Library of Heaven's Path

by Little Merger

Traversing into another world, Zhang Xuan finds himself becoming an honorable teacher. Along with his transcension, a mysterious library appears in his mind. As long as it is something he has seen, regardless of whether it is a human or an object, a book on its weaknesses will be automatically compiled in the library. Thus, he becomes formidable. “Emperor Zhuoyang, why do you detes

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

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade-4 student, Zhu Chenqing!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Finally, someone dropped the bomb!"

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

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"Let's see how the new principal answers that question!"

...

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

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

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

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

"Clash with the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge?"

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

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

What did those words mean?

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

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

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

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

"Principal Zhang, allow me..."

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

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

"What happened?"

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

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

"Surrounded?"

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

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

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

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

Hu hu hu!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hualala!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Hong long long! Hong long long!

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

"What is that?" someone amid the crowd shouted.

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

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

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

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

"The Bluetrunk Elephants are here too? This will complicate things..."

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

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

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

Huala!

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

Aoooo! Aooooo!

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

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

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

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

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

Roar! Roar! Roar!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

"We are doomed!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frowning, Zhu Yi asked Yu Shenqing, who was sitting beside him, "What's wrong?"

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

"Look at what?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What was going on?

Hong long!

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

(~66,000kg)

Huala!

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

Weng!

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

"This..." Yu Shenqing's eyes nearly popped out from their sockets, and with quivering lips, he uttered, "These are... supreme grade Cloudmist Flower tea leaves?"

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

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

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

Just the thought of it left his mouth salivating endlessly.

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

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

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

"You don't have the means to procure them?" The other emperors were taken aback.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huala!

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

(5km)

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

To use those as a congratulation gift...

Were they intending to empty out the Cloudmist Ridge?

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

Huala!

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

Hong long long!

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

Weng!

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

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

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

(A tael = 50g)

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The heck!

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

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Chapter 899: Inviting the Predecessors

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

"Indeed! They did say 'congratulations to Master'!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can you be any more exaggerated than that?

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

"Roar roar roar roar roar..."

"That's the Ancient Beast Language!" one of the older beast tamers amid the crowd exclaimed.

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

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

"I can only make out some of the simpler words..."

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

"Master? Wait, it can't be that... these spirit beasts have been tamed by Zhang shi as well? All of them are his tamed beasts?"

"That seems to be the case..."

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

"Faction leader—wait, it should be Principal Zhang now—sure devastates everything in his path..."

The eyelids of the crowd began twitching uncontrollably once more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"He actually managed to tame all of them..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Good. Invite the predecessors!" Zhao Bingxu announced loudly.

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

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

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

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

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

Hong long!

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

"What is going on?"

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

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

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

One of the students couldn't help but ask curiously, "Soul? Is that the means of a soul oracle?"

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

"Then..." The student was confused.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unlike Zhang Xuan's questioning gaze, the eyes of the teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy lit up upon seeing the elder.

The founder of the Master Teacher Academy appearing before their eyes, how could they not be excited?

It might just be an incomplete soul, but it harnessed his will within it!

Hu hu hu hu!

Shortly after Mu Kai appeared, several dozen more figures flickered into existence as well.

Even though their silhouettes looked extremely faint, they harnessed a powerful aura that exerted great pressure on those before them.

As students and teachers of the Master Teacher Academy, they were expected to remember the history of the Master Teacher Academy. Besides, those who were able to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy in their generation possessed capability surpassing that of their peers, making them figures of admiration among students and teachers alike.

Seeing so many of their idols appearing simultaneously, the atmosphere in the training grounds was about to burst through the sky.

"Is that Principal Liu Changyuan from the seventh generation? I have been studying his 'Changyuan Great Sorrow Palm' and 'Thousand Leaves Revolution Palm' for the past few years..."

"That must be Principal Mo Liuzhen! As expected of the one famed for possessing the greatest talent among all of the principals; just his presence seems to hint at the boundless might he possesses!"

"Principal Mo Liuzhen is indeed strong, but it's a pity that he entered the Subterranean Gallery in order to push himself to make a breakthrough to becoming an 8-star master teacher and never returned. His death is truly one of the greatest loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion..."

"My idol is Principal Zhu Xuanqing of the 79th generation. Even though he never managed to become a 7-star master teacher in his lifetime, he specialized in a total of 12 supporting occupations and compiled his insights into each of them in great detail, leaving behind an incredible trove of knowledge for the generations to come..."

...

The many master teachers in the training grounds couldn't help but feel their hearts leaping in excitement.

Hu hu!

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, a total of 102 figures had materialized on the stage.

Zhang Xuan frowned. "102? Why don't I see the old principal anywhere?"

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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.

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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!"

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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...

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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?"

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

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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!

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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..."

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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.

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

In that instant, deep fear abruptly assaulted it, and its instincts 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 in 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, at 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.

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Chapter 907: Entering the Seventh Level

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The sixth level was even larger than the previous, and there were several formations inscribed on the walls all around.

A battle between two Nascent Saint cultivators could easily result in devastating damage; just the aftershock of their strikes was sufficient to induce a disaster. As such, it was imperative for the room to be reinforced with formations so that both parties could let loose and not be restricted by their surroundings.

Walking in, they thought that they would see a puppet lying on the ground, just like in the previous five levels, but contrary to their expectations, such a sight didn't appear before them.

A puppet was seated imposingly not too far away with a disposition reminiscent of a sharp sword, emanating a bone-chilling aura that left shivers running down one's spine.

"Isn't the guardian of the sixth floor a Nascent Saint primary stage puppet? Why does it seem like... that isn't the case?"

"You are right. It seems like the puppet has grown stronger!"

"But isn't the strength of a puppet fixed, considering how it is unable to cultivate? How could it possibly grow stronger?"

...

Upon seeing the puppet, everyone's eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.

With their eye of discernment, they could easily tell that the strength of the puppet had already surpassed its Nascent Saint primary stage bottleneck and reached Nascent Saint intermediate stage!

But... how could this possibly have happened?

Puppets were the product of celestial designers, made out of mechanisms. Even if they possessed spirit, they were ultimately still non-living things, making it impossible for them to cultivate under normal circumstances. Since they were unable to cultivate, how could they grow stronger?

"Could this fellow... have killed Principal Zhang?"

At that very moment, someone amid the crowd suddenly spoke up, and everyone's body stiffened.

Their principal had managed to clear the previous few levels easily, subduing the puppets with just mere gestures or words. Given that the puppet of this level had an abrupt power boost and putting that together with the bizarre disappearance of their principal, could their principal have accidentally let his guard down on this level and been killed by the puppet?

If that was really the case, they would be the greatest sinners of the Master Teacher Academy for allowing such a mishap to happen!

Unable to hold himself back anymore, Zhao Bingxu whipped out his Elder Token, rushed forward, and interrogated the puppet. "Where is the challenger who came here a day ago?"

The puppet hurriedly got to its feet and asked with a smile, "The challenger who came here a day ago? Ah, you must be talking about Zhang laoshi! May I know why you are looking for my teacher?"

"Zhang... laoshi?"

"You acknowledged Principal Zhang as your teacher?"

School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others nearly keeled over when they heard those words.

To make the entire Apothecary School your student? Fine, we will accept that! Making Senior Byzantium Helios and Senior Golden Origin Cauldron acknowledge you as their master? Alright, we will tolerate that too! Taming the entire Cloudmist Ridge... since it isn't entirely impossible in the first place, we will acknowledge that as well! But to make a puppet acknowledge you as its teacher, what the heck is that?

Even though a puppet possessed spirit and was capable of communication, it was ultimately still an artifact, a tool. The memories and knowledge it possessed were all infused into it. To acknowledge another as its teacher... what for?

Noticing everyone's doubts, the puppet hurriedly explained, "Indeed. In truth, I initially intended to engage my teacher in a battle to stop him from advancing any further, but he noticed a clear flaw in my forging process and helped me correct it... It was just a simple fix, but my strength increased by a whole stage. A person of such capability, it is only right for me to take him as my teacher!"

"A mistake in your forging process?" The lips of School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School twitched uncontrollably. "When did Principal Zhang become a skilled celestial designer as well?"

For many generations, many talented master teachers had challenged the Mountain of Records, but not a single one had noticed a flaw in them. Yet, Principal Zhang had noticed one as soon as he arrived and even corrected it on the spot... Just by this feat in itself, it could be seen that the other party's mastery as a celestial designer was far above his!

This... Was there a single occupation that their principal was ignorant of?

"That's right. It's in awe of his capabilities that I acknowledged him as my teacher. In any case, if you are seeking Zhang laoshi, you should head upwards. He headed to the seventh level a day ago." The puppet nodded.

"Let's go!" After learning that Zhang Xuan had cleared the sixth level as well, the crowd began making their way over to the seventh level, which was also the level where Principal Mo Liuzhen had stopped back when he first challenged the trial.

The guardian of the seventh level was a puppet that harnessed the strength of a Nascent Saint advanced stage cultivator. Against such a powerful opponent, the crowd couldn't help but wonder if Zhang shi would be placed in danger.

"I have read through the journal that Principal Mo Liuzhen left regarding the situation when he first challenged the Mountain of Records. Even for someone as talented as he was, he was forced into a corner and nearly lost his life. It was out of sheer luck that he managed to achieve a breakthrough on the spot and surpass his limits, thus defeating the puppet," Zhao Bingxu said with a grim expression as they headed up.

Principal Mo Liuzhen had left behind writings detailing his encounters while journeying up the Mountain of Records, and according to it, luck had played a huge part in him clearing the seventh level with his Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivation. If he hadn't achieved a breakthrough on the spot then, putting aside making history, he might have been severely wounded or even killed due to it.

The stronger the puppets were, the harder it would be for them to hold back in battle. As such, the further one progressed up the Mountain of Records, the more danger one would be placed in.

For Principal Zhang to have not returned after an entire day, especially considering how quickly he had cleared the previous levels, could he have met with some kind of unexpected situation?

"I am truly in awe of Principal Zhang's strength, but his cultivation is simply still too low. There is a gap of almost three cultivation realms between him and a Nascent Saint advanced stage puppet. I fear that his chance of victory is slim..."

"Indeed. I have met quite a few combat masters over the years, but even so, I have never encountered one who could fight an opponent of almost three cultivation realms higher and emerge victorious!"

"Since even combat masters are incapable of achieving such a feat, how could our principal possibly succeed?"

Understanding how fearsome the puppet on the seventh level would be for a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator, the crowd couldn't help but be worried.

Combat masters could be considered a type of master teacher, but their roles and responsibilities differed vastly from one another. Combat masters were, in essence, the soldiers of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and their responsibility was to protect mankind and uphold the authority and dignity of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

As such, the primary focus of combat masters lay in their fighting prowess. Supporting occupations, the ability to impart knowledge, grooming students: none of those were used to assess their capabilities. There was only one criterion they had to fulfill, and that was to wield sufficient strength!

In terms of knowledge and scope of skills, they might even be beneath that of the other occupations. However, in terms of fighting prowess, they were an unrivaled existence in the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Considering how even they were incapable of rivaling opponents almost three cultivation realms stronger than them, little had to be said for others.

With worries plaguing their hearts, the crowd arrived on the seventh level.

Pushing open the door and stepping in, the first thing they saw were the many formations inscribed on the walls to reinforce the room, similar to those on the sixth floor.

They hurriedly scanned the room to search for the puppet standing guard, but for some reason, there was not a person to be seen in this vast room. They couldn't help but feel perplexed.

No puppet or traces of battle to be seen, what could this possibly mean?

Seemingly noticing something, School Head Mo pointed to the corner and asked, "Wait a moment... Look at that! What is that?"

The crowd hurriedly turned their sights over, and there, they saw a pile of miscellaneous parts lying on the ground.

"The puppet... has been dismantled!" School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School exclaimed with twitching lips as he examined the miscellaneous parts carefully.

The puppets of the Mountain of Records had been carefully constructed out of several dozen thousand parts, making them an extremely intricate artifact. Looking at the innumerable parts that had clearly come from a puppet before them, it was obvious that someone had dismantled the puppet in this stage and reduced it to its primitive form.

After a moment of astonishment, School Head Mo asked anxiously, "Can we confirm that these are the parts of the puppet on this level?"

If Principal Zhang had really managed to dismantle the puppet of this level to such a state... he really couldn't begin to imagine how powerful the other party must be!

"I can't be entirely sure, but there is a very high chance that is the case!" School Head Feng replied with a bitter smile.

He had never seen the puppet on this level, but based on the miscellaneous parts left on the ground, he could tell that the puppet had a particularly advanced design and forging method that could create a Nascent Saint advanced stage puppet when put together.

For such a powerful puppet to be left in such a state... that was definitely the doing of their principal! There was no doubt about it!

They had been thinking that it would be difficult for the other party to achieve victory on this level, but to think that the other party would end up tearing the puppet all the way down into its parts like that...

Principal Zhang, you sure are vicious!

The puppet is only the guardian responsible for guarding the level. Just how did it offend you for you to dismantle it so callously...

Several dozen thousand miscellaneous parts: even with a blueprint in hand, it would still take a group of 6-star celestial designer several days in order to put it back together... More importantly, that would only be the body! To return its spirit and battle sense would be a much more troublesome process, and they would probably require the help of the Martial Arts School for that.

In other words, Zhang Xuan's act of dismantling this puppet would leave those two schools busy for half a month in order to allow this level to function once more.

However, considering that it would probably be a few thousand years before another challenger would be able to reach this far, there was no need for them to hurry either.

"It seems like Principal Zhang really went easy on the puppets on the previous few levels," Wei Ranxue remarked.

In the previous few levels, their principal had only shot the puppets a look or issued them a command in order to force them to submit. He hadn't used any real force against them at all.

Perhaps it was due to the heightened difficulty of this level that had forced him to make a move.

Nevertheless, even if they were to suppress their cultivation to Nascent Saint advanced stage, similar to that of the puppet, it would still be difficult for them to achieve victory. Yet, their principal had managed to tear the other party down into its most basic parts despite his Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivation... The thought of it sent endless sighs leaving their mouths.

"Even Principal Mo Liuzhen only achieved a narrow victory back then, and yet, not only did Principal Zhang achieve a victory, he even managed to dismantle the puppet down to its parts... I really do want to know how he cultivates to grow so strong!"

With twitching lips, the crowd fell silent.

It seemed like the strength of their principal was as monstrous as his mastery in his supporting occupations as well. To be able to defeat cultivators of three cultivation realms above him, that was already beyond the average standard of a combat master!

Fearsome!

Previously, they had thought that their principal had put all of his effort into his supporting occupations in order to achieve such astounding proficiency in them, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like they had misunderstood him. From the start to the end, his focus had been on his cultivation, and his supporting occupations were just something he had learned leisurely!

Otherwise, how could he possibly wield such astounding fighting prowess?

There is no strength that comes without hardship! Extraordinary strength can only come with extraordinary diligence and hardship!

Putting everything aside, just the willpower he must have needed to reach this far was sufficient to leave them deep in admiration.

Scanning the room and finding Zhang Xuan nowhere in sight, Zhao Bingxu suddenly recalled something and frowned. "Since Principal Zhang has cleared this level, he must have gone on to the eighth. This is bad..."

"Indeed, it seems like he went to the eighth level..." At this moment, School Head Mo's face also turned grave.

Noticing the unnatural reaction of the duo, Wei Ranxue asked doubtfully, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the eighth level?"

Her expertise lay in terpsichorean arts, which similar to demonic tunes, had little effectiveness on puppets. As such, she had never challenged the Mountain of Records, and she possessed little understanding of it as well.

"We fear that Principal Zhang will face danger on the eighth level!" Zhao Bingxu said worriedly.

"You are still worried about that? I think that you can set your mind at ease now! Before the seventh level, we also thought that Principal Zhang would face danger. However, the fact that he was able to dismantle the puppet to this point shows that the strength he wields is far beyond our imagination! With that, it shouldn't be much of an issue for him to clear the eighth level!" Wei Ranxue reassured with a soft chuckle.

They had been a little jittery ever since entering the Mountain of Records, worrying that some mishap could have happened to Zhang Xuan. However, time after time, the latter had shown them through his overwhelming strength that their worry was unfounded.

After witnessing seven levels of miracles from their principal, was there still anything that they needed to worry over?

Even if someone were to tell Wei Ranxue that the latter had cleared the entire Mountain of Records, she still wouldn't have been surprised in the least.

Seeing that Wei Ranxue was oblivious of the matter, Zhao Bingxu shook his head helplessly.

"It's not as easy as you think. The puppet on the eighth level is different from those before..."

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Chapter 908: The Frustrated Puppet

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Different? What can there be different about the puppets?" Wei Ranxue was perplexed.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu replied. "To tell you honestly, the guardian on the eighth level isn't a puppet but a clone that Principal Mo Liuzhen made out of one of his rib bones back then!"

"A... clone?" Wei Ranxue was stunned.

"Indeed. Back then, when Principal Mo Liuzhen advanced his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, he challenged the Mountain of Records once more, and unlike the first time, he managed to reach the eighth level this time around. In that battle, he felt that there was a fatal flaw with the puppet, so he took out one of his rib bones, and making use of an Earth Core Crystal he had in his storage ring, he forged a new guardian for this floor and infused his fighting skills into it!"

"Earth Core Crystal? Do you mean that rare ore that can only be found near the world's core?" Wei Ranxue frowned.

She had heard of the Earth Core Crystal before. It was an extremely rare ore that was known for its toughness due to being tempered by the extreme conditions near the world's core. Harnessing great heat energy within it, it was an ideal material for tempering one's physical body and forging puppets.

However, it was said that this incredible ore had been completely depleted several thousand years ago, and it was nigh impossible to find a piece of it in the world. For Principal Mo Liuzhen to use it to forge a puppet for the Mountain of Records... even though it was for a good cause, they couldn't help but think his actions extravagant!

In any case, if the puppet was truly forged out of Earth Core Crystal, by no means should its strength ever be underestimated.

Even with the cultivation of Nascent Saint realm pinnacle, such a puppet would be able to emerge victorious in a battle against a Saint realm 1-dan expert!

"Not only so, Principal Mo Liuzhen has also left a sliver of his will within it... In other words, the puppet of the eighth level is no longer an ordinary puppet but an existence with a battle sense nearly on par with Principal Mo Liuzhen back then! Pairing that with a cultivation of Nascent Saint realm pinnacle cultivation, nigh invincible defense, and a body that knows no pain, it is unlikely that even the Chrysalis realm pinnacle Principal Mo Liuzhen would stand a chance against it, needless to say the Chrysalis realm primary stage Principal Zhang!" Zhao Bingxu said with a bitter smile.

It wasn't that he didn't have any trust in Principal Zhang, but the enemy he faced was simply too strong.

Furthermore, when Principal Mo Liuzhen left behind the puppet, he was already at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, not too far away from reaching Half-Saint.

Between fellow top-notch geniuses, nearly a realm of difference in strength was a practically unbreachable gap. On top of that, the opponent was a monster that knew no pain nor fatigue. It was no wonder School Head Zhao and School Head Mo had no confidence whatsoever.

Wei Ranxue was at a loss for words. If that was truly the case, it would be truly too difficult for Principal Zhang to emerge victorious. It could almost be said that victory was a pipe dream!

"There's no point discussing it here. Let's head up, and we will know the answer soon enough!" Xu Changqing waved his hand to stop the discussion before gesturing toward the stairs upwards.

"Un!"

The others nodded in agreement before heading toward the eighth level.

The eighth level was extremely quiet, but the many depressions of different areas and depths on the wall and ground made it clear that an intense battle had occurred there.

Zhao Bingxu took a quick look at the surroundings and said, "We were late. The battle has already ended."

As master teachers, they could easily tell that the battle had already ended a day ago, so they quickly rushed into the room and look around. However, they couldn't see anyone or any miscellaneous parts anywhere.

Eventually, they could only stare at one another and ask doubtfully, "So, who won?"

If it was just like in the previous level, various miscellaneous parts scattered about the area, there would be no doubt that their principal had won!

But the ground was clean except for the marks of battle here and there... Could their principal have really lost?

But if he had lost... where was the puppet guarding this level then?

Why would it have disappeared too?

Suddenly, Wei Ranxue exclaimed anxiously, "There is some blood here!"

Alarmed, the crowd hurriedly gathered together and saw a pool of blood on the ground. Judging from the amount of blood shed, the wounded must have suffered rather severe injuries.

"Principal Zhang..." The crowd clenched their fists together tightly.

While the puppet was a clone made out of Principal Mo Liuzhen's rib bone, blood didn't run through its body... In other words, the blood could only have come from Principal Zhang.

For their powerful principal to have stumbled here, indeed, defeating the Principal Mo Liuzhen's clone to clear this level was no easy feat.

Noticing everyone's apprehension, Zhao Bingxu reassured them. "Even though Principal Zhang is injured, there should be no need to worry. Since the puppet of this level harnesses Principal Mo Liuzhen's will, it shouldn't have executed a killing blow against Principal Zhang!"

The puppets of the previous seven levels possessed ordinary spirits, capable of only fighting as they were commanded. They didn't have the emotions or sentience of a human.

On the other hand, the puppet on the eighth level had a sliver of Principal Mo Liuzhen's will imbued into it, so naturally, it possessed his consciousness as well. After learning of Principal Zhang's identity, it shouldn't have gone too heavily on him!

At the very least, Principal Zhang's life wouldn't have been in danger.

Just as everyone was deducing what had happened, the head of the Painter School suddenly exclaimed, "Everyone, take a look over there!"

Everyone quickly turned to him, only to see his finger pointed toward the ceiling with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Turning their gazes upwards, the crowd was also taken aback by what they saw.

There was a huge '大' depression on the ceiling with a human silhouette embedded deeply into it. The human silhouette had its eyes tightly closed, probably still unconscious from the impact of the blow it had suffered.

"That is the puppet Principal Mo Liuzhen forged!" Zhao Bingxu exclaimed in astonishment.

Upon recognizing the figure, the school heads quickly rushed up to pull the puppet out from the ceiling.

School Head Zhong and School Head Feng hurriedly examined its condition and treated it. A moment later, it finally opened its eyes.

As soon as it opened its eyes, its face immediately flushed in anger as it cursed furiously. "Damn it! Just who in the world is that shameless fellow who came by just now?"

"Shameless fellow?" Hearing Principal Mo Liuzhen's evaluation of Principal Zhang, the mouths of the crowd began twitching uncontrollably.

According to historical records, Principal Mo Liuzhen was not only known for his talents but his composed temperament as well. This was also the main reason he was able to leave his mark in history as the number one figure of the Master Teacher Academy in its ten thousand years of history, respected by many generations of students and teachers.

Yet, such an incredible figure actually began cursing without the slightest bit of concern for his bearing?

"In the duel, that fellow wasn't a match for me at all!" The puppet that Principal Mo Liuzhen had left behind explained indignantly. "After a few blows, I could already tell that he was bound to lose in the end, so I told him to leave and return only after he had cultivated to Chrysalis realm pinnacle... But who knew that the fellow would suddenly proclaim his admiration for me passionately, requesting desperately for me to impart my battle techniques to him. Not only so, he even grabbed my hands and began spewing praise after praise for me..."

At this point, a regretful look emerged on the puppet's face for falling for the other party's ploy. "After all he had said, it wouldn't have been right for me to turn him down as a master teacher, so I began to offer him some pointers for his breakthrough...

"But who knew that fellow would adamantly clutch onto my hands, claiming that he wanted to come into close contact with his idol... I thought that his actions were out of earnest admiration for me, but who could have known..." The more the puppet spoke, the more furious it became. Eventually, its face reddened to the point that it seemed like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Seeing the other party stop at the crucial moment, Wei Ranxue urged it on. "Who could have known?"

"Who could have known that it was all a trap by the shameless fellow! From the start to the end, his goal was to use the Earth Core Crystal within my body to cultivate!

"You all should be able to tell that my body is forged out of Earth Core Crystal... If that fellow had absorbed the energy of my Earth Core Crystal rapidly, I would have surely noticed something. But h-he secretly stole it bit by bit while distracting me with his sweet words, so by the time I noticed, he had already stolen most of the energy contained within the Earth Core Crystal..."

Even if a puppet was infused with the will of a human, its senses still wouldn't be as sensitive as a human body.

Taking the Soulless Metal Humanoid for example, it was a body constructed mainly for movement and battle. Other than that, its senses and other functions were secondary to humans.

"Even without the Earth Core Crystal, I will only suffer a drop in my defense. But for some reason, that fellow's physical strength suddenly soared as well. With these two factors coming into play simultaneously, I was sent flying into the ceiling with a single punch and was knocked out from the impact..."

The puppet recounted the happenings furiously.

If it had known that that fellow intended to secretly cultivate using its Earth Core Heart, it would have never listened to his words! The state it was in... Putting aside how it had suffered from a significant dip in its defense and fighting prowess, it had even been utterly crushed in a battle against someone it had defeated easily a moment earlier...

In Principal Mo Liuzhen's many years of cultivation, he had seen many master teachers, but never had he seen one as shameless as that fellow!

Rage, frustration, and indignation bubbled furiously within him, which had led to his outburst upon seeing the school heads.

"This..." After learning what had happened, the crowd glanced at one another with twitching faces.

In a desperate life-and-death battle, such actions would be nothing much. But to resort to such in a trial, especially when the opponent had already stopped fighting... that was indeed a little improper.

After venting his frustrations, the puppet sighed deeply and waved its hands to show that it was over the matter. "Forget it, this is how battles are supposed to be. There is no room for compassion or fairness in it. On the bright side, this shows that he isn't a rigid person restricted by conventions and the sort. A person like him will be able to reach greater heights than others!"

As the role models for others, master teachers were expected to uphold their bearings. Nevertheless, they mustn't be too inflexible, or else how could they innovate and reach greater heights?

Putting everything aside, even Kong shi had been an extremely adaptable person. Back then, he had sneaked into the Subterranean Gallery thrice and mixed in together with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, disguised as one of their own. Eventually, he had even managed to rise through the ranks, being conferred as a king, followed by an emperor, and so on... Through such efforts, he had nearly managed to wipe out their entire tribe!

If master teachers had insistently embraced conventions, choosing to follow only the teachings of the predecessors instead of bravely forging their own path, humanity also wouldn't have come such a long way over just several dozen millenniums...

Hearing Principal Mo's words, Zhao Bingxu and the others heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's good that Elder is able to think of it like that..."

On one hand was the will of the esteemed preceding principal, Mo Liuzhen, and on the other was their current principal. As the saying goes, 'the ones to suffer in a battle between deities are the mortals'. It wouldn't have been right for them to side with anyone in a conflict between the two, so it was best if Principal Mo could let this matter go himself.

Shooting a glance at the stairway above, the puppet stood up, turned to Zhao Bingxu, and said, "Since that fellow was able to defeat me, he must have proceeded on to the ninth level. The ninth level is a forbidden ground, so even with your Elder Tokens, you won't be able to enter it. Since that's the case, you should wait for him here instead!"

A restriction was placed on the ninth level such that only those who had defeated the guardian of the eighth level with their own strength were allowed to enter it...

As Mo Liuzhen himself had only managed to clear the eighth level by exploiting a fatal flaw in the puppet, he hadn't been allowed to advance any further back then either.

"Un!" Zhao Bingxu and the others nodded. They were aware of the rules as well, and knowing the difficulty of the eighth level, they had thought that they would find Principal Zhang here. However, the latter had surpassed their expectations and advanced even further.

Suddenly, School Head Feng of the Celestial Designer School noticed something and exclaimed in astonishment.

"Wait, something is wrong... Elder, it doesn't seem like your cultivation is at Nascent Saint pinnacle..."

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Chapter 909: The Ninth Floor

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"My cultivation isn't at Nascent Saint pinnacle?" The puppet was stunned for an instant before lowering its head to take a look at itself as it exerted its strength.

Hong long!

A powerful aura immediately burst into the air, forcing everyone back several steps.

"T-this is... Saint realm 1-dan? H-how did I... achieve a breakthrough?" The puppet was completely stunned.

It had been a puppet for more than four thousand years, and all along, its cultivation had been capped at Nascent Saint realm pinnacle. Not once had it ever thought that it could still further its cultivation.

"If I'm not mistaken, this must be the doing of Principal Zhang! In exchange for devouring the energy contained in your Earth Core Crystal, he helped you advance your cultivation," Zhao Bingxu said.

After the experience on the sixth level, they knew that their principal possessed the capability to do so.

Most likely, he must have felt embarrassed about devouring the energy harnessed within the Earth Core Crystal in the other party's body, so he helped to alter the other party's constitution slightly to allow its energy to flow smoother, thus enhancing its cultivation significantly.

"This..." Hearing School Head Zhao's explanation, the puppet was stunned.

Even though the Earth Core Heart was important to it, it wasn't the centerpiece of its existence. Giving it up in order to raise its cultivation to Saint realm, it could be said that it was the winner of this deal!

Just that... with its cultivation raised, it would be nigh impossible for the later generations to clear the trial. It was almost a certainty that they would be impeded on the eighth level, making it impossible for anyone to reach the ninth level.

It was an act of goodwill toward the puppet, but the challengers that came after him would probably be cursing him furiously as they fought the enhanced puppet.

Defeating a Nascent Saint pinnacle puppet was already nearly impossible. What Zhang Xuan had effectively done was create a deadlock on the eighth level, preventing anyone from advancing any further in the future.

At that moment, Wei Ranxue suddenly turned to the puppet and asked, "What is on the ninth level?"

"The ninth level... I have no idea either. I only know that no one has been there since the establishment of the Master Teacher Academy... Probably, the only one who knows is the founder of the academy, Founder Mu Kai!" The puppet shook his head in response.

The one guarding the eighth level was a Nascent Saint realm pinnacle puppet whereas the prerequisite for challenging the Mountain of Records was for one's cultivation to be beneath Half-Saint... In other words, one would have to challenge an opponent nearly three realms stronger than oneself in order to reach the ninth level! Even the incredibly talented Chrysalis realm pinnacle Principal Mo Liuzhen back then had been unable to accomplish this feat, needless to say the others!

In the ten thousand years since the founding of the Master Teacher Academy, that fellow was the only one to have achieved this feat.

Noticing everyone's worries, the puppet said, "No matter what, that fellow shouldn't be in any danger. The main purpose for the establishment of the Mountain of Records is to sieve out the talents of the Master Teacher Academy, so there is no way it will allow one who possesses the ability to reach the ninth level to die in there!"

"Un." The others nodded.

Indeed. A person who had cleared the previous eight stages could already be considered a top-notch genius even among the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, so how could a mishap of any sort be allowed to befall a talent like that in the final level?

As such, there was no need to worry about that matter!

But even putting aside their worries, they were still curious to know what their principal would encounter in the ninth level.

In that moment, they couldn't help but peer into the darkness of the stairway that led to the mysterious ninth level.

...

Rewinding time back to a day ago...

After clearing the eighth level, Zhang Xuan took a look at the puppet, which he had pinned onto the ceiling, and heaved a sigh of relief before heading forward.

Honestly speaking, it seemed like he had overestimated his strength.

In truth, he had already been struggling against the Nascent Saint puppet on the sixth level.

His strength exceeded 65,000,000 ding, granting him a might comparable to Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator, but the difference between a Transcendent Mortal and Saint didn't just lie in their strength. Those who had achieved Sainthood had already reached an entirely different level of existence, granting them superior reaction speed and reflexes as compared to others. Even with his greater strength, it would still be difficult for him to achieve victory.

In other words, despite his strength, Half-Saint pinnacle was the limit of his own ability. If he wished to defeat a Nascent Saint primary stage cultivator, he would have to depend on the Library of Heaven's Path.

