Chapter 825

Chapter 825: Demonic Tunist Examination [2in1]

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“What’s wrong?” Seeing his old friend flying into such a rage, Vice School Head Ning was stunned.

It had been five hundred years since he met Jiang Qingqin, and not once had he seen the latter losing his composure before. In fact, there was even one time when a direct disciple of his betrayed Jiang Qingqin, and Jiang Qingqin evicted him from his lineage without the slightest hint of anger on his face…

Yet, at this instant, he was bellowing furiously at a freshman without any regard for his bearings. Just what was going on?

Hua la!

As soon as the melody came to a halt, the cranes in the sky descended back to the ground, and they called out delightfully, as if they had managed to achieve something incredible.

“School Head, so did you achieve a breakthrough or not?” Vice School Head Ning asked curiously.

Demonic tunist was very unlike most other occupations, in the sense that its improvement was not strictly tied to one’s cultivation or skills, but the deeper intent infused into the playing.

Considering that Jiang Qingqin was able to charm so many divine cranes into dancing to his melody, it should mean that the level of his playing had risen significantly. Yet, for some reason, the intent he could feel from it didn’t seem to have reached a higher level, so he couldn’t help but feel a little doubtful.

“The hell with breakthroughs!” School Head Jiang stood up furiously as he glared at the young man in the distance, seemingly tempted to rush forward and tear the latter to shreds.

Vice School Head Ning was unable to comprehend what was going on. “You didn’t achieve a breakthrough? Then why would the cranes…”

It was an unchanging rule that the number of cranes one could charm into dancing would correspond to one’s level of capability. Yet, just a moment ago, he had seen the unbelievable sight of sixteen cranes dancing harmoniously to a melody…

“Why, you ask? That’s because he tamed my cranes!” Jiang Qingqin looked as if he was going to explode.

When he’d seen the other party’s confident declaration, he had thought that the other party might just have some mystical means to help him achieve a breakthrough. Yet, the other party had used some unknown method to tame ten of his cranes instead…

Naturally, a tamed spirit beast would obey the orders of its master, so naturally, they flew at the other party’s command…

“So, that’s what happened…” Hearing the story, Vice School Head Ning also nearly fainted.

What we meant by seven cranes dancing is a breakthrough in one’s capability as a demonic tunist! What use is it for you to tame those cranes and make them dance at your command?

If taming cranes and making them dance can represent one’s capability as a demonic tunist, I would have found a few hundred cranes to do so long ago…

Not expecting Jiang Qingqin to be furious even after he had done what the other party had asked him to, Zhang Xuan frowned. “School Head Jiang, you said it yourself that you will give me the Phoenix Timber Core as long as I can make seven divine cranes dance simultaneously to your melody. Now sixteen of them have done so… it can’t be that you are intending to renege on your promise, can it?”

“Renege on my promise? Renege your head!” Jiang Qingqin clenched his jaws so tightly together that it felt that his teeth might chip at any moment, and in that moment, he was on the verge of going berserk.

Never ever have I seen someone as shameless as you!

You are clearly just playing on my words; how can you still speak so brazenly?

What I mean is for you to help me achieve a breakthrough, and yet, you ended up taming my cranes instead…

You hadn’t done what I asked you to, and you still dare to ask me for the Phoenix Timber Core?

Not expecting that an esteemed master teacher would suddenly insult him like that, Zhang Xuan harrumphed furiously. “Vice School Head Ning, please help us judge this matter. Didn’t School Head Jiang say that as long as seven cranes flew simultaneously to his melody, he would give the Phoenix Timber Crane to me? Does being the school head give one the right to take advantage of another like that?”

“This…” Vice School Head Ning’s lips twitched uncontrollably.

Previously, his old friend had said these exact words, “If you can allow my zither playing to charm seven divine cranes to dance simultaneously… I will give my Phoenix Timber Core to you.”

Even though the implied meaning was to offer pointers such as to raise his old friend’s level of playing, if one were to just look at the meaning of the words itself… Zhang Xuan’s interpretation wasn’t wrong either!

Sixteen cranes had danced in the air, so technically speaking, the other party had already fulfilled what had been asked of him.

After a moment of hesitation, Vice School Head spoke slowly. “Zhang shi, what School Head Jiang means by seven cranes is the level of his playing… This is jargon commonly used by demonic tunists. While you did manage to make seven cranes dance simultaneously to his tune, the way you did was via the means of a beast tamer. Isn’t that twisting the meaning of his request?”

You said that we are taking advantage of you, but you are the one who is bullying us.

What Jiang Qingqin meant was the level of his playing, but you used the means of a beast tamer to ‘resolve’ the problem instead… It doesn’t work like that!

It was only then that Zhang Xuan finally realized what was going on. “Ah!”

He had really thought that it would suffice as long as he could make the cranes dance to the other party’s melody, and he had even asked once again to double check it. But from the looks of it now, the matter wasn’t as simple as he had thought.

It was a communication error…

Considering how valuable the Phoenix Timber Core was, he knew that it couldn’t possibly be so easy!

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, “So, what you mean is for me to raise School Head Jiang’s level of playing… You should have said so earlier! Since that’s the case, may I know where the Demonic Tunist School’s library is? I would like to take a look in there!”

He could easily make a thousand divine cranes dance in the air, but to raise the capability of a 6-star demonic tunist… his knowledge was still far too lacking at the moment.

He would have to first read some books in order to gain some understanding of the demonic tunist occupation first.

“Our library?” Hearing Zhang Xuan ask about this matter again, Vice School Head Ning frowned in doubt.

“Yes… I have noticed a few things about School Head Jiang’s current state, but there are still a few aspects that I am still unable to make sense of. I wish to browse through some books to verify certain details first before coming to a conclusion!” Zhang Xuan replied.

The Library of Heaven’s Path allowed him to see through the flaws of another, but it didn’t provide him with the solution. Without any understanding of demonic tunists, there was no way he could come up with a suitable solution to School Head Jiang’s problem.

Only after browsing through some books and reaching the same level as the other party or even higher would he be able to resolve the flaws that the other party had.

However, he could not speak of this matter. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out under the suspicions of being a lunatic, so he could only make up a reason on the spot.

“This…” Vice School Head Ning shot a glance at Jiang Qingqin, who was still furious about the happenings a moment ago.

Vice School Head Ning sent the school head a telepathic message. “Should we let him into our library?”

“If my problem could be resolved just by browsing through books, do you think I would have been stuck at this bottleneck for over five hundred years?” Jiang Qingqin scoffed in skepticism.

“I will reject him then…” Vice School Head Ning replied.

“Wait a moment… It isn’t much of a problem to allow him into our library. How about we do this… Tell him that we will allow him to enter, but if he is still unable to induce a rise in the level of my playing, he can forget about obtaining the Phoenix Timber Core from me!” Jiang Qingqin said. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “Also… he is only allowed to browse through the books. He isn’t to cause any trouble or destruction in the Demonic Tunist School!”

His original intention was to turn Zhang Xuan down, but fearing that he might start demanding to take their examination or challenge their trial the next moment, he swiftly changed his mind and decided to accede to the latter’s request instead.

Since the purpose of a library was for one to enhance their knowledge, it wasn’t a big deal to allow Zhang Xuan in to browse through their books.

But of course, that was assuming that the other party didn’t cause any trouble.

“Alright!” Vice School Head Ning nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan to relay those words.

Hearing that he was allowed entry into the library, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble…”

“The library is around the back; I’ll take you over there!” Vice School Head Ning said as he led the way forward.

Since it would take some time for him to browse through the books, Zhang Xuan had Sun Qiang return to the manor first before following closely behind Vice School Head Ning.

The Demonic Tunist School’s library was significantly smaller than the Apothecary School’s and Physician School’s. With his authority as a vice school head, Ning Hai was able to open access of the library to Zhang Xuan without requiring a student token or Academic Credits on the other party’s part.

“Thank you, Vice School Head Ning.”

Entering the library, Zhang Xuan saw innumerable books stacked on shelves, and his eyes lit up.

“Alright, I’ll leave you be. If you have any requests, feel free to have any student relay it to me!” Ning Hai said before bidding Zhang Xuan farewell.

Zhang Xuan responded with a nod before turning his eyes back onto the huge collection of books before him.

Possessing the ability to store books into the Library of Heaven’s Path with just a glance, he didn’t need to go through the trouble of flipping through the books like before.

Focusing his gaze, the books on the shelves began appearing in the Library of Heaven’s Path at an incredible speed.

Just like the library in the Terpsichore School, there were hardly any students in here. However, this played just to Zhang Xuan’s liking. It would be a bother if others were to disturb him while he was taking in the books.

One book, two books… one hundred books, two hundred books… one thousand books, two thousand books…

In a few hours, Zhang Xuan managed to successfully take in the several million books stored in the library.

Compiling them, he formed the 1-star to 6-star Heaven’s Path Demonic Tune Arts.

I should start reading them now!

As there was no one around, Zhang Xuan simply found a more spacious area and sat there. Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path, he began studying from the 1-star Heaven’s Path Demonic Tune Art.

Six hours later, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

At that very moment, his understanding of demonic tunes had already reached 6-star, putting him on par or even above that of School Head Jiang Qingqin.

Since I have attained the capability of a 6-star demonic tunist, I should make use of this chance to take the demonic tunist examination and obtain the 6-star emblem for myself!

In order to make the advancement to a 6-star master teacher, he had to have 6-star emblems in six supporting occupations.

At that moment, he had the 6-star emblems for blacksmith, physician, apothecary, and terpsichore, and he lacked another two.

Since he was already in the Demonic Tunist School, and he had some time to spare, it would be best for him to get this over with.

Thus, he left the library, and after asking around, he headed for the Demonic Tunist Aula, where the demonic tunist examination was held.

Unlike the Tower of Physicians, the Demonic Tunist Aula was a spherical building with an opening at the top, reminiscent of an observatory in his previous life. Those who intended to take the demonic tunist examination would sit at the very front row and play their instrument. The music would be amplified by the walls before echoing up into the heavens. Upon hearing the melody, the cranes residing in the school would fly over and dance merrily to the tune.

After which, the examinee’s level of playing would be assessed by the number of cranes drawn in.

Just outside of the Demonic Tunist Aula stood a young man who was currently snoozing on a table.

He was probably the student worker in charge of facilitating the examinations in the Demonic Tunist Aula.

Walking up to the table, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and said, “Senior, I would like to take the demonic tunist examination!”

“You want to take the demonic tunist examination?” The young man rubbed his eyes and took a good look at Zhang Xuan before asking, “What rank?”

“I have never taken the examination before, so I intend to start from the 1-star examination,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Start from the 1-star examination? That’s fine. Here are the music scores used for the 1-star examination. You have to choose a piece from here and play it for the examination. As long as you draw in a single crane with your playing, the Demonic Tunist Aula will automatically award you a pass. You may start whenever you are ready!” the young man said as he passed a file of music scores over.

Only certain scores were allowed in the demonic tunist examinations. One had to display the capability of a 1-star demonic tunist through those specific scores in order to pass the 1-star examination.

“Alright!” After reading through the books in the library, Zhang Xuan had also gained a rough understanding of the typical rules concerning the demonic tunist examinations, so he didn’t have much trouble with that.

However, there was another problem that he faced…

“That… I don’t have a zither with me, so may I borrow one?” Zhang Xuan asked awkwardly.

