Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 900

Chapter 900: Won’t You Allow Me to Pummel You?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Every single generation of principal had left behind a sliver of their will in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the principal of the previous generation had gone missing abruptly, considering that this was part of the heritage of the Master Teacher Academy, he should have entrusted a sliver of his will with the Master Teacher Academy as well.

Why wasn’t the old principal anywhere to be seen then?

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s doubts, Zhao Bingxu explained to him through zhenqi telepathy, “The old principal… He went missing before he could accrue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, so he couldn’t leave his will behind…”

“Contribution?” Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the term.

“The Master Teacher Pavilion has a record of each master teacher’s accomplishments, and these accomplishments are then quantified in the form of ‘contributions’. Each generation of principal has to achieve a certain level of contributions before they are given the permission to enter the Mausoleum of Principals!

“Basically, anything that is beneficial to mankind can be considered a contribution. Imparting knowledge so as to allow more cultivators to grow stronger is a contribution; killing Otherworldly Demons and ridding mankind of the underlying threat is a contribution; creating new cultivation techniques and battle techniques and spreading them far and wide so that mankind can reach greater heights is a contribution as well,” Zhao Bingxu clarified with a smile.

“Principal Zhang, your act of taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge has spared mankind from a possible disaster in the future, and the Master Teacher Pavilion considers it a huge contribution as well. Just that in itself should qualify you to enter the Mausoleum of Principals!”

The Cloudmist Ridge had always been a huge threat to the Master Teacher Academy, and despite going through over a hundred principals, the problem had still continued to persist. Facing such a problem, not only did Principal Zhang manage to resolve the problem once and for all, he even effectively turned the forces of the Cloudmist Ridge into the forces of the Master Teacher Academy. With such an accomplishment, even if his contribution was still beneath that of the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, it was definitely sufficient to go down in history for countless years to come.

“I have made sufficient contributions?” Zhang Xuan was stunned by the abrupt news.

“Of course!” Zhao Bingxu nodded with an indescribable expression.

Other principals had to toil laboriously day after day, doing whatever they could do that was beneficial to mankind in order to accrue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Principals.

The current principal was probably the only one in the many generations of principals to achieve sufficient contributions despite not knowing what it was.

If the previous principals were to learn about this matter, would they spurt a mouthful of blood and start cursing furiously?

Sometimes, it was the difference between fellow men that was the most frustrating.

Oblivious to School Head Zhao’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan continued asking, “What is the Mausoleum of Principals?”

“The Mausoleum of Principals is where the wills of the principals are nurtured, as well as where their bodies are kept after their deaths. Thus, it can be said to be the resting place of the previous principals of the Master Teacher Academy.”

“So, it is like a tomb for the principals.” Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

Judging from School Head Zhao’s words, it seemed like not every principal was qualified to be buried in there. Only those who had made sufficient contributions were allowed to rest there after their deaths.

Most likely, there is something special about the tomb… Zhang Xuan thought doubtfully.

If it was just an ordinary tomb, there was no need to restrict even the principals themselves from entering. Since there was such a strict restriction imposed on it, there was probably more to it than meets the eye.

Just as Zhang Xuan was contemplating this matter, the wills of the principals suddenly turned their eyes over to him.

“You are the principal of this generation?” An authoritative voice echoed through the air.

The one who had spoken was the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai.

Mu Kai had a very gentle and elegant air around him, and his eyes carried no hint of underestimation or disdain for Zhang Xuan just because of the latter’s young age. On the contrary, he nodded in commendation, expressing his approval for Zhang Xuan instead.

“For one of your age to receive the recognition of so many students and elders, it seems like you are a person of exceptional capability.”

Naturally, the eye of discernment of the man who had founded the Master Teacher Academy was anything but ordinary.

When others only noticed Zhang Xuan’s young age and inexperience, the founder of the Master Teacher Academy saw his potential.

For a person of his age to be chosen as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, that could only mean that he possessed certain capabilities that surpassed all other competitors.

“Even under the protection of the formation, the time that we can remain existent here is limited. Use three sentences to introduce yourself, your strengths, and capabilities. We will use it as a gauge to determine whether you are worthy of our approval or not!” Mu Kai said with a smile.

“Three sentences?” Not expecting to be given such a challenge, Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had thought that he would be kneeling to beseech the preceding principals for their acknowledgement, similar to how it was in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. However, from the looks it, it didn’t seem to be that simple.

He was given an opportunity to speak, but this only served to heighten the difficulty of the test.

This opportunity could also be considered a test from the preceding principals, so he would have to proceed with caution.

Just as Zhang Xuan was musing over his words, Zhao Bingxu suddenly sent a telepathic message to him. “Principal Zhang, you must think it through carefully! The number of acknowledgements you receive from the principals will determine the degree of authority you will wield in the academy!”

“Degree of authority?”

“Un. There are certain places in the Master Teacher Academy that even the principal won’t be able to enter without possessing a certain degree of authority in the academy.”

“I see!” Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

In essence, the principal was not the true master of the Master Teacher Academy but a master teacher nominated by the Ten Great Master Teachers to manage the affairs of the Master Teacher Academy temporarily. Naturally, the principal wasn’t given free rein over everything in the academy.

The greater degree of authority one commanded, the greater one’s control over the academy would be.

“As long as you receive twenty percent of the predecessors’ recognition, you will be deemed qualified to take over as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy and receive the Elementary Jurisdiction. If you receive forty percent, you will be granted the Intermediate Jurisdiction. Sixty percent, you will be granted Advanced Jurisdiction, and eighty percent, Supreme Jurisdiction. If you receive Supreme Jurisdiction over the Master Teacher Academy, you will gain total control over all of the major formations, access the most confidential books in the academy, and even gain free access to the Mausoleum of Principals without needing the required contribution.”

Access the most confidential books in the academy? Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

The main reason he had agreed to be the principal in the first place was due to the principal’s privilege in accessing the books in the academy. However, judging from Zhao Bingxu’s words, it seemed that he would still be unable to access some books if he didn’t obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction.

If that was the case, he would just have to obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction.

But in order to achieve that, he would need to find the right words to convince over eighty percent of the preceding principals to recognize him within three sentences, and that was easier said than done.

While the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai, might have a positive view of him, not all of the principals shared the same opinion.

After all, there was simply nothing praiseworthy about Zhang Xuan’s age, cultivation, and master teacher rank.

To change their minds of him within just three sentences—difficult!

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask Zhao Bingxu, “What percentage of recognition did the old principal receive?”

“The old principal was only a 6-star pinnacle master teacher when he took over as the principal, barely meeting the mark, so he only received 22% of the preceding principals’ recognition,” Zhao Bingxu replied.

“Most of the preceding principals received the Elementary Jurisdiction in this formality. Out of the 103 preceding principals, less than thirty has received the Intermediate Jurisdiction, less than ten for the Advanced Jurisdiction, and only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction, which was the founder, Mu shi himself!”

“Only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

It seemed like the test was far harder than he had thought.

Each of the preceding principals were top-notch experts in their era; receiving their earnest recognition and commendation was truly no easy task.

Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one views to be perfect might be worth nothing in the eyes of others.

There were master teachers in this world who specialized in more than a dozen supporting occupations, achieving an incredible mastery in each of them. Logically speaking, a person that capable should receive the respect and admiration of others.

However, there were also those who thought that a master teacher should focus their efforts on teaching others. The fact that a master teacher had achieved such deep mastery in every field only meant that they weren’t devoted in their primary responsibility, so they weren’t worthy of respect.

“Indeed! In this formality, the fewer preceding principals there are, the easier it is to receive a substantial percentage of their recognition. With more than a hundred preceding principals here, it will be extremely difficult to gain a sufficient proportion of their support to obtain higher degrees of authority!” Zhao Bingxu said.

Receiving the recognition of just one or two principals was relatively simpler with an outstanding performance and sufficient luck. However, to win the goodwill of over a hundred people at once, that was nigh impossible.

Thus, the three sentences he would speak were of grave importance.

What words could help him convince all of them?

Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

…

The master teachers beneath the stage also swiftly came to realize the difficulty behind Founder Mu Kai’s request as well, and anxiety emerged in their eyes.

One of the students turned to his good friend beside him and asked, “What do you think Zhang shi will say?”

“Zhang shi is a man of great talent; it is beyond my means to fathom what he could possibly say. However, given his capability, I believe it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to win the recognition of most predecessors!” The good friend happened to be a diehard fan of Zhang Xuan, so he possessed unwavering confidence in the latter.

One of the master teachers who had a deep understanding of the history of the academy said, “I’m afraid that it won’t be that easy. Even the unbelievably talented Principal Mo Yanqing back then only managed to obtain a 71% recognition from the preceding principals. I believe that Principal Zhang’s talent is nowhere beneath Principal Mo’s, but his talent has yet to manifest itself fully yet. If Principal Zhang was given a few dozen more years, I have no doubt that he would be able to surpass the results of the preceding principals easily. However, in his current state… I fear that it won’t be that easy!”

“Indeed, it is unlikely for Zhang shi to do too well in this. I heard that our old principal didn’t do well in this formality either, achieving a recognition of only 22%,” another student added.

Considering how the old principal had managed to tame the Byzantium Helios Beast and had been on the verge of a breakthrough to becoming a 7-star master teacher, there was little that had to be said about his talent and capability.

Yet, such an expert only received 22% of the preceding principal’s recognition. This went to show how difficult this formality was.

“Whether one would be able to receive the recognition of the preceding principals depended highly on one’s capability, character affinity, and luck. It will be difficult to display the full extent of one’s capability with just three sentences, but if Zhang shi pulls it off well, he might manage to achieve something unexpected. Otherwise, it will probably just be a close pass!” An elder shook his head upon hearing their conversation, when he suddenly pointed forward and said, “Look, Zhang shi is about to begin speaking!”

The crowd hurriedly turned their gazes to the stage and saw Zhang Xuan raising his gaze to face the wills of the 102 preceding principals!

It might seem as if the conversation with Zhao Bingxu and the conversation among the master teachers below the stage had occurred over a long period of time, but all in all, only ten breaths had passed.

Seeing that the succeeding principal had prepared himself in such a short period of time, they couldn’t help but wait with bated breaths to hear what he had to say.

Zhao Bingxu also turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan as he stroked his beard.