As such, he offered guidance to the puppet of the sixth level in order to convince it to acknowledge him as its teacher, thus successfully clearing the level.

However, the puppet on the seventh level didn't trust him, so the same ploy didn't work against it. Unable to overpower the other party, he could only dismantle the other party bit by bit while dodging its attacks.

If he had been able to defeat the other party in a proper battle, he wouldn't have resorted to such a method.

To be forced to dismantle the puppet down to its very parts in order to defeat it... how embarrassing!

On the eighth level, he encountered the puppet Principal Mo Liuzhen had forged using his rib bones, and after exchanging a few blows, he was already severely wounded from the other party's pummeling, leaving him spewing large mouthfuls of blood.

He had thought that the eighth level would be his limit, but he suddenly noticed that the puppet was made out of Earth Core Crystal.

The Earth Core Crystal happened to be the artifact required for cultivating the Fourth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and he had been searching for it all this while but to no avail. Seeing it here, he nearly went frenzied with delight.

However, if he were to ask for it from the other party directly, there was no doubt that he would be rejected flatly. Left with no choice, he could only resort to some tricks up his sleeves...

Putting that aside, using the energy from the Earth Core Crystal, he managed to advance his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to the Fourth Incandescence, thus inducing a massive surge in his physical strength.

From its original 16,000,000 ding, it had doubled to 32,000,000 ding!

In other words, just in terms of physical strength, he was already on par with a Chrysalis realm advanced stage cultivator!

Factoring in the 29,000,000 ding from his zhenqi cultivation and 20,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation, his total might added up to a grand total of 81,000,000 ding!

With such strength, he could easily overpower even a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator! On top of that, Principal Mo Liuzhen's puppet wasn't prepared for his assault at all, so it was easily sent into the ceiling from the might of his fist and fainted.

(Nascent Saint primary stage 60,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 65,000,000 ding; advanced stage 70,000,000 ding; pinnacle 75,000,000 ding!)

Even though I defeated the puppet in the previous level, my true fighting prowess is still some distance away from matching a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator...

While Zhang Xuan had managed to send the puppet forged by Principal Mo Liuzhen flying with a single punch, he wasn't so arrogant as to believe that he wielded strength comparable to a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator.

The reason he was able to succeed was due to his understanding of the flaws in the other party's moves from the previous battle and the other party letting its guard down from its underestimating of him. Otherwise, in a proper battle against a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator, even with his superior strength, he wouldn't have been able to achieve a victory that easily.

That was also the reason why Zhang Xuan wanted to maintain a low profile. It could possibly become the key for him to overcoming dire situations like that battle.

As the saying goes, 'a tree that rises above the forest will only be torn down by the wind; an embankment taller than the shore will only be washed away by the waves.'

But it was a pity that every time he wished to maintain a low profile, everything would just go contrary to his wishes. This had left him deeply distressed.

Perhaps that was life! The outstanding were meant to live brilliant and short lives.

Considering how Zhang Xuan didn't even wield the fighting prowess to overcome a Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator, he knew full well that he stood no chance at clearing the ninth level... Unless he perfected the Chrysalis realm Heaven's Path Divine Art and advanced his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle!

But there was no way he could find such cultivation technique manuals here...

Since I have already reached this point, I might as well head up to take a look! Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan eventually decided to advance to the ninth level.

Having come to this point, it would be truly regretful if he stopped there without at least giving it a try.

At the very most, he would just have to admit defeat once he found himself in a hopeless situation.

Pushing open the entrance to the ninth level, an extremely vast room unfolded before his eyes.

An elder came into his sight.

Upon seeing the elder's appearance, Zhang Xuan frowned. Mu shi?

It was none other than Founder Mu Kai. He had just met the other party's soul during the inauguration ceremony, so there was no way he wouldn't recognize him.

No, that isn't it. This is a Saint realm puppet that Mu shi forged based on himself!

It wasn't very apparent, but Zhang shi was able to swiftly tell what was amiss about the elder before his eyes.

Naturally, the elder before him couldn't possibly be Founder Mu Kai in person, and considering that it possessed a corporeal body, it wasn't just his soul either. Rather, it was a puppet forged according to his appearance. However, the craftsmanship was so exquisite that Zhang Xuan had to take several glances before noticing it.

Watching as Zhang Xuan walked over, Mu shi's puppet said with a smile, "To be able to clear the previous levels with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage, you are a truly talented individual!"

"Paying respects to Mu shi!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bowed.

Even though the other party was only a puppet, a sliver of Mu shi's will was infused into it, so its prowess wasn't one he could afford to underestimate.

"Un." Mu shi's puppet nodded with a slight smile. "I possess a cultivation of Saint realm 1-dan primary stage at the moment. As long as you can defeat me, you will have cleared the Mountain of Records and earned the rights to claim the reward from me!"

"Defeat you..." A look of difficulty surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face.

Honestly speaking, his chance of defeating the other party in a proper battle was near zero.

However, if he were to utilize his exceptional capability at tearing things apart to reduce the other party back down to its miscellaneous parts, he should still be able to defeat the other party.

Just that... considering the opponent was the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, it would be disrespectful for him to use such an unseemly mean against it.

If others were to think that the principal of the Master Teacher Academy had destructive tendencies due to this matter, what would become of his reputation?

"Don't worry. Feel free to use any means at your disposal, there is no need to stand on ceremony!" Seemingly noticing the worries Zhang Xuan harbored, Mu shi smiled. "To be honest, it is already improper for a Saint realm cultivator like me to duel against a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator like you!"

"Are you certain?" Zhang Xuan asked with a bizarre expression on his face. "Is it really fine for me to use any means at my disposal?"

"Of course!" Mu shi replied with a smile.

"Since that's the case, pardon me..."

Hearing that there were no restrictions on the means he could utilize, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as the burden weighing down his heart vanished.

Hu!

The Golden Origin Cauldron materialized before Zhang Xuan.

"Ding Ding, go and pummel that fellow for me!" Zhang Xuan commanded with a majestic wave of his hand.

"Don't worry, it's just a puppet of Old Mu. I will reduce it to cinders this very instant!" The Golden Origin Cauldron nodded as it began to rush forward.

As the Guardian Saint Artifact that the headquarters had given to the Master Teacher Academy at its founding, it had met Mu Kai back then, so it was able to recognize the latter easily.

Upon seeing the sight, Mu shi's lips twitched as he nearly fainted on the spot. Anxious, he hurriedly yelled, "Wait a moment!"

Gesturing for the Golden Origin Cauldron to stop, he turned to Mu shi with a doubtful look. "What's wrong?"

Didn't you say that I can use any means at my disposal? Why are you stopping me all of a sudden?

The face of Mu shi's puppet reddened as it said, "Cough cough. When I said that you can use any means at your disposal, I was referring to your abilities as an individual, such as your battle techniques and your supporting occupations, and not your Saint-tier artifacts... Otherwise, with the might of your Saint-tier artifact, even a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan or 2-dan cultivator would be able to easily clear the Mountain of Records, thus rendering the entire trial meaningless!"

It should have clarified its words further in order to avoid such an awkward situation.

The Mountain of Records was a trial to assess one's individual prowess. If one had such a formidable artifact in one's possession, one would be able to easily clear the entire trial even if one's strength was lacking.

If that was the case, what was the use of the trial?

"This... I see. Pardon me for my misunderstanding!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head as he returned the Golden Origin Cauldron to his storage ring.

With a flick of his wrist, he took out a Spirit pinnacle sword from his storage ring and pointed it at the other party.

"Will this do?"

Mu shi's puppet nodded with a smile. Just as it was about to speak, the sharp glint of a sword reminiscent of a shooting star abruptly flashed across its eyes.

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Chapter 910: Zhang Xuan's Defeat!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"That's some fine swordsmanship you have there!" The eyes of Mu shi's puppet lit up as it nodded in approval while moving to counterattack Zhang Xuan's move.

In an instant, the human and the puppet were already colliding with one another.

Boom boom boom boom!

Exerting his full might, Zhang Xuan's sword fell relentlessly on the puppet like waves in the river, each strike growing faster and stronger than the previous.

Even though he hadn't cultivated any particularly powerful sword arts, he had managed to compile the many sword arts he had obtained so far to form the profound Heaven's Path Sword Art. With its prowess, he could even overwhelm a Saint realm expert off-guard!

"But as formidable as it is, you are still too weak..." With a light chuckle, Mu shi's puppet tapped its finger forward.

Huala!

The air right before Zhang Xuan's sword suddenly seemed to have collapsed into an abyss, and the sharp glint of his blade seemed to have been pulled into a whirlpool, draining it of its strength.

Knowing that he would be placed in a vulnerable situation if he didn't retaliate to that swiftly, Zhang Xuan gathered his full strength and forcefully pushed his blade ahead.

Hong long!

The collapsed air abruptly burst apart like a balloon, and Zhang Xuan's sword surged forward with incredible momentum to clash with the puppet's finger.

Huala!

As if having struck a thick wall, Zhang Xuan felt a numbing sensation assault his arm, and a stifled feeling welled up in his chest. In the next instant, he was abruptly sent flying from the recoil of the collision.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan swiftly utilized the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps to counteract the momentum of his retreat while pushing himself back to the ground, leaving behind numerous deep footprints on the ground in the midst of doing so.

After regaining his posture once more, he roared furiously and charged forward.

Huala!

A sword sliced through the air, heading straight toward where the weakness of Mu shi's puppet was.

Seeing that the other party was able to see through the weaknesses in his movements so quickly, Mu shi's puppet was taken aback for a moment before chuckling softly. "Keen eyes!"

Following which, he swiftly twisted, and the weakness from a moment ago disappeared without a trace.

Even Heaven's Path was imperfect, let alone man-made creations in the world. It was normal for any battle technique to have its own weaknesses. However, while Zhang Xuan was able to identify the weaknesses accurately, the difference between his speed and reflexes against his opponents were so great that he was unable to exploit it.

In other words, in the interval between him making his attack and his strike landing, his opponent had sufficient time to evade it. As a result, the 'weaknesses' he had identified became nothing more than a joke.

As expected of the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

If it had been any Saint realm primary stage cultivator in the other party's place, it would be doubtful if the other party would be able to come up with an instantaneous counterattack to his moves, especially since his moves were directed at the other party's weaknesses.

However, his opponent was actually able to go to the extent of even predicting the next few moves that he could possibly make within this narrow window, sealing away any alternative offensive maneuver he could utilize against the other party.

Fearsome!

The other party's strength didn't lie solely in his fearsome might, speed, and reflexes, but his astounding eye of discernment as well. Put those together with the other party's vast combat experience and sharp battle sense, and the other party was truly a nearly impossible adversary for him to overcome with his current cultivation.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan didn't panic.

As long as he makes a move, there will surely be flaws that I can exploit. I don't believe that you can continue dodging until the end of time!

Even though Zhang Xuan usually relied on the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron, rarely making a move himself, he had collected and gone through many books on combat and accumulated the wisdom of many predecessors, sharpening his battle sense to one that was on par with a veteran general, or even beyond.

Regardless of how profound or elusive a technique was, it was bound to have its flaws. As long as he could pull off the correct maneuvers to counteract to the other party's move, even if it was a God-tier battle technique that the other party was using, he would still be able to corner them.

But of course, that was still easier said than done. Even if he had the Library of Heaven's Path, which allowed him to see through the flaws in the other party's attacks, his strength was still lacking for him to push his attacks through decisively.

"Break!"

With the flexibility of a serpent, Zhang Xuan's sword surged forth, and in the blink of an eye, it was already on the verge of striking one of the mingmen of Mu shi's puppet.

As long as he struck that point, he should be able to inflict serious injuries on the other party even with the power disparity between them.

"A good move!" Mu shi's puppet remarked.

However, as if having guessed that Zhang Xuan would make such a maneuver, it didn't show the slightest hint of anxiety. Instead, it chuckled softly and jolted its arms.

In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming might crushing down on him, suppressing his aura. His seemingly indomitable sword was abruptly halted in its path under that astounding force.

Peng!

The overwhelming might struck Zhang Xuan squarely, and he was sent tumbling back in the air before crashing heavily onto the wall. With a reddened face, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth.

For two consecutive moves, he had successfully identified the other party's weakness and aimed the attack at the other party's blind spot. But... the disparity in strength was simply too great. Even technique was insufficient to bridge the difference.

Wiping away the fresh blood on the edges of his lips, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. I am still too weak...

He was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, a gap of three whole realms from Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Even his physical body and soul cultivation were insufficient to breach this massive difference.

Before the other party, his immense strength exceeding 80,000,000 ding was not worth mentioning at all!

Saint realm experts, having opened their Zhukong acupoint, were not only capable of flight but wielded a might exceeding 100,000,000 ding as well. Even if he could find the other party's flaws with his Library of Heaven's Path, he didn't possess sufficient strength to breach the other party's defense. So, how could he possibly win?

Even if one were to equip an ant with a sword, there was no way it could rival an elephant. They were simply existences on two different levels! No matter how skilled the ant was, it couldn't possibly win.

Such was the situation he was faced with. The other party was a puppet that boasted nigh invincible defense, and with his current strength and weapon, he couldn't breach the other party's defense. On top of that, the other party possessed sharp battle sense that allowed it to retaliate against every opportunity he received...

This was truly a despairing situation...

How could anyone overcome such a challenge?

"I guess, I have no choice then..." Knowing that he wouldn't stand a chance in a proper fight, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven's Path and summoned a certain book.

Since the other party was a puppet, it had to be assembled part after part. If nothing worked out, he would just have to abandon his dignity and dismantle that fellow into its miscellaneous parts as he had done on the seventh level.

Flipping open the book slightly, the content of the book immediately surfaced in his mind, becoming part of his knowledge.

"7-star Serial Puppet..."

Upon noting the name of the puppet, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows immediately shot up.

The puppet on the seventh level was also a Serial Puppet as well, but it was only at 6-star, so he was able to dismantle it with relative ease. A 7-star Serial Puppet... it was truly hard to say whether or not he would be able to dismantle it with his current strength!

On top of that, the other party wouldn't simply stand idly on the spot while it was being dismantled. Once the other party sensed that it was in danger, it would surely retaliate with all of its might, and under such circumstances, he had no confidence that he would emerge as the victor.

Forget it, I will still have to give it a try!

Taking all of the flaws of Mu shi's puppet into mind, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and turned his gaze to the other party once more.

Hu!

Executing the Heaven's Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuan's figure vanished on the spot. In the next instant, he appeared behind Mu shi's puppet with his sword cutting diagonally down on it.

Simultaneously, the fingers of his left hand stabbed for a certain point on the other party's back.

"Interesting!" Noticing Zhang Xuan's attacks on its vitals, Mu shi's puppet abruptly turned around and sent a punch at him.

The punch was not a battle technique or a maneuver, just a simple attack packed with raw strength.

However, Zhang Xuan instinctively sensed that he would be severely damaged if he were to push on. Thus, executing Heaven's Path Movement Art once, he swiftly sidestepped to the left and dodged the attack.

Naturally, his offense also fell flat with this defensive maneuver he made.

What incredible reflexes... Zhang Xuan face darkened.

Never had he felt so indignant in a battle before.

Despite grasping the weaknesses of the other party tightly in his hands, he was still forced back with just pure strength!

As long as he didn't possess that darned strength, putting aside whether he would be able to defeat the other party, it would already be a blessing if he could survive the other party's attacks!

Just as he had found the other party's weakness, the other party had also found his—lack of strength!

As long as the other party continued exploiting that weakness of his, he would be rendered completely helpless.

"Admit defeat, you aren't a match for me." Mu shi's puppet shook his head.

"Admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

It hadn't been easy for him to reach the ninth level. Was he really going to have to admit defeat and leave like that?

"That's right. In your current state, you won't be able to defeat me. However, as long as you work hard on your cultivation and reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it is very likely that I won't be a match for you then!" Mu shi's puppet said.

Even though it had been able to easily defeat the young man before it, it knew that this wasn't a problem with the other party's talent or skill.

As long as the other party raised his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it was very likely that it wouldn't be a match for him anymore.

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, "You should have established the ninth floor in the Mountain of Records hoping that someone will be able to clear the trial, but is it really possible for one with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint to defeat you?"

If the other party was just an ordinary Saint realm 1-dan cultivator, his chances at victory would still have been considerable. However, Mu Kai was a master teacher, an expert who had founded the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at that. His understanding of battle had reached an extremely profound level... It could be said that anyone who didn't possess strength rivalling him wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heaven's Path Divine Art, Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul... Yet, despite that, he was still unable to defeat the other party. He truly found it hard to believe that there would be another person in the world who could outdo him!

But if that was truly the case, why would Mu shi bother creating a ninth level that no one would be able to clear?

"It is possible!" Mu shi's puppet replied with a nod.

"Really?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

"You need not doubt my words; I am certain of that. There are many combat masters who are capable of this feat, and even Kong shi slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint back then!" Mu shi's puppet said.

"Slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint?" Zhang Xuan's eyes widened in astonishment.

He knew that the other party meant killing with their own strength and not making use of external aids such as the Golden Origin Cauldron or the Byzantium Helios Beast.

To be able to slay Saint realm experts... Was Kong shi already that formidable before reaching Half-Saint?

"Of course. If he wasn't able to accomplish such extraordinary feats, how could he possibly lead mankind in a war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Mu shi's puppet replied nonchalantly.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

When he met Lu Cheng and Wu Xu back then, he had thought that combat masters were only that capable. However, it seemed like it was naive of him to gauge combat masters just based on those two.

"Admit defeat. You can't possibly win against me. There is no point stalling for time!" Mu shi's puppet said, knowing that Zhang Xuan was only trying to earn some time to recuperate his zhenqi.

"You can return after you reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Perhaps you will wield sufficient strength to defeat me then."

Mu shi's puppet didn't think that the other party would be able to defeat him with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage. If that was really the case, he would be far more frightening than most combat masters he knew of.

"Return after I reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "There is no need for that. I can defeat you right now!"

"Oh?" Mu shi's puppet curiously gazed at Zhang Xuan.

"You don't believe me?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "I can prove it to you. However... I will have to ask you to give me a moment. I will change my clothes before battling you once more!"

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Chapter 911: Saint Ascension Decipher

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Change clothes?" Mu shi's puppet was stunned.

What does changing your clothes have to do with whether you are able to defeat me or not?

"The clothes I am currently wearing were specially prepared by the Master Teacher Academy, and they are extremely valuable. With them on, it is inevitable that my movements will be restricted. Only after changing back into my master teacher robe will I be able to fight you with my full strength!" Zhang Xuan explained.

Hearing those words, Mu shi's puppet frowned and asked, "Isn't the robe you are wearing a powerful artifact?"

Zhang Xuan was still wearing the robe that the Blacksmith School and Celestial Designer School had specially made for the inauguration ceremony. Not only was it tailored to fit him snugly, it was even a Spirit pinnacle artifact that boasted incredible defense. The academy had paid a hefty sum in order to complete it.

With eyes as sharp as Mu shi's, he could tell that the robe was extraordinary from the very first sight. Even a pig could become a hero with that armor, and yet, the young man before him said that it lowered his fighting prowess?

Wasn't that plain nonsense?

"It is indeed a powerful artifact, but in my humble opinion, I think comfortable clothes still make the best battledress," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Pardon me, but I will have to ask Mu shi to turn around for a moment. I don't really like to expose my bare body to others..."

"... Alright then!" Shaking his head, Mu shi's puppet decided to just go along with Zhang Xuan and turn around.

Actually, it was not completely unheard of for a cultivator for change clothes in preparation for a battle, but that was usually only for terpsichoreans. Terpsichoreans utilized glamorous clothes to enhance their charisma so that they could better charm their opponent.

Could the young man before it... be a terpsichorean?

But even if that was the case, it was futile!

Terpsichorean arts worked against the soul, but as a puppet, it didn't possess a soul.

Besides... terpsichores were usually beautiful ladies. For a man to be exerting his seductive charms toward it... Mu shi's puppet suddenly felt a nauseated sensation in his guts.

Even though it was a puppet, it could almost feel its goosebumps rising.

At that very moment, it heard a cold and slightly haughty voice speak. "I'm done."

Turning around, Mu shi's puppet saw that the young man before it had changed his previously eye-catching wear into a rather ordinary-looking robe.

"This... You really intend to fight me with just an ordinary master teacher robe?" Mu shi's puppet couldn't help but be taken aback.

It could understand it if the other party had changed his clothes to a Half-Saint robe or something; after all, clothes could affect one's fighting prowess too... But to switch back to the perfectly ordinary master teacher robe...

It was just as if one had switched a Spirit pinnacle sword to a perfect ordinary blade! No matter how one looked at it, wasn't the other party just handicapping himself?

Are you really certain that you are trying to defeat me and not suffer a beating?

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he gazed at the other party proudly with his hands behind his back. "This ordinary robe is sufficient for me to subdue you!"

"You seem really confident. Let's start then." Seeing how the young man before it had suddenly grown so arrogant right after changing clothes, the face of Mu shi's puppet darkened, and it clenched its fists tightly.

Hu la!

This time, Mu shi's puppet took the first move.

Its fist surged forward with immense might that collapsed the air around it.

In order to make the other party learn that his efforts were futile, it had utilized its full strength right from the start, making its attack far more powerful and threatening than before.

"Just what I wanted!"

The Zhang Xuan after changing his clothes stood on the spot in composure, showing not a sign of fear or respect. With a taunting smile, he retaliated with a punch of his own.

"Hmm?" Seeing that the young man was going to face its attack face-on, Mu shi's puppet frowned.

It had gained a clear grasp of the other party's strength from their short battle earlier, and it knew that it was impossible for the other party to withstand an attack of its full might. For the other party to face its punch head-on...

Did the other party change his brain as well as his clothes?

If its punch were to land squarely on him, he could very well die!

At that moment, Mu shi's puppet couldn't help but hesitate and consider whether or not it should retract a portion of the strength in its fist. However, before it could come to a decision, the two fists had already collided.

Hu!

In that instant, the eyes of Mu shi's puppet narrowed.

It was still lamenting over the arrogant decision of the young man to face it head-on a moment ago, but as soon as their fists connected... it immediately realized that something was amiss.

It had expected to overwhelm the young man's punch in an instant, but what it encountered was a surge of devastating force pushing through its fist, leaving its entire body convulsing uncontrollably.

Peng!

It was truly fortunate that it hadn't retracted its strength. Even with its full might, it wasn't confident that it could emerge as the victor of this direct clash!

"Go!" Bellowing furiously, a crescendoing creak sounded from the joints of Mu shi's puppet as it gathered every single inch of power it wielded in its body to match the young man's fist.

"Humph!"

On the other hand, the young man opposite to it tilted his chin upwards and looked down on Mu shi's puppet with a hint of disdain in his eyes. At the same time, the force exerted in his fist intensified.

Peng!

Before Mu shi's puppet could even react, it was already overpowered and sent flying over a distance of several dozen meters through the air before crashing heavily into the wall.

"This..." With a look of disbelief, Mu shi's puppet stared at the young man standing haughtily in the center of the room, aghast.

It was true that the young man had displayed an exceptional eye of discernment in the previous battle, identifying its flaws precisely and exploiting them promptly. However, the huge gap in the strength between them should have made it impossible for him to injure it at all... Why did it seem like he had turned into a wholly different person just by changing a set of clothes, sending him flying in a clash of brute strength?

Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seemed like he hadn't even exerted his full might yet.

It was inconceivable that there could be such a huge difference in a person within such a short span of time!

Without any hesitation, Mu shi's puppet immediately began to examine the young man before him from head to toe, but the latter's physical appearance and distinctive soul aura told it that it was still the same person as before. In other words, that fellow had really grown many times stronger just by changing a set of clothes!

With his hands placed behind his back, the young man standing at the center of the room declared haughtily, "You have lost."

"I..." It took a while before Mu shi's puppet finally recovered, and it shook its head bitterly. "Congratulations on clearing the ninth level. You are the first master teacher to clear the Mountain of Records ever since its establishment!"

It was still unable to make sense out of what happened—naturally, it didn't believe that a person could grow stronger just by changing a set of clothes—but a loss was still a loss. As the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it wouldn't stoop so low as to deny this.

On the other hand, the young man opposite to it simply waved his hands impatiently, acting as if it was a given that he would win.

"You are the greatest talent our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has ever had since it was founded ten thousand years ago. As a reward for clearing the Mountain of Records, I will pass down this secret art, which I have held onto dearly for my entire life, 'Saint Ascension Decipher'!"

Paying no heed to the young man's arrogance, Mu shi's puppet chuckled softly as it took out a book and passed it over.

"Saint Ascension Decipher?" the young man asked doubtfully.

"Indeed!" Mu shi's puppet smiled. "As a master teacher, you must have at least heard of how Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?"

"I have... According to what I know, he is a Celestial Saint," the young man replied with a nod.

It was said that when Kong shi made the leap from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, he received the recognition of the heaven and became a Celestial Saint, and the Saint Ascension Platform was testimony to that deed.

He had been there himself, and it wasn't much of a secret.

"Indeed, he is a Celestial Saint!"

At this point, a bright gleam surfaced in the eyes of Mu shi's puppet. "A Saint recognized by the heavens will not only possess strength superior to others, it will also serve as the foundation for him to reach heights far beyond others... Over the years, innumerable master teachers have attempted to emulate Kong shi's feat and become a Celestial Saint as well, but to date... none have achieved it!

"I happened to obtain this Saint Ascension Decipher by some stroke of luck back in my time, and detailed within it is the process of how Kong shi cultivated to Sainthood, and from it, I was able to compile a feasible cultivation technique!

"It isn't a guarantee to becoming a Celestial Saint, but if a cultivator cultivates it strictly, he will be able to strengthen his foundation and raise his strength before Sainthood by at least twofold!"

"Twofold?" the young man exclaimed with widened eyes.

Typically speaking, the strength increments for the rise of each stage and realm from Half-Saint to Saint realm were fixed. Yet, to raise one's strength before Sainthood by twofold... Just how strong must one's foundation be?

If one were to achieve a breakthrough with such a strong cultivation foundation, even if one didn't receive the acknowledgement of the heavens, one would still wield strength far surpassing ordinary Saint realm cultivators!

"Indeed! This Saint Ascension Decipher does indeed have the ability to raise one's fighting prowess significantly. However, there is a fatal flaw to it as well..." At which point, Mu shi's puppet shook its head. "Due to the exceedingly strong foundation, it will be far harder for a practitioner of the technique to achieve a breakthrough compared to their counterparts! Back then, I was greedy to aim for the best, but as a result, I missed the golden growth period for me to advance my cultivation. As a result, my cultivation remained stagnant until my death, and this is my greatest regret..."

The young man fell silent.

The other party was right. To gain something, one had to give up another thing in return.

To raise one's strength by twofold before Sainthood, it wasn't too difficult to imagine the strength of the cultivation foundation required for that. It was indeed good to have a strong foundation, but it also made it far more difficult to achieve a breakthrough.

Take the Heaven's Path Divine Art for example, it had granted Zhang Xuan an incredibly strong foundation, which would allow him to reach greater heights in the future. But in exchange for that, he had to absorb more, far purer spiritual energy than others in order to advance his cultivation, and this was the main reason his progress had been slow.

In fact, it seemed to have been even slower in recent days.

It had nearly been two months, but he had only raised his cultivation by four realms. Just thinking about it was sufficient to leave his face reddening in shame.

"I will leave the final decision to you. In any case, you have three days to study this book, and what you are able to gain from it within this period of time will be dependent on yourself!"

Oblivious to Zhang Xuan's reddened face, Mu shi's puppet passed a book over.

"Alright!" The young man nodded and took the book. After which, he hesitated for a brief moment before saying, "Before studying the book, I would like to change my clothes once more. I will have to ask Mu shi to turn around for a moment."

"... Alright then." Mu shi's puppet was rendered speechless by how troublesome the young man before him was being, but eventually, it still chose to accede to the latter's request.

After confirming that Mu shi had averted his gaze, the young man heaved a sigh of relief. With a thought, an identical figure materialized before him, and just by making eye contact for a brief instant, the materialized figure was able to get a sense of what had happened.

"Alright, clone. You should return for now," the materialized figure said with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, main body," the young man replied before vanishing into thin air.

Naturally, the materialized figure was the real Zhang Xuan whereas the young man who had defeated Mu shi's puppet earlier was his clone.

Just by trading two blows, Zhang Xuan could already tell that he wasn't a match for the other party. Thus, using 'changing clothes' as an excuse, he made use of the opportunity to switch places with his clone.

While the latter was not a particularly reliable figure to count on, his fighting prowess was indeed formidable.

No matter how many breakthroughs Zhang Xuan had made, he was still overpowered by his clone without fail each time, smashed mercilessly into the ground...

Even if Zhang Xuan himself wasn't a match for Mu shi's puppet, he was still confident that his puppet would be able to subdue the latter with ease.

And as expected, his clone didn't let him down. He had successfully defeated Mu shi's clone and cleared the ninth level.

But in a sense, this couldn't really be considered cheating either. After all, his clone could also be considered a part of himself too, so there was no doubt that the strength of his clone was his strength as well.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still chose to do it discreetly so as to prevent the existence of his clone from leaking out somehow.

After all, it was a trump card he could use in dire situations, and it wouldn't do for his enemies to learn about it in advance.

After making the swap, Zhang Xuan informed Mu shi that he was done before turning his attention to the book in his hand.

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Chapter 912: Grades of Origin Cores

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan had already gained a deep understanding of the content of the book.

Detailed in the front were the experiences Kong shi had undergone before ascending to Sainthood, and the content was rather similar to the writings left on the cliff face on the Saint Ascension Platform, just that the descriptions were more vivid, seemingly putting the reader himself into the very situations depicted through the words.

It's so complicated? A frown slowly appeared on Zhang Xuan's face.

He had thought that the Saint Ascension Decipher would just be a simple cultivation technique that he would be able to master and raise his strength significantly just by following the instructions precisely. However, it wasn't that simple.

A Saint that even the heavens had acknowledged couldn't possibly only possess denser zhenqi and greater might. One's psyche must also be strengthened beyond the limits of an average cultivator as well.

In essence, strengthening one's psyche could be considered to be tempering one's mind.

Only with a strong psyche would one be able to keep a broad perspective of the world, allowing one to see and advance further.

The mind and body of humans were connected in the most intricate of ways. If one could achieve a state of mind capable of harnessing a world within it, one's dantian would naturally expand to allow the harnessing of more zhenqi as well.

As it watched the young man before it study the book in his hands seriously, Mu shi's puppet suddenly spoke up.

"In the Chrysalis realm, otherwise known as the Embryonic Core realm and Golden Core realm, a cultivator will gather their cultivation and mold it into an Origin Core, also known as a Golden Core. Once successfully completed, it will merge together with the cultivator's body, allowing them to surpass their limits and advance to a height beyond mortals.

"Since you have already cultivated to this realm, I believe that you should have a deep understanding of it as well."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

In essence, the Chrysalis realm was the stage where a cultivator condensed the zhenqi in his body into a core, transforming it from a liquid into a solid, thus allowing the cultivator to store even more zhenqi within their body.

Once the Origin Core was formed, they would be able to fuse their body with it in order to advance further toward the threshold of Sainthood.

Even though Zhang Xuan hadn't gathered sufficient Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals to compile a complete Heaven's Path Divine Art, a zhenqi whirlpool had already formed in his dantian, gathering the zhenqi throughout his body toward it. With some effort, it would only be a matter of time before he managed to form an Origin Core.

