Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 890

Chapter 890: The Reason Behind the Old Principal’s Death

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning to his room, Zhang Xuan finally felt exhaustion setting into his body.

It had been two days since he returned from the search for the Firefly Fruit, and he hadn’t had a single moment of rest. On top of that, becoming the master of the many spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had caused him to overexert his spirit as well.

Were it not for his massive soul, he would have never been able to hold on. Nevertheless, as soon as the tension left his body, he felt a splitting headache striking his mind.

Before Vicious fell into a temporary coma, he helped me tamper with the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast to remove its consciousness. I can use that to heal my wounded soul. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan whipped out the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast before drawing his own soul out as well.

Driving the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, he began to devour the soul before his eyes.

Tzzzzz!

The pure soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast gushed into Zhang Xuan’s soul in the form of a warm surge of energy, healing and tempering it further.

Not too long later, Zhang Xuan’s soul was fully recovered. On top of that, it had also become slightly bigger and stronger.

As the Bluehorn Dragon Beast’s soul was lacking a portion, it couldn’t be said to be complete. Nevertheless, it was still a soul that had reached Saint realm 5-dan, so in terms of the purity of its energy, even a high-tier spirit stone would be no match for it.

It’s truly a pity that I don’t have the complete Chrysalis realm Heaven’s Path Soul Art yet… or else, I would have been able to raise my soul cultivation further!

After consuming a portion of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast’s soul and feeling his soul being filled to the brim, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head and put it back.

He only had the Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Heaven’s Path Soul Art at the moment, so there was no way for him to advance his cultivation any further.

Of course, he could choose to absorb the soul to enhance the quantity of his soul instead of the quality, but if he were to do so, it was possible that the awkward situation that had befallen him back in the Cleansing Lake might occur once more. If his soul and body were to become incompatible once more, not only would his fighting prowess not increase, it might decline instead.

It’s a pity that the Cloudmist Ridge is dominated by saint beasts, so there are no human cultivation techniques here. Otherwise, I could have tried to gather books, compile a complete Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and attempt a breakthrough to Half-Saint tonight…

There were all kinds of treasures in the Golden Beartiger Beast’s storage ring, but there was simply a certain item lacking—cultivation technique manuals.

Spirit beasts and saint beasts cultivated in a vastly different manner from humans, so the cultivation techniques of humans were useless to the Golden Beartiger Beast, thus he didn’t leave any behind.

Otherwise, given that there was still some time before daylight, he could have attempted to break through to Half-Saint realm.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan thought, Forget it. It will be the inauguration ceremony in a few hours’ time, and once I become the principal, I will be able to access all of the books in the academy freely. By then, I can easily gather all of the cultivation technique manuals that I am lacking together and form the corresponding Heaven’s Path Divine Art…

If it had been before, Zhang Xuan would surely have begun searching around to see if he could find any cultivation techniques. However, considering that he would be able to access all of the books in the academy tomorrow, there was no need for him to go through that trouble anymore.

“Teacher!” Just as Zhang Xuan was about to rest, he suddenly heard Wei Ruyan’s voice from beyond the window.

Frowning, Zhang Xuan walked over. “What’s wrong?”

Wasn’t she going to exact vengeance for her father? Did she get soft-hearted at the last moment?

“Teacher, You Xu revealed some important news regarding the Master Teacher Academy right before I was going to kill him, so I dare not make a decision by myself. Thus, I came over here to report the matter to you!” Wei Ruyan said.

“What is it?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

From the very start, Zhang Xuan had already felt that there was something amiss with You Xu, and this feeling only intensified after the incident regarding the Bodhi Saint Tree’s poisoning.

However, since You Xu was Wei Ruyan’s enemy, he still decided to leave the other party to her in the end. He really hadn’t thought that she would be able to get vital information out of him.

“It seems to be regarding the true reason behind the old principal’s death,” Wei Ruyan said with a grim expression. “However, he was unwilling to go into details regarding the matter, and he demanded to meet Teacher instead.”

“Un, noted.” Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to walk out, he hesitated for a moment before bringing the Byzantium Helios Beast out.

The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of the old principal, and he was known to be extremely loyal to the latter as well. Since this matter concerned the death of the old principal, he had the right to listen to it as well.

Thus, the three of them headed for the residence where You Xu was.

When they entered, You Xu’s face was extremely pale, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

“You poisoned him?” Seeing the other party’s state, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

As an expert on poison himself, he could instantly tell this reaction wasn’t just due to You Xu’s fear but the lethal poison coursing through his body as well.

Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body and the Poison Soul Constitution. Killing a master teacher who had his cultivation sealed was an extremely easy feat for her.

“That’s right,” Wei Ruyan admitted.

She wasn’t very aware about her unique constitution, but she had known from a young age that her body was capable of producing lethal poison.

Since this fellow was the culprit behind her father’s death, she wasn’t willing to let him off the hook easily. She wanted him to suffer for his actions first.

Just that, she didn’t think that he would succumb so easily and reveal secrets that were beyond her imagination. Thus, she swiftly rushed out to find her teacher to deal with this matter.

Fearing that her teacher would reprimand her, Wei Ruyan said timidly, “Have I done… wrong? I won’t do it again!”

“It’s fine this time, but you aren’t to use such a method on anyone else!” Zhang Xuan said with a frown.

Wei Changfeng was the only kin that Wei Ruyan had, and he had been her mental support for over many years. Fearing that Wei Ruyan might crumble under the loss of her loved one, Zhang Xuan had chosen to leave You Xu to her so as to allow her to vent all of her unpleasant emotions and give her closure for this matter.

Nevertheless, there was still a need to instill the correct values in her, especially since she was still young.

Driving his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan began speaking with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will infused in his words. “Vice School Head You Xu, we meet once more. Since I am here, you can start speaking. What happened to the old principal?”

His current Soul Depth was at 21.1, which was on par with 7-star master teachers. On top of that, he also possessed the Heart of a Teacher. With his means, he could easily make the mentally unstable You Xu reveal everything obediently.

With his eyes glazed, You Xu began to speak. “It was truly a moment of foolishness!

“Two years ago, the old principal gathered all of the elders in the academy and revealed that he had discovered an ancient domain, and there was a high chance that a great secret was concealed within it, so it had to be explored. Thus, after some discussion, it was decided that I, along with the old principal and twenty other elders, would set forth for the ancient domain.

“But who knew that we would encounter a spatial storm not too long after entering the ancient domain, scattering our group. Out of sheer misfortune, I fell into a folded space and was captured by the Otherworldly Demons…

“They gave me a bottle of poison and forced me to feed it to the old principal and the other members of the expedition…

“I really had no intention of harming them at all, but they had placed an extremely formidable curse on me, leaving me with no choice but to obey them…” You Xu confessed as he began wailing sorrowfully.

“Is it the same poison that you used against me in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel?” Zhang Xuan asked with an awful complexion.

“That’s right!” You Xu nodded.

“You scoundrel!” With his teeth clenched so tightly that a screeching sound echoed clearly in the room, the Byzantium Helios Beast’s eyes reddened, and its massive body trembled intensely out of fury.

His old master had treated You Xu so well, but to think that the latter would be so callous as to poison him!

If not for this scoundrel before him, even if the expedition had met with some kind of danger in the ancient domain, they couldn’t possibly have been wiped out completely!

“As a master teacher, instead of protecting your own kind, you chose to side with the Otherworldly Demons and aid them in harming your own brethren. How can you find the courage to remain living in this world?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed menacingly.

He had tried the poison out himself, and if one had no means to neutralize it, even a Saint realm1-dan expert would be killed in just a few moments.

The old principal possessed exceptional fighting prowess, but to fall under that scoundrel’s poison and be surrounded by the Otherworldly Demons shortly after, how could he possibly survive?

It could be said that You Xu was truly the scum of humanity, the shame of the master teachers!

“Are you the one behind the poisoning of the royal family’s Bodhi Saint Tree as well?” Zhang Xuan continued the interrogation.

“Yes.” You Xu nodded.

“Why?”

The Bodhi Saint Tree was only something used by the royal family to nurture their souls, and it should have had nothing to do with the Otherworldly Demons. Why would he have to go to the effort of poisoning it?

“I am not too sure about the exact reason myself either; I simply did what they ordered me to do. They said that, as long as I accomplished this mission, they would use their secret means to lengthen my lifespan by an additional fifty years,” You Xu confessed.

Under the effects of the lethal poison coursing through his body, his mind was already on the verge of collapse. As such, he was unable to put up any resistance against Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, so he quickly revealed everything he knew.

The closer one’s life inched toward the end, the more desperately one would clutch on to life. You Xu was no exception to the rule. With the Otherworldly Demon’s promise to lengthen his lifespan, along with all of the threats they had made, he eventually gave in to them.

Deep in his heart, he knew that this was the wrong move to make, but with a precedent made, it wasn’t that difficult to take the second step. Before long, he found himself at a distance too far away to turn back.

As for information regarding the ancient domain that they had gone to, as You Xu had been captured by the Otherworldly Demons right after he entered, he couldn’t say for sure what the secrets it held were either.

The same went for poisoning the Bodhi Saint Tree. He was only a puppet used by the Otherworldly Demons, so he wasn’t qualified to learn of their true plans.

After the interrogation finally came to an end, the Byzantium Helios Beast gritted his teeth and said, “Master, can you leave this scum to me to deal with?”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands and said, “His crimes definitely warrants death, but this matter is too great for us to pass judgement on ourselves. I will have Mu shi take him back to the headquarters to investigate this matter. Don’t worry, the Master Teacher Pavilion will never be lenient with traitors. He will suffer a death far more gruesome than we can imagine!”

If You Xu had only caused Wei Changfeng’s death, given Zhang Xuan’s standing as the succeeding principal of the academy and the victor of the Life-and-Death Physician School, he had the right and the authority to deal with You Xu as he liked. However, given that You Xu was involved in the death of the old principal and the schemes of the Otherworldly Demons, this matter had already exceeded their jurisdiction. They couldn’t just kill him that easily anymore.

The headquarters had to be informed of this matter so that they could investigate further.

After a moment of hesitation, the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded reluctantly. “… Alright!”

He wanted to kill that fellow badly, but as the tamed beast of the old principal, he had a rough grasp of the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. In any case, death could be considered a mercy to that traitor.

Delivering him to the headquarters to be tried and punished so that he would permanently bear the shame on his name would be greatest punishment to him.

Zhang Xuan turned to Wei Ruyan. “What about you?”

“I will follow teacher’s arrangements.” Wei Ruyan nodded.

“Good.” Zhang Xuan patted Wei Ruyan’s back. “Alright, I will call Mu shi over now.”

After which, he called Sun Qiang over and issued some instructions to him.

Less than ten minutes later, Mu shi descended in the courtyard of the manor.

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi clasped his fist and greeted respectfully, “Senior Uncle!”

Zhang Xuan gestured to the feeble-looking old man beside him and said, “Mu shi! After some investigation, I have found that You Xu has betrayed mankind. He colluded with the Otherworldly Demons to bring about the death of the old principal and the entire expedition that went with them to the ancient domain. I hope that you can take him back to the headquarters to be tried!”

“Betrayed humanity?” Mu shi narrowed his eyes in alarm. “Senior Uncle, are you certain?”

This was an extremely grave sin to bear, especially for a master teacher. Once confirmed, it would ruin one’s life and make one the scorn of humanity.

“I am certain!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“I see. I will make preparations then!”

Knowing how grave this matter was, Mu shi waved his hand and bound You Xu with his zhenqi. Carrying the latter with his zhenqi, he said, “I will take him back to the headquarters right now. Pardon me, I don’t think that I will be able to make it to Senior Uncle’s inauguration ceremony anymore…”

Since Zhang Xuan’s role as the Master Teacher Academy’s principal was already agreed upon by him and the Ten Great Master Teachers, the inauguration ceremony could be considered nothing more than a formality. It didn’t matter whether he participated in it or not.

It was more important for him to take the traitor of humanity back to the headquarters to be judged.

“It’s fine, go ahead!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

Responding with a nod, Mu shi leaped up, and before long, he disappeared into the night sky.

Chapter 891: The Four Emperors

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Back in Hongyuan royal palace…

After Zhang Xuan left, Yu Shenqing hurried to the residence where the Bodhi Saint Tree was and checked the surroundings. After confirming that there was no damage whatsoever, he heaved a deep sigh of relief.

The succeeding Principal Zhang was an outstanding man, possessing superior talent in cultivation, exceptional proficiency in his supporting occupations, amazing eye of discernment, and an upright character… But if one had to point out a flaw with that seemingly perfect man, it would be that he simply loved to cause destruction wherever he went.

Every time the other party paid the royal palace a visit, he would feel his heart beating swiftly in apprehension, fearing that the other party would tear the entire place down.

In truth, he was rather surprised when the other party managed to cure the Bodhi Saint Tree without tearing anything down the previous time.

“Your Majesty!” Shortly after Yu Shenqing returned to the imperial study, the old eunuch, Luo Fu, walked in.

“Un. What is the situation at the Cloudmist Ridge?” Yu Shenqing asked.

Considering the huge fuss at the Cloudmist Ridge, he, as the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, had been keeping an eye on it so that he could prepare swift countermeasures should the situation deteriorate. In fact, he had even commanded for all of the soldiers that could be mobilized in Hongyuan City to stand on guard so that they would be ready to move whenever the situation called for it.

Luo Fu clasped his fist and answered, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the battle between the Cloudmist Ridge and the Master Teacher Academy has already ceased!”

“The battle has ceased?” Yu Shenqing frowned.

Both sides had still been engaged in an intense battle earlier in the morning, neither side willing to give in to the other. How did the battle end so abruptly?

“School Head Mo personally went into the Cloudmist Ridge to negotiate with the enemy’s kings, and shortly afterward, the battle halted,” Luo Fu reported.

On the way to the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan had been atop the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast all along, so no one except for the school heads and Mu shi knew that he was there.

“Negotiate?” A deep frown surfaced on Yu Shenqing’s face. “Who was the one who proposed it?”

Proposing a negotiation was not any different from admitting defeat, and the side to propose it would be instantly placed in a disadvantageous position in the negotiations.

“The Master Teacher Academy was the one to propose the negotiation!” Luo Fu replied.

“The academy?” Yu Shenqing was taken aback.

The respected Master Teacher Academy admitted defeat to a bunch of beasts?

And School Head Mo had entered enemy grounds personally to conduct the negotiation on top of that?

This was… a little difficult to swallow…

“That’s right. As the negotiation was conducted in the Cloudmist Ridge, our sources aren’t able to get any concrete news on the outcome of the negotiation. However, earlier in the afternoon, the spirit beasts battling with the Master Teacher Academy withdrew from the battlefront!” Luo Fu said.

Most beasts were hostile toward humans, and the Cloudmist Ridge could be considered an embodiment of that trait. Even the elite scouts from the Hongyuan royal family were unable to obtain any intelligence from there.

After a moment of thought, Yu Shenqing nodded in realization. “They are probably making this compromise for the inauguration ceremony tomorrow.”

The inauguration ceremony would begin at dawn, and even though the invitation letters had been delivered in a rush, most of the neighboring powers, especially the many Tier-1 Empires, would still send a representative over to attend the ceremony. If they were to witness a huge war between the Cloudmist Ridge and the humans instead, they might lose confidence in the capability of the succeeding principal.