The young man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t have a zither? Why are you here if you don’t even have a zither with you?”

A zither to a demonic tunist is like a sword to a swordsman or a brush to a painter. Yet, you wish to take the examination without even having one in your possession… You must be pulling my leg!

To want to take the demonic tunist without a zither at hand, you really are one-of-a-kind!

“That… I remember that if an examinee doesn’t possess a suitable zither, he can borrow one from the Demonic Tunist School…” Zhang Xuan said.

With the books he had read, he had also gained a good grasp regarding the rules concerning the Demonic Tunist School as well.

Based on what he knew, the Demonic Tunist School lent zithers to examinees who needed them, and it wasn’t against the rules to do so.

“It’s true that you can borrow a zither from our school, but putting aside the fact that those zithers are of subpar quality, they are also extremely old and worn. It’s possible that the strings may snap just by exerting the slightest force on them, so your results will not be ideal if you use them… Are you certain about this?” the young man asked doubtfully.

The zithers of the Demonic Tunist School were crafted to only have the bare basics required. Furthermore, they hadn’t been used for many years, so they had already gotten rusty. It was questionable whether any of them could play a proper tune or not, and to use one in an examination… the chances of clearing the examination would be unimaginably low.

This was precisely the reason very few people were willing to use it.

“I am certain!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

It would be rather troublesome for him to head out now to purchase a zither, and it was unlikely that he would use it often. Thus, to spare himself the trouble, he decided to simply use the school’s zithers.

“Alright then!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan had decided on the matter, the young man shook his head and walked into a room behind his table. Not too long later, he returned with an extremely worn-out zither and a few zither strings.

“Use it carefully. These are spare strings for you to replace with should any snap in the midst of your playing. You have two hours. If you fail to draw a single crane within the time limit, it will mean that you have failed the examination!” the young man said.

In truth, he didn’t have much confidence in the fellow standing before him.

How could there be a demonic tunist who didn’t even possess a zither of his own?

The fact that he didn’t possess a zither likely meant that he lacked practice and that his skills were subpar. Occasionally, he would encounter such arrogant students who had an absurdly optimistic view of their own skills.

“Noted.” Taking the zither, Zhang Xuan paid the fee required for the examination before heading into the Demonic Tunist Aula.

The results for the demonic tunist examination were primarily determined by the divine cranes, so there was no need for complicated formations which consumed a great deal of energy to be inscribed onto the Demonic Tunist Aula. On top of that, there were rarely any examinees around as well.

In order to encourage more students to take the examination, the Demonic Tunist School decided to waive the payment of the Academic Credits and charge only a small amount of spirit stones for the examination.

Walking to the center of the Demonic Tunist Aula via a long passageway, Zhang Xuan found himself surrounded by thick walls inscribed with unique patterns. Zither melodies seemed to resonate with those patterns, amplifying the sound many times over.

However, and fortunately as well, this sound could only be heard by the divine cranes.

There was not a single person in sight within the Demonic Tunist Aula.

Zhang Xuan walked straight up to the round stage at the very center and placed the old zither on the small wooden table there.

After which, he placed his finger on the music scores and imprinted them into his mind.

“It’s quite a simple tune…” Zhang Xuan chuckled softly to himself.

Having mastered the 6-star Heaven’s Path Demonic Tune Art, his level of playing was currently, at the bare minimum, on par with School Head Jiang. To him, playing the score prepared for the 1-star examination was nothing more than a walk in the park.

“I should give the zither a try first…”

Placing his finger on the zither, Zhang Xuan plucked a string lightly, and a crisp sound reminiscent of a flowing river striking against a boulder sounded.

Even though the sound produced by the zither was lacking in richness, it was at least still usable.

“Alright, time to begin!”

Calming his mind, Zhang Xuan began moving his fingers, and a beautiful melody began permeating the room.

…

In the Demonic Tunist School, School Head Office…

“He didn’t cause any trouble, right?”

Seeing Vice School Head Ning walk into the office, Jiang Qingqin couldn’t help but ask that, his tone tinged with unease.

Vice School Head Ning shook his head. “He didn’t.”

Truthfully, he had also been a little worried previously. This was also the reason he had stood outside the library for several hours to ensure that nothing wrong was going to happen, before he eventually convinced himself that it was safe to leave.

Jiang Qingqin heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good…”

“However…” At this point, Vice School Head suddenly spoke up hesitantly with a deep frown.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Qingqin hurriedly asked.

Honestly, the rumors regarding that fellow were simply far too frightening. He couldn’t help but pay careful heed to every single action the other party did.

“This morning, he left the library and headed to the Demonic Tunist Aula. If I’m not mistaken, I think he intends to take the demonic tunist examination!” Vice School Head Ning said.

Jiang Qingqin’s eyelids twitched as he asked, “Doesn’t he know nothing about demonic tune arts? Why is he taking the examination?”

“I’m not too sure either… I was fearful that he would wreak havoc, so I secretly followed behind him and watched the situation from the outside. However, I saw the fifteen cranes stationed for the examination flying into the Demonic Tunist Aula, and they didn’t leave while I was there!” With a tight frown, Vice School Head Ning recounted what he had seen.

In order to ensure that the examination could be held at any time, the Demonic Tunist Aula had also reared fifteen cranes of their own.

“They flew into the Demonic Tunist Aula? But even if that fellow is taking the 6-star demonic tunist examination, six should be enough. For fifteen of them to fly in… just what is he up to?” Jiang Qingqin was perplexed.

Fifteen cranes flew over when only six were needed… Something was definitely amiss!

“I’m also a little bewildered by this matter, that’s why I came here to discuss it with you…” Vice School Head Ning nodded.

“Discuss? This isn’t the time for discussions! We have to rush over to take a look. Otherwise, who knows if that fellow will kill all of our cranes and roast them for his breakfast…”

Recalling the various bizarre feats that young man had accomplished, Jiang Qingqin’s face darkened. He immediately stood up to rush out of his office, but at that moment, ‘jiya!’, the office doors opened, and a head peeped in around the side.

“That… School Head Jiang, I wish to take the demonic tunist examination, but there aren’t enough cranes around. Can you lend some to me?” Zhang Xuan asked awkwardly.

Jiang Qingqin frowned deeply upon hearing those words. “How many do you intend to borrow?”

Beside him, Vice School Head Ning also widened his eyes in disbelief.

There aren’t enough cranes around?

You have fifteen cranes over there… Never has the Demonic Tunist Aula received a complaint about having insufficient cranes; why are you the only exception?

Just what in the world did you do to our cranes?!

At that instant, School Head Jiang and Vice School Head Ning felt extremely choked up within.

Translator’s Thoughts

StarveCleric StarveCleric

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Chapter 826: 5-star Demonic Tunist

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning back to the time when Zhang Xuan first began playing in the Demonic Tunist Aula.

As the melody was amplified by the walls, it gradually crescendoed before spilling out from the top.

Qiu!

Not too long later, with a crisp call, a crane flew over. Under the influence of the beautiful melody, it began to dance delightfully.

Great, one came… Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Since a crane had come over, it meant he had cleared his 1-star demonic tunist examination.

Let me see if I can lure two over…

Without changing the score, Zhang Xuan adjusted his state of mind and executed the Heaven’s Path Demonic Tunist Art 2-dan. In an instant, the zither melody abruptly became sharp and desolate.

Under normal circumstances, taking the examination of the next rank would require a change in the music score, but Zhang Xuan was too lazy to head out to take it from the young man. In any case, this melody sounded rather pleasant, so he decided to go as far as he could for the moment.

Switching from the Heaven’s Path Demonic Tunist Art 1-dan to 2-dan, the intent behind Zhang Xuan’s playing suddenly grew much richer, and the sound he produced seemed to have become far more vibrant and resounding as well.

Qiu!

However, the difference in the playing seemed to exert immense pressure on the dancing crane. As if it had suffered some kind of attack, it shrieked fearfully before abruptly plummeting from the sky and fainting.

“This…”

Astonished, Zhang Xuan hurried forward to check on the state of the crane. After verifying that the crane had only lost consciousness, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Could it be that… this music score is unsuited for the 2-star demonic tunist examination? Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion.

No, that shouldn’t be it. The core of a demonic tune art lies not in the score but in the intent behind it… Perhaps the rise in my intent doesn’t complement the music score… If that’s the case, it should work as long as I alter the score correspondingly!

Music, just like the dance of a terpsichore, was nothing more than a medium. What stood at the core of demonic tunes was still the intent.

Take painting for example, as long as one reached a profound level of proficiency in their painting skills, one would be able to relay one’s intent no matter what one drew; the content of the painting itself served as nothing more than a medium.

What Zhang Xuan was currently experiencing was likely to be the disharmony between the richness of the intent he was relay and the music score he was using. As long as he made adjustments accordingly, there shouldn’t be any problem with it.

Given his current eye of discernment and understanding of demonic tune arts, altering a music score wasn’t too difficult for him. Before long, he had managed to alter the melody to suit his current intent.

Thus, his fingers began plucking at the strings of the zither once more.

As he had expected, not too long later, another two cranes flew into the Demonic Tunist Aula and danced above him.

Seeing that it worked, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in delight.

Having passed the 2-star demonic tunist examination, Zhang Xuan began adjusting his state of mind once more to evoke the intent of a 3-star demonic tunist when his fingers abruptly moved too forcefully, and ‘pah!’, a string snapped.

As this was the first time he was playing a zither, he failed to keep his strength properly in check, resulting in this unfortunate event…

Padah! Padah!

Yet another two cranes fell to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. White foam was spilling from the edges of their mouths, and their eyes were rolled back, revealing only the whites.

Somehow, they seemed to exude an aura of indignation, seemingly saying “We have only come over in appreciation of your music, must you do this to us?”…

“Urgh…” The edges of Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched.

He was only taking the 2-star demonic tunist examination, but three cranes had already fainted. He was probably the first one to do so ever since the establishment of the Demonic Tunist School.

But it honestly wasn’t intentional! The quality of this zither was simply too poor!

I mustn’t allow any problems to occur anymore…

Determined to change his image, Zhang Xuan assessed the score and the zither properly, and only after confirming that there wasn’t any problem did he continue to play once more.

As the music permeated the room, it didn’t take too long for three cranes to fly into the Demonic Tunist Aula.

This time, Zhang Xuan had made sure to control his strength properly, so he didn’t hurt any of the cranes this time around. It was also the same for the 4-star examination as well.

However, just as he was just about to make the transition into the 5-star level of playing, he accidentally exerted too much strength again, and ‘pah!’, another zither string snapped.

The sharp dissonance from the snapping of the cranes left the four happily dancing cranes plummeting to the ground.

The zither didn’t pose much of a problem for the melodies he had played up to 3-star, but it seemed that it was already at its limit at 4-star.

Furthermore, Zhang Xuan’s overwhelmingly powerful soul paired with his lack of proficiency in zither playing made it extremely difficult to control his strength perfectly.

However, knowing that there was no better zither he could borrow, he could only suppress his frustration and continue with the examination. The most he could do at the moment was just to be more careful than before.

Thus, he began making preparations for his 5-star demonic tunist examination.

Upon reaching 5-star, one could be already considered an expert of the Demonic Tunist School. Naturally, the difficulty of the exam was also far harder than those before.

Gathering his focus, Zhang Xuan began plucking at the strings, and a mesmerizing melody resounded throughout the room.

