Chapter 296: Student Jiang Shu

He had seen experts who attacked at the slightest disagreement; he had seen those who turned and left, ignoring the mundane world.

But at the slightest disagreement, asking someone to become a disciple...

The middle-aged man blinked.

Having reached the peak of Grandmaster, his talent was naturally not weak, but he knew he still fell short of true genius.

Not a genius, yet the other party immediately offered to take him as a disciple...

What was going on?

"Indeed! You must be wondering why I immediately asked you to become my disciple?" Zhang Xuan waved his hand, his gaze deep and calm. "Your talent is not exceptional, your strength is nothing special—what is it about you that I fancy?"

"I..."

His thoughts seen through, the middle-aged man's face showed slight embarrassment.

"In your fight with the Red-Bodied Tiger just now, you combined the [Canglang Body Art] with the [Hongyan Fist]. Though quite exquisite, you couldn't unleash its full power. If I'm not mistaken, your Hongyan Fist is only a fragment!"

Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"Senior, Senior... how do you know?" The middle-aged man's expression changed, filled with shock.

The Canglang Body Art was a well-known movement technique in the Tianwu Kingdom; recognizing it was not surprising. But the Hongyan Fist was his unique ultimate move, learned from a relic left by a supreme expert in a mysterious valley during a past training expedition.

The fist technique was named after its creator, a predecessor called Hongyan. It was fierce in momentum and powerful, capable of unleashing strength that could rival wild beasts.

Although only a fragment remained in the expert's relic, after years of cultivation he had mastered it thoroughly. He had always kept it as a life-saving trump card, rarely using it in front of others. In the fight with the Red-Bodied Tiger, he had intended to train and thus used it, never dreaming that this senior would recognize it at a glance.

Zhang Xuan did not answer his question, his face calm and unruffled: "The Hongyan Fist is bold and unrestrained, with fierce power. If you practiced only this art, even a fragment would be harmless and not burden your body. But you insist on also cultivating the [Three-Inch Palm]. Its power is unleashed within three inches, a sudden burst of inch-force. Inch-force and the broad, powerful fist technique are fundamentally conflicting. If I'm not mistaken, you must have some chronic ailment in your body that you cannot eliminate!"

"I..."

The middle-aged man was utterly horrified, his body trembling. He quickly cupped his fists, his attitude even more respectful: "Senior... is absolutely right!"

The martial technique he had first cultivated was the Three-Inch Fist.

Later, when he obtained the Hongyan Fist, though he knew the two might conflict, he could not bear to give up such a powerful technique and forced himself to practice it. He thought that relying on his status, he could resolve the issue, but the deeper he cultivated, the greater the harm to his body.

Especially in recent years, he had felt his stamina declining significantly. That was why he was determined to tame this young Red-Bodied Tiger—so that if something happened to him, it could protect his family.

"As a master teacher, knowing that the fist techniques conflict yet still learning them, harming yourself without realizing it—that is foolishness." Zhang Xuan's voice carried a sharp edge.

"Senior... knows I am a master teacher?" The middle-aged man looked over again, full of disbelief.

In the fight just now, he had used the Hongyan Fist and Three-Inch Palm; it was not surprising that the other could see them. But he wore no badge, no master teacher's robe—how did the other know?

He hadn't shown any sign of being a master teacher either!

"In your fight with the Red-Bodied Tiger, you could anticipate and avoid its powerful attacks, though it might be due to familiarity from many battles. Yet every move you made targeted its weaknesses—this, if not a master teacher, would be hard to achieve!" Zhang Xuan said.

A master teacher possesses the state of mind of the Insight realm, able to see flaws and mistakes in martial techniques, thereby identifying problems and offering guidance.

For this reason, among martial artists of the same level, a master teacher is undoubtedly the strongest.

Just now, this man's offense and defense were measured. Though fighting a ferocious beast, he was not nervous at all; every move had deep meaning. Any cultivator could almost see the problem.

Moreover, when he fought the Red-Bodied Tiger, both used martial techniques, and the library had already formed related content.

"Senior has keen eyes..."

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Could it be... Senior is also a master teacher?"

Other than a master teacher, he couldn't imagine who could see through his martial techniques, the problems in his body, and even his profession at a glance.

Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back. The mountain wind blew, making his sleeves flutter like an immortal: "I have been traveling abroad for many years; it's been a long time since I heard anyone address me that way!"

"So he is indeed a master teacher..."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes brightened, filled with excitement.

The other was at least a supreme expert, with insight far surpassing his own—meaning he was at least a Three-Star Master Teacher!

If he was a master teacher, it was understandable why he would ask him to become a disciple upon meeting.

A master teacher bears the responsibility of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts. When encountering those who are confused, they can provide answers. This is why the entire continent, and even humanity, thrives so prosperously.

It is why the profession of master teacher is revered by billions.

