Chapter 669: Mind of Void
Back in Huanyu Empire...
At this moment, the collapsed infrastructure and cracked ground around the Cleansing Lake had already been fixed, and while the spiritual energy in the Cleansing Lake still wasn’t as concentrated as before, it was showing signs of recovery.
By the side of the Cleansing Lake, a huge stone tablet was erected, and five words were inscribed on it—Yang shi Throws His Shoe!
These words carried a majesty that seemed to draw one’s eyes to them. With just a glance, one could tell that it was the work of a 5-star painter.
Not too far from the stone tablet was where Zhang Xuan rose from the top of a fire dragon and threw his shoe.
By throwing the shoe, Zhang Xuan was just seeking the point where the three energies intersected—it need not necessarily be a shoe.
Nevertheless, the shoe was still taken by the Huanyu Empire as its national treasure, and a stabilizing formation flag was put in its place.
As long as the flag remained in place, the colliding spiritual energy would reach a state of equilibrium, thus providing energy to the Cleansing Lake, allowing Huanyu Empire to groom even more talents.
It was truly a blessing in disguise for Huanyu Empire.
Standing before the stone tablet, a historian recorded, "Huanyu Empire, 67th Year of Wentian’s Reign, Winter. The spiritual energy from the Verdant Mountain, Dragon-scaled River, and earth vein collided, destroying the Cleansing Lake and threatened to lay ruin to the capital. However, Yang shi descended from the sky and broke out of the perilous situation with a single shoe..."
While the historian was in the midst of writing, the water in the lake suddenly grew agitated, and bells chimed in the distance. Countless birds soared into the sky, shrouding the heavens.
"What is happening?"
"I have no idea..."
...
Upon seeing this situation, the guards in the region stared at one another in confusion.
"Pavilion Master Wei, what is going on?"
Emperor Ye Wentian, who hadn’t left the region, noticed the commotion as well and immediately rushed out from his room. Standing beside him was Pavilion Master Wei Jiang.
Pavilion Master Wei suddenly recalled a certain ancient record he had read in the past and froze.
"Blessings of the Hundred Birds... Someone is being acknowledged for a Celestial Occupation!"
Ye Wentian froze as well.
"Celestial Occupation? You mean someone has reached a proficiency in an occupation which even the heavens recognize?"
A Celestial Occupation represented the acknowledgement of the heavens for one’s contribution and proficiency in a certain occupation. Those who could bring forth such a phenomenon were all top-notch geniuses who would surely achieve incredible feats in the future.
For such a situation to occur here, doesn’t that mean that there’s a top-notch genius emerging in Huanyu Empire?
"That’s right!"
Pavilion Master Wei nodded. "Celestial Occupation means that one’s blessed by the heavens... Don’t worry, I’ll go and investigate it right now to see what occupation it is and who the one who triggered it is!"
"Un, you should. Tell me after you uncovered that person’s identity; I must pay that genius a visit personally..." Ye Wentian replied.
"Alright!" Pavilion Master Wei leaped onto the back of the savage beast and flew off to the Master Teacher Pavilion.
However, before he could even enter the pavilion, an elder suddenly rushed over with a fearful expression on his face and reported, "Pavilion master, something bad has happened... The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has collapsed, and all of the ancestral tablets... have fallen!"
"The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall has collapsed?"
Pavilion Master Wei was stunned. At that moment, he suddenly recalled another matter, and his body trembled in disbelief. "Trembling of the Myriad Tokens, Harmony of the Chimes... Could the Celestial Occupation be... Celestial Master Teacher?"
Celestial Master Teacher was an honor which only Empyrean Kong shi had undergone in the past. Even his direct disciples and the innumerable geniuses who rose after him had never been entitled to such honor before.
For such an incredible phenomenon to occur in the Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion... Who in the world was it?
A figure suddenly surfaced in Pavilion Master Wei’s mind.
"Could it be... Yang shi?"
The only plausible candidate in his mind was that unfathomable master teacher whom Pavilion Master Mo ordered a silence restraint for, Yang Xuan!
The image of how that elder descended by the sky and sealed the impending calamity with just a single shoe was still deeply-rooted in his mind.
Recalling the order from Pavilion Master Mo, Pavilion Master Wei swiftly issued an order.
"Inform all of the master teachers to remain silent on this matter! Those who defy this order shall be stripped of their master teacher qualification!"
Regardless of whether it was Yang Xuan or a Celestial Master Teacher, both of these were matters beyond them. It was best for them to remain silent on this matter, or else... they might just end up being wiped clean from the map.
Besides, there had only been a single Celestial Master Teacher in the entire history of the human race, Kong shi. While his affairs were recorded by historians afterward, no one could say for sure whether the records were accurate, and if this phenomenon really represented the acknowledgement from the heavens.
"Yes!"
Even though the elder was bewildered by the situation, he still quickly nodded in response before returning to carry out Pavilion Master Wei’s orders.
...
In Myriad Kingdom City...
Stretching her back lazily, Zhao Feiwu walked out from her room.
After cultivating in seclusion for a full month, she was feeling a little stiff all over.
But even so, she knew that this was the only way she could catch a glimpse of that man’s back, albeit the distance between them would only continue to increase.
"You’re done with your cultivation? Not bad, you have improved immensely!"
Pavilion Master Kang walked over, and after taking a look at Zhao Feiwu, he nodded in commendation.
Zhang shi had entrusted Zhao Feiwu to him before departing, so Pavilion Master Kang had been focusing his attention on her throughout the past month, and the latter had benefited greatly from his guidance.
Hong long!
At that moment, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly felt the ground beneath him tremble, and bells chimed furiously from the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion.
"This is... Celestial Master Teacher? Again?"
Pavilion Master Kang widened his eyes in shock.
