Chapter 915

Chapter 915: Time to Study

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan had thought that it would be easy and that he could complete the reverse engineering very quickly. However, who knew that by the time he opened his eyes once more, an entire day would have already passed?

Hu!

Getting to his feet to stretch his back, Zhang Xuan massaged his glabella.

Even with a strong constitution like his, he still couldn’t help but feel like someone had smashed a brick into his head after an entire day of heavy thinking.

However, it was fortunate that hard work never lied. After an entire day of effort, he had successfully deduced a new version of Saint Ascension Decipher.

It sure is a pity… If Vicious hadn’t consumed two-thirds of the writing, I might have been able to create a flawless technique…

In the process of deconstructing Kong shi’s insight, he realized that the intent contained within Kong shi’s calligraphy was the key to reverse engineering the cultivation technique. However, the Library of Heaven’s Path had only replicated the content, so Zhang Xuan only had one-third of it to work with.

With two-thirds of the intent missing, it was inevitable that the Saint Ascension Decipher that he eventually deduced would be flawed.

“There are still three flaws… It is similar to the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body—I will require certain artifacts to serve as catalysts in order to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm!”

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even though it would be troublesome to gather those artifacts, the current version he had deduced was at a completely different level from the Saint Ascension Decipher Mu shi’s puppet had given him.

Mu shi’s puppet walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you have a stroke of inspiration?”

Yesterday, shortly after it received Kong shi’s writing, the other party had suddenly sat down and fallen into deep thought. Perhaps, the other party had also noticed that the scroll contained the key to refining the Saint Ascension Decipher further.

“I did manage to comprehend something,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Stroking its beard, Mu shi’s puppet said, with eyes gleaming in excitement, “Not bad! After studying the scroll, I also managed to comprehend something as well. Why don’t we exchange our comprehensions? Perhaps, we might be able to refine the Saint Ascension Decipher further!”

Sensing the confidence in the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask, “Oh? May I know what Mu shi comprehended?”

“I feel that using seven zhenqi strands to form a knot is wrong… However, I have yet to deduce how many strands are required in order to perfect it…” Soon, Mu shi’s puppet swiftly revealed the comprehensions it had.

On the other hand, hearing the other party’s comprehension, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head.

He had thought that the other party’s comprehensions could possibly give him the inspiration to correct the three remaining flaws in the technique, but it seemed like he was putting his expectations too high…

The other party’s understanding of the technique was still at a superficial level, a far way off from matching his freshly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher.

“What about you? What did you comprehend? Why don’t you share it with me so that we can analyze it together? You might be more talented than me, but in terms of intelligence, I am confident that I won’t lose to anyone!” Mu shi’s puppet chuckled confidently.

Against the top-notch geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, its talent was indeed unspectacular. There were a handful of principals who were more talented than it, such as Principal Mo Liuzhen. However, in terms of intelligence, he was definitely ranked among the top.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to compile the experiences of those before him and refine the Saint Ascension Decipher, cultivating his Origin Core to Advanced Second Grade.

One must know that very few master teachers had managed to achieve this feat!

As such, he had the utmost confidence in this field. Within the span of a day, he didn’t think that the other party would be able to fare much better than him.

“This…” Not knowing how he should speak of the matter, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before grabbing a brush and an empty book and swiftly writing down a simplified version of the newly-deduced Saint Ascension Decipher, which anyone could cultivate, and passed it over. “This is what I have comprehended over the past day. You can take a look at it…”

“This is what you comprehended?” Lowering its gaze to take a look, the body of Mu shi’s puppet suddenly began trembling uncontrollably, and it nearly fell to the ground.

It had thought that it had managed to comprehend a lot within a single day, but compared to the other party, its feat was not even a drop in the ocean!

It was as if two rivaling authors had started on their work simultaneously, and while one had just confirmed the name of the protagonist, the other had already finished the entire book… This was the overwhelming frustration that it felt at that very moment!

It was barely at the starting point, but the other party had already deduced the most correct cultivation technique!

The difference was so great that it felt as if it was about to suffer a mental breakdown.

How could the world be so unfair as to allow for there to be such great difference between two people?

Thinking back about what it had just shared with the other party, it felt so embarrassed that it felt tempted to drill a hole in the ground and hide itself for eternity to come!

“Zhang shi is indeed a man of great talent; I am impressed!” After learning about the difference between them, Mu shi’s puppet decided to put down his attitude as the founder of the Master Teacher Academy.

Seeing that he had unintentionally dealt a heavy blow to the other party, Zhang Xuan offered his consolation. “There is no need to worry. As long as you work hard, you will surely improve.”

“… Yes.” The mouth of Mu shi’s puppet twitched.

It had always been the one to say those words to others so as to encourage its juniors… Who could have thought that it would hear those words directed toward it at such an age!

But nevertheless, it was indeed true that its intelligence was far beneath the other party. As the saying goes, ‘the proficient becomes the teacher’. The other party wasn’t really getting ahead of himself to say such words to it.

Shaking its head, Mu shi’s puppet passed the book back. “Zhang shi, this Saint Ascension Decipher is something you comprehended yourself. I can’t cultivate it even if I wanted to, so you should keep it well…”

Existing only as a puppet now, it could no longer cultivate. As such, the Saint Ascension Decipher was useless to it.

“It’s fine!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand. “You should keep it. Pass it to the next person who clears the ninth level!”

The cultivation technique he had deduced was valuable, but it was derived on the foundations of the other party’s Saint Ascension Decipher and the insights Kong shi had left behind, so it couldn’t be exactly called his private possession.

In any case, it would serve a greater purpose here. Geniuses who cleared the Mountain of Records for generations to come would be able to learn the perfected version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus bolstering the forces of mankind.

As for why he chose not to just release it to the world so that everyone could cultivate the technique…

It was not that he was unwilling to do so, but he shared the same worries as Kong shi back then.

The Saint Ascension Decipher was an unparalleled treasure to top-notch geniuses, but to others, it would only grant them false hope before crushing it mercilessly, tearing their confidence and motivation to shreds.

This was similar to how a billion gold coins might be a small goal to a tycoon, but to ordinary humans, such a goal would only be a source of endless frustration.

“Yes!” After hearing Zhang Xuan’s decision, Mu shi’s puppet nodded as it bowed deeply. “Allow me to thank you in place of the later generations of the Master Teacher Academy!”

To contribute the cultivation technique he had comprehended unreservedly to others, this was the deed of a true master teacher!

Over the past day of interaction, it had learned that the young man was the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it had been shocked for a long while. However, at this moment, it could see why the other party would be nominated to become the principal despite his young age.

There was indeed something extraordinary about him.

“Mu shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. As a master teacher, it is my responsibility to impart knowledge to others and leave behind my heritage to benefit the later generations,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Nevertheless, I feel that I should compensate Zhang shi for your generosity. As the new principal, you should be aware of the existence of the Mausoleum of Principals, right?” Mu shi’s puppet asked.

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“I took a look earlier, and a breakthrough to Half-Saint through your Saint Ascension Decipher will require a Scarlet Firefly Fruit, which I don’t have on me unfortunately. However, I do have the Lightning Resonance Rock required for the breakthrough to Nascent Saint, and it is currently stored in the Mausoleum of Principals!” Mu shi’s puppet said with a kind smile.

“Lightning Resonance Rock? You have it? That’s great!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he nearly leaped up in excitement.

He had already found the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for a breakthrough to Half-Saint, so that wasn’t a problem.

However, the breakthrough to Nascent Saint required a Lightning Resonance Rock, an extremely rare ore that was only formed after being nurtured by nature’s lightning over a course of ten thousand years.

The Ten Indomitable Kings of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him many valuable ores, but there wasn’t a single Lightning Resonance Rock in it. This went to show how valuable it was.

He was still deliberating how he could obtain it when Mu shi’s puppet suddenly said that it had left one in the Mausoleum of Principals.

Indeed, kindness begets kindness. If he hadn’t donated the cultivation technique for free, it would have surely taken him a lot of effort in order to procure the Lightning Resonance Rock.

“I happened to chance upon one while I was roaming the world, but I wasn’t able to find a use for it, so I just kept it with me.” Mu shi’s puppet nodded.

After which, it flicked its wrist, and a unique token appeared in its hand. “After you enter the Mausoleum of Principals, head to where my body is buried and flash this token. The treasures I have hidden there should automatically appear. Those are the items I saved up over my entire life for the geniuses of the later generations to inherit.”

“Thank you, Mu shi!” Taking the token, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bowed respectfully.

To think of the later generations even as death approached, leaving behind his possessions and heritage for those after him to enjoy, Mu shi was indeed a true teacher through and through.

“Since you have cleared the ninth level of the Mountain of Records and received the reward, you may return now!” After saying everything it wanted to say, Mu shi’s puppet nodded in satisfaction before waving his hands.

It was reassured, knowing that the young man before it would bring the Master Teacher Academy to even greater heights.

“Farewell!” Nodding, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and headed down.

Returning back to the eighth level, he encountered the worried School Head Mo and the others. After reassuring them that he was fine, he headed out of the Mountain of Records with them.

When they finally arrived at the bottom, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he had headed there as soon as he became the principal. Otherwise, once he made the breakthrough to Half-Saint, he would be unqualified to challenge it, and he wouldn’t have been able to obtain the Saint Ascension Decipher, thus missing the opportunity to advance his Origin Core to higher grades.