"If one were to cultivate normally, one should be able to gather the zhenqi within one's body to cultivate an Origin Core swiftly. However, the resulting Origin Core would only be that of the lowest tier, known as a Third Grade Origin Core!" Mu shi's puppet explained.

"Third Grade Origin Core? There are differing grades to Origin Cores?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

He had gathered innumerable books spanning across multiple occupations in the Master Teacher Academy, but he had never read of anything like that before.

"There are, just that very few people are aware of it," Mu shi's puppet replied. "This grading system was proposed by a student of Kong shi, and he intended to make it public knowledge to all cultivators. However, Kong shi forbade him from doing so, and over the years, fewer and fewer people have retained the knowledge of this grading system."

"Kong shi forbade him?" Zhang Xuan questioned in astonishment.

Wasn't Kong shi the World's Teacher, the man who founded the Master Teacher Pavilion and imparted his heritage to all of mankind? Why would such a person prevent the impartation of such vital knowledge?

"It's in view of the welfare of mankind that he made such a decision!"

Mu shi's puppet replied with a deep sigh. "With some hard work, an average cultivator will be able to form a Third Grade Origin Core with ease. However, the same cannot be said about Second Grade Origin Cores... Not only will it require the devotion of a great amount of resources for its cultivation, the guidance of a skilled teacher is also necessary. Otherwise, the slightest mistake can easily render one's efforts futile!

"To make a comparison, the resources required to form a Second Grade Origin Core are at least tenfold of what is required to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, and that is a price that mankind cannot afford to pay! More importantly, not everyone has the talent to successfully cultivate a Second Grade Origin Core even with ample resources. It is highly demanding on one's talent and psyche as well. To make things worse, there is a heavy price to pay for failure. Should an attempt to cultivate a Second Grade Origin Core fail, one's Origin Core may fall apart, thus crippling one's cultivation. In the worst-case scenario, one might even face instantaneous death!

"If the news regarding the grades of Origin Cores becomes known, many master teachers would surely take the risk in an attempt to raise their fighting prowess to greater heights. While some might succeed, many more would find their cultivation going berserk and possibly end up dead. On top of that, that will place a greater strain on our finite cultivation resources, this resulting in the weakening of the forces of humanity as a whole!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of contemplation before eventually nodding in agreement.

The other party was right.

Cultivating a higher grade Origin Core was no easy feat, requiring one to pay a heavier price and bear a higher degree of risk.

From the very start, cultivators were limited by their inherent talent. If a person who was lacking ample capability were to attempt to cultivate an Origin Core beyond their means, it would only end in disaster.

It was just like a greedy snake attempting to devour an elephant. Despite its relatively small size, it still chose to prey on a target far larger than itself. In this case, failure was just a small issue; if things went wrong, the snake could very well find itself trampled to death instead!

This was the same for the cultivation of Origin Core.

But if a cultivator were to intentionally opt to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, it could create an impression that they had veered down the wrong path, and their cultivation was imperfect and inferior to others. Such subconscious thoughts could possibly lead to an opening within their mind and limit their future accomplishments.

But limited by his talent, the cultivator would be unable to cultivate the Second Grade Origin Core either way...

As the saying goes, 'ignorance is bliss'. Sometimes, having a choice might not necessarily be beneficial.

"A higher-grade Origin Core grants a cultivator strength superior to their peers, but the price in order to do so is sufficient to groom a Saint realm 2-dan or even 3-dan expert! From mankind's viewpoint, it is clear which is preferable of the two!"

Mu shi's puppet continued. "It was due to his concern of humanity's future that Kong shi decided to make such a decision. From the very beginning, the primary responsibility of master teachers has been to bolster the forces of mankind and bring it to greater heights. In view of that, it is not a big trade-off for the average strength of our cultivators to be slightly weaker."

"Indeed." Zhang Xuan nodded.

This secret was simply too shocking, and it could easily cause a huge uproar among the master teachers if it were to leak out. However, other than bringing huge pressure and stress upon them, there was really not much tangible benefit to it.

As compared to that, why not just remain silent and leave things as they are?

Besides, the primary role of a master teacher was to impart knowledge and pass down the heritage of the predecessors, not fighting. As such, it wasn't really a big deal whether what they had cultivated was a Third Grade Origin Core or not.

In any case, with only the deep understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques that master teachers wielded, they would still be considered the most powerful occupation in the world, unmatched by any.

After understanding the story, Zhang Xuan continued his questioning. "You said earlier that normal cultivators will only cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core. Since that is the case, what will a cultivator who has cultivated the Second Grade Origin Core be like?"

"A Second Grade Origin Core... The most relatable example to highlight the prowess of a Second Grade Origin Core is the combat masters!" Mu shi's puppet replied.

"Combat masters?"

"Un. Combat masters need not study supporting occupations, so they will be able to devote their efforts to furthering their cultivation and battle techniques. The members of the Combat Master Hall are also carefully picked, so their talents are likely on par as well. Considering that the Combat Master Hall is heavily financed by the Master Teacher Pavilion and mankind as a whole, it possesses the ample resources too. As such, it isn't too difficult for its members to cultivate Second Grade Origin Cores!"

At this point, Mu shi's puppet paused for a brief moment before continuing. "In truth, the reason Kong shi kept the Combat Master Hall separate from the Master Teacher Pavilion was to pass on the knowledge of the grades of Origin Cores!"

Realization dawned upon Zhang Xuan.

It was no wonder Wu Xu, despite being at Chrysalis realm pinnacle as well, was able single-handedly subdue Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin simultaneously. It was not that the four of them were weak or lacking in talent, but there was simply a disparity in the grade of their Origin Cores!

Due to that, the purity of their zhenqi and their strength were inferior to Wu Xu, so it was no wonder that they had been defeated so easily.

"But if even combat masters only have Second Grade Origin Cores, what about First Grade Origin Cores?" Zhang Xuan asked.

If even the powerful combat masters only possessed Second Grade Origin Cores, how powerful would an individual who possessed a First Grade Origin Core be?

"So far, First Grade Origin Cores are only known to exist in the legends. It has been far too long since anyone succeeded! In any case, I have never seen anyone with one before. Rumor has it that Kong shi managed to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core back then... but of course, as such details are not written in the book, I can't say for sure either," Mu shi's puppet replied.

"Only known to exist in the legends?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Indeed. In fact, I believe that a First Grade Origin Core is the requirement to becoming a Celestial Saint! That is the reason I wanted to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core, and I spent many centuries working toward it... But in the end, my efforts only ended with a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core," Mu shi's puppet said with a bitter smile.

Several centuries, nearly half of his entire life, he had dedicated to this dream of his, but he had only met with failure in the end. There was no one who wouldn't feel regret in his position.

"Second Grade Advanced?"

"Un. Each grade of Origin Core can be further subdivided into primary, advanced, and pinnacle. In order to form a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core, I had to pay a hefty price, go through innumerable near-death situations, and invest a huge portion of my time.

"Even though I was able to rival opponents beyond my cultivation realm after successfully cultivating it, my rivals whose talents were beneath mine back then had already reached Saint realm 4-dan or 5-dan. It was then that I realized that I had erred! If only I had advanced as an ordinary Saint realm cultivator... In order to cultivate my Origin Core, I squandered the golden period for a cultivator to advance their cultivation, which limited my final achievement. In the end, my footsteps terminated at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle... Can you understand the frustrations I felt then?

"At that point, I finally realized why Kong shi chose to conceal the news... Those whose talent is insufficient, even if they were to achieve success at the end of the road, the effort and time invested into it are simply not worth it! Can a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle cultivator possibly be able to contribute more to humanity than a Saint realm 4-dan cultivator? I think the answer is pretty clear." Mu shi's puppet could only sigh endlessly in regret.

Even the longest-living Saint in the world was unable to live past the age of two thousand, and he had dedicated an entire seven hundred years of his early years on cultivating his Origin Core, missing the golden years for advancing his cultivation. Eventually, his bodily functions deteriorated, and it was too late for him to start pushing his cultivation.

On the other hand, those whom he had competed with in his earlier years and outshone had all become Saint realm 4-dan and 5-dan experts... So what if his Origin Core was of a higher grade than the others? So what if he was invincible among those of his cultivation realm? Could he possibly challenge an opponent three to four realms stronger than him?

That was clearly infeasible.

Eventually, he could only conclude that this was a technique for those who possessed the greatest of talents. Anyone beneath that would only be wasting their time and potential.

"As such, I created the Mountain of Records in order to assess the fighting prowess of the students in the Master Teacher Academy. Only those who were able to defeat the Saint realm 1-dan me with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint would be qualified to learn of this news. Those are the people who possess greater talent than me. They might just be able to successfully advance their Origin Core to greater heights and possibly accomplish what I have failed at!" Mu shi said with a sharp glint in his eyes.

"The fact that you were able to defeat me with just a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage shows that you are an incredibly talented person. A genius of your caliber probably doesn't even appear once in ten thousand years... If you cultivate this Saint Ascension Decipher, you might just be able to successfully cultivate a First Grade Origin Core and possibly attempt to become a Celestial Saint!"

Seeing Mu shi's puppet's heated eyes, Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Me?"

Chapter 913: Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan didn't expect Mu shi to have such confidence in him.

A First Grade Origin Core was great, but if it would take him several years to do so, it was clearly not worth the effort.

For one, if he didn't become a 9-star master teacher before he reached 30, the Innate Fetal Poison would act up, and he would breathe his last breath. If so, what would be the point in cultivating a higher-grade Origin Core?

As such, despite how high of a regard Mu shi had for a First Grade Origin Core, he didn't have much of an interest in it. It would be best if he could obtain it, but if not, that was fine, too.

"Indeed. With talent like yours, you definitely stand a good chance. But of course, to succeed, you will need a fair bit of luck and aptitude too." Mu shi's puppet nodded in response.

There were countless outstanding geniuses in the history of the Master Teacher Continent, but not a single one of them had successfully cultivated a First Grade Origin Core since Kong shi.

Talent was important, but luck and intelligence were vital as well.

"Luck is beyond our control, but there is a way to take a peek into one's intelligence. If you can learn the Saint Ascension Decipher and gather seven strands of zhenqi together without them collapsing within three days, there is a very good chance that you will advance beyond Advanced Second Grade Origin Core in the future. If you can't achieve this much, I will have to advise that you not take this route."

"Seven strands of zhenqi..." Zhang Xuan muttered as he recalled what he had previously read in the Saint Ascension Decipher.

In truth, cultivating a Third Grade Origin Core could already be considered the limit of a Chrysalis realm cultivator's capability. Putting aside that cultivating anything beyond that was nigh impossible, even if a cultivator were to succeed in doing so, it was likely that their Origin Core could still collapse due to their inability to wield the power.

In view of this problem, the Saint Ascension Decipher worked in a manner that forcefully widened the window in which a cultivator could nurture their Origin Core from just Chrysalis realm to Half-Saint and Nascent Saint as well. In other words, as long as the cultivator hadn't made the breakthrough to Saint realm, they could continue to gather zhenqi into their Origin Core and strengthen it.

This was probably how Kong shi built an extremely powerful foundation, such that even the heavens acknowledged his existence when he made the breakthrough to Sainthood.

Usually, cultivating an Origin Core involved gathering one's zhenqi into a spherical shape and refining it bit by bit, turning it from a Pseudo Core to a Temporal Core, then to a Corporeal Core, and finally a Golden Core!

The seven strands of zhenqi that Mu shi's puppet had spoken of referred to the structure in crafting the Pseudo Core.

The essence of the Saint Ascension Decipher lay in gathering one's zhenqi in the form of threads and putting them together in a unique structure in order to construct an Origin Core.

To make an analogy, cultivating a normal Origin Core would be like building a house by stacking rocks together. It was easier and more convenient to build a house in such a manner, but it would be unstable and unaesthetic. What the Saint Ascension Decipher did was give a blueprint to the house so as to elevate the quality of the ultimate product.

In the Saint Ascension Decipher, seven strands of zhenqi put together was termed a knot. Using the prior analogy, these knots could be considered the bricks of the house. Once one was capable of building stable knots, one would be able to start accumulating them and begin building the structure.

The theory was simple, but the difficulty lay in condensing one's zhenqi into thin threads and constructing a structure with them without it dissipating.

Not only must one possess a strong soul, one's control over zhenqi must also reach an astounding level in order to succeed.

"Indeed. You should start reading now. As long as you can succeed within three days, I will impart my experiences and insights regarding the Saint Ascension Decipher to you. With those, at least the blind man I was back then, fumbling to search for a road, you should be able to avoid many detours, and that should save you many years!" Mu shi's puppet said.

"Reading... There is no need for that now. Are the seven strands of condensed zhenqi you speak of something like this?"

Zhang Xuan raised his finger, and with a light tap, a strand of zhenqi appeared in the air. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly saw Mu shi's puppet staring at him with eyes widened in astonishment, seemingly on the verge of fainting.

With a quivering voice, Mu shi's puppet asked, "Y-you are... drawing zhenqi out of your body directly? And even maintaining fine control over it at that?"

"What is there to be shocked about? I was already able to do this shortly after I started cultivating, it really isn't a big deal..." Seeing the other party making a huge fuss out of the matter like a countryside bumpkin who hadn't seen the world, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

To think that he was the founder of the Master Teacher Academy at that, did he really need to be so surprised over something as elementary as this?

Drawing zhenqi out of one's body, it was not like that was anything difficult to do. Back when he had just started cultivating, he had already injected his zhenqi into the bodies of others to clear their meridian blockages. Manipulating them into fine threads, he could already do so when he was still at Fighter ream. If he couldn't do so as a Chrysalis realm cultivator, he really should just knock his head against a wall and die!

"Th-this..." Noticing the other party's disdainful gaze, Mu shi's puppet nearly spurted blood.

It was not difficult to draw zhenqi out of one's body, but to prevent it from dissipating and even control it finely to form thin threads, that was the difficult part. In order to achieve that, one would have to meet two fundamental prerequisites.

Firstly, one's zhenqi must be extremely pure, at least reaching superior quality!

Secondly, one's soul must be powerful enough to draw soul energy out of one's body. Otherwise, it was impossible for one to control one's zhenqi remotely.

It could be said that the young man's control over zhenqi had reached an unbelievable level. Even he wasn't capable of such a feat when he first reached Saint realm back then!

Just as he was shocked beyond words, he saw the young man before him continuing to tap his finger in the air.

Hu hu hu hu hu!

The second strand of zhenqi, third strand... Before long, seven strands of zhenqi were already floating in the air, wriggling about like tiny snakes as they were manipulated to overlap with one another.

Mu shi's puppet spoke hoarsely. "This... He is actually able to control seven strands of zhenqi simultaneously?"

Condensing one's zhenqi into strands and controlling it remotely out of the body, this was a feat that even most Saint realm experts were incapable of. Yet, not only did this fellow succeed, he was even doing it with seven strands simultaneously... This was way too much!

Are you sure that you are only at Chrysalis realm primary stage?

Could it be that you are a Saint realm pinnacle expert or some disciple of Kong shi who suddenly decided to challenge my Mountain of Records on a whim to mess with me?

Soon, the seven strands of zhenqi were put together perfectly to form a sesame-sized zhenqi ball in the air. It twirled gently, not dissipating in the least.

After this was done, Zhang Xuan raised his head and said, "What you mean is that as long as I create and gather such little balls in the dantian, I should be able to form a Pseudo Core?"

"Yes..." Exhaling deeply, Mu shi suppressed his shock and nodded.

The Saint Ascension Decipher was the condensation of zhenqi into threads before putting them together to form those little balls. By gathering many of such little balls, one would eventually be able to form one's Origin Core.

An Origin Core formed in such a manner was much more stable and powerful than a normal one, just that the effort to achieve it was far too great.

If that wasn't the case, Mu shi wouldn't have spent several hundred years to succeed either.

"Isn't it quite simple? I don't think anyone would need three days for that..." Zhang Xuan had thought that his comprehension of the technique was wrong, but in the end, it turned out that it was really that simple. Disappointed, he shook his head.

If someone needed three day in order to create this, were they even qualified to be considered a genius? He might as well knock himself out with a blob of tofu!

Embarrassed by how easily the other party had achieved it, Mu shi's puppet replied with an awkward smile, "You... Perhaps you have cultivated some technique to condense your zhenqi, which granted you particular aptitude in this..."

It had intended to use that as a test to assess the other party's capability, but who knew that the other party would clear it so easily? It felt like a fool for even proposing it in the first place...

In its years roaming the world and serving as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, it had met countless geniuses. But... the young man before it was a true monster!

"Perhaps," Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly.

He hadn't cultivated any technique to specially condense his zhenqi, but his Heaven's Path zhenqi did possess a purity far above that of superior zhenqi, which allowed him to easily accomplish what others would struggle to do.

On top of that, he was also a soul oracle, so the strength of his soul and his control over his soul energy were extraordinary as well.

"Since that's the case, let's not waste any more time then. For the time being, let me see how many deciphers you can build!" Mu shi's puppet said.

Since the other party was able to do it to such an extent, there was no point assessing his talent anymore. It would be far more efficient to push him to his limit and see how far he could go.

As for the deciphers, that was actually the central and most important phase of the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher. Seven zhenqi strands together were known as a knot, seven knots together were known as a bundle, and seven bundles together were known as a decipher.

In other words, one had to condense and put 343 strands of zhenqi together without any error in order to form a decipher.

Back then, when he was still at Chrysalis realm, he managed to form six deciphers before nearly losing control of it. Left with no choice, he could only make the breakthrough to Half-Saint.

For those who possessed subpar talent and a weak soul, it was possible that they might be unable to cultivate even a single decipher.

The other party did possess exquisite control over his zhenqi, but as one who had once cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher himself, Mu shi knew the difficulties involved. The more zhenqi strands that came into play, the more dangerous it was, and the more likely one could lose control of it.

This was similar to stacking cards up. Stacking one or two of them was simple, but the higher it grew, the more dangerous it would be. The slightest error could make the entire structure collapse.

As long as a cultivator was willing to spend some time to refine their zhenqi, cultivating a knot was possible for most. Cultivating a bundle would be far more troublesome than that, and cultivating a decipher would be impossible if one didn't possess fine control over their zhenqi and great patience.

As talented as the other party was, he was still too young. Furthermore, his cultivation was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage. In Mu shi's view, it would be great if the other party could form even one.

"How many deciphers I can build?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Let me give it a try."

Honestly speaking, he also had no idea how many deciphers he could make until he tried it out for himself.

Raising both of his arms, he thrusted his ten fingers out.

Tzzzz!

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of strands of zhenqi spilled forth from the tip of his fingers, wriggling excitedly like little dragons.

"He simultaneously condensed so many strands of zhenqi?" Mu shi's puppet was still wondering how long it would take for the man before him to successfully cultivate a decipher when it saw such a sight, and it nearly fainted on the spot.

To easily condense several hundred surges of zhenqi into strands simultaneously, just how powerful was his soul?

Putting aside now, it wasn't even close to achieving this back when it was at his peak!

But the shock wasn't over yet. Not too long later, the young man moved his fingers slightly, and the hundred strands of zhenqi began entangling together to form a sphere of zhenqi around the size of a grain of rice.

At which, the young man turned to it and asked doubtfully, "This is a decipher, right?"

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Chapter 914: Reconstructing the Cultivation Technique

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"This..." Mu shi's puppet hurried forward to take a closer look.

The other party's zhenqi sphere wasn't big, but it carried a slight glow with the hues of a myriad colors, reminiscent of a rainbow, leaving one's gaze fixated on it.

More than three hundred strands of zhenqi were intertwined with one another, layer after layer, in a unique structure. It was so perfect that it couldn't find the slightest mistake to criticize.

Back then, it had taken it nearly a hundred years of study, diligence, and experimentation in order to refine the precise distance that each strand should have from one another before it had succeeded in forming the first decipher.

On the other hand, it had only been ten minutes since the other party had picked up the book, and he hadn't even flipped open the pages at all. Yet, somehow, he was already able to create a decipher far more perfect and beautiful than his... Just how?

At this moment, Mu shi's puppet couldn't help but feel that the hundred years it had spent on studying the Saint Ascension Decipher had gone to waste...

While it was still reeling in shock, the young man opposite to it continued flicking his fingers, and a massive wall of zhenqi strands abruptly appeared before it, concealing its sight. A slight buzzing sound echoed in the room, and before long, dozens of zhenqi spheres were already floating before its eyes.

Hong long!

The next moment, the young man abruptly clasped his hands together, and a deafening explosion sounded. The dozens of zhenqi spheres gathered together to form one around the size of a longan.

"This works too?" Mu shi's puppet gulped as it felt as if it was going to go insane.

The energy contained within each decipher was great enough to be considered a miniature bomb. As such, it was imperative to be extremely careful when putting them together, or else the slightest touch could result in devastating consequences. Back then, it had spent five years just to put two deciphers together, paying careful heed to the distance and strength, fearing that it would make a mistake.

On the other hand, this young man had actually just clasped his hands, and the dozens of decipher had melded together with nary a problem... Just how deep of an understanding and control of zhenqi must the young man before him possess to be able to achieve this?

Watching how easily the young man achieved feats that had taken it great effort and time, it couldn't help but think that it had cultivated a fake Saint Ascension Decipher!

After forming the longan-sized zhenqi sphere, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "Is this how it works? It doesn't seem really difficult... How did you spend several centuries on it?"

It was such a simple method of condensing and arranging zhenqi, yet the founder of the Master Teacher Academy had actually spent a few hundred years on it? Was this for real?

Wasn't his talent way too bad?

"Cough cough! This... isn't important!" With twitching lips, Mu shi's puppet hurriedly shook its head.

The talent and capability that it had taken pride in and others had admired it for felt like they weren't even worth a mention before this young man. This experience had left it so traumatized that it could still brag about his talents and capability before others, but before this young man, it felt like they weren't even worth a mention at all. It felt such a strong feeling of defeat that it couldn't find the courage to speak anymore.

Examining the dozens of decipher the young man had created, regardless of whether it was the strength, distance, or stability, they were all beyond his! Even if it had attempted this at its peak, it would still have been unable to do it any better than the other party!

It could be said that the other party's understanding of Saint Ascension Decipher had already surpassed it.

In that moment, however, a voice suddenly disrupted its thoughts.

"Something is wrong. This Saint Ascension Decipher might seem to be very steady, but there are still many flaws in it. It is still a long way off from being considered the most stable structure," the young muttered with a deep frown.

It was true that the current Saint Ascension Decipher could make the Pseudo Core and Temporal Core that one cultivated more stable and stronger, but through the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan still noticed many mistakes that could possibly result in one's undoing.

The Saint Ascension Decipher was an incredible technique, but it was still a far way off from becoming a Heaven's Path cultivation technique.

[If only I could find some cultivation techniques to perfect it...] Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

Accustomed to the Heaven's Path techniques, he really couldn't bring himself to cultivate a technique riddled with flaws...

This was similar to how a person used to eating delicacies and donning fine clothes would find it hard to swallow dry bread and rough fabric.

[It seems like I should search for some Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint cultivation technique manuals in the academy's Cultivation Compendium!] Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his glabella in distress.

He was the principal who had been granted the greatest degree of authority in the Master Teacher Academy's history. Regardless of which facility he wished to access, there was no one who could stop him.

Perhaps, he might be able to perfect the Saint Ascension Decipher through the books in the academy.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, Mu shi's puppet shook his head. "I know that there are flaws in this cultivation technique, but it is already the crystallization of the wisdom of countless predecessors."

Even 9-star master teachers dared not claim that the cultivation technique they had created was impeccable.

The Saint Ascension Decipher had been further refined by countless experts over the years, and while there were still many flaws with it, it was practically impossible that anyone would be able to see through it and exploit it against them. Even if there was a person who could, they would have to be at least an 8-star master teacher, and against such an opponent, defeat was guaranteed regardless of whether the flaw existed or not.

"Indeed..." Naturally, Zhang Xuan also understood the logic behind it. Shaking his head, he was just about to change the subject when Mu shi's puppet suddenly continued speaking.

"Not everyone is a Kong shi. If only we could find the cultivation technique manual he left behind back then, we would be spared a great deal of effort!"

"The cultivation technique manual Kong shi left behind?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Back when he was at the Saint Ascension Platform, he had encountered a sliver of Kong shi's soul, and the latter had given him his personal handwriting, saying that there was a cultivation technique contained inside and that he might be able to comprehend it if he were to study it carefully...

Zhang Xuan hadn't paid much heed to it, but the words of Mu shi's puppet suddenly sparked some thoughts in his mind.

Could it be... the cultivation technique that Kong shi was referring to was the Saint Ascension Decipher?

The Saint Ascension Platform was the ground where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood, so the cultivation technique he had left behind there should be related to that! If he could obtain Kong shi's cultivation technique and merge it together with the Saint Ascension Decipher he had in hand, he might just be able to form a Heaven's Path cultivation technique!

Otherwise, he should still be able to make up for most flaws contained in the current Saint Ascension Decipher. As long as the number of flaws dropped to an acceptable range, he would be able to pinch his nose and tolerate it.

With such thoughts in mind, he flicked his wrist and took out a scroll. Flipping it open, what he saw left his lips twitching uncontrollably.

He had forgotten that the writing had been devoured by Vicious...

That fellow had consumed parts of the writing on two occasion, leaving only a third of it behind. Even if there was a cultivation technique contained inside, it was probably already incomplete at this point in time.

What the heck was this? If he had known earlier, he never would have allowed Vicious to do that!

Just as Zhang Xuan was boiling with frustration, he suddenly heard the quivering voice of Mu shi's puppet. "That item in your hand, could it be... Kong shi's personal handwriting?"

Thinking that there was no need to hide it, Zhang Xuan nodded. "That's right."

"Can you... allow me to take a look?" Mu shi's puppet asked anxiously.

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan threw the scroll over casually.

"Be careful!" Seeing how casually the young man treated Kong shi's personal handwriting, Mu shi's puppet nearly died of a heart attack. With a frightfully pale face, it hurriedly caught the scroll and held it gently.

There was no master teacher who didn't carry an inherent trust and respect for Kong shi. If one was so lucky as to obtain Kong shi's personal handwriting, they would surely treasure it dearly, unwilling to allow the slightest dirt or scratch appear on it... Yet, this fellow threw it about as if it was nothing much...

It was hard to tell whether he had that strong a heart or he just simply didn't care for it.

Opening the scroll gently, the eyelids of Mu shi's puppet twitched. "Why does it seem like there is a huge chunk of words missing in the scroll?"

"Oh... It was already like that when I obtained it. Perhaps... it has been left for too long!" Zhang Xuan replied without his face turning red in the least.

"Left for too long?" Hearing that insincere response, Mu shi's puppet was rendered speechless. Nevertheless, since the other party was unwilling to speak, it chose not to ask on.

Soon, it finished examining the scroll, and with a look of agitation, it asked, "Is this... the insight Kong shi left on the Saint Ascension Platform?"

It had been to the Saint Ascension Platform on multiple occasion back when it was younger, and it could recite the entire insight word for word fluently. There were a few words here and there different from the ones he remembered seeing on the cliff face, but otherwise, it was identical.

In response to the question from Mu shi's puppet, Zhang Xuan nodded.

"The insight written personally by Kong shi... If I had found this back then, I would surely have been able to gain a deeper understanding of Saint Ascension Decipher!"

Studying the remaining words on the scroll carefully, Mu shi's puppet couldn't help but feel as if its horizons were being stretched.

It could remember the content word for word, but when paired with Kong shi's handwriting, the feeling it gave was completely different, seemingly guiding its understanding of it.

If it were to work based on its comprehension from the insight on this scroll, it might just be able to come up with a cultivation technique far superior to the current Saint Ascension Decipher!

[Compile!

While Mu shi's puppet was busy admiring in Kong shi's scroll, Zhang Xuan's consciousness was immersed in the Library of Heaven's Path, compiling Kong shi's insight and the Saint Ascension Decipher together.

Hu!

A short moment later, a brand-new book emerged.

Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan took a look, and before long, he shook his head.

The insight that Kong shi had left behind consisted only of the insights he had when attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm; it wasn't a real cultivation technique. As such, the resulting product from compiling it with the Saint Ascension Decipher was only a pile of incomprehensible gibberish.

Zhang Xuan had only decided to give it a try in the hope that he might just be lucky, but of course, perfecting the Saint Ascension Decipher was indeed not that easy.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to give up when a thought suddenly struck him. [Even if I can't compile a perfect version, I can always work on it bit by bit... As long as I study the insights Kong shi had when he made his breakthrough and match them to the corresponding content in the Saint Ascension Decipher to refine it, I should be able to improve it significantly!

There was no cultivation technique contained within the insight, but the process and sensations that Kong shi experienced were clearly detailed in it. Through it, Zhang Xuan would be able to deduce the zhenqi circulation pathways, thus reverse engineering the cultivation technique Kong shi intended to pass down!

Typically speaking, a certain sensation could be triggered by hundreds or even thousands of zhenqi circulation pathways, making it nigh impossible to reverse engineer the process. However, Zhang Xuan was different!

Possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, he could easily determine whether his deduction was right or not. By putting together the correct pathways, he would be able to derive the complete zhenqi circulation pathway!

[I should give it a try!

Diving into it without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground and began deconstructing Kong shi's insight.

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Chapter 915: Time to Study

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan had thought that it would be easy and that he could complete the reverse engineering very quickly. However, who knew that by the time he opened his eyes once more, an entire day would have already passed?

Hu!

Getting to his feet to stretch his back, Zhang Xuan massaged his glabella.

Even with a strong constitution like his, he still couldn't help but feel like someone had smashed a brick into his head after an entire day of heavy thinking.

However, it was fortunate that hard work never lied. After an entire day of effort, he had successfully deduced a new version of Saint Ascension Decipher.

It sure is a pity... If Vicious hadn't consumed two-thirds of the writing, I might have been able to create a flawless technique...

In the process of deconstructing Kong shi's insight, he realized that the intent contained within Kong shi's calligraphy was the key to reverse engineering the cultivation technique. However, the Library of Heaven's Path had only replicated the content, so Zhang Xuan only had one-third of it to work with.

With two-thirds of the intent missing, it was inevitable that the Saint Ascension Decipher that he eventually deduced would be flawed.

"There are still three flaws... It is similar to the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body—I will require certain artifacts to serve as catalysts in order to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm!"

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even though it would be troublesome to gather those artifacts, the current version he had deduced was at a completely different level from the Saint Ascension Decipher Mu shi's puppet had given him.

Mu shi's puppet walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked, "What's wrong? Did you have a stroke of inspiration?"

Yesterday, shortly after it received Kong shi's writing, the other party had suddenly sat down and fallen into deep thought. Perhaps, the other party had also noticed that the scroll contained the key to refining the Saint Ascension Decipher further.

"I did manage to comprehend something," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Stroking its beard, Mu shi's puppet said, with eyes gleaming in excitement, "Not bad! After studying the scroll, I also managed to comprehend something as well. Why don't we exchange our comprehensions? Perhaps, we might be able to refine the Saint Ascension Decipher further!"

Sensing the confidence in the other party's words, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Oh? May I know what Mu shi comprehended?"

"I feel that using seven zhenqi strands to form a knot is wrong... However, I have yet to deduce how many strands are required in order to perfect it..." Soon, Mu shi's puppet swiftly revealed the comprehensions it had.

On the other hand, hearing the other party's comprehension, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head.

He had thought that the other party's comprehensions could possibly give him the inspiration to correct the three remaining flaws in the technique, but it seemed like he was putting his expectations too high...

The other party's understanding of the technique was still at a superficial level, a far way off from matching his freshly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher.