It had just happened just a while ago, why would it happen once again all of a sudden?
When did the anticipated Celestial Master Teacher become so recurrent, as if it were an annual festival?
Zhao Feiwu was taken aback. She suddenly recalled the bits and pieces of the young man whom she spent several months with, and she couldn’t help but ask, "Could it be Zhang shi?"
"Zhang shi? Impossible! He has already gone ahead to Huanyu Empire, and that is almost a million kilometers away from here. How could it be him?" Pavilion Master Kang shook his head.
Even the phenomenon of a Celestial Master Teacher’s acknowledgement had a fixed range to it. Considering how Zhang shi wasn’t in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, how could he possibly trigger the phenomenon in here?
"I once read an ancient text, and it was said that when Kong shi became a Celestial 9-star Master Teacher, the entire continent celebrated his achievement. Phoenixes and true dragons arrived to offer their blessings, and rays of brilliant light fell from the heavens... Could the range of the phenomenon increase along with the rank of the Celestial Master Teacher?" Zhao Feiwu analyzed.
Even though she wasn’t a master teacher, due to her disability, she’d spent her entire youth reading books. Not to mention, as an empire, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance did contain many confidential texts depicting the history and numerous secrets of the continent. In terms of general knowledge, she was comparable to Pavilion Master Kang.
"This..." Pavilion Master Kang was stunned.
It was reasonable to assume that the phenomenon behind a Celestial 1-star Master Teacher would be different from a Celestial 9-star Master Teacher.
Could this huge commotion really have been caused by that fellow?
...
Xuanyuan Kingdom.
Dressed in resplendent robes, Mo Yu sat majestically on a throne.
After several months of reorganizing, she had managed to bring the entire kingdom under her control.
After the news that Zhang shi had become a 4-star master teacher reached this region, no one dared to utter the slightest complaint against Mo Yu’s sovereignty anymore.
There was no one in this kingdom who didn’t know of the intimate relationship between Empress Mo Yu and Zhang shi. If anyone were to be so blind as to incite a rebellion, putting aside the impressive fighting force that Mo Yu had under her command, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely step in and teach that person a lesson!
Dang dang dang dang!
The officials were currently in the midst of reporting on the various affairs across the kingdom when the loud chiming of bells sounded from the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion.
"This..." Astonished, Mo Yu subconsciously stood up. The other officials also turned their gazes over.
Every single master teacher across Xuanyuan Kingdom immediately rushed over to the Master Teacher Pavilion.
Everyone was bewildered by the sudden commotion, unable to comprehend what was going on.
...
The same situation also unfolded in Tianwu Kingdom and other regions as well.
It could be said that the phenomenon occurred in every single Master Teacher Pavilion under Huanyu Empire.
Most people had no idea what was going on, but even those who did had no idea who was the one who had incited it.
At the current moment, the culprit behind the uproar finally got to his feet.
After the Third Celestial Master Teacher came to an end, even though his cultivation was still capped at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, his comprehension of battle techniques and cultivation had grown even deeper.
At the same time, the consonance between his soul and his physical body had become even more perfect as well. Naturally, his fighting prowess had been brought to new heights too.
’Even though I am still no match for Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivators, there isn’t anyone in the primary stage who can rival me anymore!’
Sensing the difference in him, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly.
Even though Celestial Master Teacher didn’t affect one’s cultivation, it broadened one’s mind and analytical capability, allowing one to see past the superficial.
In a way, it was due to the previous two Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements that Zhang Xuan was much calmer than Luo Qiqi when facing the puppet earlier.
’My Soul Depth actually increased by 3.0!’
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
His Soul Depth had actually increased by 3.0, more than it had done the previous two times.
In other words, his current Soul Depth was 19.1, which was comparable to even a 6-star master teacher!
To possess the Soul Depth of a 6-star master teacher despite being in one’s twenties... Just the thought of it was frightening!
A Soul Depth increase of 3.0 was equivalent to the leap of an entire master teacher rank. If it had been anyone else, it would have taken dozens of years of cultivation to achieve the same breakthrough.
Along with the rise in Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will and Eye of Insight had grown even more powerful as well.
In the past, Zhang Xuan could only view things that were two small cultivation realms above of him. After the rise in his Soul Depth, it had increased to three small cultivation realms.
In other words, given his current zhenqi cultivation of Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, if a Cosmos Bridge realm advanced stage cultivator were to appear before him, he would be able to see through the flaws in the other party’s moves through the Eye of Insight even without tapping into the Library of Heaven’s Path.
The improvement in Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will was even more fearsome. Even if it was a 6-star middle-tier master teacher, he was confident he’d be able to beguile the other party with his words.
’The greatest gain from this acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher is not the increase in my Soul Depth or the enhancement of my Impartation of Heaven’s Will and Eye of Insight... It is Mind of Void!’
After checking his physical condition, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together in agitation.
The acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher had furthered his various abilities as a master teacher, but what left him the most delighted was that his physical body had gained the ability of Mind of Void.
Mind of Void, this was a state where one’s physical body could move solely on habit, even without a soul or intent driving it.
Back when Zhang Xuan was in the Cleansing Lake, his soulless body was reduced to a state reminiscent of a corpse, unable to be controlled or moved.
However, with the Mind of Void, his physical body was now able to cultivate or even fight without a soul!
In fact, without having to go through his mind, the reflexes of his body would be faster than ever!
If he were to face that puppet from before once more, he would be able to divide his body and soul to fight separately, thus exerting a far greater prowess than before!
’This is incredible! With this ability, I’ll be able to multitask easily!’
Zhang Xuan smiled in delight at his immense gains. At that moment, he suddenly heard a moaning sound beside him. Luo Qiqi had recovered from her state of enlightenment.