“Principal Zhang, where are you intending to go now?”

“The Cultivation Compendium,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Cultivation Compendium?” The others were taken aback.

“Un. I intend to read through some books and study.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

With the Saint Ascension Decipher, he no longer needed the Heaven’s Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint. Nevertheless, he still wanted to take a look and see if he could perfect it with the books there.

If he succeeded, he would be able to make breakthroughs to higher realms even without collecting the required artifacts.

“I will take you over,” School Head Mo said as he took the lead.

The Master Teacher Academy’s Cultivation Compendium was located near the Elder Hall, and it didn’t take long for the both of them to arrive there.

The Cultivation Compendium was very unlike the other buildings in the Master Teacher Academy. Despite its majestic scale, it had a rather old and traditional architecture. There was a soothing atmosphere around it that whisked away the anxiety within one.

Knowing that Principal Zhang was just going to study, School Head Zhao and the others didn’t tag along.

“Principal Zhang, this is the Cultivation Compendium. There is a total of five floors here. The bottommost floor is open to students with outstanding contribution. The second floor is open to teachers. The third floor is open to elders of the academy. The fourth floor is open only to the principal of each generation. And as for the fifth floor… other principals might be unable to enter, but you should have no problem doing so!” School Head Mo smiled.

Given that Zhang Xuan had received Supreme Jurisdiction and the Impeccable Principal’s Seal, there was not an inch of ground within the Master Teacher Academy that he couldn’t step on.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded as he shot the huge building another gaze.

After which, he pushed open the door and stepped in.

After two months…

Here I finally am, Cultivation Compendium!

Chapter 916: Chrysalis Realm Pinnacle

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Each library in the Master Teacher Academy had its own genre. For example, the library in the Beast Tamer School would have books regarding beast taming, and the books in the Physician School’s library would be on the Way of Medicine.

Stored in the Cultivation Compendium were the cultivation and battle technique manuals, as well as the history, geography, culture, and other common knowledge regarding Hongyuan Empire and its surrounding nations.

Even though the books on the first floor were open for students to browse through, its collection was still extremely impressive. Millions of cultivation technique manuals spanning from Consonant Spirit realm to Chrysalis realm filled the many tall shelves within the room.

It had been ten thousand years since the Master Teacher Academy was established, and many outstanding master teachers had risen throughout the generations. These men had recorded their insights and experiences regarding cultivation so that later generations would be able to analyze them and perhaps surpass them. Some had even created their own techniques and spread them far and wide in the world.

This had given rise to a huge assortment of books for each cultivation realm.

With just a casual look, Zhang Xuan could already find nearly ten thousand different ways one could cultivate the Consonant Spirit realm from the books. Each of them formed its own complete system and heritage.

For any other student, faced with so many choices, they would have to narrow down their choices to a specific classification so as to not overload themself with information. Otherwise, they could dull their judgement over what was right and wrong, and this could lead to their cultivation going berserk.

However, Zhang Xuan had no such worry. If there was one demand he had of his cultivation technique manuals, it would be quantity. The more of them there were, the better it would be for him.

It took Zhang Xuan around two hours to collect all of the Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique manuals into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Compile! Zhang Xuan willed.

A new book materialized before his eyes, and he casually flipped it open. It was another Consonant Spirit realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art. While the cultivation technique detailed in it did differ slightly from the other one he had compiled earlier, both cultivation techniques eventually converged into the same outcome.

After which, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, and it also took him two hours to collect all of them.

With those, he formed a new Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art. It was much more detailed than the one he had compiled earlier, making it significantly simpler and easier to cultivate. Overall, however, both cultivation techniques were essentially the same.

It seems there isn’t much of a difference between Heaven’s Path Divine Arts of the same cultivation realm! Zhang Xuan noted as he continued collecting the other books.

Since he wasn’t in a rush, it would be good for him to collect all of the books so as to enhance his knowledge.

Ten hours later, Zhang Xuan had finally finished collecting all of the cultivation and battle technique manuals on the first floor.

While these books hadn’t raised his cultivation, they allowed him to expand his base of knowledge, granting him some understanding regarding the various schools of cultivation.

With this, he was probably more knowledgeable than all of the master teachers in the academy combined.

Not only so, he had also managed to form a new Heaven’s Path Sword Art, Heaven’s Path Spear Art, Heaven’s Path Saber Art, and such. As long as he practiced them, he would be able to advance his Weapon Intent to even higher levels.

However, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to cultivate. He chose to head to the second floor instead.

Access to the second floor was limited to only teachers and above, and the battle techniques and cultivation techniques stored on the second floor were significantly more profound than those on the first floor. There were also a few Half-Saint cultivation technique manuals on some of the shelves too.

After collecting the books, Zhang Xuan proceeded up.

The third floor was restricted to only the elders of the Master Teacher Academy. There were Nascent Saint and Saint realm cultivation technique manuals on the shelves, but the overall quantity of books was much less than the first and second floor.

After collecting those books and compiling a Heaven’s Path technique out of them, Zhang Xuan had finally successfully compiled the Heaven’s Path Divine Art from Chrysalis realm to Nascent Saint.

In other words, he could advance his cultivation from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Saint realm primary stage within six hours as long as he wished to.

Chuckling in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path, took the Half-Saint Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and flipped it open.

A moment later, a frown was etched on his face.

There was no mistake with the cultivation technique, and if he were to cultivate according to it, he would be able to advance through Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and reach Saint realm easily.

However, if he were to do so, he would only be able to cultivate a Third Grade Origin Core, and even the weakest Primary Second Grade Origin Core of the Saint Ascension Decipher was immensely stronger than that.

Initially, he had still been a little perplexed about why there was such a huge disparity between the Saint Ascension Decipher and the other Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, and Nascent Saint Heaven’s Path Divine Arts when such a situation hadn’t occurred for the previous realms. However, after a moment of pondering, an answer surfaced in his mind.

Within the cultivation technique manuals in the library, there was not a single one regarding the cultivation of a higher-grade Origin Core. No matter how many normal cultivation technique manuals he gathered, the eventual cultivation technique manual he compiled would only be normal.

A fitting analogy would be: no matter how many straw hut construction manuals one studied, one would still be unable to build a royal palace.

Even if the contents of both covered the same grounds—advancing one’s cultivation to a higher realm—they were still essentially two completely different paths leading to different destinations.

Even though the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher is much more difficult, there is a chance that I will be able to cultivate a First Grade Origin Core and become a Celestial Saint. If I were to cultivate these normal cultivation techniques instead, I would stand no chance at all, Zhang Xuan thought.

Cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would require artifacts and more spirit stones, so it would be a difficult path to venture into. However, if he were to succeed, he would gain immense power incomparable to if he had chosen otherwise.

Since he could only cultivate his Origin Core once, it was natural he would have to aim for the best!

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan didn’t rush into cultivating but instead headed up to the next floor.

The fourth floor was an area restricted to only the incumbent principal of the Master Teacher Academy. There were no cultivation or battle technique manuals there, but there were books containing the insights of the preceding principals, as well as information concerning the deepest secrets of the academy.

Collecting these books into the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan headed up to the final floor.

The fifth floor consisted of mainly items left behind by Founder Mu Kai. Zhang Xuan took a quick look around the room, and it seemed like the Saint Ascension Decipher manual wasn’t among the items. Nevertheless, there were still many valuable cultivation technique manuals in there. Most of the cultivation technique manuals were regarding Saint realm 1-dan, but there was still a very small handful of them regarding Saint realm 2-dan or even 3-dan.

There were also a couple of them regarding soul and physical body cultivation.

It didn’t take too long for Zhang Xuan to collect everything into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Alright, I should start cultivating.

After everything was compiled, Zhang Xuan noticed that he had more than a dozen Heaven’s Path cultivation techniques and battle techniques in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Taking in a deep breath, he searched for a slightly more spacious location in the room and sat down.

Since he had already prepared his Chrysalis realm cultivation technique and the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for him to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint, it was about time for him to raise his cultivation!

Taking out a couple of formation flags from his storage ring, he swiftly set up a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation in the area before taking out a couple of high-tier spirit stones and placing them in the area.

Hong long!

As the Spirit Gathering Formation came to life, spiritual energy was swiftly drawn out from the high-tier spirit stones to form a thick layer of mist in the area. Even without cultivating, the spiritual energy would automatically seep through his skin, nourishing his body.

Zhang Xuan sat down on the floor before opening all of his pores to start absorbing the spiritual energy in the air at a frenzied pace.

The spiritual energy contained within high-tier spirit stones was significantly purer and more condensed than the energy contained within the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, thus making it ideal for him to use in advancing his cultivation.

Closing his eyes, Zhang Xuan began driving his zhenqi according to the circulation pathway of the Saint Ascension Decipher, gathering surge after surge of zhenqi in his dantian and condensing them into strands.

The revised Saint Ascension Decipher was completely different from before.

In the previous version, seven strands of zhenqi formed a knot, seven knots formed a bundle, and seven bundles formed a decipher.

However, in the revised version, nine strands of zhenqi formed a knot, nine knots formed a bundle, and nine bundles formed a decipher.

Based on his deductions, the form that was most aligned with nature and the heavens was in sets of nine.

Gugugugu.