“That is probably the case. I have already sent our scouts to infiltrate the Cloudmist Ridge to look into the results of the negotiation. The scouts should be able to get back to us before the inauguration ceremony!” Luo Fu said.

“Good!” Yu Shenqing nodded. Just as he was about to continue, a young eunuch abruptly rushed into the room.

The young eunuch swiftly kneeled onto the floor and greeted, “Your Majesty!”

“What happened?” Yu Shenqing frowned.

Given that the young eunuch had barged in so abruptly in the middle of the night, it was very likely that it was a matter of grave importance.

“The emperors of Tier-1 Empires Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao have arrived, and they are currently waiting in the Harmonious Heaven Hall!” the young eunuch reported.

“They have arrived? They sure are fast!” Yu Shenqing was taken aback for a moment before getting to his feet. “Let’s head over to take a look!”

Even though the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy bore the name of Hongyuan Empire, its students encompassed master teachers from the surrounding Tier-1 Empires.

Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao were the four closest empires to Hongyuan Empire.

Upon hearing that a new principal was going to be inaugurated, their empires’ leaders swiftly rushed over as a show of respect to him.

Walking into the Harmonious Heaven Hall, Yu Shenqing saw four middle-aged men sitting on the guest seats. A majestic aura seemed to linger around them, and with just a look, it was clear that each of them possessed exceptional strength.

To be able to become the monarch of a Tier-1 Empire, their cultivation must have at least reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle.

“Brother Zhu, Brother Han, Brother Shen, Brother Nie!” Yu Shenqing greeted them one by one. “It must have been tiring for you to rush over here in just three days!”

Even though their empires were located closest to Hongyuan Empire, it still must have been quite a rush for them to make it in less than three days.

“How can we be absent for the inauguration of the new principal?”

“The Master Teacher Academy is the foundation that ensures peace in the dozen Tier-1 Empires in the region. Given that a new leader is going to be inaugurated, we definitely had to make it on time for the ceremony, even if we did have to travel through the night!”

“It has been two years since the disappearance of the old principal. I am curious to see what the new principal will be like!”

…

The middle-aged men chuckled politely.

Each of these men wielded indisputable power in their own territories, but before the Master Teacher Academy, they still dared not pull their weight.

As soon as they received the invitation letter, they had swiftly put aside all of their work and rushed over.

After trading some pleasantries, one of the middle-aged men asked, “Oh right, I nearly forgot. I rushed here as soon as I received the letter, so even now, I still don’t know who the new principal is. May I know who it will be? Is it School Head Zhao Bingxu or School Head Lu Feng?”

It was the emperor of Tier-1 Hongchi Empire, Zhu Yi.

After hearing his words, the others swiftly turned their gazes toward Yu Shenqing as well. In truth, the reason they had headed to the royal palace in the middle of the night, as soon as they arrived in Hongyuan City, was to find out who the succeeding principal would be so that they could prepare suitable gifts in advance.

Otherwise, if they were to end up giving, say, the head of the Blacksmith School some medicinal herbs, they might end up leaving a bad impression instead.

Hearing their guesses, a bitter smile surfaced on Yu Shenqing’s lips, and he shook his head. “It is neither of them!”

Just like them, he had thought that the succeeding principal would surely be one of those two. But the outcome sure was unexpected…

“It is neither of them?”

The four emperors were stunned as they traded confused glances with one another. Zhu Yi clasped his fist once more and asked, “Then, may I ask Brother Yu to tell us which elder it will be so that we can make preparations in advance?”

“This…” Yu Shenqing hesitated.

It was not without reason that the identity of the succeeding principal had been kept a secret thus far. It was only through pulling some strings that he had managed to uncover it in advance, so he was unsure whether or not it was appropriate for him to reveal it.

One of the middle-aged men frowned. “What? The identity of the principal will be uncovered in the inauguration ceremony tomorrow; is Brother Yu unwilling to let us know just a few hours in advance?”

Yu Shenqing shook his head. “It’s not that, but there is a reason the Master Teacher Academy chose not to reveal the identity of the succeeding principal in advance… It would be disrespectful of me to disregard the Master Teacher Academy and reveal it in advance…”

“It seems like Brother Yu doesn’t trust us then! Just like you, the fates of our empires are also tied closely with the Master Teacher Academy. Since we are in the same plight, do you think that we will be so foolish as to leak the news to others easily?” Zhu Yi frowned in displeasure. “We only want to know it so that we can prepare some gifts in advance!”

“This… Alright then!”

Knowing that he would only gain the ire of the others if he were to continue attempting to conceal the identity of the succeeding principal, Yu Shenqing eventually relented with a nod. “This is a confidential secret of the academy, so I hope that you can remain silent about the matter before the inauguration ceremony!”

Since those present were emperors themselves, they should understand the possible implications that could come from the leakage of crucial intelligence. If some mishap were to occur to the succeeding principal, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely investigate the matter and severely punish the ones responsible for leaking the confidential information.

As unlikely as it was, Yu Shenqing still felt that it was imperative for him to warn them sternly in advance.

“Don’t worry about this!”

“How many years have we known each other? We aren’t that kind of men!”

The others all replied sincerely.

With a slight wave of his hand, the confidential formation in the hall was activated, and Yu Shenqing informed them through zhenqi telepathy. “Alright. Based on the intelligence I received, the succeeding principal is Zhang Xuan!”

The four emperors glanced at one another in confusion.

“Zhang Xuan?”

They knew the names of the Ten Great Master Teachers, and they had even met most of them before. But Zhang Xuan… this name was extremely unfamiliar to them.

Zhu Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Is Zhang shi from the headquarters?”

The others were also thinking the same thing as well.

The Master Teacher Academy shouldered the heavy responsibility of grooming young master teachers, who would eventually become the future of mankind. It was impossible for a nobody without any credentials or outstanding capability to become the leader of such a vital organization.

Since they had never heard of the name ‘Zhang Xuan’ before, it was highly likely that the other party might have come from the headquarters.

But… didn’t the headquarters usually stay out of the affairs of the branches wherever possible?

Why would they suddenly dispatch a master teacher here and even appoint him as the principal?

Seeing the confusion in everyone’s eyes, Yu Shenqing hurriedly explained, “This… He isn’t from the headquarters, and he isn’t an elder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy either. He is… a freshman who enrolled into the academy just this year!”

“Freshman?”

“You are saying that a freshman who has just enrolled into the academy… is going to become its principal?”

Hearing that revelation, the four emperors froze in place, struck dumb by what they had just heard.

The Master Teacher Academy is a pillar of support of mankind and an inviolable existence in everyone’s heart… Yet, a newly-enrolled freshman is going to become its principal?

You must be freaking kidding me!

“I know it’s hard for you to accept this news all of the sudden, but this is the truth!” Yu Shenqing said with a conflicted expression.

He had hardly believed it himself when he first heard the news.

But after witnessing the many incredible means that Zhang shi possessed, he couldn’t help but feel awed by Mu shi and the others’ decisiveness and keen insight.

After a moment of silence, one of the middle-aged men asked, “What is Zhang shi’s background?”

“Zhang shi is twenty this year, and he is currently a 4-star master teacher. Despite his young age, he has achieved a proficiency of 6-star for blacksmith, apothecary, physician, demonic tunist, and terpsichore. At the same time, he has shown exceptional prowess in the fields of beast taming, formations, and herbology as well. He is truly an outstanding genius that very few in history can rival!” Yu Shenqing said.

The four monarchs of Tier-1 Empires all exclaimed lividly.

“He has five 6-star supporting occupations? But even if he has that many supporting occupations, he is still a 4-star master teacher. What right does he have to become the principal?”

“Indeed! This world has no lack of talents! As long as he doesn’t possess the corresponding capability required, I don’t think that he is qualified to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy!”

“I heard rumors on my way here that, for the inauguration ceremony tomorrow, the Master Teacher Academy went to the extent of lowering itself to negotiate with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge! Don’t you think that the culture in the Master Teacher Academy has been slowly veering down the wrong path ever since the disappearance of the old principal?”

“I have also heard of the matter as well. How could the respected Master Teacher Academy stoop to the level of negotiating with beasts? This is preposterous! Now, they are even nominating a 4-star master teacher to be their principal… Just how low are they going to fall?”

They had heard about the battle between the Master Teacher Academy and the Cloudmist Ridge, and rumor had it that it was the Master Teacher Academy who had proposed the negotiations.

They had thought that just those rumors were already ridiculous, but to think that something even more ridiculous was awaiting them!

To nominate an immature twenty-year-old brat as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy…

Just what were they thinking when they made such a decision?

Facing the vehement disapproval of the four emperors, Yu Shenqing had no idea how he should respond.

They had only heard Zhang shi’s age and master teacher rank, so it was natural that they reacted in such a manner. One had to meet him in person to realize how incredible he was.

The several emperors stood up and declared their dissatisfaction furiously.

“We must definitely get to the bottom of this matter. Otherwise, our Hongchi Empire will never acknowledge Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!”

“Our Yuanjiang Empire also won’t acknowledge Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!”

“Our Baituo Empire as well…”

Chapter 892: Requirements for the 6-star Master Teacher Examination

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While these empires didn’t have any say in deciding the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, they did have a vote of confidence. If it was found that there was an overwhelming lack of trust in the succeeding principal, they could launch a formal petition to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to look into this matter.

After all, the operation of the Master Teacher Academy was largely financed by the surrounding Tier-1 Empires.

The surrounding empires would often donate large sums of money to the Master Teacher Academy each year for their operations, and in exchange, the Master Teacher Academy would nurture their master teachers, thus bringing their national power to greater heights. An incapable principal could render their investment futile, and this was something that they weren’t willing to see.

If there was widespread distrust in the capability of the principal, even the headquarters would have no choice but to reconsider the matter.

As the saying goes, ‘the higher one stands, the greater the fall’. As powerful as the Master Teacher Pavilion was, they still had to maintain friendly ties with the surrounding nations. Otherwise, if it were to lose the support of the people, it would fall into decline, and the moment it showed a sign of vulnerability, the others would rush to push it over.

…

A similar sight was occurring in the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well.

Facing a large group of displeased pavilion masters, Mo Gaoyuan rubbed his glabella in frustration, not knowing how he should deal with the situation.

Since even the emperors of Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao had arrived, their corresponding Master Teacher Pavilion branches had also dispatched representatives.

Three pavilion masters and one vice pavilion master!

Upon hearing that the Master Teacher Academy would be inaugurating a 4-star master teacher as its principal, a huge commotion broke out amid the crowd.

As representatives of the Master Teacher Pavilions of Tier-1 Empires, their standing was equivalent to Mo Gaoyuan and the Ten Great Master Teachers, so they were qualified to question their judgement.

“Regardless of how capable the newly-appointed principal is, I object to this decision! Just watch how I make things difficult for him in the ‘Question Symposium’!”

“How arrogant must a mere 4-star master teacher be to dream of becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy? He sure is taking all of us lightly!”

“Hah, if it was so easy to become the principal, the seat wouldn’t have been empty for a whole two years!”

…

The several pavilion masters spoke with a cold glint in their eyes.

As esteemed master teachers themselves, they would be lying if they said that they harbored no intentions of becoming the principal themselves. If it had been a respected and capable master teacher who rose to the position, they would be nothing they could say about it. But a mere twenty-year-old 4-star master teacher… How could they possibly not oppose it?

…

In the Master Teacher Academy, many wounded students were gathered together with their faces livid with rage.

Peng!

Amongst them, a Grade-4 student abruptly slammed his palm forcefully on a table.

“How could the Master Teacher Academy actually admit defeat to a bunch of beasts? This is a huge humiliation to us as master teachers!”

“I heard that the elders just want to settle the conflict ahead of the inauguration ceremony, or else it might reflect badly on them.”

“Preposterous! Are we going to toss aside the pride of mankind just for the pride of the new principal?”

“This is truly a huge disgrace to all master teachers! I would rather have died on the battlefield than attend this shameful inauguration ceremony!”

“As master teachers, we shoulder the fate of mankind. Yet, for the sake of their own pride, they actually chose to negotiate with those beasts. This is truly reprehensible!”

…

Rage was burning in the hearts of each and every student gathered there.

Busy with the inauguration ceremony, the school heads had chosen to conceal this matter from the students for the time being until everything settled down. As such, most of the students involved in the battle were unaware that the saint beasts and spirit beasts had already submitted to Zhang Xuan. They thought that the school heads had decided to surrender so that the inauguration ceremony could proceed smoothly.

Otherwise, considering how furiously the spirit beasts had bared their fangs at them, seemingly unwilling to rest until they had torn every human in sight into shreds, how could they willingly retreat from the battlefield?

“Right, do you know who the next principal is?” someone amid the crowd asked.

A couple of students shook their heads and replied, “I am not too sure!”

The Master Teacher Academy had kept a tight lid on this information, so not even they, as students, were unaware of the identity of the succeeding principal.

“Who cares who the next principal is? This is very first time that the academy has lowered its head to mere beasts since its establishment. A person like him is unworthy of respect! Why don’t we start a protest at the inauguration ceremony tomorrow to force the succeeding principal to confess what kind of humiliating terms he had to agree to?” one person proposed.

“That’s a good idea! It’s settled then! I also want to know what kind of benefits he has promised those beasts for them to obediently return to the Cloudmist Ridge!”

Even though the students had no idea whom the next principal was, they were devoid of the slightest goodwill toward him due to this incident.

…

Oblivious to the fact that he had just won himself the hostility of countless men, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was teaching Wei Ruyan suitable cultivation techniques for her constitution. By the time that was done, a new day had already set in.

Stretching lazily, Zhang Xuan was just about to have his breakfast when School Head Mo suddenly arrived at his manor.

“Principal Zhang, this is the flow of events for the inauguration ceremony later on. Take a look at it and familiarize yourself with it,” School Head Mo said as he passed Zhang Xuan a jade token filled with words.

Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

The inauguration ceremony was indeed not as easy as he had thought. He would first be challenged by all of the teachers and students in the Question Symposium, and after which, he would have to pay respects to the many predecessors of the academy and seek their acknowledgement, and only then would he be able to gather the will of the teachers and students of the academy to form the Principal’s Seal and become the true principal of the academy.

Last but not least, he would have to conduct a public lecture.

Each of these events was extremely troublesome, and the inauguration ceremony would take half a day at the very least.

But of course, considering that he was going to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy that protected the surrounding dozen Tier-1 Empires, if he didn’t go through this much, it would be hard for him to win the support of the masses.

Noting Principal Zhang’s silence, School Head Mo feared that he might be unfamiliar with some of the procedures, so he began explaining them. “The Question Symposium is a challenge from the academy’s teachers and students to the succeeding principal. As long as you perform well, you should be able to increase your recognition level. Typically speaking, the questions will be posed by a representative of the students, a representative of the teachers, and a representative by the other Master Teacher Pavilions, and they will be concerning cultivation or supporting occupations. Considering the deep knowledge that Zhang shi possesses, it shouldn’t pose a problem at all!”

Given how even Principal Zhang’s students were able to conduct a lecture that could leave all listeners in a trance, little had to be said about the teacher’s capability.

