't help but listen in. After only a short while, the true qi in his body involuntarily began to circulate according to the method the other was describing.

“This... what an incredible cultivation method, even among the family it would be considered top-tier... and he’s just passing it on like this?”

Zhang Jiuxiao trembled.

As a family scion, he naturally had a keen eye.

The content the other explained had no embellishment, yet it pointed straight to the core of the Dao, enabling one to cultivate more easily and smoothly... In this alone, it surpassed countless techniques.

“No, I can’t keep listening, or I’ll surely receive his favor and become his student...”

Feeling his gaze grow hazy, Zhang Jiuxiao gritted his teeth.

Though his mental state was nothing compared to Zhang Xuan’s, it was far stronger than that of an ordinary Seven-Star Master Teacher. Moreover, being farther away, despite the power of the Heavenly Word, he could still maintain his clarity.

Suppressing the urge to keep listening, he struggled to pry himself off the wall. Just as he was thinking of how to disrupt the other’s lecture, he saw a millstone wiggling its buttocks as it approached.

“Come over and give me a hand...”

After struggling and failing to stand, he exhaled and called out to Zhang Jiuxiao.

He knew this woman was a devoted fan, infatuated with him to the point of madness. Even if he just asked her to help him up, or even glanced at her, she would be excited for days.

Slap!

He extended his hand, waiting for her to jump with excitement, when he felt a pain in his chest. The huge millstone flew straight at his face.

Whoosh!

He was sent flying again, crashing into the wall once more, spitting mouthfuls of blood.

“Shut up! If I see you disturb Teacher Zhang’s lecture again, I’ll hit you every time I see you!”

With a cold snort, the millstone twisted and slowly walked away.

“...” Zhang Jiuxiao.

His weapon had betrayed him, and now even his most loyal fan had betrayed him. What kind of magic did this Zhang Xuan have?

Frustrated to the point of vomiting blood, he listened again. This time, he could no longer resist, and the true qi in his body began to circulate according to the other’s words.

The strength and aura damaged by his injuries quickly recovered...

The more he cultivated, the more profound it felt, and his gaze gradually grew dazed...

“Alright, that’s all for today. If you have any questions, you can ask me privately after class!”

After who knows how long, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and ended his lecture.

“Yes, Teacher!”

The ten thousand master teachers in the Master Teacher Hall knelt down in unison, each one convinced and admiring.

Though this Teacher Zhang’s lecture was short, it had greatly benefited them, and they would surely see a significant increase in their cultivation in the future.

Zhang Jiuxiao also knelt behind the crowd without any hesitation.

“It’s over...”

Seeing the state of the crowd, Hall Master Gou knew it was impossible to stop them any longer. He seemed to have aged several hundred years in an instant.

The ten thousand master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, whom he had thought could successfully prevent the other from succeeding, had all become his students after just one lecture...

If he had known it would be this heaven-defying... he wouldn’t have spoken up for Tian Qing.

“It’s your turn...”

Just as he was feeling utterly dejected, he heard the young man’s voice continue. Looking up, he saw this Zhang Xuan staring at him and Vice Hall Master Tian Qing.

The first trial of challenging the hall was to challenge all the master teachers of the hall. Now all the master teachers had become the other’s students... leaving only him and the two vice hall masters.

Master Wu was on good terms with the other and certainly wouldn’t make a move... That meant only he and Tian Qing were left.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll fight you...”

Pushing aside his frustration, Hall Master Gou let out a turbid breath.

Anyway, he had already lost face to this extent; a little more wouldn’t matter.

Regardless, he was a Soul Separation realm expert. Though he hadn’t undergone the lightning tribulation and wasn’t a true Soul Separation cultivator, his strength was far beyond that of vice hall masters like Tian Qing or Master Wu!

“Tian Qing, stay aside and don’t act. Our Master Teacher Hall, even if we lose, must not lose our dignity!”

Seeing Vice Hall Master Tian also eager to move, Hall Master Gou snorted.

For a dignified peak Seven-Star master teacher to make a move against a Six-Star master teacher was already shameful enough. If the two of them ganged up on him, they would truly have no face left.

“Yes!” A cold glint flashed in Tian Qing’s eyes. No one knew what he was thinking, but he said no more.

“Teacher Zhang, although Hall Master Gou hasn’t undergone the lightning tribulation and isn’t a true Soul Separation expert, his strength is still beyond what I can match. When you fight, you must be careful...”

Arriving less than ten meters from Hall Master Gou, Master Wu’s voice quietly sounded in his ear.

He had seen what happened today. Regardless of right or wrong, no matter what happened, Teacher Zhang must not come to any harm.

“Mm.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Out-of-Body realm experts are divided into [Pseudo Out-of-Body] and [True Out-of-Body]. The former refers to those whose primordial spirit can leave the physical body but have not undergone the lightning tribulation.