Spiritual energy swiftly gushed into Zhang Xuan’s body, and he quickly converted it into zhenqi before condensing it and gathering it into knots, bundles, and deciphers…

As a technique to cultivate a higher-grade Origin Core, the Saint Ascension Decipher was far more complex than a normal Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and thus, it was significantly more difficult and laborious to cultivate.

If Zhang Xuan had chosen to cultivate the normal Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he should have been able to raise his cultivation by a realm within two hours at most. On the other hand, cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, despite having cultivated for two hours, he still hadn’t even advanced a single stage.

It was at this moment that he finally understood why Mu shi had ended up spending several hundred years just to cultivate a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core. While the Saint Ascension Decipher had the mystical effect of raising the grade of one’s Origin Core, granting one strength far beyond their peers, its demand was simply so huge that it was nearly an endless abyss.

Putting everything aside, even with Zhang Xuan’s cultivation speed and the aid of a grade-6 Spirit Gathering Formation, it would still take him at least an entire day before he could reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle.

For what should have taken two hours to stretch out to an entire day… from this, the enhanced difficulty in the cultivation of the Saint Ascension Decipher was apparent.

In any case, Zhang Xuan was in no rush anyway. If a day was what it took, so be it.

According to the notes Mu shi had left behind on the Saint Ascension Decipher, it had taken him more than 200 years to come to this point.

Seated motionlessly on the ground, Zhang Xuan patiently drove his zhenqi, and his cultivation gradually rose.

Chrysalis realm primary stage!

Chrysalis realm intermediate stage!

Chrysalis realm advanced stage!

…

A day later, Zhang Xuan finally reached Chrysalis realm pinnacle. In his current state, he was only a step away from making a breakthrough to Half-Saint.

My strength has grown tremendously…

Halting his cultivation, Zhang Xuan took an inward look at his physical state, and he couldn’t help but remark in awe.

For an ordinary Chrysalis realm cultivator, the rise in strength at each cultivation stage was 3,000,000 ding. However, having cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, Zhang Xuan’s rise in strength per stage was 6,000,000 ding!

(Ordinary Chrysalis realm: primary stage 25,000,000 ding, intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding; advanced stage 31,000,000 ding; pinnacle 34,000,000 ding.)

The strength derived from his zhenqi cultivation had been 29,000,000 ding initially, but after reaching Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it had increased by 18,000,000 ding to 47,000,000 ding!

If the 20,000,000 ding and 32,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and physical body cultivation were taken into account as well, his strength would be 99,000,000 ding, just a bit short of matching the 100,000,000 ding strength that Saint realm cultivators wielded!

In other words, in terms of strength, he was nearly on par with Saint realm experts.

Scary!

For a Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator to be comparable to a Saint realm cultivator in terms of pure strength, would anyone in the Master Teacher Continent believe his words if he were to tell them about this?

But while Zhang Xuan did wield strength comparable to a Saint realm cultivator, he would still be in a disadvantageous position in a fight against a real Saint realm cultivator.

The superior strength of Saints wasn’t derived merely from the boost in their strength but their enhanced comprehension of the laws of the world as well. For one, Saint realm cultivators were capable of dealing long-range attacks with minimal dissipation in might. On the other hand, if Zhang Xuan wanted to utilize the strength of his physical body and soul cultivation as well, he needed to be in close quarters with his opponent… Without those two to augment his attacks, his might would only be at 47,000,000 ding, comparable to only a Half-Saint advanced stage cultivator.

Nevertheless, his current fighting prowess was still extremely frightening. Even Principal Mo Liuzhen wouldn’t have been a match for him at all.

After relishing in his newfound power, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but look at the dust remnants on the ground with a bitter smile. My fighting prowess did grow by a lot, but the consumption of high-tier spirit stones is truly…

The Saint Ascension Decipher could indeed further reinforce the foundation of his cultivation and enhance the richness of his zhenqi, granting him superior might. However, this came at a heavy price. For one, just the consumption of high-tier spirit stones was sufficient to leave him frenzied.

He had received a few hundred high-tier spirit stones from Wu Xu and Lu Cheng back then, and adding in the ones he had procured from the Golden Beartiger Beast’s storage ring and the congratulatory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge for his inauguration ceremony, he had possessed a total of around eight hundred spirit stones, making him richer than any of the Ten Great Master Teachers in the academy.

Yet, just to advance from Chrysalis realm primary stage to pinnacle, he had consumed five hundred of them. That was more than half of his wealth!

He could almost see a life of poverty waiting right ahead of him.

Chapter 917: Another Breakthrough, Half-Saint Reached!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before muttering beneath his breath.

“Forget it, I will just have to find a way to deal with it when the time comes. For the time being, it is more important for me to raise my cultivation!”

He was only a step away from reaching Half-Saint, and he happened to have the Scarlet Firefly Fruit required for his breakthrough as well. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to hesitate.

Conditioning his state back to its peak, he took a deep breath before reluctantly tossing his remaining three hundred high-tier spirit stones into the Spirit Gathering Formation.

Hu hu hu!

As soon as the high-tier spirit stones came into contact with the formation, the concentration of spiritual energy in the area swiftly rose to the point that it felt almost tangible.

Following which, Zhang Xuan took out a Scarlet Firefly Fruit and swallowed it.

Back in the valley, he had procured a total of ten of them. Hu Yaoyao and the others had taken four of them, and having achieved a breakthrough each, they had not required any more. Thus, the remaining six had gone into his storage ring.

As soon as the Scarlet Firefly Fruit entered his mouth, it melted into an immense surge of energy, which gushed through his body. In just a short moment, he could vaguely feel an impetus, driving him to a breakthrough.

However, the impetus wasn’t very strong. Zhang Xuan knew that with the current momentum he had, there was a high chance that he would fail in his breakthrough. Thus, he took out another Scarlet Firefly Fruit and consumed it.

It took a total of four fruits before Zhang Xuan was finally satisfied. Feeling the immense power coursing through his meridians, he took a deep breath and absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy into his body.

Hong long!

A crisp echo sounded in the room, as if the shackles that had been trapping Zhang Xuan’s body had been broken. At the same time, it also seemed as if a door leading to a new world had opened before his eyes.

All of his pores opened simultaneously, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy furiously into him, driving the evolution of his body and soul toward that of a higher being.

Half-Saint… reached!

At Half-Saint, one was still a considerable distance away from achieving Sainthood, but nevertheless, one would no longer be considered to be on the same level of existence as a Transcendent Mortal. Be it one’s physical body or soul, they had both undergone a qualitative evolution to become far stronger and more resilient than before, thus lengthening one’s lifespan significantly as well.

The limit of an average Transcendent Mortal’s lifespan was two hundred whereas a Half-Saint could easily live to five hundred!

That was more than a twofold increase in one’s lifespan!

Other than that, Zhang Xuan’s strength had also increased significantly. From the initial 47,000,000 ding, it had risen by 13,000,000 ding to 60,000,000 ding!

Just in terms of the strength he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation, he was already on par with a Nascent Saint primary stage cultivator!

Paired with his physical body and soul cultivation, he would be able to easily kill any Saint realm 1-dan expert at close range!

Other than the rise in his strength, his reaction speed and reflexes had also grown immensely.

If he were to face Mu shi’s puppet once again in battle, he would surely be able to defeat the other party easily!

It is great that my fighting prowess has grown so much, but… I am back to my broke days once more! Zhang Xuan lamented.

The items he had received in the inauguration ceremony a few days ago had left him greatly excited, and he had thought that he could finally be considered a tycoon. As such, he had haughtily turned down the gifts from many, thinking that he should uphold his standing. Yet, a single round of cultivation had undone everything…

This darned cultivation! It sure was like an endless abyss, dragging him back to square one each time he thought he had struck it rich.

He knew that the cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher would surely require a lot of zhenqi, and the fact that he cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art only served to nudge the requirement even higher. A couple of high-tier spirit stones could easily help others raise their cultivation up several stages, but to him, it was as if throwing pebbles into a pond, raising just a momentary ripple and nothing else.

Going by even my most conservative estimates, advancing to Saint realm… will cost me at least five thousand high-tier spirit stones! Zhang Xuan thought with twitching lips.

He had been thinking of advancing straight to Saint realm in a single breath after the inauguration ceremony, but that was clearly impossible now.

Advancing from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Half-Saint primary stage, despite using the energy contained within four Scarlet Firefly Fruits, had still depleted eight hundred high-tier spirit stones. The numbers would only rise for his breakthrough to Nascent Saint and eventually Saint realm. At this rate, five thousand would be a truly, truly positive estimate.

But the problem was that even if he were to overturn the entire Master Teacher Academy, he would still be unable to gather that many high-tier spirit stones!

Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan thought in frustration, It seems like I will have to head out and find a way to earn some money…

Really, what was with this?

When others cultivated, what they would be frustrated by was their bottleneck. But instead of worrying over that, his problem had always been being ‘poor’.

Was this what they meant when they said that ‘being poor limits one’s imagination’?

If it really comes down to it, I will just have to sell the congratulatory gifts from the Cloudmist Ridge. That should tide me over for a while…

The gifts his tamed beasts from the Cloudmist Ridge had given him were indeed very valuable, and if he were to sell them, he would be able to earn two to three thousand high-tier spirit stones easily. However…

There were simply too few people in Hongyuan City who could afford to buy anything from him! Not even the royal family had that much money!