In truth, the Question Symposium served as a platform for the new principal to showcase his capability and win the support of the masses.

“As for paying respects to the predecessors, considering Principal Zhang’s astounding talent, even though you aren’t a 6-star master teacher yet, you already have six 6-star supporting occupations, so it is only a matter of time before you clear the examination. Thus, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to win their acknowledgement.

“Last but not least, gathering the wills of the teachers and students in order to form the Principal’s Seal is, on the contrary, the most difficult aspect of the entire ceremony. No matter how formidable a master teacher is, it is impossible to obtain everyone’s recognition. It is inevitable that there would be those who object to your inauguration as the principal. Despite the incredible prestige that the old principal wielded prior to his inauguration, he still only managed to form the Golden Principal’s Seal.”

“Golden Principal’s Seal?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

“Un. The more teachers and students who recognize you as their principal, the more wills you will be able to gather, and the higher the tier of the Principal’s Seal formed from them will be. Typically speaking, it can be divided into four tiers, Platinum, Golden, Copper, and Iron!” School Head Mo explained.

“To form the Copper Principal’s Seal, one will require the earnest recognition from half of the entire academy’s populace. As for the Golden Principal’s Seal, one will require sixty percent recognition level, and the Platinum Principal’s Seal will require seventy percent. Ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Academy more than ten thousand years ago, only two principals have managed to form the Platinum Principal’s Seal!

“One of them was the founder of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai! Mu shi was an earnest man who viewed every student as his own child. Back then, when a devastating war broke out, he charged to the frontlines and led the students bravely, suffering more than 130 deep cuts in that battle. After which, he even emptied out his entire fortune to treat the students wounded in the battle… It was such a sincere heart that won him the recognition of most students in the academy!”

“The other one to achieve that feat was Principal Mo Liuzhen four thousand years ago. Principal Mo was truly an incredible talent who dominated his era, and the accomplishments he had achieved back in his time don’t even pale in comparison to yours!” Upon speaking about Principal Mo Liuzhen, a hint of admiration couldn’t help but surface in the depths of School Head Mo’s eyes.

“Oh?” Zhang Xuan remarked in curiosity.

He had thought that he was one-of-a-kind to get into huge incidents one after another from the moment of he arrived in the Master Teacher Academy… Could Principal Mo be one of his kind too?

“Principal Mo isn’t as big of a troublemaker as you…” Seemingly seeing through Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, School Head Mo replied reflexively before turning red after realizing what he had said.

As an elder of the academy, it was extremely disrespectful of him to call the principal a troublemaker.

However, seeing that the other party didn’t fly into a rage, he heaved a sigh of relief inside. “From the moment Principal Mo arrived in the academy, he broke records all around. To date, the academy’s Mountain of Records is still filled with his accomplishments. Even after four thousand years, there has still not been anyone who could surpass his feats…”

“Mountain of Records?” Zhang Xuan was surprised by the foreign term.

Despite having been in the academy for so long, he had never heard of such a place.

“It is normal that Zhang shi is unaware of it. The Mountain of Records is the place where the 6-star master teacher examination is conducted. No one has challenged the 6-star master teacher examination this semester, so it has been closed the whole time,” School Head Mo replied.

“The previous time it opened was half a year ago when Hu Yaoyao and the others challenged it!”

“Hu Yaoyao?”

School Head Mo nodded. “Indeed. According to the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, one has to be a Half-Saint at minimum to qualify as a 6-star master teacher. Otherwise, one can only be considered a half 6-star. However, the couple of them still managed to receive their 6-star emblems, and this is because they have reached the third stage in the Mountain of Records!

“The Mountain of Records serves as a platform to examine a master teacher’s cultivation and fighting prowess. To be able to reach the third stage means that their fighting prowess is already nearly on par with a Half-Saint. On top of that, they had also passed all of the preceding examinations, so they were given the 6-star master teacher emblem!”

“I see!” Zhang Xuan nodded, and after contemplating for a moment, he asked, “Other than six 6-star supporting occupations, what else is required to take the 6-star master teacher examination?”

Currently, Zhang Xuan had already fulfilled the requirement of six 6-star supporting occupations, and two of them were even at 7-star.

However, there could still be some prerequisites which he might be unaware of.

“Supporting occupations, Soul Depth, and cultivation, these are the three fundamental requirements for one’s qualification to take the master teacher examination!” School Head Mo said.

“You have already met the requirement for supporting occupations. As for Soul Depth, the requirement for a 6-star master teacher is 18.0, and considering that you were able to beguile You Xu easily with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, that means that your Soul Depth is not a problem.

“And as for cultivation, the minimal requirement for a 6-star master teacher is Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Considering that you are only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, you are still lacking a little. However, if you can clear the third stage in the Mountain of Records as well, you should be able to earn the qualifications to take the examination!

“After meeting these three fundamental requirements, what remains is the test to evaluate your accomplishments as a master teacher. This test can come in many forms, and the more common ones are through evaluating one’s students, conducting a lecture, and offering pointers on the spot to a stranger!”

School Head Mo hesitated for a moment before saying, “However, I fear that the difficulty for you will be higher than others. After all, given your identity, there will be many who will keep an eye on your actions. If you choose the easier routes, I fear that others might doubt your capability… Most likely, you will be pressured into taking on the most difficult test of all—Empire Building!”

“Empire Building?” Zhang Xuan frowned in incomprehension.

Translator’s Thoughts

 StarveCleric

Despite his lacking cultivation, Starve still attempted to rescue Millman from the clutches of the beasts. However, his power wasn’t enough. Gravely wounded, Starve could only pray for a miracle to save the two of them.

His prayers were answered. Kong shi transcended the boundary between fiction and reality. Making quick work of the beasts, he saved the duo in the nick of time.

Relieved that they were finally safe, Starve and Millman worked on two bonus chapters to thank everyone for their support!

Chapter 893: Teaching Zhang Xuan a Lesson?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

What he was going to take was the master teacher examination, how did ‘Empire Building’ come into the picture?

Master teacher examinations were centered around nurturing and guiding others, it shouldn’t have anything to do with governance or anything of the sort.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s doubts, School Head Mo asked with a smile, “Principal Zhang, based on your journey here from Tianxuan Kingdom, what do you think the greatest difference between a kingdom and an empire is?”

“Difference?” Zhang Xuan frowned. He contemplated for a moment before replying, “The tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilions!”

Conferred Empire, Tier-1 Empire, Tier-2 Empire, Conferred Kingdom, Tier-1 Kingdom, Tier-2 Kingdom… The main difference between nations of differing classifications was their national strength.

And the biggest contributing factor to the difference in national strength was the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Master teachers nurtured the cultivators in the region they resided in, and the more capable a master teacher was, the stronger the students they taught would be. A capable master teacher could easily cause growth in a nation’s power through their teachings.

Putting everything aside, if Tianxuan Kingdom had a 6-star master teacher, the entire kingdom would surely undergo overwhelming changes, and it would only be a matter of time before it became a Tier-1 Empire.

The chain effects that could be brought about by a powerful Master Teacher Pavilion were also significant. Not only would the locals grow stronger, it would also draw in experts to join the ranks of the nation.

At the same time, it would also attract the other occupations to establish a branch in the area as well, such as a Beast Hall, Apothecary Guild, Blacksmith Guild… These occupation guilds would provide the resources required for the nurturing of experts. With all of these in place, it would be difficult for a nation to not become strong!

Tianxuan Kingdom was only an Unranked Kingdom, but if it had a Master Teacher Pavilion in it, it could have been easily promoted to a Tier-2 Kingdom.

“Indeed, it’s the tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilion!” School Head Mo nodded. “The higher the tier of the local Master Teacher Pavilion, the greater the nation’s potential for growth. This can be said to be an unsaid truth in the Master Teacher Continent. Rather than say that Master Teacher Pavilions were built in kingdoms and empires, it would be more accurate to say that kingdoms and empires were built around Master Teacher Pavilions! Just take Hongyuan Empire for example, the main reason it has been able to withstand the trial of time, even though the surrounding empires have gone through numerous dynasties, is because there is a Master Teacher Academy here!”

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Even though a Master Teacher Pavilion didn’t necessarily dictate the prosperity and decline of a nation, one thing was for sure—wherever a Master Teacher Pavilion existed, experts would gather, and enemies dared not invade.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had understood what he was driving at, School Head Mo continued.

“Ordinary master teachers taking the 6-star master teacher examination will be evaluated based on their individual actions and accomplishments, but you aren’t an ordinary master teacher. You are the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. You are no longer an individual but the symbol of our entire academy.

“For Empire Building, the examinee is to choose a Conferred Kingdom, and through his prowess as an individual, he is to rebuild the local Master Teacher Pavilion and successfully raise the nation to become an empire! This is a test that assesses not only one’s capability as an individual but one’s grasp of an entire situation as well. It is an extremely difficult test!”

“I see…” Zhang Xuan’s lips began twitching uncontrollably. Turning to School Head Mo, he muttered hesitantly, “This… Is it too late for me to turn down the position as the academy’s principal?”

“…” School Head Mo.

“If I had known that it would be so troublesome, I never would have agreed to it,” Zhang Xuan complained grudgingly.

He only agreed to the position because he was told he would be granted access to all of the books in the academy. On top of that, with School Head Mo and School Head Zhao around, he thought that he wouldn’t have to bother with most miscellaneous affairs regarding the academy as well.

Who would have thought that not only would the inauguration ceremony be so troublesome, he would even have a face a higher level of difficulty for his 6-star master teacher examination… If he had known in advance, he never would have accepted such a troublesome role!

He would have chosen to remain an ordinary master teacher, take an ordinary 6-star master teacher, achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm ordinarily, and turn around and leave… But this… he was now trapped on the darned ship known as the Master Teacher Academy!

Truly, a single mistake leads to a regret of a lifetime!

Zhang Xuan could only sigh endlessly.

“Cough cough!” Choking on his saliva, School Head Mo turned to Zhang Xuan with a look of speechlessness. “Even though your 6-star master teacher examination will be harder than anyone else, clearing it will strengthen your foundation more than the others, thus making it easier for you to be promoted subsequently. This is also the reason why most talented master teachers opt to take on the more difficult examinations as well. Not only will it temper them, it will also help pave a way ahead of them.”

If anyone else was nominated to become the principal, they would surely be so overwhelmed by delight that they could spend multiple days celebrating. Yet, Principal Zhang was even complaining about it grudgingly…

If Lu Feng were to learn of your response, would he just spurt a mouthful of blood and die on the spot?

Lu Feng put so much into claiming the principal’s seat, only for his efforts to end in futility. On the other hand, the position landed in your lap so easily, and yet, you are still so reluctant about it…

“What do you mean by ‘it makes it easier for me to be promoted subsequently’?”

“Oh, it means that as long as you clear the Empire Building test, you will be able to apply for the 7-star master teacher emblem just by meeting the three fundamental prerequisites. You won’t have to undergo the 7-star master teacher examination!” School Head Mo explained.

“In other words, as long as you clear this test, you will receive a free pass to becoming a 7-star master teacher! All you will have to do then is to raise your cultivation, temper your Soul Depth, and practice your supporting occupations!”

“There’s actually such a good thing in the world?” Hearing that, the slightly frustrated Zhang Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Every master teacher examination consisted of extremely troublesome procedures, filled with many rules and restrictions. If he could get a free pass to becoming a 7-star master teacher by clearing this test, it would definitely be worth the additional effort!

“Indeed!” School Head Mo nodded.

But one thing School Head Mo had neglected to tell Zhang Xuan was that even though the Empire Building test allowed one to skip the 7-star master teacher examination, raising a Conferred Kingdom into an empire was no easy task. On top of that, not only did it have a high requirement on one’s eye of discernment, ability to impart knowledge, and reputation, more importantly, it required time!

Raising a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire didn’t just take a couple of experts here and there but a steady foundation that could sustain the prosperity of the nation as well!

But building a steady foundation was bound to take a long period of time. Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen had also opted to take on this test, and despite his incredible capability, he had still spent three whole years on it!

“Alright, I have decided. I will take on the Empire Building test for my 6-star master teacher examination!” Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively.

“…” School Head Mo fell silent.

Why did it seem as if their principal seemed to take things too lightly?

This was the most difficult test of the 6-star master teacher examination, and most master teachers would flee as far as they could as soon as they heard of this test. To agree to it without any hesitation, shouldn’t he at least consider it for a little longer?

Even if he had made up his mind, he should at least give a troubled frown or something so as to show some respect for the difficulty of the examination!

To agree it without any hesitation, was he truly confident or did he not understand the difficulty of the test?

School Head Mo opened his mouth for a moment before closing it hesitantly and shook his head.

Their principal was always able to accomplish the unbelievable, producing miracles that others thought impossible.

Take the battle against the Cloudmist Ridge for example, he had honestly thought that they were heading there to negotiate with the Ten Indomitable Kings, but who knew that their principal was actually intending to overturn the other party’s nest!

Perhaps, the most difficult Empire Building in the eyes of most master teachers could really be nothing at all to him.

Taking a glance at the sky to determine the time, School Head Mo realized that it was about time to begin the final preparations for the inauguration ceremony, so he decided to put the matter aside for the time being. “Principal Zhang, we should head to the academy now. School Head Zhao has worked together with the Celestial Designer School to design a special robe for you. You should head over to see if it fits!”

“There is even a special robe?” Zhang Xuan exclaimed before realization struck him.

As the succeeding principal inaugurating into the Master Teacher Academy, he would surely have to dress up well so as to leave a good impression on the attending crowd. Naturally, an ordinary master teacher robe wouldn’t do.

Thus, the duo left the manor and headed for the academy.

The Master Teacher Academy was bustling with people. There were many esteemed guests and powerful experts attending the inauguration ceremony, be it the various clans in Hongyuan City or influential figures from the nearby empires. It sure was a rare festive occasion that one might not even witness once in a century.

In order to avoid unneeded trouble, the duo rode the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast straight to the Elder Hall.

…

Crowds flowed in and out of the Master Teacher Academy, and the entire place was bustling wherever one’s gaze fell on.

Walking along a broad street, a young man asked, “Ruohuan, you are the most well-connected of us. Do you know who the succeeding principal is?”

Standing in front of him was a white-robed young man who held a foldable fan in his hands. That white-robed young man had a dashing appearance reminiscent of a young master from a prestigious clan.

He was Ruohuan gongzi, who had come to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy along with Zhang Xuan from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

And the one speaking behind him was also an old friend of Zhang Xuan’s, one of the founders of the Xuanxuan Faction… Song Chao!

“How would I know?” Ruohuan gongzi shook his head and replied. “The identity of the succeeding principal is a tightly-guarded secret of the academy, so we will probably only learn of it during the inauguration ceremony.”

Even though the Xuanxuan Faction had nearly half of the students in the academy as its members, they were still unable to uncover the identity of the succeeding principal.

“Anyone will do as long as it isn’t School Head Lu Feng… He has a grudge with our faction leader, and if he becomes the principal, our Xuanxuan Faction won’t be too far away from being dissipated!” Song Chao said worriedly.

“Indeed. Let’s just hope for the best!” Shaking his head, Ruohuan gongzi sighed deeply.

