In the end, Guild Leader Meng Chong had only invited him to the Painter Guild and promised to gift him a painting in return. This had left Zhang Xuan a little resentful.
"Zhang Shi, we didn't contribute much to the seal this time around, so we won't be taking these high-tier spirit stones."
Guild Leader Mu took the high-tier spirit stones and placed them into a storage ring before passing them over.
He had gathered everyone here in hopes that they would be able to work together as a team, but it turned out that not a single one of them had been of any help at all. Even though the copper-masked figure had given them these high-tier spirit stones, they still found it a little embarrassing to accept them.
"Forget it!"
Seeing that no one wanted them, Zhang Xuan could only accept them reluctantly.
In truth, these high-tier spirit stones were of no use to him at all. However, if he wanted to purchase concentrated high-tier spirit stones in the future, he would be able to buy as many as he could.
Seeing that Zhang Xuan had accepted the high-tier spirit stones, Guild Leader Mu asked curiously, "Zhang Shi's appraising ability is unparalleled. You should be an appraiser as well, right?"
The young man before him was able to accurately determine the age of a painting, and on top of that, he was even able to find a solution based on the style of the painting back then. This showed that he had perfectly fused the art of appraising and painting together.
"5-star appraiser. I was intending to take the Seven Star examination, but I haven't had the time to do so yet …" Zhang Xuan nodded.
"Your eye of discernment is even better than mine. There's no need for you to take the examination anymore. I'll help you apply for the Seven Star appraiser emblem later on," Guild Leader Mu said with a smile.
It was no wonder even a figure of Wu Shi's caliber would treat him as a brother. With such an eye of discernment, there was no point in taking the examination anymore.
"I'll help you apply for the Seven Star painter emblem too!"
Guild Leader Meng Chong said.
Given that Zhang Shi's mastery of Void Imprint was far superior to his, his comprehension of painting had reached Seven Star pinnacle at the very least, so there was no doubt that he was qualified to take the examination.
"Thank you!"
Seeing that he had not only learned the occupation of painting, he had also obtained two of the occupation emblems consecutively, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Just like that, he had gathered all of the supporting occupations for the Seven Star master teacher examination. Once he received all of the emblems, he would be able to become a Seven Star master teacher and qualify to apply for the Sanctum of Sages.
"Guild Leader Mu, may I know where the Appraiser Guild's Compendium is? Guild Leader Mu, may I take a look?
Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan chuckled.
Since he was already here, he naturally had to collect all of the books.
Master Mu nodded.
Guild Leader Mu nodded. Just as he was about to lead the way, a conflicted voice suddenly sounded. "Zhang shi, teacher … Can I trouble you to help me deal with this matter first before dealing with the rest?"
"Tian" Tian "Master" Zhang "Master" to Mu Shen Tian. Zhang.
After more than two hours of growth, there were now nine durians on his head. Standing at the side, he looked like a big tree. Not only did he have luxuriant branches and leaves, but he also had flowers and fruits. He was indescribably prosperous.
The tail on its back was thick and powerful, and it looked very valiant …
"Wait a moment!"
Taking out his brush, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before writing down a prescription and passing it over. "Concoct the medicine according to this prescription and consume it. It should be able to erase the spirit in your body. However, the process might be a little painful, so you have to persevere through it!"
Since the other party was unwilling to open up his soul for his help, he could only use poison to erase it.
It was fortunate that he had taken a close look at the spirit previously, so he knew what kind of medicine he had to concoct in order to poison it.
This medicine was extremely simple, such that even ordinary cultivators would be able to concoct it. However, it was extremely harmful to the body, and the process would be extremely painful. Whether the other party could persevere through it or not would depend on himself.
If he felt that it was dangerous, he could just continue wearing a head full of durians. In any case, it would only affect his appearance; it wouldn't affect his life too much. On the contrary, as a plant, some of his abilities would be enhanced …
To be honest, as a descendant of his love rival, it was already extremely benevolent of him to offer his help.
"Thank you!"
Zhang Jiu Xiao said gratefully as he accepted the prescription.
After dealing with this matter, Zhang Xuan bade farewell to Wu Shi and the others, and following behind Guild Leader Mu, they headed to the library.
The knowledge of an appraiser encompassed every single occupation, including history, geography, and all kinds of valuable artifacts. There were more than ten million books on the subject.
Walking through the library, Zhang Xuan spent four whole hours browsing through the books, and it was only after midnight that he finally managed to collect all of them.
After organizing the books into a 6-star and Seven Star Heaven's Path Appraisal Method, he went through them once.
By the time he was done, his comprehension of appraising had already reached Seven Star pinnacle. Even without using the Library of Heaven's Path and Eye of Insight, he would still be able to appraise Saint intermediate-tier artifacts with ease.
Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as his eyes glowed in excitement.
Not only had he become a Seven Star pinnacle painter and appraiser after attending the Appraisal Conference, more importantly, he had learned that Kong Shi's projection had once appeared on a mountain. If there was a chance in the future, he would definitely head there to give it a try.
Perhaps, he might just be able to make a shocking discovery.
"Zhang Shi …"
As soon as Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, he saw Guild Leader Mu walking up to him.
Even though it was already past midnight, Guild Leader Mu was still awake.
Zhang Jiu Xiao followed behind him.