If he couldn’t find ample spirit stones, he wouldn’t be able to advance his cultivation despite possessing the complete Saint Ascension Decipher.

I almost forgot! Are the pavilion masters from the Master Teacher Pavilion of the surrounding empires still around? Perhaps, I might be able to sell my goods to them…

Back when School Head Mo was briefing him about the inauguration ceremony, he had also done a brief introduction on the four nearby Tier-1 Empires, Hongchi, Yuanjiang, Baituo, and Chiyao.

The national strengths of these four empires were comparable to Hongyuan Empire, perhaps exceeding it even.

If he could sell his goods to them, he should be able to earn quite a number of high-tier spirit stones to tide him over…

Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw contemplatively before rising to his feet and heading out of the Cultivation Compendium.

I think this is a plausible idea. However, for the time being, I should first get the Lightning Resonance Stone in the Mausoleum of Principals.

The Lightning Resonance Stone was the artifact he required as a catalyst for his breakthrough from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint. Already at Half-Saint, as long as he could gather sufficient high-tier spirit stones, it wouldn’t be too long before he needed it to make a breakthrough. Thus, it would be best for him to take it and keep it on him.

After leaving the Cultivation Compendium, Zhang Xuan went to look for School Head Mo, and just as he was about to speak, the latter suddenly looked at him excitedly and said, “Principal Zhang, congratulations!”

Bewildered, Zhang Xuan shot the other party a questioning gaze.

“Weren’t you trying to purchase the blood essence of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen earlier? I sent in the application to the Beast Hall headquarters a while ago, and they approved the request! Just this morning, the Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen’s blood essence arrived at our Master Teacher Academy!” School Head Mo said excitedly. “Oh yes, your 7-star beast tamer emblem also arrived together with it!”

After which, School Head Mo quickly passed over a jade bottle and an emblem.

Zhang Xuan took those two items from School Head Mo’s hands and studied the jade bottle with a perplexed expression before turning his gaze back to the latter. He asked, “Didn’t you say that the Myriad Anthive Queen’s blood essence would be expensive? Why would…”

The cultivation of his Myriad Anthive Queen was currently too low, rendering it incapable of continuing the expansion the Myriad Anthive Nest unless its cultivation was raised one way or another. Thus, a few days earlier, Zhang Xuan had paid School Head Mo a visit to enquire about the purchase of a Saint realm Myriad Anthive Queen’s blood essence. However, the answer he had received was that it would cost at least several thousand high-tier spirit stones.

Until now, Zhang Xuan had yet to gather so many high-tier spirit stones, so why would the headquarters deliver the blood essence all of a sudden?

“It is indeed expensive, but Principal Zhang, you tamed all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge, and that is a huge contribution! Thus, the Beast Tamer Hall headquarters decided to gift this bottle of Myriad Anthive Queen’s blood essence to you directly as a reward!” School Head Mo explained with a smile.

“On top of that, they have also expressed their interest in inviting you to the Qingyuan Empire Beast Hall to impart your technique for taming spirit beasts swiftly!”

Not expecting for there to be such a benefit from taming the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, Zhang Xuan nodded in delight.

“I see! Help me relay my thanks to the headquarters of the Beast Hall. I will definitely head there if I have an opportunity to do so in the future…”

As he uncorked the jade bottle, the scent of the blood essence within immediately permeated the air. Within the bottle, he could feel an immense energy being harnessed within the fluid.

After a quick glance, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock. “Isn’t this… the blood essence of a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen?”

When he made the request, he had expected the blood essence to be from a Saint realm 1-dan or 2-dan Myriad Anthive Queen. Never in his dreams had he thought that it would be from a Saint realm 4-dan Myriad Anthive Queen!

It was already incredibly difficult to find a single one of the elusive Myriad Anthive Queens, needless to say a Saint realm 4-dan one. This was an unimaginably valuable commodity that was nearly impossible to find on the market! Yet, the other party had actually given so much of it at once… If he really had to pay for it, there was no way he would have been able to afford it!

With this, the strength of the Myriad Anthive Queen would soar, and it wouldn’t be long before it achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm!

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan placed the jade bottle into the Myriad Anthive Nest for the Myriad Anthive Queen to consume before turning his gaze to the 7-star beast tamer emblem.

The design was identical to that of the 4-star emblem he had, just that the four stars had been replaced with seven stars instead. However, one thing noteworthy was that the material of the emblem had changed. It felt a little heavier and solemn, seemingly reflecting the noble standing of the one who possessed it.

Even though he was a 7-star demonic tunist as well, ultimately, demonic tunist was only considered a Lower Nine Paths occupation. It could hardly compare with the prestigious Upper Nine Paths occupations.

Even if Zhang Xuan didn’t have his identity as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, just by this 7-star beast tamer emblem in itself, there was no one who would dare underestimate or disrespect him, regardless of where he went.

“Thank you, School Head Mo.”

Knowing that the other party must have done quite a bit of work to apply for this emblem for him, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist in gratitude.

“There is no need for that.” School Head Mo shook his head with a smile before gazing at Zhang Xuan intently. “Speaking of which, when do you intend to take the 6-star master teacher examination? I will have to make preparations in advance…”

“You should start making preparations then; I intend to take it as soon as possible. But before that, I would like to make a trip to the Mausoleum of Principals,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Mausoleum of Principals?” School Head Mo was surprised for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m afraid that you might not have the authority to enter it at the moment…”

“Why?” Zhang Xuan frowned, perplexed by School Head Mo’s words.

He had obtained the Supreme Jurisdiction and Impeccable Principal’s Seal, was there anywhere in the Master Teacher Academy that he was still restricted from entering?

Fearing that Zhang Xuan would misunderstand, School Head Mo swiftly explained the matter, “You are indeed able to go anywhere you wish in the Master Teacher Academy, having received everyone’s approval in the inauguration ceremony, but… to enter the Mausoleum of Principals, you will have to sever a portion of your soul and leave it on the Mausoleum Tablet… In other words, you have to leave a will behind as well!

“The severing of the soul inflicts considerable damage to one’s soul, so why don’t you challenge the 6-star master teacher examination first? Meanwhile, using your contribution, I can help you apply for an artifact for severing your soul from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. This way, the damage to your soul will be minimized!”

Taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge was as huge a contribution to the Master Teacher Pavilion as it was to the Beast Hall.

Through the contribution, Zhang Xuan could easily apply for a powerful artifact to aid in the matter.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Given that the preceding principals of the Master Teacher Academy had appeared in the inauguration ceremony, it would mean that they had also severed their souls and left behind their will when they were alive.

Having severed his soul once in the past, he knew that it was a process that was highly damaging, even for soul oracles, who specialized in souls. It would take a long period of recuperation before one could recover from the trauma.

However, Zhang Xuan had the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast in his possession, which he could use to quicken the recovery of his soul. However, if he were to do so, he would risk exposing his identity as a soul oracle, which could pose to be a great trouble.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded. “I see. I will take the 6-star master teacher examination first then.”

It was one thing if he was just a normal master teacher, but as the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher, his identity as a soul oracle could not be revealed by any means.

In any case, it was not like anyone else could get to the Lightning Resonance Stone before him, so taking the 6-star master teacher examination first wasn’t a problem.

“Alright.” School Head Mo nodded.

At that moment, an elder suddenly rushed into the room, and upon seeing the both of them, he clasped his fist and reported, “Principal Zhang, Emperor Yu Shenqing wishes to meet you. He has been waiting outside for some time now!”

Chapter 918: Bodhi Seed

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Yu Shenqing?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Why was the other party looking for him?

School Head Mo pondered for a moment before explaining with a smile. “Principal Zhang, after you rejected his gift, he has been coming over whenever he’s had time these past few days, requesting to meet you. No matter how we tried, we weren’t able to stop him. My guess is that he probably fears that he has gotten on your bad side unwittingly.”

Principal Zhang had caused a huge ruckus during the inauguration ceremony, be it the congratulations from the thousands of beasts, the public lecture that had made him a half-teacher to almost everyone in the academy, or winning the recognition of every single person at the inauguration ceremony.

Just from these feats, it was apparent to anyone who had been at the inauguration ceremony that Principal Zhang would become an extremely powerful person in the future. As such, many powers had sent valuable gifts in the hope of winning his favor.

Yu Shenqing had also done the same as well, but… who would have thought that the other party would turn down his goodwill? He couldn’t help but recall how he had chased the other party out during his daughter’s birthday, and shivers ran down his spine…

With such a history, there was no way Yu Shenqing could remain idle!

“Let’s go and take a look!” Understanding the logic behind this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded and made his way over.

The reason he didn’t accept the other party’s gift was because he didn’t feel that it was right to be taking advantage of the other party. After all, despite what he had done for the other party, he had taken a peek at the other party’s soul cultivation techniques and made use of their Bodhi Saint Tree, so he considered the both of them equal.

But if his act had left the other party misunderstanding his intention, that would truly be horrible.

Soon, they arrived at the reception hall where the principal usually hosted his guests and saw Yu Shenqing seated with an anxious expression.

Accompanying Yu Shenqing were three middle-aged man, and two of them, for some reason, dared not sit down and were standing at the back with pale faces.

Zhang Xuan didn’t recognize the two middle-aged man standing behind, but the person sitting next to Yu Shenqing was a familiar face. It was the man who had gifted him his manor, King Huai.