"What about you? What did you comprehend? Why don't you share it with me so that we can analyze it together? You might be more talented than me, but in terms of intelligence, I am confident that I won't lose to anyone!" Mu shi's puppet chuckled confidently.

Against the top-notch geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, its talent was indeed unspectacular. There were a handful of principals who were more talented than it, such as Principal Mo Liuzhen. However, in terms of intelligence, he was definitely ranked among the top.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to compile the experiences of those before him and refine the Saint Ascension Decipher, cultivating his Origin Core to Advanced Second Grade.

One must know that very few master teachers had managed to achieve this feat!

As such, he had the utmost confidence in this field. Within the span of a day, he didn't think that the other party would be able to fare much better than him.

"This..." Not knowing how he should speak of the matter, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before grabbing a brush and an empty book and swiftly writing down a simplified version of the newly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher, which anyone could cultivate, and passed it over. "This is what I have comprehended over the past day. You can take a look at it..."

"This is what you comprehended?" Lowering its gaze to take a look, the body of Mu shi's puppet suddenly began trembling uncontrollably, and it nearly fell to the ground.

It had thought that it had managed to comprehend a lot within a single day, but compared to the other party, its feat was not even a drop in the ocean!

It was as if two rivaling authors had started on their work simultaneously, and while one had just confirmed the name of the protagonist, the other had already finished the entire book... This was the overwhelming frustration that it felt at that very moment!

It was barely at the starting point, but the other party had already deduced the most correct cultivation technique!

The difference was so great that it felt as if it was about to suffer a mental breakdown.

How could the world be so unfair as to allow for there to be such great difference between two people?

Thinking back about what it had just shared with the other party, it felt so embarrassed that it felt tempted to drill a hole in the ground and hide itself for eternity to come!

"Zhang shi is indeed a man of great talent; I am impressed!" After learning about the difference between them, Mu shi's puppet decided to put down his attitude as the founder of the Master Teacher Academy.

Seeing that he had unintentionally dealt a heavy blow to the other party, Zhang Xuan offered his consolation. "There is no need to worry. As long as you work hard, you will surely improve."

"... Yes." The mouth of Mu shi's puppet twitched.

It had always been the one to say those words to others so as to encourage its juniors... Who could have thought that it would hear those words directed toward it at such an age!

But nevertheless, it was indeed true that its intelligence was far beneath the other party. As the saying goes, 'the proficient becomes the teacher'. The other party wasn't really getting ahead of himself to say such words to it.

Shaking its head, Mu shi's puppet passed the book back. "Zhang shi, this Saint Ascension Decipher is something you comprehended yourself. I can't cultivate it even if I wanted to, so you should keep it well..."

Existing only as a puppet now, it could no longer cultivate. As such, the Saint Ascension Decipher was useless to it.

"It's fine!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "You should keep it. Pass it to the next person who clears the ninth level!"

The cultivation technique he had deduced was valuable, but it was derived on the foundations of the other party's Saint Ascension Decipher and the insights Kong shi had left behind, so it couldn't be exactly called his private possession.

In any case, it would serve a greater purpose here. Geniuses who cleared the Mountain of Records for generations to come would be able to learn the perfected version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus bolstering the forces of mankind.

As for why he chose not to just release it to the world so that everyone could cultivate the technique...

It was not that he was unwilling to do so, but he shared the same worries as Kong shi back then.

The Saint Ascension Decipher was an unparalleled treasure to top-notch geniuses, but to others, it would only grant them false hope before crushing it mercilessly, tearing their confidence and motivation to shreds.

This was similar to how a billion gold coins might be a small goal to a tycoon, but to ordinary humans, such a goal would only be a source of endless frustration.

"Yes!" After hearing Zhang Xuan's decision, Mu shi's puppet nodded as it bowed deeply. "Allow me to thank you in place of the later generations of the Master Teacher Academy!"

To contribute the cultivation technique he had comprehended unreservedly to others, this was the deed of a true master teacher!

Over the past day of interaction, it had learned that the young man was the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it had been shocked for a long while. However, at this moment, it could see why the other party would be nominated to become the principal despite his young age.

There was indeed something extraordinary about him.

"Mu shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. As a master teacher, it is my responsibility to impart knowledge to others and leave behind my heritage to benefit the later generations," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Nevertheless, I feel that I should compensate Zhang shi for your generosity. As the new principal, you should be aware of the existence of the Mausoleum of Principals, right?" Mu shi's puppet asked.

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"I took a look earlier, and a breakthrough to Half-Saint through your Saint Ascension Decipher will require a Scarlet Firefly Fruit, which I don't have on me unfortunately. However, I do have the Lightning Resonance Rock required for the breakthrough to Nascent Saint, and it is currently stored in the Mausoleum of Principals!" Mu shi's puppet said with a kind smile.

"Lightning Resonance Rock? You have it? That's great!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he nearly leaped up in excitement.

He had already found the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for a breakthrough to Half-Saint, so that wasn't a problem.

However, the breakthrough to Nascent Saint required a Lightning Resonance Rock, an extremely rare ore that was only formed after being nurtured by nature's lightning over a course of ten thousand years.

The Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him many valuable ores, but there wasn't a single Lightning Resonance Rock in it. This went to show how valuable it was.

He was still deliberating how he could obtain it when Mu shi's puppet suddenly said that it had left one in the Mausoleum of Principals.

Indeed, kindness begets kindness. If he hadn't donated the cultivation technique for free, it would have surely taken him a lot of effort in order to procure the Lightning Resonance Rock.

"I happened to chance upon one while I was roaming the world, but I wasn't able to find a use for it, so I just kept it with me." Mu shi's puppet nodded.

After which, it flicked its wrist, and a unique token appeared in its hand. "After you enter the Mausoleum of Principals, head to where my body is buried and flash this token. The treasures I have hidden there should automatically appear. Those are the items I saved up over my entire life for the geniuses of the later generations to inherit."

"Thank you, Mu shi!" Taking the token, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bowed respectfully.

To think of the later generations even as death approached, leaving behind his possessions and heritage for those after him to enjoy, Mu shi was indeed a true teacher through and through.

"Since you have cleared the ninth level of the Mountain of Records and received the reward, you may return now!" After saying everything it wanted to say, Mu shi's puppet nodded in satisfaction before waving his hands.

It was reassured, knowing that the young man before it would bring the Master Teacher Academy to even greater heights.

"Farewell!" Nodding, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and headed down.

Returning back to the eighth level, he encountered the worried School Head Mo and the others. After reassuring them that he was fine, he headed out of the Mountain of Records with them.

When they finally arrived at the bottom, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he had headed there as soon as he became the principal. Otherwise, once he made the breakthrough to Half-Saint, he would be unqualified to challenge it, and he wouldn't have been able to obtain the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus missing the opportunity to advance his Origin Core to higher grades.

"Principal Zhang, where are you intending to go now?"

"The Cultivation Compendium," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Cultivation Compendium?" The others were taken aback.

"Un. I intend to read through some books and study." Zhang Xuan nodded.

With the Saint Ascension Decipher, he no longer needed the Heaven's Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint. Nevertheless, he still wanted to take a look and see if he could perfect it with the books there.

If he succeeded, he would be able to make breakthroughs to higher realms even without collecting the required artifacts.

"I will take you over," School Head Mo said as he took the lead.

The Master Teacher Academy's Cultivation Compendium was located near the Elder Hall, and it didn't take long for the both of them to arrive there.

The Cultivation Compendium was very unlike the other buildings in the Master Teacher Academy. Despite its majestic scale, it had a rather old and traditional architecture. There was a soothing atmosphere around it that whisked away the anxiety within one.

Knowing that Principal Zhang was just going to study, School Head Zhao and the others didn't tag along.

"Principal Zhang, this is the Cultivation Compendium. There is a total of five floors here. The bottommost floor is open to students with outstanding contribution. The second floor is open to teachers. The third floor is open to elders of the academy. The fourth floor is open only to the principal of each generation. And as for the fifth floor... other principals might be unable to enter, but you should have no problem doing so!" School Head Mo smiled.

Given that Zhang Xuan had received Supreme Jurisdiction and the Impeccable Principal's Seal, there was not an inch of ground within the Master Teacher Academy that he couldn't step on.

"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded as he shot the huge building another gaze.

After which, he pushed open the door and stepped in.

After two months...

Here I finally am, Cultivation Compendium!

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Chapter 916: Chrysalis Realm Pinnacle

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Each library in the Master Teacher Academy had its own genre. For example, the library in the Beast Tamer School would have books regarding beast taming, and the books in the Physician School's library would be on the Way of Medicine.

Stored in the Cultivation Compendium were the cultivation and battle technique manuals, as well as the history, geography, culture, and other common knowledge regarding Hongyuan Empire and its surrounding nations.

Even though the books on the first floor were open for students to browse through, its collection was still extremely impressive. Millions of cultivation technique manuals spanning from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm filled the many tall shelves within the room.

It had been ten thousand years since the Master Teacher Academy was established, and many outstanding master teachers had risen throughout the generations. These men had recorded their insights and experiences regarding cultivation so that later generations would be able to analyze them and perhaps surpass them. Some had even created their own techniques and spread them far and wide in the world.

This had given rise to a huge assortment of books for each cultivation realm.

With just a casual look, Zhang Xuan could already find nearly ten thousand different ways one could cultivate the Consonant Spirit realm from the books. Each of them formed its own complete system and heritage.

For any other student, faced with so many choices, they would have to narrow down their choices to a specific classification so as to not overload themself with information. Otherwise, they could dull their judgement over what was right and wrong, and this could lead to their cultivation going berserk.

However, Zhang Xuan had no such worry. If there was one demand he had of his cultivation technique manuals, it would be quantity. The more of them there were, the better it would be for him.

It took Zhang Xuan around two hours to collect all of the Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manuals into the Library of Heaven's Path.

Compile! Zhang Xuan willed.

A new book materialized before his eyes, and he casually flipped it open. It was another Consonant Spirit realm Heaven's Path Divine Art. While the cultivation technique detailed in it did differ slightly from the other one he had compiled earlier, both cultivation techniques eventually converged into the same outcome.

After which, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, and it also took him two hours to collect all of them.

With those, he formed a new Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven's Path Divine Art. It was much more detailed than the one he had compiled earlier, making it significantly simpler and easier to cultivate. Overall, however, both cultivation techniques were essentially the same.

It seems there isn't much of a difference between Heaven's Path Divine Arts of the same cultivation realm! Zhang Xuan noted as he continued collecting the other books.

Since he wasn't in a rush, it would be good for him to collect all of the books so as to enhance his knowledge.

Ten hours later, Zhang Xuan had finally finished collecting all of the cultivation and battle technique manuals on the first floor.

While these books hadn't raised his cultivation, they allowed him to expand his base of knowledge, granting him some understanding regarding the various schools of cultivation.

With this, he was probably more knowledgeable than all of the master teachers in the academy combined.

Not only so, he had also managed to form a new Heaven's Path Sword Art, Heaven's Path Spear Art, Heaven's Path Saber Art, and such. As long as he practiced them, he would be able to advance his Weapon Intent to even higher levels.

However, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to cultivate. He chose to head to the second floor instead.

Access to the second floor was limited to only teachers and above, and the battle techniques and cultivation techniques stored on the second floor were significantly more profound than those on the first floor. There were also a few Half-Saint cultivation technique manuals on some of the shelves too.

After collecting the books, Zhang Xuan proceeded up.

The third floor was restricted to only the elders of the Master Teacher Academy. There were Nascent Saint and Saint realm cultivation technique manuals on the shelves, but the overall quantity of books was much less than the first and second floor.

After collecting those books and compiling a Heaven's Path technique out of them, Zhang Xuan had finally successfully compiled the Heaven's Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint.

In other words, he could advance his cultivation from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Saint realm primary stage within six hours as long as he wished to.

Chuckling in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven's Path, took the Half-Saint Heaven's Path Divine Art, and flipped it open.

A moment later, a frown was etched on his face.

There was no mistake with the cultivation technique, and if he were to cultivate according to it, he would be able to advance through Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and reach Saint realm easily.

However, if he were to do so, he would only be able to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, and even the weakest Primary Second Grade Origin Core of the Saint Ascension Decipher was immensely stronger than that.

Initially, he had still been a little perplexed about why there was such a huge disparity between the Saint Ascension Decipher and the other Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint Heaven's Path Divine Arts when such a situation hadn't occurred for the previous realms. However, after a moment of pondering, an answer surfaced in his mind.

Within the cultivation technique manuals in the library, there was not a single one regarding the cultivation of a higher-grade Origin Core. No matter how many normal cultivation technique manuals he gathered, the eventual cultivation technique manual he compiled would only be normal.

A fitting analogy would be: no matter how many straw hut construction manuals one studied, one would still be unable to build a royal palace.

Even if the contents of both covered the same grounds—advancing one's cultivation to a higher realm—they were still essentially two completely different paths leading to different destinations.

Even though the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher is much more difficult, there is a chance that I will be able to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core and become a Celestial Saint. If I were to cultivate these normal cultivation techniques instead, I would stand no chance at all, Zhang Xuan thought.

Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would require artifacts and more spirit stones, so it would be a difficult path to venture into. However, if he were to succeed, he would gain immense power incomparable to if he had chosen otherwise.

Since he could only cultivate his Origin Core once, it was natural he would have to aim for the best!

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan didn't rush into cultivating but instead headed up to the next floor.

The fourth floor was an area restricted to only the incumbent principal of the Master Teacher Academy. There were no cultivation or battle technique manuals there, but there were books containing the insights of the preceding principals, as well as information concerning the deepest secrets of the academy.

Collecting these books into the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan headed up to the final floor.

The fifth floor consisted of mainly items left behind by Founder Mu Kai. Zhang Xuan took a quick look around the room, and it seemed like the Saint Ascension Decipher manual wasn't among the items. Nevertheless, there were still many valuable cultivation technique manuals in there. Most of the cultivation technique manuals were regarding Saint realm 1-dan, but there was still a very small handful of them regarding Saint realm 2-dan or even 3-dan.

There were also a couple of them regarding soul and physical body cultivation.

It didn't take too long for Zhang Xuan to collect everything into the Library of Heaven's Path.

Alright, I should start cultivating.

After everything was compiled, Zhang Xuan noticed that he had more than a dozen Heaven's Path cultivation techniques and battle techniques in the Library of Heaven's Path. Taking in a deep breath, he searched for a slightly more spacious location in the room and sat down.

Since he had already prepared his Chrysalis realm cultivation technique and the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for him to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint, it was about time for him to raise his cultivation!

Taking out a couple of formation flags from his storage ring, he swiftly set up a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation in the area before taking out a couple of high-tier spirit stones and placing them in the area.

Hong long!

As the Spirit Gathering Formation came to life, spiritual energy was swiftly drawn out from the high-tier spirit stones to form a thick layer of mist in the area. Even without cultivating, the spiritual energy would automatically seep through his skin, nourishing his body.

Zhang Xuan sat down on the floor before opening all of his pores to start absorbing the spiritual energy in the air at a frenzied pace.

The spiritual energy contained within high-tier spirit stones was significantly purer and more condensed than the energy contained within the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, thus making it ideal for him to use in advancing his cultivation.

Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan began driving his zhenqi according to the circulation pathway of the Saint Ascension Decipher, gathering surge after surge of zhenqi in his dantian and condensing them into strands.

The revised Saint Ascension Decipher was completely different from before.

In the previous version, seven strands of zhenqi formed a knot, seven knots formed a bundle, and seven bundles formed a decipher.

However, in the revised version, nine strands of zhenqi formed a knot, nine knots formed a bundle, and nine bundles formed a decipher.

Based on his deductions, the form that was most aligned with nature and the heavens was in sets of nine.

Gugugugu.

Spiritual energy swiftly gushed into Zhang Xuan's body, and he quickly converted it into zhenqi before condensing it and gathering it into knots, bundles, and deciphers...

As a technique to cultivate a higher-grade Origin Core, the Saint Ascension Decipher was far more complex than a normal Heaven's Path Divine Art, and thus, it was significantly more difficult and laborious to cultivate.

If Zhang Xuan had chosen to cultivate the normal Heaven's Path Divine Art, he should have been able to raise his cultivation by a realm within two hours at most. On the other hand, cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, despite having cultivated for two hours, he still hadn't even advanced a single stage.

It was at this moment that he finally understood why Mu shi had ended up spending several hundred years just to cultivate a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core. While the Saint Ascension Decipher had the mystical effect of raising the grade of one's Origin Core, granting one strength far beyond their peers, its demand was simply so huge that it was nearly an endless abyss.

Putting everything aside, even with Zhang Xuan's cultivation speed and the aid of a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation, it would still take him at least an entire day before he could reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle.

For what should have taken two hours to stretch out to an entire day... from this, the enhanced difficulty in the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher was apparent.

In any case, Zhang Xuan was in no rush anyway. If a day was what it took, so be it.

According to the notes Mu shi had left behind on the Saint Ascension Decipher, it had taken him more than 200 years to come to this point.

Seated motionlessly on the ground, Zhang Xuan patiently drove his zhenqi, and his cultivation gradually rose.

Chrysalis realm primary stage!

Chrysalis realm intermediate stage!

Chrysalis realm advanced stage!

...

A day later, Zhang Xuan finally reached Chrysalis realm pinnacle. In his current state, he was only a step away from making a breakthrough to Half-Saint.

My strength has grown tremendously...

Halting his cultivation, Zhang Xuan took an inward look at his physical state, and he couldn't help but remark in awe.

For an ordinary Chrysalis realm cultivator, the rise in strength at each cultivation stage was 3,000,000 ding. However, having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuan's rise in strength per stage was 6,000,000 ding!

(Ordinary Chrysalis realm: primary stage 25,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding; advanced stage 31,000,000 ding; pinnacle 34,000,000 ding.)

The strength derived from his zhenqi cultivation had been 29,000,000 ding initially, but after reaching Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it had increased by 18,000,000 ding to 47,000,000 ding!

If the 20,000,000 ding and 32,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and physical body cultivation were taken into account as well, his strength would be 99,000,000 ding, just a bit short of matching the 100,000,000 ding strength that Saint realm cultivators wielded!

In other words, in terms of strength, he was nearly on par with Saint realm experts.

Scary!

For a Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator to be comparable to a Saint realm cultivator in terms of pure strength, would anyone in the Master Teacher Continent believe his words if he were to tell them about this?

But while Zhang Xuan did wield strength comparable to a Saint realm cultivator, he would still be in a disadvantageous position in a fight against a real Saint realm cultivator.

The superior strength of Saints wasn't derived merely from the boost in their strength but their enhanced comprehension of the laws of the world as well. For one, Saint realm cultivators were capable of dealing long-range attacks with minimal dissipation in might. On the other hand, if Zhang Xuan wanted to utilize the strength of his physical body and soul cultivation as well, he needed to be in close quarters with his opponent... Without those two to augment his attacks, his might would only be at 47,000,000 ding, comparable to only a Half-Saint advanced stage cultivator.

Nevertheless, his current fighting prowess was still extremely frightening. Even Principal Mo Liuzhen wouldn't have been a match for him at all.

After relishing in his newfound power, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but look at the dust remnants on the ground with a bitter smile. My fighting prowess did grow by a lot, but the consumption of high-tier spirit stones is truly...

The Saint Ascension Decipher could indeed further reinforce the foundation of his cultivation and enhance the richness of his zhenqi, granting him superior might. However, this came at a heavy price. For one, just the consumption of high-tier spirit stones was sufficient to leave him frenzied.

He had received a few hundred high-tier spirit stones from Wu Xu and Lu Cheng back then, and adding in the ones he had procured from the Golden Beartiger Beast's storage ring and the congratulatory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge for his inauguration ceremony, he had possessed a total of around eight hundred spirit stones, making him richer than any of the Ten Great Master Teachers in the academy.

Yet, just to advance from Chrysalis realm primary stage to pinnacle, he had consumed five hundred of them. That was more than half of his wealth!

He could almost see a life of poverty waiting right ahead of him.

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Chapter 917: Another Breakthrough, Half-Saint Reached!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before muttering beneath his breath.

"Forget it, I will just have to find a way to deal with it when the time comes. For the time being, it is more important for me to raise my cultivation!"

He was only a step away from reaching Half-Saint, and he happened to have the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for his breakthrough as well. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to hesitate.

Conditioning his state back to its peak, he took a deep breath before reluctantly tossing his remaining three hundred high-tier spirit stones into the Spirit Gathering Formation.

Hu hu hu!

As soon as the high-tier spirit stones came into contact with the formation, the concentration of spiritual energy in the area swiftly rose to the point that it felt almost tangible.

Following which, Zhang Xuan took out a Scarlet Firefly Fruit and swallowed it.

Back in the valley, he had procured a total of ten of them. Hu Yaoyao and the others had taken four of them, and having achieved a breakthrough each, they had not required any more. Thus, the remaining six had gone into his storage ring.

As soon as the Scarlet Firefly Fruit entered his mouth, it melted into an immense surge of energy, which gushed through his body. In just a short moment, he could vaguely feel an impetus, driving him to a breakthrough.

However, the impetus wasn't very strong. Zhang Xuan knew that with the current momentum he had, there was a high chance that he would fail in his breakthrough. Thus, he took out another Scarlet Firefly Fruit and consumed it.

It took a total of four fruits before Zhang Xuan was finally satisfied. Feeling the immense power coursing through his meridians, he took a deep breath and absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy into his body.

Hong long!

A crisp echo sounded in the room, as if the shackles that had been trapping Zhang Xuan's body had been broken. At the same time, it also seemed as if a door leading to a new world had opened before his eyes.

All of his pores opened simultaneously, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy furiously into him, driving the evolution of his body and soul toward that of a higher being.

Half-Saint... reached!

At Half-Saint, one was still a considerable distance away from achieving Sainthood, but nevertheless, one would no longer be considered to be on the same level of existence as a Transcendent Mortal. Be it one's physical body or soul, they had both undergone a qualitative evolution to become far stronger and more resilient than before, thus lengthening one's lifespan significantly as well.

The limit of an average Transcendent Mortal's lifespan was two hundred whereas a Half-Saint could easily live to five hundred!

That was more than a twofold increase in one's lifespan!

Other than that, Zhang Xuan's strength had also increased significantly. From the initial 47,000,000 ding, it had risen by 13,000,000 ding to 60,000,000 ding!

Just in terms of the strength he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation, he was already on par with a Nascent Saint primary stage cultivator!

Paired with his physical body and soul cultivation, he would be able to easily kill any Saint realm 1-dan expert at close range!

Other than the rise in his strength, his reaction speed and reflexes had also grown immensely.

If he were to face Mu shi's puppet once again in battle, he would surely be able to defeat the other party easily!

It is great that my fighting prowess has grown so much, but... I am back to my broke days once more! Zhang Xuan lamented.

The items he had received in the inauguration ceremony a few days ago had left him greatly excited, and he had thought that he could finally be considered a tycoon. As such, he had haughtily turned down the gifts from many, thinking that he should uphold his standing. Yet, a single round of cultivation had undone everything...

This darned cultivation! It sure was like an endless abyss, dragging him back to square one each time he thought he had struck it rich.

He knew that the cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would surely require a lot of zhenqi, and the fact that he cultivated the Heaven's Path Divine Art only served to nudge the requirement even higher. A couple of high-tier spirit stones could easily help others raise their cultivation up several stages, but to him, it was as if throwing pebbles into a pond, raising just a momentary ripple and nothing else.

Going by even my most conservative estimates, advancing to Saint realm... will cost me at least five thousand high-tier spirit stones! Zhang Xuan thought with twitching lips.

He had been thinking of advancing straight to Saint realm in a single breath after the inauguration ceremony, but that was clearly impossible now.

Advancing from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Half-Saint primary stage, despite using the energy contained within four Scarlet Firefly Fruits, had still depleted eight hundred high-tier spirit stones. The numbers would only rise for his breakthrough to Nascent Saint and eventually Saint realm. At this rate, five thousand would be a truly, truly positive estimate.

But the problem was that even if he were to overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, he would still be unable to gather that many high-tier spirit stones!

Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan thought in frustration, It seems like I will have to head out and find a way to earn some money...

Really, what was with this?

When others cultivated, what they would be frustrated by was their bottleneck. But instead of worrying over that, his problem had always been being 'poor'.

Was this what they meant when they said that 'being poor limits one's imagination'?

If it really comes down to it, I will just have to sell the congratulatory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge. That should tide me over for a while...

The gifts his tamed beasts from the Cloudmist Ridge had given him were indeed very valuable, and if he were to sell them, he would be able to earn two to three thousand high-tier spirit stones easily. However...

There were simply too few people in Hongyuan City who could afford to buy anything from him! Not even the royal family had that much money!

If he couldn't find ample spirit stones, he wouldn't be able to advance his cultivation despite possessing the complete Saint Ascension Decipher.

I almost forgot! Are the pavilion masters from the Master Teacher Pavilion of the surrounding empires still around? Perhaps, I might be able to sell my goods to them...

Back when School Head Mo was briefing him about the inauguration ceremony, he had also done a brief introduction on the four nearby Tier-1 Empires, Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao.

The national strengths of these four empires were comparable to Hongyuan Empire, perhaps exceeding it even.

If he could sell his goods to them, he should be able to earn quite a number of high-tier spirit stones to tide him over...

Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemplatively before rising to his feet and heading out of the Cultivation Compendium.

I think this is a plausible idea. However, for the time being, I should first get the Lightning Resonance Stone in the Mausoleum of Principals.

The Lightning Resonance Stone was the artifact he required as a catalyst for his breakthrough from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint. Already at Half-Saint, as long as he could gather sufficient high-tier spirit stones, it wouldn't be too long before he needed it to make a breakthrough. Thus, it would be best for him to take it and keep it on him.

After leaving the Cultivation Compendium, Zhang Xuan went to look for School Head Mo, and just as he was about to speak, the latter suddenly looked at him excitedly and said, "Principal Zhang, congratulations!"

Bewildered, Zhang Xuan shot the other party a questioning gaze.

"Weren't you trying to purchase the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen earlier? I sent in the application to the Beast Hall headquarters a while ago, and they approved the request! Just this morning, the Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen's blood essence arrived at our Master Teacher Academy!" School Head Mo said excitedly. "Oh yes, your 7-star beast tamer emblem also arrived together with it!"

After which, School Head Mo quickly passed over a jade bottle and an emblem.

Zhang Xuan took those two items from School Head Mo's hands and studied the jade bottle with a perplexed expression before turning his gaze back to the latter. He asked, "Didn't you say that the Myriad Anthive Queen's blood essence would be expensive? Why would..."

The cultivation of his Myriad Anthive Queen was currently too low, rendering it incapable of continuing the expansion the Myriad Anthive Nest unless its cultivation was raised one way or another. Thus, a few days earlier, Zhang Xuan had paid School Head Mo a visit to enquire about the purchase of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen's blood essence. However, the answer he had received was that it would cost at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones.

Until now, Zhang Xuan had yet to gather so many high-tier spirit stones, so why would the headquarters deliver the blood essence all of a sudden?

"It is indeed expensive, but Principal Zhang, you tamed all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge, and that is a huge contribution! Thus, the Beast Tamer Hall headquarters decided to gift this bottle of Myriad Anthive Queen's blood essence to you directly as a reward!" School Head Mo explained with a smile.

"On top of that, they have also expressed their interest in inviting you to the Qingyuan Empire Beast Hall to impart your technique for taming spirit beasts swiftly!"

Not expecting for there to be such a benefit from taming the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan nodded in delight.

"I see! Help me relay my thanks to the headquarters of the Beast Hall. I will definitely head there if I have an opportunity to do so in the future..."

As he uncorked the jade bottle, the scent of the blood essence within immediately permeated the air. Within the bottle, he could feel an immense energy being harnessed within the fluid.

After a quick glance, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock. "Isn't this... the blood essence of a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen?"

When he made the request, he had expected the blood essence to be from a Saint realm 1-dan or 2-dan Myriad Anthive Queen. Never in his dreams had he thought that it would be from a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen!

It was already incredibly difficult to find a single one of the elusive Myriad Anthive Queens, needless to say a Saint realm 4-dan one. This was an unimaginably valuable commodity that was nearly impossible to find on the market! Yet, the other party had actually given so much of it at once... If he really had to pay for it, there was no way he would have been able to afford it!

With this, the strength of the Myriad Anthive Queen would soar, and it wouldn't be long before it achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm!

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan placed the jade bottle into the Myriad Anthive Nest for the Myriad Anthive Queen to consume before turning his gaze to the 7-star beast tamer emblem.

The design was identical to that of the 4-star emblem he had, just that the four stars had been replaced with seven stars instead. However, one thing noteworthy was that the material of the emblem had changed. It felt a little heavier and solemn, seemingly reflecting the noble standing of the one who possessed it.

Even though he was a 7-star demonic tunist as well, ultimately, demonic tunist was only considered a Lower Nine Paths occupation. It could hardly compare with the prestigious Upper Nine Paths occupations.

Even if Zhang Xuan didn't have his identity as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, just by this 7-star beast tamer emblem in itself, there was no one who would dare underestimate or disrespect him, regardless of where he went.

"Thank you, School Head Mo."

Knowing that the other party must have done quite a bit of work to apply for this emblem for him, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist in gratitude.

"There is no need for that." School Head Mo shook his head with a smile before gazing at Zhang Xuan intently. "Speaking of which, when do you intend to take the 6-star master teacher examination? I will have to make preparations in advance..."

"You should start making preparations then; I intend to take it as soon as possible. But before that, I would like to make a trip to the Mausoleum of Principals," Zhang Xuan said.

"Mausoleum of Principals?" School Head Mo was surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm afraid that you might not have the authority to enter it at the moment..."

"Why?" Zhang Xuan frowned, perplexed by School Head Mo's words.

He had obtained the Supreme Jurisdiction and Impeccable Principal's Seal, was there anywhere in the Master Teacher Academy that he was still restricted from entering?

Fearing that Zhang Xuan would misunderstand, School Head Mo swiftly explained the matter, "You are indeed able to go anywhere you wish in the Master Teacher Academy, having received everyone's approval in the inauguration ceremony, but... to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, you will have to sever a portion of your soul and leave it on the Mausoleum Tablet... In other words, you have to leave a will behind as well!

"The severing of the soul inflicts considerable damage to one's soul, so why don't you challenge the 6-star master teacher examination first? Meanwhile, using your contribution, I can help you apply for an artifact for severing your soul from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. This way, the damage to your soul will be minimized!"

Taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge was as huge a contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion as it was to the Beast Hall.

Through the contribution, Zhang Xuan could easily apply for a powerful artifact to aid in the matter.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Given that the preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy had appeared in the inauguration ceremony, it would mean that they had also severed their souls and left behind their will when they were alive.

Having severed his soul once in the past, he knew that it was a process that was highly damaging, even for soul oracles, who specialized in souls. It would take a long period of recuperation before one could recover from the trauma.

However, Zhang Xuan had the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast in his possession, which he could use to quicken the recovery of his soul. However, if he were to do so, he would risk exposing his identity as a soul oracle, which could pose to be a great trouble.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. "I see. I will take the 6-star master teacher examination first then."

It was one thing if he was just a normal master teacher, but as the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher, his identity as a soul oracle could not be revealed by any means.

In any case, it was not like anyone else could get to the Lightning Resonance Stone before him, so taking the 6-star master teacher examination first wasn't a problem.

"Alright." School Head Mo nodded.

At that moment, an elder suddenly rushed into the room, and upon seeing the both of them, he clasped his fist and reported, "Principal Zhang, Emperor Yu Shenqing wishes to meet you. He has been waiting outside for some time now!"

