Library of Heaven's Path

"Teacher…" Division Head Wei and Xiao Bo were startled.

They had only left for the Trial of Inner Breaths for a moment, so how in the world… did so many combat masters of the Inner Breath Division suddenly become Sun shi's students?

Didn't they acknowledge their teacher a little, no, way too fast?

Division Head Wei was utterly confused by the twist in the situation before him. He could not comprehend what was going on at all.

While combat masters were expected to obey the orders of their superiors, the relationship between division heads and the combat masters under them was similar to that of brothers. There was not a particularly strict hierarchy between them.

It was for this reason that Shi Hao and Xiao Bo had expressed themselves rather casually before Division Head Wei, not restraining themselves in the least.

For a teacher to suddenly pop out before those brothers all of a sudden…

He had been intending to bring Sun shi into the Inner Breath Division, but all of a sudden, the latter had become everyone's teacher. What the heck was going on?

Just as he was wondering what kind of sorcery Sun shi had cast over them, the young man suddenly shook his head and said, "There's really no need for this. Please rise. The path to cultivation is not one that should be walked in isolation. Only through trading insights and learning from one another will we be able to advance further. It's sufficient for us to speak to one another as peers; there's no need for you to address me as your teacher."

It was just a simple lecture from him, so he did not think that they would suddenly acknowledge him as their teacher. This had left him in an awkward position.

"Sun shi's teachings are direct, and they point directly toward the essence of cultivation. I have benefited greatly from your guidance. Given so, it's only right for me to address you as my teacher. In fact, I am honored to have you as my teacher!" Shi Hao said.

As a renowned genius of the Combat Master Hall, it was inevitable that he was a prideful person.

Under normal circumstances, it would be hard to say whether even the hall master himself would be able to win his respect, and yet, he was showing such deep reverence for the man before him.

Not only did the other party enlighten him on the problems in his cultivation, more importantly, the guidance he had offered was truly full of wisdom, clearing the shadows veiling his eyes. As long as he absorbed all of the knowledge, he was certain that he would be able to advance his zhenqi capacity significantly to an unfathomable level.

Such valuable knowledge, and the other party had imparted it to him without any reservations.

Just this generosity in itself was sufficient to make him willingly address the other party as his teacher. This was how he felt deep in his heart as well.

"Indeed, Sun shi. We earnestly regard you as our teacher, so please don't turn us down!"

"With the knowledge that you have imparted to us, we'll surely be able to advance our cultivation swiftly. Clearing the examination will be a walk in the park!"

…

The others quickly nodded in agreement.

"This…" Division Head Wei was completely stunned.

It was a moment ago that he had wondered whether Sun shi had used some kind of underhanded method to force the combat masters in the Inner Breath Division to become his students, but upon seeing this sight, it was apparent that it was an earnest gesture from the depths of combat masters' hearts.

He had only left for the Trial of Inner Breath for a moment… Just what in the world did Sun shi lecture on that won him the respect of so many people within this short period of time?

"Alright then…" Seeing that the combat masters were determined, even though Zhang Xuan was a little troubled by the matter, he eventually relented and nodded in agreement.

Just as he had said, he only regarded it as an exchange, and it was with this notion in mind that he had conducted a lecture for them. It was never his intention to accept them as his students, so he could not help but feel a little lost when all of them suddenly addressed him as their teacher.

It seemed like being too outstanding was a trouble as well. No matter where he went, everyone just wanted to take him as their teacher. How problematic!

"Division Head Wei, you have returned. Alright, let's head to the Martial Arts Division then!" Just as Zhang Xuan was a little unsure of what he should do at the moment, he suddenly saw Division Head Wei walking over, so he quickly grasped this opportunity to free himself from this slightly awkward situation.

"Alright then…" Division Head Wei nodded blankly. Without saying too much, he began leading Zhang Xuan toward the Martial Arts Division.

The Martial Arts Division was not far from the Inner Breath Division. It was only a short walk before they arrived at their destination.

"Division Head Feng is a good friend of mine. We have known each other for more than three hundred year now. As long as I make a request on your behalf, he should allow you to browse through his collection," Division Head Wei said with a smile.