“Your Majesty, King Huai!”

Even though it was out of consideration of his ties with Yuan Tao, it was a fact that the other party had done him a huge favor while he was still in a humble position, so he had quite a favorable impression of the other party.

“Paying respects to Principal Zhang!”

The four of them got their feet and clasped their fists.

The four of them represented the pinnacle of authority within Hongyuan Empire, but nevertheless, their standing was still beneath that of the principal of the Master Teacher Academy.

“There is no need to stand on ceremony.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand before making his way over to the main seat.

After which, he turned to King Huai and asked, “Your Highness, I should have paid you a visit long ago to thank you for your generous gift. For you to have come here instead, I am truly embarrassed.”

“Principal Zhang, there is no need for that!” King Huai hurriedly bowed politely.

“When I first met you, I already knew that you are a capable person who is bound for great things. But nevertheless, I didn’t expect you to become the principal of the Master Teacher Academy so quickly,” King Huai remarked meaningfully.

When he first met Zhang shi, he hadn’t thought much of the other party. It was only due to the latter’s relationship to Yuan Tao, a member of a Sage Clan, that he thought of striking up a close relationship with the latter.

But who could have known that, in a short span of less than two months, a seemingly insignificant Consonant Spirit realm figure who had no backing or connections in Hongyuan City would rise to become the most powerful person in the Master Teacher Academy?

It was truly inconceivable that things would develop in such a manner.

“Your Highness, you are too polite,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. “If you don’t mind, why don’t you show me a move or two?”

“Show you a move or two?” King Huai was stunned for a moment before ecstasy crept across his face.

To be saying such words, it could only mean that the other party was intending to offer him some pointers!

While the other party’s cultivation was currently still beneath him, considering how the other party could even enlighten donkeys and roosters through his lecture, his teaching was surely something that no ordinary 6-star master teachers could compare to.

If he could receive the pointers of a person like that, he would surely be spared from many years of fumbling around.

“It will be my pleasure!” King Huai replied excitedly.

He quickly walked over the center of the reception hall and began executing a battle technique.

As soon as he made his move, his cultivation became apparent. Just like School Head Mo and the others, he was at Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle as well.

It didn’t take too long for him to finish executing his battle technique. He swiftly returned back to his position, standing upright as if a student before his teacher.

A moment later, he heard the impassive voice of the young man ahead of him.

“Your Highness, your mastery of the Fleeting Water Fist Art is indeed impressive. However, have you been suffering from poor blood circulation recently and occasional bouts of weakness?”

“This… How do you know?” King Huai was astonished, and his body stiffened slightly.

He had indeed been suffering from poor blood circulation recently, and his zhenqi hadn’t been flowing as smoothly as before. However, he had made sure to conceal the news well, not telling anyone at all. As such, even Yu Shenqing was oblivious to his ailment.

After all, given the prestigious position he was in, there were many who desired to take his place. If it was made known that his physical condition wasn’t in the best of states, it might just stoke some of the more ambitious individuals into action, thus bringing unnecessary trouble to him.

Yet, for the other party to notice the issue from a single battle technique, just how formidable was his eye of discernment?

On the other hand, instead of replying, Zhang Xuan continued speaking with a smile. “If I am not mistaken, it is caused by an injury you suffered in the past, right?”

The reason King Huai was able to hold such an esteemed position was due to the many contributions he had achieved for the country on the battlefield when he was younger. However, in the midst of doing so, there were several occasions when he sustained severe injuries that threatened to claim his life.

The trauma was probably left from back then.

“That’s right!” King Huai replied with a nod.

“I have a gourd of fine wine here. Drink it and circulate your zhenqi according to the cultivation technique I am about to impart to you, then your trauma will be resolved. Work hard, and you might just be able to achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation!”

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and handed a gourd over to King Huai. After which, he took out a piece of paper and a brush and swiftly wrote down a cultivation technique.

Even though his cultivation was only at Half-Saint primary stage, he had read through all of the books within the Master Teacher Academy’s Cultivation Compendium, which had granted him a deep understanding of the Saint 1-dan and Saint 2-dan realms.

As such, it was a walk in the park for him to come up with a cultivation technique aligned with the other party’s constitution.

“Thank you, Principal Zhang!” King Huai said before taking a look at the cultivation technique he had just received.

With just a look, his eyes narrowed, and his body began trembling non-stop.

Given his eye of discernment, he could easily tell that this cultivation technique was far more advanced than the royal family’s cultivation technique, which he was currently practicing. On top of that, it was aligned with his constitution!

If he were to cultivate it seriously, not only would he be able to resolve his trauma, there was a very high chance that he could overcome his current bottleneck and reach higher realms!

He had only given the other party a manor, but in exchange, he had received a cultivation technique that he could pass on to his offspring and descendants…

He had truly struck it rich!

“This…” Yu Shenqing and the other two glanced at one another and shook their heads.

They didn’t know what was written in the cultivation technique, but for the usually composed King Huai to get so agitated, that could only mean that it was extraordinary.

If only they’d also had the foresight to get close to Zhang shi before he became the principal! To do so now… it was already too late!

“There is no need to stand on ceremony!” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

It was just a normal cultivation technique, not a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art. It wasn’t anything much at all.

This served as his compensation to the other party for gifting him the manor, so they could be considered equal now.

After dealing with King Huai’s matter, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Yu Shenqing and asked, “Your Majesty, may I know the reason behind your visit?”

Yu Shenqing hurriedly got to his feet and replied, “Principal Zhang, there are two reasons behind my arrival…”

“Oh?”

“You are the benefactor of our Yu Clan. Not only did you impart my daughter a set of soul cultivation techniques, you even treated the Bodhi Saint Tree. I am truly grateful to you. It would be truly unbecoming of me if I didn’t repay the favor!” Yu Shenqing hurriedly spoke up.

The other party’s refusal of his gift had left him jittery, so he had decided to pay the other party a visit to hand it over personally.

“You are too polite,” Zhang Xuan replied courteously.

“I know that Principal Zhang is not a person who is interested in material gains… This is the only Bodhi Seed that the Bodhi Saint Tree has borne over all these years. I hope that you can accept this gift!” Yu Shenqing flicked his wrist and presented a jade box.

He opened the box, revealing a round seed within.

“Bodhi Seed?” Zhang Xuan frowned questioningly.

What was this thing used for?

Despite the many books that Zhang Xuan had read, there didn’t seem to be anything regarding Bodhi Seeds.

“As long as you plant and nurture it well, it will grow into another Bodhi Saint Tree. Cultivating under the tree can help to calm one’s mind, thus enhancing one’s rate of cultivation while decreasing the chances of one’s cultivation going berserk. On top of that, it has mystical effects for those who cultivate the soul,” Yu Shenqing quickly explained.

“It can be used to grow a Bodhi Saint Tree?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

He was rather interested in the Bodhi Saint Tree after seeing its prowess in nourishing Wei Ruyan’s soul quickly. If he could obtain one and cultivate his soul within it, his soul cultivation would surely rise swiftly as well.

“Un!” Yu Shenqing nodded as he passed it over. “Since Principal Zhang was able to create such a formidable set of soul cultivation techniques, you must have a deep understanding of souls as well. I believe that this should be useful to you, so please do accept it!”

Zhang Xuan took the box and nodded. “Thank you for your gift!”

He would have probably turned it down if it was anything else, but it just so happened that he had a use for the Bodhi Seed.

He could plant it within the Myriad Anthive Nest and bring it around with him so that his soul could cultivate in it whenever he had the time to do so.

On the other hand, seeing Zhang Xuan accept his gift, Yu Shenqing heaved a long sigh of relief.

After which, he gestured to the two middle-aged man behind him and said, “As for the second matter, I will leave it to you two to speak about!”

The two middle-aged man hurriedly stepped forward and clasped their fists.

“The incumbent head of Hongyuan City’s Shen Clan, Shen Wanting, pays respect to Principal Zhang!”

“The incumbent head of Hongyuan City’s Liu Clan, Liu Zaiyan, pays respect to Principal Zhang!”

“Shen Clan? Liu Clan?”

Zhang Xuan had heard of the Four Great Clans of Hongyuan City, but he had never had any interactions with them. Why would these two clan heads abruptly pay him a visit?

“Yes. My unfilial son must have been blind to have offended Principal Zhang, so I have come as the representative of the entire Shen Clan to apologize for his deeds.”

“My son, Liu Quan, was brazen to have crossed you, so I have come here to seek your forgiveness. I will leave that unfilial son of mine for you to deal with!”

The two clan heads raised their hands, and two young men were pressed forward.

They were Shen Jun and Liu Quan, whom Zhang Xuan had met back at Yu Fei-er’s birthday banquet.

At that moment, neither of them possessed the dashing appearance they had during the birthday banquet. Their faces were pummeled to the point that they had swollen up like a pig’s face. Had it not been for the two clan heads introducing themselves, he would have never made the connection between the two.

There was only one word that could describe the current state they were in—miserable!

“This…” Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion.

Even though he had gotten into a verbal disagreement with Shen Jun back at Yu Fei-er’s birthday banquet, there wasn’t any significant conflict between them. There was no need to have gone that far!

“These two fellows actually dared to cause Principal Zhang trouble! It’s our lack of discipline that has resulted in this situation, so we wish to compensate you for this matter. We ask of you to accept it!” Raising his hand, Shen Wanting proffered a storage ring with an earnest attitude.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was at a loss.