The next moment, a young man abruptly rushed up to them anxiously and asked, “Ruohuan, do you know where our faction leader is at the moment?”

He was one of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well, a Grade-3 student.

“Why are you looking for our faction leader so anxiously?” Ruohuan gongzi asked with a frown.

Honestly speaking, their faction leader sure was irresponsible, leaving the work of managing the faction all to them. In fact, the other party had even disappeared from the academy without any notice a few days ago, and there was no news whatsoever about where the other party was now.

The young man surveyed the surroundings carefully before speaking in a hushed voice. “It’s like this. I was on my way to the training grounds to find a seat and await the start of the inauguration ceremony when I suddenly encountered some suspicious-looking fellows. They were asking around for the whereabouts of our faction leader, and it seems like they are up to no good…”

“They are trying to find the whereabouts of our faction leader?” Ruohuan gongzi frowned.

“That’s right!” The young man nodded.

Half of the entire academy’s populace were members of the Xuanxuan Faction, so it didn’t take long for those fellows asking around for Zhang Xuan’s whereabouts to catch the attention of its faction members.

“Take me over to take a look!” Ruohuan gongzi instructed before abruptly stopping for a brief moment. “Wait a moment. Call Ying Qin and the others over first!”

“Yes!”

The young man rushed off, and in just a few minutes’ time, he returned with Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and the others behind him.

“Alright, let’s head over to take a look together!” Seeing that everyone was gathered, Ruohuan gongzi gestured for the young man to lead the way.

Not too long later, under the lead of the young man, they found eight peculiarly-dressed fellows walking around the academy. They were scanning their surroundings warily as they moved, stopping passers-by from time to time to ask if they were aware of Zhang Xuan’s whereabouts.

But considering how even Ruohuan gongzi had no idea where Zhang Xuan was at the moment, it was natural that those students were even more oblivious to it.

Approaching slowly with their ears pricked up, they soon heard those peculiarly-dressed fellows whispering discreetly among themselves.

“Why isn’t there anyone who knows about the location of that Zhang Xuan? Young Master Liu has ordered us to teach that fellow a lesson, and we will be in a great deal of trouble if we mess this matter up. Could that fellow have learned of our plans in advance somehow, and he chose to hide himself out of fright?” a man with a scar on his face said with a conflicted expression.

He had already asked many passers-by, and while all of them seemed to know who Zhang Xuan was, there was not a single person who knew where he was. This had left him extremely troubled.

“They intend to teach our faction leader a lesson? Hah, so they are enemies after all!”

Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi, Song Chao, and the others traded gazes and nodded in unison, seemingly coming to an agreement.

To dare to teach their faction leader a lesson, they were truly courting death!

Since that’s the case, allow us to show you the prowess of our Xuanxuan Faction!

You had better pray that your hearts are strong enough to not die of fright once you realize who you have just crossed!

Translator’s Thoughts

 StarveCleric

As a running event, the first time we reach the 100K Power Stones milestone, there will be a 3 chapter release!

P.S. This chapter was 1 word shy of costing another spirit stone; this is literally as efficient as we can be.

Chapter 894: He Is the Principal?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Ruohuan gongzi carefully analyzed the cultivation of the eight peculiarly-dressed men before remarking, “Those fellows do possess some strength!”

While they had learned that those fellows were enemies, it would have been unwise to rush in recklessly without gaining an understanding of their strength.

It seemed like the eight of them were all Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm experts, and on top of that, they carried an aura of callousness from the battlefield with them, which hinted that they might be veteran fighters who had gone through many battles in their life.

If their deductions were correct, they should be from the military.

After a moment of contemplation, Ruohuan gongzi instructed, “Song Chao, the rest of you should return to the headquarters for now to make preparations, I will find a way to lure them over shortly after!”

“Alright!” Song Chao nodded before leading the others away.

Waiting for a moment longer after the others had disappeared in the distance, Ruohuan gongzi took in a deep breath and walked up to the group of eight with a bright smile on his face.

“Friends, I heard that you were looking for Zhang Xuan?”

“Indeed. You know where he is?”

The group of eight were still troubled over this matter a moment ago, so upon hearing Ruohuan gongzi’s words, their eyes immediately lit up, and they hurriedly turned their gazes over.

“Of course I do! In fact, I am his closest friend in the academy! Why don’t I take you to him?” Ruohuan gongzi offered with an earnest and amicable smile.

“That would be great!”

Seeing that someone was willing to lead the way to their target, the eight of them nearly leaped up from sheer joy.

As expected of the Master Teacher Academy, the students here were indeed friendly and kind!

It was no wonder everyone hoped to enroll here. Just their manners toward strangers in itself was commendable!

“I will be troubling you then…” A young man, seemingly the leader of the group of eight, stepped forward and clasped his fist.

“There is no need to stand on ceremony. As a master teacher, it is my duty to help those in need!” Ruohuan gongzi spoke righteously as he led the way.

Not too long later, the group finally arrived at the headquarters of the Xuanxuan Faction. At this very moment, gathered in the massive square at the center of the headquarters were over ten thousand students.

“Why are there so many people here? Where is Zhang Xuan?”

Upon seeing that there were so many master teachers in here, the group of eight couldn’t help but feel their hair standing on ends as an ominous premonition fell on them.

“Ah, I guess you aren’t too familiar with the workings of the Master Teacher Academy. This is the freshman dormitory, and as a student who has only enrolled earlier this year, Zhang Xuan naturally resides here too. The recent batch of freshmen enrolled into the academy is larger than usual, so there are more of us residing here this year. Don’t worry, everyone in there is a master teacher, so they won’t bite!” Ruohuan gongzi said with a welcoming smile as he gestured the group in.

Even though the group of eight felt a little wary at the situation before them, recalling that they were currently in the Master Teacher Academy, they decided to toss aside their worries and enter.

Before long, they were already standing in the middle of the square, amid the huge crowd.

At this point, Ruohuan gongzi abruptly came to a halt and declared loudly, “Alright, everyone. Here are the men who proclaimed that they would teach our faction leader a lesson!

“Give them the beating of their life, make them spill out the name of the mastermind behind them!”

“Alright!”

“To dare cross our faction leader, you must be tired of living!”

…

Before the group of eight could process what was going on, blows were already raining down on them, striking every inch of their bodies.

Fists, feet, metal pipes, bricks, flower pots, chairs… and even sandals!

Pili pala!

Before they had even met Zhang Xuan, they were already pummeled to the point where they were about to forget their own names…

Their eyes gradually turned moist, and before long, they were bawling sorrowfully…

The hell! Who was the one who said that master teachers were friendly and kind?

Who was the one who said that the Master Teacher Academy was a safe haven, and it was impossible for anything bad to happen there?

Just who in the world did they provoke for them to deserve such treatment?

…

Ten minutes later, the eight Ethereal Treading realm soldiers were lying flat on the ground, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably as if electricity was running through their veins.

Even though most of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were freshmen, possessing cultivation at only the Consonant Spirit realm or so, there were simply too many of them! Ten thousand men attacking eight men simultaneously… No matter how powerful the group of eight was, it was impossible for their sixteen hands to fend off against twenty thousand hands simultaneously!

At the current moment, their faces were bruised all over, and there was not a single patch of uninjured skin on them.

Seeing that the group of eight was already on the verge of dying, Ruohuan gongzi had the crowd stop before walking forward to begin his interrogation.

Having suffered a vicious beating, both their minds and bodies were already at their limits. As such, they ended up confessing obediently.

“The ones who ordered us to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson are Liu Quan and Shen Jun from the Four Great Clans. They said that as long as we do this well, they will give us ten high-tier spirit stones…” the young man with a scar on his face said.

He could only be considered an acquaintance of Liu Qian’s from the military, so there was no need for him to hide the secret for him.

“Where are Shen Jun and Liu Quan now?” Ruohuan gongzi continued asking.

“They should be in the Master Teacher Academy now. We agreed to meet at the gazebo by the lake to make the trade once we accomplished our mission,” the young man hurriedly replied.

“Un.” Ruohuan gongzi nodded before beckoning the crowd. “Go, let’s take a look!”

Thus, the many members of the Xuanxuan Faction began marching together toward the lake located at the center of the Master Teacher Academy.

…

In one of the gazebos by the lake stood Shen Jun and Liu Quan. They had their hands behind their backs as they gazed at the lake glistening under the warm rays of the sun, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

A light breeze blew, bringing forth light ripples on the surface of the lake.

“They should be done teaching Zhang Xuan a lesson by now, right?” Shen Jun asked.

That fellow had put him in a spot during Princess Yu Fei-er’s birthday banquet. He wouldn’t be able to quell the rage in his heart unless he returned the favor to the other party.

“Young Master Shen, we have known each other for a long time; when have I failed before?” Liu Quan chuckled softly. “The men I have gathered this time are acquaintances from the military. They are capable individuals who possess the cultivation of Ethereal Treading realm; subduing that Zhang Xuan will be a walk in the park for them! On top of that, given the shallow ties we have, no one will be able to trace the matter back to us!”

“That would be for the best! It doesn’t matter whether that fellow finds out that it was me or not, the important matter is for Fei-er to never learn of it…” Shen Jun nodded.

“Don’t worry!” Liu Quan patted Shen Jun’s back and reassured him. However, just as he was about to continue speaking, two master teachers suddenly walked into the gazebo and asked, “Pardon me, may I know if you are Young Master Shen Jun and Young Master Liu Quan?”

“Indeed, we are.” Seeing two unfamiliar faces verifying their identities, the duo frowned in confusion, unsure of what was going on. Just as they were about to ask what business the other party had with them, the vision before them abruptly blurred. Two specially created gunny sacks had been placed over their heads.

And following which…

Pili pala!

Sharp pain abruptly assaulted every single part of their body. In that instant, the both of them felt as if over ten thousand men were assaulting them simultaneously, trampling on their bodies viciously.

…

After an unknown period of time, the duo finally awoke.

Attempting to get up, a sharp pain immediately assaulted them, leaving them writhing in pain. Only then did they realize that there was not a single part of their bodies that was still intact. Broken bones, bruised face, shattered teeth… Even if their parents were here at this very moment, it was doubtful they would be able to recognize their own children!

They hadn’t done anything since arriving at the Master Teacher Academy, but they suddenly found themselves being pummeled so viciously.

To make things worse, they didn’t even know the culprit behind it…

Who can tell me what is going on?

After a long period of time, the duo spat through clenched jaws, “It must be Zhang Xuan!”

No matter how foolish they were, the only one they had a feud with in the Master Teacher Academy was Zhang Xuan.

They had come here to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson, only to be pummeled themselves… They would never believe it if the latter wasn’t the one pulling the strings behind this incident!

“Young Master Shen, what should we do?” Liu Quan asked.

“What else can we do? Let’s return to our own manors and report the matter to the clan head. We must make sure to teach that fellow a harsh lesson. He shall learn that the members of the Four Great Clans aren’t people a pesky fellow like him can afford to cross…” Shen Jun bellowed furiously.

In their current state, it was impossible for them to attend the inauguration ceremony.

Since that was the case, they could only return to their homes to report this matter to their fathers so as to have them get back at Zhang Xuan for them.

Since you dared to raise your fist against us, let us see if your fist will be tough enough to stand against the prowess of two of the Four Great Clans!

…

The enormous training grounds of the Master Teacher Academy was packed with men. There had to be at least a hundred thousand men gathered in the area.

This was where the inauguration ceremony would be held. The emperors and pavilion masters of the neighboring empires, along with the experts of all kinds of powers, had assembled there to witness the grand ceremony welcoming the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy.

“It’s about to begin!”

“The new principal must be either School Head Zhao or School Head Lu. Even though they are still lacking slightly compared to the old principal, they are currently the two most capable and respected elders in the academy!”

“Indeed. It’s truly a pity that the old principal went missing, and to date, we still don’t know whether he is dead or alive! However, based on the information leaked out from the academy, it doesn’t look positive!”

“I heard that the succeeding principal was the one who proposed a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge. I think that he owes us an explanation for that!”

“You’re right! How could he stoop so low to bow to mere beasts? In any case, I will never approve of this. Let’s make him spill out what shameful terms he had to promise the Cloudmist Ridge in order to make them retreat!”

…

Such discussions could be heard from the crowds beneath. Everyone’s eyes were gathered on the highest pedestal in the center of the square, curious to know who the succeeding principal would be!

Hu!

Amidst the discussions, a few elders abruptly flew across the air.

“Silence!”

The one who spoke was Zhao Bingxu.

Everyone was taken aback.

If Zhao Bingxu had appeared here at this very moment, did it mean that the succeeding principal was… Lu Feng?

Even though they were overwhelmed by curiosity, the crowd still quietened down.

“It has been two years since the old principal went missing, and since then, the Master Teacher Academy has become divided. Even though it is fortunate that nothing severe has come out of it, the Master Teacher Academy cannot continue on in such a state. Thus, three days ago, under Mu shi’s leadership, the Ten Great Master Teachers unanimously decided on our next principal!”

Zhao Bingxu’s powerful voice echoed throughout the entire square, allowing each and every one of the hundred thousand gathered there to hear his words clearly.

“Today, we shall witness the inauguration ceremony of our next principal. I believe that with the capability of our new principal, our Master Teacher Academy will be brought to greater heights! With this, let’s begin the first formality of the inauguration ceremony. First and foremost, let’s welcome our new principal to the stage!”

As Zhao Bingxu’s voice came to a halt, a figure slowly walked through the crowd, heading toward the stage.

Upon seeing this figure, everyone was stunned, especially the students of the Master Teacher Academy. Their eyes were bulging from their sockets, unable to believe what they were seeing?

“What is our faction leader doing?”

“Is he trying to exact vengeance on School Head Lu by messing up the inauguration ceremony?”

“It’s one thing for him to wreak havoc in the Apothecary School and empty it of its students and teachers, that is at least still an internal conflict within the academy, but there are many outsiders watching here today!”

“This is bad. Someone, hurry and stop our faction leader!”

The members of the Xuanxuan Faction were scared out of their wits, and some of faint-hearted ones even nearly blacked out.

They knew that their faction leader was a troublemaker, but this was the inauguration ceremony of the new principal. Countless foreign master teachers, emperors, and influential figures were witnessing the ceremony… To cause trouble at such an important ceremony was no different from seeking death!

If the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters were to learn of this, the consequences were not something that their faction leader could bear!

“Teacher? What is… teacher doing?”

“Teacher…”

Not only were the members of the Xuanxuan Faction aghast, Luo Qiqi, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Zheng Yang were also horror-struck.

No one had informed them that Zhang Xuan was the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, so they were unaware of the matter. As such, they also thought that their teacher was heading up to the stage in order to cause trouble…

Just as nearly everyone was bewildered, unsure of what was going on, Zhao Bingxu’s voice sounded once more.

“Alright, allow me to formally introduce the next principal of our Master Teacher Academy to everyone… Zhang shi!”

“The next principal?”

“Our faction leader is our next principal?”

“This… How can this be possible?”

The entire training grounds fell deathly silent for a brief instant before a huge ruckus swept through the crowd like a wave. Every single person, be it student or teacher, widened their eyes in astonishment, and for that instant, they thought that the world had gone insane.