The hierarchy among master teachers is strict. A lower-level master teacher can naturally address a higher-level one as 'teacher,' and the so-called apprenticeship poses no problem.

Moreover, the other had seen through his problems at a glance and could help tame the Red-Bodied Tiger. If he truly became his disciple, he would be the one gaining immensely!

"If Senior is willing to accept me as a student, it would be my honor!"

His face reddened, suppressing his excitement, he quickly said.

"No more doubts?" Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"This junior would not dare!"

The middle-aged man quickly nodded.

He couldn't discern the other's cultivation level, and he had tamed a half-step Sovereign beast, with astonishing insight. Even if the other now claimed not to be a master teacher, he wouldn't believe it.

"The Red-Bodied Tiger you fought just now is not yet mature; its strength hasn't reached its limit. If you can find a way to make it grow quickly, reaching the peak of Grandmaster, it will not be difficult to make it submit to you!"

Seeing that the man believed his identity as a master teacher, Zhang Xuan knew the rest would be easy. He stopped talking and offered a benefit.

"This... I know too, but I've tried and really can't think of anything that could make it grow..." The middle-aged man hesitated.

As a master teacher, he was knowledgeable and had dabbled in taming techniques. He knew that to tame the beast, he must cater to its preferences. Unfortunately, he had tried many times and didn't know what could help this Red-Bodied Tiger break through.

After all, the beast wasn't constrained by power but by age. No medicine could make it grow older abruptly! Even if such a thing existed, it would be like forcing growth, and the tiger would only resent him, making submission impossible.

"Do you have any pills on you?"

Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"Yes... a few healing pills!" Not knowing why the senior asked, the middle-aged man hesitated, then said.

"Give them to me!" Zhang Xuan extended his hand.

"Yes!" Though unsure why the other wanted the pills, the middle-aged man didn't hesitate much. He flipped his wrist, and a jade bottle appeared in his palm. With a gentle flick, he sent it floating toward Zhang Xuan with true qi.

This move, though simple, showed extremely strong control over true qi.

Hiding his surprise, Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle and casually opened it. Inside were about a dozen smooth, round pills, all at the second grade.

Second-grade pills were each worth a fortune. A dozen together probably cost over ten million. To carry them casually and toss them over—only a master teacher would have such boldness.

Pouring the pills into his palm, he focused his mind, and pure Heavenly Dao true qi surged into them, compressing the dozen pills into a single large pill.

To help an immature beast break its own limits, unless through bloodline advancement, there was no other way. Zhang Xuan didn't know which medicine could do it, but he knew... his Heavenly Dao true qi could!

The other was only at the peak of Grandmaster, and he himself was not far from the Grandmaster realm. The difference was small, so the effect of Heavenly Dao true qi should be significant.

However, Heavenly Dao true qi was too advanced, and the other was a master teacher with keen insight. If he helped him advance, he might discover the problem, ruining all his pretense.

Moreover, to infuse Heavenly Dao true qi directly into meridians for advancement, the recipient must not resist. He couldn't just knock the Red-Bodied Tiger unconscious.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't!

By infusing true qi into the pills, once the pills dissolved, the true qi would automatically enter the body, circulate with the blood, and purify the bloodline, achieving the same effect of advancing the beast's bloodline.

But this wasted pills; the higher the grade, the more true qi they could hold. In one go, tens of millions of gold coins' worth of medicine would be wasted.

Of course, to Zhang Xuan, it didn't matter—he was being generous at someone else's expense.

Spending tens of millions to tame a peak Grandmaster beast... this guy was definitely getting a bargain.

"Alright, I've re-refined your pills. Just give this to the Red-Bodied Tiger to take, and it will immediately break through. How to make it submit to you depends on your subsequent methods!"

With a flick of his finger, the pill shot straight toward the middle-aged man.

He didn't have the other's effortless technique, so he had to use this clumsy method.

"Yes!" Taking the pill, the middle-aged man looked confused and somewhat incredulous.

These healing pills, bought from the Alchemist Guild, were nothing special. After being held by this senior for a while, at most they were compressed into one pill—could that really make the Red-Bodied Tiger advance?

It seemed a bit unreliable!

"Take it to it now and have it swallow it!" Zhang Xuan didn't explain.

"Yes!" Though doubtful, thinking that the other might be a Three-Star Master Teacher and a Sovereign realm expert, unlikely to deceive him, the middle-aged man nodded, put the pill away, and leaped in the direction the Red-Bodied Tiger had fled.

Zhang Xuan didn't follow; he stood quietly on the back of the Roaring Sky Beast, waiting.

About an hour later, a loud rumble sounded, and the middle-aged man rode the Red-Bodied Tiger to his side.

This time, without hesitation, he jumped off the tiger's back and immediately knelt: "Student Jiang Shu pays respects to Teacher!"