Did these two fellows cause him trouble? Why didn’t he have any recollection of the matter?

Did he suffer an amnesia at some point?

Noting Principal Zhang’s silence, Liu Zaiyan continued pleading anxiously. “Principal Zhang, I hope that you can accept our goodwill. Otherwise, I fear that our clans will dare not remain in Hongyuan City.”

Zhang Xuan became even more bewildered.

Just what was happening?

On the other hand, seeing the earnest confusion on Principal Zhang’s face, Yu Shenqing and King Huai glanced at one another and admiration filled their minds.

Two men had tried to cause him trouble by sending men to pummel him, but he actually didn’t remember the matter at all…

As expected of the principal, such trivial matters wouldn’t even faze him in the slightest…

Incredible!

Chapter 919: Shen Jun Burst into Tears

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning back to the time right after the end of the inauguration ceremony…

After watching such a thrilling inauguration ceremony, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan were filled with agitation and awe.

This was especially so for Shen Wanting. As the man who wielded absolute power over the largest clan in Hongyuan City, he had a clear idea of the significance of the commotion that had occurred today.

To become the master of every single beast of the Cloudmist Ridge, and to be recognized by every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Academy… the authority the other party wielded could be said to be unmatched in Hongyuan City.

Even Emperor Yu Shenqing couldn’t even come close to measuring up to the power the other party wielded!

If the Shen Clan could get on good terms with the other party, it would surely rise through the ranks and prosper for many generations to come!

Thus, he was intending to rush back to the clan to discuss with the other elders and come up with a plan to forging a close relationship with Principal Zhang, but at that very moment, his prided son was suddenly brought to him on a stretcher, severely wounded.

“What happened?” Shen Wanting’s face darkened in fury.

As the head of the Four Great Clans, the Shen Clan wielded immense power in Hongyuan City. For his son, the young successor to the clan, to be pummeled like that in broad daylight, the culprit sure was brazen! Did the name of the Shen Clan mean nothing to him?

“Father, you must redress my grievance!” Upon seeing Shen Wanting, Shen Jun howled in agony with tears and snot flowing down his face.

“Regardless of who the culprit is, to dare provoke our Shen Clan, I will make sure that he pays for his action dearly even if he is a noble or a relative of the royal family!” With eyes narrowed in rage, Shen Wanting made his declaration majestically with unquestionable authority.

As the head of the number one clan in Hongyuan City, he did have the right to say such words.

“The culprit is an obscure master teacher of the Master Teacher Academy… That despicable bastard colluded with his comrades to lure me and Liu Quan into a trap, surrounding us and pummeling us viciously!” Shen Jun clenched his jaw.

He knew that there were many people involved in the attack, but as his head was covered in a gunny sack throughout the entire incident, he wasn’t clear how many had participated. Of the entire attack, he only recalled endless blows raining down upon him before fainting… And when he came to once more, he was already in his current state.

“An obscure master teacher? Surrounding you and pummeling you viciously?” Shen Wanting’s eyebrows shot up. “He must be tired of living to be so brazen as to provoke our Shen Clan!”

The Shen Clan was a behemoth with influence across almost every single trade in Hongyuan City. In fact, even the Master Teacher Pavilion had seven 6-star master teachers who were allied with them. There were also a couple of clan members who were 6-star master teachers as well.

As such, if the enemy was just an ordinary master teacher, the Shen Clan would still be able to deal with the other party easily. Regardless of whether it was the Master Teacher Pavilion or the Master Teacher Academy, they would still at least give this small privilege to the Shen Clan.

“What rank is he?” Even though Shen Jun had said that the other party was an obscure master teacher, Shen Wanting still felt that it was better to be safe.

“4-star!” Shen Jun hurriedly replied.

A mere 4-star master teacher, with his father making a move personally, it would only take moments before that despicable bastard was destroyed!

“A fellow of that level actually dared bully you?” Shen Wanting narrowed his eyes in rage as he flung his sleeves furiously. “What is his name? I will send our men to apprehend him this instant!”

“The name of that despicable bastard is Zhang Xuan!” Shen Jun replied with his fists clenched in excitement. With this, that fellow was a goner!

However, after hearing that name, Shen Wanting seemed to have frozen on the spot, and his face paled. Noticing the bizarre silence lingering in the room, as well as the peculiar state his father was in, Shen Jun couldn’t help but ask, “Father, what is wrong? Is…”

But before he could finish his words, Shen Wanting’s feet suddenly flew right toward his chest as he bellowed furiously, “To hell with you! If you want to die, go ahead. Don’t drag the Shen Clan down with you!”

Peng!

Not expecting that his father would suddenly make a move on him, Shen Jun was unprepared for the kick and was sent crashing right into the wall. Huge spurts of blood gushed out of his mouth, and he nearly died on the spot.

The situation was baffling to him…

Father, I am the one who was pummeled! It is one thing if you aren’t willing to get even with the other party for my sake, but to be chastising me and even kicking me because of the matter.

Furthermore, to hell with me? I am your son!

Clenching his jaws, Shen Jun said indignantly, “Father, if you don’t intend to help me, I can settle the matter myself. As the eldest son of the Shen Clan, I still have the ability to deal with a 4-star master teacher easily.”

No matter what, he was a person who had greatly contributed to Hongyuan Empire, a meritorious subject of the royal court. It was already a blessing for someone of his standing not to bully others, but to think that someone would dare bully him instead.

If he was really pushed to a corner, he could even pull his connections within the military to get the job done. After all, given his backing, there were plenty who would be eager to fawn over him!

All it took to teach a 4-star master teacher a lesson was just a word from him.

“You aren’t going to give up? Do you really want me to chop off your hands?” Hearing the words of his unfilial son, Shen Wanting nearly spurted blood. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, “Men, bind this fellow up and pummel him. I will punish anyone who dares hold back on him!”

“This…” Hearing the command, the subordinates in the room glanced at one another, bewildered by the abrupt command.

However, they dared not defy a direct command from the clan head. They hurried forward to tie Shen Jun now, but they didn’t make a move immediately. Instead, they turned to Shen Wanting to seek his confirmation on the matter.

Seeing that his father was serious about this matter, Shen Jun uttered in disbelief, “Why?”

“You are asking me why? Do you know who the new principal of the Master Teacher Academy is?” Shen Wanting roared as his hands trembled in overwhelming rage.

“Principal? I was pummeled shortly after entering the academy, so I didn’t attend the inauguration ceremony,” Shen Jun said awkwardly.

Even though his father had taken him to the inauguration ceremony so as to broaden his horizons, he had been beaten up before the ceremony began, so he had no choice but to have his subordinates carry him back to the clan.

As such, he had no idea what had happened at the inauguration ceremony, and he didn’t have the slightest clue who the new principal was either.

“The new principal is the 4-star master teacher you spoke of, Zhang Xuan!” Shen Wanting howled furiously before turning to the subordinates and gesturing majestically. “After pummeling him, carry this unfilial son to the Master Teacher Academy to apologize. Wait, no, he will follow me to the royal palace later on. I have to meet Emperor Shen Yuqing first!”

Given the atrocious crime his unfilial son had committed, he probably would not even be granted entry if he just went over to apologize. Thus, he could only ask Shen Yuqing for a favor!

…

A similar scene also played out in the Liu Clan.

The bewildered Liu Quan was viciously lashed by his father, and more importantly, the latter even prohibited him from applying medicine to his wounds. As such, many of his open wounds ended up being infected, causing him great agony. At the same time, his state also became so horrifying that no one was willing to allow their gaze to linger on his body more than an instant.

If Liu Quan and Shen Jun were still indignant at how their fathers had treated him a moment earlier, after seeing Zhang Xuan naturally take the main seat in the room, drive King Huai into tears of gratefulness with just a few words, and Emperor Yu Shenqing begging him to accept the Bodhi Seed… With their wits, how could they possibly still remain oblivious to the standing of the young man before them?

The heavily wounded Shen Jun lowered his head and pleaded, “I will take responsibility for my own actions. I was the one who was insolent to Principal Zhang, so I beseech you to not implicate our Shen Clan in this matter.”

“I was the one who gathered those men, this has nothing to do with the Liu Clan at all. My father was completely oblivious to my actions,” Liu Quan quickly added.

After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan finally got a rough idea as to what had happened, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.

To march into the Master Teacher Academy, declaring that you wish to teach me a lesson publicly… Aren’t you just asking for trouble?

Even if you weren’t aware that I am the principal, the strength and scale of the Xuanxuan Faction was there for all to see. You should be counting your blessings that you weren’t mobbed to death!

Even though Shen Jun and Liu Quan had meant him harm, they had already gotten what they deserved. In any case, he wasn’t injured in the matter either. As such, Zhang Xuan was intending to turn down the compensation, but a thought that suddenly flashed across his mind prompted him to accept the storage ring from Shen Wanting.

He was no longer an ordinary student anymore but the principal of the Master Teacher Academy. If he didn’t deal with someone who had attempted to provoke him promptly, that could potentially undermine the authority of the Master Teacher Academy. Furthermore, that would also be driving the two clans into a corner.

Putting everything aside, just considering his current influence and standing, if others were to know that the Shen Clan and Liu Clan had once offended him, who would still dare do business with them?

Everyone would avoid them like the plague!

