Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Back when they were still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Luo Ruoxin had taken him to the Saint Ascension Platform, and they had managed to get into the folded space embedded in the area. They had found Kong shi’s personal writing, but Luo Ruoxin had given it to him without any hesitation, even claiming that she could easily obtain as much of it as she wanted.
Later on, when they entered the Qiu Wu Palace, she had said that she was searching for an object and displayed no interest toward Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s heritage at all…
And right now, she had even spoken of a high-tier breakthrough method that only Kong shi had managed to successfully pull off… Could she possibly have some kind of intimate relation to Kong shi?
Otherwise, how could she possibly know so much about him?
“I…” Facing the abrupt question, Luo Ruoxin was taken aback for a moment before lowering her head silently. When she raised her head once more, there was a slight pleading look in her eyes as she said, “Please don’t ask or guess anymore. I really can’t tell you anything.”
“But…” Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to share anything about herself, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little frustrated. Knowing that there was no way around it, he sighed deeply and said, “Alright, I promise not to probe any further on that. But in exchange, will you at least tell me if your current name is real?”
After saying those words, he looked at Luo Ruoxin with a nervous look on his face.
Previously, it was precisely because Luo Qiqi hid her real name from him that he had ended up in such a huge misunderstanding. He was determined not to make the same mistake again.
It was fine if Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to share her real identity. As long as he had her name, he was confident that he would eventually be able to find her.
Luo Ruoxin was initially unwilling to answer, but looking at Zhang Xuan’s expression, her heart softened. Shaking her head helplessly, she replied, “It isn’t.”
It was as he had guessed!
Staring intently at Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan asked on, “If Luo Ruoxin isn’t your real name, then…”
He had thought that it was weird how there was not a ‘Luo Clan’ among the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and the fact that Luo Ruoxin did not really go by the surname of ‘Luo’ explained a lot about this!
“Please don’t ask me any more than this,” Luo Ruoxin pleaded. “It’s not that I don’t want to reveal my real identity to you, but I can’t! If I speak, it won’t just be me that suffers—even you will face a great calamity!”
“… I understand. I won’t ask anymore.”
This was not the first time that Luo Ruoxin had said such words. While Zhang Xuan was not sure what kind of trouble they would face, considering how she was so frightened despite the power that she wielded, it was likely to be far more complicated than he had thought.
“As far as I know, a normal breakthrough to Great Sage shouldn’t draw in the heavenly flames. How did Kong shi manage to do it? Did he use some kind of unique secret art?” Zhang Xuan quickly changed the topic back.
Usually, it was only during a breakthrough to Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm that the heavenly flames would be summoned. The heavenly flames would then sear the impurities within one’s body in order to form a truly undefilable physique!
In other words, Kong shi would have used some kind of secret art in order to draw the heavenly flames while pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan.
Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not probing any deeper into her identity, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief before answering. “I’m not too sure how he managed to do it either, but I do know where to find the method to do so.”
“Where?”
If he could find the secret art required to bring the heavenly flames upon him to temper his body and Spiritual Perception, not only would he be able to enhance his fighting prowess, he would also be able to resolve the threat of the Innate Fetal Poison. In a sense, this was killing two birds with one stone.
“The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters,” Luo Ruoxin replied. “Back then, when Kong shi was pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage, he had already founded the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was in the headquarters that he found the inspiration to create the secret art and successfully advanced his cultivation to Great Sage.
“So, as long as you head to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, you should be able to find the secret art…”
Halfway through Luo Ruoxin’s words, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a Communication Jade Token materialized in his grasp.
“Hmm?”
Seeing Zhang Xuan’s actions, the young lady swiftly realized that something had happened. “Did something happen?”
“Something has happened to the Sanctum of Sages!” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.
The message on the Communication Jade Token that he had just received had come from Zhan shi of the Sanctum of Sages.
“The Sanctum of Sages?” Luo Ruoxin frowned.
“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. He quickly went through the contents of it and said, “Someone has barged into the Inner Sanctum… I need to head over to take a look!”