Zhao Bingxu, Lu Feng, Mo Zhu, Zhong Dingchun, Jiang Qingqin, Wei Ranxue…

If it had been any of them, they would only have been surprised at the very most…

But this fellow…

Can anyone freaking tell me what is going on?

Chapter 895: Challenging the Principal

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Is this Zhang shi whom you spoke about? He is much younger than I expected!”

In the area of the training grounds where the emperors were seated, Zhu Yi frowned in displeasure.

He had already learned that the succeeding principal was only a twenty-year-old 4-star master teacher a few hours ago from Yu Shenqing, but even though he had known this was going to happen, it didn’t stop him from doubting his eyes when he saw an incredibly young man heading toward the stage.

Never in the history of the Master Teacher Academy had anyone that young become the principal!

Were the Ten Great Master Teachers out of their minds? How could they nominate such a young brat as the principal?

“Didn’t Mu shi nominate Zhang shi as the principal too? Where is he?” one of the emperors asked.

Hearing those words, the others scanned the surroundings as well, but they couldn’t find Mu shi anywhere.

“Mu shi has left last night due to some urgent matters cropping up,” Yu Shenqing explained.

“Left last night? Urgent matters cropping up?” Zhu Yi sneered coldly. “More like he doesn’t wish to watch this farce unfold!”

In Zhu Yi’s view, nominating a twenty-year-old brat as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy was, in itself, a huge farce.

“Brother Zhu, don’t jump to conclusions so quickly. You might have a different view of Zhang shi once you get to know him better…” Seeing that Zhu Yi was so prejudiced against Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqing sighed deeply. Knowing that it was impossible to change the other party’s view with just words, he could only say those words.

“Let’s just hope that is the case,” Zhu Yi replied perfunctorily.

…

The same sight was also occurring in the area where the heads of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion were seated. Upon seeing that the succeeding principal was so young, their faces turned livid.

Zhang Xuan had also noticed the commotion below, but he paid it no heed and continued walking calmly onto the stage.

He knew that for someone as young as him to become the principal, it was natural that there were many who doubted his capability.

Ignoring the discussions below, Zhao Bingxu announced, “Zhang shi might be young, but he possesses exceptional talent and capability. He has received the unanimous approval of Mu shi and the Ten Great Master Teachers to take the position of the 104th principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!

“We shall proceed on with the first formality, the Question Symposium! Is there anyone who wishes to pose a question to Principal Zhang?”

An elder immediately stood up as soon as Zhao Bingxu finished speaking. “I have a question for Principal Zhang!”

The head of the Hongchi Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Wu Weitian!

Wu Weitian was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, and he possessed exceptional standing and respect in the surrounding empires. Back then, in the selection of the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had lost to Zhao Bingxu by only a single vote. Had that not been the case, he would have been the head of the Blacksmith School at this very moment.

“May I know what kind of question Wu shi has for our principal?” Zhao Bingxu frowned.

The convention was to have several representatives pose the questions.

For Wu Weitian to speak up so abruptly, it was clear that the other party was intent on causing trouble. However, the other party possessed a standing equivalent to his, so Zhao Bingxu didn’t have the right to reprimand the other party for his actions.

“The principal of the Master Teacher Academy must possess superior strength, or else how could he command the respect of the masses?” Wu Weitian said as a powerful aura burst forth from him.

“I am Wu Weitian, the pavilion master of Hongchi Empire. While my standing might be beneath that of Principal Zhang, I wish to challenge Principal Zhang to a cultivation duel. I hope that you can accede to my request!”

“A cultivation duel?”

“He is clearly trying to humiliate that young lad there…”

“Indeed! That lad is only twenty years old. Even if he started cultivating from his mother’s womb, how strong can he possibly get? On the other hand, Wu Weitian is a pavilion master, so little has to be said about his prowess. To challenge that lad to a cultivation duel… he sure isn’t giving that lad any face at all!”

…

Hearing Wu shi’s words, a disturbance rippled through the crowd.

A master teacher’s capability to impart knowledge and nurture the capability of others was important, but without sufficient power, it would be difficult to command respect from others, and the master teacher’s credibility would be called into question as well.

It was just like how a Transcendent Mortal master teacher would never be able to guide a Saint realm cultivator in their cultivation; even if the Transcendent Mortal master teacher did indeed possess deep knowledge of Saint realm cultivation, he would have to find a way to win the trust of the Saint realm cultivator first!

To challenge the new principal to a cultivation duel right from the start, it could be said that Wu shi was intending to humiliate him through and through.

“Wu shi, Principal Zhang is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage at the moment. How can he be a match against a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert like you?”

Not expecting Wu shi to make such a request, Zhao Bingxu’s face darkened. However, at that moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly raised his hand to stop Zhao Bingxu before turning his gaze to Wu Weitian.

“Pavilion Master Wu, you wish to challenge me to a cultivation duel?”

“Indeed. I hope that Principal Zhang can accede to my request!” Wu Weitian sneered coldly.

It was his intention to make things difficult for Zhang Xuan today, cornering and humiliating him before the crowd that had gathered.

“I can agree to your request, but before that, I would like to ask, what do you define as ‘cultivation’?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Cultivation refers to one’s fighting prowess!” Wu Weitian replied without any hesitation.

“I see. So, as a beast tamer, if I were to have my tamed beast aid me in my fight, is that considered part of my fighting prowess as well?” Zhang Xuan asked calmly.

“The ability to tame beasts is considered part of one’s capability as a beast tamer, so naturally, one’s tamed beast is considered part of one’s fighting prowess too.” Even though he did not understand why Zhang Xuan would ask such a question, Wu Weitian still replied to it nevertheless.

A beast tamer fighting alongside his tamed beast could be considered synonymous to a martial artist fighting using his weapon.

“I see.”

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his hand and said, “Byzantium Lad, I will be leaving this fellow to you then!”

“Yes, Master!”

Along with a furious roar, the crowd saw a massive saint beast descending from the sky, its massive palm aimed straight for Wu Weitian.

“What?” Not expecting a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast to emerge out of nowhere, before Wu Weitian could even process what was going on, he was already smacked into the ground by the might of the palm, and huge spurts of blood spewed from his mouth.

Even when the Byzantium Helios Beast was still at Saint realm 1-dan, none of the Ten Great Master Teachers were a match for it. Even though Wu Weitian was not weak, he stood no chance against the Spiritual Perception realm Byzantium Helios Beast.

After Wu Weitian was smacked into the ground, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said calmly, “Allow me to introduce everyone. This is my tamed beast, Byzantium Helios Beast.”

“Isn’t the Byzantium Helios Beast the old principal’s tamed beast? How did Zhang shi manage to tame it?”

“Wait a moment, doesn’t it seem like Senior Byzantium Helios is significantly stronger than before?”

“The strength of a tamed beast is considered part of the strength of the beast tamer as well. Since the Byzantium Helios Beast is Zhang shi’s tamed beast, that means that Zhang shi possesses strength beyond Saint realm 1-dan as well!”

…

Zhang Xuan’s words caused a huge ruckus to break out beneath the stage.

Beast tamers had always been feared for the frightening strength that their tamed beasts possessed. Given that Zhang Xuan had such a powerful tamed beast, who would dare to underestimate him anymore?

…

Shortly after Wei Weitian’s defeat, someone else within the crowd spoke up.

“I admit that you are indeed capable to have been able to tame the Byzantium Helios Beast. However, a man who possesses nothing but power can only be said to be a brute. To become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, you must have a high Soul Depth as well. Thus, I, Liao Cong, wish to challenge Principal Zhang to a duel of Soul Depth. I hope that you can accede to my request!”

Zhao Bingxu turned his gaze over.

It was the head of the Yuanjiang Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Liao Cong!

Pavilion Master Liao was slightly lacking in terms of strength as compared to Wu Weitian, but he was known for his incredible composure. It was rumored that he possessed an exceptional Soul Depth of 20.9, just a step short of reaching the level of a 7-star master teacher!

“A duel of Soul Depth?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

“That’s right!” Pavilion Master Liao Cong nodded.

Given that the other party had the Byzantium Helios Beast—a Spiritual Perception realm spirit beast—on his side, there was no way he would be a match for the other party in terms of fighting prowess. Thus, he would have to use other means to corner the other party.

In any case, as long as he could defeat the other party in any challenge, the entire inauguration ceremony would be reduced to a farce.

“Fine by me. How should we conduct the duel?” Zhang Xuan asked impassively.

“Simple. We shall use the Impartation of Heaven’s Will on one another, and whoever manages to beguile the other will be the victor!” Pavilion Master Liao Cong said with a confident smile.

“Impartation of Heaven’s Will?” Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. “Change it to something else, I don’t have an interest in bullying others…”

His Impartation of Heaven’s Will had grown considerably stronger after comprehending the Heart of a Teacher, allowing him to make the hundred thousand spirit beasts of Cloudmist Ridge submit to him.

A mere 6-star master teacher like you, just where did you find the confidence to challenge me?

“You…” Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Liao Cong nearly burst with rage.

I am a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a person who possesses a Soul Depth of 20.9! Yet, you said that… you don’t want to bully me?

Ridiculous!

“Why? Are you backing out from my challenge?” Pavilion Master Liao Cong spat through clenched jaws.

With a glint in his eyes, Zhang Xuan said, “Since Pavilion Master Liao insists on it, I will accept your challenge then. How about this? Pavilion Master Wu was injured in the previous duel, so why don’t you help him out?”

There was a peculiar quality in his voice that seemed to compel others into obedience.

“Yes…” Pavilion Master Liao Cong was stunned for a brief moment before walking up to Pavilion Master Wu and driving his zhenqi to pull the latter out of the ground. However, as soon as he finished doing that, he suddenly froze.

To obey the other party’s commands, it was clear that he had just been beguiled!

“You…”

Pavilion Master Liao Cong’s face turned livid, and just as he was about to speak, the young man opposite to him continued speaking with a composed look. “It seems like there are some problems with your cultivation. Do you feel a persistent dryness in your throat and an aching pain in your Huyang acupoint? Don’t worry, the symptom should be resolved by slapping yourself twice…”

“Slapping himself?”

“This… Pavilion Master Liao can’t be so foolish as to listen to that, can he?”

“That is clearly an attempt to humiliate Pavilion Master Liao…”

…

Hearing those words, the hundred thousand people gathered in the training ground were taken aback. Every single eye in the area was gathered on Pavilion Master Liao Cong, waiting intently to see how he would react.

But before countless faces of disbelief, Pavilion Master Liao Cong raised his palm and struck his face forcefully.

Pah! Pah!

After the two powerful slaps, blood began flowing out of the edges of Pavilion Master Liao Cong’s mouth.

Paying no heed to the shocked crowd, Zhang Xuan continued. “Do a handstand right now and channel your zhenqi downward!”

Without any hesitation, Pavilion Master Liao Cong immediately flipped over and did a handstand. A few breaths later, his face started swelling up intensely due to the two previous slaps.

“What is going on?”

“Could this be… Impartation of Heaven’s Will?”

“But even if he is under the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, it shouldn’t be possible to make a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, the head of a Master Teacher Pavilion, slap himself and do a handstand on a whim, right?”

“I have no idea what is going on either. However, it is clear that Pavilion Master Liao has lost utterly in this duel of Soul Depth!”

…

Seeing Pavilion Master Liao, who had just challenged Zhang Xuan to humiliate the latter, abruptly slapping himself and doing a handstand, everyone felt lightheaded. The situation before them was unbelievable, they couldn’t make sense out of what was happening at all!

As master teachers, they were capable of using Impartation of Heaven’s Will themselves. However, to make another harm himself and pose in humiliating postures publicly, that was far beyond their capability.

In fact, that was already beyond the capability of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will itself!

“Unless… Zhang shi isn’t playing with him, and there is no mistake with what he is saying, causing Pavilion Master Liao to obey his words instinctively…” a 6-star master teacher amid the crowd remarked.

It was indeed possible for one to control a master teacher’s body through the Impartation of Heaven’s Will for a short period of time, but it was only on the basis that the words spoken were flawless and aligned with the essence of the world.

Even though he had no idea why Pavilion Master Liao would have to slap himself and do a handstand, there should be no mistake with the instructions. Otherwise, even if Zhang shi’s Soul Depth was far beyond Pavilion Master Liao’s, it was still impossible for him to make Pavilion Master Liao obey his commands unconditionally.

Pu!

A moment later, before everyone’s astonished gazes, Pavilion Master Liao spurted a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. Following which, he got back to his feet, and facing the young man on the stage once more, he clasped his fist. This time, instead of skepticism, his eyes were filled with admiration and respect.

“Zhang shi, I am truly grateful to you for saving my life…”

Chapter 896: Fight Among Students

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Saving his life?”

The succeeding principal had used the Impartation of Heaven’s Will to make Pavilion Master Liao Cong embarrass himself publicly, but not only was the latter not angry at all, the latter had even thanked him for saving his life…

This sight left the crowd confounded.

They hadn’t expected the situation to develop in such an unexpected manner.

Noticing the doubt in everyone’s eyes, Pavilion Maser Liao Cong shook his head and explained, “In my hastiness to accomplish, I erred in my cultivation, resulting in my flow of zhenqi becoming disrupted, an aching pain in my Huyang acupoint, and a slight deterioration of my organs. I thought it was nothing much, and I only had to take note of it in the future to prevent any further deterioration!

“But after Principal Zhang’s guidance, I realized that the foundation of my cultivation has actually been damaged. The two slaps to my face were actually to open my Longxi and Chiyang acupoints, which allowed my zhenqi to clear the blockage in my meridians. After which, the handstand served to circulate my zhenqi, thus solving the hidden trauma within my body!

“Despite my provocation and attempt to humiliate Principal Zhang, he was still willing to overlook the matter and treat my trauma… This is the magnanimity of a true master teacher! From this day forth, I declare that our Hongchi Empire Master Teacher Pavilion will support him as the principal, and this decision shall stand as long as I live!” Pavilion Master Liao Cong vowed as he raised his hand.

“This is possible too?”

“A hidden trauma is solved with just two slaps and a handstand?”

A commotion broke out beneath the stage. Everyone stared at one another, unable to believe their eyes. Had they not seen how Pavilion Master Liao Cong provoked Zhang Xuan earlier, they might have really thought that those two were just putting on an act!

“This Principal Zhang…”

In the area where the emperors sat, Zhu Yi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and muttered, “It seems like he does possess some capability after all!”

Just like the pavilion masters, he had harbored doubts regarding Zhang Xuan’s capability due to his young age, and he had thought that the reason the latter had become the principal was due to pulling some strings behind the curtains. However, after witnessing how the latter dealt with the challenge of two of the pavilion masters decisively and promptly, his opinion of the latter was starting change.

Another emperor beside him shook his head and remarked, “Let’s watch on first. I still think that he’s a little too young for such an important position.”

While age wasn’t a determining factor to gauge a master teacher’s capability, it wasn’t without reason that most were concerned about it. Time often tempered one’s character and granted one collectedness, which allowed one to remain rational regardless of the situation. In comparison, the young were more prone to reckless outbursts, and in times of crisis, that could prove to be a fatal flaw. Given the importance of the Master Teacher Academy, this was a risk they couldn’t afford to take.