The other cranes seemed to be a little apprehensive at approaching the melody this time around, so they didn’t rush over immediately like before. Instead, it was five minutes into the playing when they finally fly over.

Seeing five cranes dancing to his melody above, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he was just about to come to the end of the tune when ‘pah pah!’, the zither strings snapped once again, two this time.

Under the abrupt dissonance, the five dancing cranes glared at Zhang Xuan resentfully for an instant and chirped furiously before they followed in the footsteps of the others and plummeted to the ground.

Looking at the twelve unconscious divine cranes lying in his surroundings, Zhang Xuan felt the sight before him turning dark.

He really didn’t do it intentionally!

That darned zither was simply far too lousy, and his soul was too strong for it.

This was just like having an adult draw a child’s bow. The slightest lapse in concentration might cause one to lose control of the weapon.

It was fortunate that the souls of the cranes were only jolted, resulting in a temporary loss of consciousness. Otherwise, if he were to really cripple twelve of the Demonic Tunist School’s cranes by taking the demonic tunist examination, School Head Jiang Qingqin just might skin him alive!

Nevertheless, this situation had put him in a dilemma. While Zhang Xuan could wake them up with his means as a soul oracle, his actions would have likely left a trauma in the cranes’ mind. Thus, at least in the short run, they would be unlikely to be drawn to his music.

In other words, these twelve cranes were incapable of judging his level of playing at the moment.

But nevertheless, I have successfully cleared the 5-star examination, so I am officially a 5-star demonic tunist now… I think I should just get to 6-star in one go! Zhang Xuan thought.

It would be too troublesome to return to the Demonic Tunist School another day, and Zhang Xuan also knew that he had the capability to clear the 6-star demonic tunist examination at the moment as well. Even though the conditions might not be ideal, he still wanted to give it a try.

Thus, he reconnected the snapped strings and adjusted his state of mind before playing once more.

A clear and beautiful melody echoed amid the clouds, and ten minutes later, three divine cranes flew over.

Why are there only three cranes?

Zhang Xuan was certain that he had played at the level of a 6-star demonic tunist, but only three cranes had arrived. He couldn’t help but be perplexed by the bizarre situation before him.

He continued playing, hoping that more cranes would arrive soon, but even as he reached the end of his melody, no other cranes arrived around him. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only give up and head out.

It seemed like due to the limitations resulting from the quality of the zither, 5-star was the current limit of his performance. Most likely, he wouldn’t be able to clear the 6-star examination that day.

When Zhang Xuan walked out, the young man at the entrance took a look at him, and upon seeing his depressed face, he chuckled lightly and said, “The demonic tunist examination wasn’t that easy as you expected, was it?”

“Indeed!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had thought that clearing the 6-star demonic tunist examination would be a piece of cake to him, but the tools he had at hand was simply far too poor. It seemed like he would have to find an opportunity to purchase a zither that was suited for him before attempting the examination once more.

“Do you know where I can purchase a better zither here?” Zhang Xuan asked the young man.

“If you want a truly good zither, you will have to craft it yourself. Only then will you be able to tailor it to your own needs and bring out your full potential,” the young man explained.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan nodded and replied, “Got it!”

Having read countless books, he knew a fair bit about the crafting of zithers as well. However, he didn’t have any time to spare for that at the moment, and there wasn’t any good material at hand for that either. It seemed like that would have to wait then.

“Where do I get the emblem from clearing the examination?” Zhang Xuan asked.

While it was regretful that he didn’t clear the 6-star examination, it would still be good for him to obtain the 5-star emblem first.

“Emblem? You cleared the 1-star examination?”

The young man was surprised. Nevertheless, he raised his finger and pointed. “You can get your emblem over there. Just place your palm on the wall, and it will give you the corresponding emblem!”

Zhang Xuan walked in the direction where the young man gestured toward, and soon, he found himself standing before a wall.

It seemed to be a mechanism similar to the one in the Ocean of Weapons in the Blacksmith School.

He placed his palm on the wall.

Padah!

An emblem with five shining stars on it fell out.

“5-star…”

The young man who had followed Zhang Xuan, curious to see if he had really cleared the 1-star examination, was shocked to see the 5-star emblem.

To clear the 1-star to 5-star examination in a single go… and to use the old zither from the school at that…

Just how did he do it?

If it was the young man himself, he wouldn’t even be able to clear the 3-star examination with a worn zither like that!

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, the young man said, “You should have told me that you were going to take the 5-star examination… I could have had the cranes prepare themselves for it. Otherwise, even if your zither melody reaches the required level, if the cranes aren’t around to hear it, or if there isn’t a sufficient number of cranes around, you might have failed the examination…”

“Insufficient number of cranes?” Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before a thought struck him. “How many cranes does the Demonic Tunist School have in total?”

“Fifteen!” the young man replied. “The school head has reared a couple of them as well, but they are situated a little far from the Demonic Tunist Aula, so they aren’t able to hear the zither melody and participate in the evaluation of the examination…”

“Fifteen?” Zhang Xuan suddenly realized what was going on.

The reason there were insufficient cranes in his 6-star examination wasn’t due to his lacking capability, but that twelve of them were lying unconscious on the ground, and the remaining three were already dancing above him…

There were no more cranes left to judge his performance!

That explained why the final three cranes were staring at him fearfully, seemingly tempted to flee, but mesmerized by the music, they couldn’t bring themselves to do so…

“Insufficient cranes can lead to a situation where a qualified examinee fails?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Indeed. The Demonic Tunist Aula determines the examinee’s capability based on the number of cranes that have gathered in the surroundings. Naturally, if there aren’t sufficient cranes in the area, the Demonic Tunist Aula can only deem it a failure!” the young man replied.

“I see… Thank you for your enlightenment.”

Having understood what was going on, Zhang Xuan hurriedly left for School Head Jiang’s office.

Since there weren’t sufficient cranes in the area, he would just have to borrow three more…

But he couldn’t help but be a little worried… Would School Head Jiang be willing to lend his cranes to him?

Chapter 827: Zither Dissension of the Cranes

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Upon understanding what had happened, Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai’s eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.

To render twelve cranes unconscious in a demonic tunist examination, you have truly made history today!

After confirming that the cranes had only fainted, Jiang Qingqin heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Zhang Xuan.

“The school zithers are made out of ordinary materials, so they are usually only used in 1-star examinations. Beyond that, examinees are expected to bring their own zithers along with them… I understand your situation. Why don’t you use my zither to play here? If six cranes dance to your melody, I will apply for your 6-star demonic tunist emblem personally!”

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since the other party had volunteered to apply for the 6-star emblem for him, he was spared an additional trip to the Demonic Tunist Aula. Taking the zither from Jiang Qingqin’s hands, he gently brushed his fingers past the strings, and a crisp sound reminiscent of top-quality jades clashing with one another sounded.

“A good zither this is!” Zhang Xuan commended.

Just by listening to the sound produced by School Head Jiang’s zither, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was innumerable times better than the old zither he had used previously.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan adjusted his state of mind before beginning to play a light melody.

“A 1-star music score?”

Seeing how that fellow was playing a 1-star music score, both Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai shook their heads. However, just as they were about to speak, the cranes in the courtyard abruptly flew over.

No more and no less, there were exactly six of them!

“It is actually possible to charm six cranes simultaneously with a 1-star music score?” Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai nearly fainted from shock upon seeing that sight.

A 1-star music score, as the name suggested, was an elementary demonic tune, and it was limited in its prowess. To make an analogy, it was like a Mortal battle technique—no matter how exquisitely one executed it, there was a cap on the prowess one could exert through it.

Even if they were to play a 1-star music score, it wouldn’t be very effective. Yet, the young man before him had actually charmed six cranes into dancing to a 1-star music score…

Was this still the same fellow who knew nothing about six cranes or seven cranes several hours ago?!

To become like this after a night of studying…

Just what kind of monster are you?

It is no wonder you were able to create such a storm in the Master Teacher Academy… your talent is terrifying!

“What if… he uses a 6-star music score?” Vice School Head Ning couldn’t help but wonder at the possibility.

Since the young man was capable of bringing out the prowess of a 6-star demonic tunist with a 1-star music score, what would happen if he were to use a 6-star music score?

Would seven cranes soar into the sky instantaneously?

Would he immediately make the breakthrough to become a 7-star demonic tunist?

With such thoughts in mind, the eyes of the duo immediately lit up.

Thus, at the end of Zhang Xuan’s current piece, Jiang Qingqin flicked his wrist and took out a music score.

“Zhang shi, this is a 6-star music score, Tides of the Spring Moon. Give it a try!”

Zhang Xuan took the music score and looked through it.

As expected of a 6-star music score, it was indeed significantly more complex than the one he had played previously. However, the complexity also made it easier for him to draw out the richness of the intent he harnessed within.

If he could only bring out 30% of the intent as a 6-star demonic tunist with the previous tune, he could bring out 100% with the one he was currently looking at, or perhaps, if he were to utilize the music score well, it could even go beyond that!

Triiiing ting tang ting!

After contemplating how he would play the tune, Zhang Xuan laid his hands on the zither once more, and a melody carrying a faint trace of authority within it burst into the surroundings. As if a rising tide, it filled the entire courtyard.

Hearing the zither melody, in a moment of daze, Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai seemed to see a beautiful full moon rising gradually from the water’s surface. Amid the spring night, it brought a dim illumination to the world beneath as the darker side to the world sprung to life.

The spring river coalesced with the calm sea; a brilliant moon rose amid the tides. Shimmering waves charged along with the tides into the horizon, and nary was there a sight devoid of moonlight!

Qiu! Qiu!

The melody grew more and more fleeting, and under the influence of the atmosphere, the cranes soared into the sky.

One crane, two cranes, three cranes…

In the blink of an eye, six cranes were already dancing above Zhang Xuan, seemingly dancing along with the waves, mesmerized by the radiance of the moon.

Hu!

Just as School Head Jiang and Vice School Head Ning were enchanted by the melody as well, the remaining ten cranes by the side called out simultaneously, and one of them soared up to join the dancing six.

But before that crane could even get close, another one leaped up to bite it and dragged it down to the ground.

After which, a second crane spread its wings and prepared to fly up, but before it could lift off the ground, yet another crane rushed forward to stop it.

In the blink of an eye, the remaining ten cranes were tangled in a ferocious fight against one another, unwilling to let each other get ahead of them.

In just a short moment, a rain of feathers had already fallen to the ground, and blood dyed the surroundings red. The cranes, which had lived harmoniously with one another for many years, were currently glaring hostilely at one another as if they were archenemies, dying to tear each other apart with their beaks.

“This…”

Jiang Qingqin’s body couldn’t help but shudder at that sight, and he uttered hoarsely, “This is the phenomenon which only one who has achieved an astounding grasp of demonic tunes can produce… Zither Dissension of the Cranes?”

The capability of a demonic tunist was determined by the number of cranes they could charm with the melody they played. However, if all of them were enticed into dancing, a situation might occur where they competed with one another for the slot.

The divine crane was an extremely proud beast. If they were to see their companions dancing to a melody, they would be reluctant to make a move themselves, unless… the demonic tunist’s level of playing had reached an unbelievable level, inducing an uncontrollable urge within the cranes to dance to the zither melody.

However, there was a limit to the slots. Thus, they could only tussle with one another to fight over it.

Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!

