The Martial Artist Fourth Layer — Skin & Bones Realm was no joke.
At this stage, flesh, muscles, and bones were tempered together. Strength surged, defenses hardened, and the body became like forged steel.
Compared to the True Qi Realm, the gap was enormous.
And yet—
A Skin & Bones expert had just been sent flying by a single strike from someone in the True Qi Realm.
Blood sprayed.
The shock was so great that everyone froze.
"How… how is this possible?"
Li Yuan had been a dignified Fourth Layer expert. Now he lay sprawled on the ground, teeth scattered, consciousness fading.
Wasn't Zhang Xuan the one who scored dead last in the Teacher Qualification Examination?
How could he be this terrifying?
"This must be a coincidence!" Qian Biao roared."Don't be afraid of him!"
Another teacher snapped out of it and charged forward.
He was also at the Skin & Bones Realm, advanced stage.
As he moved, his muscles bulged like iron bars, his skin gleaming like steel plating. Every step radiated power.
"Lie down!"
His palm slammed forward.
Boom! Boom!
The compressed air exploded with sonic booms.
Facing such a fierce attack, Zhang Xuan's expression didn't change at all.
He merely raised his hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together—
—and pointed upward at an angle.
Pa-ta!
The charging teacher suddenly felt a sharp pain under his armpit. His vision went black.
His iron-like body stiffened—
—and he collapsed flat onto the ground.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Two moves.
Two Skin & Bones Realm teachers defeated.
Only now did Qian Biao and the remaining two realize—
This so-called Trash Teacher was anything but simple.
"Attack together!" Qian Biao shouted.
He clenched his fist and rushed forward.
But before he could even throw a punch—
Zhang Xuan was already in front of him.
A left hand grabbed his face.
A right hand tapped lightly.
Putong!
A sharp pain exploded in Qian Biao's lower abdomen.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed like a sack of grain.
The remaining teacher fell almost simultaneously.
The four of them lay on the ground, twitching like struck fish.
"How… how do you know our vital gates…?"
Qian Biao spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Zhang Xuan in horror.
Only now did he understand.
Their cultivation wasn't weaker.
Their realms weren't lower.
But every time Zhang Xuan struck—
He hit their vital gates.
A cultivator's vital gate was their greatest weakness. Once struck, even a child could cripple or kill them.
These points were fiercely guarded secrets.
Even close relatives didn't know them.
Yet Zhang Xuan struck them as if reading from a manual.
How could anyone resist that?
Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and said nothing.
Naturally, this was thanks to the Library of Heaven's Path.
It didn't just record flaws in techniques—it exposed weaknesses in the cultivator themselves, including vital gates.
Even if Zhang Xuan wasn't familiar with this world's cultivation systems—
As long as the flaw existed, the library revealed it.
"So," Zhang Xuan said lightly,"Since we made a bet, shouldn't you honor it?"
"If you'd obediently accepted the slap earlier, this wouldn't have become so troublesome."
"Zhang Xuan!" Qian Biao roared."Don't get arrogant!"
"Even if we don't know what dirty trick you used—attacking fellow teachers is forbidden! You're the lowest-ranked teacher in the academy. Injuring senior teachers is grounds for stripping your qualifications!"
"Once this reaches the academy—"
"You'll be expelled!"
Li Yuan's eyes lit up cruelly.
"That's right! Kneel now and let us vent our anger. Maybe we'll be merciful and not report this."
"Otherwise, once you lose teacher status—killing you won't even count as a crime!"
The threat was deadly.
A teacher's status was protection.
Lose it—and even murder could be brushed aside.
Zhang Xuan, however, looked completely unconcerned.
"Oh?" he said."So now you want to talk about rules?"
"Fine."
"I'll talk about rules too."
He took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Qian Biao.
"Teacher Qian Biao," Zhang Xuan said calmly,"Six months ago, you privately used Elder Chen Ming's treasured jade to bribe his concubine."
"Three months ago, you embezzled academy funds to purchase a residence."
"One month ago, you broke Elder Liu Quan's favorite porcelain and framed a student, causing his dismissal."
"Should I continue?"
Qian Biao's pupils shrank.
His fat body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"How… how do you know…?"
These matters were flawless.
No one knew.
Not even Li Yuan.
Yet Zhang Xuan spoke as if he'd watched it all happen.
Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Li Yuan.
"Teacher Li Yuan."
"Three years ago, you insulted a female student. She committed suicide out of shame."
"Since then, you've dreamed of her constantly."
"Half a month ago, a dark sore grew on your back—shaped like a human palm."
"You think it's a coincidence?"
"Ah—!"
Li Yuan screamed.
He staggered back, face drained of blood.
Every word was true.
So true it shattered his soul.
Putong!
His knees buckled.
A foul smell spread as he lost control of his bladder.
A dignified Skin & Bones expert—reduced to this.
Zhang Xuan turned to the remaining two.
"Teacher Du Chun—poisoning your own brother for property."
"Teacher Bai Lin—accepting antique bribes from students."
"The jade ring you wear—shall I name which student gave it, and why?"
The last two teachers collapsed in terror.
"You're a devil…"
"You're not human…"
Their eyes were filled with pure fear.
Being defeated in battle was humiliation.
But having their darkest secrets exposed—
That was true terror.
It felt as though their souls had been stripped naked before the world.
If these things were exposed—
Losing teacher status would be the least of their worries.
They would be executed on the spot.
"We were wrong!"
"Teacher Zhang—please forgive us!"
"We beg you!"
They trembled and begged, voices breaking.
Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently.
"I don't care what you did in the past."
"As long as you don't provoke me, I won't bother with you."
"But if you dare cause me trouble again—"
"I won't mind letting the academy deal with you properly."
His voice was calm.
But to them, it sounded like a death sentence.
"We wouldn't dare! Never again!"
"Teacher Zhang—here, here are the identity jade tokens! Take as many as you want!"
Qian Biao scrambled to offer them.
They couldn't fight.
They couldn't threaten.
Their lives were now in Zhang Xuan's hands.
Begging—
Was the only option left.