Library of Heaven's Path
Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 698: Yuan Tao's Heritage

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Conferred Empires were a rank higher than Tier-1 Empires. 7-star master teachers stood at the core of the empire, ensuring the prosperity of the nation.

Considering how King Huai didn't fly into a rage despite the rudeness of the young man, intervening to mediate the situation even, it was likely that the elder and the young man possessed extraordinary standing.

If they were truly from a Conferred Empire, everything would make sense.

After all, when Yu Fei-er and Xing Yuan visited Huanyu Empire, Ye Wentian had to act prudently around them, not daring to offend them at all.

"That's right!"

The elder chuckled. "Zhang shi sure is incredible. To think that you would possess a Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers at such a young age. Your talent is incredible even among the multitude of geniuses I have seen. You will surely achieve great things in the future!"

"Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers?"

King Huai was astonished to hear that.

He had sent his men to investigate the background of Zhang Xuan, and the other party was only a 4-star master teacher of Huanyu Empire. He'd thought that it would still take many years before the other party could achieve anything sizeable, but who could have known that his Soul Depth would actually be so high?

It was extremely difficult to raise one's Soul Depth.

There were many master teachers whose cultivation had reached the mark but were unable to be promoted due to their Soul Depth not reaching the prerequisite.

And yet, the fellow before him, despite his low cultivation, possessed an extraordinarily high Soul Depth. This meant that it was just a matter of time before the other party became a 6-star master teacher!

If he were to be given some time to grow, he would surely make a name for himself… It seemed like there was a need to establish close ties with the other party.

Hearing the other party's evaluation, Zhang Xuan frowned.

Without using a Stone of Insight, not even a 6-star master teacher was able to gauge his Soul Depth accurately. And yet, the other party was actually able to evaluate it accurately. Clearly, the other party's eye of discernment and cultivation had truly reached a fearsome level.

With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and said, "Elder Yuan is being too generous!"

"Given your cultivation and talent, there's nothing generous about my praise. Since Zhang shi's surname is Zhang, may I know if you are related to the Sage Ancestry Zhang Clan?" Elder Yuan asked doubtfully.

"Sage Ancestry? Zhang Clan?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have never heard of them before, and I am unrelated to them."

He was an orphan as well as a transcender, so how could he have known of this Zhang Clan and Sage Ancestry?

"Unrelated?"

Elder Yuan was taken back for an instant before saying, "It doesn't matter whether you are related to them or not. It is admirable in itself that you were able to advance so far in your Soul Depth cultivation given your age, as well as your composure and steadiness in dealing with matters, and your lack of complacency and impatience. It is no wonder Young Master Tao views you so highly, refusing to acknowledge anyone else as his teacher except for you!"

"Young Master Tao?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you mean… Yuan Tao?"

Zhang Xuan only had a few students, and the elder also went by the surname of Yuan. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who the other party was referring to.

Just that… wasn't Yuan Tao an orphan? On top of that, he grew up in Tianxuan Royal City as well. How could he be the young master of the Boundless Empire's Yuan Clan?

"That's right. We found Young Master Tao through the resonance in our bloodline. I have heard stories about his travels with you, and I would like to thank you for the care you have shown him!"

Elder Yuan nodded.

"This…" Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

Bloodline resonance… Could Yuan Tao really be a missing young master from the Yuan Clan? But… this was way too inconceivable!

If this was really true, considering how the Yuan Clan was likely to be a powerful clan in a Conferred Empire, how could their young master possibly be left behind in a place as remote as Tianxuan Kingdom?

Seemingly noticing Zhang Xuan's doubts, Elder Yuan asked with a smile, "As Young Master Tao's teacher, are you aware of his ancient bloodline?"

"He possesses the Emperor's Bloodline!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Zhang Xuan had noticed Yuan Tao's Emperor's Bloodline from the very start through the Library of Heaven's Path. It was due to his bloodline that he accepted Yuan Tao as his student.