The ten cranes fought with one another ferociously, determined to become the final one to join the group. After a long and bloodied battle, which resulted in a tragic grave of feathers on the ground, the victorious crane finally flapped its wings and joined the group unsteadily.

But while it had won, it was a miserable victory. Its feathers had nearly all been torn off by its other companions, revealing the crimson flesh and skin beneath.

The dance of a featherless crane—there was not one thing that was divine or graceful about it!

At the end of the music piece, Zhang Xuan finally recovered from the trance he had fallen into in the midst of his playing, and when he saw the bloodied mess from the tragic battle of the ten cranes, he leaped in horror.

What happened while I was playing the zither?

Just as Zhang Xuan was bewildered by the absurd sight before him, he suddenly saw Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai rushing to him with eyes gleaming in excitement.

“This… Does this mean that I have cleared the 6-star demonic tunist examination?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“If this doesn’t constitute a pass, nothing will… Don’t worry, I will apply for the 7-star demonic tunist emblem for you right now!” Jiang Qingqin said.

“7-star emblem?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

“Indeed. Your comprehension of demonic tunes has definitely reached 7-star!” Jiang Qingqin nodded in awe.

To be able to induce the Zither Dissension of the Cranes, his capability was even above that of ordinary 7-star demonic tunists!

Upon hearing that the other party would help him apply for the emblem, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. “Thank you!”

With this, he would have five supporting occupations cleared. As long as he received another 6-star emblem and his cultivation reached the required level, he would be able to attempt the 6-star master teacher examination!

On top of that, with his comprehension of demonic tunes reaching the level of a 7-star demonic tunist, it would be much easier for Zhang Xuan to help Jiang Qingqin achieve a breakthrough in his level of playing as well.

Activating his Eye of Insight, he began assessing Jiang Qingqin carefully, but a moment later, a peculiar expression surfaced on his face.

“What’s wrong? Is it impossible for me to achieve a breakthrough?” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s expression, School Head Jiang couldn’t help but be worried.

He had thought that it would be easy for the other party to offer him pointers for him to achieve a breakthrough given the level of attainment the other party had achieved, but from the looks of it, he was probably being too optimistic.

But that was no wonder. If it was that easy to make the breakthrough to a 7-star demonic tunist, he wouldn’t have been stuck at a bottleneck for an entire five hundred years.

Seeing the disappointed look on School Head Jiang’s face, Zhang Xuan hurriedly explained the situation.

“It’s not that it’s impossible, but…

“… you have already made the breakthrough. Your comprehension of demonic tunes… has already reached the level of 7-star!”

“I have already made the breakthrough?” School Head Jiang was stunned.

Even Vice School Head Ning was dumbstruck after hearing Zhang Xuan’s words.

Are you for real?

It was just yesterday that I was still stuck at the Attainment of Six Cranes, and I haven’t really done anything since. How and when did I achieve the breakthrough?

“If I’m not mistaken, School Head Jiang must have a transcendent view of worldly affairs. You view all matters with nonchalance, am I right?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Vice School Head Ning nodded in agreement. “School Head Jiang is a very composed person. He is able to retain his calm even in the face of a calamity.”

He had always been in awed of his old friend’s ability to allow nothing to get to him.

“It is not without reason that demonic tunes have such a prefix. In order to truly understand the essence of the word ‘demon’, one has to experience the various vicissitudes of life—birth, death, illness, separation, nostalgia, desire, envy… These are the emotions that provoke us to strive for greater heights… Possessing a transcendent view of worldly affairs mean that your mind has stagnated. As such, how can you expect to reach greater heights?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“This…” Jiang Qingqin fell into deep contemplation.

Five hundred years ago, he had undergone a major event which allowed him to view most affairs with nonchalance. He had thought that he had achieved enlightenment, but from the looks of it, that wasn’t the case.

“Living in the mortal world, it is only normal for us to be involved in and affected by worldly affairs. To pay no heed to them and even avoid thinking about them… that isn’t transcending beyond mortal affairs but escapism! If you have already chosen to escape from everything you faced, how can you possibly pave your way forward to accomplish a breakthrough?” Zhang Xuan questioned.

“You’re right…” Jiang Qingqin’s face paled in realization.

The other party was right. To pay no heed to worldly affairs was not enlightenment but escapism!

“There are many experts who would immerse themselves within the vicissitudes of life and experience all kinds of emotions so as to find the impetus to achieve a breakthrough. Yet, you chose to do the opposite. You secluded yourself in your residence, choosing to involve yourself in nothing at all… That is the reason you have been stuck at a bottleneck for the past five hundred years!” Zhang Xuan sighed deeply in lamentation.

“Yesterday, by taming your cranes, I managed to evoke your anger, resulting in a ripple in your stagnated state of mind, which became the impetus for you to overcome your bottleneck. In other words… you achieved a breakthrough yesterday!”

It was just yesterday that he didn’t understand the true difference between six cranes and seven cranes, thinking that it would do as long as he convinced the seventh crane to join in the dance. Who could have known that an unintentional act on his part would actually allow the other party to achieve a breakthrough…

It was indeed a blessing in disguise!

If he hadn’t experienced such a matter personally, it would have been hard for him to believe that there could be such a coincidence in the world.

After hearing the lecture, Jiang Qingqin closed his eyes for a brief moment, and the days he had spent over the past five hundred years flashed through his mind in an instant.

The next moment, he stood up, clasped his fist, and bowed. Determination and gratitude could be seen in his eyes.

“Zhang shi, thank you for your guidance. From today onward, in the path of a demonic tunist, you shall be my teacher!”

“This… How can I?” Not expecting that the esteemed head of the Demonic Tunist School would suddenly acknowledge him as his teacher, Zhang Xuan was astonished for an instant before swiftly waving his hands.

“It is proficiency and not seniority that matters in the path of learning! I might have been studying demonic tunes for a far longer time than you, but my comprehension of it still isn’t as deep as yours… Your words today have answered a doubt that I have harbored for more than five hundred years. Until you are willing to acknowledge me, I will not rise from my bow!” Jiang Qingqin said persistently.

“This… Alright then!” Seeing the determination and earnestness in the other party’s actions, Zhang Xuan eventually relented.

With his acceptance, the Library of Heaven’s Path in his mind jolted lightly, and a golden page materialized.

However, this wasn’t the time to be looking at it. Zhang Xuan hurried forward to help School Head Jiang up.

“Teacher, I will chop down the Phoenix Timber Tree now and procure its core for you. As for its trunk, I will craft a suitable zither for you!” School Head Jiang said.

“I’ll be troubling you…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

After which, they chatted awhile longer, and Zhang Xuan offered Jiang Qingqin and Ning Hai some pointers regarding demonic tunes which benefitted the duo greatly.

Two hours later, with the Phoenix Timber Core—which Jiang Qingqin had just had a student procure for him—in hand, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bade the duo farewell.

However, the moment he stepped out of the Demonic Tunist School, a thought suddenly struck him, and his face warped in shock.

Damn it… I was too concerned with the demonic tunist examination that I forgot about my appointment with her!

Gathering the books, studying, and taking the demonic tunist examination… By the time he was done with all that, it was already daybreak. Yesterday, Luo Ruoxin had told him that she would look for him later in the night, but it was already way beyond the agreed timing.

Thus, Zhang Xuan hurriedly returned to his manor, and Sun Qiang hurried forward to report to him.

“Young Master, Lady Luo came last night to look for you, but after learning that you weren’t around, she left…”

“Did she say anything?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Nothing at all…” Sun Qiang shook his head.

“Nothing?” Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment.

Luo Ruoxin had said that she would look for him last night, but she ended up leaving without saying anything… What was she up to?

“I will head over to her residence to take a look!” Zhang Xuan said.

Returning to the Master Teacher Academy, he found Luo Ruoxin’s residence, and after asking around, he learned that the other party wasn’t in, so he could only return to his manor helplessly.

Even though he did feel a little stifled within due to missing Luo Ruoxin’s appointment, considering that the latter seemed to have some important matter for him, it was likely that she would return another day. Thus, there no need for him to feel so conflicted over this issue.

In any case, his efforts the previous night had brought him the Phoenix Timber Core, so it wasn’t really a wasted trip anyway. As soon as he obtained the Grand Intermittence Grass and the other medicinal herbs from the old elders, he would be ready to forge the Grand Intermittence Pill.

Under the nourishment of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, even though it wasn’t sufficiently potent to heal Wei Ruyan’s body, it was still able to prevent the state of her physical body from declining any further at the very least. Besides, it would take some more time before the Ten-leafed Flower nurtured her soul to a satisfactory level, so there was no rush at all.

When Zhang Xuan returned to his manor once more, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Now that he finally had some time to himself, he suddenly recalled a fellow who he had been neglecting over the past few days—Byzantium Helios Beast!

It had been around eight days since he had captured that fellow on Leiyuan Peak, but he hadn’t had any time to interrogate it properly yet. Since he finally had some time at hand, it would be good to coax some news on the Otherworldly Demons from it.

Considering that we are in the center of the city, in the vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy, I should set up a formation to conceal that fellow’s aura. Otherwise, I might be noticed by others when I release the Otherworldly Demon puppets on it!

The manor Zhang Xuan was currently residing in was enormous, so there was more than sufficient space to deal with the Byzantium Helios Beast here. However, considering that they were in the middle of a bustling city instead of some remote mountain, it was still imperative to take some precautions so as to ensure that no one would learn of the Otherworldly Demon puppets.

Not to mention, they were extremely close to the Master Teacher Academy as well. Considering the sharp senses that Saint realm experts possessed, it was best not to take his chances.

He was currently a 4-star formation master, so he was familiar with quite a few grade-4 formations. After some searching about, he finally found a suitable one.

This ‘Aura Sealing Formation’ should do!

The Aura Sealing Formation served to isolate all auras within a set area from the rest of the world.

As long as a Saint realm expert didn’t consciously attempt to peek in the area, it would be hard for them to notice what was within the Aura Sealing Formation.

While it was only a grade-4 pinnacle formation, it was currently the best formation capable of concealing auras that he could come up with.

Even though he had experience setting up grade-6 Hidden Formation in the underground chamber, the formation was incapable of concealing auras or even sound. Given the current circumstances, the Aura Sealing Formation was much more useful.

I should begin!

Taking a swift look at the courtyard, Zhang Xuan swiftly deduced the ideal manner in which he should set up his formation before abruptly throwing several hundred formation flags out at once.

Hu hu hu!

The flags soared through the air and landed in their corresponding locations simultaneously.

Weng! The formation came to life.

Hundred Flags of Void Sealing!

“Alright…”

Seeing that the formation had been set up, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out the Myriad Anthive Nest, and the next moment, a massive ape saint beast appeared on the ground.

After being trapped for over a week, the Byzantium Helios Beast was finally released from its confines!

Chapter 828: Byzantium Helios Beast, Found

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Faction leader, after Zhang shi left School Head Jiang’s residence, he returned straight to the manor which King Huai gave him. After which, he headed to Luo shi’s residence but left shortly after. Since then, he hasn’t left his manor!”

In the courtyard of a vast residence sitting at the very center of the Formation Master School, a young lady reported to a beautiful silhouette before her.

Dong Xin turned around and asked, “He hasn’t left his manor?”