He had already said all that had to be said. All that was left was to see how Zhang shi would create yet another miracle and overturn everyone’s view once more.

“My name is Zhang Xuan!” With a soft chuckle, Zhang Xuan first introduced himself.

Hearing those words, the wills of the preceding principals nodded in agreement.

It might seem as if he had wasted a sentence, but this was a display of his respect toward them and toward himself as well. It was polite and respectful, devoid of the usual arrogance that a complacent young man in his position would have.

On top of that, his composed disposition also highlighted the absolute confidence he had in himself. It seemed like the young principal was truly not simple!

Just as the wills of the preceding principals were still nodding in approval at Zhang Xuan’s first sentence, the latter suddenly scratched his head awkwardly and asked with his face reddened in embarrassment, “That… As preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy, I believe you are benevolent and magnanimous… Since that’s the case, won’t you allow me to pummel you?”

“He wants to pummel them?”

Everyone in the crowd, who had pricked up their ears to listen intently to what that was being said, couldn’t help but fall into a state of disbelief.

Chapter 901: Go Ahead!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

They had all been wondering how Zhang shi would make use of his three sentences.

If he wanted to display his capability, be it pill forging, the Way of Medicine, smithing, or demonic tunes, he would surely have been able to capture everyone’s attention easily and win their respect.

If he were to talk about his contributions, retrieving Elder Wu Yangzi’s corpse and contributing his forging technique without asking for any compensation, saving the Hongyuan royal family’s Bodhi Saint Tree, taming all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge… All of these were incredible feats that wouldn’t pale in comparison to the previous generations of principals.

Even if it was in the field of imparting knowledge, while his direct disciples might not possess high cultivation realms, their understanding of cultivation and battle techniques far surpassed most 6-star master teachers, such that even the head of the Martial School had personally invited them to become the guest elders of the academy…

Regardless of which one it was, he would surely be able to attract the attention of all of the predecessors in an instant… Yet, instead of speaking about any of that, he had actually asked to pummel the predecessors instead!

Big Brother, we are master teachers, not hoodlums!

The master teachers beneath the stage were all dumbstruck. Countless elders had pulled out their beards unwittingly, causing blood to flow down their lower jaws, but it seemed as if they hadn’t noticed it at all.

They had seen those who had boasted about their capabilities and accomplishments to win the admiration of others; they had also seen those who resorted all means in order to obtain power… But never had they seen anyone who threatened to lay his hands on his predecessors after inviting them over!

More importantly, he had even said it out loud, seemingly without the slightest shred of remorse at all…

Zhang shi, aren’t you afraid of the predecessors killing you on the spot for your insolence?

Even if you don’t wish to be recognized and become the principal, you need not bring such trouble upon yourself, right?

On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu nearly fell off the stage after hearing Zhang Xuan’s words.

School Head Mo and the others also nearly had their lower jaws falling to the ground. Their faces flushed incredibly red, seemingly ready to blow at any moment.

“You want to pummel us?”

While the crowd was feeling light-headed from this abrupt turn of events, the wills of the preceding predecessors on the stage stared at one another in frenzy, unable to believe what they had just heard as well.

As preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy, they had undergone this formality themselves, and they had assessed many juniors after them too. They had seen those who wracked their brains to formulate the perfect three sentences to present to them, but never had they seen one who threatened to pummel them on this formal occasion.

You must be on the verge of going insane!

As the faces of all of the preceding principals darkened, Founder Mu Kai frowned and advised, “You only have three sentences, consider what you wish to say carefully!”

“I have already considered it thoroughly, just allow me to pummel all of you once!” Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively.

After which, his figure blurred, and in the next instant, he was already standing before Founder Mu Kai with his palm raised, ready to assault the latter.

Hong long!

The palm strike was so powerful that it caused a deafening sonic boom to reverberate in the air. With just one glance, Founder Mu Kai could instantaneously tell that the young man before him possessed exceptional strength. Even a Half-Saint could be easily killed by the palm strike.

“Zhang shi really made a move?”

“What is he up to?”

“Doomed, he is really doomed now. To make a move on the founder of the academy is a grossly disrespectful act; he will never be able to earn their recognition anymore!”

…

The master teachers beneath the stage clutched their hair in frenzy. Zhao Bingxu, School Head Mo, and the others could feel their hearts in their mouths, and they felt as if they were going to faint at any moment soon.

To make a move on one’s predecessor, that was no longer a problem as simple as whether he was willing to become the principal or not anymore. Once this matter reached the ears of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he could be severely punished for his disrespectful actions!

In the worst-case scenario, he might even be scorned by all, making it impossible for him to remain a master teacher!

“Audacious!”

“How brazen!”

“You are seeking death!”

…

Seeing Zhang Xuan make a move on Founder Mu Kai, the other preceding principals immediately bellowed furiously.

Founder Mu Kai’s face also twitched at Zhang Xuan’s abrupt assault, and he quickly dodged his attack with a side step before raising his palm to retaliate with a strike of his own. In response, Zhang Xuan swiftly turned around and retreated.

Founder Mu Kai was planning to retaliate, but in that moment, he abruptly sensed something that left his eyes narrowed and his body trembling.

Hu!

Seeing that the other party had finally understood it, Zhang Xuan smiled and came to a halt.

However, his halt didn’t stop the preceding principals from charging at him furiously. Powerful surges of energy, reminiscent of steel, were heading swiftly for him to bound him tightly.

Zhang Xuan’s disrespect toward the founder of the Master Teacher Academy had incurred their ire, and their anger would never be appeased until they taught the new principal a harsh lesson.

“Stop!”

But just as the steel-like surges of energy were about to bind Zhang Xuan tightly together, a loud bellow abruptly sounded—Founder Mu Kai.

All of the preceding principals hesitated for a moment before withdrawing their strength and returning back to their positions reluctantly. Nevertheless, their hostile gazes were still fixated upon Zhang Xuan.

“Mu shi, this new principal has no respect for his seniors and the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion at all. To dare make a move against you, that clearly shows that there is a problem with his character! Please, allow us to deal with him!”

“We, master teachers, have always valued etiquette, and if we don’t deal with him, how are we to maintain discipline among our ranks?”

The preceding principals all exclaimed furiously.

In their years as principals, they had never seen a person as brazen as that.

“Audacious!” Hearing the furious exclamations from the crowd, Founder Mu Kai’s face turned livid, and he raged, “We are only a sliver of will left behind by our former selves, and yet you still wish to teach the incumbent principal a lesson? Don’t you think that is overstepping your bounds?”

Hearing Mu shi, the one who respected etiquette strictly the most among them, saying such words, everyone was dumbstruck. They couldn’t help but stare at him in confusion.

I didn’t see you hesitating in the slightest when you made a move on him earlier!

It’s just that the other party managed to dodge your attack, so your strike failed to land on him… We are just doing the same as you; why are our actions considered ‘overstepping our bounds’?

“What should do we do then?” one of the preceding principals asked.

“What else do you plan to do…” Founder Mu Kai glared at the preceding principal who had asked the question and raised his hands majestically. “Remain rooted on the spot and allow him to pummel you!”

Putong! Putong! Putong!

The knees of the master teachers beneath the stage caved in, and they all fell to the ground.

Remain rooted on the spot and allow Zhang shi to pummel them… What the heck was with that?

Was that some kind of bad joke from the founder of the Master Teacher Academy?

The wills of the preceding principals exchanged horrified glances with one another.

This was especially so for the second and third generation principals. Not only had they lived in the same era as Founder Mu Kai, they were even his student and grandstudent respectively. As such, they had a deep understanding of Founder Mu Kai’s personality.

Upright and austere, he was a person who viewed etiquette with great importance. Yet, for him to show no signs of anger in face of the rudeness of the new principal, and even command them to remain still before the latter’s beating…

Such a response was inconceivable!

“Enough, hurry up and do as I say. Our time out here is limited, so stop wasting it!” Paying no heed to the shock of the others, Founder Mu Kai waved his hands impatiently.

“Yes!” In face of Founder Mu Kai’s displeasure, the preceding principals could only grit their teeth and step forward reluctantly. With a look reminiscent of soldiers marching to their deaths, they glared at Zhang Xuan and said in resignation, “Come, do your worst!”

“Pardon me!” Nodding, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and shrouded all of the preceding principals with his zhenqi in an instant.

The zhenqi only remained for a brief instant before dissipating. After which, Zhang Xuan returned back to the edge of the stage and stood quietly, as if nothing had happened at all.

On the other hand, the faces of the preceding principals paled as realization struck them. They turned their sights to the young principal once more, this time with their gazes filled with respect.

With a soft chuckle, Founder Mu Kai said, “Alright, it’s about time. Let’s begin!

“I, the first-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, declare my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal. With him, the Master Teacher Academy will definitely be brought to unprecedented heights!”

“I, the second-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, declare my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!”

“I, the third-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, declare my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!”

“I, the fourth-generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, declare my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!”

“I…”

…

“I, the 102nd generation principal of the Master Teacher Academy, declare my recognition for Zhang shi as the next principal!”

One by one, the principal of each generation stepped forward and declared their own support for Zhang Xuan as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy with a resounding voice.

“Am I seeing things? The preceding principals actually expressed their support for Zhang shi?”

“I have no idea what is going on!”

“Didn’t Zhang shi just show blatant disrespect for the founder of the Master Teacher Academy? Under such circumstances, shouldn’t all of the preceding principals object to his inauguration? How did the situation suddenly turn to this?”

“I have no idea either… In any case, Zhang shi isn’t a person who can be defined by common sense. Somehow, even the impossible becomes possible when he is involved…”

The master teachers beneath the stage were shocked beyond words.

Of the hundred principals in history, the only one to have received the highest authority was the founder, Mu Kai. Yet, despite crossing the wills of all of the preceding principals, that fellow had actually been recognized by each and every one of them and received the Supreme Jurisdiction over the academy without the slightest doubt…

Could it be that the wills of these preceding principals were actually masochists who preferred to be beaten up than to listen to words?

“Since we are done expressing our recognition for Zhang shi, it’s about time for us to leave.” Seeing that everything was done, Founder Mu Kai nodded before he turned to Zhang Xuan once more and said, “I hope that you will never forget your roots as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, no matter how high you reach in the future.”

After which, he clasped his fist and said, “Farewell!”