Just like unique constitutions, there were many differing types of bloodlines too. Ancient Bloodlines, New Bloodlines, inheritances, and mutations…

The Emperor's Bloodline was an extremely powerful bloodline from the ancient era which boasted invincible defense.

Zhang Xuan had met so many talented people, but not even a 6-star master teacher like Mo Gaoyuan was able to discern Yuan Tao's Ancient Bloodline. As such, it was unlikely that the elder was lying.

"Zhang shi indeed has keen eyes!" Elder Yuan nodded. "That's right, Young Master Yuan possesses the purest Emperor's Bloodline of our clan, and to our surprise, Zhang shi has managed to awaken it."

"… Clan?"

"Our Yuan Clan is built on the Ancient Emperor's Bloodline, and every single one of our members possesses it. However, with each passing generation, our bloodline grows thinner and thinner."

Elder Yuan sighed. "However, the heavens have taken pity on us! They have given us Young Master Tao, who possesses the perfect Ancient Emperor's Bloodline. With his return, it'll only be a matter of time before our clan rises to power once more!"

"This…"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He suddenly recalled the young man who tried to act arrogantly before him earlier.

Judging from the other party's bulging muscles, it was clear that he specialized in physical body cultivation. Thinking about it, the Emperor's Bloodline probably ran through his blood as well.

The Emperor's Bloodline boasted invincible defense, and if one were to fully awaken it, the might of one's physical body would reach unimaginable levels.

In truth, Zhang Xuan had been wondering how the rare Emperor's Bloodline could possibly appear in Yuan Tao—it turned out that he had such a huge clan behind him after all!

"But if he is from your clan, how did he end up in Tianxuan Kingdom?"

Zhang Xuan voiced his doubts.

Considering how Yuan Tao was born with the complete Emperor's Bloodline, how could the Yuan Clan possibly leave him alone in a remote kingdom?

"It was out of helplessness that we chose this course of action. As time passes, the bloodline running through our veins only continues to grow thinner. In order to revive the Ancient Bloodline, we could only send our offspring to ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations and allow them to grow by themselves! Only in places like that could the recovery of the bloodline be triggered," Elder Yuan explained.

An Ancient Bloodline could only retain its complete form in ancient ruins. If they were to stay cooped up in their clan, the bloodline would only grow thinner and thinner, and eventually disappear entirely.

"Ancient ruins? You mean… Tianxuan Kingdom is considered as ancient ruins as well?"

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

Tianxuan was an Unranked Kingdom located in the most remote part of the continent, but there was actually more to it?

"That's right. The war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race was spread across the entire continent, and we term the regions unaffected by the conflict as ancient ruins! Such places tend to be more backward, and there are no Teleportation Formations in the vicinity. Even the Master Teacher Pavilions wouldn't dispatch any personnel to such a region, thus isolating it from the entire world," Elder Yuan explained.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes.

It seemed like… Tianxuan Kingdom fit that description aptly!

Devoid of a Master Teacher Pavilion or Teleportation Formation… Remote and thin in spiritual energy…

"Such lands tend to be located by the borders of the continent, and they spread across a wide area. We send our offspring to these ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations shortly after their birth, but we are unable to clearly locate their specific coordinates, so we could only slowly look for them… and throughout the years, many have failed to survive there as well!"

Elder Yuan shook his head.

They couldn't choose where their offspring were teleported to nor whether they would be able to survive there or not. If they had another choice, they wouldn't have sent their offspring to such places either.

Many of their offspring ended up dead, and those who lived on to restore the Ancient Bloodline numbered even more in the minority.

It was truly fortunate that they had managed to find Yuan Tao, who had recovered the Ancient Bloodline. How could they not be agitated?

After conversing for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan finally gained a good grasp on the situation.

Back then, the war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race had spread far and wide across the entire Master Teacher Continent. The regions that were unaffected by the conflict were known as ancient ruins. But while such places were closer to the ancient era, they were extremely backward, especially in terms of cultivation techniques and battle techniques.

