Chapter 162: Chapter 23 Going to Han Yuan City
“As long as the teacher does not forsake me, I am willing to follow for life, never leaving nor forsaking!”
The first to state their position was neither Hong Yi nor Yu Xiaoyu, but Liu Mingyue, who had previously been the most reluctant to become a student of Zhang Xuan.
At this moment, the girl’s eyes were still red with tears, not yet recovered from the grief of losing her father, but her black eyes shone with an unparalleled determination.
“Before I met Teacher, I was just a nobody without talent or background. Wherever I went, I was looked down upon. But now, no one in the academy dares to speak ill, and some even try to ingratiate themselves with me… Only after seeing what is good do I realize how miserable my past was.”
“I don’t want to live that way anymore, so like Senior Sister Mingyue, wherever Teacher goes, I will follow! And I will not regret it even in death.”
Hong Yi likewise nodded his head, smiling, “As for danger… Life must bloom to be splendid. Without experiencing these things, how can we become stronger.”
“Mm!”
Seeing that this little fellow, who had not seemed very significant before, had such deep thoughts, Zhang Xuan felt slightly surprised.
Although they had only been disciples for a few days, they had changed a lot.
Looking towards Liu Mingyue, he nodded in satisfaction. This child used to rely on her temperamental ways, showing all sorts of misses’ temper, but now, after experiencing so many things, she was like polished jade, slowly beginning to shine.
“And you?”
His eyes fell on Yu Xiaoyu.
“I…”
Yu Xiaoyu lifted her head, the bells on her body jingling, her black hair fluttering in the wind: “Actually, when I went back to the City Lord Residence just now, my father had asked me this question.”
“My answer was that I didn’t know. I grew up in Baiyan City and have never traveled far away. Leaving suddenly, not knowing when I will return… I feel apprehensive, and somewhat resistant!”
“I’m not afraid of danger following Teacher, nor am I afraid of being tried by the Heaven Mandate Hall. What I fear is leaving my hometown, no familiar places; no friends, finding strangers everywhere; the fear of thunderous nights without my cloth doll to hold…”
“I shared these worries with my father. He said… it’s all up to you, follow your heart. He doesn’t expect me to become an exceptional master, nor bear any clan missions, he just wants me to be happy.”
“So, I pondered and started thinking about my past life and these last few days.”
“Previously, under my father’s care, I had a good and joyful life. Even if there were worries, they would dissipate quickly, so I always thought I was happy.”
“Until a few days ago, my cultivation broke through, and with one punch, I sent Mo Yanxue flying, easily surpassing all the students in my grade… That sense of achievement that came with effort filled me completely. Being genuinely respected by others and not just feared because of my father touched my heart… Only then did I understand that my previous happiness wasn’t real at all!”
“People can only achieve greater accomplishments and happiness by realizing their own goals and continuously overcoming themselves.”
“So… I have already said goodbye to my father, decided to follow behind Teacher, unconcerned about life or death, sharing weal and woe! No matter how dangerous it is, I won’t back down.”
As Yu Xiaoyu spoke, her innocent face showed deep determination.
At this moment, she was no longer the somewhat dazed young miss but a warrior struggling for her dreams and goals.
“Since you all have made your decisions, I’ll give you one night to say goodbye to your friends and family. We leave tomorrow morning!”
Zhang Xuan waved his hand.
“Yes!” The three of them bowed with their fists at the same time.
After they left, just as Zhang Xuan was thinking of returning to his room to completely absorb the three Destiny Plates he had just acquired, he saw Dao Li, who was cooking nearby, walk over.
At this moment, the thousand-li horse had procured an apron from somewhere and tied it around its waist. Coming over, it rested its front hooves on Zhang Xuan’s shoulders and began to massage them.
“Speak if there’s something, no need to butter me up…” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“Hehe, hehe…”
While massaging, Dao Li started to speak with a slightly embarrassed tone.
“You want to come with me?” Zhang Xuan understood.
The truth was it wouldn’t be bad to take this fellow along. For long distances, the Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk was extremely suitable, and for shorter ones, it would be convenient to travel on it. And most importantly… it could cook, massage, brew tea, pour water…
Seeing his hesitation, Dao Li looked at him with big, pitiful eyes.
“Alright, one more won’t make much difference!”
Zhang Xuan waved his hand nonchalantly.
The back of the Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk was filled with him, Sun Qiang, and the three disciples. There was definitely no room for the horse, but as his strength increased, switching between the two worlds became smoother, so he could easily put it in the Suspended Realm. Not to mention taking it with him, even carrying off all the feed he bought earlier would be no trouble.
“Oh, right, this is the Primordial Beast I just killed. Handle it, and let’s roast it for a meal…”
With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan dropped a huge carcass to the ground.
Dao Li nodded excitedly, dragging the body into the kitchen, seemingly not the least bit concerned that his status as a thousand-li horse was reduced to that of a cook, showing no sign of feeling wronged or discontent.
Perhaps feeling the pressure, or for some other reason, the roasted meat that Dao Li prepared this time was neither too salty nor too bland, and actually tasted quite good. After giving it some thought, Zhang Xuan noted down the recipes for traditional dishes like sweet and sour pork, braised pork, and Kung Pao chicken from his previous life and handed them over to Dao Li.