Without the tempering of the lightning tribulation, even if the primordial spirit is powerful, it has certain limitations—just as if Zhang Xuan had not undergone the Saint-Sealing tribulation, his combat power would never have reached such a level.

Hall Master Xing is a Pseudo Out-of-Body, stronger than Half-Step Out-of-Body, but still some distance from the early stage of True Out-of-Body.

Even so, he is extremely formidable, able to manipulate the surrounding environment and space, making it hard to guard against.

"Make your move!"

Knowing that this opponent, aside from that Luo Chengxin, was likely the strongest he had faced, Zhang Xuan's expression turned grave.

Whoosh!

Without a word, Hall Master Gou narrowed his eyes, flipped his hands, and pressed down through the air.

His palm force was not profound, and his true energy did not seem vigorous, but combined with the power of his primordial spirit, the surrounding space seemed to solidify, becoming extremely viscous.

"The Out-of-Body realm manipulates space, making movement difficult. If I hadn't studied Qiuwu Ancient Sage's Derivation of Space Scripture, I might have been trapped before even making a move, unable to budge..."

Feeling the changes in his surroundings, Zhang Xuan sighed inwardly.

No wonder Out-of-Body realm experts are the pinnacle of the Qingyuan Empire; even without undergoing the lightning tribulation, they are not something someone of his strength can contend with.

"Fall back!"

Without joy or sorrow, showing no emotional fluctuation, he slid his foot across the ground and retreated straight back.

Those who have not reached True Out-of-Body have a limited range of control; as long as he could break free, he would not be affected.

"Can you retreat?"

With a cold laugh, Hall Master Gou grabbed through the air, and everyone felt as if the space of the entire hall had collapsed. Zhang Xuan's retreat speed immediately slowed.

Martial technique: Tiger Roar Grasping Hand!

Although it was only a common early Saint realm martial technique, in his hands it displayed power exceeding the mid-stage.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The vortex formed by true energy descended like a cage.

Feeling a sticky sensation in his body, Zhang Xuan's retreat speed slowed further.

Where before he could retreat over ten meters in one breath, now he might not even manage half a meter.

"As expected of a master teacher..."

Sighing inwardly, Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped retreating, shook his body, and vanished from his spot.

"Damn!"

Seeing his power grasp empty air, Hall Master Gou's pupils contracted. He was about to speak when he saw a figure suddenly appear before him, a palm pressing down lightly.

His opponent had used the force of his Grasping Hand to close in.

However, his strength was not limited to this.

"An Out-of-Body expert caught at close range is as good as dead! But with your strength, can you even get close?"

Laughing coldly, a flash of light appeared between his brows. Hall Master Gou's massive primordial spirit emerged in midair. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan felt as if his entire body was bound. Though his palm was less than half a meter from his opponent, he could no longer advance.

"So this is the power of the Out-of-Body realm?"

His joints turning white, Zhang Xuan finally understood the gap between them.

Although he had studied the Derivation of Space Scripture and gained some understanding of space, he still could not forcibly contend with an expert of this level.

"It seems... this is my limit!"

Knowing where his limit lay, Zhang Xuan stopped probing. In an instant, all the acupoints in his body seemed to explode.

Vast true energy burst forth from the acupoints. In the blink of an eye, his hands seemed to transform into thousands, overlapping and striking forward fiercely.

"Thousand-Hand如来 Palm? How can this technique be so powerful?"

"It seems this technique has been modified; otherwise, it could never have such power..."

The master teachers in the room recognized the palm technique and were all stunned.

Thousand-Hand如来 Palm is a mid-grade Saint realm martial technique. Although it allows one to strike a hundred palms, appearing like a thousand hands, the power of each palm is not very strong due to the dispersion of force. Against an opponent stronger than oneself, it at most serves as a distraction, with little effect.

But the version Zhang Xuan executed was completely different. Each palm was full of power, as if carrying the aura to destroy heaven and earth. Not to mention those of the same level, even a peak Primordial Spirit realm expert encountering it might be blown apart on the spot!

"To suddenly unleash so many palms... how vast must his true energy be?"

A master teacher couldn't help but exclaim.

Everyone fell silent, their throats dry.

Indeed, to strike a hundred palms in an instant, each maintaining peak power—even if one learned this technique, they would lack the true energy to sustain it.

Because all the true energy in their body combined would not be enough to unleash half a strike.

Rip!

Under the impact of the fierce power, the surrounding bound space tore like silk. Zhang Xuan lightly leaped, breaking free from the primordial spirit's control and rising into the air.

Pressing his thumb and middle finger together, he gently flipped his palm. With feet above and hands below, he suddenly pressed downward.

Boom!

A massive palm print tore through the air, striking straight at Hall Master Gou's primordial spirit.

"Th-this..."

Seeing this, Zhang Jiuxiao, standing behind the crowd, turned pale. He looked at a master teacher beside him: "Do you remember a palm technique that descends from the sky?"

"I don't remember!" The master teacher shook his head.

"..." Zhang Jiuxiao.