At this moment, he had already eliminated the plant spirit in his body. The durian on his head and the tail on his back were gone, but his face and body were still slightly swollen. Most likely, it was a side effect of the lethal poison. As long as he recuperated for a period of time, he should be able to recover to his original state.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bade farewell.
Leaving the Guild Leader Mu's residence, Zhang Xuan was greeted by the sight of countless stars hanging in the night sky. It was as if someone had used a needle to pierce through the night sky, leaving behind innumerable holes that allowed light to pass through.
The bustling streets had become a little deserted in the latter half of the night. Stretching his back lazily, Zhang Xuan began making his way toward the Combat Master Hall.
But barely after walking for a short distance, he suddenly frowned, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
He could clearly sense that someone was tailing him, but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to find the person.
Hu!
Not daring to hesitate, Zhang Xuan activated the Heaven's Path Movement Art and dashed forward. In a single breath, he covered a distance of ten li, but just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly felt an aura locking onto him.
Turning around, he saw a black-robed man standing not too far away.
He had fled so far using the Heaven's Path Movement Art, but the black-robed man was still able to catch up to him so easily. Furthermore, he was unable to sense the other party's presence at all!
Cold sweat trickled down Zhang Xuan's forehead as he narrowed his eyes.
He had never encountered such a situation before.
"There's no need to panic. If I wanted to kill you, you would have already been dead by now."
It was impossible to see the black-robed man's appearance clearly, but he could tell that the other party's voice was deep and dignified. Even though the other party was standing silently before him, it was as if he had fused with nature itself, as if he would vanish at any moment.
Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan's body jolted in astonishment.
He was unable to see through the other party's cultivation at all. In other words … the other party's strength was definitely above Hall Master Xing's, or perhaps even beyond the Leaving Aperture realm!
When did such an expert appear in Qingyuan City?
"Elder … are you waiting for me?"
Zhang Xuan asked nervously, but he knew that if the other party were to make a move on him, there was no way he would be able to escape. Thus, he quickly clasped his fist.
The fact that the other party had been following him ever since he arrived at the Appraiser Hall meant that the other party had been waiting for him.
"I have only released a sliver of my aura, but you were able to notice me so quickly. This shows that your Soul Depth is extremely high, allowing you to sense your surroundings extremely well."
Instead of answering Zhang Xuan's question, the black-robed man placed his hands behind his back and harrumphed coldly. "I followed you here as soon as the sky turned dark, and I saw how you dealt with the painting. To possess such eye of discernment despite your young age … Not bad!"
"You followed me here as soon as the sky turned dark?"
Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
While he was in the Appraiser Hall, Wu Shi had been accompanying him the entire time, and he had been paying close attention to the surroundings as well, but he had not noticed anything at all.
Yet, even after following the other party for so long …
This was way too frightening!
"May I know why elder is following me?"
Zhang Xuan discreetly communicated with the Library of Heaven's Path, but he was unable to find anything.
The other party had not executed any battle techniques, so even if he were to shout 'flaws', it would not form a book on him.
"It's nothing much. I just want to see if you are qualified and capable of doing so!"
The black-robed man harrumphed coldly as he raised his head. He was an elder in his sixties, and Zhang Xuan had never seen him before.
Peng!
Right after those words were spoken, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a stifling sensation in his chest. It was as if he had been struck by something, and his body was immediately sent flying.
In an instant, he felt as if the space before him had been squeezed flat, and as if a lobster in the other party's grasp, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to break free.
"This …"
Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed to the size of a wheat.
The fact that there was no book in the Library of Heaven's Path meant that the other party had not executed any battle techniques at all … Yet, even without executing any battle techniques, the other party was still so powerful that he was unable to retaliate at all …
What kind of strength was this?
Saint 5-dan pinnacle?
Saint 6-dan?
Or was it 7-dan?
In any case, it was not something that he could withstand with his current strength.
"Elder, if you are only looking for me to display your strength, there's no need for that. I am only a Saint 2-dan cultivator. No matter how much I display, I won't be able to comprehend it!"
Despite knowing that he was in danger, Zhang Xuan knew that he couldn't afford to panic. Driving his Soul Depth, he spoke with a unique tone.
The disparity in strength between him and the other party was simply too great. He could only hope that his superior Soul Depth would be able to distract the other party so that he could seize the opportunity to escape.
"Your Soul Depth isn't bad, but … it's still a little lacking if you wish to use Impartation of Heaven's Will on me …"
Seemingly reading Zhang Xuan's thoughts, the black-robed elder chuckled lightly.
"Elder, what are you talking about? This must be a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"
Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over his body as he replied earnestly with a smile.
The fact that the other party was able to see through his Impartation of Heaven's Will meant that the other party's Soul Depth wasn't beneath his!
It was fortunate that he hadn't acted rashly, or else he would have already suffered a backlash from the other party.
"You do have some petty tricks, but it's useless against someone like me!"
The elder shook his head.
"How could I possibly use petty tricks? Elder, to be able to imprison me here so easily, to the point that I wasn't even able to track you down, your Soul Depth must be unimaginably high … May I know what kind of expert you are? Can you show me your battle techniques?"
Zhang Xuan's face reddened in embarrassment. "I come from a humble place, and I have never seen such a formidable expert before. I really admire the disposition of an expert. If I could catch a glimpse of your battle techniques, it would be worth it even if I were to die here!"
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