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Chapter 918: Bodhi Seed

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Yu Shenqing?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Why was the other party looking for him?

School Head Mo pondered for a moment before explaining with a smile. "Principal Zhang, after you rejected his gift, he has been coming over whenever he's had time these past few days, requesting to meet you. No matter how we tried, we weren't able to stop him. My guess is that he probably fears that he has gotten on your bad side unwittingly."

Principal Zhang had caused a huge ruckus during the inauguration ceremony, be it the congratulations from the thousands of beasts, the public lecture that had made him a half-teacher to almost everyone in the academy, or winning the recognition of every single person at the inauguration ceremony.

Just from these feats, it was apparent to anyone who had been at the inauguration ceremony that Principal Zhang would become an extremely powerful person in the future. As such, many powers had sent valuable gifts in the hope of winning his favor.

Yu Shenqing had also done the same as well, but... who would have thought that the other party would turn down his goodwill? He couldn't help but recall how he had chased the other party out during his daughter's birthday, and shivers ran down his spine...

With such a history, there was no way Yu Shenqing could remain idle!

"Let's go and take a look!" Understanding the logic behind this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded and made his way over.

The reason he didn't accept the other party's gift was because he didn't feel that it was right to be taking advantage of the other party. After all, despite what he had done for the other party, he had taken a peek at the other party's soul cultivation techniques and made use of their Bodhi Saint Tree, so he considered the both of them equal.

But if his act had left the other party misunderstanding his intention, that would truly be horrible.

Soon, they arrived at the reception hall where the principal usually hosted his guests and saw Yu Shenqing seated with an anxious expression.

Accompanying Yu Shenqing were three middle-aged man, and two of them, for some reason, dared not sit down and were standing at the back with pale faces.

Zhang Xuan didn't recognize the two middle-aged man standing behind, but the person sitting next to Yu Shenqing was a familiar face. It was the man who had gifted him his manor, King Huai.

"Your Majesty, King Huai!"

Even though it was out of consideration of his ties with Yuan Tao, it was a fact that the other party had done him a huge favor while he was still in a humble position, so he had quite a favorable impression of the other party.

"Paying respects to Principal Zhang!"

The four of them got their feet and clasped their fists.

The four of them represented the pinnacle of authority within Hongyuan Empire, but nevertheless, their standing was still beneath that of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy.

"There is no need to stand on ceremony." Zhang Xuan waved his hand before making his way over to the main seat.

After which, he turned to King Huai and asked, "Your Highness, I should have paid you a visit long ago to thank you for your generous gift. For you to have come here instead, I am truly embarrassed."

"Principal Zhang, there is no need for that!" King Huai hurriedly bowed politely.

"When I first met you, I already knew that you are a capable person who is bound for great things. But nevertheless, I didn't expect you to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy so quickly," King Huai remarked meaningfully.

When he first met Zhang shi, he hadn't thought much of the other party. It was only due to the latter's relationship to Yuan Tao, a member of a Sage Clan, that he thought of striking up a close relationship with the latter.

But who could have known that, in a short span of less than two months, a seemingly insignificant Consonant Spirit realm figure who had no backing or connections in Hongyuan City would rise to become the most powerful person in the Master Teacher Academy?

It was truly inconceivable that things would develop in such a manner.

"Your Highness, you are too polite," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "If you don't mind, why don't you show me a move or two?"

"Show you a move or two?" King Huai was stunned for a moment before ecstasy crept across his face.

To be saying such words, it could only mean that the other party was intending to offer him some pointers!

While the other party's cultivation was currently still beneath him, considering how the other party could even enlighten donkeys and roosters through his lecture, his teaching was surely something that no ordinary 6-star master teachers could compare to.

If he could receive the pointers of a person like that, he would surely be spared from many years of fumbling around.

"It will be my pleasure!" King Huai replied excitedly.

He quickly walked over the center of the reception hall and began executing a battle technique.

As soon as he made his move, his cultivation became apparent. Just like School Head Mo and the others, he was at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle as well.

It didn't take too long for him to finish executing his battle technique. He swiftly returned back to his position, standing upright as if a student before his teacher.

A moment later, he heard the impassive voice of the young man ahead of him.

"Your Highness, your mastery of the Fleeting Water Fist Art is indeed impressive. However, have you been suffering from poor blood circulation recently and occasional bouts of weakness?"

"This... How do you know?" King Huai was astonished, and his body stiffened slightly.

He had indeed been suffering from poor blood circulation recently, and his zhenqi hadn't been flowing as smoothly as before. However, he had made sure to conceal the news well, not telling anyone at all. As such, even Yu Shenqing was oblivious to his ailment.

After all, given the prestigious position he was in, there were many who desired to take his place. If it was made known that his physical condition wasn't in the best of states, it might just stoke some of the more ambitious individuals into action, thus bringing unnecessary trouble to him.

Yet, for the other party to notice the issue from a single battle technique, just how formidable was his eye of discernment?

On the other hand, instead of replying, Zhang Xuan continued speaking with a smile. "If I am not mistaken, it is caused by an injury you suffered in the past, right?"

The reason King Huai was able to hold such an esteemed position was due to the many contributions he had achieved for the country on the battlefield when he was younger. However, in the midst of doing so, there were several occasions when he sustained severe injuries that threatened to claim his life.

The trauma was probably left from back then.

"That's right!" King Huai replied with a nod.

"I have a gourd of fine wine here. Drink it and circulate your zhenqi according to the cultivation technique I am about to impart to you, then your trauma will be resolved. Work hard, and you might just be able to achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation!"

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and handed a gourd over to King Huai. After which, he took out a piece of paper and a brush and swiftly wrote down a cultivation technique.

Even though his cultivation was only at Half-Saint primary stage, he had read through all of the books within the Master Teacher Academy's Cultivation Compendium, which had granted him a deep understanding of the Saint 1-dan and Saint 2-dan realms.

As such, it was a walk in the park for him to come up with a cultivation technique aligned with the other party's constitution.

"Thank you, Principal Zhang!" King Huai said before taking a look at the cultivation technique he had just received.

With just a look, his eyes narrowed, and his body began trembling non-stop.

Given his eye of discernment, he could easily tell that this cultivation technique was far more advanced than the royal family's cultivation technique, which he was currently practicing. On top of that, it was aligned with his constitution!

If he were to cultivate it seriously, not only would he be able to resolve his trauma, there was a very high chance that he could overcome his current bottleneck and reach higher realms!

He had only given the other party a manor, but in exchange, he had received a cultivation technique that he could pass on to his offspring and descendants...

He had truly struck it rich!

"This..." Yu Shenqing and the other two glanced at one another and shook their heads.

They didn't know what was written in the cultivation technique, but for the usually composed King Huai to get so agitated, that could only mean that it was extraordinary.

If only they'd also had the foresight to get close to Zhang shi before he became the principal! To do so now... it was already too late!

"There is no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

It was just a normal cultivation technique, not a simplified version of the Heaven's Path Divine Art. It wasn't anything much at all.

This served as his compensation to the other party for gifting him the manor, so they could be considered equal now.

After dealing with King Huai's matter, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Yu Shenqing and asked, "Your Majesty, may I know the reason behind your visit?"

Yu Shenqing hurriedly got to his feet and replied, "Principal Zhang, there are two reasons behind my arrival..."

"Oh?"

"You are the benefactor of our Yu Clan. Not only did you impart my daughter a set of soul cultivation techniques, you even treated the Bodhi Saint Tree. I am truly grateful to you. It would be truly unbecoming of me if I didn't repay the favor!" Yu Shenqing hurriedly spoke up.

The other party's refusal of his gift had left him jittery, so he had decided to pay the other party a visit to hand it over personally.

"You are too polite," Zhang Xuan replied courteously.

"I know that Principal Zhang is not a person who is interested in material gains... This is the only Bodhi Seed that the Bodhi Saint Tree has borne over all these years. I hope that you can accept this gift!" Yu Shenqing flicked his wrist and presented a jade box.

He opened the box, revealing a round seed within.

"Bodhi Seed?" Zhang Xuan frowned questioningly.

What was this thing used for?

Despite the many books that Zhang Xuan had read, there didn't seem to be anything regarding Bodhi Seeds.

"As long as you plant and nurture it well, it will grow into another Bodhi Saint Tree. Cultivating under the tree can help to calm one's mind, thus enhancing one's rate of cultivation while decreasing the chances of one's cultivation going berserk. On top of that, it has mystical effects for those who cultivate the soul," Yu Shenqing quickly explained.

"It can be used to grow a Bodhi Saint Tree?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He was rather interested in the Bodhi Saint Tree after seeing its prowess in nourishing Wei Ruyan's soul quickly. If he could obtain one and cultivate his soul within it, his soul cultivation would surely rise swiftly as well.

"Un!" Yu Shenqing nodded as he passed it over. "Since Principal Zhang was able to create such a formidable set of soul cultivation techniques, you must have a deep understanding of souls as well. I believe that this should be useful to you, so please do accept it!"

Zhang Xuan took the box and nodded. "Thank you for your gift!"

He would have probably turned it down if it was anything else, but it just so happened that he had a use for the Bodhi Seed.

He could plant it within the Myriad Anthive Nest and bring it around with him so that his soul could cultivate in it whenever he had the time to do so.

On the other hand, seeing Zhang Xuan accept his gift, Yu Shenqing heaved a long sigh of relief.

After which, he gestured to the two middle-aged man behind him and said, "As for the second matter, I will leave it to you two to speak about!"

The two middle-aged man hurriedly stepped forward and clasped their fists.

"The incumbent head of Hongyuan City's Shen Clan, Shen Wanting, pays respect to Principal Zhang!"

"The incumbent head of Hongyuan City's Liu Clan, Liu Zaiyan, pays respect to Principal Zhang!"

"Shen Clan? Liu Clan?"

Zhang Xuan had heard of the Four Great Clans of Hongyuan City, but he had never had any interactions with them. Why would these two clan heads abruptly pay him a visit?

"Yes. My unfilial son must have been blind to have offended Principal Zhang, so I have come as the representative of the entire Shen Clan to apologize for his deeds."

"My son, Liu Quan, was brazen to have crossed you, so I have come here to seek your forgiveness. I will leave that unfilial son of mine for you to deal with!"

The two clan heads raised their hands, and two young men were pressed forward.

They were Shen Jun and Liu Quan, whom Zhang Xuan had met back at Yu Fei-er's birthday banquet.

At that moment, neither of them possessed the dashing appearance they had during the birthday banquet. Their faces were pummeled to the point that they had swollen up like a pig's face. Had it not been for the two clan heads introducing themselves, he would have never made the connection between the two.

There was only one word that could describe the current state they were in—miserable!

"This..." Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion.

Even though he had gotten into a verbal disagreement with Shen Jun back at Yu Fei-er's birthday banquet, there wasn't any significant conflict between them. There was no need to have gone that far!

"These two fellows actually dared to cause Principal Zhang trouble! It's our lack of discipline that has resulted in this situation, so we wish to compensate you for this matter. We ask of you to accept it!" Raising his hand, Shen Wanting proffered a storage ring with an earnest attitude.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was at a loss.

Did these two fellows cause him trouble? Why didn't he have any recollection of the matter?

Did he suffer an amnesia at some point?

Noting Principal Zhang's silence, Liu Zaiyan continued pleading anxiously. "Principal Zhang, I hope that you can accept our goodwill. Otherwise, I fear that our clans will dare not remain in Hongyuan City."

Zhang Xuan became even more bewildered.

Just what was happening?

On the other hand, seeing the earnest confusion on Principal Zhang's face, Yu Shenqing and King Huai glanced at one another and admiration filled their minds.

Two men had tried to cause him trouble by sending men to pummel him, but he actually didn't remember the matter at all...

As expected of the principal, such trivial matters wouldn't even faze him in the slightest...

Incredible!

Chapter 919: Shen Jun Burst into Tears

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning back to the time right after the end of the inauguration ceremony...

After watching such a thrilling inauguration ceremony, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan were filled with agitation and awe.

This was especially so for Shen Wanting. As the man who wielded absolute power over the largest clan in Hongyuan City, he had a clear idea of the significance of the commotion that had occurred today.

To become the master of every single beast of the Cloudmist Ridge, and to be recognized by every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Academy... the authority the other party wielded could be said to be unmatched in Hongyuan City.

Even Emperor Yu Shenqing couldn't even come close to measuring up to the power the other party wielded!

If the Shen Clan could get on good terms with the other party, it would surely rise through the ranks and prosper for many generations to come!

Thus, he was intending to rush back to the clan to discuss with the other elders and come up with a plan to forging a close relationship with Principal Zhang, but at that very moment, his prided son was suddenly brought to him on a stretcher, severely wounded.

"What happened?" Shen Wanting's face darkened in fury.

As the head of the Four Great Clans, the Shen Clan wielded immense power in Hongyuan City. For his son, the young successor to the clan, to be pummeled like that in broad daylight, the culprit sure was brazen! Did the name of the Shen Clan mean nothing to him?

"Father, you must redress my grievance!" Upon seeing Shen Wanting, Shen Jun howled in agony with tears and snot flowing down his face.

"Regardless of who the culprit is, to dare provoke our Shen Clan, I will make sure that he pays for his action dearly even if he is a noble or a relative of the royal family!" With eyes narrowed in rage, Shen Wanting made his declaration majestically with unquestionable authority.

As the head of the number one clan in Hongyuan City, he did have the right to say such words.

"The culprit is an obscure master teacher of the Master Teacher Academy... That despicable bastard colluded with his comrades to lure me and Liu Quan into a trap, surrounding us and pummeling us viciously!" Shen Jun clenched his jaw.

He knew that there were many people involved in the attack, but as his head was covered in a gunny sack throughout the entire incident, he wasn't clear how many had participated. Of the entire attack, he only recalled endless blows raining down upon him before fainting... And when he came to once more, he was already in his current state.

"An obscure master teacher? Surrounding you and pummeling you viciously?" Shen Wanting's eyebrows shot up. "He must be tired of living to be so brazen as to provoke our Shen Clan!"

The Shen Clan was a behemoth with influence across almost every single trade in Hongyuan City. In fact, even the Master Teacher Pavilion had seven 6-star master teachers who were allied with them. There were also a couple of clan members who were 6-star master teachers as well.

As such, if the enemy was just an ordinary master teacher, the Shen Clan would still be able to deal with the other party easily. Regardless of whether it was the Master Teacher Pavilion or the Master Teacher Academy, they would still at least give this small privilege to the Shen Clan.

"What rank is he?" Even though Shen Jun had said that the other party was an obscure master teacher, Shen Wanting still felt that it was better to be safe.

"4-star!" Shen Jun hurriedly replied.

A mere 4-star master teacher, with his father making a move personally, it would only take moments before that despicable bastard was destroyed!

"A fellow of that level actually dared bully you?" Shen Wanting narrowed his eyes in rage as he flung his sleeves furiously. "What is his name? I will send our men to apprehend him this instant!"

"The name of that despicable bastard is Zhang Xuan!" Shen Jun replied with his fists clenched in excitement. With this, that fellow was a goner!

However, after hearing that name, Shen Wanting seemed to have frozen on the spot, and his face paled. Noticing the bizarre silence lingering in the room, as well as the peculiar state his father was in, Shen Jun couldn't help but ask, "Father, what is wrong? Is..."

But before he could finish his words, Shen Wanting's feet suddenly flew right toward his chest as he bellowed furiously, "To hell with you! If you want to die, go ahead. Don't drag the Shen Clan down with you!"

Peng!

Not expecting that his father would suddenly make a move on him, Shen Jun was unprepared for the kick and was sent crashing right into the wall. Huge spurts of blood gushed out of his mouth, and he nearly died on the spot.

The situation was baffling to him...

Father, I am the one who was pummeled! It is one thing if you aren't willing to get even with the other party for my sake, but to be chastising me and even kicking me because of the matter.

Furthermore, to hell with me? I am your son!

Clenching his jaws, Shen Jun said indignantly, "Father, if you don't intend to help me, I can settle the matter myself. As the eldest son of the Shen Clan, I still have the ability to deal with a 4-star master teacher easily."

No matter what, he was a person who had greatly contributed to Hongyuan Empire, a meritorious subject of the royal court. It was already a blessing for someone of his standing not to bully others, but to think that someone would dare bully him instead.

If he was really pushed to a corner, he could even pull his connections within the military to get the job done. After all, given his backing, there were plenty who would be eager to fawn over him!

All it took to teach a 4-star master teacher a lesson was just a word from him.

"You aren't going to give up? Do you really want me to chop off your hands?" Hearing the words of his unfilial son, Shen Wanting nearly spurted blood. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Men, bind this fellow up and pummel him. I will punish anyone who dares hold back on him!"

"This..." Hearing the command, the subordinates in the room glanced at one another, bewildered by the abrupt command.

However, they dared not defy a direct command from the clan head. They hurried forward to tie Shen Jun now, but they didn't make a move immediately. Instead, they turned to Shen Wanting to seek his confirmation on the matter.

Seeing that his father was serious about this matter, Shen Jun uttered in disbelief, "Why?"

"You are asking me why? Do you know who the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy is?" Shen Wanting roared as his hands trembled in overwhelming rage.

"Principal? I was pummeled shortly after entering the academy, so I didn't attend the inauguration ceremony," Shen Jun said awkwardly.

Even though his father had taken him to the inauguration ceremony so as to broaden his horizons, he had been beaten up before the ceremony began, so he had no choice but to have his subordinates carry him back to the clan.

As such, he had no idea what had happened at the inauguration ceremony, and he didn't have the slightest clue who the new principal was either.

"The new principal is the 4-star master teacher you spoke of, Zhang Xuan!" Shen Wanting howled furiously before turning to the subordinates and gesturing majestically. "After pummeling him, carry this unfilial son to the Master Teacher Academy to apologize. Wait, no, he will follow me to the royal palace later on. I have to meet Emperor Shen Yuqing first!"

Given the atrocious crime his unfilial son had committed, he probably would not even be granted entry if he just went over to apologize. Thus, he could only ask Shen Yuqing for a favor!

...

A similar scene also played out in the Liu Clan.

The bewildered Liu Quan was viciously lashed by his father, and more importantly, the latter even prohibited him from applying medicine to his wounds. As such, many of his open wounds ended up being infected, causing him great agony. At the same time, his state also became so horrifying that no one was willing to allow their gaze to linger on his body more than an instant.

If Liu Quan and Shen Jun were still indignant at how their fathers had treated him a moment earlier, after seeing Zhang Xuan naturally take the main seat in the room, drive King Huai into tears of gratefulness with just a few words, and Emperor Yu Shenqing begging him to accept the Bodhi Seed... With their wits, how could they possibly still remain oblivious to the standing of the young man before them?

The heavily wounded Shen Jun lowered his head and pleaded, "I will take responsibility for my own actions. I was the one who was insolent to Principal Zhang, so I beseech you to not implicate our Shen Clan in this matter."

"I was the one who gathered those men, this has nothing to do with the Liu Clan at all. My father was completely oblivious to my actions," Liu Quan quickly added.

After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan finally got a rough idea as to what had happened, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

To march into the Master Teacher Academy, declaring that you wish to teach me a lesson publicly... Aren't you just asking for trouble?

Even if you weren't aware that I am the principal, the strength and scale of the Xuanxuan Faction was there for all to see. You should be counting your blessings that you weren't mobbed to death!

Even though Shen Jun and Liu Quan had meant him harm, they had already gotten what they deserved. In any case, he wasn't injured in the matter either. As such, Zhang Xuan was intending to turn down the compensation, but a thought that suddenly flashed across his mind prompted him to accept the storage ring from Shen Wanting.

He was no longer an ordinary student anymore but the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. If he didn't deal with someone who had attempted to provoke him promptly, that could potentially undermine the authority of the Master Teacher Academy. Furthermore, that would also be driving the two clans into a corner.

Putting everything aside, just considering his current influence and standing, if others were to know that the Shen Clan and Liu Clan had once offended him, who would still dare do business with them?

Everyone would avoid them like the plague!

That was how society worked. One's actions must be aligned with one's standing, or else there would only be chaos.

After taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swiftly looked over the contents within and saw innumerable treasures.

Just looking at the high-tier spirit stones by themselves, there were already more than five hundred of them.

These two clans sure are generous! Zhang Xuan was astounded.

This wasn't a small number of high-tier spirit stones. Even the Hongyuan royal family would have to tighten their budget significantly for the next few decades if they were to take out such a sum from their treasury. The fact that the two clans were able to fork out such a sum easily reflected the extent of their strong foundations.

"The Shen Clan has businesses all over Hongyuan Empire, and they trade frequently with Qingyuan Conferred Empire as well. Over the years, they have accumulated great wealth, and in terms of liquid assets, perhaps even our royal family can't compete with them." Noticing Zhang Xuan's astonishment, Shen Yuqing discreetly sent a message through zhenqi telepathy to him.

They are even wealthier than the royal family? Zhang Xuan was truly shocked this time around.

It was no wonder Shen Jun could afford to take out two high-tier spirit stones each for him and Luo Qiqi to serve as welcome gifts. One must know that this was something that Xing Yuan and Yu Fei-er could not afford to do.

So, it turned out that he was from a truly wealthy clan; that explained everything!

Since they specialize in running businesses, and they have connections with Qingyuan Empire, perhaps I can use their help. Recalling his previous intentions, Zhang Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Currently, he was severely lacking high-tier spirit stones. While he had obtained a huge pile of resources from the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, he didn't have the connections and means to sell them. However, if he could tap into the connections of the Shen Clan, it shouldn't be too difficult to sell his items.

In any case, it would be far easier than fumbling his way around it alone.

"I will be accepting your items then!" Zhang Xuan nodded and put away the storage ring before turning his gaze back to Shen Wanting once more. "Clan Head Shen and Clan Head Liu, I happen to have something that I may require your help on."

Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan's eyes lit up, and they quickly clasped their fists and replied, "Principal Zhang, feel free to speak. As long as it is something within the means of our Shen Clan and Liu Clan, we will surely accomplish it!"

Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have nothing to ask of them. Only when the other party had a request to ask of them would they be able to forge a strong relationship with him.

"I believe you should have seen the situation at the inauguration ceremony back then. The beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge have gifted me quite some stuff, but I don't really need most of it. Since the both of your clans have vast business connections, are you interested in selling my items for me?" Zhang Xuan revealed his motive.

"This... We are more than willing to!" Upon hearing the request, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan couldn't help but burst into delight.

Considering that huge profits were involved in this dealing, the fact that the other party was willing to leave this matter to them meant that he was willing cast aside their differences and trust them.

"That is good." Zhang Xuan nodded as he passed a storage ring over.

The items that the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him were in it.

Even though these items were valuable, they weren't of much use to him. It would be much better for him to trade them for high-tier spirit stones to cultivate instead.

In any case, the two clans had their foundations rooted in Hongyuan Empire, so they wouldn't dare play any tricks with the Master Teacher Academy looming over them.

"These items are highly sought after regardless of whether it is within Hongyuan Empire or the other empires. Principal Zhang, rest assured, we will surely sell all of it for you within two months!" Shen Wanting said confidently.

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Chapter 920: Returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Of the numerous treasures and ores in the Cloudmist Ridge, the most valuable one had to be the Cloudmist Flower.

It was a rare commodity that only grew in the Cloudmist Ridge, and even the Hongyuan royal family didn't have much of it. Thirty huge chests of high-grade Cloudmist Flowers... Without any doubt, the profits that one could derive from selling them would be nothing short of astronomical.

Truthfully, gaining the rights to sell these items in place of Principal Zhang was highly beneficial to the businesses of the two clans as well. Firstly, it would give an impression of a close relationship between the Shen Clan and the Liu Clan with the new principal, and this would further enhance their prestige. Secondly, these valuable goods could help more people learn of their name, allowing them to expand their markets further.

Even if they didn't receive a single spirit stone from the sale of the items, it was still a winning deal for them.

Naturally, Zhang Xuan was also aware of these benefits as well.

Nodding, he clasped his fist and said, "I will be counting on you then."

After chatting for a while to confirm the details regarding the sales of the goods, the four of them got up and bade farewell.

Shortly after the few of them left, School Head Mo entered the room.

"Principal Zhang, I have just finished making the arrangements. If you wish to take the 6-star master teacher examination, you just have to select a Conferred Kingdom and raise it into an empire within ten years to successfully clear the examination!'

"Within ten years?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a smile.

He wasn't intending to spend so long on the 6-star master teacher examination.

"Regarding the Conferred Kingdom... I'll choose Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!" Zhang Xuan said.

So far, the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom was the only one he had been to. Back then, he had eradicated the royal family ruling the country and installed Mo Yu as its new empress. It had been half a year since then, and he was curious about how things were going there. This was a good opportunity to head over to take a look.

"Alright!" School Head Mo nodded. "I will send a message to the headquarters now to have them dispatch a representative to Xuanyuan Kingdom!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

After reading the books in the Cultivation Compendium, he had gained a thorough understanding of the Empire Building test.

While the Master Teacher Academy had the right to invigilate 6-star master teacher examinations and bestow the 6-star master teacher emblem to those who cleared the examination, it didn't have the authority to overlook a major examination like Empire Building. This was also the reason School Head Mo had to liaise with the headquarters to have them dispatch a representative.

The representative would first assess the Conferred Kingdom to confirm its existing rank and determine its eligibility to be used as the grounds for the test before the examinee was sent over to begin the test. Once the examinee felt that they had met the required criteria, the headquarters would dispatch another representative to confirm the results.

This served to eliminate the possibility of cheating.

"All in all, it should take around ten days for the representative to arrive at Xuanyuan Kingdom and inspect the area," said School Head Mo after calculating for a moment. "I think it should be fine for Principal Zhang to begin heading in ten days' time."

"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded.

In any case, he still had many Heaven's Path techniques that he hadn't taken a look at. On top of that, there were also the libraries of many supporting occupations in the Master Teacher Academy he hadn't browsed through, so he could make good use of the ten days to go through them.

Thus, over the following few days, Zhang Xuan paid a visit to the libraries of the other schools whenever he found the time to do so.

Very soon, the Beast Tamer School, Celestial Designer School, Painter School... He went through all of the libraries he hadn't been to before and collected their books in the Library of Heaven's Path.

When he wasn't collecting books, he would be spending his time going through and digesting the compiled books. By the ninth day, he finally managed to finish looking through all of them.

His comprehension of swordsmanship, spearmanship, fist arts, movement arts, and many other battle techniques had deepened considerably.

Even though his cultivation had remained stagnant within this period, his fighting prowess had been raised immensely.

If he were to meet Mu shi's puppet once more, he could easily defeat him just by utilizing a single finger.

For a Half-Saint primary stage to defeat a Saint realm 1-dan primary stage so easily, it would definitely scare many out of their wits!

After accomplishing all of that, on the very last day, Zhang Xuan gathered Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan together and began lecturing them.

The four of them had a very deep understanding of the fields they each specialized in, and their fighting prowess was outstanding among their peers. However, in Zhang Xuan's view, they were still far too weak.

He swiftly imparted the battle techniques he had just comprehended to them and instructed them to study hard during his absence. After which, he leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making his way toward Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom.

As he was going to be taking an examination, he didn't think that he should take his students along, especially since it would hinder their training.

...

A light breeze blew amid the drifting white clouds.

The Byzantium Helios Beast was flying straight toward Xuanyuan Kingdom whereas Zhang Xuan was currently standing within the Myriad Anthive Nest.

The cultivation of the Myriad Anthive Queen had swiftly advanced to Saint realm 3-dan over just a few short days after consuming the blood essence it was given, thus becoming even stronger than the Byzantium Helios Beast.

With its current strength, as well as a steady supply of spirit stones and various resources going to it, the diameter of the nest had already expanded to three hundred meters, giving it space similar to that of a massive stadium.

As the space in the Myriad Anthive Nest continued to expand, Zhang Xuan decided to put in the nine saint beasts had tamed at the Cloudmist Ridge as well. At the same time, he asked for some building materials from Yu Shenqing and had the nine of them work together to construct a residence.

Even though it wasn't as exquisite as the manor he had in Hongyuan City, it was still pleasing to the eye and comfortable to stay in.

However, the reason Zhang Xuan had entered the Myriad Anthive Nest wasn't to rest in the residence. Instead, he walked to the center courtyard and examined the verdant seedling that had sprouted from the ground.

The Bodhi Seed!

Zhang Xuan had planted it within the Myriad Anthive Nest on the day he received it, but to the current day, it had only barely begun to sprout.

Let me see if I can speed up its growth...

It was only a seed previously, so Zhang Xuan's means wouldn't work on it. However, now that a seedling had sprouted, he could finally start working on it!

Zhang Xuan placed his finger on the seedling and began pumping Heaven's Path zhenqi into it. At the same time, he also sprinkled a few droplets of Earth Vein Spirit Essence on it intermittently.

Tzzzzzzz!

The seedling absorbed the spirit essence and zhenqi swiftly, and it began to grow at a pace visible to the eye.

The combination of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heaven's Path zhenqi was not only effective on spirit herbs but saint herbs as well.

In less than an hour, it had already grown to around three-meters tall, and its trunk had widened to around the width of a human arm, too.

While it was still significantly smaller than the Bodhi Saint Tree in the royal palace, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that it wouldn't take long before it surpassed the latter under his infusion of spirit essence and zhenqi.

Retracting his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan took another look at his work and smiled in satisfaction.

His soul had yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, but with the aid of the Bodhi Tree and the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, he might be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to draw his soul out to cultivate, he suddenly heard the Myriad Anthive Queen's voice echoing within the area.

"Master, the Byzantium Helios Beast has suddenly stopped in midair. It seems like someone has blocked our passage!"

"Blocked our passage?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He swiftly left the Myriad Anthive Nest to take a look.

The Myriad Anthive Nest was a folded space, and with his current capability, he was still unable to perceive the happenings outside from within. However, as the creator of the folded space, the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to keep tabs on the surroundings of the nest and report any anomalies to him.

Walking to window, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin outside.

"Zhang shi, we hope to follow you to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom to lend you a hand..."

"How did you manage to catch up with me?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

It had been an hour since the Byzantium Helios Beast set off from Hongyuan City, and given its speed, there was no way the aerial spirit beasts that the others were riding on could catch up with him. Since that was the case, how had they gotten ahead of him?

"We learned that Principal Zhang is going to take the Empire Building test in Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom, so we decided to wait for you here so that you won't be able to chase us away!" Hu Yaoyao replied with a smile.

With her influence as the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, it wasn't too difficult for her to dig up this piece of information, especially since Zhang Xuan hadn't bothered to conceal the news.

"Ah... Alright then." Seeing that the group before him was determined to tag along, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded.

As the Empire Building test was his 6-star examination, he wasn't supposed to engage the help of other master teachers. However, as long as it was nothing significant that would affect the whole situation, the others could still assist in miscellaneous matters.

With their assistance, he should be able to clear the test faster than he had anticipated.

"Let's go together then." Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan beckoned for the others to come over, and Luo Qiqi and the others leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast with delighted smiles.

Before long, the group was on their way to Xuanyuan Kingdom once more.

The four intruders, Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin, were top beauties of the Master Teacher Academy, and their presence felt as if spring had fallen within the stuffy room. As if flowers had bloomed in the area, a light fragrance drifted in the air, sending one's heart beating in excitement. However, it was a pity that Zhang Xuan was a blockhead, and his eyes saw nothing but cultivation and more cultivation.

All that he spoke of with those ladies was regarding only cultivation as well.

This left them extremely frustrated and helpless.