Division Head Feng used to be a renowned master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was skilled in all kinds of battle techniques, and his fighting prowess was terrifying. Eventually, Hall Master Xing personally invited him over, offering him the position as the head of the Martial Arts Division so that he could help groom generation after generation of combat masters.

Division Head Wei had already been acquainted with him before the other party joined the Combat Master Hall, and their relationship had only gotten closer since then.

A combat master stepped forward and said, "Reporting to Division Head Wei, our division head went out a moment ago, and he hasn't returned yet."

"He hasn't returned yet?" Division Head Wei frowned.

"I'm afraid so." The combat master lowered his head apologetically.

"When he returns, tell him that there's something I need his help on." Since Division Head Feng was not around, there was nothing they could do. Thus, Division Head Wei could only shake his head in disappointment.

"I'll relay your message to him, Division Head Wei," the combat master replied with a smile. "Actually, if Division Head Wei is seeking to borrow our division head's book collection, there's no need to wait for our division head to return. Our division head has stored most of the battle technique and cultivation technique manuals he has collected in the Trial of Martial Arts. As long as one successfully clears the trial, one will be granted access to that collection for as long as one wants!"

"Trial of Martial Arts?" Division Head Wei asked.

He rarely had time to come over to the Martial Arts Division, so he was unsure of the various systems in place for it. On top of that, he did not recall the Martial Arts Division having a trial in the past.

"That's right. In the Trial of Martial Arts, the challenger will first pick a battle technique from among several hundred, and as long as you are able to defeat the puppet left behind by our division head while using the battle technique, you will be considered to have cleared the trial," the combat master explained.

Division Head Wei nodded in realization.

In a sense, it was a system that was strikingly similar to their Inner Breath Division's.

One should learn other battle techniques only after one had achieved a certain level of mastery in the battle technique one was currently practicing. After all, even if one were to learn a huge array of battle techniques, it would be completely meaningless if one could not use them effectively in battle.

"Sun shi…" Division Head Wei turned to seek Zhang Xuan's opinion.

"I don't mind giving the Trial of Martial Arts a try," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Since he could access the books just by clearing the trial, there was no need for him to owe a favor to Division Head Wei over this minor matter.

"Alright, I'll lead the both of you over then!" The combat master smiled before leading the way forward.

Not too long later, they arrived at a vast hall. Similar to the entrance of the Trial of Inner Breath, it was crowded with combat masters. Most of them had grim expressions on their faces.

"This is the Trial of Martial Arts. The wall over there lists the names of the many battle techniques for the trial. As long as one is able to achieve Major Accomplishment in any one of them, one will be qualified to challenge the puppet our division head left behind. After defeating the puppet, one will be able to enter the library and assess our division head's collection of books. Sun shi, are there any familiar battle techniques on the list that you see? If there are any, tell me and I'll register you for the trial!" the combat master said.

In the short talk they had while walking over, he learned that it was not Division Head Wei who wanted to browse through the books but the young man before him.

However, for the young man to be accompanied by a division head, he could not help but wonder what kind of identity the young man had.

"Let me take a look." Zhang Xuan nodded as he turned his gaze to the wall.

There were all kinds of battle techniques listed on it—'Thousand Leaves Palm', 'Fist of Red Thread', 'Asterism Finger'…

There was a huge variety, and making a swift count, there were actually more than two hundred techniques listed!

"There are so many of them?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

"It's our division head's hobby to collect such manuals. Listed up there are all of the common Saint-tier battle techniques in Qingyuan Empire. Is there a technique that Sun shi specializes in?" the combat master asked.

"This…" Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a little awkward. "This is the first time I have heard of these battle techniques. I haven't practiced even one of them before."

These battle techniques were unique to Combat Master Hall and the Qingyuan Empire, and considering that it hadn't even been a day since Zhang Xuan arrived here, there was no way he could have heard of any of these battle techniques before, let alone practiced them!

The combat master was taken aback. "All of the easier Saint-tier battle techniques in the Qingyuan Empire are listed up there. As a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator, Sun shi… has never practiced any of them before?"

Of the two hundred or so battle techniques, 180 of them were straightforward and easy to master. Yet, to actually not know a single one of them… just how weak was he?