Ever since the affairs at the Physician School, she had been sending her men to trail Zhang Xuan so as to uncover his weaknesses, but the latter had been so busy that it was hard to even catch a glimpse of him. So far, she still hadn’t received anything that she could use against him.

“Yes!” The other lady nodded in response.

“Alright, you may leave now.” Dong Xin waved her hands casually before placing them behind her back.

A slight spring breeze tugged at her robe, highlighting her mesmerizing figure.

She lived up to her name as one of the top beauties of the academy. Her posture and gestures carried a unique charm to them.

If Hu Yaoyao was a thorny rose, she would be an elegant lily, cold but alluring.

“One has to enter the tiger’s den to find a cub. If I wish to uncover that fellow’s weakness, I will probably have to make a move myself!” Dong Xin’s eyebrows shot up.

She was an extremely careful and meticulous person, and she didn’t like to depend on secondhand news. Even though she had heard many things about Zhang Xuan from Hu Yaoyao and the others, she still held her reservations toward the authenticity of their words, choosing to devote significant resources to investigating him herself.

However, perhaps it might be due to Zhang Xuan being far too careful, her subordinates had been unable to obtain any useful intelligence on him yet. It seemed like she would have to make a move herself if she wished to find anything useful.

“Alright, I should head over to take a look!”

Switching to an ordinary robe, Dong Xin flitted out of her residence.

She had already tasked someone with uncovering the location of the manor which King Huai had given Zhang Xuan, so she knew its exact location. It wasn’t located too far from the Master Teacher Academy, so she arrived at her destination within a few minutes.

It seems like there are quite a few formations set up here… However, you are being too naive if you think that this can stop me! Chuckling lightly, Dong Xin infiltrated the manor.

She was one of the top Grade 5 students in the Master Teacher Academy, a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm expert. On top of that, she was the direct disciple of Chen Chengxun, the head of the Formation Master School.

The formations in the manor might have been able to stop 4-star and 5-star formation masters in their tracks, but to hinder her passage? Dream on!

Slowly advancing carefully in the manor, Dong Xin soon found herself standing before a vast courtyard.

A formation was currently active in the courtyard. It created a thick layer of mist around the courtyard, preventing one from seeing what was within.

Dong Xin recognized it with a single glance. This is… a 4-star pinnacle Aura Sealing Formation?

The purpose of the formation is to conceal one’s aura… Could it be that his weakness is hidden within here?

Dong Xin’s eyes lit up in excitement.

The Aura Sealing Formation didn’t have much practical use other than concealing one’s aura. For the other party to set up such a formation within his manor, there was no doubt that he was trying to hide something!

I must find a way to get through the Aura Sealing Formation to take a look… Dong Xin clenched her fists tightly in agitation.

Her enemy’s secret, and possibly his greatest weakness as well, was standing right before her. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Gritting her teeth ferociously, she began analyzing the formation carefully with her beady eyes.

It isn’t too difficult to decipher a grade-4 Aura Sealing Formation, but if I make a wrong move, I might end up shifting the formation flags and cause some unexpected changes in the formation…

As a 6-star formation master, Dong Xin was more than able to overcome an Aura Sealing Formation. However, the tricky part was to sneak in without the other party noticing.

To do so, she would have to study the formation thoroughly and plan out her moves carefully.

With a swift movement, she leaped onto a lush tree in the corner of the courtyard to conceal herself. After which, she took out a geomantic compass and began making her calculations based on the spiritual energy flow in the surroundings.

Li San, Xun Wu… 1

Dong Xin swiftly performed her calculations, and the more calculations she made, the more awed she became.

The person who set up this Aura Sealing Formation is a person of great capability. He managed to align the formation perfectly with the entire manor, turning the two into one entity. Even I am unable to achieve such a feat…

Even though the formation before her was only at grade-4 pinnacle, it was perfectly aligned with the surroundings, drawing out prowess that only grade-5 formations could possess.

To be able to bring out such prowess in a grade-4 formation, the other party’s capability as a formation master could only be above hers.

But ultimately, there’s still a limit to how powerful a grade-4 formation can be. No matter how well he might have set it up, as long as I find the Life Gate, I will still be able to get in easily… Dong Xin chuckled softly in confidence.

Her talent in formations were extraordinary, and this was also the reason the head of the Formation Master School had taken her in as his disciple.

The formation might be far beyond the normal scope of an ordinary grade-4 formation, but due to its fundamental limits, she was still able to decipher it easily.

Taking a deep breath, she was just about to confirm the location of the Life Gate and sneak in when the ground suddenly shook intensely. A violent energy burst out from the formation.

It felt as if a powerful expert was trying to break the formation from within to escape.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dong Xin swiftly hid herself before she heard yet another powerful shockwave striking the Aura Sealing Formation. Under the immense force, ‘pili pala!’, the formation began to crumble.

To be able to destroy a grade-5 formation with brute force… the person trapped inside the formation must be at least a Saint realm expert! Dong Xin narrowed her eyes in astonishment.

While the Aura Sealing Formation was meant to be a grade-4 pinnacle formation, the person who had set it up had done it so impeccably, complementing it perfectly with the surroundings, that it harnessed the prowess only grade-5 formations should possess.

For a grade-5 formation to crumble under brute force, it could only mean that the person trapped within was an unbelievably powerful expert.

Boom!

Amidst her shock, Dong Xin saw an enormous figure emerging from the crumbling formation.

This is… Senior Byzantium Helios?!

Her body immediately stiffened from sheer astonishment.

As a Grade 5 student, she had been fortunate enough to meet the tamed beast of the old principal several times… But wasn’t he kidnapped by the Otherworldly Demons?

How can he be here?

Or could it be…

The thought that just flashed through Dong Xin’s mind filled her with unprecedented horror.

“You intend to escape? Vicious, take it down!”

In the next instant, a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded in the courtyard, and an overwhelming killing intent permeated the area.

Padah!

Before Senior Byzantium Helios could even react, he had already fallen back to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.

It’s… the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Dong Xin was so frightened that she didn’t even dare to move in the slightest.

“The rest of you, get him! Pummel him to death!”

Following which, the nonchalant voice sounded once more, and twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons abruptly appeared and charged furiously toward Senior Byzantium Helios.

Pili pala!

Fists and kicks sunk into the flesh of the helpless Senior Byzantium Helios, and in the blink of an eye, he was already bruised all over. He lay on the floor twitching uncontrollably, and it felt like he could breathe his last at any moment.

Covering her mouth firmly to stifle her gasp, Dong Xin felt her blood run cold. In that instant, she dared not to make the slightest movement or noise for fear of being noticed.

The enemy side had twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons, and even Senior Byzantium Helios wasn’t a match for them. If she were to be noticed, there was no doubt that she would be slaughtered in an instant.

“It fainted again…”

Through the gaps of the leaves, she saw Zhang Xuan walking leisurely toward Senior Byzantium Helios and harrumphing coldly. He flicked his wrist, and the massive Senior Byzantium Helios abruptly disappeared from sight. After which, he looked at the broken formation and fell into deep thought.

“This formation is too weak… It seems like I should head to the Formation Master School to learn a more formidable formation…” Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath before walking back to his room.

Even after Zhang Xuan had disappeared from sight, Dong Xin didn’t dare to move, fearing that the other party might return abruptly. It was only six hours later, when dusk had finally set in, that she dared to move her stiffened body and swiftly flee from the manor.

The matter she had seen that day was truly huge!

It was so huge that it terrified her to her very core!

It was no wonder Zhang Xuan was so talented, skilled in every aspect… It turned out that he was really not a human!

It was said that the royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed the capability to disguise themselves as humans, and not even Saint realm master teachers would be able to tell the difference. When she’d first heard of it, she had thought of it as utter nonsense — how could such a convenient ability exist in the world? — but to think that… it would actually be true!

For an Otherworldly Demon to disguise itself as a master teacher and even successfully infiltrate the Master Teacher Academy… This news would cause not only a huge uproar in the Master Teacher Academy but the Master Teacher Pavilion as well!

Realizing the implications behind this issue, Dong Xin rushed straight to the Master Teacher Academy as fast as she could. This won’t do, I can’t let his schemes succeed! I have to report this matter to the academy this instant…

This was no longer something that she, as a student, had the power to deal with. She had to inform the top echelons of the Master Teacher Academy as soon as possible.

But… given how astounding this matter was, would anyone believe her?

After all, that Zhang Xuan had earned the deep trust of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, School Head Wei, and just a few hours ago, even that of School Head Wei! On top of that, he was also a close friend of Pavilion Master Mo, and he seemed to have an amicable relationship with Luo shi from the headquarters too…

If she were to accuse him of being an Otherworldly Demon without concrete evidence, not only would others not believe her, she might even be stripped of her master teacher license on the grounds of slandering her own peers!

I should first discuss this matter with teacher… Dong Xin thought.

As the person who had founded the Dong Xin Faction and led it to become one of the strongest student factions in the academy, she was by no means a reckless or foolish person.

Even though it had only been days since Zhang Xuan had enrolled at the academy, he had already won the trust of several dozen thousand students along with four school heads and Pavilion Master Mo… Her current standing was in no way on par with his.

Under the circumstances, since there was no concrete evidence to back her words, she was in a definite disadvantage on this matter. It was highly likely that the tables would turn on her, and perhaps… her life might even be threatened!

Thus, it was imperative for her to act cautiously and even more carefully for this matter.

But even if teacher were to trust me, his standing is still beneath that of School Head Zhao. That won’t be sufficient to overthrow Zhang Xuan…

A figure suddenly surfaced in Dong Xin’s mind. Wait, I can look for School Head Lu Feng!

While it was true that her teacher Chen Chengxun, the head of the Formation Master School, did possess immense prestige in the Master Teacher Academy, his standing was still beneath that of Zhao Bingxu. If Zhao Bingxu were to oppose to the motion that her teacher raised, it was highly likely that the entire matter might fall through.

However… things would be different if she could rally the stand-in principal, Lu Feng, to her side!

Lu Feng and Zhang Xuan had a hostile relationship, so Lu Feng might be inclined to listen to her words.

I should first find teacher and have him take me to School Head Lu Feng… Dong Xin gritted her teeth in determination.

The implications behind this matter were simply too huge. The matter wouldn’t just resolve itself if she only revealed what she had seen. She had to gather sufficient power on her side first.

And at this very moment, the person who wielded the greatest say in the academy was indubitably School Head Lu Feng.

On top of that, the other party had a grudge against Zhang Xuan, so if she were to reveal this news to him, it was likely that the other party would side with her.

Hu!

Having made up her mind, she headed toward the school head office of the Formation Master School without any hesitation.

Chapter 829: I Am the Old Principal’s Tamed Beast!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Not knowing that Dong Xin had already discovered the secret regarding the Byzantium Helios Beast, Zhang Xuan was currently making his way over to the Formation Master School.

Even though he had set up his Aura Sealing Formation impeccably, the formation’s grade was ultimately still too low.

While the Byzantium Helios Beast was tightly squeezed inside the Myriad Anthive Nest, it was still a saint beast with incredible regenerative capability. In just a few days, it had mostly recovered from the wounds it had sustained previously.

Thus, as soon as it was released in the courtyard, it exerted its full might to break the formation so as to escape.

It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had expected such a situation and had prepared in advance for it. Through utilizing the strength of Vicious and the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he had managed to subdue it eventually.

However, that wasn’t a feasible solution in the long-run.