Without anyone to care for the Yuan Clan offspring who were sent there, there was a lot of doubt about whether they could survive or not, let alone, restore the Ancient Bloodline.

But this was the only course of action they could take.

Otherwise, if they were to allow their bloodline to continue thinning, it would only be a matter of time before they were consumed by other powers and disappeared in the annals of history.

'But still, to possess Teleportation Formations, the Yuan Clan is far stronger than I had thought!'

After hearing the other party's words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

Rumor had it that an 8-star formation master possessed the ability to construct a formation capable of teleporting lifeforms. Considering how the Yuan Clan sent their offspring to the ancient ruins through such formations, how could they be an ordinary clan?

Elder Yuan then revealed his true intentions.

"Since we have found the young master, we intend to bring him back to our clan to inherit our heritage… However, Young Master Tao insists on meeting you, and he wants to receive your approval before deciding anything. I hope that Zhang shi can express your support for this matter."

It wasn't easy for the Yuan Clan to find an offspring that possessed the complete Emperor's Bloodline, so Elder Yuan was determined to bring Yuan Tao back to inherit the heritage regardless of the situation. However, Yuan Tao insisted on meeting his teacher before making a decision, thus resulting in the present situation.

On the other hand, the young man behind Elder Yuan felt that it was humiliating that the actions of the Yuan Clan had to be dictated by a mere 4-star master teacher. On top of that, he didn't think that Zhang Xuan was qualified to serve as Yuan Tao's teacher either, and that was the reason he provoked Zhang Xuan earlier.

"This…"

Zhang Xuan was hesitant to respond.

First Zhao Ya, and now Yuan Tao was standing before a crossroad as well.

Considering how the Yuan Clan had a complete heritage of the Ancient Emperor's Bloodline, the best course of action was clearly for Yuan Tao to return with them… But after the days they had spent together, Zhang Xuan was reluctant to part with the other party, especially since Zhao Ya had left. Who knew when they would be able to meet, or whether they would even meet again at all?

"I have heard of the methods Zhang shi used to awaken Young Master Tao's bloodline, and they are indeed novel… However, our Yuan Clan possesses the complete heritage regarding the Emperor's Bloodline, so Young Master Tao will surely be able to awaken his bloodline much faster, allowing his cultivation to soar. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi can agree to this matter. After all, this is for Young Master Tao's welfare!" Elder Yuan urged.

He had already discussed the matter with Young Master Tao, and he could see the deep relationship they had for one another. If Zhang Xuan were to say no, Young Master Tao would surely refuse to leave with them.

However… the fate of their clan lay on their shoulders. A prospective successor was standing before them, so how could they possibly allow him to continue roaming instead of bringing him back?

"I understand."

Zhang Xuan sighed gloomily.

Life is a cycle of reunion and separation. There is no teacher who can stay by his student's side for life. Sometimes, letting go is the best way to unleash a student's potential.

Take Zhao Ya for example, after heading to the Glacier Plain Court and receiving the best heritage and resources, her cultivation was probably on par or even beyond Zhang Xuan's right now.

The same applied for Lu Chong as well. He and Mo Hunsheng had gone on a journey to search for the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles. They might not have reached their destination yet, but once they did, Lu Chong's cultivation would surely soar.

Seeing the look of hesitation on Zhang Xuan's face, the young man by the side said coldly, "Our elder has already said so much, and yet you are still reluctant? Young Master Tao possesses the complete Emperor's Bloodline, and it is a matter of time before he grows to become a mighty dragon.

"You might be a master teacher, and your talent is not bad, but in terms of physical body cultivation… you are far from a match for us. You aren't qualified to be the young master's teacher at all. You'd better learn your place, it is only out of politeness that we are discussing this matter with you!"

Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

"Did you just say that I am unqualified to be Yuan Tao's teacher?"