"I have only cultivated one Saint-tier battle technique so far, but it isn't among the two hundred techniques up there," Zhang Xuan replied with an embarrassed smile.

Most of his stronger battle techniques had come from the Hongyuan Empire, but none of them had reached Saint-tier yet. Only the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which he had learned from the ancient domain, had reached Saint-tier, but even so, he thought that there were too many flaws in it, so he had not practiced it anymore afterwards.

"You have only learned one Saint-tier battle technique? And it isn't within the list?" The combat master glanced at Zhang Xuan with an inconspicuous hint of disdain in his eyes.

He had thought that the other party was a genius from some powerful clan, but who would have thought that he was an inexperienced greenhorn instead?

In the Martial Arts Division, combat masters who hadn't mastered at least three Saint-tier battle techniques would not even dare to walk with their heads up.

"That's right," Zhang Xuan replied. Following which, he pondered for a moment before adding, "Do you have any of the manuals for the battle techniques listed on the wall? I'll quickly learn one before challenging the Trial of Martial Arts."

He might not have learned any of the battle techniques listed on the wall, but it was not a problem at all. He could always just learn on the spot.

"You'll quickly learn one before challenging the Trial of Martial Arts?" The combat master nearly burst into laughter.

If it was not for the fact that the young man had been brought there by Division Head Wei, he would have berated the other party at this very moment.

Saint-tier battle techniques might have been commonplace in the Martial Arts Division, but any single one of them could easily be considered a trump card in a battle in the Qingyuan Empire.

It was true that most of the listed battle techniques were straightforward, but it would still take at least several years of practice before one could achieve Major Accomplishment in any one of the techniques and challenge the puppet.

Even the more talented geniuses of their Martial Arts Division would require at least two years of practice before they dared enter the Trial of Martial Arts. Yet, this fellow sure spoke big words. It sounded as if he would challenge the trial right after learning it on the spot.

Ignorance sure emboldened guts!

Pushing his displeasure back down, the combat master advised patiently, "I understand your desire to clear the Trial of Martial Arts, but mastering a battle technique isn't as easy as you think it is. Regardless of the battle technique, it will require diligent practice over numerous years before one can even come close to reaching Major Accomplishment."

"Thank you for your advice, I appreciate that. However, I think that it's worth a try. If you have a manual of any of the listed battle techniques, I hope that you can lend it to me for a moment," Zhang Xuan replied.

If he could compile the Saint-tier battle technique given by the other party with his current collection in the Library of Heaven's Path to create a Heaven's Path battle technique, he could still consider cultivating it. Otherwise, there was no way he would waste his effort on it.

"You… Alright then!"

The combat master was going to fly to a rage after seeing how obstinate Zhang Xuan was on the matter, but noting that Division Head Wei was by the side, he could only suppress his rage. Flicking his wrist, he took out a book.

"This is the manual for Grand Constellation Finger that I am currently practicing. It's among the two hundred battle techniques on the wall, but I'll have to warn you that it might be a little difficult for you. I had to spend seven years on it before I was able to reach Minor Accomplishment!" the combat master explained with a hint of pride on his face.

"You took seven years to reach Minor Accomplishment in the Grand Constellation Finger?" Division Head Wei suddenly thought of something, and his eyebrows shot up. "Wait a moment, are you the genius of the Martial Arts Division whom Division Head Feng often speaks about, Jiao Tan?"

When they were looking for Division Head Feng, he had been the only combat master who happened to be in the vicinity, so they had approached him out of convenience to ask for the latter's whereabouts. As such, they were not aware of the other party's name.

However, upon hearing of the name of the battle technique and the duration the other party had taken to cultivate it to Minor Accomplishment, Division Head Wei suddenly recalled this matter.

The Grand Constellation Finger was definitely the most difficult to master out of the two hundred battle techniques listed on the wall, as well as the most powerful one. Even Division Head Feng had required 23 years before he could achieve Minor Accomplishment in the technique, but the other party had only taken seven years. His talent was truly frightening.

"Indeed, that's me!" Combat Master Jiao Tan nodded with an air of dignity around him.