Zhang Xuan had no choice but to take the Byzantium Helios Beast out in order to interrogate it on the affairs of the Otherworldly Demons, but if he couldn’t trap it properly with his formation, it might just end up escaping while his guard was down one day.

Furthermore, the shattering of the Aura Sealing Formation meant that it was possible for the aura of the Otherworldly Demon puppets to escape, and he might potentially draw in the Saint realm experts of the academy as a result of it. If that were to happen, it would be difficult for him to explain himself.

After much contemplation, Zhang Xuan decided that he should first study a higher grade formation just to be safe.

Thus, he left his manor, and before long, he was already in the Formation Master School.

I should start with the library first!

After confirming the location of the library from the passers-by, he found a small gazebo in its vicinity, sat down in there, and drew his soul out.

The Formation Master School was ranked third in the entire Master Teacher Academy. There was a constant flow of people going in and out of its library, a sight that one would never see in the Terpsichore School or the Demonic Tunist School.

It didn’t take too long for Zhang Xuan to get into the library.

As he was currently a 4-star formation master, he decided to skip the books in the lower levels and head right up to the fifth floor.

Hualala!

As his gaze swept over the shelves, book after book swiftly appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

In four hours, he had already finished taking in all of the books on the fifth and sixth floors, and he compiled them to form the 5-star and 6-star Heaven’s Path Formation Art.

After he was done, he quickly returned his soul to his body and began studying.

When Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes once again two hours later, there was a bright gleam in them.

At that very moment, his comprehension of formations had reached the equivalent of a 6-star pinnacle formation master. Even against the head of the Formation Master School, he was confident that he would be able to stand his ground.

Should I take the 6-star formation master examination while I am here?

Standing up, Zhang Xuan contemplated with his right hand stroking his lower jaw.

If he could receive a 6-star formation master emblem as well, he would have cleared one of the main prerequisites to the 6-star master teacher examination.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided against it. Forget it, I have been taking too many examinations recently. If I continue at this pace, I might just end up drawing doubts upon myself, and that would be troublesome. For the time being, I should focus my effort on interrogating the Byzantium Helios Beast!

He had taken quite a lot of examinations in recent days—blacksmith, terpsichore, physician, apothecary, demonic tunist… The matter had caused a huge uproar in the Master Teacher Academy. Since his cultivation was still too low to take the 6-star master teacher examination, it might be good for him to slow down for the time being.

Once the current heat had dissipated, he could continue as he pleased.

In any case, his knowledge couldn’t possibly escape from him. It would make no difference whether he took the examination now or later.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan returned straight to his manor.

He walked directly to his courtyard and took out a couple to formation flags to set up a grade-6 Breath Isolation Formation.

When he was finally done, he took a look at the work he had just achieved and nodded in satisfaction.

Unlike other grade-6 formations, which were impossible to successfully set up without reaching Chrysalis realm or even Half-Saint, the Breath Isolation Formation could be set up even by those whose cultivation wasn’t up to par.

Zhang Xuan had done some calculations, and he had realized that even if the Byzantium Helios Beast was in its peak state, it would still be unable to break the formation. With this, Zhang Xuan would no longer have to worry about anything escaping from it.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan stepped into the formation and deployed the Otherworldly Demon puppets in the surroundings. After this was done, he released the Byzantium Helios Beast.

“You… If you want to kill me, just do it!”

By this point, the Byzantium Helios Beast had already awoken from its previous unconsciousness. It lay motionless on the ground as it glared at the young man before it with deep resentment.

As the tamed beast of the old principal, when had it ever suffered like that before?

If only it wielded sufficient power in its hands, it would have surely ripped the fellow before it into shreds!

“If it was my intention to kill you, I would have already done so on Leiyuan Peak. There would have been no need for me to keep you alive until now!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands coldly. “If you don’t want to suffer, you’d better reveal your motive for harming the thirty thousand examinees and the mastermind behind you… If you do so, I can consider sparing your life. Otherwise, believe me, I will make every single day of yours a living hell!”

This fellow was unlike the Ancient Ape on the Cloudmist Ridge.

Soul Search was not an infallible technique. The main reason Zhang Xuan had been able to successfully use it on the Ancient Ape was due to the latter’s fear of him, and the unstable state of mind made it easier to peer into his memories. On the other hand, the Byzantium Helios Beast had a headstrong and loyal personality. Considering how it hadn’t spoken a word despite being pummeled again and again, there was a good chance that Soul Search may fail on it.

If that was the case, Zhang Xuan would lose the only lead he had on the Otherworldly Demons!

Honestly speaking, he also couldn’t help but feel deeply helpless against this fellow.

“Make my life a living hell? Do you think that I’m afraid of that?” the Byzantium Helios Beast roared furiously.

“My master was killed by Otherworldly Demons like you! You want me to submit to the likes of you? Not in a million years!”

His master had devoted his life to fighting against the Otherworldly Demons, and having accompanied by his master’s side for many years, the Byzantium Helios Beast had inherited his moral compass. It had a clear notion of what it should do and what it shouldn’t do.

If it were to side with the Otherworldly Demons, it would be too ashamed to continue living in this world!

Rather than live without honor and dignity, it would rather die!

“Your master was killed by Otherworldly Demons?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

The Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed. “Your deception is meaningless! You are royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, right? Only the royalty can conceal their aura perfectly and disguise themselves as master teachers without catching the notice of others!”

“Disguise as master teachers?”

Zhang Xuan burst into laughter. He was intending to interrogate the other party on the whereabouts of the Otherworldly Demons, but to think that he would end up being framed by the other party instead…

“Do you think that you can prove your innocence by fabricating such lies? To control so many spirit beasts to attack the examinees of the Master Teacher Academy, even a fool can tell that you have malicious intentions in mind. Who else can you possibly be working for if not the Otherworldly Demons?” Zhang Xuan sneered coldly.

“Attack the examinees? Malicious intentions?” The short-tempered Byzantium Helios Beast’s face turned scarlet upon hearing the accusation. “I was invited by School Head Mo to facilitate an examination for the examinees, how is that a malicious intention?”

“Facilitate an examination? You had the Myriad Anthive Queen to track down the whereabouts of the students so that the spirit beasts could lay a trap for them to step into… can that even be called an examination? If I hadn’t discovered it in time, who knows how many students would have lost their lives!” Zhang Xuan sneered disdainfully.

Seeing that the other party was trying to soil its honor, the Byzantium Helios Beast explained indignantly, “Those spirit beasts were captured by School Head Mo, and I had already warned them against killing any of the examinees! The purpose of the examination was to dampen their arrogance and have them understand that the strength of master teachers lies in their collectivity, not the individual!”

Even at death, it would die an honorable beast. It wouldn’t allow anyone to frame it of anything.

“There’s such a way of going about it too?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

At this point, he suddenly couldn’t help but recall the situation back when he was still on the Leiyuan Peak, when he encountered two hundred master teachers surrounded by four hundred spirit beasts. While the situation seemed perilous then, thinking back… it was indeed bizarre how there were no casualties. Could it really have been part of the examination?

If that was the case… could it be that he had misunderstood the Byzantium Helios Beast?

“You… are acquainted with School Head Mo?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Of course! I am the tamed beast of the Master Teacher Academy’s old principal. How could I possibly not know who School Head Mo Zhu is?” the Byzantium Helios Beast said with clenched jaws.

“You can kill me, but don’t even dream of prying my mouth open!”

“The tamed beast of the old principal…” Zhang Xuan’s mouth twitched upon hearing those words.

During his time in the Master Teacher Academy, he had that the old principal’s tamed beast had disappeared, and back then, he had thought that it was the doing of Otherworldly Demons…

To think that the culprit… would be him instead!

Oblivious to Zhang Xuan’s shock, the Byzantium Helios Beast roared resolutely, “Indeed! My master might have already left me, but there is no way that I will side with Otherworldly Demons! Impossible!”

“Side with Otherworldly Demons… Are you saying that I am an Otherworldly Demon?” Zhang Xuan asked with a bizarre look on his face.

“Is that not it? To be protected by the will of an Otherworldly Demon expert and so many Otherworldly Demon puppets… Who else can you be if not an Otherworldly Demon!” the Byzantium Helios Beast spat.

“This…” Glancing at the Otherworldly Demon puppets in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in a daze.

If one were to see so many Otherworldly Demon puppets all of the sudden without knowing of the inside story, they would indeed assume that to be the case…

It seemed like the entire matter was just a huge misunderstanding…

He had thought that the Byzantium Helios Beast was a subordinate dispatched by the Otherworldly Demons to harm the Master Teacher Academy’s examinees, and the other party thought that he was royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe…

What the heck!

If he’d known this was a misunderstanding, he would never have been so harsh on the Byzantium Helios Beast!

Taking a look at the other party’s state, he didn’t even look like a beast anymore…

Recalling the sight of how his puppets had pummeled the other party viciously just earlier that afternoon, Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched uncontrollably…

It seemed like… somehow, things had gotten out of hand.

In terms of standing, the tamed beast of the old principal was comparable to a school head. To pummel the other party viciously, leaving it on the verge of death multiple times… If others were to learn of it, he would be a goner!

The entire academy would be raising their pitchforks toward him, hunting him down to the ends of the world.

Currently, there are only two solutions before me. One is to kill the other party and ensure that no one learns that I am the culprit. The other is to tame it and make it my tamed beast. Otherwise, it will surely rally others against me as soon as I set it free! Zhang Xuan’s mind swiftly whirred into action upon realizing that this was a huge misunderstanding.

Given the other party’s standing, even if Zhang Xuan were to prove that he wasn’t an Otherworldly Demon, there was no way it would be willing to let Zhang Xuan off the hook just because he had left it on the brink of death multiple times. If he were to release it, there was no doubt that he would be in for a round of misfortune.

The easiest and safest way out of this was to… just kill the other party!

I can’t. I should try the second solution instead!

It was admirable and touching how the Byzantium Helios Beast refused to budge even in the face of death, choosing to take the secrets of humanity with it to its grave instead. It was one thing if Zhang Xuan was unaware of it, but now that he had learned of it, he would surely regret it for life if he were to kill the other party.

Taming might be difficult, but Zhang Xuan felt that it was the only acceptable solution out of this mess.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before turning to the Byzantium Helios Beast and said, “I am not from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I am a real master teacher!”

“Stop putting on an act here, do you think that I’ll believe you?” The Byzantium Helios Beast didn’t believe Zhang Xuan at all.

If the other party wasn’t an Otherworldly Demon, how could he have so many Otherworldly Demon puppets protecting him? On top of that, the will of an Otherworldly Demon expert had even pledged loyalty to him…

Don’t even think that you can fool me that easily just because I am a beast…

Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. “Consider our plight, is there really a need for me to lie to you? I really am not an Otherworldly Demon. There is a huge misunderstanding between us!”

The next moment, the aura that Zhang Xuan exuded abruptly changed. In that very instant, his presence felt like an inviolable deity from the heavens, a figure whose authority one could never challenge.

“This is…”

Sensing the aura, the Byzantium Helios Beast was bewildered briefly. Then, a thought struck it, and its eyes immediately widened in astonishment.

“You are… a Celestial Master Teacher?”

Chapter 830: Byzantium Helios Beast Acknowledges Its Master!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The old principal had once told him that the most formidable master teacher was the Celestial Master Teacher. Acknowledged by the heavens, the Celestial Master Teacher commanded an aura that compelled others to acknowledge them as their teacher.