With those words, the figures of the preceding principals swiftly blurred before disappearing altogether. Most likely, they had been teleported away by the formation.

“Hu…” With their departure, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but heave a long sigh of relief.

Upon learning that he would have to obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction in order to access all of the books in the academy, he couldn’t help but want to obtain it.

After a long moment of contemplation, he had come to understand that it was impossible for him to win the support of over 80% of the preceding principals with just three sentences, especially given his disadvantages, such as his lacking cultivation and low master teacher rank.

Unless… he could find a compelling reason that would leave them with no choice but to recognize him!

Such a reason would be nigh impossible for anyone to find, but it just so happened that he had one!

Celestial Master Teacher!

As a master teacher recognized by even the heavens, who would not recognize him?

However, his capability was still currently too low in order to manipulate his power such that it was only visible to the preceding principals. Considering that they were in a public location, he could potentially be placed into danger in the future if his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher were to become known by others.

Left with no choice, he could only come up with an alternative plan… Feigning to battle with the master teachers to shroud his zhenqi around them before releasing his pressure as a Celestial Master Teacher!

It was a little troublesome, but his Heaven’s Path zhenqi would be able to hinder anyone from trying to look into what was happening within.

And after revealing his identity… which preceding principal would still dare to object to him?

No matter how powerful one was, could one possibly be stronger than the heavens?

Celestial Master Teacher, the height that no one other than Kong shi had reached!

As such, the previous sight had occurred, and Zhang Xuan became the only principal since the founding of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to have received the recognition of every single preceding principal!

It was inconvenient for the preceding principals to speak of this matter, so the others had no idea what had happened either. As such, the mysterious veil that seemed to shroud Zhang Xuan grew even thicker.

The students and teachers who had harbored doubts regarding Zhang Xuan’s inauguration as the principal were also utterly silenced by this matter.

A man who was recognized by all of the preceding principals, what right did they have to doubt his capability?

Recovering from his shock, Zhao Bingxu scanned the surroundings and declared with a hoarse voice, “Alright, since Zhang shi has received the recognition of all of the preceding principals, let’s move on to the next formality—forming the Principal’s Seal!

“But before that, allow me to invite Principal Zhang to conduct a public lecture!”

Chapter 902: Even Donkeys Have Gone Insane!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Forming the Principal’s Seal required gathering the wills of every single student and teacher in the Master Teacher Academy. It was a solemn and sacred event.

Before doing so, the succeeding principal was required to conduct a public lecture so as to give the members of the academy a glimpse of his capability in imparting knowledge. If the succeeding principal couldn’t even convince the members of the academy of his capability, how could he possibly gather their wills to form the Principal’s Seal?

“I am excited to hear Zhang shi’s lecture!”

“Since even his students are so capable, little has to be said about the teacher!”

“I wonder what the lecture from a man recognized by all of the preceding principals will be like…”

Anticipation surfaced on the faces of the crowd.

Given how even Zhang shi’s students could lecture about the foundation of cultivation and battle techniques so well, he should be able to do far better than that!

“I shall conduct a lecture on the fundamentals then!” Zhang Xuan nodded as he walked toward the edge of the stage.

School Head Mo had told him earlier that he would have to hold a public lecture as part of the inauguration ceremony, so there was nothing much for him to hesitate over.

Besides, having comprehended the Heart of a Teacher, he had a deeper insight into the responsibilities of a teacher. Knowledge served as a tool to further the prosperity of mankind, and only through imparting it would they serve their purpose. There was no point in him keeping it to himself.

After surveying the crowd, Zhang Xuan began to speak.

“One can view cultivation as similar to building a castle. Only with a strong foundation can a castle reach great heights. Otherwise, it will only be like the moon in the lake, disappearing with the slightest ripple…”

Even though he didn’t intentionally amplify his voice, his words still reached the ears of every single person in the training grounds crisp clear.

As he spoke, spiritual energy began to surge in from the heavens and gathered around the training grounds. The sheer concentration of spiritual energy resulted in its materialization as innumerable pure white lotuses, creating an exceptionally beautiful sight.

Spirit Gathering Diction!

Listening to Zhang Xuan’s lecture, it didn’t take long for the students to fall into a trance.

…

On the streets beyond the Master Teacher Academy were stores trading in every sort of commodity that one could think of, be it daily necessities, accommodation, or consumables. Over the years, each store had developed an extremely effective supply chain that drove the economy of Hongyuan Empire.

Being a master teacher was one of the most lucrative occupations in the Master Teacher Continent, so those who succeeded in securing a store around the Master Teacher Academy often made a killing out of their businesses.

“Boss, isn’t the main reason most choose a store location close to the Master Teacher Academy to come into contact more with master teachers and possibly receive their guidance and advance their cultivation? Why has your cultivation remained stagnant over the past twenty years then?”

In a tavern, a carefree swordsman with a cup of fine wine in his hand gazed lazily at another person standing not too far away from him.

He had visited the tavern once twenty years ago and lived there for several months. In that period of time, the both of them had grown rather close with one another.

The man who he was speaking to was a potbellied man in his fifties, with an appearance that deeply resembled a merchant. However, he was actually a renowned swordsman, boasting incredible skill dozens of years ago!

However, for some reason, he had backed out of the pugilistic world and became the owner of a tavern instead. It had been dozens of years since then, and many merchants along the street had come and gone; he was the only one who had remained constant in this time, and his cultivation had shown no change as well.

As such, the swordsman couldn’t help but be bewildered by this puzzling sight.

“I also wish to advance my cultivation, and there must have been at least eight thousand master teachers who have drunk in my tavern, and of which, probably two to three thousand have offered me pointers on my cultivation at some point. However… it seems like I have already reached the limits of my talent. No matter how hard I try, I am just unable to take another step forward!”

Sighing deeply, the boss shook his head with a bitter smile.

As a swordsman who had lived alongside his sword for many years, he wouldn’t have chosen to cast aside his sword had he not met with overwhelming difficulties.

Severely damaged in a fight against a rival, he had found his cultivation and his ability to cultivate crippled. Hoping to find a cure, he had opened this tavern just outside the Master Teacher Academy so that he could seek their advice and return to his peak…

However, dozens of years had passed, and he had indeed encountered many master teachers as well. However, not a single one of them possessed the capability to cure his trauma and allow him to pick up the sword once more!

Over time, disappointment after disappointment had eroded the confidence he had, and eventually, his skill with the sword became beneath his skill with a butcher’s cleaver.

“Sigh!”

Realizing the boss’s helplessness toward his plight, the carefree swordsman gulped down large mouthfuls of wine and sighed. Just as he was about to say something in consolation, he suddenly felt the surrounding spiritual energy gushing furiously toward the Master Teacher Academy.

“What is happening?” the swordsman asked with a deep frown.

The boss took a glance and replied nonchalantly, “I heard that the Master Teacher Academy is holding an inauguration ceremony for their succeeding principal today. Most likely, they are currently in the public lecture formality at the moment. For a 6-star master teacher to trigger Spirit Gathering Diction, that isn’t anything to make a fuss about…”

A 5-star master teacher was already capable of utilizing Spirit Gathering Diction, just that the area of effect would be significantly smaller.

Considering that the one conducting the lecture was the succeeding principal, it should come as no surprise that he was capable of utilizing Spirit Gathering Diction.

“Oh…” The swordsman nodded. However, just as he was about to continue drinking, he suddenly heard a voice from afar. “One can view cultivation as similar to building a castle. Only with a strong foundation can a castle reach great heights…”

The voice seemed to gradually fade off from the boundary of the Master Teacher Academy, but as the tavern was located right against the academy’s walls, it was a little vague but still barely audible in there.

“This… the content may seem basic, but it is very direct, seemingly pointing straight to the essence of cultivation!” After listening for a brief moment, the carefree swordsman’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he placed his wine cup down. The zhenqi in his body began to move spontaneously according to the other party’s words, furthering his cultivation.

“Incredible!”

For his body to have such a reaction despite being such a distance away from the speaker, just how powerful was the person lecturing in the Master Teacher Academy at this very moment?

This was no longer a simple lecture but an impartation of the true essence of the world!

Taking a swift glance at the boss of the tavern and seeing that the latter was still in the midst of preparing his wine, the carefree swordsman quickly yelled, “Boss, you should listen to the lecture, too!”

The trauma the latter’s body had suffered had hindered him from cultivating. Perhaps, the formidable might of this lecture would be able to aid him in overcoming his trauma and bring him back to his peak!

“Listen to what? It’s not like I haven’t met the elders of the Master Teacher Academy before. I have already received personal guidance from a couple of them, but none of them were able to do anything about my situation! What use can a mere public lecture be?” The boss shook his head, thinking nothing of it.

Since even the personal guidance of the elders of the Master Teacher Academy was unable to treat him, what could a public lecture possibly do for him?

After so many years of disappointment, the hope he had harbored initially had already eroded, leaving nothing but disappointment and despair.

His faith in master teachers had also fallen to a minimum as a result.

On the other hand, seeing that the boss of the tavern was reluctant to budge, the carefree swordsman urged anxiously, “I am not joking, you really should give it a listen. This is really good stuff…”

Wandering the world, he had encountered many master teachers and listened to many of their lessons, but there were none who could compare with this public lecture. Or perhaps, it might be more accurate to say that they were on two totally different levels!

Despite the faint voice depriving him of a few words here and there, he still benefited greatly from the lecture.

“It’s fine, I have already gotten used to this life!” The boss shook his head with a smile as he continued to prepare his wine behind the counter, not bothering to make his way over.

“You don’t believe me? Take a look at that donkey then!”

Seeing that the boss was reluctant to come over, the carefree swordsman shook his head helplessly, unsure of how he should convince the boss otherwise when he suddenly caught sight of something, and his eyes widened in shock. He hurriedly raised his finger and pointed at a donkey in the courtyard of the tavern.

It was the animal that the boss used to transport his wine about.

“Donkey?” Frowning, the boss shot a gaze over, and the sight before him left him stunned.

The donkey, which he had spent several years with, had pricked up its large ears and placed one against the wall of the academy, listening intently so as to not miss a single word of the lecture. Under the effects of the lecture, it seemed to have fallen into a trance, snorting in excitement from time and time while nodding continuously to express his respect for the lecturer.