But while the interactions were boring, Zhang Xuan's knowledge and means were indeed far beyond them. Within just three short days of flight, all of them had managed to achieve a breakthrough.

This was especially so for Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er. The rate at which they had advanced their cultivation was indeed astonishing, having reached Chrysalis realm primary stage.

Zhang Xuan had focused his effort more on Hu Yaoyao, so the latter had made substantial improvements too. Even though she was still at Half-Saint primary stage, her comprehension of cultivation and battle techniques had deepened significantly, enhancing her fighting prowess by at least twofold!

With her current strength, it was doubtful whether Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin combined would be a match for her.

In fact, Zhang Xuan was confident that she could even stand her ground against the Half-Saint Lu Cheng too.

Of course, if she wished to defeat the latter, she would still have to first fully digest what she had learned over the past few days and reinforce her cultivation further. Nevertheless, it was already unbelievable to her that she had gained such strength within just a few days.

As for Dong Xin, Zhang Xuan had also offered her some pointers for her cultivation. While her improvement wasn't as substantial as Hu Yaoyao's, her fighting prowess had also been raised considerably.

In truth, the four of them had tagged along, thinking of this as a leisure trip to Xuanyuan Kingdom. They hadn't expected to receive such a benefit on top of that, and they couldn't help but be excited by their new gains.

While offering the others some guidance on their cultivation, Zhang Xuan had also spent his spare time reinforcing his Half-Saint cultivation further.

As his cultivation usually came with a huge commotion and was quite an eye-catching, he didn't attempt to make any breakthroughs during the journey. Instead, he spent his time studying the books regarding painting, mechanisms, and battle techniques, and unknowingly, his state of mind seemed to have undergone an evolution too.

It was commonly said that painting would help to expand one's mind, bringing one enlightenment and calmness.

At this very moment, Zhang Xuan had already achieved a proficiency comparable to a 7-star painter.

What did that mean?

As long as he had sufficient zhenqi in his body, with just a brush in hand, he could produce millions of spirit beasts and soldiers that could easily devastate a Conferred Kingdom.

That was the fearsome might that a 7-star painter wielded!

Beyond 6-star, all supporting occupations, regardless of which, would be able to draw astonishing power that would be unwise for anyone to underestimate.

...

Half a month later...

Standing by the windows, Luo Qiqi took a glance beneath and said, "The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is right ahead. Zhang shi, do you want to take a look?"

"Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" Zhang Xuan smiled. "Sure. Let's descend to take a look!"

It had been four months since he had departed from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Since he was passing by, he should naturally head down to take a look.

After all, it was through the Master Teacher Tournament held here that he had gained the qualification to enter the Master Teacher Academy and become the esteemed person he was today.

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Chapter 921: Zhang Xuan's Valiant Stature

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hearing the command, the Byzantium Helios Beast began descending to the ground, and before long, the group was already standing outside the square in front of the Alliance Head Residence.

In that very square, he had clashed with geniuses from over twenty other empires in the Master Teacher Tournament to vie for the right to enter the Master Teacher Academy. Even though it had only been a short few months since then, everything felt very nostalgic, as if it had happened a lifetime ago.

Young and reckless then, he had defeated all of his opponents with overwhelming might, creating a legend in his wake... But now, he was much more composed and mature.

Taking a look at the massive square before her, Luo Qiqi asked in curiously, "Did Teacher come from here?"

In her view, her teacher was an incredibly talented person. Even among the younger generation of the Sage Clans, there were very few who could compete with him.

It was truly hard to believe that such an outstanding figure came not from a prestigious clan but from such a humble place.

This square was large, yes, but compared to the sacred mountains and blessed lands that Sage Clans dominated, it was nothing at all.

Putting aside everything, even the spiritual energy in the air was extremely thin. A month of cultivation at the Master Teacher Academy could easily equal several years of cultivation here.

Seemingly seeing through the thoughts Luo Qiqi harbored, Zhang Xuan simply replied with a silent smile.

If he hadn't gained possession of the Library of Heaven's Path, he would probably have idled his life away in the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, too.

In life, however, there were no ifs. From the moment he gained possession of the Library of Heaven's Path, his life had already changed.

Leaving the Byzantium Helios Beast to wait in the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others began making their way through the street and toward the square.

At this very moment, the square was bustling with a crowd. Many cultivators were staring intently at a massive statue erected at the center of the square with fervent gazes.

"What are they doing?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

The square was in proximity to the Alliance Head Residence and the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it had always been quiet. Why would a crowd suddenly gather here all of the sudden? Was there a riot going on?

"Look, look! That's Zhang shi!"

"He is indeed dashing and handsome, just like how I dreamed he would be!"

"Of course, Zhang shi is my idol, you know. The greatest wish in my life is to achieve a ten thousandth of his greatness!"

"Hah, your idol? More like everyone's idol! There is no one in this square who doesn't respect and admire Zhang shi!"

"Indeed! I heard that Zhang shi has gone to the Master Teacher Academy. Ah, how I wish for him to return and conduct a lecture for us..."

"Hearing Zhang shi's lecture is the dream of countless in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... Well, who asked you to be absent the previous time he held a lecture?"

"Am I talking to you? ... Wait, I remember that you weren't around for the lecture either, isn't that so?"

...

Before even arriving at the square, Zhang Xuan could already hear the discussions of countless young men and women as they gazed toward the center of the square with eyes sparkling in admiration and fists clenched in agitation.

Hearing the discussions of the crowd and noting the key phrase 'Master Teacher Academy', Luo Qiqi couldn't help but step forward and ask a young man, "Excuse me... May I ask, who is the Zhang shi you spoke of?"

"You don't even know Zhang shi? Aren't you too behind the times..."

Shocked to hear that there was actually someone who hadn't heard of Zhang shi's name, the young man turned around to reprimand the person who had asked the question. However, the moment he saw Luo Qiqi's face, he abruptly froze, and his face flushed crimson in nervousness. "Ah... You were the one who asked the question? Zhang shi's name goes by a single character, 'Xuan'. He is the greatest master teacher to have walked out from our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in its entire history..."

Luo Qiqi's beauty was sufficient to make any man fall at her feet. To be able to speak coherently without stuttering in her presence, the young man's self-control was not bad.

" Xuan 1 , as in the character synonymous with hanging?"

Hearing that he was actually the man the crowd was talking about, a bizarre expression surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face. After receiving the other party's confirmation, he couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Xuan, he... when did he become your idol?"

It had already been several months since he had left, so any hype regarding him should have died down by now. Why would they still be talking about him?

On top of that, idol? Greatest master teacher? What was going on?

But as soon as Zhang Xuan asked that question, a loud bellow sounded from the distance.

"Audacious! How dare you address Zhang shi's name directly and speak such disrespectful words? Where did you find the guts to do so?"

Following which, a young man strutted over proudly.

With an appearance of sixteen or seventeen, the young man was dressed in extravagant clothes, and he commanded a powerful presence. With just a look, it was clear that he was a person of high standing.

Due to his loud exclamation, he immediately caught the notice of the crowd, and gazes swiftly turned to him to see what was going on. Their eyes only lingered on Zhang Xuan for an instant before turning to the four beautiful ladies beside him.

Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin... They were top-notch beauties; any man would smile even in his dreams if he could bring one of them home. For four to appear simultaneously and with a young man beside at that, it was no wonder they would spark the curiosity of the crowd.

"The Eighth Prince is a well-known playboy. He must be trying to show off before those beautiful ladies so as to win their fancy!"

"But that young man was also asking for it. If he hadn't done anything, the Eighth Prince would have had no reason to start anything either. Yet, he was actually so brazen as to call Zhang shi by his name in public... I truly wonder where he found the guts to do so!"

"Zhang shi is the idol of countless youths in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. This is especially so for the Eighth Prince; he views Zhang shi as a goal to strive for. Yet, that fellow actually dared to ask if the 'Xuan' character referred to the one synonymous with hanging... Hanging your head! He sure doesn't know to watch his tongue; he deserves it!"

"Who can he blame when he is the one who is seeking death?"

After learning what had happened, cold sneers emerged on the lips of the crowd as they watched the commotion intently.

The young man was the eighth son of Alliance Head Zhao, Zhao Feiwu's younger brother, and he was only sixteen this year.

Despite his young age, his reputation in Myriad Kingdom City was appalling.

Lustful, domineering, arrogant, short-tempered... He had committed many atrocities in Myriad Kingdom City, disappointing his father and sister time and time again.

A few months ago, however, after being reprimanded by his sister once more, he suddenly declared that he would take Zhang shi as his role model and cultivate diligently in hopes that he would become a powerful expert like the other party. Due to his great admiration for Zhang shi, he detested anyone speaking badly about the latter.

Yet, the fellow before him actually asked if the 'Xuan' character in Zhang shi's name was the one synonymous with hanging. This was blatant disrespect for Zhang shi! It was no wonder he flew to a rage. On top of that, the four beauties around Zhang Xuan reminded him of the playboy he used to be, and that further stoked his irritation.

All of a sudden, someone amid the crowd exclaimed in astonishment, "Wait a moment... Is it just me, or does that young man look... a little familiar?"

"I also think that he looks quite familiar, like I have seen him somewhere before. But I just can't put my finger on it."

As soon as someone uttered those words, a few voices of agreement echoed among the crowd, and frowns began emerging on the faces of many.

Rendered speechless by the explosive outburst of the young man before him, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head. "Disrespectful? How was I disrespectful? Is the name 'Zhang Xuan' not meant for anyone to speak of?"

He had never thought that a day would come when it would be a taboo for him to even say his own name. Faced with such a situation, he didn't know whether he should laugh, cry, or rage.

"Of course, it is not meant for anyone to speak of! It is one thing if you had been disrespectful on a normal occasion, but do you know what day it is today?" The young man's eyes narrowed in hostility.

"What day is it?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

So, whether he was allowed to call his own name was dependent on the day too?

Hearing that the young man had no idea what day it was, the young man immediately erupted in fury. "Today is the day that Zhang shi's sculpture was erected in this square! As a citizen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you don't even know this? Have you been living under a rock?"

The crowd was also perplexed by the reaction of the young man before them. Even if he didn't know what day it was, he should have noticed the crowd in the square! It was such an important occasion for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet he actually said that he was unaware of it. Was he intentionally demeaning the alliance, or was this his way of expressing his dissatisfaction with it?

"The day that Zhang shi's sculpture was erected?" Stunned, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to the sculpture.

He had only shot it a passing glance earlier, not thinking much of it. Taking a closer look now, he noticed that the man depicted in the sculpture was dressed in a master teacher robe. A hand of his was placed behind his back while the other hand was holding onto a brush. His eyes were directed toward the sky, as if peering through the fabric of the world itself. He carried a powerful disposition, which left one not daring to look at him directly.

Beneath him, serving as his mount, was a phoenix with its wings spread, seemingly ready to soar into the sky and venture into the depths of heaven.

That's me? Zhang Xuan's eyelids and mouth began twitching uncontrollably. Isn't he a bit... different!

The sculpture in the square had a towering stature, and the material used was also extremely rare. It was an excellent work of art no matter which aspect of it one looked at it from, clearly having come from a master sculptor...

However, there were still some differences in his appearance, especially in his disposition. The sculpture felt too tall and majestic, which made it seem unlike him instead.

Furthermore... a phoenix? When did he ride on such a thing? He had no recollection of taming a spirit beast or saint beast of this sort before!

Of the savage beasts, spirit beasts, and saint beasts he had tamed, the only one that bore even the slightest resemblance to a phoenix would be Viridescent Eagle, but... how in the world did his Viridescent Eagle transform into a phoenix?

To be soaring into the heavens atop of a phoenix, was that dignified poser really him?

This was truly difficult to swallow.

If the other party hadn't said that it was him, he would not have thought that it was modelled after him even if he were to stare at it for an entire day.

When did he become so tall and dignified?

Did they sculpt it according to Kong shi's standards?

Otherwise, that compassionate look in the eyes that seemed as if it could embrace the entire world... What the hell was that?

Zhang Xuan wasn't the only one who was shocked by this. After seeing the sculpture, the eyelids of Luo Qiqi and the others also began jerking uncontrollably. This was even more so for Hu Yaoyao, who had experienced how 'formidable' Zhang shi was personally.

How could that shameless schemer have such a majestic and dignified sculpture in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? This was unbelievable!

Suppressing the frustration he felt, Zhang Xuan asked, "Based on what I know, the Zhang shi you spoke of isn't dead yet, right? Why did you erect a sculpture of him all of a sudden?"

Erecting a sculpture and building an ancestral shrine were things one would do only after the person in question was dead. Given that he was still alive, why were they doing this?

"You dare to curse Zhang shi?"

As soon as the young man heard those words, his body trembled in anger. "Zhang shi's lecture has benefitted millions in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and all of us view him as our esteemed teacher... We have erected a sculpture of him so that we can pay respect to him. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Lecture?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

It was at that moment that he suddenly recalled the lecture he had conducted right after the Master Teacher Tournament ended. At the very end, he even drew a phoenix and flew away on it...

Was this sculpture modelled after that scene?

If that was the case, that would explain the phoenix he was riding on. However, he only did it back then because he thought that it would look good and boost his reputation. Who could have known that the others would take it for real and sculpt him in such a manner?

Wasn't this taking it too seriously?

Zhang Xuan felt deeply distressed.

Was he to tell them that he wasn't as great as they thought him to be? But that would be as good as slapping his own face!

However, if he chose not to say anything, he would feel ashamed for holding onto this undeserving title.

Ah, what a dilemma!

Chapter 922: Meeting Zhao Feiwu Once More

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided it would be better not to say it anything.

To a master teacher, on top of their ability to impart knowledge, reputation was extremely important as well. Since he had built up considerable prestige with his previous lecture, there was no reason for him to ruin it. After all, for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, his name could serve as a symbol to unify its citizens, as well as a powerful figure to deter conflict.

Naturally, it would also be beneficial for him to have such a reputation as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it would aid in his 6-star master teacher examination as well.

Seeing how the person before him was refusing to show the slightest respect to Zhang shi's sculpture, even showing a conflicted expression as if to mock it, the young man furiously issued a command. "This fellow dared disrespect Zhang shi; I suspect that he is a spy from some foreign power. Men! Apprehend him and interrogate him well!"

"Yes!" The guards following behind him swiftly rushed forward to encircle Zhang Xuan and the others.

"I wasn't trying to be disrespectful..." Realizing that his explanation was unlikely to work, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He walked up to the young man, fondled his head, and asked with a smile, "Where is your elder sister Zhao Feiwu? Ask her to come over to meet me..."

Was there something wrong with that fellow's head, or was he simply that slow? The Eighth Prince of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had already ordered for his apprehension, but not only did the other party not show the slightest bit of fear, the other party had even walked forward to fondle his head. Not to mention, to directly call his sister by her name and order her to meet him... Unforgivable!

"Audacious! How dare you call the alliance head by her name alone? Just how brazen can you get..." Roaring furiously, the young man could no longer hold himself back anymore and sent a fist straight toward Zhang Xuan.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didn't bother dodging at all. Instead, he pushed the other party's head lightly, and the other party's fist wasn't able to reach him at all due to the difference in arm length, thus rendering the prince powerless regardless of what he did.

"What are the rest of you waiting for? Get him!" Seeing that his attack had been stopped in such a humiliating manner, the young man felt so enraged that he could lose his mind. He immediately issued an order to the guards furiously.

It was also only after hearing the order that the guards jolted out of their dazed state. They immediately tried to rush forward to help, but to their horror, they found that they were unable to move their bodies at all, as if they had fallen into a marsh of some kind.

The party behind that was Hu Yaoyao and the others.

With their prowess, discreetly dealing with a bunch of guards who hadn't even reached Zongshi realm 1 was a walk in the park.

"Oh? Zhao Feiwu became the alliance head?" Surprised, Zhang Xuan asked with a chuckle as he stared at the young man who was busy flinging his fists forward but was unable to hit him.

From what he remembered, Zhao Feiwu was a knowledgeable and sharp-witted lady, but due to her affliction from birth, she wasn't able to cultivate.

Even though Zhang Xuan had resolved her problem of being unable to cultivate before leaving, she should still be some distance away from achieving the strength required to become the highest leader of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

One must know that in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, without the strength of a Transcendent Mortal, it was impossible to become one of the top officials, let alone the alliance head!

"Let me go, or else I will definitely have you killed!" the young man roared with clenched teeth, not bothering to answer Zhang Xuan's question.

"Forget it, I won't be able to get the full story out of you anyway; I will ask her personally then!"

Knowing that things would only get more complicated at this rate, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze toward the Alliance Head Residence and said, "Princess Feiwu, won't you come out to meet an old friend?"

His voice wasn't loud, but with his prowess as a Half-Saint, his words still easily reached the ears of every single person in Myriad Kingdom City.

"Zhang shi?"

While others didn't think much of the voice, an excited voice sounded from within the Alliance Head Residence. Following which, Alliance Zhao Feiwu abruptly emerged from the residence on the back of an aerial spirit beast, heading toward the square.

Even before the spirit beast could descend, the young lady had already leaped down to the ground. She rushed forward excitedly, wanting to give the young man before her a warm hug. However, at the final moment, she hesitated and clasped her fist instead. "Feiwu pays respect to Zhang shi!"

"Zhang shi?"

"For Princess Feiwu to act so respectfully toward him, could he be... that Zhang shi, Zhang Xuan?"

"Now that you mention it, he does seem to bear some resemblance to the sculpture in the center of the square."

"It's not just 'bear some resemblance'; they are the same person! How could we have failed to recognize Zhang shi?"

"He looks much more medio... magnificent than his sculpture!"

"Indeed, magnificent is the word I was thinking too."

...

Zhao Feiwu's words and actions had caused a huge commotion in the square.

Everyone turned to the young man at the center with eyes lit up in excitement.

Even the Eighth Prince, who had just ordered for Zhang Xuan's apprehension a moment ago, was completely dazed, and he looked as if he was going to lose his mind.

He had always regarded the latter as his idol, but to think that, not only would he fail to recognize the other party in person, he would even act so disrespectfully. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt of his actions. If only there was a burrow in the ground at this very moment, he would have dived right in.

"Let's head to the Alliance Head Residence to speak!" Noticing the fiery gazes around them, Zhao Feiwu knew that they weren't in a good place to speak. Thus, she beckoned Zhang Xuan toward the residence.

"Un." Nodding, Zhang Xuan and the others leaped onto the back of the aerial spirit beast and headed toward the Alliance Head Residence.

Shortly after they left, a deafening uproar broke out amid the square, and it felt as if even the sky would fall under the din.

"So that is Zhang shi..."

"What a gentlemanly and cultured person he is! If I could marry him, my life will have been worthwhile even if I die the moment after!"

"Marry him your head! Look at the ladies beside him and Alliance Head Zhao Feiwu, which of them isn't a top-notch beauty? With your appearance, you probably aren't even worthy of serving as his maid..."

"Even if I can't become his maid, a night of pleasure is fine by me as well..."

...

Some amid the crowd had their eyes glowing in admiration while others had gone green in envy, but there was palpable excitement in the air.

Zhang Xuan had simply created far too many miracles. Becoming the half-teacher of millions of experts, he had brought the Myriad Kingdom Alliance out of its many years of oppression from the neighboring empires. As news of his sudden appearance spread, the citizens of Myriad Kingdom City began crowding the streets, curious to see the form of the legendary genius.

...

Oblivious to the chaos in the square, at that moment, Zhang Xuan was seated in a vast hall. Sitting not too far away from him was Zhao Feiwu, who carried a faint smile on her lips.

Over the past four months since Zhang Xuan left, Zhao Feiwu had made considerable progress in her cultivation. She was still some distance away from reaching Transcendent Mortal, being still at Zhizun realm, but to have made such great progress within a limited period of time, she must have put in quite a bit of effort.

Noticing Zhang Xuan's thought, Zhao Feiwu explained, "Zhang shi, you left behind a cultivation technique manual for me before you left, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect... all of these powers have been providing me resources for my cultivation unconditionally, so it is only natural that I've made such progress within this period of time."

"Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect... Those powers provided resources for your cultivation unconditionally?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

These sects had been the culprits behind the oppression of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for so many years, so why would they suddenly change their attitude all of a sudden, supporting her instead?

"That's right. They have only made a single request of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in exchange for their unconditional support, and that is for me to become the alliance head," Zhao Feiwu explained.

After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately realized what was going on, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

Back then, before the Master Teacher Tournament, he had once appeared before those powers in Yang shi's form and killed the leader of the White Helios Sect, Bai Kaizhi, with a single book. That incident had probably instilled great fear into the leaders of the other powers. On top of that, he himself had also emerged as the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament and successfully enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy.

Even if the Master Teacher Academy was a distance away, it was inevitable that they feared he would return one day and exact vengeance on them, especially given what they had done in the past.

After receiving news that he had close ties with Zhao Feiwu, they decided to fawn on the latter, probably in the hope that she could speak up for them should they fall into a dire situation.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan spoke. "Since those sects and powers are willing to forge a close relationship with the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you should send a message to inform them that I will be staying at Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom for a period of time. During my stay there, I will be conducting public lectures, and if any of them are interested, they are free to join as well."

Since these powers intended to express their goodwill to him through supporting Zhao Feiwu, he should reciprocate their goodwill. This was essential if the Myriad Kingdom Alliance hoped to enjoy peace for many years to come.

Furthermore, what a Conferred Kingdom lacked the most was a strong foundation. As just an individual, it would be difficult for him to build a strong foundation in Xuanyuan Kingdom by himself.

The best way to do so was to draw more experts into the country. Their arrival would be closely followed by merchants, who would bring in a great amount of resources necessary for the common populace to advance their cultivation faster, thus enhancing the national power.

"Alright!" Knowing the intentions behind Zhang Xuan's instructions, Zhao Feiwu nodded with a smile. "I will also inform everyone in the alliance. You have many fans within the alliance at the moment, so they will surely follow you if they hear that you are heading to Xuanyuan Kingdom."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

By this point, he had also figured out the reason the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had decided to erect his sculpture.

His very existence served as a deterrent factor against the 27 other regional powers, preventing them from doing anything overboard. So, of course, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance would try to glorify him as much as possible.

After chatting a while longer and learning that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had been faring well in recent times, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to rise and take his leave, Zhao Feiwu suddenly stared at him with deep anticipation.

"Zhang shi, is it fine... if I follow you to Xuanyuan Kingdom?"

"Aren't you the alliance head at the moment? Are you allowed to leave your post?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"I am only the alliance head in name at the moment. The one who is handling everything within the alliance is still my father," Zhao Feiwu replied.

"I see. You should follow along too then; I will offer you some pointers with your cultivation whenever I have time. Even though it's impressive that you have reached Zhizun realm within just a few months, it's still insufficient to hold your ground against the many powers in the region! I will try to raise your cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan or 6-dan within this period of time," Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.

In order to claim the highest position of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance stably, one had to possess a cultivation of at least Clarifying Turbidity realm. However, to become a truly unrivalled existence in the region, one would have to be at Consonant Spirit realm or Cosmos Bridge realm.

In the past, Zhang Xuan didn't have the power to achieve this. However, having reached Half-Saint and possessing many artifacts and pills in his inventory, it wasn't too difficult for him to raise Zhao Feiwu's cultivation to such a level within a short period of time.

"Thank you, Zhang shi!" Zhao Feiwu's eyes lit up in excitement after learning that the other party would help her raise her cultivation.

She didn't have much of an interest in amassing authority and power, but the fact that the other party was willing to help her showed that she meant something to him, and this left her heart tingling in joy.

On top of that, as Zhang shi continued on his journey, the disparity in their strength would only continue to widen. At this rate, they would only become two individuals living in two different worlds, unable to reach one another.

If she could grow stronger, that would mean that she would be inching even a step closer to him. Even if she couldn't catch up with him, at least the distance between them wouldn't be so great.

After dealing with the affairs at the alliance and spreading the news out, Zhao Feiwu and the others got on top of the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making their way over to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom.

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Chapter 923: 6-star Master Teacher!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Two months later, in the Elder Hall of the Master Teacher Academy, Mo Zhu, Zhao Bingxu, and the other school heads were seated around a table.

Shortly after Lu Feng was stripped of his position as the head of the Apothecary School, Vice School Head Lu Qing had taken over his position. At the same time, Chen Chengxun had also stepped from his position as the head of the Formation Master School, and another vice school head had taken over it.

In other words, all ten of the school heads were gathered together.

"School Head Mo, how is Principal Zhang's Empire Building going?" Zhao Bingxu asked.

Their principal taking the 6-star master teacher examination was a major affair for the Master Teacher Academy. As such, School Head Mo had been appointed to keep tabs on the matter so that they could respond should anything major occur.

"Alright, allow me brief you all on the matter."

School Head Mo stood up and began. "The Conferred Kingdom that Principal Zhang has chosen for Empire Building is... Xuanyuan Kingdom! It is a nation beneath the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, which is the vassal state of Tier-2 Huanyu Empire."

Everyone nodded.

To be honest... they hadn't even heard of Xuanyuan Kingdom before. That was how remote and backward it was.

The Master Teacher Continent was simply too large, and there were far too many kingdoms and empires for one to remember. Despite the vast knowledge that master teachers possessed, it was impossible for them to know all of them.

They had still heard of Huanyu Empire, but they would hardly hear any news about nations beyond that, such as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, let alone Xuanyuan Kingdom.

To a typical 6-star master teacher, it could be considered as a backward, undeveloped plot of land.

"Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom two months ago, but he didn't announce his arrival. Instead, he immediately headed to the local Master Teacher Pavilion."

School Head Mo had kept a close eye on Zhang Xuan's every single action, allowing him to explain everything in detail. "The local head of the Master Teacher Pavilion is a 3-star pinnacle master teacher known as Luo Qianhong. He once had a conflict with Principal Zhang, and Principal Zhang crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion as a result."

"Crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Everyone was astonished to hear that.

As master teachers, they understood the immense difficulty in crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion. Not only would one have to subdue every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would also have to face the wills left behind by preceding master teachers as well.

Based on what they know, back when their principal was still at Xuanyuan Kingdom, he had only been a 2-star master teacher. To successfully crash a Master Teacher Pavilion then, didn't that mean that he had been superior to 3-star pinnacle or 4-star master teachers despite only being at 2-star?

"According to the rules, Master Teacher Pavilion will have to unconditionally obey the orders of the master teacher who has successfully crashed it. What did Principal Zhang order them to do after heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Wei Ranxue asked.

Crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion was similar to a martial artist crashing a dojo. The loser would have to accept the punishment from the victor regardless of what it was.

"Principal Zhang didn't order them to do anything. Instead, he held a lecture for them, and within three days, both the cultivation and comprehension of the Way of Teacher of the master teachers in there were raised significantly. This was especially so for Luo Qianhong. Not only did he successfully clear the 4-star master teacher examination within this period of time, he has even advanced to 4-star pinnacle!" School Head Mo said.

"Within three days, he actually raised the capability of a 3-star pinnacle master teacher to 4-star pinnacle?"

"Isn't this... a little— way too fast?"

The school heads were flabbergasted when they heard the news.

The reason it was hard for master teachers to advance their rank was because there were many aspects they had to improve in order to qualify for and clear each master teacher examination, such as their cultivation, eye of discernment, Soul Depth, and supporting occupations. All of this require considerable time. For Luo Qianhong to advance from 3-star pinnacle to 4-star pinnacle with just three days of guidance, this rate of improvement was unbelievable!

"Not only so, in the past, Xuanyuan Kingdom had a total of a dozen or so 3-star master teachers. However, after those three days, another eight of them has made a breakthrough to 4-star. Even though they are only at 4-star primary, that is still rather frightening!" School Head Mo said with a bitter smile.

When he first heard this news, he could hardly believe his ears. He'd had to confirm the matter several times before he could finally come to a conclusion—true geniuses were existences whom ordinary men like them couldn't hope to fathom.

"So, all in all, Xuanyuan Kingdom has nine 4-star master teachers... That is a big step forward, that it is still insufficient for a kingdom to advance to an empire," one of the school heads remarked.

It was true that the foundation required for a kingdom to advance to an empire was the Master Teacher Pavilion, but it would still take considerable time for the other aspects to rise up to the required level as well, such as the economy and the military force of the nation. With just a few 4-star master teachers, it was still infeasible to accomplish Empire Building within a short period of time.

It was for this reason that Empire Building was indubitably the hardest test of the 6-star master teacher examination.

"It's indeed insufficient, but on the tenth day that Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom, many master teachers and Transcendent Mortal experts from the surrounding Unranked Empire, sects, and powers suddenly came flooding into the nation, joining its ranks."

"They joined Xuanyuan Kingdom?"

"Many? How many people do you mean by that?"

Everyone frowned.

One of the school heads shook his head. "A Conferred Kingdom will at least have a population of several hundred million, and the addition of a couple of master teachers and experts won't make much of a difference..."

Experts had their own pride, so it was highly unlikely that they would lower themselves to join a lower-ranked nation. After all, that would be equivalent to regressing, and it would make it harder for them to advance their cultivation and capability as well.

As such, in the school heads' view, even if some of the experts and master teachers decided to join Xuanyuan Kingdom, it was unlikely that there would be too many of them. Even at most, there would only be dozens of master teachers and several hundred experts. However, such numbers were like a drop in the ocean for a nation with a population of several hundred million, and their presence wouldn't make a significant difference.

Empire Building required the raise in the overall prowess of the nation, the average cultivation of the entire populace. This was not something that could be achieved just by a couple of master teachers and experts coming in.

"A couple of master teachers and experts you say?" Hearing those words, a bitter smile emerged on School Head Mo's lips.

"You are severely underestimating Principal Zhang's rallying ability in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! Within just ten days, more than three thousand 4-star master teachers and a hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts joined Xuanyuan Kingdom."

"Three thousand 4-star master teachers?"

"A hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts?"

Everyone was dumbstruck.

That number of master teachers and experts... Even an average Unranked Empire wouldn't have such numbers!

"But the sudden arrival of so many experts in Xuanyuan Kingdom could potentially destabilize the nation and undermine the authority of the royal family. If they rise up and start a rebellion, how will the royal family quell the insurrection?" Jiang Qingqin asked with a frown.

Even though he usually maintained a low profile within Hongyuan Empire, he was still aware of the balance of power between the royal family, the officials, and the populace.

Considering that the arriving experts were far stronger than the officials and the royal family, how could the nation impose their laws and govern them? Should they choose not to submit, would the nation have any way of dealing with them?

One must know that in an average Conferred Kingdom, even the strongest old ancestor would only be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, and the emperor would only be at Half-Transcension at most, usually. The sudden influx of over a hundred thousand experts was not necessarily good news for the country.

"There is no need to worry about it; Principal Zhang already has everything thought out. After spending three days in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he spent the next seven days, before the influx of the master teachers and experts, in the Xuanyuan royal palace... Within the seven days, he raised Empress Mo Yu's cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and the other officials who have a close relationship with her have also reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan or 3-dan," said School Head Mo.

To induce such an unbelievable increase in the cultivation of those within the Xuanyuan royal palace within seven days... They would have never been able to think this possible had it been in the past.

However, after witnessing the huge commotion resulting from Principal Zhang's public lecture, how innumerable animals had made the breakthrough to become savage beasts, they had come to realize that whenever he was involved, miracles were nothing more than a normal occurrence.

School Head Mo continued his explanation. "Not only that, Principal Zhang also took more than a thousand of the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge with him, and each of them possesses a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 6-dan. He has instructed them to obey the commands of no one but Mo Yu. With such a powerful hand, even an average Tier-2 Empire will dare not provoke Xuanyuan Kingdom, let more those cultivators..."