“It seems like Zhang shi’s Soul Depth is above Pavilion Master Liao’s. I am truly impressed.”

While the two emperors were chatting, yet another elder stood up amid the crowd and spoke. “However, to become the principal, one’s ability to impart and guide others is still extremely important. Despite my incompetence, I have taken in a few students and taught them, and they happen to be present for the ceremony today. If Principal Zhang doesn’t mind, could you allow them to spar with your students so as to gauge your ability to impart?”

“A spar between students?”

“That sure is a vicious move!”

…

The crowd flew into an uproar after hearing those words.

The core responsibility of a teacher was to impart knowledge, and the most direct way to determine one’s capability to impart knowledge was through assessing the students one taught. The more capable one’s students were, the more capable the teacher would be perceived to be.

If the principal of the Master Teacher Academy was lacking in the ability to impart knowledge, that would mean that he had failed as a teacher!

From this aspect, it could be said that this elder was even more vicious than the previous two.

If Wu Weitian and Liao Cong had only intended to humiliate Zhang Xuan, this fellow was attempting to force Zhang Xuan off a cliff!

Zhang shi was a talented individual, and he possessed astounding capability far beyond his peers, but ultimately, he was only twenty years old, and his cultivation was only at Chrysalis realm… Given such, how powerful could his students be?

Huala!

Shortly after the elder said those words, a middle-aged man stood up, and a powerful aura burst from him.

A Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage expert!

With such strength, he was already on par with the elders of the Master Teacher Academy!”

“Principal Zhang, that man is Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun from Baituo Empire. If I am not mistaken, the middle-aged man is his direct disciple, Hong Lin. The latter has been learning from Pavilion Master Xue for over a hundred years, and 35 years ago, he reached Saint realm 1-dan…” Zhao Bingxu hurriedly filled Zhang Xuan in on the details through zhenqi telepathy.

“That middle-aged man has been his disciple for over a hundred years?” Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

That Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun sure was ruthless. Putting aside the fact his direct disciple’s cultivation was at Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage, just the fact that Hong Lin had studied under a pavilion master of a Tier-1 Empire for over a hundred years meant that it was likely that he possessed exceptional capability among his peers, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was invincible among cultivators of the same power level.

If it had been any other challenge, Zhang Xuan might still have been able to turn it down through finding an excuse somehow. However, a duel between students involved his dignity as a teacher and his fundamental capability as a master teacher; turning it down would be a huge blow to his credibility and reputation.

In other words, whether he liked it or not, as a master teacher and the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he had no choice but to accept the duel.

As expected of the most powerful figure within a regional Master Teacher Pavilion, he sure wasn’t an easy person to deal with.

Just as Zhang Xuan was still busy contemplating over how he should deal with this matter, the middle-aged man Hong Lin turned to him and clasped his fist. “I wish to challenge Principal Zhang’s students to a duel. May I know who my opponent is?”

“We are here!” As soon as Hong Lin uttered those words, a few voices sounded clearly across the training grounds.

Everyone turned their gazes over and saw Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang rising from their seats.

They were the guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, they couldn’t be absent for the inauguration ceremony either.

At this very moment, the strongest of them, Wang Ying, had achieved a breakthrough recently, reaching the Cosmos Bridge realm.

To reach the Cosmos Bridge realm at sixteen, she would definitely be considered an incredible genius regardless of where she was. However, she was still far from a match for the Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage Hong Lin.

“There’s no hope to victory whatsoever…” The head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, shook his head and sighed deeply.

He was the one who had invited Wang Ying and the others to become guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so he had a clear understanding of their capability.

They had an extremely solid foundation, which allowed them to stand toe to toe even against cultivators with a higher cultivation than them. However, there was simply too huge a gap between them and Hong Lin. Even if Hong Lin were to lower his cultivation realm, given the disparity in their experience and reaction speed, he would still be able to defeat them easily!

A gap of six realms wasn’t something that could be overcome by just a strong foundation or a deep understanding of battle techniques.

“You are the students of Principal Zhang? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!” Upon seeing that even the strongest among Zhang Xuan’s students was only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, Hong Lin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

He could easily kill cultivators of that tier with just a puff of his breath. There was no doubt whatsoever; he would be the victor of this duel!

“Come at me then!” With a furious roar, Wang Ying leaped onto the stage. Hong Lin chuckled softly before following suit as well.

A tense atmosphere drifted between the two as they faced one another squarely. Zhang Xuan was just about to step forward to offer some guidance to Wang Ying ahead of the duel when another voice abruptly sounded.

“Senior Wang Ying, you are teacher’s direct disciple. It would be making a mountain out of a molehill to have you face this lad, allow me to fight in your place instead!”

Hu!

Following which, an old man descended onto the stage and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan with a clasped fist. “Student Jiang Qingqin pays respect to teacher!”

“Un.” Upon seeing the other party, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten that he still had another student here?

The old man was none other than the head of the Demonic Tunist School, Jiang Qingqin!

The other party had acknowledged him as his teacher through a formal ceremony, so he could totally take Wang Ying’s place!

“Isn’t that School Head Jiang?”

“One of the Ten Great Master Teachers, School Head Jiang, is actually Zhang shi’s student?”

“You must be joking! How could that be possible?”

“But since School Head Jiang has already said it, there is no doubt about its authenticity. All master teachers view lineage with grave importance, let alone a 6-star pinnacle master teacher like School Head Jiang, so how could he simply acknowledge another as his teacher easily? Even if he intended to help Zhang shi, he wouldn’t go to such an extent just for that!”

“Even so, I just find this matter hard to believe!”

“Indeed. For Zhang shi to have tamed the old principal’s tamed beast and even take School Head Jiang as his student… it really feels like I am in a dream!”

…

The news that Zhang Xuan had accepted Jiang Qingqin as his student had never been made public, so no one other than the Ten Great Master Teachers were aware of the matter. Hearing of this matter for the first time, the crowd beneath the stage widened their eyes in disbelief.

A 6-star pinnacle master teacher had acknowledged a 4-star master teacher as his teacher? Even though School Head Jiang had admitted to it himself, the crowd still found it hard to accept.

“School Head Jiang…”

Beneath the stage, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun staggered weakly and nearly keeled over.

He had thought that given Zhang Xuan’s low cultivation and young age, the other party’s student would only, at best, be at the Cosmos Bridge realm. Yet, all of a sudden, a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers who was even stronger than him appeared, how was this battle supposed to go on?

While he was feeling stifled, on the stage, Jiang Qingqin chuckled softly and said, “You are the student of Pavilion Master Yun? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!”

Hearing those words, Hong Lin’s eyelids began twitching.

Those were the exact words that he had said to Zhang Xuan’s students just a moment ago, and Jiang Qingqin had returned them to him word for word.

“You…”

Knowing that it was too late to back down, Hong Lin gritted his teeth and said, “Come!”

Following which, he swiftly flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword.

Tzz la!

The cold glint of a sword flashed through the air as it shot for Jiang Qingqin.

It must be said that Hong Lin’s comprehension of swordsmanship had reached a profound realm, achieving the level of Sword-Man Union. Of course, he was still no match for Zhang Xuan, but he was at least on par with Wang Ying and the others in terms of proficiency of battle techniques.

If Wang Ying and the others were to fight him in a battle, they would stand no chance whatsoever.

Putting aside the other party’s superior eye of discernment and reaction speed, just the battle experience he had accumulated over the past hundreds of years of his life would make him more than a match for Wang Ying and the others, who had never faced a life-and-death battle in their life.

However, just this bit of prowess meant nothing to School Head Jiang. With a light chuckle, he took out a zither and stroked it gently, and a crisp note immediately rang out.

Triiiinggg!

A sound reminiscent of a vase breaking echoed resoundingly in the air.

Before Hong Lin could react, his sword had already shattered completely, and, ‘hu!’, with a huge burst of wind, his figure was sent flying from the stage as if a cockroach. His silhouette swiftly grew smaller and smaller in the distance before eventually disappearing from sight with a twinkle.

Judging from the distance he flew, even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would be bedridden from the next few days.

“7-star demonic tunist?” Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun abruptly stood up from his seat.

Under normal circumstances, even though there was some disparity between School Head Jiang and Hong Lin’s strength, it would still have been difficult for the former to defeat the latter in just a single move… unless the former’s comprehension of demonic tunes had reached 7-star!

In the face of a demonic tunist of this tier, even he could only flee as far as he could, not daring to face the other party head on.

To acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher despite possessing such strength…

Was there a screw loose in his head?

While Xue Cangyun was baffled by the situation before him, he suddenly heard the displeased mumblings of Wei Ranxue, another member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, not too far away from him.

“Damn it, I let that fellow get ahead of me! Since Zhang Xuan is a half-teacher of mine, I can be considered a partial student of his too… Against such a fellow, sending in a full-fledged student is such a waste. A half-student like me is more than sufficient…”

“School Head Wei is his student as well?” Pavilion Master Xue suddenly felt the sight before him darken.

“…”

The students and teachers of the academy staggered as they turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, this time with twitching lips.

Brother… We can accept the fact that you have tamed the tamed beast of the old principal, turned half of the student populace into members of your Xuanxuan Faction, becoming the half-teacher of the tens of thousands of Apothecary School students…

But to make at least two of the Ten Great Master Teachers your students… How are we supposed to accept that?

When did the Master Teacher Academy become your possession?

Chapter 897: The Master Teacher Academy’s Shock (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After sending Hong Lin flying, School Head Jiang put away his zither and scanned the crowd from the stage above with a gaze that sent shivers down one’s spine. “Is there anyone else who doubts my teacher’s capability? I am more than willing to entertain you with a fight!”

The crowd fell completely silent. Those who had harbored such thoughts previously had been hushed by School Head Jiang’s menacing words.

Against a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, a 7-star demonic tunist at that, how could any of them possibly fight him?

Seeing that there was no response from the crowd, School Head Jiang turned his gaze back to Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun and smirked. “Pavilion Master Xue, don’t you still have other students? I don’t mind facing them all at once!”

Feeling School Head Jiang’s gaze falling on them, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun’s students hurriedly cowered away and lowered their gazes, not daring to meet the other party’s eyes.

Given that even the strongest of them, Hong Lin, had been defeated in a single blow, who else would dare face School Head Jiang in a duel?

Sighing deeply, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun clasped his fist and declared, “Our Baituo Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has no objections to Zhang shi becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy!”

Even he wasn’t a match for School Head Jiang, needless to say, his students.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had managed to overcome this ordeal as well, Zhao Bingxu heaved a sigh of relief. “Of the five representatives of the regional Master Teacher Pavilions, three have already recognized Principal Zhang. Vice Pavilion Master Bai of Chiyao Empire and Pavilion Master Mo of Hongyuan Empire, what about you?”

As the inauguration ceremony had been organized in a rush, only four representatives from the Master Teacher Pavilions of the nearby empires had managed to make it in time. Counting in the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well, there were a total of five representatives in total.

“Our Chiyao Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has no objections!” Given that the three heads of the other Master Teacher Pavilion were no match for Zhang Xuan, Vice Pavilion Master Bai, as a mere vice head, was less likely to be a match. Thus, he hurriedly stood up and clasped his fist.

“Our Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has always supported Zhang shi as the next principal!” Mo Gaoyuan stood up and clasped his fist as well.

He had witnessed how Zhang shi had risen step by step in Hongyuan City, and he was also the first ones to agree to the latter’s succession as the next principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Naturally, he wouldn’t voice any objections during the inauguration ceremony either.

“Good. Since there are no objections, we shall proceed on to the next formality!” Zhao Bingxu nodded.

The greatest obstacle the succeeding principal would face in the Question Symposium was mainly the representatives from the other Master Teacher Pavilions. Since even the representatives had no objections to the matter, Principal Zhang could be considered to have overcome this formality safely.

At this moment, however, a huge group of students consisting of several hundred people suddenly stood up together, and a representative among them said, “School Head Zhao, we have a question that we would like to ask Principal Zhang!”

The representative was the student who had killed the most spirit beasts in the battle against the Cloudmist Ridge earlier.

Grade-4 student, Zhu Chenqing!

His family had been killed by the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, so he harbored great hostility toward them. From the moment he enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy, he had already vowed to eradicate those scourges who had brought great suffering to mankind.

However, it was a pity that, due to several considerations, the Master Teacher Academy had never made a move against the Cloudmist Ridge. At the same time, his influence as a single student was limited, so there was nothing he could do about the matter either.

He had thought that the beast stampede this time around could change the Master Teacher Academy’s nonchalant attitude toward the Cloudmist Ridge, forcing them to steel their resolve and eradicate the Cloudmist Ridge once and for all. However, he had never expected that the succeeding principal would actually propose a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge… and even come to an agreement with them at that!

It wasn’t hard to imagine how furious he had been when he heard the news.

Thus, he rallied all of these students to rise with him for a single reason—to demand an explanation!

In truth, he had managed to rally tens of thousands of people to stand up together with him before the inauguration ceremony, but many of them were from the Xuanxuan Faction. After seeing that the new principal was their faction leader, they changed their mind and decided not to participate, thus resulting in the number of protesters falling to a mere few hundred.

“Speak!” Zhao Bingxu frowned in displeasure, but he gestured for Zhu Chenqing to continue.

“I wish to ask Principal Zhang, when will the Master Teacher Academy clash with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge once more!” Zhu Chenqing said.

Demanding the principal to reveal the results of the negotiation was extremely disrespectful, and it could be viewed as challenging the authority of the principal. As such, Zhu Chenqing chose to frame the question in another manner that would be slightly less insolent.

“Finally, someone dropped the bomb!”

“It seems like we aren’t the only ones concerned about the matter regarding the Cloudmist Ridge. It seems like the students also want an explanation as well!”

“Let’s see how the new principal answers that question!”

…

Hearing Zhu Chenqing’s question, Zhu Yi and the others glanced at one another and nodded in agreement.

As emperors of Tier-1 Empires in the region, it didn’t really matter to them who became the emperor… What was more important to them was whether or not the new principal had the ability to protect them!

Considering what they had heard about the Cloudmist Ridge, it was inevitable that they would doubt the succeeding principal’s capability.

If the other party couldn’t even deal with mere beasts, could they really expect him to stand up for their empires in times of crisis?

“Clash with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge?”

Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu traded glances upon hearing the question, and they couldn’t help but chuckle softly. The latter shook his head, stepped forward, and replied, “There’s no need to battle anymore. The problem regarding the Cloudmist Ridge has been thoroughly resolved. No more will we have to worry about facing beast stampedes from them anymore!”

“Thoroughly resolved?” Zhu Chenqing and the other students looked at one another and frowned.

What did those words mean?

No more would they have to worry… Was the other party talking about the promises made by the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge?

But how could the words of the enemy be accepted so simply? That was taking this matter far too lightly!

If this matter could be resolved that easily, the Master Teacher Academy wouldn’t have been so helpless before this matter despite the emergence of numerous outstanding principals in history.

“Pardon me, but since School Head Zhao is so certain of this matter, we would like to know what kind of terms the Master Teacher Academy promised the Cloudmist Ridge that could resolve the problem of beast stampedes once and for all!” Gritting his teeth, Zhu Chenqing dove straight into the main point.