“Even a donkey is listening to the lecture?” The boss narrowed his eyes in shock.

It was said that the most formidable of master teachers were able to impart knowledge beyond racial boundaries. Be they human or beast, the master teacher would be able to draw them in with their lecture, convincing their bodies to cultivate obediently.

However, those who had managed to achieve such heights were extremely rare. At the very least, despite managing a tavern right outside the Master Teacher Academy for so many years, he had never seen a master teacher capable of such.

For the public lecture of the succeeding principal to successfully convince even a donkey to listen to his words… Just what in the word was being said?

In that moment of bewilderment, the boss suddenly saw his perfectly ordinary donkey raising its head to the air and braying out loud. The aura it emanated from its presence intensified as spiritual energy gushed into its body, nurturing its strength.

Kacha! Kacha!

The donkey had successfully achieved a breakthrough from an ordinary animal into a savage beast!

Aoooooo, aooooo!

With this breakthrough, the donkey brayed arrogantly as it turned its sight to its boss tauntingly.

Courage that had long disappeared within the donkey after the many years of oppression finally bloomed within it once more, and the determination to use is donkey hooves to fight against the inequality in its fate permeated its being.

“Since even a donkey is capable of achieving a breakthrough, don’t you think that it’s still too early for you to give up? Surely you can’t be inferior to even a donkey, right?” the carefree swordsman remarked.

The boss’s face turned pale.

The donkey that he had bought was only an ordinary animal, possessing no bloodline of any savage beast whatsoever. Yet, just by listening to a lecture momentarily, it actually managed to achieve a breakthrough… Just how formidable was the lecturer?

Perhaps, if he were to listen to it, he might just be able to overcome the bottleneck that had limited his progress…

Just as he was about to approach the wall against the Master Teacher Academy to listen to the lecture, he suddenly saw a rooster, which he was intending to kill later in the night for dinner, leaping out of its cage, spreading its wings, and soaring into the boundless skies, reminiscent of a proud phoenix!

An ordinary rooster had also become a savage beast after listening to the lecture!

Following which, the pig he had bred, the fish within the pail… Changes began to emerge in each of them as strength welled up within them, and they began to thrash about in hopes of escaping the courtyard, as well as the desolate fate that was awaiting them…

“Th-this…” The boss rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Just what in the world was the succeeding principal lecturing on for such changes to emerge in all of these fellows?

Gugu huahua!

But before he could recover from the shock of it, he suddenly heard many beasts and animals along the streets calling out delightfully as their strength reached new heights. At the same time, many vendors who were listening to the public lecture also felt invigorated as they overcame their previous bottlenecks.

In just a short moment, the street seemed to have become completely different from before.

“I must hurry… I have to listen to the lecture as well…” Knowing that this change was caused by the lecture occurring within the academy, the boss dared not to hesitate anymore. He quickly ran over and placed his ears against the academy walls, intent on listening to what was being said within.

And with just a couple of words, his eyes immediately glazed over as he fell into a trance.

Hong long!

Some time later, his cultivation, which had remained stagnated for dozens of years, abruptly began moving once more, and with a resounding buzz, he overcame the locks tying him down previously.

“I have succeeded!”

Realizing that he could finally pick up a sword once more, the boss’s body trembled in agitation. He had no idea who the lecturer was, but he still kneeled down toward the Master Teacher Academy to express his earnest gratitude for a very long time.

…

The same sight was also occurring along all of the streets in proximity to the Master Teacher Academy.

At least nine out of ten of those who had reached a certain level in their cultivation would receive a tangible benefit from listening to the lecture or even achieve a breakthrough!

However, what was even more exaggerated was the animals. Almost all of them had turned into savage beasts just by listening to the lecture!

In the royal palace, a white-haired historian recorded the events.

Hongyuan Empire, the 33th Year of Emperor Yu Shenqing’s rule, spring.

In the inauguration ceremony of the 104th principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Zhang shi held a public lecture. Spiritual energy descended from the heavens, and heavenly lotuses were scattered in the sky. All members of the Xuanxuan Faction achieved a breakthrough simultaneously, and many other students had managed to advance their cultivation significantly as well.

In order to listen to the lecture, all of the savage beasts and spirit beasts pressed their ears against the walls of the Master Teacher Academy. During that time, there was not a single animal to be found along the streets and alleys of Hongyuan City, but their calls echoed resoundingly throughout the entire city…

Chapter 903: Forming the Principal’s Seal

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Alright, I will end the lecture here!”

The public lecture had lasted for an entire two hours, and after seeing that most students and teachers had benefited greatly from it, Zhang Xuan came to a stop.

“It’s ending just like that?”

“In the past, when I attended the lecture of other teachers, I would be praying to get out of class as soon as possible. But for Zhang shi’s lecture… Why does it feel like it has only just begun?”

“Indeed, it ended too quickly! I have barely gotten started…”

“If I could listen to this kind of lecture frequently, my chances at making a breakthrough to Saint realm would surely be increased by manyfold, and the duration I would take to graduate would also be cut by several years…”

…

As Zhang Xuan came to a halt, the crowd recovered from their trance, and excitement gleamed in their eyes.

It was only a two hours lecture, but it was comparable to months or even years of studying and cultivating!

“Look!”

Suddenly, someone amid the crowd exclaimed, and everyone swiftly raised their gazes, only to see a bunch of animals flying above them.

There were chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, cranes…

It was as if the Master Teacher Academy had turned into a zoo! All animals capable of flight filled the entire skies.

“Laudation of Myriad Birds… Have they all arrived due to the sheer quality of the lecture?” someone among the crowd muttered with a quivering voice.

Laudation of Myriad Birds was a phenomenon that was at a far higher level than Spirit Gathering Diction! Only 8-star master teachers were capable of producing such a sight!

With mere words, even the birds in the area would go into an excited frenzy and gather in the area.

But Zhang shi was only a 4-star master teacher, how could he draw so many birds over?

Furthermore… chickens, ducks, geese, and peacocks? What the hell were those?

Were those animals capable of steady flight like that?

How could they remain in the sky for such a long period of time?

Furthermore, the calls of innumerable other animals could be heard beyond the walls of the Master Teacher Academy as well. One particularly conspicuous sound among it was the majestic braying of a donkey, seemingly trying to display to the world that it harbored great potential within as well. In the hands of a discerning man, it could transform into a Thousand Miles Donkey, so by no means should its talents be allowed to remain buried…

Just what was going on?

“Your guess is right; it was indeed Zhang shi’s lecture that drew so many animals here. Furthermore, it seems his lecture didn’t discriminate between races, allowing even non-human listeners to comprehend it and go into a frenzy over it… Perhaps, this is the real reason he was able to tame the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge!” an elder said meaningfully.

He had paid careful attention to the lecture, and he noticed that it seemed to talk straight to one’s soul, unimpeded by the barriers of language. Even ordinary animals that had not comprehended the human tongue could benefit from Zhang shi’s lecture!

Such capability was already far beyond the means of a 6-star or even 7-star master teacher!

The heavens nourished all living beings, regardless of race or language. Such was the same for the true Impartation of Heaven’s Will as well.

Back then, when Kong shi conducted lectures, not only would humans, animals, spirit beasts, and saint beasts benefit greatly from his teachings, even the flora and fauna would form sentience and begin to cultivate.

While Zhang shi still didn’t wield the capability to sway plants with his words, just the ability to induce a breakthrough in ordinary animals was already an extremely fearsome feat in itself.

“It seems like Principal Zhang will be able to clear the Empire Building test easily…” School Head Mo muttered beneath his breath as he gulped down a mouthful of saliva.

The Empire Building test was the most difficult option among all of the different 6-star master teacher examinations, and barely any master teachers would dare to challenge it. He had thought that even someone as capable of Principal Zhang would face troubles with it, but after watching such a sight, he realized that he was still grossly underestimating the latter.

Putting everything else aside, with just Principal Zhang’s lecturing capability, he should be able to raise the prowess of a Conferred Kingdom to an Unranked Empire just by conducting a lecture once a week for two months straight…

With such a lecture, not only would the humans become experts, even the roosters, ducks, donkeys, and such could easily become experts themselves with time!

This was how fearsome his lecture was!

Looking at the crowd, which was still immersed in the lecture, Zhao Bingxu shook his head and announced loudly, “With this, we conclude the Principal Zhang’s public lecture. Now, let’s begin forming the Principal’s Seal!”

They were already at the final formality, so it would be good to wrap up the inauguration ceremony as soon as possible in case any mishap occurred.

“The process for forming the Principal’s Seal is extremely simple. I will activate a formation later on, and those who are willing to earnestly recognize Principal Zhang as the next principal of the Master Teacher Academy, offer a droplet of your blood. Once the blood comes into contact with the formation, it will automatically extract your will contained within it and gather them all together to form the seal that governs the academy,” Zhao Bingxu explained.

Infused within a human’s blood was a hint of their will. With the earnest will of a hundred thousand people gathered together, it could generate power beyond one’s imagination.

For one, if the principal could command all of the students through the Principal’s Seal and organize them neatly, the overall fighting power of the Master Teacher Academy could be enhanced significantly.

On top of that, the Principal’s Seal contained the will of countless master teachers, making it a nigh indestructible artifact. When used for defense, even a Saint realm 4-dan or even 5-dan expert would find it hard to overcome it.

In essence, it could be said that the Principal’s Seal represented the authority of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy in itself, making in an invaluable artifact.

“We will start now!” After explaining the matter, Zhao Bingxu raised his palm and closed it into a fist.

Hong long!

The ground began to shake as a massive formation whirred into life. Something reminiscent of a net of light materialized in the air, shrouding the Master Teacher Academy.

Grade-7 formation, Nine Revolution Heaven Net!

The master teachers from the headquarters had dispatched their men to erect this formation back when the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was just founded.

It was neither an offensive formation nor a defensive formation. Its sole purpose lay in just gathering the wills infused in the blood of those in its area and condensing them all to form the palm-size Principal’s Seal.

“Gather the blood!”

Seeing the formation whir into action, the master teachers bit their thumbs, and a droplet of their blood essence flew out of each of them.

When each of these droplets of blood essence came into contact with the Nine Revolution Heaven Net, it began to emanate a brilliant glow.

“Form the Principal’s Seal!” Zhao Bingxu shouted once more after noting that everyone had released a droplet of their blood.