As he said those words, he got to his feet.
“I’ll follow you,” Luo Ruoxin said.
“Alright!” Knowing that his girlfriend’s prowess could easily match any Sempiternal realm cultivator, Zhang Xuan nodded without much hesitation.
They quickly left the room on the back of the aerial saint beast and leaped away.
“Clan head!” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s abrupt departure, Luo Ganzhen and the others hurriedly rushed over with astonished looks on their faces.
“I have some urgent matters that I need to attend to!” Zhang Xuan said.
He could not possibly reveal the fact that he was the head of the Sanctum of Sages, or else that would be equivalent to giving his identity as Zhang Xuan away.
“But the Zhang Clan…” Luo Ganzhen exclaimed anxiously.
“I’ll head to the Zhang Clan after I’m done dealing with the matters there. You don’t have to worry!” Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand.
The ones who had snuck into the Sanctum of Sages could very well be from the group that kidnapped Zhao Ya and his other students. They had managed to get away from him last time, and he was determined not to allow it to happen again.
“But…” Luo Ganzhen frowned.
“Enough! This matter isn’t open to discussion. I’ll come back in time to deal with the Zhang Clan!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently.
With a flick of his wrist, he took out a spear and pierced the space in front of him.
Tss la!
A dimension rift was ripped in the space in front of him. He quickly slipped right in, and Luo Ruoxin followed closely behind him.
In the blink of an eye, they had already disappeared from sight.
“This is… traversing through dimension rifts?”
The faces of Luo Ganzhen and the other elders paled in fright.
They had known all along that their clan head was an incredible prodigy; someone of mediocre talent could not possibly have managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. However, the fact remained that he was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, so it was inevitable for them to feel that his powers had yet to fully mature.
However, the feat that the clan head had just pulled off made them realize that they might have been underestimating him all that time.
“Just what happened for our clan head to head off in such a rush?” Luo Qingchen asked.
“I don’t know. However, since our clan head has already given us his word, let’s continue our journey to the Zhang Clan! Until we get that Zhang Xuan on his knees, begging for mercy, the rage in my heart won’t be quelled!” Luo Ganzhen spat with a cold glint in his eyes.
The other elders roared in agreement.
This was not the first time that they had headed to the Zhang Clan, but never had they felt so exhilarated as they did that day.
Finally, the Luo Clan would be ushering in its next spring!
…
Hu!
A dimension rift opened, and Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin jolted out. Taking a look at their surroundings, they had already arrived at the entrance of the Sanctum of Sages.
Driving the zhenqi in his body, Zhang Xuan swiftly reverted to his original appearance. Glancing at the young lady beside him, he noted that Luo Ruoxin had also taken off her disguise.
Thus, they quickly entered the Sanctum of Sages.
“What happened?”
Barely after entering the Sanctum of Sages, the first thing that Zhang Xuan noticed was that the ground was covered with the rubble of collapsed buildings, and countless holes could be seen here and there. It felt as if the Sanctum of Sages had just been through an extreme battle.
“It’s the aura of the Otherworldly Demons…” Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan scanned the area and saw the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons and the auras of master teachers lingering around the area.
Clearly, the Otherworldly Demons had invaded the Sanctum of Sages, and an intense battle had broken out.
“Sanctum head, you are back!”
While Zhang Xuan was still scanning the vicinity, Zhan shi, Ge shi, and several more elders of the Sanctum of Sages flew over.
“What happened here?” Zhang Xuan asked grimly.
“Reporting to the sanctum head, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe invaded the Sanctum of Sages and barged right into the Inner Sanctum…” Zhan shi clasped his fist with a doubtful look in his eyes. “However, they only left with Sage Kui’s sculpture in hand. They didn’t take anything else, and they didn’t start a massacre either… All they did was destroy a couple of buildings and cause pandemonium before escaping the premises!”
“They stole Sage Kui’s sculpture? Otherworldly Demons?” Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before his eyes narrowed in realization.
He clenched his fists tightly as he mumbled, “Could they be here for… Vicious’ upper body?”