Dao Li treated these recipes as treasures and studied them diligently.
Knowing that they would be leaving the next day, Zhang Xuan made another trip to the Chen Clan, taming the horses from the “B Sector,” “C Sector,” “D Sector,” and similar places. He also taught a class for Zhou Qun and others, sharing his knowledge of beast taming from the Master Teacher Continent.
In the end, he provided guidance on Apothecary Chen Xiao’s practice, allowing the Patriarch Chen to break through successfully, and his cultivation reached the primary stage of the Divine Soul Realm as well.
The grateful Patriarch invited him to become an honorary elder and spent a considerable sum of money to purchase Dao Li. Such a favor was definitely something that needed to be repaid.
As for Yu Longqing and Lu Mingrong, he helped them fix the hidden ailments in their bodies. Even if they did not break through now, they would likely advance further and become stronger in the future.
The night passed without incident, and as soon as dawn broke the next day, the three students came to him.
Knowing that staying any longer was meaningless, Zhang Xuan summoned the Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk, disguised himself as Ling Buyang, and along with Sun Qiang and the three disciples, they leaped onto the hawk’s back and swiftly flew away into the distance.
Although the Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk was a Primordial Beast with a strong constitution, carrying five people at once, including Sun Qiang who counted for two or three alone, was still quite exhausting for it.
However, just when it was about to give up, it felt a warm breath of air from beneath its master’s feet stream into its body, instantly clearing any blockages in its meridians, making its strength last longer and more enduring.
“Chirp chirp…”
Its large eyes were filled with excitement.
If before there was a sense of reluctant submission, now that feeling was completely gone, replaced by a deep sense of happiness.
Perhaps by following this new master, not only could it save its own life, but it also had the possibility of breaking through to the Divine Soul Realm and even reaching for the Primordial Spirit!
It’s a journey of thousands of miles from Baiyan City to the capital of the Han Yuan Dynasty, Han Yuan City. Even for the Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk, it would take at least a day to fly. With time to spare, Zhang Xuan took the opportunity to guide his three students in their cultivation.
The Primordial Beast Meat prepared by Dao Li in advance not only tasted great, but also was rich in strength, even more effective than some rare herbs and forge a grade-1 pill.
Hong Yi, who had started practicing cultivation, had never consumed such a thing before and his progress turned out to be even faster than Yu Xiaoyu’s, who had higher talent.
This spurred the two girls to practice even more diligently. Despite the beautiful scenery along the way, they did not glance at it even once.
Zhang Xuan didn’t bother to observe either, sitting on the hawk’s back, contemplating the strength within his body.
He had 99 units of strength at the late-stage of the Viscera Realm, and now at the peak of the Jade Bone Realm, he still had 99 units of strength. Despite much progress in his cultivation, there was no increase in his strength at all, as if an invisible force had sealed it.
Without guessing, this was surely another facet of the Fate Lock, constraining the strength of all powerful cultivators in the Source World who were at the Jade Bone Realm to 99 units of strength.
No matter the opportunity, no matter how high the talent, as long as one remained in this world, surpassing this limit was impossible, except… by breaking through to the Divine Soul Realm.
Just like with the Xuanlong Palm in the past, having high talent or intelligence was of no use. As soon as one comprehended it, the fragments of the heavens would lead you astray, making you wander further and further on a divergent path…
“When practicing in the Source World, the influence of the fragments of the heavens prevents strength from breaking through 99 units of strength. The new world is not restricted in this way, but such strength cannot be brought back here…”
He rubbed his temples.
He had experimented several times before. Currently, his strength was at 99 units, but as soon as he entered the new world, it would immediately surpass 100 units, and might even reach 200 units directly!
But upon returning, the strength would be suppressed back to the original level.
That is to say, it’s pointless to break through the restriction of the Fate Lock by hiding in the new world unless one can also break through in the Source World!
If that were truly possible, even someone at the Peak of Jade Bone Realm could unleash strength surpassing 99 units, and without even using the Pathos of Heaven sword art, one could crush a Divine Soul Realm powerhouse with a single punch.
“Young Master, it looks like there are people fighting over there…”
As he was pondering, Sun Qiang suddenly spoke up.
Zhang Xuan looked over and indeed saw violent surges of Origin qi on a distant mountain peak. Two groups of people were engaged in a pursuit drama. A woman fleeing at the forefront was carrying a three or four-year-old child, who had his eyes closed and looked deathly pale.
A young man in his thirties, probably her husband, was trying to hold off the pursuers behind them.
These pursuers, numbering over ten and wielding long sabers, sent several streaks of saber qi slashing towards the couple, causing them to stumble and struggle. The husband, covered in numerous wounds, was clearly at his breaking point.
“Stop fighting, we’re willing to give up the Crimson Frond… just please spare us!”
Seeing her husband’s injuries worsening, the woman clutching the child looked down at the infant in her arms and cried out with gritted teeth.
“Thinking of giving it up now… too late! To tell you the truth, we want both the Crimson Frond and your lives!”
From the pursuing crowd, an indifferent shout rose in response.
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan on the hawk’s back, frowned slightly.