Hong long long!

The net in the sky suddenly converged together swiftly, gathering all of the droplets of blood essence together to a point. A deafening buzz rang out as a brilliant bundle of light shimmered at the center of the formation, seemingly heralding the birth of an artifact.

As he looked at the brilliant bundle of light in the sky, School Head Mo couldn’t help but ask, “What level of Principal’s Seal do you think our principal will be able to form?”

Even though everyone had released a droplet of their blood, it was impossible to tell whether they had truly accepted Principal Zhang from the depths of their heart or not.

In order to contribute to the Principal’s Seal, one’s subconscious mind must have fully accepted the succeeding principal, there mustn’t be the slightest hint of rejection.

Jiang Qingqin hesitated for a moment before replying. “It’s hard to say… However, considering how well the public lecture went, he should be able to form the Golden Principal’s Seal at the very least!”

Before the Principal’s Seal was formed, it would be difficult to say for sure.

As the saying goes, ‘one’s true heart is hidden beneath a layer of skin’. Even as 6-star pinnacle master teachers, it was still impossible for them to read the minds of others.

Nevertheless, considering how Principal Zhang had managed to draw everyone in with his lecture previously, he should have at least won the recognition of over 60% of the school populace… In other words, even at the very least, he should be able to form the Golden Principal’s Seal!

By no means should the Golden Principal’s Seal be underestimated. Even among the hundred preceding principals, such a result could already be considered outstanding.

Ultimately, Principal Zhang was still young, and it had only been a month since he had arrived at the Master Teacher Academy. On top of that, he had spent most of his time demolishing buildings!

If he had been given more time to conduct more lectures and build his reputation and prestige, forming a higher tier Principal’s Seal would have been a walk in the park!

“I think the Platinum Principal’s Seal is still within reach!” School Head Mo remarked. “Even though there have only been two principals who have reached such a tier since the founding of the academy, considering that this is Principal Zhang we are talking about… it should definitely be doable!”

The Principal’s Seal could be divided into four tiers—Platinum, Golden, Copper, and Iron.

It would take the recognition of at least half of the academy’s populace in order to form a Copper Principal’s Seal, 60% for Golden Principal’s Seal, and 70% for Platinum Principal’s Seal.

“Platinum? I think you are still underestimating Principal Zhang!” Wei Ranxue argued with a sharp glint in her eyes. “Before even entering the Master Teacher Academy, Principal Zhang generously gave away his points to the other examinees so that they could clear the examination as well, thus winning him the respect and admiration of the thirty thousand freshmen. It is their shared respect for him that led to them coming together to form the Xuanxuan Faction. With this, he already has the support of 30% of the academy’s hundred thousand populace secured!”

“Un!” The other school heads nodded in agreement.

The Xuanxuan Faction was not only the largest student faction throughout the Master Teacher Academy, its members were also known to be exceptionally loyal to the organization.

Considering that it was their faction leader that was becoming the principal, they probably wouldn’t have any objection to it whatsoever.

“After which, he donated Elder Wu Yangzi’s forging and body cultivation technique to the Blacksmith school without demanding any compensation in return. For this, the students of the Blacksmith School should be filled with gratitude for him, right?”

“This…” Jiang Qingqin and School Head Mo were stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Even though School Head Zhao and the other elders of the Blacksmith School didn’t officially announce Zhang Xuan’s achievements, the news had eventually been leaked to the students, so most of them were aware of the matter.

“As the second largest school in the Master Teacher Academy, even after subtracting the freshmen, there are still at least thirty thousand students in the Blacksmith School… In other words, there are already a total of 60,000 people who would recognize Principal Zhang, so he has already reached the mark required to form the Golden Principal’s Seal!

“After which, he challenged the vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, causing a huge ruckus. Even though there are quite a few students who found his actions reckless and disrespectful, a larger proportion of the students ended up admiring him for his courageous act in standing up against You Xu’s abuse of power. The Physician School is only the fifth largest school in the Master Teacher Academy, and taking into account the overlap in the students between the Physician School and the Blacksmith School as well… there should still be an additional five thousand students there!”

The students of the Master Teacher Academy were allowed to take on multiple supporting occupations at once, so there were frequently overlaps between the students of each school.

But even taking the overlaps into consideration, there should still be at least five thousand new students who hadn’t been taken into account previously, thus adding up the total to 65,000 students!

“Following that, he caused a huge ruckus in the Apothecary School, conducting a public lecture and emptying the school of its students and teachers… As the largest school in the Master Teacher Academy, it boasted the largest student population of all! Even taking into account the various overlaps, there should still be ten thousand new students yet to be taken into account there. This brings the total to 75,000 people, which means that 75% of the student populace will likely recognize Principal Zhang as their principal, thus reaching the level required to form the Platinum Principal’s Seal,” Wei Ranxue said.

“This…” Hearing her analysis, the school heads couldn’t help but leap in shock.

It was only after having it explained to them that they realize how much prestige Principal Zhang wielded among the academy populace despite the short duration he had been in the academy…

“That isn’t all… In the matter yesterday, Zhang Xuan’s act of taming all of the beasts in the Cloudmist Ridge saved many students from the Beast Tamer School and spared the students from the Martial Arts School from a possibly bitter fight!”

With eyes shining in excitement, Wei Ranxue continued, “Taking them into account, there should be at least an additional five thousand students… In other words, using a conservative estimate, Principal Zhang should have at least won the earnest respect of more than 80% of the academy populace!”

“80%?”

School Head Mo and the others glanced at one another as they gulped down a mouthful of saliva each. Hoarsely, School Head Mo muttered, “That… Supreme Principal’s Seal?”

Chapter 904: From Today Onward, I Am the Principal!

Hong long!

Shortly after saying those words, the brilliant light at the center of the Nine Revolution Heaven Net finally started to dim, and a shining diamond-like Principal’s Seal emerged before everyone’s eyes.

This Principal’s Seal had a translucent appearance reminiscent of a beautiful diamond, and its appearance left everyone’s hearts jolting in astonishment.

School Head Mo and School Head Jiang’s bodies trembled once more, and with a hoarse voice tinged with the disbelief over what they were seeing, they muttered, “No… That isn’t the Supreme Principal’s Seal, but the… Impeccable Principal’s Seal!”

“Isn’t the Impeccable Principal’s Seal a thing of legends? How could it possibly appear here?”

The Principal’s Seal that had formed before their eyes wasn’t the Supreme Principal’s Seal, which required at least the earnest recognition from 80% of the academy populace, but the even higher tier Impeccable Principal’s Seal!

In order to achieve this tier, one had to obtain the respect and admiration of every single student and teacher in the Master Teacher Academy!

Such a tier only existed in theory because it was deemed to be impossible to achieve. Even Founder Mu Kai himself had failed to form such a Principal’s Seal!

Each person had their own beliefs and ideals, and the more people there were, the more difficult it would be to win all of their favor simultaneously. Unless one was a spirit stone, it would be impossible to win the favor of over a hundred thousand master teachers simultaneously.

After all, not even the great Kong shi was able to make everyone submit to him.

Yet, someone had actually achieved this seemingly impossible task, and right before their eyes at that!

Just how did this happen?

It had only been slightly more than a month since the other party enrolled in to the Master Teacher Academy, and on top of that, he had spent half of his time beyond the walls of the academy… This was truly inconceivable!

Hu!

Before everyone’s shocked gazes, the Impeccable Principal’s Seal fell toward Zhang Xuan and landed on his palm.

Taking hold of it, Zhang Xuan frowned in astonishment.

The Impeccable Principal’s Seal was only around the size of one’s palm, but in the moment that he caught the falling seal, he nearly fell off the stage from the sheer weight of the seal.

Taking his zhenqi, physical body, and soul cultivation into account, Zhang Xuan possessed a total might of 65,000,000 ding at the moment. With such strength, he could even easily lift a mountain!

As such, it was truly bewildering how the small Impeccable Principal’s Seal would be so heavy that he would nearly fail to catch it.

Lowering his head to examine it closely, the seal in his hand had a translucency reminiscent of a diamond, emanating an extremely brilliant and beautiful glow.

Its appearance showed no signs of such heaviness, and on the contrary, it even gave the impression that it would be light and fleeting.

Curious, he immersed his consciousness into the Impeccable Principal’s Seal, and what he saw left his eyes narrowing uncontrollably.

This is… the weight of responsibility! Zhang Xuan exclaimed internally before sighing deeply.

As an artifact forged out of wills, it should have been nearly weightless, to the point that any child could carry it easily. However, it bore the trust and faith of more than a hundred thousand students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, and that wasn’t a weight that anyone could bear easily.

It wasn’t the Impeccable Principal’s Seal that was heavy, but the responsibility that came along with it!

Zhang Xuan had only chosen to become the principal so that he could conveniently access all of the books within the Master Teacher Academy, but feeling the weight in his hands, he suddenly felt that he could not proceed on with such an attitude in mind.

Since he had decided to take on this responsibility, he would have to shoulder everyone’s hopes and dreams and bring them to greater heights.

Otherwise, how could he face those who had placed their trust and faith into him?

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan made a solemn vow under his breath. “Rest assured. As long as the Principal’s Seal remains in my hands, I will definitely not let any of you down…”

This Principal’s Seal was neither an honor nor a tool to elevate his standing; it represented the heavy responsibility on his shoulders!

The greater authority one wielded, the more responsibility one had to bear.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan could finally understand why the old principal insisted on heading to the ancient domain despite knowing the dangers behind it. Most likely, there must have been something extremely important within it that left him with no choice but to do so.

Hu!

Shortly after such thoughts emerged in his mind, the incredible weight that had threatened to break his already bent wrist abruptly disappeared, and the Impeccable Principal’s Seal became as light as a feather.

Holding onto the Principal’s Seal, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the crowd beneath the stage once more.

The face of every single teacher and student appeared clearly before his eyes. There was a warmth in their eyes that was reminiscent of one when meeting old acquaintances.

After a seemingly long period of silence, Zhang Xuan’s voice abruptly boomed across the training grounds.

“From today onward, I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!”

“Principal!”

“Principal!”

“Principal…”

Loud chanting exploded from the agitated crowd, and the voices continued for a very long time…

A position that had been empty for more than two years had finally found a new owner, and it was with the recognition and admiration of every single teacher and student in the academy at that!