"Over a thousand Transcendent Mortal 6-dan spirit beasts? Hahaha, only Principal Zhang is capable of playing such a big hand!"

"Indeed, there is probably no one else in the world who can take out so many loyal spirit beasts so easily!"

"With the royal family wielding such a powerful force, it could be said that the security of the nation is guaranteed."

Everyone was astonished for a moment after hearing the news before nodding excitedly in approval.

Typically speaking, an average beast tamer would only have a tamed beast or two, and considering the effort he would have had to put into taming them, it was impossible for him to give his tamed beasts away to another. However, their principal had made the hundred thousand spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge submit to him! As such, giving away a thousand weaker spirit beasts was truly nothing at all to him.

But while it was nothing to their principal, it was of vital importance to Xuanyuan Kingdom. In the first place, the lifespan of a spirit beast was far longer than that of a human. On top of that, the strength of each of them was far higher than the strongest expert in the kingdom. With them guarding the royal family, who would dare show the slightest disrespect to them?

School Head Mo still wasn't finished. "Shortly after the influx of experts and master teachers into Xuanyuan Royal City, Principal Zhang conducted his first public lecture. In the lecture, his voice could be heard even from a distance of several hundred kilometers away, and the cultivators of the capital benefited greatly for his lecture, with over half of them achieving a breakthrough on the spot. On top of that, his Spirit Gathering Diction has caused spiritual energy to concentrate within Xuanyuan Royal City, not dissipating even after the end of the lecture, thus turning the entire area into a blessed land for cultivation."

"Spirit Gathering Diction, Rain of the Heavenly Flowers... Principal Zhang does wield the capability to raise the cultivation of others swiftly. With this, many powerful cultivators will emerge in Xuanyuan Kingdom very soon. However, the strength of a nation lies not only within its cultivators, but the development of the occupations as well," the head of the Painter School, Song Danqing, remarked.

In assessing the overall strength of a nation, the average cultivation of the populace was only one of the factors involved. More important was the development and prosperity of the occupations.

National power covered not only potential military might but a nation's economic development, culture, and the individual's standard of living too.

Many of these factors were intricately tied with the occupations within the nation. An empire, even if an unranked one, needed not only a powerful Master Teacher Pavilion, but the existence of a capable Painter Guild, Apothecary Guild, Blacksmith Guild, and such. Only then would they be able to attract and retain talents to further the prosperity of the nation.

"Maybe you have been too busy recently, so you didn't notice it, but on the very day that Principal Zhang left Hongyuan City, the Shen Clan and Liu Clan of the Four Great Clans announced that they would be establishing a trading branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom so as to expand their business there. As soon as that announcement was made, many huge merchants in the vassal states quickly made plans to enter Xuanyuan Kingdom as well. As a result, the number of businesses within Xuanyuan Kingdom at the current moment is on par with even some Tier-2 Empires.

"As for occupations, Principal Zhang spent the ten days imparting painting, pill forging, smithing, demonic tunes, and such occupation skills to the locals, and this has caught the attention of many occupation guilds. To date, another seven occupation have already opened a branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom," School Head Mo said.

After hearing those words, a school head couldn't help but mutter beneath his breath, "The average strength of the populace, military strength, economic development, and presence of occupations are all in place. Doesn't that mean that Xuanyuan Kingdom is already qualified to be an empire?"

These were the main indicators to determine if a nation was qualified to be considered an empire. In less than two months, their principal had induced an overwhelming change within Xuanyuan Kingdom. Could it be that... he had already completed the Empire Building test?

School Head Mo nodded. "That's right. Twenty days ago, the headquarters sent a representative down to check on the situation in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and the reason I have called for this gathering is to officially announce the result to you all.

"Principal Zhang has successfully cleared his 6-star master teacher examination, Empire Building, and thus, from this day forth, he is officially a 6-star master teacher!"

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Chapter 924: The Four Principals

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"He has already cleared the examination?"

"In just two short months, he successfully raised a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire?"

"If I recall correctly, even the current record holder for our academy, Principal Mo Liuzhen, took three whole years, right?"

"Two months... that is really way too fast!"

The school heads couldn't help but be dumbstruck by the shocking revelation.

They had no doubt that their principal would clear the Empire Building test, but they hadn't thought that it would be so fast!

To clear it within two months, he had probably broken the record of the Master Teacher Pavilion!

School Head Mo nodded. "Indeed, that's really fast! At the moment, Principal Zhang should be on his way back..."

"That is good. At this rate, he should be able to make it for the Combat Master Selection," Zhao Bingxu said.

"Indeed."

As soon as the Combat Master Selection was brought up, grim faces immediately emerged in the room.

The Four Great Master Teacher Academies would gather together for the Combat Master Selection once every hundred years, and while it might seem like nothing much on the surface, there was actually strong rivalries and competition in the dark. If the principal could return in time, that would be for the best.

"Over the past two months, our Martial Arts School has managed to sieve out the top twenty of each grade to participate in the Combat Master Selection," Xu Changqing said.

The only requirement for the Combat Master Selection was superior strength. The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had been fighting against one another in a selection exercise over the last two months, and finally, the twenty strongest students of each grade to represent the academy and vie with the other three academies for the slots in the Combat Master Selection had been decided.

Hearing that the results were out, Zhao Bingxu hesitated for a moment before asking, "How is the strength of our students?"

"Judging from the previous Combat Master Selections, our students are still a little weak. I fear that not many of them will be selected." Xu Changqing sighed deeply.

The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had always been at the bottom of the Four Great Academies. In the ten thousand years since its establishment, only 327 people had succeeded in becoming combat masters. This meant that only three to four people, on average, were selected in the Combat Master Selection each time.

Hearing that the situation was not really optimistic, Zhao Bingxu shook his head and said, "There are still a few days before the selection. Let us gather the students together and try pushing them one last time before the selection. Perhaps, we might get more of them in."

"This is the only thing we can do now." The others nodded in agreement.

The effects of last minute training were usually minimal at best, but there was nothing else they could do at this point.

The other Master Teacher Academies had 7-star master teachers to offer pointers to their candidates, and the resources they received from the Master Teacher Pavilion were also far greater. As such, most top geniuses would opt to enroll in the other three academies if they had the chance, leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy with just the remaining ones. It couldn't be helped that they weren't a match for the others.

It was not sufficient to have good teachers. Without ample resources and talented students, it would be extremely difficult for the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to qualify in the Combat Master Selection.

This formed a vicious cycle. After many years of being unable to achieve good results, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy received fewer resources from the Master Teacher Pavilion, and its reputation fell as well, thus resulting in the more talented master teachers shunning the academy, which lowered the performance of the academy even further.

...

While the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy were discussing this matter, just outside Hongyuan City, a massive flying ship came to a halt.

The entire ship was nearly eighty-meters in length, and it was more than ten stories tall. All of the required facilities were on it, and from afar, it looked extraordinarily extravagant.

The front and the back of the ship were supported by eight saint beasts, each harnessing the Dragon Bloodline. Through perfect coordination among the sixteen saint beasts, they were able to bring the massive ship down without the slightest tremor.

On the deck stood two elders, who gazed at the towering city walls beneath them with a smile.

"Principal Wo, I am truly thankful for your 'Cloudcliff Flying Ship'. Otherwise, it would have taken me a fair bit of effort to reach here so quickly!" the blue-robed elder standing on the left said as he stroked his beard.

"It is only right for us, the Four Great Academies, to help one another. Besides, the Combat Master Selection is held at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and your Luoqing Master Teacher Academy happens to be en route from our Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, so it's no trouble at all. This is also an ideal opportunity for our students to interact with one another and learn that the world is far larger than they thought so as to reduce their complacency. Otherwise, if they stayed within the confines of the Master Teacher Academy, they would just think that they are the greatest in the world, and that contributes nothing to their growth at all," the gray-robed elder on the right replied with a smile.

Both of these elders wielded the strength of a Saint, and the aura they emanated felt unfathomable, rendering one incapable of accurately determining their strength.

On top of that, there was an emblem pinned on their master teacher robes, on which, there were seven brilliantly shining stars. From this, it was clear that they were both 7-star master teachers.

7-star master teacher, this was a height that not a single person of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Master Teacher Pavilion had achieved.

"Indeed. The crux to learning lies in knowing one's ignorance... The fact that these students are able to stand out among their peers in the academy and participate in the Combat Master Selection goes to show that they are incredible talents. Thus, it is inevitable that they will be complacent about their own abilities. As such, there is a need to have them know that there is always a mountain higher than the other, a person greater than himself. This will help them reach greater heights in the future." The blue-robed elder nodded.

(The full phrase is that 'Logic that is not debated is weak, and knowledge that is unspoken is unclear.')

After a moment of silence, Principal Wo asked, "Where is Principal Wu? We have already arrived, so why is he nowhere to be seen?"

"It's not like you don't know about Wu Ran, that fellow. He is fixated on the insight that Kong shi left behind at the Saint Ascension Platform, and he even became the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle. For that, he set forth several months in advance, so he should already be in the city by now!" the blue-robed elder replied.

The blue-robed elder was the principal of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Shen Pingchao, and the person he was speaking to was the head of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wo Tianqiong.

(Note: Wo Tianqiong's surname is supposed to be Wu as well, just like Wu Ran, but as both of them are Principal Wu, I tweaked the former a little to Wo so as to avoid confusion.)

The person they were talking about, Wu Ran, was the principal of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy, as well as the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle whom Zhang Xuan had met back on the Saint Ascension Platform.

Yunxu, Luoqing, Qingzhu, and Hongyuan. These were the Four Great Master Teacher Academies under Qingyuan Conferred Empire.

Among the four, Yunxu ranked at the top whereas Hongyuan stood at the very bottom of the list.

"Principal Wo, Principal Shen, my teacher, Wu shi, invites you over to meet him!"

While the two of them were speaking, a middle-aged man suddenly descended onto the ship and clasped his fist respectfully to them.

"See, I told you, didn't I? That fellow is sure to have long arrived before us..." Shen Pingchao chuckled softly to Wo Tianqiong before turning to the middle-aged man and replying, "We will be heading over now."

After which, he and Wo Tianqiong issued some instructions to the teachers behind them before following behind the middle-aged man and heading toward the depths of Hongyuan City.

It didn't take them too long to arrive at a huge manor.

As soon as they entered the main hall, they immediately saw Wu Ran seated within, elegantly and leisurely pouring hot water into a teapot. With just a glance, they could immediately tell that the latter was a skilled tea master.

"You old fellow, you sure are fast! Did you invite the both of us over for tea? I will just say these words beforehand, if the tea isn't good, don't expect us to drink it!" Wo Tianqiong said with a smile.

"Rest assured, I won't treat you to anything less than good tea!" Hearing those words, Wu Ran chuckled softly. "I had to pull some connections and pay a heavy price for this pot of tea, and I have been waiting for the both of you to arrive to share it with you."

As Wu Ran spoke, he poured the tea within the teapot into the small teacups by the side and offered them to Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao.

The duo took the teacups, but before they could take a sip, a thick layer of mist suddenly rose from the tea, lingering around the teacup, creating a dreamy haze around it.

"What a beautiful cup of tea..." The eyes of the duo lit up in amazement.

Putting aside the flavor of the tea, just its presentation in itself already made it far superior to most teas.

The drifting layer of mist shrouding the cup felt reminiscent of the thin mist that veiled the dawn river. Even before the consuming the tea, it had already induced relaxation and comfort within one's heart.

"I wouldn't have it any other way! This pot of tea is made from the renowned Cloudmist Flower, produced exclusively in Hongyuan Empire's Cloudmist Ridge, and it has cost me ten whole high-tier spirit stones! Furthermore, had I not pulled my vast connections, I might not have been able to purchase it at all. Even so, I was only able to obtain one liang of it. I couldn't bear to drink it all this while, deciding to wait for you two to arrive to share it with you," Wu Ran said with a smile.

(One liang = 0.125 grams)

"Just the aesthetics itself makes it well worth the price!" Wo Tianqiong smiled. "Let me try and see how it tastes!"

Chuckling softly, he took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up in wonderment. "Good tea!"

Beside him, Shen Pingchao also sipped the tea without any hesitation, and brilliant, astounded gleams swiftly appeared in his eyes.

"Where did you purchase the tea from? Help me get some too..."

"Get some too? If I were able to do so, I would have definitely bought ten jin on the spot..."

(~5kg)

"Then... sell that one liang of tea leaves you have procured to me. I will pay double the price!" Shen Pingchao said anxiously.

He was also a person who savored a good tea. With just a sip of that marvelous tea, he had already fallen in love with it.

"Don't even think about it, I won't sell it to you no matter what price you offer! Alright, let's get to the main business at hand." Wu Ran shook his head. "Have you heard of the news regarding the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?"

Wo Tianqiong sighed deeply and said, "I did. He disappeared two years ago, and to date, it is unsure whether he is alive or dead. The top seat in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy should still be empty, right?"

The principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were of similar standings, and they shared an amicable relationship with one another. As such, it was impossible for them to be unaware of the disappearance of the old principal, and they had even mourned over that matter for quite a while.

"You are right that the old principal went missing two years ago. However, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has already found a new principal!" Wu Ran replied.

"Found a new principal? Have you looked into what kind of person he is?" Shen Pingchao asked.

"Even without intentionally looking into the matters of the new principal, there is already plenty of news regarding him going around Hongyuan City. If I tell you his deeds, I bet you two will definitely have the shock of your life!"

He had arrived in Hongyuan City just a few days ago, and considering that the news regarding the new principal was literally everywhere, it would have been hard for him not to know who the new principal was.

"Have the shock of our lives?" Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao glanced at one another in bewilderment before asking, "Is the new principal very famous? Could he be a representative dispatched from the headquarters?"

"Of course not! The new principal is only in his early twenties, and he is a student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy earlier this year. He goes by the name of Zhang Xuan!" Wu Ran said.

"A student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy this year?"

"In his early twenties? Is this really accurate?"

The two principals were stunned, and they couldn't help but doubt their ears.

Did the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy go insane all of a sudden? Or did they just give up on themselves?

A fellow who was barely in his early twenties, inexperienced, and immature, and yet they had chosen him to become their principal? Was this for real?

"Of course, this is accurate! If you don't trust me, feel free to ask anyone in Hongyuan City!" Wu Ran replied with a bitter smile. "If you underestimate the new principal just because he is in his early twenties, you will be in for a great shock. I have heard a lot about him, and to date, I still find it all inconceivable."

"Inconceivable? Interesting. Tell us!" Wo Tianqiong said.

"Principal Wo, when you inaugurated back then, you also invited the predecessors and sought their recognition, right? How much of their recognition did you receive?" Wu Ran asked out of the blue.

"I was incompetent, so I only received 45% of the predecessors' recognition. Of the hundred principals in the history of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, I am only ranked seventh!"

Even though Wo Tianqiong claimed that he was incompetent, the slight hint of pride contained within his voice still betrayed his true thoughts.

To receive a recognition of 45% among a hundred preceding principals meant that he had the recognition of more than forty of them. Even compared to all of the preceding principals, his record was indubitably outstanding.

After all, one only needed a recognition rate of 20% to clear this formality, and he had received more than twice that figure.

Wu Ran turned to the blue-robed elder and asked, "What about Principal Shen?"

"I only received 37% of the predecessors' recognition, failing to get into even the top ten in the history of principals in the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. I am truly ashamed," Shen Pingchao said.

"45% and 37% are outstanding records, considering the difficulty of the formality. However, when compared to the record of the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they are indeed not worth mentioning!" Wu Ran said as he subconsciously shook his head. Disbelief was reflected in his eyes.

The news he had received was simply so shocking that he found it simply impossible to accept.

"You mean that... he has surpassed our records?"

The two principals frowned.

Chapter 925: Zhang Xuan Returns

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The formalities for the inauguration ceremonies of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were rather similar.

It was not arrogance or complacency, but their ability to impart knowledge and manage their respective Master Teacher Academies could be considered top-notch even when compared to the preceding principals in the history of their academies.

Yet, even with capabilities like theirs, they had only received 45% and 37% of their predecessors' recognition. This fully reflected the difficulty of the formality.

Even if a fellow in his early twenties were to start studying from his mother's womb, how capable could he possibly be?

Could he really be more capable than them and have received an even higher recognition from the predecessors?

"Surpassed? It is more like there is no basis for comparison at all!"

Seeing their expressions, how could Wu Ran be unaware of the thoughts going through the minds of his two old friends? He couldn't help but shake his head.

"No basis of comparison? It can't be that... he has received a recognition rate exceeding 50%?" Shen Pingchao asked with a frown.

Even at the limits of his imagination, he couldn't think of anyone achieving anything much more than that.

Those who were chosen to become the principals of a Master Teacher Academy were the geniuses among geniuses, individuals who had contributed greatly to the academy in many ways. In the first place, it was already unthinkable to have a student who had only just enrolled into the academy become the principal. Yet, could that student really have obtained more than half of the predecessors' recognition?

If that was the case, wouldn't the predecessors... be far too lacking in their judgement?

"Exceeding 50%?" Wu Ran shook his head.

Noting Wu Ran's response, Wo Tianqiong thought that the other party was denying the matter and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Just as I thought, how could a recognition rate of 50% be achieved that easily..."

However, before Wo Tianqiong could finish his words, the other party spoke. "If it was only that much, I wouldn't have made such a fuss. The recognition rate that the new principal has achieved is... 100%!"

"100%?"

The two principals nearly spurted blood.

You must be joking with us!

Every individual had their own thoughts and preferences, and satisfying everyone, not to mention more than a hundred top-notch geniuses throughout history, was definitely impossible!

This was the reason why over the years, despite the emergence of many outstanding principals, never had there been a person who had achieved a 100% recognition rate.

Yet, a newly enrolled student who was barely in his early twenties had actually won the recognition of the hundred predecessors?

"I know that the both of you won't believe it. However, this is the truth. There is no faking it." Wu Ran sighed deeply.

When he first heard the news, his reaction had been just like the other two. His lower jaw had nearly dropped straight to the ground from shock.

Had it not been for the hundred thousand witnesses present on the scene who could verify the matter, he would have definitely thought that it was a lie!

"Since you are so certain of the matter, there should be no doubt." Knowing that his old friend wouldn't lie to him over such an important matter, Wo Tianqiong turned to look at him with a perplexed expression. "After inviting the predecessors to the ceremonial ground, we are only granted three sentences to speak. What did the new principal say in order to win the recognition of all of the preceding principals?"

With his lips twitching uncontrollably, Wu Ran replied, "He didn't say anything much... Instead, he pummeled the wills of the predecessors instead!"

"P-pu-pummeled?" Shen Pingchao and Wo Tianqiong staggered weakly.

They had heard of principals uttering words to fawn on their predecessors, and they had also heard of principals bragging about their achievements in the hope of aweing them, but none had managed to achieve such outstanding results before. For pummeling to be so effective... When did the wills of the predecessors become so lacking in guts that they would submit to force?

"Not only so, the new principal has also obtained the complete recognition of every single teacher and student in the Master Teacher Academy, thus successfully forging the Impeccable Principal's Seal. On top of that, during his public lecture, he induced the phenomenon of countless animals, regardless of species, be it donkeys, roosters, dogs, or cats, achieving a breakthrough to become savage beasts."

Fearing that the two principals would suffer a mental breakdown, Wu Ran swiftly went through everything before they could properly muse over the implications of the matter, hoping to lessen the blow.

"Impeccable Principal's Seal..."

"Countless animals achieving a breakthrough to become savage beasts..."

Nevertheless, the blow still left the two principals dumbstruck for a very long time before they could regain their sanity. "Have you met the new principal?"

"Not yet." Wu Ran shook his head. "When I arrived, I heard that he left around two months ago for his 6-star master teacher examination, Empire Building."

"Two months? It seems like we won't have an opportunity to meet him then."

"Indeed. Considering the difficulty involved in Empire Building, even if he is a truly talented individual, it will still take him a minimum of several years to succeed."

Hearing that the new principal was in the midst of taking the most difficult assessment for his 6-star master teacher examination, Shen Pingchao and Wo Tianqiong shook their heads in disappointment.

"Several years? There is no need for that! Based on the latest news I have received... he has already cleared the test!" Wu Ran said.

"Didn't you say that... he only left two months ago for the examination?" Wo Tianqiong's mouth twitched in astonishment.

"Indeed. He cleared the test within two months, advancing a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire," Wu Ran replied with a nod.

"..." The two principals.

Just before heading there, they had still been discussing about how the students were lacking worldly experience, and they should allow the students to interact with one another more so as to learn that there was a taller mountain, a person greater than themselves. However, after hearing all those words, they suddenly had a feeling that the ones who were lacking worldly experience were them!

It had been five hundred years since they had taken over as the principals of their respective Master Teacher Academies, and in the period of time, they had seen many different kinds of geniuses. However, they had never met one who could match that Principal Zhang's caliber!

"In the Combat Master Selection, the ones who will be assessed are the students, not the principals. The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy might have found an outstanding principal, but from what I know, the strength of their students is still not up to par. I guess we will see the true prowess of the new principal personally then!"

"Indeed. While it is important for a principal to be a capable individually in order to win the respect of others, what is more important is his ability to bring the academy forward to greater heights. If he can't achieve that, then no matter how many predecessors recognize him or how advanced a Principal's Seal he was able to form, they would merely be for show."

Being the principal of the Master Teacher Academy wasn't a one-man show to display the extent of one's capability. Rather, it was a responsibility to manage the academy effectively so as to maximize the potential of the students. If the students were unable to meet the benchmark, the principal would have failed their job regardless of how capable they were or how great a reputation they had accrued.

Utilizing all resources available at hand to maximize the strength of the students, that was the core responsibility that a principal had.

The Four Great Master Teacher Academies had always been in a state of rivalry, and they would be lying if they said that the emergence of such an outstanding principal in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy didn't leave them feeling pressured.

At that moment, they had all made up their minds. They would have their students perform spectacularly in the Combat Master Selection so that everyone would learn that the pride of a principal lay not in their own strength but the strength of their students.

...

While an air of rivalry was brewing within Hongyuan City, Zhang Xuan was seated atop the Byzantium Helios Beast, on his journey back to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

Empire Building was indeed worthy of its title as the most difficult 6-star master teacher examination test. Even with the means he had at hand, he had still found himself overwhelmed by the many things he had to do.

Fortunately, his efforts hadn't been in vain. He had finally accomplished the task at hand.

Within the two months, using the five hundred high-tier spirit stones he had obtained from the Shen Clan and Liu Clan, he had also advanced his cultivation to Half-Saint pinnacle.

The strength he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation had also increased from the initial 60,000,000 ding to 84,000,000 ding, granting him might superior to even the 75,000,000 ding that the average Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivator wielded.

With the rise in his strength, ordinarily speaking, taking into account the 20,000,000 ding and 32,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and physical body cultivation respectively, the maximum strength he could harness should have been 136,000,000 ding, greater than a Saint realm 1-dan cultivator.

However, things didn't go as planned.

No matter how he cultivated, his strength just wouldn't break the 100,000,000 ding bottleneck, stopping right at 99,999,999 ding.

It was as if the 100,000,000 ding was the manifestation of the difference between a Saint and a Transcendent Mortal. As long as he didn't achieve Sainthood, it would remain an unbreachable barrier.

A ding of difference demarcated the gap between a deity and a mortal.

However, even though Zhang Xuan was unable to wield strength exceeding 100,000,000 ding, the strong cultivation foundation that he had built up allowed him to crush even an ordinary Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage cultivator easily.

More importantly, after the two months of cultivation, the zhenqi reserve he had in his body was so great that it would astound any cultivator.

Using an analogy, if the zhenqi reserve of an ordinary Half-Saint cultivator was a small pond, his would be a massive lake, at least several dozen times greater than the former.

In other words, if he were to release his zhenqi all at once, it would be comparable to that of dozens of Half-Saint pinnacle experts. Just the notion of it in itself was fearsome.

Naturally, he wasn't the only one to have achieved a breakthrough in the past two months. Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er had successfully advanced to Chrysalis realm pinnacle too.

Dong Xin and Hu Yaoyao had also managed to match him, becoming Half-Saint pinnacle experts themselves.

To anyone else, this rate of cultivation was inconceivable and only existed in one's dream. However, after tagging along with Zhang Xuan for so long, the four of them seemed to think of it as something perfectly normal, and they even felt that they might have been cultivating a little too slow.

In fact, were it not to reinforce their cultivation, they might have already achieved a breakthrough to Nascent Saint, swiftly approaching Saint realm!

Under his guidance, Zhao Feiwu and Mo Yu had also reached Transcendent Mortal 5-dan.

The Byzantium Helios Beast, which had been tagging along with them, through consuming the many inner cores stored in the Golden Beartiger Beast's storage ring, had also significantly advanced its cultivation, reaching Saint realm 2-dan advanced stage.

The nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had also achieved breakthroughs as well, reaching Spiritual Perception realm.

Two months was nothing to a cultivator, passing by with just the snap of a finger. However, it was within this seemingly short period of time that everyone around Zhang Xuan, be it beast or human, had made frightening advancements in their cultivation.

At the same time, after three months of work, the Myriad Anthive Queen had expanded the Myriad Anthive Nest to around five hundred meters in diameter. The space had also become more stable, similar to a mini world.

Many buildings had been constructed within, making it feasible to house several hundred or even a thousand men within.

The nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge and the Byzantium Helios Beast usually lived in harmony in the nest, not interfering with one another.

Zhang Xuan's clone had also been cultivating its soul under the Bodhi Tree all along, and it had recently managed to achieve a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm.

Speaking of which, Zhang Xuan, confident in his newfound strength, had challenged his clone to yet another battle, hoping to wash away the many humiliating defeats he had suffered at the latter's hand. However, as soon as the battle started... just like the many times before, he was viciously pummeled into submission.

For some reason, even though his clone's soul cultivation hadn't increased by much within this period of time, the other party's strength had still grown by an even greater amount than his.

Because of this matter, Zhang Xuan had been frustrated for a very long time before coming to a realization.

Perhaps, from the very start, his clone hadn't been able to utilize the full extent of the unbelievable strength contained within the Nine Hearts Lotus. However, over time, as the compatibility between his clone's soul and the Nine Hearts Lotus increased, his clone would be able to draw more strength from the Nine Hearts Lotus, thus enhancing his fighting prowess.

In other words, even if his clone didn't cultivate and spent its days sleeping idly, he would still display a fighting prowess beyond one's imagination once the compatibility of his soul and the Nine Hearts Lotus became perfect!

Of course, this realization sent Zhang Xuan into another downward spiral of unhappiness.

Eventually, he could only sigh and accept it. It couldn't be helped. Since he was lacking in innate talent, he could only make up for it through diligence.

...

While Zhang Xuan was cultivating, Luo Qiqi suddenly entered the room and said, "Teacher, we have arrived at Hongyuan City. Shall we head straight to the Master Teacher Academy or..."

"We have arrived?" Zhang Xuan stood up and took a look outside before saying, "Let's head to the manor first!"

With School Head Mo and School Head Zhao in the Master Teacher Academy, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to worry about the matters there. For the time being, he was more interested to see how far Wang Ying and the others had progressed during his absence.

He hadn't brought them to Xuanyuan Kingdom alongside him for two reasons.

One, he had already taught them all they needed to know, so there was no need for them to tag along.

Two, he wanted them to learn how to become independent. In a sense, this served as a test for them. He wanted to see how far they could cultivate on their own in his absence.

In the end, they were the only ones who could dictate the route they wanted to take. He had been by their side, supporting them, ever since the start of their journey from Tianxuan Kingdom, and it was about time for them to learn how to advance on their own.

"Alright!" Luo Qiqi nodded.

Before long, the Byzantium Helios Beast began making its descend toward a resplendent manor in the middle of Hongyuan City.

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Chapter 926: Premature Commencement of the Combat Master Selection

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even though Zhang Xuan had been allocated a residence within the Master Teacher Academy with a good location and rich spiritual energy after becoming the principal, he would still spend most of his time staying at the manor outside of the academy.

In any case, the manor wasn't too far away from the academy, so he wouldn't be delayed much should any emergencies occurred. Besides, it was much quieter than the residence in the Master Teacher Academy, and his students were living in the manor, too.

Shortly after landing in the courtyard, Sun Qiang rushed forward and greeted him agitatedly. "Young Master, you are back!"

Over the past two months, this fellow seemed to have gotten even rounder. His cultivation had advanced, but not by much.

He had always been gluttonous and lazy, and it seemed like, in Zhang Xuan's absence, he'd had his fair share of good food but neglected his cultivation.

Knowing that the other party was unlikely to change, Zhang Xuan lectured him for a short moment before instructing, "Call Wang Ying and the others over."

"Yes!" Sun Qiang replied before backing away.

Not too long later, Wang Ying and the others walked into the main hall.

Over the past two months, his direct disciples had made significant advances in their cultivation. It seemed like their progress hadn't slowed just because he wasn't by their side.

Wang Ying had managed to reach Chrysalis realm primary stage whereas Zheng Yang and Liu Yang were at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle. Even though the cultivation of the latter two was slightly lower than Wang Ying's at the moment, Zhang Xuan could tell that they were nearing their bottleneck and were likely to make a breakthrough very soon.

Before Zhang Xuan departed, he had imparted the simplified version of the Heaven's Path Divine Art to them and gave them many pills and other resources he had received from the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, which could help aid the advancement of their cultivation.

As such, if their progress had been slow, they would have truly let him down.

While the three of them had made significant advancement in their cultivation, Wei Ruyan's cultivation had remained stagnant, still at Chrysalis realm primary stage as it was two months ago.

However, this was within expectations too.

Wei Ruyan had progressed simply far too quickly due to the nourishment from the massive accumulation of medicinal energy in her body. While her cultivation was at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, it wouldn't be inaccurate to compare it to a castle in the air. If she were to cultivate carelessly, it might lead to everything crumbling down instead.

As such, before leaving, Zhang Xuan had left her a single goal—to cultivate her way up from the very bottom, Fighter 1-dan, reinforcing every single realm of her cultivation thoroughly.

Within two months, she had managed to cultivate up to Chrysalis realm primary stage. While her cultivation hadn't advanced at all, her foundation and fighting prowess had grown to become far greater than they had been when she first awoke.

She was no longer the weak person whose cultivation was propped up by the mere consumption of medicine but a real Chrysalis realm cultivator both in cultivation and fighting prowess.

"Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Unlike the lazy Sun Qiang, at least his students were still reliable and didn't let him down.

"At this moment, some of you are at Chrysalis realm primary stage while others are swiftly approaching it. Currently, there are two routes for you to choose from."

Activating a formation to prevent any information from leaking beyond the walls, Zhang Xuan gazed at his students grimly.

"I have two sets of cultivation techniques in hand. The first one will allow you to advance your cultivation swiftly, and it won't take you too long to reach Saint realm.

"The second one will be significantly slower, and it will be difficult to cultivate too. However, if you succeed, your fighting prowess will increase manyfold, granting you extraordinary might."

The Saint Ascension Decipher was powerful, but the difficulty was steep as well. Without a resolute will, it would be impossible for one to reach the end of the path.

Zhang Xuan had no intention of forcing his student into anything. Whether to cultivate the Saint Ascension Decipher or the ordinary Heaven's Path Divine Art, he felt that this was a decision for them to choose for themselves.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ying suddenly spoke up. "Teacher, I choose the second option!"

"We also choose the second option!"

Before long, the others also spoke in agreement.

Having reached this point, an opportunity to increase one's fighting prowess manyfold didn't come easy. They were reluctant to miss it.