In history, only Kong shi had reached such a peak before. Could the man before him be one as well?

“That’s right!”

Zhang Xuan nodded. “Do you think that a Celestial Master Teacher can be an Otherworldly Demon?”

The Byzantium Helios Beast hurriedly shook its massive head. “Of course not…”

The Celestial Master Teacher was a master teacher acknowledged by even the heavens, an existence on par with Kong shi. How could he possibly an Otherworldly Demon?

Those two were from two completely different worlds!

Seeing that the other party had recognized his identity, Zhang Xuan’s face immediately darkened. “Even the heavens have recognized me, but you showed me no respect at all, assaulting me even… Do the heavens mean nothing to you? Does Kong shi mean nothing to you?”

If he wanted to tame the other party, he had to claim the moral high ground first. Thus, he had to pin the blame on the other party.

Besides, it was a fact that the other party was the first to make the move. Had Zhang Xuan not possessed several means up his sleeves, their roles at this very moment would have been reversed.

“I…” the Byzantium Helios Beast’s face flushed crimson.

Back then, it was just thinking of scaring the arrogant freshman before it to instill humility into him, but who could have known that… the other party was actually a Celestial Master Teacher!

In the whole of history, there had only been one Celestial Master Teacher—Empyrean Kong shi. Even the 72 Sages, his direct disciples, had never achieved such a height… This went to show how fearsome an existence a Celestial Master Teacher was!

In other words, it had attempted to assault a master teacher who was innumerable times more noble than the old principal… It was no wonder the other party had taught it a lesson!

It should already count its blessings that it hadn’t been reduced to meat jerky!

Even though the other party’s cultivation was currently weak, just by this identity in itself, even if the other party were to destroy the entire Master Teacher Academy, there wasn’t anyone who would dare punish him for that.

Celestial Master Teacher, an existence equivalent to Kong shi, which master teacher would dare to refute his actions?

Seeing that he had managed to instill fear into the other party’s heart, Zhang Xuan swiftly pushed on with the momentum. “It’s due to your disrespect toward me that I imprisoned you and taught you a lesson. Do you harbor any grudges against me due to that?”

The Byzantium Helios Beast swiftly shook its head in denial. “I dare not…”

A Celestial Master Teacher was the hope to furthering mankind’s rise. Even if the old principal were in its place, he would not dare harbor a grudge toward the other party.

This was the special privilege that a Celestial Master Teacher possessed!

“Good! Since the misunderstanding between us is dispelled, I shall give you two options. One, acknowledge me as your master and I will treat your wounds and help you achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation. Two, since you’ve found out about my identity, in order to prevent the news from leaking… I can only silence you for good!” Zhang Xuan said impassively with his authoritative gaze pressurizing the other party.

His identity as a Celestial Master Teacher could not be made known to others easily. It was one thing if his fellow master teachers were to learn of it, but if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to catch hold of that news somehow, he would become a target for them to hunt down!

Due to that fear, Zhang Xuan refused to reveal his identity to anyone, not even to his fellow master teachers. Those who knew about it had sworn to maintaining secrecy about it.

“This…” The Byzantium Helios Beast was conflicted.

After a moment of hesitation, it gritted its teeth and replied, “I will acknowledge Zhang shi as my master!”

It was not out of fear for its life that it chose this decision, but… since the person before him was a Celestial Master Teacher, the heights that he would surely reach were unthinkable. Perhaps, he might be able to exact vengeance for his master!

“Since you have decided to acknowledge me as your master, I will give you my word too then. As soon as I possess sufficient strength, I will investigate the true reason behind the old principal’s death and avenge him!” Zhang Xuan also noticed the Byzantium Helios Beast’s intentions, and he gave his word.

“Thank you… master!” Seeing the other party promising it of the matter even before it could speak, the Byzantium Helios Beast’s eyes reddened in agitation. It immediately kneeled to the floor, and a droplet of crimson blood seeped out of its glabella and into Zhang Xuan’s glabella.

The formation of the contract!

“Rise!” Having averted one possible calamity, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Stepping forward, he placed his palm on the Byzantium Helios Beast’s body and infused the pure Heaven’s Path zhenqi into it.

Within just a few moments, the latter’s heavy wounds had vanished without a trace.

“This…” The Byzantium Helios Beast widened its eyes in shock.

As a Saint realm expert, it could clearly sense the unique nature of Zhang Xuan’s zhenqi. Not only was it unbelievably pure, it also carried a grand and majestic aura reminiscent of a deity overlooking the world.

So, this is a Celestial Master Teacher… The Byzantium Helios Beast couldn’t help but feel deference to Zhang Xuan.

“You must be curious why these puppets and the will that subdued you are Otherworldly Demons…” Oblivious to the other party’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan swiftly told him about the matter regarding the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious.

Considering the undying loyalty that the Byzantium Helios Beast held to mankind, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hide it from him.

“I see…” After hearing the details, the Byzantium Helios Beast couldn’t help but feel deeper respect for Zhang Xuan.

Were it not for the young man before it, had the heart been given time to recover and make a comeback, mankind would have been in deep trouble.

By subduing the other party, that was equivalent to averting a disastrous catastrophe for mankind, and that was a huge merit!

If he were to report this contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion, he would be rewarded with the top-tier Saint weapons!

“Since you have submitted to me, I will treat you as one of my own. Here is an inner core of an Ancient Ape. As long as you assimilate it, you should be able to overcome your current bottleneck and reach higher realms!”

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan threw the inner core he had procured from the Ancient Ape on the Cloudmist Ridge over.

Just like the Ancient Ape, the Byzantium Helios Beast was also an ape-type saint beast as well. Due to the similarities in their constitution, it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Byzantium Helios Beast to assimilate the inner core to raise its cultivation.

“Thank you, master!”

Holding the inner core in hand and feeling the pulsating energy within it, the Byzantium Helios Beast’s eyes reddened in agitation.

Just as Zhang Xuan had deduced, the inner core was indeed extremely useful to him. If he were to utilize it well, he could easily reach Saint realm 2-dan.

“There’s no one around here, so you can cultivate here without worries!”

Seeing the excited gleam in the other party’s eyes, Zhang Xuan left the Byzantium Helios to be and walked out of the formation.

The matter with the Byzantium Helios Beast was finally resolved.

With the backing of the old principal’s tamed beast, it was unlikely that there would be anyone who would dare to challenge him in the Master Teacher Academy in the future.

Just as Zhang Xuan was stretching his back lazily, Sun Qiang walked up to him and reported, “Young master, Lady Luo is here. She is waiting in the main hall!”

“She’s here?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he rushed to the main hall.

Even though he had only met Luo Ruoxin thrice, he couldn’t help but feel something special for her. It was an inexplicable sensation, but it was one he had never found in any other lady before.

In terms of beauty, he had met plenty of beautiful lady before. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Shen Bi Ru, Zhao Feiwu, Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao… They were also ravishing beauties with their own unique disposition and charm.

But toward them, he only harbored ordinary feelings between one of a teacher and student or friends, nothing more than that.

He had no idea why this was the case.

But with Luo Ruoxin, just the thought of spending some time with the other party left his heart hastening slightly in anticipation.

Stepping into the main hall, he saw the back of a ravishing white-robed figure standing at the center of the room. The figure was relatively small in contrast to the vast room, but her beautiful silhouette seemed to capture one’s attention entirely, rendering it impossible to tear one’s eyes away from her.

“Luo shi!” With a smile, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and greeted her.

“Zhang shi!” Luo shi turned around and smiled. In an instant, it was as if a field of flowers had bloomed in the room.

After settling down in the seats in the main hall and exchanging some pleasantries, Luo Ruoxin said, “I came to look for you because I have something I require your help on!”

“Feel free to request anything from me. As long as it’s within my means, I will definitely accomplish it!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Zhang shi is truly too polite. However, the matter I am going to request of you is indeed something only you can do because you possess the Eye of Insight… On top of that, if I am not mistaken, you are a Celestial Master Teacher too, right?” Luo Ruoxin said calmly.

“You…” Taken aback, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

He had been doing his best to conceal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher all along, and not even a 7-star master teacher like Mu shi had been able to see through it. But Luo Ruoxin actually saw through it with a single glance… Was this for real?

So far, the only one who had managed to do so was Vicious.

But Vicious was a figure who had fought with Kong shi on equal grounds in his time!

It should come as no surprise that his eyes would be keener than many others. However, Luo shi should only be a 6-star master teacher. How could she see through it as well?

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s shock, Luo Ruoxin smiled. “I noticed it back when we first met in the Verdant Mountain. However, as we weren’t really acquainted with one another then, I chose not to point it out.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but recall the other party’s silly actions back in the Verdant Mountain, and an urge to chuckle welled up in her.

In the time that she had lived, she had encountered countless geniuses of all sort. However, this was the first time she had encountered one as silly as him.

“I see…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head, not knowing how he should respond.

It wasn’t like he had to hide his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher at all cost. All he feared was the news reaching the ears of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

But since the other party had been aware of it but kept silent all along, she should be a trustworthy person.

“May I know what the matter you require my help on is?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Considering the fact that he couldn’t see through the other party’s cultivation and that the other party was able to tell that he was a Celestial Master Teacher easily, there was no doubt that Luo Ruoxin wasn’t an ordinary 6-star master teacher. At the very least, it was highly likely that she possessed strength on par with Mu shi.

For such an expert to require his help, what could the matter be?

“I want you to follow me to the Saint Ascension Platform!” Luo Ruoxin said.

“Saint Ascension Platform?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had never heard of such a place before.

“It is said to be the place where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood back then. I wish to visit there to take a look and verify some deductions of mine,” Luo Ruoxin said with a slight frown.

“The place where Kong shi ascended to Sainthood?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

“Indeed. Legend has it that Kong shi was no ordinary Saint but one recognized by the heavens, thus the usage of the word ‘ascension’. The Saint Ascension Platform isn’t an ancient ruin but a popular tourist location. Each year, countless master teachers would make a pilgrimage there to pay their respects to Kong shi,” said Luo Ruoxin.

“It’s a tourist location? If that’s the case, what am I to do there?” Zhang Xuan asked in astonishment.

Since the Saint Ascension Platform was a tourist location, every nook and cranny of it must have been examined innumerable times by the master teachers visiting it. Even if he were to head there, it was unlikely that he would be able to contribute anything!

“You are a Celestial Master Teacher just like Kong shi. On top of that, you have also comprehended the Eye of Insight. Perhaps, you might be able to see something others can’t,” Luo Ruoxin replied.

“Besides, Kong shi’s handwritten words are inscribed there. It will be beneficial for you to take a look too!”

“This…” Zhang Xuan hesitated. “How far is the Saint Ascension Platform from here?”

“Not too far. If you ride on the Great Violetwing Beast, the journey should take about six to seven days!” Luo Ruoxin said with a chuckle.

Chapter 831: Zhang Xuan, I Shall Crush You Utterly!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Six to seven days? That’s not too far…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beast, the Great Violetwing Beast wouldn’t even be able to reach the borders of Hongyuan Empire in six to seven days. Judging from that, it didn’t seem like the Saint Ascension Platform was too far away.

With a faint smile, Luo Ruoxin asked, “How about it? Are you interested in going with me?”

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan nodded excitedly.

