Heavenly Profound City was the imperial capital of the Heavenly Profound Kingdom.
Within the capital, countless powers interwove like a vast web, and among them stood the Four Great Clans—existences so lofty that even the royal family treated them with courtesy.
The Wang Family was one of those four.
In a place like Heavenly Profound City, even the principal of Hong Tian Academy would have to give the Wang Family several measures of face. Any teacher who wished to request something from them would find it nearly impossible.
And yet—
The master his own younger sister had acknowledged… was that very man.
Zhang Xuan.
The teacher who had scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination.
A living disgrace.
The greatest shame.
Wang Tao was an academy senior disciple. Unlike most people, he knew Zhang Xuan's background all too well. He remembered clearly the incident where Zhang Xuan had guided a student into Qi Deviation, utterly losing what little dignity he had as a teacher.
At that time, Zhang Xuan had been nothing more than a joke—an object of ridicule discussed during others' leisure hours.
Never, in his wildest dreams, had Wang Tao imagined that one day his own blood-related younger sister would kneel and request that trash teacher to be her master.
If word of this spread among his fellow disciples…
He would become a laughingstock.
The more Wang Tao thought about it, the angrier he became.
Just as he was about to reach the classroom entrance, he spotted a figure standing nearby—his body wrapped in bandages like a mummy.
"Why, isn't this Young Master Wang Tao?"
The man spoke first.
Yao Han, the chief steward of White Jade City, had interacted with many influential figures over the years. As the young master of the Wang Family and a recognized academy genius, Wang Tao was naturally someone he had met before.
"You are…?" Wang Tao frowned, examining him.
Yao Han's injuries were severe. His face was swollen and distorted beyond recognition. Zhao Ya herself would have struggled to identify him—let alone Wang Tao.
"I am Yao Han of White Jade City," Yao Han said hastily.
"Oh… Chief Steward Yao. Why are you in such a state?" Wang Tao asked, surprised.
"It's… a martial arts mishap," Yao Han replied awkwardly, then quickly changed the subject. "May I ask why Young Master Wang Tao has come here?"
"My younger sister actually acknowledged Zhang Xuan as her master," Wang Tao said coldly, making no effort to hide his fury. "I'm here to take her back—and teach that ignorant fool a proper lesson."
"What? Your younger sister?" Yao Han froze. "You mean… Young Lady Wang Ying?"
Only then did he realize it. Earlier, his attention had been entirely on Zhang Xuan, and he hadn't noticed Wang Ying among the students.
Wang Tao nodded.
"But Young Lady Wang Ying's talent rivals yours," Yao Han said, baffled. "Why would she choose him?"
"My sister has never left home. She's pure and inexperienced," Wang Tao said through clenched teeth. "That man has a slick tongue. Who knows what nonsense he spouted to deceive her?"
Recalling Elder Liu's report, Wang Tao's anger surged even higher.
"Damn it! That fellow is a complete disaster—a disgrace to teachers everywhere!" Yao Han ground his teeth. "Young Master Wang Tao, you must teach him a lesson!"
"Hm." Wang Tao nodded, then paused. "Then why are you standing outside instead of exposing him yourself?"
"I tried," Yao Han said bitterly. "But our young lady stopped me. I had no choice but to wait here. Since you're here now, Young Master, please—go in and tear off that man's mask in front of everyone!"
"Don't worry," Wang Tao replied coldly. "I'll make that shameless trash reveal his true colors."
Clenching his teeth, he lifted his foot and kicked the door open, striding inside.
Inside the classroom, Zhang Xuan had just finished addressing the issues of his five students.
Zheng Yang's spear technique contained several flaws. After Zhang Xuan explained them in detail, Zheng Yang was ecstatic—his strength immediately improved by a noticeable margin.
As for Yuan Tao, he lacked a proper cultivation technique and martial skill. Zhang Xuan handed him a modified version of the academy's most basic technique: the Hong Tian Nine-Layer Formula, First Layer.
Though only slightly altered, it far surpassed the original high-level version. The moment Yuan Tao glanced at it, he nearly jumped from excitement.
He knew—he had encountered a true famed master.
"Alright," Zhang Xuan said, gathering the five students. "I've addressed your issues. Cultivation requires perseverance—"
Bang!
The door slammed open.
A furious roar echoed through the room.
"Zhang Xuan! Immediately withdraw my younger sister and Young Lady Zhao Ya from your class! Otherwise, I'll make sure you regret being born today!"
Wang Tao stormed in, his face flushed crimson with rage. His eyes burned blood-red as he stood before Zhang Xuan, killing intent overflowing.
"Elder Brother—!" Wang Ying cried out in alarm.
Seeing her brother, she rushed forward instinctively.
"You don't need to interfere!" Wang Tao waved his arm, pushing her behind him. His gaze locked onto Zhang Xuan, icy and disdainful.
"Zhang Xuan, misleading others is one thing," he sneered. "But daring to deceive my sister? That's courting death. I'll give you one chance—send her and Zhao Ya away now, and I won't pursue this further. Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless—even if you are a teacher!"
As he spoke, his aura erupted violently.
Martial Artist — Fourth Layer: Skin & Bone Realm!
No wonder he was an academy senior disciple. His strength surpassed that of most teachers.
"I'm in the middle of class," Zhang Xuan said calmly. "Get out."
"Get out?" Wang Tao laughed coldly. "Who do you think you are? Calling you 'teacher' is already giving you face. A mere low-level instructor at the True Qi Realm—how dare you act arrogant in front of me?"
"Even if I beat you senseless today, I'll get nothing more than a scolding from the elders. Do you really think I'd care?"
Wang Ying's face turned pale.
She knew exactly what kind of person her brother was.
But she also knew something else—
The man standing calmly before them had solved a problem that every expert physician in the Heavenly Profound Kingdom had failed to cure. He had even demonstrated the Zephyr Acupuncture Technique.
How could he possibly be ordinary?
Just as she reached out to stop her brother, Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Leave."
"Make me leave?" Wang Tao sneered, about to retort—when their gazes met.
For a split second, Wang Tao's heart seized.
It felt as though a ferocious tiger were staring at him, its killing intent pressing down like a mountain.
His body moved on instinct.
He staggered back several steps, legs trembling uncontrollably.
That aura—
He had only ever felt something like this from his own master.
How could a so-called trash teacher at the Third Layer True Qi Realm possess it?
The next instant, realization struck.
Humiliation flooded his mind.
His face darkened, eyes blazing red.
A waste like Zhang Xuan had frightened him?
If others found out—
Where would his prestige go?
"You're seeking death!"
Roaring, Wang Tao drew the long sword at his waist.
Hū!
The sword light flashed, sharp and ferocious.
As a Martial Artist at the Skin & Bone Realm, his strength exceeded five hundred kilograms. The air screeched under the force of his strike.
"Teacher Zhang—!" Wang Ying screamed.
The sword was too fast.
Too ruthless.
She closed her eyes in terror.
But—
"This… how is this possible?!"
Gasps of disbelief echoed around her.
Wang Ying snapped her eyes open.
What she saw froze her soul.
Wang Tao's sword—fierce beyond compare—was stopped midair.
Blocked.
By Zhang Xuan's hand.
No—by two fingers.
A sword strike backed by overwhelming strength…
Was casually pinched between his fingers.
Like a toy.