"Choosing the second option means that you will have to work harder and suffer more than anyone else, but even so, success is not guaranteed at the end of the path... Have you considered this matter thoroughly?" Zhang Xuan warned grimly.

Zhang Xuan's students quickly replied.

"We have made up our minds!"

"Pain means nothing at all. As long as we can become stronger, we don't fear anything!"

Seeing his students choosing the second option without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. "That's good."

From the very start, cultivation was a battle against the heavens, a tussle with fate. If they couldn't even find the courage for something like this, it was unlikely that they would be able to reach greater heights in the future even if they remained under his tutelage.

Zhang Xuan swiftly took out a few manuals of a simplified version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, which he had compiled and copied earlier, and passed it on to his students. After which, he gave them some time to read and memorize the content before beginning to explain it thoroughly.

The Saint Ascension Decipher was an extremely complicated cultivation technique, and even he had struggled slightly to comprehend it back then. If he didn't explain the content clearly and his students were to comprehend it incorrectly, there was a good chance that a major problem might occur with their cultivation.

Four hours later, after seeing that his students had a thorough understanding of the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

He instructed his students to cultivate diligently and dismissed them before turning his sight back to Sun Qiang.

"I believe you are well aware of the strength my teacher wields."

"Yes!" Sun Qiang hurriedly responded with a nod.

Even though he wasn't too sure how powerful the old master was, he was certain that the latter, at the very minimum, was an 8-star master teacher or even beyond, an existence that stood at the very top of the Master Teacher Continent.

"It's good that you know. So long as he wishes, he could easily find 7-star master teachers or even 8-star master teachers to serve as his butler. If this is the limit of your potential, I think that it won't be long before my teacher changes his butler," Zhang Xuan said nonchalantly.

Against Sun Qiang, he could only be vicious. Otherwise, the other party would slack at every single opportunity he found.

"Yes!"

Cold sweat began trickling down Sun Qiang's back.

In his period of time, the fawning of the Hongyuan Empire royal family and the gifts from the Shen Clan and the Liu Clan had all confused him, causing him to forget his priorities.

It was only after hearing those words that it dawned on him that if he wanted to follow the young master and the old master, he would need to become more powerful.

If he were to lag behind the others, it wouldn't be long before he became worthless to the old master and the young master. Neither of them would spare him an additional glance.

He clearly understood that without those two, he would be nothing more than an ordinary fatty. All of the prestige and wealth he enjoyed at the moment was just like the moon in a lake, dissipating with a single touch.

"You have been with me since Tianxuan Kingdom, and it is for your own good that I am saying these words. I hope that you know what is best for you. Alright, putting that aside for now, in the two months that I have been away, did anything happen?" After seeing that Sun Qiang understood his message, Zhang Xuan decided to stop there and asked about another matter instead.

"Un. The head of the Shen Clan visited a while ago, saying that it was best for the Cloudmist Flower to be sold in small batches over time so as to fully capitalize on its reputation as a rare commodity and maximize the profits from it. Thus, after some negotiation with them, we decided that we will release only ten jin of it every month in each empire..." Sun Qiang swiftly brought Zhang Xuan up to speed on the various business dealings.

"Un, I will leave all decisions for that to you." Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

He didn't possess the acute business sense that Sun Qiang and the Shen Clan had, so it was best for him to stay out of the matter and leave it to be professionals.

"Alright. This is the first sum of profit from the sale of the Cloudmist Flower!" Seeing that the young master was uninterested in the details of the business, Sun Qiang spoke no more of it. Instead, he presented a storage ring to him.

Taking it, Zhang Xuan took a look inside, and his eyes widened in shock. "So many?"

A warm radiance emanated from a humongous pile of several thousand high-tier spirit stones within the storage ring. The spiritual energy that shrouded them felt so concentrated that it took one's breath away.

"The profits we have earnt so far total to 3,327 high-tier spirit stones. The next sum should be coming in next month," Sun Qiang replied with a smile.

"More than three thousand high-tier spirit stones..." Zhang Xuan's lips twitched.

He had spent so much effort beguiling others and taming beasts, but he had only earned a few hundred high-tier spirit stones to date. Yet, just by selling a small portion of the Cloudmist Flower, he had easily earned a profit many times greater than that. Somehow, it felt like his efforts in the past had been in vain.

But nevertheless, he did need as many spirit stones as possible at the moment, so this was good news for him.

Three thousand high-tier spirit stone might seem like a huge fortune, but it might not necessarily last him till Saint realm 1-dan primary stage.

Not to mention, his students had also begun cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, and their consumption of spirit stones would surely rise exponentially. On top of that, there was also the Byzantium Helios Beast and the nine kings of the Cloudmist Ridge. It could be said that high-tier spirit stones were disappearing in his household at every moment.

Putting aside a few thousand, even several dozen thousand high-tier spirit stones wouldn't last long in his household!

In truth, while the Cloudmist Flower was valuable, it was still extremely difficult to sell it for such a price. Otherwise, the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge would have long initiated such a business.

However, with the Earth Vein Spirit Essence being sapped dry and the mist shrouding the Cloudmist Ridge dissipating gradually, the conditions for producing Cloudmist Flowers were gradually deteriorating. As such, the Cloudmist Flower had become an exclusive and highly limited commodity.

On top of that, the Cloudmist Flowers on sale had a high maturity, and the Shen Clan had worked extremely hard on its marketing as well. Naturally, the price was driven up to an unbelievable extent.

Sun Qiang pondered for a moment before saying, "Also, School Head Mo came by yesterday. It appears that several guests have arrived at the Master Teacher Academy, and they are looking for you!"

"Looking for me? Who is it?"

"It is the principals of the other three Master Teacher Academies. They seem to have arrived at Hongyuan City recently. They wish to discuss the Combat Master Selection with you," Sun Qiang reported.

"They have arrived?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before recalling that the centennial Combat Master Selection was just around the corner.

"I will return to the Master Teacher Academy now!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Combat Master Selection was a huge event that occurred among the Four Great Master Teacher Academies every hundred years; the pride and dignity of each and every academy was at stake. As the principal, this was a responsibility he couldn't shirk from.

He swiftly left the residence and headed to the Elder Hall.

Shortly after he walked into the room, he saw Zhao Bingxu rushing up to him with an anxious look on his face.

"Principal Zhang, you are finally back. That is a huge relief..."

Noticing that something was wrong with Zhao Bingxu's state, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, "Did something happen?"

"Reporting to Principal Zhang, Principal Wo Tianqiong from the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Principal Shen Pingchao from the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, and Principal Wu Ran from the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy have arrived at our academy. According to the news we have received, the representatives from the Combat Master Hall will be arriving shortly after as well. School Head Mo is currently keeping watch, waiting to welcome them in at any moment. I was also with him, but I rushed over as soon as I heard that you have returned," Zhao Bingxu said anxiously.

"Isn't there some time before the commencement of the Master Teacher Selection?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

Back then, shortly after he returned from the Saint Ascension Platform, the Golden Origin Cauldron had said that there were still three months before the Combat Master Selection began. Judging from that, there should still have been several days for him to prepare. Why would everyone arrive so quickly?

"We just received news from the Combat Master Hall a moment ago that they received new orders from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters; the Four Great Master Teacher Academies are to finish the selection exercise within three days," Zhao Bingxu explained.

"Such a rush?"

Zhang Xuan was still intending to conduct a lecture for his academy's candidates so as to raise their fighting prowess ahead of the selection, but who would have thought that the selection would begin shortly after his return? That was way too fast!

"I am not too sure about the details, but the Combat Master Selection will be commencing very soon, so I have to ask Principal Zhang to head over!" Zhao Bingxu said.

If Principal Zhang hadn't returned in time for the Combat Master Selection, they, as the Ten Great Master Teachers, would have had to overstep their authority to hold the fort in his absence. However, since Principal Zhang had returned just in time, it was only right for him to manage the situation personally.

They had managed to find quite a handful of outstanding youths in the internal selection within the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but after seeing the candidates from the other three academies, they had no confidence whatsoever that their own candidates would be able to stand their ground against the others.

There was a clear difference between their candidates and the others, and if things went as they expected, they would only have one or two candidates clearing the selection.

"Let's head over to take a look."

Nodding, Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu swiftly made their way to the training ground.

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Chapter 927: I Will Give You Three Minutes

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even before arriving at the training ground, Zhang Xuan and Zhao Bingxu could already see the massive crowd that had gathered in the area. Nearly every student in the academy had congregated, curious to watch the event. The bustle was even comparable to that on the day of the inauguration ceremony.

The Combat Master Selection was a festive event that only happened once every hundred years. On this occasion, one would be able to witness the strongest fighting power of their power class, so there was no master teacher who would be willing to miss such an opportunity.

It wasn't just the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy who were present, the master teachers from the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and even those from the surroundings empires were there, too, and each and every one of them had an excited expression that revealed their anticipation for the event that would occur very soon.

"Even though the Combat Master Hall is just a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, being a combat master grants one the opportunity to obtain even more resources, allowing one to cultivate faster than others. This is also the reason many hope to join their ranks," Zhao Bingxu said.

Typically speaking, combat masters commanded less prestige than master teachers. After all, as the military branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they specialized only in fighting, which meant that their capability in their supporting occupations and their ability to impart knowledge, the very factors that gave rise to the master teachers' prestigious standing in the world, fell beneath that of normal master teachers.

However, if one could join the Combat Master Hall, the Master Teacher Pavilion would devote resources to groom them, thus allowing them to grow easier and faster than an ordinary master teacher.

This was also the reason many master teachers desired to join their ranks.

However, it was a pity that the requirements to become a combat master were very demanding on one's combat talent. Out of ten thousand master teachers, there might not even be one who could meet the mark.

Halfway through his words, Zhao Bingxu suddenly recalled the astounding battle talent that their principal possessed too, and he couldn't help but ask, "Principal Zhang, have you ever thought of becoming a combat master?"

He might not have had much confidence in the students of their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but he had no doubt that their principal would qualify if he were to take the examination too.

"Me? I have no interest!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Like Kong shi, his plan was to study many occupations and become a true master teacher who would spread his teachings across the world.

Besides, if he were to become a combat master who knew nothing but battle, how was he going to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison?

As such, he didn't have much of an interest in becoming a combat master.

"That's a relief..." Zhao Bingxu heaved a sigh of relief.

If their principal were to join the Combat Master Hall, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy would surely return back to the disunited and chaotic situation it had been in before.

There was no way they would be able to find another principal who could win the recognition of every single preceding principal and held the respect and admiration of every single student and teacher.

While they were speaking, they arrived at the training grounds, and the students who saw them hurriedly bowed respectfully.

"Paying respects to Principal Zhang, paying respects to School Head Zhao!"

"Principal Zhang has returned!"

"I heard that the reason for Principal Zhang's absence was because he was challenging the Empire Building test of the 6-star master teacher examination. To have returned now, could it be that he has cleared the examination?"

"Do you even need to ask? Of course, he must have cleared the examination! Given the prowess of our principal, taking a 6-star master teacher examination is nothing at all!"

"Indeed! Putting aside the 6-star master teacher examination, even if he were to become a 7-star master teacher this very instant, I wouldn't be surprised at all..."

...

The news swiftly rippled across the crowd, and it didn't take long for everyone present to learn that Zhang Xuan was at the training grounds. Their eyes couldn't help but light up in excitement.

The emotion they harbored toward most elders was just deference for their power and authority, but toward the principal, who was younger than most of them, the emotions they felt were nothing but respect and admiration, and it was to the point where one could nearly call it blind faith.

After witnessing their principal produce miracle after miracle, at this point, they wouldn't be too surprised regardless of what the other party did. Instead, they would just think of it as what ought to be the case.

After gesturing with a nod at the hot-blooded students, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to Zhao Bingxu and asked with a frown, "Where are other elders and the men from the other three Master Teacher Academies?"

The place was filled with students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and master teachers from the surrounding Master Teacher Pavilions, but not a single student or teacher of the other three Master Teacher Academies was anywhere to be seen.

"They are currently on the flying ship." Zhao Bingxu pointed with a bitter expression.

Tracing his finger, Zhang Xuan immediately saw a massive ship floating in the air, propped up by eight saint beasts both at the front and the back. Its sheer size was sufficient to block out most of the sky, and its very presence seemed to carry an indomitable air around it.

Too preoccupied with the students on the training ground, Zhang Xuan had failed to notice the massive ship flying high in the sky instantly.

Focusing his sight toward the ship, he soon noticed three old men standing on the deck with their hands behind their backs. They commanded a grand air around them, as if conquerors who could shake the world with a wave of their hands.

As for School Head Mo and the others, they were currently standing right in front of the three old men, seemingly negotiating with them.

"They aren't coming down?" Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure.

To arrive at their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy but refuse to alight from their flying ship, this could be said to be disregarding the honor and prestige of their Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

"School Head Mo is currently trying to invite them down, but considering how long it has been since then, it doesn't seem like it's working." Zhao Bingxu's complexion wasn't too good either.

Instead of walking in through the entrance with their students as it should be for a formal visit, they had chosen to fly their ship all the way in instead. That was no different from barging into one's living room on a mount, and it was considered extremely disrespectful behavior.

On top of that, the fact that School Head Mo and the others were speaking to them in front of the ship instead of on the ship showed that things weren't going well on their end.

"Tell them that I, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, invite them to the audience stand to spectate the Combat Master Selection," said Zhang Xuan.

"Yes!" Zhao Bingxu nodded, but just as he was about to leave to relay their principal's words, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "But... what if they still refuse to come down?"

Considering that School Head Mo and the others had negotiated with the other party but to no avail, there was a good chance that the name of their principal might not work either.

With a displeased frown, Zhang Xuan raised his fingers and said, "I will give them three minutes."

"Three minutes?" Stunned, Zhao Bingxu's lips twitched.

Judging from their principal's tone... it seemed like he was prepared to wreak havoc if needed to!

But... of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies, Hongyuan was the weakest. If they were to start something, the ones to ultimately lose out would indubitably be them too.

Hesitating for a moment, Zhao Bingxu felt that he should advise their principal against that. "Principal Zhang, no matter what, they are still guests. If we make a move against them, others could easily find faults with us..."

If the other party were to be pummeled at their doorstep, wouldn't they suffer the same fate when they arrived at the other party's doorstep a hundred years later?

"Make a move against them? You are overthinking it."

Zhang Xuan shook his head and shot Zhao Bingxu a look of disdain. "We are master teachers, cultured individuals, so how can we resort to violence just because things don't go as we wish? Besides, the three principals are 7-star master teachers. Even if we wish to make a move against them, we have to be able to defeat them first!"

As 7-star master teachers, even with the most conservative of estimates, they had to be at Saint realm 2-dan. Unless Zhang Xuan were to have the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Byzantium Helios Beast, and the Myriad Anthive Queen attack them simultaneously, it would be difficult for him to achieve victory.

Besides, to resort to violence right from the start, how could the Master Teacher Academy lower itself to such brutish measures?

As master teachers, they were all dignified members of society. Naturally, they should be using civilized means befitting their standing to deal with conflict!

"Cough cough!" Feeling Zhang Xuan's disdainful gaze on him, Zhao Bingxu couldn't help but feel an extremely stifled sensation in his chest. "Then... the three minutes you spoke of..."

If it was another principal who had said that he was a cultured person, he would have believed it without any hesitation! But the man before him... he rummaged through everything in his brain but just couldn't find any reason to believe those words!

Would a cultured person challenge another to a Physician Life-and-Death Duel without any hesitation? Would a cultured person reduce a huge chunk of the entire Physician School to ruins on a whim?

Would a cultured person dismantle a puppet into its respective parts just because it wouldn't submit to him?

Could anyone be less cultured than him?

"Oh... What I mean is that if they are still up there by the end of three minutes, I will just have to use my own way to invite them down!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand leisurely. "Alright, just go ahead and do as I've told you to."

"Ahh... Alright then," Zhao Bingxu replied with an uneasy frown, apprehensive of what their principal would do.

However, since their principal had already issued such an order, he would just have to do as instructed. Thus, he leaped up and made his way toward the flying ship.

...

In the sky, School Head Mo and the others looked at the three old men and the many students behind them standing on the deck with looks of helplessness.

Just as Zhao Bingxu had said, they had been negotiating with the other party for a very long time, but the other party just wouldn't go down. On top of that, as fellow master teachers, they couldn't possibly do anything that could be considered a breach of etiquette, thus resulting in the awkward standstill they were in.

"Elders of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, you should return for the time being. We won't be sending you off," Wo Tianqiong said with a smile as he stroked his beard.

"This..." Seeing that he was unable to convince the other party to alight from the ship, School Head Mo and the others sighed deeply. Just as they were about to give up and head down, they suddenly saw Zhao Bingxu flying up.

"Principals, I am School Head Zhao Bingxu of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Our principal invites you and your students down for a gathering." Zhao Bingxu clasped his fist respectfully.

"Your principal has arrived?"

The three principals immediately turned their gazes downward to catch a glimpse the legendary new principal that they had heard so many rumors about, but there were simply far too many people below; it was hard for them to find the other party, especially considering they knew nothing about the other party's appearance.

"That is indeed the case." Zhao Bingxu nodded.

"Since he is here, I won't make things harder for you all anymore. Relay our message to him. We will send our men down to participate in the Combat Master Selection when it begins. We won't cause any unnecessary delays, so he doesn't have to worry about that," Wo Tianqiong said.

"This..." Seeing that the three principals had no intention of budging, Zhao Bingxu recalled their principal's words, and the feeling of uneasiness he felt suddenly intensified. Anxious, he urged, "Principals, I think that it will be best for you to head down now. Our principal... doesn't have the best of tempers, and he has the uncanny ability to realize the seemingly unexpected and impossible. It wouldn't be good if some unhappiness were to arise among our academies out of this matter."

Their principal hadn't said what he intended to do, but this only served to worsen Zhao Bingxu's apprehension.

His words were extremely earnest, but to the ears of those hearing them, it sounded as if he was threatening them instead.

"Doesn't have the best of tempers? Unhappiness? Hah, he just became the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, but his head is already in the moon?" Shen Pingchao was the first to flare up.

His face darkened as he said in displeasure, "A young man like him shouldn't get complacent and think that he is the entire world just because he has achieved some accomplishments of his own. Our Luoqing Master Teacher Academy does not belong to him, and there is no reason we should listen to his words! I will say this clearly, I won't be alighting from this ship today. What is your principal going to do about it, is he going to force me down from this ship?"

"Principal Shen is right. If we refuse to alight from this ship, is your Hongyuan going to make a move on us? Tell your principal that youth is not a reason for recklessness. One must be absolutely careful with his words. I was still rather impressed with him after hearing about his feats, but to think that he would be such a complacent individual instead. You should start praying that his arrogance doesn't lead to Hongyuan's downfall instead!" Flinging his sleeves, Wu Ran harrumphed with a livid expression.

Bad temper? Unhappiness? Does that new principal really think that he can climb over our heads that easily?

Even if some unhappiness does arise, with the three of our academies on the same side, the one to suffer will be you!

"I... That isn't what I mean..." Not expecting his kind advice to be misunderstood in such a manner, Zhao Bingxu hurriedly tried to clarify his earlier statement, but he just couldn't find the words to do so properly. In an instant, he panicked even more.

Their principal had given him the time limit of only three minutes. Given the other party's personality, who knew what he would do?

If he were to have dispatch all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge to encircle the flying ship and attack it, there would be an intense battle even before the Combat Master Selection began!

If that was the case, the Four Great Master Teacher Academies would become a laughingstock of the entire Master Teacher Continent!

"That isn't what you mean? What else do you mean then? Why don't you tell us what your principal instructed you to tell us word for word then?" Gazing at Zhao Bingxu with eyes as sharp as an eagle, Wo Tianqiong could tell that the other party had words that he was hesitant to say.

"Our principal..."

Zhao Bingxu was conflicted, but he knew that it would only complicate matters if he were to continue hiding it at this point. Thus, gritting his teeth, he said, "He said that he hopes for you to come down within three minutes, or else... he will have to find other ways to resolve this problem..."

"Three minutes?"

Hearing those words, School Head Mo and the others nearly keeled over.

Doomed... At this rate, a battle would really occur!

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Chapter 928: Masochists

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Three minutes?"

"Find other ways to resolve the problem?"

"What an arrogant fellow! Fine, let's remain on this ship then. I sure would like to see how he intends to resolve this problem!"

The three principals were also visibly stunned for a brief moment before their complexions darkened even further.

They had been wondering what words the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had instructed Zhao Bingxu to relay to them, but to think that this would be it!

A newly inaugurated principal actually showed dared to speak to them, 7-star master teachers, so arrogant, devoid of any respect... You are asking for it!

Since this is how arrogant you wish to play, fine! Four can play the game!

Let's see what you can do about us then!

"Principal Wo, Principal Shen, Principal Wu..." Seeing that the trio had already flown into a rage before he could finish his words, Zhao Bingxu felt extremely distressed.

By saying that their principal had a bad temper, he was only intending it as earnest advice to the three principals out of goodwill. He hadn't expected that those words would complicate matters further.

"Speak no more. Leave!" Wo Tianqiong waved his hands coldly.

"This..."

Seeing that their minds were made up, Zhao Bingxu could only shake his head. Together with School Head Mo and the others, they headed back to the training ground.

Soon after the group from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy left, the three principals traded gazes and shook their heads.

"That Principal Zhang of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy sure sounds like an interesting person." Shen Pingchao chuckled softly, the displeasure and anger on his face from before disappearing completely.

"Indeed. We intended to pose this flying ship as a test to see if he could resolve this problem perfectly, but from the looks of it... he sure is a hot-tempered person!" Wo Tianqiong sighed deeply.

As 7-star master teachers and the principals of their respective Master Teacher Academies, it was natural that they knew how disrespectful their behavior was. The reason they did so nevertheless was not because they looked down on Hongyuan and wanted to provoke it, but because they wished to assess the capability of the newly-appointed principal for themselves and see how he would deal with such a difficult situation.

In a sense, it could be seen as a test they were posing to the other party as veteran principals.

After all, the principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were considered fellow peers, and they wanted to see if a twenty-year-old fellow was qualified to become one of their own.

In truth, this problem also wasn't a difficult one to resolve.

Going by normal conventions, as long as the other party had prepared a simple banquet for them and personally headed up to invite them down humbly, owing to the other party's sincere attitude, they would have had to drop their airs and comply.

Yet, that fellow had refused to lower his head, even threatening them with a time limit of three minutes, saying that he would take his own measures should they refuse to come down.

He sure was arrogant!

"It is not really a bad thing for a young person to be hot-blooded and arrogant, but too much of it will only impede his development!" Wu Ran shook his head. "In any case, this should do well to quell his arrogance. Hopefully, this will teach him that being talented shouldn't serve as a reason for him to behave haughtily!"

"That's right." Shen Pingchao nodded. "In truth, I am starting to feel a little curious as to the reason he dared utter such arrogant words. I wonder what his method of 'inviting us down' will be."

"Well, we will know soon enough."

The trio glanced at one another and chuckled softly.

Barely after they had started laughing, a voice reminiscent of the chiming of bells sounded deafeningly in the air.

"Moo!"

It sounded like the roaring of thunder and the stampede of thousands of beasts at the same time.

"What is that?"

Alarmed, the trio straightened their postures, prepared to make a move if necessary. However, before they could even react, they suddenly noticed that the bodies of the sixteen saint beasts propping up the flying ship were sinking.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Before anyone could release a scream of agony, the ship abruptly descended with increasing momentum to the ground.

The Cloudcliff Flying Ship was several dozen meters long, and it was dependent on the sixteen saint beasts to remain afloat in the air. With all of the saint beasts being incapacitated all of a sudden, it lost all of its support simultaneously and began on an unstoppable free fall downwards.

"The Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons! That fellow used the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons to suppress the saint beasts! This is disastrous..." Exerting his zhenqi, Wo Tianqiong stopped in midair, but watching the flying ship fall beneath him, his mouth couldn't help but twitch uncontrollably.

The saint beasts supporting the Cloudcliff Flying Ship were all saint beasts who possessed the Dragon Bloodline. Such saint beasts possessed extraordinary physical prowess, making their flight speed and endurance far superior to their counterparts. As such, they were the ideal candidates to drive the flying ship.

If one had to pick a flaw regarding them, it would only be their natural deference toward those who possessed the Pureblooded Dragon Bloodline

But Pureblooded Dragons had already disappeared from the world many years ago. As such, there should have been no one who could exploit this flaw, and it should have been safe for them to use those Dragon Bloodline saint beasts.

Who could have known that the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons, something that everyone thought had gone missing many years ago along with the Pureblooded Dragons, would ring out all of a sudden!

Wasn't it said that these notes could only be voiced by those of the Dragon Tribe?

How could a human possibly voice it?

Not to mention, with such astounding prowess that even these Saint realm beasts would succumb to it at that!

But while he was in disbelief, he didn't just freeze on the spot. He swiftly gathered a compressed layer of air beneath the Cloudcliff Flying Ship in order to slow its descent to a gradual halt.

Shen Pingchao and Wu Ran also swiftly recovered from their shock and assisted him.

The Cloudcliff Flying Ship might have been massive, but the strength of three 7-star master teachers was tremendous, too. Under their combined efforts, they eventually managed to stop the descent of the flying ship safely in midair. However, barely after they had heaved a sigh of relief, yet another sound echoed from beneath.

"Mou!"

Hong long!

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried great penetrating power, reverberating in the ears of all clearly. In an instant, the sixteen saint beasts, whose bodies had been stiffened immobile and tongues were hanging from their mouths from the earlier sound, suddenly went into a rampage and charged downward, tugging the flying ship that was connected to them by a harness along with them.

Due to their furious charge, the massive ship, which had just come to a halt through the laborious effort of the three principals, was suddenly dragged down once more.

It was already sufficiently difficult to prop up that heavy flying ship, but with the incredible might of sixteen powerful saint beasts acting against them on top of that, there was no way the three principals could possibly hold on. Thus, the flying ship began falling once more.

Hong long long... Boom!

A huge cloud of dust rose up as the floating Cloudcliff Flying Ship crashed into the ground, creating a huge depression. The students, who had been standing on the deck, were forcefully thrown off the ship.

Due to the massive impact from the crash, some of the students who possessed lower cultivation sustained severe injuries even before participating in the Combat Master Selection.

Even those who had higher cultivation felt the zhenqi in their body going into disarray from the impact, and they couldn't help but be dumbfounded by the abrupt happenings.

Not only were those from the three Master Teacher Academies stunned by the turn of events, even School Head Mo and the others, who had just returned to the ground, found their mouths twitching uncontrollably upon seeing this sight.

They had thought that the time limit their principal had come up with was just for show, but who would have thought that he was really serious?

Didn't the heritage regarding the tongue of the Dragon Tribe disappear a long time ago? Furthermore, to speak it with apparent fluency, just how did their principal learn it?

At that moment, the three principals, who had been still standing grandly a moment ago, suddenly plummeted down from the sky and landed onto the deck of the ship. Dust cloaked their faces, leaving them in an indescribably unkempt state.

School Head Mo and the others hurriedly asked, "Are you all fine?"

The three principals had shouldered the weight of the flying ship and the rampaging might of sixteen saint beasts simultaneously, and even with their Saint realm 2-dan and 3-dan cultivation, it was still beyond what they could withstand.

It was already fortunate that they weren't too severely injured from it.

Zhao Bingxu felt his head spinning furiously as he muttered beneath his breath, "Principal Zhang, is this what you mean by 'cultured'?"

The other party had just told him that he would resolve the matter in a mature manner befitting cultured individuals that master teachers should be... and barely a few moments later, such was the sight that had unfolded before him.

Is this what you mean by cultured?

Who in the world has ever seen a cultured man throwing his guests off from their flying ship, and on top of that... even crashing the other party's ship?

Zhao Bingxu swiftly searched through the crowd for their principal so as to reason with him, to have him know that such actions were unconducive for the relations between the Four Great Master Teacher Academies. However, when he found the young man he was looking, Zhang Xuan was standing right in front of the saint beasts that had been propping up the flying ship.

Pilipala!

A series of punches and kicks, and in the next moment, the saint beasts released excited calls, and sixteen droplets of fresh blood flew out from their glabellae, headed toward the young man.

Sealing of contracts, the saint beasts had acknowledged their new master!

"The heck!"

"Not only did our principal crash their flying ship, he even tamed their saint beasts?"

The Ten Great Master Teachers were completely dumbstruck by the inconceivable sight before them.

"Alright!" Patting the dust from his hands, Zhang Xuan raised his hand, and the saint beasts swiftly undid the harnesses around their bodies and gathered in a neat line before him, as if soldiers forming up before their commander. Each of their heads were tilted upward proudly, as if delighted with the new master they had acknowledged.

Since they had refused to come down even after his invitation, he could only find another way to invite them down.

In truth, Zhang Xuan had already noticed that the sixteen saint beasts possessed the Dragon Bloodline at first sight. Since that was the case, the solution couldn't have been any simpler.

The Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons and a bout of taming did the job.

Even though these sixteen were saint beasts, they only had the cultivation of Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Given Zhang Xuan's current strength and the fact that those saint beasts were still affected by the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragons, it didn't take him too much effort to tame them.

Since you were the ones who were being disrespectful first, there is no need for me to uphold etiquette with you.

We can talk about it slowly after I tame these saint beasts of yours!

"This..." Climbing up from the remains of the flying ship, Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

We were only trying to assess you to see how well you can adapt to difficult situations... Surely you didn't need to go so far as to destroy such a precious flying ship and steal those sixteen saint beasts.

Not to mention, I had to serve those saint beasts the best food and drinks just to make them work for me. It is one thing for them to betray me, but what is with the proud look on their faces?

Do you need to be so smug about taking that fellow as your master?

They had heard that the other party often did things beyond one's expectations, but this... it was not just beyond expectations, it was beyond common decency!

"He is Principal Zhang? I see... I should have guessed it!"

Contrary to the stifled looks on the faces of the other two principals, as soon as Wu Ran saw Zhang Xuan's appearance, his body immediately began trembling in agitation.

He had heard about the many incredible deeds of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy's new principal, but he had never seen the other party in person. Never would he have thought that it would be the young man who had pointed out the flaws in Kong shi's insight on the Saint Ascension Platform and received Kong shi's acknowledgement!

Back then, when the young man abruptly disappeared, he had spent several days searching for him around the Saint Ascension Platform but to no avail. Just when he thought that he had lost the opportunity to converse with that outstanding young man and learn from him... it turned out that the other party was the legendary principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!

If he had known earlier, he would have definitely paid the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a visit long ago. There were many lingering questions and doubts in his mind, which he wanted to consult the other party about!

Back then, he had been thinking that it was impossible for such an outstanding young man to be buried amid the dust—a true star would eventually outshine those around him—and it seemed like that was indeed the case!

As a person who had been acknowledged by Kong shi himself, earning the recognition of the many preceding principals was a piece of cake!

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Eventually, unable to hold himself back any longer, he rushed forward to the young man and greeted him. "Wu Ran of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy pays respect to Zhang shi!"

"It seems like we meet once again," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

"Yes!" Wu Ran clasped his fist and nodded excitedly.

"This..."

The Ten Great Master Teachers and innumerable students glanced at one another, overwhelmed with frenzy by the sight before them.

Those principals, who had been standing haughtily on their flying ship a moment ago, refusing to comply with School Head Mo and the others, had suddenly had such a huge change in attitude after crashing down, greeting their principal like a humble student...

Could it be that these principals also suffered from the same affliction that plagued the preceding principals, willing to comply only after undergoing a round of pummeling?

In other words... masochists?