That was how society worked. One’s actions must be aligned with one’s standing, or else there would only be chaos.

After taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swiftly looked over the contents within and saw innumerable treasures.

Just looking at the high-tier spirit stones by themselves, there were already more than five hundred of them.

These two clans sure are generous! Zhang Xuan was astounded.

This wasn’t a small number of high-tier spirit stones. Even the Hongyuan royal family would have to tighten their budget significantly for the next few decades if they were to take out such a sum from their treasury. The fact that the two clans were able to fork out such a sum easily reflected the extent of their strong foundations.

“The Shen Clan has businesses all over Hongyuan Empire, and they trade frequently with Qingyuan Conferred Empire as well. Over the years, they have accumulated great wealth, and in terms of liquid assets, perhaps even our royal family can’t compete with them.” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s astonishment, Shen Yuqing discreetly sent a message through zhenqi telepathy to him.

They are even wealthier than the royal family? Zhang Xuan was truly shocked this time around.

It was no wonder Shen Jun could afford to take out two high-tier spirit stones each for him and Luo Qiqi to serve as welcome gifts. One must know that this was something that Xing Yuan and Yu Fei-er could not afford to do.

So, it turned out that he was from a truly wealthy clan; that explained everything!

Since they specialize in running businesses, and they have connections with Qingyuan Empire, perhaps I can use their help. Recalling his previous intentions, Zhang Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Currently, he was severely lacking high-tier spirit stones. While he had obtained a huge pile of resources from the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge, he didn’t have the connections and means to sell them. However, if he could tap into the connections of the Shen Clan, it shouldn’t be too difficult to sell his items.

In any case, it would be far easier than fumbling his way around it alone.

“I will be accepting your items then!” Zhang Xuan nodded and put away the storage ring before turning his gaze back to Shen Wanting once more. “Clan Head Shen and Clan Head Liu, I happen to have something that I may require your help on.”

Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan’s eyes lit up, and they quickly clasped their fists and replied, “Principal Zhang, feel free to speak. As long as it is something within the means of our Shen Clan and Liu Clan, we will surely accomplish it!”

Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have nothing to ask of them. Only when the other party had a request to ask of them would they be able to forge a strong relationship with him.

“I believe you should have seen the situation at the inauguration ceremony back then. The beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge have gifted me quite some stuff, but I don’t really need most of it. Since the both of your clans have vast business connections, are you interested in selling my items for me?” Zhang Xuan revealed his motive.

“This… We are more than willing to!” Upon hearing the request, Shen Wanting and Liu Zaiyan couldn’t help but burst into delight.

Considering that huge profits were involved in this dealing, the fact that the other party was willing to leave this matter to them meant that he was willing cast aside their differences and trust them.

“That is good.” Zhang Xuan nodded as he passed a storage ring over.

The items that the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had gifted him were in it.

Even though these items were valuable, they weren’t of much use to him. It would be much better for him to trade them for high-tier spirit stones to cultivate instead.

In any case, the two clans had their foundations rooted in Hongyuan Empire, so they wouldn’t dare play any tricks with the Master Teacher Academy looming over them.

“These items are highly sought after regardless of whether it is within Hongyuan Empire or the other empires. Principal Zhang, rest assured, we will surely sell all of it for you within two months!” Shen Wanting said confidently.

Chapter 920: Returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Of the numerous treasures and ores in the Cloudmist Ridge, the most valuable one had to be the Cloudmist Flower.

It was a rare commodity that only grew in the Cloudmist Ridge, and even the Hongyuan royal family didn’t have much of it. Thirty huge chests of high-grade Cloudmist Flowers… Without any doubt, the profits that one could derive from selling them would be nothing short of astronomical.

Truthfully, gaining the rights to sell these items in place of Principal Zhang was highly beneficial to the businesses of the two clans as well. Firstly, it would give an impression of a close relationship between the Shen Clan and the Liu Clan with the new principal, and this would further enhance their prestige. Secondly, these valuable goods could help more people learn of their name, allowing them to expand their markets further.

Even if they didn’t receive a single spirit stone from the sale of the items, it was still a winning deal for them.

Naturally, Zhang Xuan was also aware of these benefits as well.

Nodding, he clasped his fist and said, “I will be counting on you then.”

After chatting for a while to confirm the details regarding the sales of the goods, the four of them got up and bade farewell.

Shortly after the few of them left, School Head Mo entered the room.

“Principal Zhang, I have just finished making the arrangements. If you wish to take the 6-star master teacher examination, you just have to select a Conferred Kingdom and raise it into an empire within ten years to successfully clear the examination!’

“Within ten years?” Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a smile.

He wasn’t intending to spend so long on the 6-star master teacher examination.

“Regarding the Conferred Kingdom… I’ll choose Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!” Zhang Xuan said.

So far, the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom was the only one he had been to. Back then, he had eradicated the royal family ruling the country and installed Mo Yu as its new empress. It had been half a year since then, and he was curious about how things were going there. This was a good opportunity to head over to take a look.

“Alright!” School Head Mo nodded. “I will send a message to the headquarters now to have them dispatch a representative to Xuanyuan Kingdom!”

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

After reading the books in the Cultivation Compendium, he had gained a thorough understanding of the Empire Building test.

While the Master Teacher Academy had the right to invigilate 6-star master teacher examinations and bestow the 6-star master teacher emblem to those who cleared the examination, it didn’t have the authority to overlook a major examination like Empire Building. This was also the reason School Head Mo had to liaise with the headquarters to have them dispatch a representative.

The representative would first assess the Conferred Kingdom to confirm its existing rank and determine its eligibility to be used as the grounds for the test before the examinee was sent over to begin the test. Once the examinee felt that they had met the required criteria, the headquarters would dispatch another representative to confirm the results.

This served to eliminate the possibility of cheating.

“All in all, it should take around ten days for the representative to arrive at Xuanyuan Kingdom and inspect the area,” said School Head Mo after calculating for a moment. “I think it should be fine for Principal Zhang to begin heading in ten days’ time.”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

In any case, he still had many Heaven’s Path techniques that he hadn’t taken a look at. On top of that, there were also the libraries of many supporting occupations in the Master Teacher Academy he hadn’t browsed through, so he could make good use of the ten days to go through them.

Thus, over the following few days, Zhang Xuan paid a visit to the libraries of the other schools whenever he found the time to do so.

Very soon, the Beast Tamer School, Celestial Designer School, Painter School… He went through all of the libraries he hadn’t been to before and collected their books in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

When he wasn’t collecting books, he would be spending his time going through and digesting the compiled books. By the ninth day, he finally managed to finish looking through all of them.

His comprehension of swordsmanship, spearmanship, fist arts, movement arts, and many other battle techniques had deepened considerably.

Even though his cultivation had remained stagnant within this period, his fighting prowess had been raised immensely.

If he were to meet Mu shi’s puppet once more, he could easily defeat him just by utilizing a single finger.

For a Half-Saint primary stage to defeat a Saint realm 1-dan primary stage so easily, it would definitely scare many out of their wits!

After accomplishing all of that, on the very last day, Zhang Xuan gathered Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Wei Ruyan together and began lecturing them.

The four of them had a very deep understanding of the fields they each specialized in, and their fighting prowess was outstanding among their peers. However, in Zhang Xuan’s view, they were still far too weak.

He swiftly imparted the battle techniques he had just comprehended to them and instructed them to study hard during his absence. After which, he leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making his way toward Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom.

As he was going to be taking an examination, he didn’t think that he should take his students along, especially since it would hinder their training.

…

A light breeze blew amid the drifting white clouds.

The Byzantium Helios Beast was flying straight toward Xuanyuan Kingdom whereas Zhang Xuan was currently standing within the Myriad Anthive Nest.

The cultivation of the Myriad Anthive Queen had swiftly advanced to Saint realm 3-dan over just a few short days after consuming the blood essence it was given, thus becoming even stronger than the Byzantium Helios Beast.

With its current strength, as well as a steady supply of spirit stones and various resources going to it, the diameter of the nest had already expanded to three hundred meters, giving it space similar to that of a massive stadium.

As the space in the Myriad Anthive Nest continued to expand, Zhang Xuan decided to put in the nine saint beasts had tamed at the Cloudmist Ridge as well. At the same time, he asked for some building materials from Yu Shenqing and had the nine of them work together to construct a residence.

Even though it wasn’t as exquisite as the manor he had in Hongyuan City, it was still pleasing to the eye and comfortable to stay in.

However, the reason Zhang Xuan had entered the Myriad Anthive Nest wasn’t to rest in the residence. Instead, he walked to the center courtyard and examined the verdant seedling that had sprouted from the ground.

The Bodhi Seed!

Zhang Xuan had planted it within the Myriad Anthive Nest on the day he received it, but to the current day, it had only barely begun to sprout.

Let me see if I can speed up its growth…

It was only a seed previously, so Zhang Xuan’s means wouldn’t work on it. However, now that a seedling had sprouted, he could finally start working on it!

Zhang Xuan placed his finger on the seedling and began pumping Heaven’s Path zhenqi into it. At the same time, he also sprinkled a few droplets of Earth Vein Spirit Essence on it intermittently.

Tzzzzzzz!

The seedling absorbed the spirit essence and zhenqi swiftly, and it began to grow at a pace visible to the eye.

The combination of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heaven’s Path zhenqi was not only effective on spirit herbs but saint herbs as well.