“Principal Zhang, allow me…”

Noticing the nuances behind Zhu Chenqing’s words, Zhao Bingxu took a look at Zhang Xuan and nodded. However, at that instant, an elder abruptly flew in hurriedly from the perimeter of the training grounds.

Before reaching the stage, he was already yelling in a panic, “Principal, elders, bad news!”

“What happened?”

Seeing an elder panicking like that in the midst of the inauguration ceremony, Zhao Bingxu frowned.

“Reporting to School Head Zhao, w-we…” With a pale face, the elder’s body trembled intensely as he uttered fearfully, “We have been surrounded by the spirit beasts and saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge!”

“Surrounded?”

Zhao Bingxu and Zhang Xuan were only slightly bewildered upon hearing the words, but the faces of the crowd instantaneously warped in horror.

For the Master Teacher Academy to actually be surrounded by spirit beasts and saint beasts…

In other words, they were trapped like cornered prey in an enclosure!

Everyone immediately got to their feet, intending to take a look at the situation. However, at that moment, a loud sonic boom reverberated deafeningly through the air.

Hu hu hu!

Raising their gazes, the crowd saw three immense saint beasts flying straight toward the training grounds.

They were the Emerald Bamboo Earth Dragon King, White-eared Beast King, and Steelscale Beast King of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge.

Even before their arrival, the overwhelming aura of three Saint realm 1-dan beasts permeated the training grounds, leaving the air in the surroundings tempestuous.

Trailing neatly behind them were a dozen Nascent Saint beasts, followed by thirty or so Half-Saint beasts!

If it had been just this, there was no way the crowd of a hundred thousand gathered in the training grounds at this very moment could possibly fear them. However, flying behind them was a huge formation of three thousand aerial spirit beasts!

Each of them was at least at Transcendent Mortal 7-dan, and there were even quite a handful that had reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan. Moving in a neat formation, their majestic cries echoed resoundingly in the air.

With just a single command from their leader, this mighty army could instantly swoop down from the sky and inflict devastating damage on them.

An elder from the Beast Tamer School’s face paled, and he quickly roared furiously, “All master teachers, prepare for battle!”

Hualala!

Having gone through the previous battle, the master teachers behind him swiftly whipped out their weapons and got into formation. Each of every single one of them stared at the aerial spirit beasts warily, prepared to retaliate as soon as any of them made a move.

“Damn it! Those who aren’t one of our own can never be trusted; I have said time and time again that we should never keep such a threat by our side! How could the Master Teacher Academy be so foolish to have thought that they could negotiate with them? Take a good look at what that has brought us!” Zhu Yi cursed with a pale face.

“Expecting the beasts to hold their end of a promise is a joke in itself! For the spirit beasts to fly together neatly without the slightest warning beforehand, it is clear that they have come prepared today! Even if the Master Teacher Academy manages to survive the ordeal today, it will surely suffer devastating damage that it might never recover from…” another emperor remarked with a livid face.

Yet another emperor harrumphed coldly. “Indeed. To come under the attack of a beast stampede in the midst of his inauguration ceremony, that Principal Zhang is doomed to go down in history as a sinner…”

Three thousand aerial spirit beasts and dozens of Half-Saint and Nascent Saint beasts was indeed a fearsome formation, but it wasn’t enough for them to bring them fear yet.

The Master Teacher Academy had many trump cards up its sleeves after several millenniums of history, and on top of that, the Hongyuan Empire royal family was there as well. With their combined force, resolving this conflict wasn’t too difficult. Just that… if this matter were to be made known to others, Zhang Xuan and the Master Teacher Academy would become a laughingstock for many years to come.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Hong long long! Hong long long!

But just as everyone was preparing themselves for a fight, a deafening war cry from countless beasts abruptly sounded in unison, shaking the heavens. Soon after, the ground began shaking intensely.

“What is that?” someone amid the crowd shouted.

Everyone quickly turned around, and what they saw left them completely frozen on the spot.

Amidst a huge cloud of dust that had risen outside the Master Teacher Academy, they saw an army of enormous Bluetrunk Elephants charging toward them with astounding momentum.

Those Bluetrunk Elephants each possessed a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and there were several thousand of them in total. Under the lead of a Saint realm 1-dan Bluetrunk Elephant King, their presence seemed to emanate an aura that sent a ripple of fear and panic through the crowd.

As the ground trembled beneath those massive figures, seemingly heralding the end of the world, the hearts of those watching them jolted in fright as well.

“The Bluetrunk Elephants are here too? This will complicate things…”

Seeing that the thick-skinned, massive beasts were there as well, everyone’s complexion worsened.

The aerial spirit beasts were already troublesome foes to deal with by themselves. If they had the support of the Bluetrunk Elephants, who specialized in crushing through formations with the fearsome momentum of their charge, that would make the battle many times more difficult than it already was.

Zhu Chenqing rose up and commanded, “Everyone, get into a defensive formation.”

Huala!

Hearing the orders, the students hurriedly awoke from their daze and quickly got into a defensive formation that would help them cope against the furious charge of the Bluetrunk Elephants.

Aoooo! Aooooo!

But shortly after they got into formation, a piercing howl echoed in the air. Following which, before everyone’s twitching eyes, an army of several thousand Steelfang Wolves charged in under the lead of a Saint realm 1-dan Steelfang Wolf King.

Steelfang Wolves were known for their cunningness and their exceptional ability in collaborating with one another to perform group assaults, making them a troublesome foe to deal with. For several thousands of them to appear simultaneously, it was truly a catastrophe!

“We are doomed…” someone amid the crowd muttered feebly as the faces of those around him warped in despair.

Even Yu Shenqing couldn’t help but feel his hairs stand on end from the sheer number of enemies before him.

Even though the old eunuch Luo Fu had said that they would be able to uncover news regarding the results of the negotiation at the Cloudmist Ridge before the inauguration ceremony, there seemed to have been some delays due to unexpected circumstances. As a result, he had no idea what School Head Mo had promised the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge back then.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

As if the heavens were decreeing their doom, before everyone’s shocked gazes, a bunch of Scarlet Blaze Lions arrived under the lead of the Saint realm 1-dan Scarlet Blaze Lion King, and just like those before, there were thousands of them as well.

Following shortly behind were the Steelbacked Bear, Tigerhead Beast, Crimsonflame Ape…

Nine of the Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had arrived with thousands of their subordinates, and altogether, they formed an impressive army of several dozen thousand beasts!

In other words, it could be said that the entire force of the Cloudmist Ridge was present at that very moment! It was as if they were declaring that they would eradicate the Master Teacher Academy by hook or by crook that day!

Everyone’s face turned ghastly white, and not a single person could find a word to utter.

Chapter 898: The Master Teacher Academy’s Shock (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Didn’t the Master Teacher Academy negotiate with the Cloudmist Ridge and receive the latter’s promise to never cause a beast stampede anymore? How did this happen?”

“How can we fight against so many spirit beasts and saint beasts at once?”

“We are doomed!”

“This is probably the greatest crisis the Master Teacher Academy has ever faced since its founding. This is even worse than the war that Principal Mo Liuzhen faced four thousand years ago!”

It took a while before the crowd’s voices finally returned.

With so many saint beasts and spirit beasts surrounding them, even if the Master Teacher Academy were to achieve a victory eventually, it would still suffer devastating damage!

Out of its hundred thousand students, it would be a huge blessing if even a third of them were still alive by the end of this ordeal.

If that were to really happen, this matter would surely go down in history!

It was just a moment earlier that they had been told confidently that the problem of beast stampedes from the Cloudmist Ridge had be resolved once and for all, but such a situation fell upon them in the very next instant. Even if that Zhang Xuan fellow were to successfully be inaugurated as the next principal, he would be nothing more than a figurehead, devoid of any power or authority, and perhaps, he might even be a laughingstock of the world!

“From the challenges by the pavilion masters, it can be seen that Zhang shi does possess some capability. But faced with such a situation, there is nothing he can do. He can only blame his misfortune for meeting with such an incident on the day of his inauguration!” One of the emperors sighed in lamentation.

“Indeed. No matter how well he copes with the situation and lowers the casualties to the bare minimum, it doesn’t matter anymore. To be surrounded by so many saint beasts and spirit beasts during his own inauguration ceremony… No matter what he does, he is doomed to go down in history as the most incompetent principal of the Master Teacher Academy!” Zhu Yi also shook his head and he shot a glance at Zhang Xuan with sympathy in his eyes.

The previous performance of the young principal had indeed won his admiration and approval, but it was a pity that fate had toyed with him. No matter how capable a genius the other party was, there was nothing he could do in the face of so many saint beasts and spirit beasts.

Just as Zhu Yi was lamenting over Zhang Xuan’s fate, he suddenly noticed that the commotion in the surroundings had abruptly died down. The breathing of those around him hastened, as if something huge was impending.

Frowning, Zhu Yi asked Yu Shenqing, who was sitting beside him, “What’s wrong?”

“Take a look for yourself!” With a pale face, the emperor of Hongyuan Empire raised a shaky finger to the sky.

“Look at what?”

Bewildered by the other party’s response, Zhu Yi raised his head, and the sight that was reflected in his eyes left his pupils narrowing in shock. His body stiffened, and with a hoarse voice, he exclaimed in astonishment, “W-w-w-what is that?”

He wasn’t the only one who was in such a state. In an instant, the crowd went mute; the training grounds plunged into an eerie silence. Every single one of them had their faces warped in shock, as if they had seen a ghost.

Zhao Bingxu also raised his head to take a look, and he saw that the aerial saint beasts and spirit beasts, at some point in time, had positioned themselves to form massive words that filled the boundless sky for several dozen kilometers.

Every single one of those words was shaped beautifully, reminiscent of a calligraphy masterpiece of a master painter.

“Congratulations to Master for becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy! May you achieve extraordinary accomplishments and your name to go down for generations to come… Could it be that they aren’t here to cause trouble but to… offer their congratulations?”

Reading those words in the sky, Zhu Yi felt his mind going blank.

He had thought that those spirit beasts and saint beasts would make use of this opportunity to launch a fatal attack on them or even extort them for even more favorable terms… But never in his dreams had he expected that they would form words to offer their congratulations instead!

What was going on?

Hong long!

Before Zhu Yi could recover from his shock, the three kings of the Cloudmist Ridge in the sky abruptly clasped their fists and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan and said, “Green Bamboo Earth Dragon, White-eared Beast, and Steelscale Beast congratulate Master on becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared 132,000 jin of Cloudmist Flower as a gift for you to celebrate this festive occasion!”

(~66,000kg)

Huala!

As they spoke those words, thirty Half-Saint aerial beasts descended onto the stage with a large chest each in their talons, placing them down gently before opening them.

Weng!

In an instant, the fragrance of tea leaves permeated the area. Mist puffed out from the chests to form a myriad of brilliant colors above them, creating an extraordinarily picturesque sight on the stage that seemed as if it had come out of a beautiful dream.

“This…” Yu Shenqing’s eyes nearly popped out from their sockets, and with quivering lips, he uttered, “These are… supreme grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves?”

“Cloudmist Flower tea leaves? Isn’t that what you gift us from time to time?” Zhu Yi asked in astonishment.

As the emperor of a neighboring empire, he had the privilege of enjoying tea brewed from the valuable Cloudmist Flower as well. However, due to its limited quantity, he had only been able to drink it a few times despite his esteemed standing.

Even so, that aroma, that flavor, and that texture… they were things that he would never forget in his life.

Just the thought of it left his mouth salivating endlessly.

“What I gifted you?” Yu Shenqing shook his head. “Far from it. What I have given you is just the lowest grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves. Compared to the ones in those chests, those are nothing more than trash!”

“N-nothing more than trash?” The faces of Zhu Yi and the other emperors turned livid.

Noticing their expressions, Yu Shenqing realized that he had misspoken, so he quickly clarified himself. “Don’t misunderstand! It’s not that I am intentionally sending low grade products to you—those are already the best ones in our royal palace! We simply don’t have the means to procure supreme grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves!”

“You don’t have the means to procure them?” The other emperors were taken aback.

To think that the most influential person in Hongyuan Empire would have something he would be unable to lay his hands on too?

“In order to reach such a grade, the Cloudmist Flower must be at least two hundred years old and be nourished by the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. After which, it has to be carefully dried for three whole years before it is ready for consumption… In comparison to that, the tea leaves that our royal palace are able to procure only have a maturity of less than three years, so there is no way they can compare with those,” Yu Shenqing said with a bitter smile.

They were both Cloudmist Flower tea leaves, but there was a vast difference between their quality. Only what was in those chests could be considered as true tea leaves; in comparison to that, those procured by the Hongyuan royal palace were comparable to weeds.

“Tea leaves so valuable that even your Hongyuan royal palace doesn’t have any, and those saint beasts actually gave away more than a hundred thousand jin of them as a gift?” Coming to a realization, Zhu Yi and the other emperors exchanged glances, and they suddenly felt a dryness in their throats. There were no words that could describe the current emotions they were feeling.

As fans, they were aware of the staggering value of the Cloudmist Flower tea leaves. Even the most ordinary and low-grade ones that Yu Shenqing had in his possession was easily worth a fortune!

Yet, to give away more than a hundred thousand jin of the tea leaves so easily…

This was simply way too generous, wasn’t it?

However, before they could recover from their shock, a hearty laughter suddenly boomed in the air, creating resounding echoes throughout the Master Teacher Academy.

“Scarlet Blaze Lion, Steelbacked Bear, and Tigerhead Beast also congratulate Master on becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared thirty chests of spirit medicine and saint medicine as a gift for you to celebrate this festive occasion!”

Huala!

Following which, ten Scarlet Blaze Lions, ten Steelbacked Bears, and ten Tigerhead Beasts walked up to the stage side-by-side. Each of them carried a two-meter wide chest on their backs, and after placing them down gently on the stage, they slowly opened them; a fragrance immediately burst into the air, reaching over ten li away.

(5km)

“This is… Dazzleflower Saint Medicine, Redleaf Saint Medicine, Myriad Chrysanthemum Saint Medicine… Not to mention, there are so many of them… Even if one were to empty out the entire Physician School, it would be impossible to gather so many of them together!”

“That’s not all. Look carefully, there are Greenleaf Flower Stem, Fleeting Fragrance Leaf, Woodbeard Spirit Grass… These medicinal herbs are incredibly rare, and perhaps even the Great Herb King of Hongyuan Empire might not have them!”

“Look, isn’t that the Thousand Gold Flower? Back then, I spent ten years visiting over twenty Tier-1 Empires, but I wasn’t able to find a single one. But this… there is actually half a chest of them here?”

“Is that the… Miniature Heart Devouring Grass? Isn’t that the extraordinarily rare medicinal herb famed as the core ingredient for brewing the ultimate wine that can leave one deeply intoxicated, such that one can even forget the love of their life? When I was younger, in order to forget a relationship, I toured the world to find it, and it took me three entire years just to find one that was three months old… Yet, those in that chest have a maturity of at least several hundred years!”

…

Upon seeing the medicinal herbs in the chests, the master teachers of the Apothecary School and Physician School nearly went insane.