“That is our principal…” School Head Mo and the others couldn’t help but feel warm tears streaming down their cheeks.

Ever since the disappearance of the old principal, it had been necessary for the Ten Great Master Teachers to step up to handle his responsibilities among the skepticism and doubts of others, thus putting them under a lot of pressure.

However, with such an outstanding principal to lead them now, they would surely be able to raise the Master Teacher Academy to even greater heights than before.

…

At the same moment, on the Recording Platform of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a single line of words appeared…

The 18,827th Year of the Qingyuan Calendar, Master Teacher Zhang Xuan takes over the position as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

These words weren’t particularly striking, and it didn’t take long before it was drowned among the other incoming information of the Recording Platform.

Only in the very distant future did the later generations realize the true significance behind those words, and the legend that would rise along with it…

…

With the inauguration ceremony finally coming to an end, Zhang Xuan stepped off to the stage and headed to the Principal’s Residence prepared for him. However, before he could reach his destination, School Head Mo suddenly walked toward him and handed him a storage ring.

“Principal Zhang, these are the congratulatory gifts sent in by the nearby empires, powers, and Master Teacher Pavilions…”

The Master Teacher Pavilion was the central organization responsible for ensuring the peace and stability of the nearby dozen Tier-1 Empires and countless sects. Even if the leaders of most powers were unable to make it to the ceremony personally, the least they could do was deliver a proper congratulatory gift.

Grabbing the storage ring, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into it to take a look, and his eyelids abruptly twitched in astonishment.

There were simply too many things inside, and each of them was of exceptional value!

Just in terms of the high-tier spirit stones, there were already several thousand of them. Other than that, there were also all kinds of valuable pills and precious artifacts.

“Place them into the treasury of the Master Teacher Pavilion. These items belong to the academy, not me…” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan held back the urge to stuff the ring into his pocket and passed it back to School Head Mo.

He wanted to claim the storage ring for himself, but he knew that these congratulatory gifts weren’t meant for him but his identity as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!

In other words, even if it was another person who had been inaugurated as the principal, they would also have received these gifts as well.

Thus, these gifts could be said to belong to the Master Teacher Academy and not to him.

Besides, after accepting the gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge, these items no longer held much value to him.

“Yes!” School Head Mo nodded and took the storage ring back as the admiration in his gaze toward the young man before him deepened. Following which, he whipped out yet another storage ring and passed it over. “This is a personal gift from Emperor Yu Shenqing to you.”

“To me?” Taken aback, Zhang Xuan took a look inside and blinked in surprise.

The items in the storage ring were significantly less valuable than the ones in the other, but it was still a significant sum. Yu Shenqing must have emptied out at least half of them national treasury in order to fork out this sum!

“Emperor Yu Shenqing has said this is his token of appreciation to you for saving the Bodhi Saint Tree and imparting the set of profound soul cultivation techniques to them, and he hopes that you won’t turn down this gift of his!” School Head Mo said.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was a little hesitant.

The reason he saved the Bodhi Saint Tree was for Wei Ruyan’s sake, and the impartation of the set of cultivation technique was his compensation for secretly learning the other party’s secret arts… As such, how could he accept so many valuable items from the other party?

“Tell His Majesty that I appreciate his goodwill, but I am undeserving of his gift!” Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hands.

The items were indeed good, but these were items that shouldn’t belong to him in the first place.

If he were to accept them, he would be striking up a karmic debt with Yu Shenqing, and this was a burden he wasn’t willing to bear.

“Alright then.” School Head Mo nodded in response.

After dealing with a few other miscellaneous matters, Zhang Xuan said, “Now that’s all settled, take me to the Mountain of Records. I wish to take the 6-star master teacher examination!”

Since he had already become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, it was about time for him to take the 6-star master teacher examination.

“Alright!” School Head Mo nodded before giving a rough introduction to the place. “The Mountain of Records is a ground used by the Master Teacher Academy to assess one’s strength. Any master teacher of cultivation beneath Half-Saint is qualified to challenge it, and there are nine levels in total!”

“Nine levels?”

“Un. The difficulty of the test heightens significantly with each level. On the third floor, the challenger will have to face an enemy comparable to a Half-Saint cultivator; on the sixth floor, an enemy comparable to a Nascent Saint cultivator; and on the ninth floor… an enemy comparable to a Saint 1-dan cultivator!”

School Head Mo said, “This trial serves not only as a test but also as a standard for selecting combat masters. If any cultivator beneath the cultivation of Half-Saint clears the sixth level, they will gain the right to take the Combat Master Selection Test. If the cultivator successfully clears the ninth level, they will be able to join the Combat Master Hall immediately!”

“To reach the sixth level with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint… In other words, one has to defeat a Nascent Saint with the cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Indeed. With the superior eye of discernment that master teachers possess, they wield power that can challenge cultivators with higher cultivation than them. Nevertheless, to defeat a Nascent Saint with the cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle still requires an exceptional cultivation foundation and superior fighting prowess!” School Head Mo nodded grimly.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan agreed.

The two master teachers that he had met back in the valley after procuring the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, Wu Xu and Lu Cheng, were very likely to be combat masters. Otherwise, the former wouldn’t have been able to challenge the four strongest geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy simultaneously and still overwhelm them.

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask, “Throughout all these years, how many people have reached the sixth level with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint?”

School Head Mo pondered for a brief moment before replying, “In the ten thousand years since the establishment of the academy, a total of 327 people have successfully become a combat master. However, those who have done so through clearing the sixth level of the Mountain of Records are below a hundred!”

Those who were qualified to become combat masters were the master teachers who possessed fighting prowess unmatched by their peers. But even so, only a small proportion of them were able to rival a Nascent Saint with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint!

A huge rift existed between Sainthood and Transcendent Mortals. Before Saints, all beings were mere ants. Overcoming this gap was nigh impossible, even for geniuses.

“I see…” Zhang Xuan nodded as he continued asking, “What is the Master Teacher Academy’s highest accomplishment in the Mountain of Records?”

Since there were challengers, there should be an existing record as well. Zhang Xuan was curious to learn the strength of the greatest genius of the Master Teacher Academy.

“The highest accomplishment was left behind by Principal Mo Liuzhen!” School Head Mo chuckled. “Principal Mo is known as the most capable genius of the Master Teacher Academy in the past ten millenniums, and naturally, he still holds records to back this title as well. Back then, right after he achieved a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm, he headed to the Mountain of Records to challenge it, and in a single breath, he reached all the way up to the seventh level, leaving everyone else gasping in amazement!”

“Principal Mo managed to reach the seventh level right after reaching Chrysalis realm?” Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

His cultivation was currently at Chrysalis realm primary stage as well, the same cultivation realm that Mo Liuzhen was at when he challenged the Mountain of Records back then.

Considering the enemy at the ninth level was a Saint realm 1-dan primary stage cultivator, the enemy one would face on the seventh level would have to at least be a Nascent Saint intermediate stage or advanced stage cultivator.

In other words, given they were in the same cultivation realm, Principal Mo Liuzhen possessed fighting prowess comparable to or perhaps even beyond him!

Chapter 905: He Looked at Me

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

This was truly fearsome. The cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan cultivated was the strongest Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and he had cultivated his physical body and soul as well. For Mo Liuzhen to possess strength equaling him, could it be that his soul and physical body were equally strong as well?

I truly mustn’t underestimate other cultivators! Zhang Xuan thought in alarm.

In his journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, he had encountered many experts of his age, and he had always been able to overcome them easily. As time went by, a feeling of superiority had unwittingly arisen within him. However, it seemed like it was time to quell such a notion in his mind. There had always been powerful geniuses on par or even superior to him on the Master Teacher Continent, it was just that he had never met them before!

“Does Principal Zhang intend to challenge the record?” School Head Mo asked.

Honestly speaking, he was indeed rather curious to see the clash between the new principal and Principal Mo Liuzhen back then. With the same cultivation, which of them would possess superior fighting prowess?

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded, confirming School Head Mo’s guess.

His strength was at 65,000,000 ding, which placed him on par with only a Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator, making it doubtful whether he could clear the seventh level or not. Nevertheless, this was a good opportunity to see how he stood against the top geniuses of the Master Teacher Continent, as well as to see what his limit was.

Besides, this was a necessary trial he would have to undertake if he wanted to clear the 6-star master teacher examination as soon as possible.

“Allow me to take you there!” School Head Mo’s eyes lit up in excitement as he offered to lead the way to the Mountain of Records.

The Mountain of Records was in close proximity to the Elder Hall, and its structure was reminiscent of a towering mountain.

As the duo arrived at the Mountain of Records, School Head Mo began explaining more about the Mountain of Records. “Our Master Teacher Academy’s Mountain of Records was built by Principal Mu Kai back then based on the Combat Master Tower in the Combat Master Hall. Every single level is guarded by a puppet that represents the pinnacle fighting prowess of a cultivator of that certain cultivation realm. It won’t be easy to scale the Mountain of Records.

“This trial is extremely demanding on one’s fighting prowess and battle sense. Furthermore, unlike most tests in the Master Teacher Academy, this trial is highly dangerous. Principal Zhang, you must proceed carefully inside!”

“Dangerous?”

“That’s right. As the ones guarding the levels are puppets, they might be unable to control their strength as precisely as human cultivators. The slightest carelessness might easily place one in a lethal position, and each year, there are quite a number of master teachers who are severely injured or die in the trial!” School Head Mo said grimly.

The Mountain of Records wasn’t an easy trial to challenge. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for it to have remained unchallenged despite it being more than a month since the start of the new semester.

“Principal Zhang, if you faces any danger in any level, please don’t hesitate to admit defeat. Once you do so, the puppets will immediately stop their offense and back down,” School Head Mo advised.

He had deep trust in Zhang Xuan’s capability, but in the end, the latter’s cultivation was still too low. There would definitely be levels where the latter would face grave danger, so it was important to explain the rules to him thoroughly in advance.

“Noted!” Zhang Xuan nodded before bidding School Head Mo farewell.

Without any hesitation, he began making his way into the Mountain of Records.

Before long, he arrived in a room roughly a few hundred square meters large. Within the room was a puppet that possessed the cultivation of Chrysalis realm advanced stage, granting its fists an incredible might exceeding 30,000,000 ding.