Putting aside that Luo Ruoxin was going as well, it was a good opportunity in itself for any master teacher to visit the grounds where Kong shi had ascended to Sainthood.

On top of that, there was a chance he might learn something about the Innate Fetal Poison there as well.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan asked, “When do we set off?”

“If it is convenient for you, we can set forth this instant…” Luo Ruoxin replied.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since the Grand Intermittence Grass hadn’t arrived yet, Zhang Xuan couldn’t forge the Grand Intermittence Pill. At the current moment, Wei Ruyan’s soul and body were being nourished by the Ten-leafed Flower and Earth Vein Spirit Essence respectively, so there shouldn’t be any problems in the short run. A six to seven days journey shouldn’t be an issue.

After instructing Sun Qiang to take care of the others, he and Luo Ruoxin leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and set forth for the Saint Ascension Platform.

…

Shortly after Zhang Xuan left Hongyuan City, Dong Xin arrived at the office of the head of the Formation Master School, Chen Chengxun.

Noticing the anxiety on the usually composed face of his most prided student, Chen Chengxun asked apprehensively, “What’s wrong?”

Dong Xin clenched her teeth and said, “I have something extremely important to report… I hope that teacher can take me to meet School Head Lu Feng!”

“You want to meet School Head Lu Feng? Whatever for?” Chen Chengxun frowned.

A matter brought up with the stand-in principal would elevate the issue to the academy-wide level. Just what kind of matter would require such attention?

“This matter concerns the safety of the Master Teacher Academy… as well as Senior Byzantium Helios and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!” Dong Xin said grimly.

“Senior Byzantium Helios?”

Chen Chengxun immediately stood up in agitation. “You have news on him?”

“Yes!” Dong Xin nodded.

“That’s good news. Follow me, I’ll take you to School Head Lu…”

Not daring to make light of the matter, Chen Chengxun swiftly took his direct disciple to the Apothecary School.

Before long, they arrived at Lu Feng’s residence.

After sealing the surroundings to ward off any eavesdroppers, the two school heads took their seats and gazed at the young lady before them.

“So, what’s the matter?” Lu Feng asked with a tinge of agitation in his voice.

Mu shi had once said that whoever who found the Byzantium Helios Beast would be the next principal of the academy. If Lu Feng were to obtain the authority of principal, he would be able to deal with Zhang Xuan as he pleased.

Be it Mo Zhu or Zhao Bingxu, they would only be able to accept the verdict quietly.

“It’s like this. Earlier today… I saw Senior Byzantium Helios!” Dong Xin said.

Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun’s eyes immediately lit up upon hearing those words.

“You saw him? Where is he? Is he safe?” Lu Feng asked anxiously.

Since Dong Xin had seen the Byzantium Helios Beast that day, it meant that the latter was still in Hongyuan City. If so, they could still make it in time to save him if they were to rush over immediately.

“He… is currently in Zhang Xuan’s manor,” Dong Xin said.

“Zhang Xuan’s manor? Why would Senior Byzantium Helios be there?” Lu Feng asked in astonishment

“It’s like this. By some coincidence… I happened to pass by the manor and saw Senior Byzantium Helios being trapped within a formation in the manor. He tried to escape, but he couldn’t break out of the formation…” Without hiding anything, Dong Xin revealed everything she had seen in Zhang Xuan’s manor.

As she had been hidden quite a distance away, she couldn’t get a clear glimpse of the puppets, so she thought that they were real Otherworldly Demons.

“You are saying that… Zhang Xuan ordered twenty Otherworldly Demons to assault Senior Byzantium Helios, and from the looks of the situation then, he seems to be their leader?” Overwhelmed by the news before him, Lu Feng abruptly stood up.

This was really beyond his imagination.

Even for someone who had lived for several centuries, he could hardly believe what he had just heard.

“Is what you said true?” Chen Chengxun asked Dong Xin anxiously.

This was truly a huge matter.

To order twenty Otherworldly Demons to attack the Byzantium Helios Beast, and to emanate a powerful killing intent himself… All of this was clearly screaming that Zhang Xuan was a spy in the Master Teacher Academy, and it was highly likely that he was an Otherworldly Demon himself!

“I am willing to use my identity as a master teacher to vow that every word that I have said is true. If there is the slightest falsehood in my words, I am willing to have my master teacher license revoked…” Dong Xin raised her right hand and swore earnestly.

To swear in one’s name as a master teacher was one of the heaviest vows one could make. If something were to go wrong, even if the Master Teacher Pavilion chose not to pursue the matter, it would still lead to a collapse in faith, making it difficult for one to make any progress in their Soul Depth.

“This…” Seeing Dong Xin make such a vow, Lu Feng and Chen Chengxun exchanged glances, and their expression grew even graver.

A moment later, a thought suddenly struck Lu Feng, and he exclaimed in realization, “That explains why that fellow is skilled in so many supporting occupations despite being only twenty this year, surpassing even school heads like us! So that’s the reason!”

Noticing the confusion of the other two beside him, Lu Feng explained, “The Otherworldly Demons possess a far longer lifespan than us humans. Even though that fellow seems to be in his early twenties, the chances are that he is an old monster who has lived through many eras. Otherwise, how could he possibly achieve such expertise in his smithing, pill forging, medicine, and terpsichorean arts?”

“This…” Chen Chengxun pondered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. “What you’ve said makes sense. He has been causing great chaos in the academy ever since his enrollment, rallying the students to join his Xuanxuan Faction and support him. I have been thinking that there is something abnormal about this situation, but if he truly is an Otherworldly Demon, everything makes perfect sense!”

That Zhang Xuan simply had far too many mysteries surrounding him. Even his comprehension of the Eye of Insight seemed insufficient to justify the unbelievable accomplishments he had achieved thus far. However, if he was indeed an Otherworldly Demon, everything came together like pieces in a puzzle.

“Otherworldly Demons are the bane of humanity. As master teachers, we have to kill every single one of them…” A sharp glint flashed across Lu Feng’s eyes, and he gritted his teeth furiously.

The enmity between Otherworldly Demons and humanity was already etched deep into their bones, irreconcilable at this point. Since Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon, there was only one thing to do… he had to die!

“That’s right. It’s our responsibility as master teachers to eliminate all those who intend humanity harm.” Chen Chengxun spoke in agreement.

However, the next moment, a frown appeared on his forehead. “But Zhang Xuan has already won the trust of School Head Mo, School Head Zhao, and the others. If we can’t find any concrete evidence against him, we might only end up creating a rift among ourselves.”

“Those fools!” Lu Feng harrumphed coldly.

With an air of superiority, he declared confidently, “From the first time I saw him, I could tell that fellow wasn’t a good person, but they just simply wouldn’t believe it. Now, look at what their obstinacy has led us to. Alright, let’s look for Mu shi and explain this matter to him. Afterward, we shall assemble the Ten Great Master Teachers, bring Zhang Xuan over, and expose him before them!”

“Indeed! With Mu shi around, the others won’t be able to oppose the matter!” Chen Chengxun nodded in agreement.

“Un!” Lu Feng nodded in satisfaction.

After which, he turned to the young lady in the room and said, “You are Dong Xin, right? You have done well. Later, when we meet Mu shi, recount what you have seen to him… I know that apothecary is one of your supporting occupations as well. As long as you settle this matter well, I will take you in as my direct disciple and impart pill forging to you personally!”

Hearing those words, Dong Xin immediately kneeled down and greeted agitatedly, “Dong Xin pays respect to Lu laoshi!”

If Lu Feng were to become the principal of the academy, she would be the direct disciple of the principal. With her standing as the direct disciples of two school heads, it would only be a matter of time before her Dong Xin Faction became the number one faction in the academy!

Hahahaha!

Hu Yaoyao, Long Cangyue, and Xue Zhenyang, let’s see how you compare to me then!

As for Zhang Xuan… with his identity as an Otherworldly Demon revealed, his life was over. His name was no longer worth even a mention.

“Alright, let’s look for Mu shi now…”

With a nod, Lu Feng was just about to head out when he abruptly stopped. “Wait a moment! If I recall correctly, Zhang Xuan has a close relationship with Luo shi as well. If we meet Mu shi now, I fear that the news might reach Zhang Xuan somehow, giving him time to make preparations in advance. It will be difficult for us to capture him if he flees!”

Concealing his aura and disguising as a master teacher, it would mean that the other party was likely royalty of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

If an expert of that caliber were to flee in advance, not even a Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would necessarily be able to track him down and capture him, let alone the Master Teacher Academy.

This matter would have to be planned carefully.

“Indeed!” Chen Chengxun also nodded in agreement.

No matter how slim the chances were, it was never wrong to be prepared.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Feng instructed, “School Head Chen, help me look into where that Zhang Xuan is at the moment. Dispatch a few men to observe him all day long, don’t give him any chance to escape… Once our preparations are ready, we shall inform Mu shi and have him judge the matter!”

As much as he would have loved to rush straight up to Zhang Xuan and have him executed immediately, he knew that this wasn’t the time to be reckless. As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he was still able to keep his composure in crucial moments like this.

“I will have it done!” School Head Chen replied before leaving the room. A moment later, he returned after dispatching two elders to Zhang Xuan’s manor.

An hour later, one of the two elders walked into the room and reported, “School Head Lu, School Head Chen, we went to Zhang Xuan’s manor, and he isn’t there. Thus, we asked around, and it seems like he left on an aerial spirit beast with Luo shi earlier this afternoon…”

“He left?” The trio was stunned.

“That’s right. He left two hours ago. As for where he went, he didn’t inform anyone before departing, so we weren’t able to uncover his trail,” the elder replied.

With their cultivation as Saint realm experts, it wasn’t too difficult for them to check the entire manor discreetly to confirm Zhang Xuan’s absence. After which, they questioned those living in the vicinity about Zhang Xuan’s whereabouts, which was where they learned that Zhang Xuan had left with Luo shi on an aerial spirit beast.

However, considering that not even Sun Qiang knew where he was heading, there was no way the others could possibly know.

“He left two hours ago?” Lu Feng’s complexion was extremely awful.

A spirit beast could cover several thousand kilometers in two hours. Even if he were to dispatch the full force of the Master Teacher Academy, there was no way he could locate an aerial spirit beast who could be anywhere within a several-thousand-kilometer radius in a short period of time, and by the time they managed to find any trail, the other party would have been long gone.

Lu Feng turned around and asked, “Are his students still around?”

“They are!” the elder replied. “Also, based on our sources, it seems Luo shi was the one who extended the invitation to him to head out.”

“That’s good. From the looks of it, it seems he has only headed out to settle some matters. The fact that his students are still around likely means that the news hasn’t reached him yet. Keep a close eye on this matter. As soon as he returns, make sure to report to me as soon as possible!” Flinging his sleeves, Lu Feng instructed them with a majestic disposition fitting that of a principal of the Master Teacher Academy.

“Yes!” The elder nodded before leaving the room.

“Now that he’s not around, what do we do?” Chen Chengxun asked.

“What do we do? We wait! As soon as he returns, we shall conduct an Elder Conference and unmask his true identity before Mu shi and the others!” With killing intent raging in his eyes, Lu Feng sneered coldly.

Arrogant, aren’t you? Challenging my authority and destroying my Apothecary School…

Zhang Xuan, let me tell you. Your good days have come to an end!

Just wait and see. I, Lu Feng, shall crush you utterly!