Not only were these medicinal herbs insanely expensive, they were also extremely rare and difficult to find. Yet, those saint beasts actually gave out thirty chests of them in a single go. On top of that, all of the medicinal herbs were of a decent maturity too…

To use those as a congratulation gift…

Were they intending to empty out the Cloudmist Ridge?

“Steelfang Wolf, Bluetrunk Elephant, and Crimsonflame Ape also congratulate Master on becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. We have prepared thirty chests of ores as a gift for you to celebrate this festive occasion!”

Huala!

Before the crowd could even digest the astounding sight of thirty chests of spirit herbs and saint herbs, the final three kings also stepped forward and presented their gifts loudly.

Hong long long!

Ten Steelfang Wolves, ten Bluetrunk Elephants, and ten Crimsonflame Apes also made their way to the stage, putting down the huge chests on their back carefully and opening them.

Weng!

A ripple spread across the spiritual energy in the air, and a burst of color appeared before everyone’s eyes.

All kinds of rare ores, which the crowd had only heard about but never seen before, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

“Is that the… Bluescar Metal? I heard that this metal is even tougher than Xuan Metal, and weapons forged using the Bluescar Metal will have elegant blue veins running through them. It is said that those weapons are incredibly sharp, allowing one to slice through the flesh of another cleanly, without leaving the slightest bloodstain on the blade. Innumerable experts would die to just gain possession of a tael of it! For there to be an entire chest of it here… that should be at least several dozen tons, right?”

(A tael = 50g)

“I saw the Bloodseal Ore in one of the chests! If one grinds the ore down and smears it on a blade, even the toughest metal will be easily turned into liquid! Back then, I tried to purchase some of it from the Blacksmith Guild, but I was rejected on the grounds of my rank being too low… Yet, the saint beasts are giving an entire chest of it to Zhang shi?”

“Those are Adamantium Rocks! As long as they are carefully carved, they can become jewels more dazzling that diamonds! Even if its value doesn’t compare to the other ores, surely they don’t have to give away so many chests of it like that!”

“Could those be Snowaccrue Rocks? If cultivators of yin attribute cultivation technique were to carry some on them, their cultivation speed could be boosted significantly…”

…

As soon as those ores appeared, all of the master teachers of the Blacksmith School fell into a frenzy.

As blacksmiths, they were able to recognize the ores in the chests, and they couldn’t help but be astounded by their sheer value. Putting all of them together, and the value could easily exceed the wealth of the entire Master Teacher Academy and the Hongyuan royal family!

And yet, these were given away for free to Zhang shi to serve as congratulatory gifts for his inauguration!

“Zhu Chenqing, didn’t you say that our Master Teacher Academy agreed to humiliating conditions in order to convince the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge to retreat?”

“But these gifts… Even if one were to overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, it would be impossible to take out so many valuable resources!”

“Not to mention, the Ten Indomitable Kings even delivered the gifts personally with their men!”

…

Those students who had stood up in protest against Zhang Xuan earlier turned their sights to Zhu Chenqing.

Previously, Zhu Chenqing had told them that the Master Teacher Academy had compensated the Cloudmist Ridge with huge wealth just to convince them to retreat so that the inauguration ceremony could carry on without any trouble. It was after hearing his story that they agreed to stand up with him to question the succeeding principal indignantly.

But this… instead of the Master Teacher Academy compensating the Cloudmist Ridge, it was the Cloudmist Ridge that was delivering valuable gifts one after another to them!

No matter how slow they were, it was clear that the ‘agreed to humiliating terms so that the inauguration ceremony could go on without any trouble’, which they had been told, was a lie…

“I-I… How was I supposed to know this?” Zhu Chenqing exclaimed with a trembling body as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Considering that it was their side that had proposed the negotiation, and that the negotiation had been conducted in the enemy’s den, where the negotiator could be easily pressured into giving in, the eventual terms decided upon in the negotiation were bound to be shameful and humiliating to them…

Who would have thought that it would turn out to be the complete opposite?

Zhu Chenqing felt as if his sanity was going to snap by the craziness happening around him…

The heck!

Are you sure that you went there to negotiate and not to rob them?

Translator’s Thoughts

 StarveCleric

Only 2 words below costing another spirit stone, aren’t we efficient? 😀

Chapter 899: Inviting the Predecessors

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After a very long moment of silence, someone amid the crowd exclaimed, “Wait! Have you noticed that they addressed Zhang shi as ‘Master’ in their congratulations?”

Overwhelmed by the shock of the gifts, none of them had really noticed it. However, now that they were given some time to process what had just happened, realization suddenly dawned upon them.

“Indeed! They did say ‘congratulations to Master’!”

“For them to call Zhang shi their master, there can only be one possibility… they are his tamed beasts!”

“Wait, doesn’t that mean that Zhang shi… has managed to tame all of the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge? Is that the reason they cleared out their den to prepare these gifts to offer to him during the inauguration ceremony?”

As if a stone dropped into a tranquil lake, a commotion swiftly rippled across the crowd.

As students of the Master Teacher Academy, none of them were fools. It only took them a brief moment to understand the situation before them.

Shocked gazes swiftly turned to the composed, twenty-year-old young man standing on the stage, and the crowd felt as if their minds were about to blow.

This was especially so for the students of the Beast Tamer School. They were completely frenzied by the situation before them.

Just to tame a single spirit beast, they would need to spend several years giving the other party all kinds of treasures and delicacies while putting aside their dignity to fawn over the beast, as if trying to please one’s ancestor…

Yet, the young man on the stage had not only tamed the Byzantium Helios Beast but the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge as well…

Can you be any more exaggerated than that?

While they were flabbergasted by the situation before them, the several dozen spirit beasts in the air and on ground abruptly bowed down toward the young man on the stage and howled in unison.

“Roar roar roar roar roar…”

“That’s the Ancient Beast Language!” one of the older beast tamers amid the crowd exclaimed.

Someone else hurriedly asked, “Ancient Beast Language? What are they saying?”

It was extremely difficult to learn the Ancient Beast Language, and even among the master teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, there was only a small handful who could understand it.

“I can only make out some of the simpler words…”

The older beast tamer hesitated for an instant before saying, “It seems like they are saying… Congratulations to Master for becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy…”

“Master? Wait, it can’t be that… these spirit beasts have been tamed by Zhang shi as well? All of them are his tamed beasts?”

“That seems to be the case…”

“While taming the kings of the Cloudmist Ridge, he conveniently tamed the other spirit beasts as well?”

“Faction leader—wait, it should be Principal Zhang now—sure devastates everything in his path…”

The eyelids of the crowd began twitching uncontrollably once more.

It was just a moment ago that they had thought that the situation was already sufficiently exaggerated, and that was when such a scene occurred before them…

Principal Zhang, are you sure that you are only a 4-star master teacher and not Kong shi in disguise?

In fact, even Kong shi had no record of being able to tame several dozen thousand spirit beasts and saint beasts in a single breath during his younger years.

One of the students of the Beast Tamer School who had participated in the battle was the first to realize the truth.

“It seems like we really got it all wrong this time around. Principal Zhang participated in the negotiations as well, but instead of humbling himself before the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge and paying a heavy price in order to bring about peace, he went to overturn the other party’s den!”

“Indeed! To run straight into their base to tame the Ten Indomitable Kings and all of the spirit beasts beneath them… With such capability, were negotiations even required?”

“It’s laughable that we actually doubted Principal Zhang! It is no wonder School Head Zhao said that we don’t have to worry about beast stampedes from the Cloudmist Ridge anymore. With all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts becoming Principal Zhang’s tamed beasts, how could a beast stampede possibly occur?”

“The Cloudmist Ridge is a problem that the Master Teacher Academy has been unable to resolve for countless years, and yet, Zhang shi has already resolved it before he was even inaugurated as the principal. If I was one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, I would also have nominated him to be the principal! Who else could possibly be better suited for the role than him?”

After recovering from the shock, a bitter smile surfaced on their faces.

Previously, when they had heard that School Head Mo was proposing a negotiation with the Cloudmist Ridge, they had thought that the Master Teacher Academy was going to be forced into humiliating terms.

But from the looks of it, they had been sorely mistaken. On the contrary, they had even helped to vent the many years of frustrations of mankind.

Once the news spread, the entire Qingyuan Conferred Empire would find their lower jaws dropping in astonishment as well.

“He actually managed to tame all of them…”

Watching the sight before him, Zhu Chenqing’s eyes reddened in agitation.

His greatest goal had always been to exact vengeance for his family, and with all of the beasts submitting to Zhang shi, he could finally let go of this grudge.

“Principal Zhang, thank you!” Kneeling to the ground, Zhu Chenqing expressed his earnest gratitude toward Zhang Xuan.

“Alright, all of you may leave now!” After accepting all of the gifts, Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

He had no idea that the spirit beasts and saint beasts would cause such a huge ruckus during the inauguration ceremony!

If he had known in advance, he would have surely stopped them from messing around like that!

While it was true that their actions had indeed won him some prestige, he still couldn’t help but feel stifled within.

As the saying goes, ‘flaunting one’s wealth is nothing short of foolishness’. How hard would it have been for you to have passed those gifts to me discreetly? But to present them as congratulatory gifts in the middle of the inauguration ceremony, isn’t that as good as telling everyone in the academy that I have struck it rich?

“Yes!” Nodding, the Scarlet Blaze Lion swiftly led the spirit beasts and saint beasts out of the Master Teacher Academy.

Watching the spirit beasts and saint beasts leaving orderly on command, the master teachers in the area couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration.

With such a principal leading them, it would just be a matter of time before the academy rose through the ranks!

Seeing that Principal Zhang had managed to win everyone over, Zhao Bingxu chuckled softly and said, “Alright, if no one else have any other questions, we shall proceed on to the next formality, paying respects to the predecessors!”

“We are willing to recognize Zhang shi as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy!” the crowd hurriedly responded.

The young man on the stage had already shown outstanding character, professionalism, exceptional teaching capability, deep knowledge of cultivation, and magnanimity to them. They would only be embarrassing themselves if they challenged such a man further.

“Good. Invite the predecessors!” Zhao Bingxu announced loudly.

Inviting the predecessors to witness the inauguration of the principal was a convention of the Master Teacher Academy. In this formality, the succeeding principal will seek the recognition of the preceding principals.

While this might sound similar to how the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall worked, there was a significant difference between the two.

In the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, master teachers would seek the acknowledgement from the wills of the outstanding predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and the more predecessors who acknowledged them, the greater one’s accomplishments were likely to be in the future.

On the other hand, in this formality of the inauguration ceremony, the succeeding principal would be seeking the recognition from the wills of the preceding principals. The greater the number of principals that recognized the succeeding principal, the greater the authority and power the succeeding principal would obtain in the Master Teacher Academy.

The Master Teacher Academy wasn’t as simple as it looked on the surface. There were many deeper secrets to it that even an esteemed school head like Zhao Bingxu was unqualified to learn of.

Hong long!

As Zhao Bingxu’s words echoed in the air, a massive formation inscribed onto the stage began whirring into action, and the sky abruptly darkened, as if an ominous cloud had concealed the sun.

“What is going on?”

This was the first time that most of the students had witnessed this formality, so they couldn’t help but be unnerved by the bizarre happenings around them.

Didn’t School Head Zhao say that he would invite the predecessors? Why would the sky suddenly darken?

“Don’t worry, I was present in the inauguration ceremony of the old principal, and this was the exact same situation that happened then as well!” An elder stroked his beard and said, “By predecessors, it actually refers to the wills that the preceding principals left behind in the academy. As these wills exist in a form similar to souls, they are unable to move around in the sunlight, so a formation must be activated to conceal the sun before the predecessors can be summoned!”

One of the students couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Soul? Is that the means of a soul oracle?”

“Means of a soul oracle? Of course not! The means of the soul oracles are extremely sinister and callous, consisting of methods to lengthen one’s lifespan through possessing the bodies of others and turning living bodies into Soulless Metal Humanoids. On the other hand, the methods our Master Teacher Pavilion use are upright and orthodox!” the elder replied disdainfully.

“Then…” The student was confused.

According to what he knew, only soul oracles had to avoid the sunlight, confined in the shades of darkness.

“These predecessors are the wills left behind the preceding generations of principals, and naturally, they can’t be compared with mere soul oracles! If you don’t believe me, just take a look yourself…”

Shortly after the elder said those words, a huge gust of wind blew, and the vague silhouette of an elder materialized above the stage.

This elder had a square face, and a hint of valiantness seemed to be etched into his glabella, granting him a majestic and authoritative disposition.

Unlike the cold and sinister aura that soul oracles usually carried, his presence felt upright and warm.

Upon seeing the elder, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but frown.

Just like the other students, he had also been wondering whether or not the predecessors had used the means of soul oracles in order to sustain themselves, as a duration of ten millenniums was more than sufficient to dissipate the soul of even the most capable master teacher.

However, after seeing the elder, he realized that the predecessors existed in a form strikingly similar to the young Kong shi he had met at the Saint Acknowledgement Platform.

He wasn’t too sure about the details, but the soul felt upright, devoid of the disquieting aura characteristic of a soul oracle.

But of course, existing in such a form had its own disadvantages as well. For one, the soul before him didn’t seem to be complete, which impeded it from exerting significant power.

On top of that, soul oracles often possessed their full consciousness, but the soul of the master teacher could only be said to be a sliver of will, similar to the state that Vicious was in at the moment.

“Judging from his appearance and aura, it seems like he is the first principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu shi!”

Unlike Zhang Xuan’s questioning gaze, the eyes of the teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy lit up upon seeing the elder.

The founder of the Master Teacher Academy appearing before their eyes, how could they not be excited?

It might just be an incomplete soul, but it harnessed his will within it!

Hu hu hu hu!

Shortly after Mu Kai appeared, several dozen more figures flickered into existence as well.

Even though their silhouettes looked extremely faint, they harnessed a powerful aura that exerted great pressure on those before them.

As students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, they were expected to remember the history of the Master Teacher Academy. Besides, those who were able to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy in their generation possessed capability surpassing that of their peers, making them figures of admiration among students and teachers alike.

Seeing so many of their idols appearing simultaneously, the atmosphere in the training grounds was about to burst through the sky.

“Is that Principal Liu Changyuan from the seventh generation? I have been studying his ‘Changyuan Great Sorrow Palm’ and ‘Thousand Leaves Revolution Palm’ for the past few years…”

“That must be Principal Mo Liuzhen! As expected of the one famed for possessing the greatest talent among all of the principals; just his presence seems to hint at the boundless might he possesses!”

“Principal Mo Liuzhen is indeed strong, but it’s a pity that he entered the Subterranean Gallery in order to push himself to make a breakthrough to becoming an 8-star master teacher and never returned. His death is truly one of the greatest loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion…”

“My idol is Principal Zhu Xuanqing of the 79th generation. Even though he never managed to become a 7-star master teacher in his lifetime, he specialized in a total of 12 supporting occupations and compiled his insights into each of them in great detail, leaving behind an incredible trove of knowledge for the generations to come…”

…

The many master teachers in the training grounds couldn’t help but feel their hearts leaping in excitement.

Hu hu!

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, a total of 102 figures had materialized on the stage.

Zhang Xuan frowned. “102? Why don’t I see the old principal anywhere?”