“Finally, a new challenger! Hehehe!”

With a soft chuckle, the puppet’s joints cracked resoundingly before pushing its massive feet against the ground and charging right toward Zhang Xuan.

An artifact by the Celestial Designer Hall? Even though it hasn’t reached Saint-tier, it still possesses spirit. Not bad!

Knowing that the other party’s strength was beneath his, Zhang Xuan wasn’t nervous in the slightest. Standing before the rampaging might of the puppet’s fist, he chuckled softly.

He had also encountered similar puppets in his 2-star master teacher examination back in Tianwu Kingdom, but it was obvious that the one before him was far more technologically advanced. Even though it was still a way off from becoming a Saint-tier artifact, it already possessed spirit and even sentience.

If one could forge many of such puppets, one would be able to build an extremely powerful army that felt no fear nor pain. However, considering the expensive materials and advanced skill required to build each one, that would probably be difficult to achieve.

Two breaths later, the puppet was already lying on the floor.

Zhang Xuan walked past it and headed to the second level without any hesitation.

The puppet on the second level possessed a cultivation of Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Naturally, it wasn’t a match for him either, and he was able to defeat the other party easily.

Advancing ahead, just as School Head Mo had said, Zhang Xuan faced a Half-Saint primary stage puppet in the third level. However, considering how Zhang Xuan was able to defeat even a Half-Saint realm combat master like Lu Cheng shortly after achieving a breakthrough, there was no way his journey could be impeded by that Half-Saint primary stage puppet.

Heading up the levels, Zhang Xuan hardly faced any impediment at all.

…

At the bottom of the Mountain of Records, Zhao Bingxu, Wei Ranxue, and the others had also gathered in the area after hearing that Principal Zhang was going to challenge the trial.

They hadn’t really witnessed Principal Zhang’s battle prowess for themselves, but they knew that it was likely extraordinary, given the abilities of his direct disciples, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang.

How could a teacher who had the capability to groom such powerful students possibly be weak himself?

Wei Ranxue couldn’t help but ask her fellow peers, “How far do you think that Principal Zhang will be able to reach?”

“I harbor little doubt regarding Principal Zhang’s fighting prowess. Just by his comprehension of battle techniques, as well as his grasp of spearmanship, fist arts, and leg arts, he should be able to display a fighting prowess far beyond that of his cultivation realm. Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen had reached the seventh level. I believe that, at the very least, Principal Zhang should be able to beat his record and reach the eighth!” the head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, said as he stroked his beard.

As a martial arts fanatic, he had taken some time to study Zheng Yang’s spearmanship, Wang Ying’s leg art, and Liu Yang’s fist art, and the conclusion he had reached after a long examination was that… it would easily make them invincible among those of the same cultivation! There were no battle techniques that he could think of that could possibly rival theirs!

How could a master teacher who was able to impart such powerful battle techniques possibly be weak himself?

As talented as Principal Mo Liuzhen was, he also didn’t manage to receive the recognition of all of the preceding principals and form the Impeccable Principal’s Seal… For Principal Zhang to achieve this unprecedented feat, there was no way his accomplishment in the Mountain of Records would be beneath that of Principal Mo Liuzhen.

“Un. Just like you all, I also think that principal Zhang should be able to clear the eighth level!” Zhao Bingxu said with a smile.

They had harbored doubts regarding Principal Zhang’s capabilities in the past, and in the end, they had suffered severe face slaps due to their underestimation of the latter.

When they heard that the latter was going to challenge the Mountain of Records, they had rushed over excitedly, hoping to witness how the latter would break the record and leave behind a legend.

“I also think so…” School Head Jiang nodded in agreement. “I think it’s just a question of how long it will take Teacher to reach the ninth level now…”

Others might be unaware of Principal Zhang’s strength, but he had a clear view of it. Just in terms of comprehension of demonic tunes, the other party had already reached the level of a 7-star demonic tunist, just like him. With such prowess, the other party could easily destroy opponents of far higher cultivation realms than him.

Moreover, this was unlikely to be all of his means. If he were to utilize all of them, clearing the levels would definitely be just a walk in the park.

“Back then, Principal Mo Liuzhen took two hours in order to reach the seventh level. I think that our principal should be able to clear it within an hour!”

“An hour… I think that’s still underestimating our principal. Considering his previous records, he should be able to clear the eighth within ten minutes and perhaps even destroy the entire Mountain of Records while he is in the midst of doing so…” the head of the Physician School, Zhong Dingchun, said with a bitter smile.

“That… Now that you mention it, that does seem to be possible!”

Hearing those words, everyone abruptly fell silent. They suddenly felt that it was a huge mistake for them to have allowed the other party to challenge the Mountain of Records.

Despite the short duration that Principal Zhang had been in the Master Teacher Academy, he had challenged quite a few of trials, and wherever he had passed through, there was not a single one that had been left intact. Devastating would be an apt term to describe it, and even they couldn’t help but shudder when they imagine it.

The Mountain of Records was one of the more important heritages of the Master Teacher Academy. If Principal Zhang were to collapse it as well… how could they possibly face their predecessors?

After a long moment of silence, the head of the Painter School, Song Danqing, said, “When he caused all that ruckus back then, he was only a student. Since he has become the principal… I guess he should know to hold back a little, right?”

“Let’s hope that’s the case…”

The others stared at the Mountain of Records with deep frowns on their faces, seemingly doubtful that Zhang Xuan would know to hold himself back.

The levels of the Mountain of Records were hidden amid the mountain, making it impossible to tell the results from the outside. Only through entering the trial personally or waiting for the challenger to exit would one know the results.

As the school heads thought that the new principal wouldn’t take too long to clear the trial, they chose to wait patiently outside. However, the wait went on for far longer than they had thought.

An hour!

Two hours!

Four hours!

A day…

But there still wasn’t any movement outside, and no one had left the Mountain of Records either.

Reaching the limits of her patience, Wei Ranxue asked with a deep frown, “School Head Mo, are you certain that our principal has entered?”

“There is no doubt about that!” School Head Mo replied affirmatively with a nod.

He was the one who had escorted Principal Zhang there personally, and he had seen the latter enter the trial with his own eyes. There couldn’t be any mistake about it.

“Then, why isn’t he out yet?”

“Given Principal Zhang’s strength, it shouldn’t be possible for him to have been trapped for one whole day!”

“Indeed! Could it be that some kind of accident has happened?”

Considering the outstanding talent that Zhang Xuan had displayed in the various supporting occupations, challenging a mere Mountain of Records should be like an easy and relaxing walk for him. How could he possibly still be inside even after the passing of an entire day?

“I’m afraid that something might have really happened…” Zhao Bingxu’s face darkened.

It shouldn’t take a day for any challenger to clear or fail the Mountain of Records. Be it pass or fail, the challenger should have been out long before then.

Even Hu Yaoyao and the others didn’t spend such a long time in there back then.

Something was amiss.

Hearing School Head Zhao’s words, Wei Ranxue asked in a panic, “What should we do then?”

It hadn’t been long since Zhang Xuan’s inauguration, and there was even a huge commotion due to it. If something were to happen to him due to challenging the Mountain of Records… just the thought of the resulting after-effects was more than enough to leave them in a frenzy.

“What else can we do? Let’s enter to take a look! If something has really happened to Principal Zhang, we will have to act immediately to save him. In any case, we also need to get to the bottom of what is going on!” School Head Mo said.

“I concur!”

“I concur as well!”

The school heads hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Even ordinary students would only take six hours at most in the Mountain of Records. For someone as talented as their principal to take up more than an hour in the Mountain of Records, it would be a blatant lie if they said that they didn’t harbor some doubts regarding the matter.

It was simply too inconceivable.

They could believe it if the other party had rushed to the eighth or ninth level within an hour. In fact, even if the Mountain of Records had collapsed into pile of rubble within ten minutes, it still wouldn’t have been beyond their imagination… But for the other party to have remained inside for a whole day, that was unbelievable to them.

“Alright, let’s enter then!” Having made a decision, the school heads quickly pushed open the entrance of the Mountain of Records and entered with their Elder Tokens in hand.

Soon, they arrived at the first room.

As soon as they stepped in, they saw the puppet that had charged at Zhang Xuan earlier lying on the floor with its eyes widened in disbelief, as if a day wasn’t sufficient to convince it that what had happened to it was real.

Seeing its state, Zhao Bingxu couldn’t help but ask, “What happened?”

“I lost,” the puppet muttered with its spiritless eyes. It seemed that it had suffered too huge a blow and its spirit could dissipate at any moment.

“Where there is competition, there will be victory and loss. You are the guardian of the first floor, so it’s perfectly normal for you to lose to the challenger!”

Seeing its state, the crowd glanced at one another for a moment before shaking their heads.

Given that you are just the guardian of the first level, the least that anyone challenging the trial should do is defeat you. Surely you don’t have to be so disappointed over a loss?

After consoling the puppet, School Head Mo suddenly noticed something that left a deep frown on his face. Perplexed, he asked, “It doesn’t seem like there is any external injury on you. How were you defeated?”

Hearing those words, a look of indignation immediately surfaced on the puppet’s face as it cried tearfully, “He looked at me…”

Chapter 906: It Wasn’t Just A Look

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Looked at you?” The crowd frowned in bewilderment.

What does that mean?

When we asked you how you lost, what we wanted to know was which move or ability of the opponent did you lose to. It is one thing for you to refuse to reply to our question, but why are you suddenly so poetic for?

Furthermore, ‘he looked at you’? Are you going to follow up with how he will never be able to forget your bewitching looks? 1

We are asking you a serious question here! As a puppet, you should be answering our question properly instead of playing with lyrics…

School Head Mo and the others shook their heads.

“I…” Seeing everyone’s expression, the puppet nearly burst into tears. “What I am saying is that he took a look at me… and I lost!”

“He took a look at you, and you lost?” Everyone was stunned.

They had heard about how others could defeat their opponent in a single blow with an exquisite move, a powerful palm strike, or a profound sword art… But never had they heard of anyone defeating an opponent with just a look!

Confused, Xu Changqing asked, “What you mean is that the challenger who came yesterday didn’t even lay his hand on you. With just a gaze from him, you were already forced to admit defeat?”

“That’s right…” Upon seeing that someone understood what it was saying, the puppet was so touched that it nearly cried tears of joy.

“That’s right?” School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others glanced at one another in bewilderment.

As a puppet, you are supposed to stand guard and test the challengers of the Mountain of Records. Yet, to admit defeat with just a look from the new principal? Even if you wish to fawn over him, surely you need not do it so obviously!

If that is going to be the case, how can anyone trust in the credibility of this trial in the future?

On the other hand, Xu Changqing seemed to have a different view of the matter, and he asked, “Can you recount the battle for me clearly?”

“Yes!” The puppet hurriedly nodded and went through its encounter with Zhang Xuan the previous day without any hesitation.

As soon as Zhang Xuan entered, it had immediately begun its attack. However, just as its fist was about to reach the other party, the young man had chuckled softly, and a brilliant glint had flashed through his eyes.

In that instant, deep fear had abruptly assaulted it, and its instincts had sent it swiftly retreating in fear. However, due to the sudden change in momentum, its body was put under immense pressure, and before the other party could even make a move, it had already sustained significant damage.

While the other school heads were still bewildered by the puppet’s words, the head of the Celestial Designer School suddenly began trembling in agitation as his face paled in disbelief.

“Could it be… the flaws in the internal structure of the puppet?”

Even though the puppets seemed to bear some resemblance to humans in terms of physical appearance, they were ultimately products created by celestial designers, and their internal structure was vastly different as well.

If his guess wasn’t wrong, it was likely that Principal Zhang had managed to see through the greatest flaw within the internal structure of the puppet. As long as he were to strike that location precisely, he could immediately cripple the puppet, rendering it powerless.

Perhaps, even reparations might be impossible!

In other words, in that moment that the puppet attacked, not only did Principal Zhang manage to find the flaw in the other party’s attack, he had even managed to identify the core weakness behind the puppet’s internal structure!

That look that he shot the puppet served as a warning to the latter that, if it didn’t back down, utter destruction was the outcome that it would face…

The puppet might not have understood the true intent behind that gaze, but its instincts had subconsciously told it that it would face grave danger if it continued charging forward, thus triggering an instantaneous reaction within it to retreat. However, such a reaction caused its momentum forward to be abruptly halted, resulting in an immense force crushing down on its body, severely damaging it before the young man before it had even made a move…

As simple as this sounded, it was easier said than done.

The puppets in the Mountain of Records were specially crafted by the predecessors, and infused into them were the fighting experience of many veteran master teachers.

An average master teacher would stand no chance against them at all.

Furthermore, just as each leaf on a tree was unique, the same puppets created by the same celestial designer using the same materials might also have their weaknesses appearing in vastly different places.

Despite so, to be able to see through its flaws with just a single glance… Just what kind of eye of discernment and battle sense did he possess?

“This works, too?”

“I heard of talented master teachers clearing the puppet in the first level with a single blow, but never have I heard of anyone defeating it with just a look…” Upon understanding what was going on, the school heads clutched their hair in a frenzy.

As the Ten Great Master Teachers of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they possessed a far wider outlook than most master teachers. In the past five hundred years of their life, they had seen many seemingly inconceivable feats in their life.

They had seen how a weaker cultivator incapacitated a stronger cultivator with a single move, or how a powerful individual devastated an entire army with a single crushing move… But never had they heard of anyone severely injuring their enemy with just a look!

Yet, the facts were lying right before them!

They had long known that their principal would surely accomplish something astounding when they heard that he had challenged the Mountain of Records, but they had thought that the most he could do was clear the trial faster than the talented Principal Mo Liuzhen… But from the looks of it now, they had been limited by their imagination…

The other party had managed to clear the level without making a single move, subduing his opponent with just a single look… In the entire Master Teacher Continent, was there anyone who could top that feat?

“Let’s head to the second level…” Suppressing the shock in their minds and casting aside the many doubts they harbored, Zhao Bingxu and the others rushed to the next level.

Similar to the sight they had seen on the first floor, the guardian of the second level sat on the floor with a blank look in his eyes, reminiscent of a defeated rooster.

“He… took two looks at me, and I was already severely injured…” the puppet explained.

The lips of the crowd twitched, and they hurried to the third level.

“He took three looks at me…” the guardian of the third level cried tearfully.

“A Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator fighting against a Half-Saint puppet—that is the difference of an entire realm in terms of cultivation—and all it took was just three looks?”

Everyone’s body trembled in disbelief.

They had all guessed that Zhang shi’s strength would be extraordinary, and they knew that it would be a walk in the park for him to clear the test. But never had they thought that he would be able to clear even the third level with just a few looks, utterly crushing the confidence of all of the puppets he had defeated!

Didn’t he clear the levels a bit too easily?

Back then, when they challenged the Mountain of Records, they were pummeled to the point that they felt as if they already had a foot into the grave. Yet, Principal Zhang was able to destroy the confidence of those powerful puppets with just a look, or two, or three… Was there really a need for the world to be so unfair?

Sensing the gloomy atmosphere drifting among them, School Head Mo spoke up in consolation. “The guardian of the fourth level will be a Half-Saint advanced stage puppet. Anything that is involved with the word ‘Saint’, be it Half-Saint or Nascent Saint, will be anything but ordinary. From this point onward, it is unlikely that Principal Zhang will be able to get past the puppets with just a few looks…”

And in truth, the crowd also shared the same thoughts as well, but none of them dared to speak up.

As the most powerful elders in the Master Teacher Academy, their eye of discernment, strength, and worldly view could be considered to be at the very peak of the Tier-1 Empires. Yet, for some reason, not once had their predictions on Principal Zhang ever been accurate. It was truly inexplicable.

“Let’s head up to take a look…”

Shaking their heads, the school heads knew that it was pointless for them to overthink this matter. Thus, they began making their way toward the fourth level of the Mountain of Records.

The room on the fourth level was significantly larger than the one on the third level. In the corner, a large puppet was lying unmoving on the ground. Its head was bent at an unnatural angle, and its eyes were glazed over, seemingly despairing over life.

Xu Changqing stepped forward and asked with a quivering voice, “It can’t be that… you were left in such a state after Principal Zhang took four looks at you?”

Considering how this fellow was in the same state as those that came before it, could it be that he had been defeated in the same manner?

“Four looks?” Struggling to its feet, the puppet shook its head. Lowering its head in embarrassment, seemingly desiring to bury himself in the ground, it muttered softly, “He didn’t look at me that much… All he did was to shoot me a glance and say, ‘lie down’, and I was already left in this state…”

“Shot you a glance and said, ‘lie down’?” The crowd glanced at one another in confusion.

In the previous levels, Principal Zhang had eyed the puppets’ flaws, leaving them deeply unnerved and frightened, thus causing them to instinctively admit defeat… Even though it was inconceivable, it was still an explanation they could barely accept.

But this… just because the other party told you to lie down, you lay down on the ground… Aren’t you being too obedient?

“Wait a minute…” While the others were confused, a thought struck Jiang Qingqin’s mind, and his eyes narrowed. “Could Principal Zhang’s words have been infused with demonic tune?”

To make a Half-Saint advanced stage puppet lie on the ground with mere words, he could think of no other means capable of this feat other than demonic tunes.

“It was indeed a demonic tune, and he focused his power on my vitals as well… I wasn’t even able to retaliate at all!” the puppet cried in lamentation.

The young man it faced wasn’t strong at all—on the contrary, the other party to be rather weak as compared to it—but for some reason, under the other party’s gaze and command, its body seemed to move on its own and lay down on the floor obediently… Just the thought of it left him deeply submerged in despair.

“Focused his power on your vitals? I thought the strength of a demonic tunist lay in attacking souls? Given that you are puppet devoid of a soul, how did he manage to attack you?” Xu Changqing frowned in incomprehension.

The other school heads carried the same doubts in their minds as well.

The reason demonic tunists were widely feared was due to their ability to bypass physical defenses to attack their enemy’s soul directly… While spirit did share some similar properties with souls, they were ultimately two different things fundamentally. Considering how the puppet didn’t possess a soul, even a 7-star demonic tunist like Jiang Qingqin wouldn’t have been able to harm it with his zither tunes. Since that was the case, how did Principal Zhang manage to make the other party lie down obediently with just his words?

“His demonic tune wasn’t aimed at my soul but my physical body. His voice produced a resonance within my body that threatened to reduce it to dust should I continue to attack him…” the puppet said with deference and horror reflected in its eyes.

“Resonance?” The school heads widened their eyes in astonishment.

There was indeed such a method of offense known among demonic tunists, and it was extremely effective against puppets too. However, it wasn’t easy to do so… For one, one must have a deep understanding of the properties of every single material used in the forging of the puppet, as well as the resulting product after tempering and putting them together so as to determine the resonant frequencies.

Otherwise, no matter how loud one’s demonic tune was, it would be nothing but futile.

To be able to determine the materials used in the creation of the puppet, deduce its resonance frequencies, and determine the type of demonic tune to use against it with just a glance… Was this really happening?

Principal Zhang, are you sure you are here to challenge the Mountain of Records and not to play around and subdue a few puppets while you are at it?

After confirming the happenings in this room, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply and said, “The puppet of the next level is at Half-Saint pinnacle, and it specializes in battle techniques. Given the same cultivation realm, even I would have difficulties defeating it… Perhaps, things will get difficult for Principal Zhang from now on…”

“Let’s take a look then!”

Knowing that it was futile to be making guesses over there, the crowd moved on, heading to the fifth level.

Just like in the fourth level, a puppet was lying unmoving on the ground, and unlike the one from before, this one was convulsing every now and then.

Rushing forward, School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School took some time to look at it and repair it before asking anxiously, “What happened?”

“That man… he told me to lie down twice. The first time, I stood my ground and resisted it. However, on the second command, I was left in such a state,” the puppet said gloomily.

“He issued two commands?”

“It seems like this level was indeed not as easy as the previous one for Principal Zhang. It took him two whole commands before he was able to subdue the puppet…”

“The next stage is a puppet that possesses the strength of a Nascent Saint cultivator. Considering that Principal Zhang is only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, surely he wouldn’t be able to subdue his opponent with just three commands… right?”

“Why not? You have seen the previous few levels, too. Don’t tell me that you are still harboring doubts regarding our principal?”

“This…”

…

After hearing the words of the puppets, the lips of the school heads twitched uncontrollably, and they hurriedly rushed for the sixth level.