In less than an hour, it had already grown to around three-meters tall, and its trunk had widened to around the width of a human arm, too.

While it was still significantly smaller than the Bodhi Saint Tree in the royal palace, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that it wouldn’t take long before it surpassed the latter under his infusion of spirit essence and zhenqi.

Retracting his zhenqi, Zhang Xuan took another look at his work and smiled in satisfaction.

His soul had yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, but with the aid of the Bodhi Tree and the Bluehorn Dragon Beast, he might be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to draw his soul out to cultivate, he suddenly heard the Myriad Anthive Queen’s voice echoing within the area.

“Master, the Byzantium Helios Beast has suddenly stopped in midair. It seems like someone has blocked our passage!”

“Blocked our passage?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He swiftly left the Myriad Anthive Nest to take a look.

The Myriad Anthive Nest was a folded space, and with his current capability, he was still unable to perceive the happenings outside from within. However, as the creator of the folded space, the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to keep tabs on the surroundings of the nest and report any anomalies to him.

Walking to window, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin outside.

“Zhang shi, we hope to follow you to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom to lend you a hand…”

“How did you manage to catch up with me?” Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

It had been an hour since the Byzantium Helios Beast set off from Hongyuan City, and given its speed, there was no way the aerial spirit beasts that the others were riding on could catch up with him. Since that was the case, how had they gotten ahead of him?

“We learned that Principal Zhang is going to take the Empire Building test in Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom, so we decided to wait for you here so that you won’t be able to chase us away!” Hu Yaoyao replied with a smile.

With her influence as the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, it wasn’t too difficult for her to dig up this piece of information, especially since Zhang Xuan hadn’t bothered to conceal the news.

“Ah… Alright then.” Seeing that the group before him was determined to tag along, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded.

As the Empire Building test was his 6-star examination, he wasn’t supposed to engage the help of other master teachers. However, as long as it was nothing significant that would affect the whole situation, the others could still assist in miscellaneous matters.

With their assistance, he should be able to clear the test faster than he had anticipated.

“Let’s go together then.” Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan beckoned for the others to come over, and Luo Qiqi and the others leaped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast with delighted smiles.

Before long, the group was on their way to Xuanyuan Kingdom once more.

The four intruders, Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin, were top beauties of the Master Teacher Academy, and their presence felt as if spring had fallen within the stuffy room. As if flowers had bloomed in the area, a light fragrance drifted in the air, sending one’s heart beating in excitement. However, it was a pity that Zhang Xuan was a blockhead, and his eyes saw nothing but cultivation and more cultivation.

All that he spoke of with those ladies was regarding only cultivation as well.

This left them extremely frustrated and helpless.

But while the interactions were boring, Zhang Xuan’s knowledge and means were indeed far beyond them. Within just three short days of flight, all of them had managed to achieve a breakthrough.

This was especially so for Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er. The rate at which they had advanced their cultivation was indeed astonishing, having reached Chrysalis realm primary stage.

Zhang Xuan had focused his effort more on Hu Yaoyao, so the latter had made substantial improvements too. Even though she was still at Half-Saint primary stage, her comprehension of cultivation and battle techniques had deepened significantly, enhancing her fighting prowess by at least twofold!

With her current strength, it was doubtful whether Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin combined would be a match for her.

In fact, Zhang Xuan was confident that she could even stand her ground against the Half-Saint Lu Cheng too.

Of course, if she wished to defeat the latter, she would still have to first fully digest what she had learned over the past few days and reinforce her cultivation further. Nevertheless, it was already unbelievable to her that she had gained such strength within just a few days.

As for Dong Xin, Zhang Xuan had also offered her some pointers for her cultivation. While her improvement wasn’t as substantial as Hu Yaoyao’s, her fighting prowess had also been raised considerably.

In truth, the four of them had tagged along, thinking of this as a leisure trip to Xuanyuan Kingdom. They hadn’t expected to receive such a benefit on top of that, and they couldn’t help but be excited by their new gains.

While offering the others some guidance on their cultivation, Zhang Xuan had also spent his spare time reinforcing his Half-Saint cultivation further.

As his cultivation usually came with a huge commotion and was quite an eye-catching, he didn’t attempt to make any breakthroughs during the journey. Instead, he spent his time studying the books regarding painting, mechanisms, and battle techniques, and unknowingly, his state of mind seemed to have undergone an evolution too.

It was commonly said that painting would help to expand one’s mind, bringing one enlightenment and calmness.

At this very moment, Zhang Xuan had already achieved a proficiency comparable to a 7-star painter.

What did that mean?

As long as he had sufficient zhenqi in his body, with just a brush in hand, he could produce millions of spirit beasts and soldiers that could easily devastate a Conferred Kingdom.

That was the fearsome might that a 7-star painter wielded!

Beyond 6-star, all supporting occupations, regardless of which, would be able to draw astonishing power that would be unwise for anyone to underestimate.

…

Half a month later…

Standing by the windows, Luo Qiqi took a glance beneath and said, “The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is right ahead. Zhang shi, do you want to take a look?”

“Myriad Kingdom Alliance?” Zhang Xuan smiled. “Sure. Let’s descend to take a look!”

It had been four months since he had departed from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Since he was passing by, he should naturally head down to take a look.

After all, it was through the Master Teacher Tournament held here that he had gained the qualification to enter the Master Teacher Academy and become the esteemed person he was today.

Chapter 921: Zhang Xuan’s Valiant Stature

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hearing the command, the Byzantium Helios Beast began descending to the ground, and before long, the group was already standing outside the square in front of the Alliance Head Residence.

In that very square, he had clashed with geniuses from over twenty other empires in the Master Teacher Tournament to vie for the right to enter the Master Teacher Academy. Even though it had only been a short few months since then, everything felt very nostalgic, as if it had happened a lifetime ago.

Young and reckless then, he had defeated all of his opponents with overwhelming might, creating a legend in his wake… But now, he was much more composed and mature.

Taking a look at the massive square before her, Luo Qiqi asked in curiously, “Did Teacher come from here?”

In her view, her teacher was an incredibly talented person. Even among the younger generation of the Sage Clans, there were very few who could compete with him.

It was truly hard to believe that such an outstanding figure came not from a prestigious clan but from such a humble place.

This square was large, yes, but compared to the sacred mountains and blessed lands that Sage Clans dominated, it was nothing at all.

Putting aside everything, even the spiritual energy in the air was extremely thin. A month of cultivation at the Master Teacher Academy could easily equal several years of cultivation here.

Seemingly seeing through the thoughts Luo Qiqi harbored, Zhang Xuan simply replied with a silent smile.

If he hadn’t gained possession of the Library of Heaven’s Path, he would probably have idled his life away in the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, too.

In life, however, there were no ifs. From the moment he gained possession of the Library of Heaven’s Path, his life had already changed.

Leaving the Byzantium Helios Beast to wait in the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others began making their way through the street and toward the square.

At this very moment, the square was bustling with a crowd. Many cultivators were staring intently at a massive statue erected at the center of the square with fervent gazes.

“What are they doing?” Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

The square was in proximity to the Alliance Head Residence and the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it had always been quiet. Why would a crowd suddenly gather here all of the sudden? Was there a riot going on?

“Look, look! That’s Zhang shi!”

“He is indeed dashing and handsome, just like how I dreamed he would be!”

“Of course, Zhang shi is my idol, you know. The greatest wish in my life is to achieve a ten thousandth of his greatness!”

“Hah, your idol? More like everyone’s idol! There is no one in this square who doesn’t respect and admire Zhang shi!”

“Indeed! I heard that Zhang shi has gone to the Master Teacher Academy. Ah, how I wish for him to return and conduct a lecture for us…”

“Hearing Zhang shi’s lecture is the dream of countless in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance… Well, who asked you to be absent the previous time he held a lecture?”

“Am I talking to you? … Wait, I remember that you weren’t around for the lecture either, isn’t that so?”

…

Before even arriving at the square, Zhang Xuan could already hear the discussions of countless young men and women as they gazed toward the center of the square with eyes sparkling in admiration and fists clenched in agitation.

Hearing the discussions of the crowd and noting the key phrase ‘Master Teacher Academy’, Luo Qiqi couldn’t help but step forward and ask a young man, “Excuse me… May I ask, who is the Zhang shi you spoke of?”

“You don’t even know Zhang shi? Aren’t you too behind the times…”

Shocked to hear that there was actually someone who hadn’t heard of Zhang shi’s name, the young man turned around to reprimand the person who had asked the question. However, the moment he saw Luo Qiqi’s face, he abruptly froze, and his face flushed crimson in nervousness. “Ah… You were the one who asked the question? Zhang shi’s name goes by a single character, ‘Xuan’. He is the greatest master teacher to have walked out from our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in its entire history…”

Luo Qiqi’s beauty was sufficient to make any man fall at her feet. To be able to speak coherently without stuttering in her presence, the young man’s self-control was not bad.

” Xuan 1 , as in the character synonymous with hanging?”

Hearing that he was actually the man the crowd was talking about, a bizarre expression surfaced on Zhang Xuan’s face. After receiving the other party’s confirmation, he couldn’t help but ask, “Zhang Xuan, he… when did he become your idol?”

It had already been several months since he had left, so any hype regarding him should have died down by now. Why would they still be talking about him?

On top of that, idol? Greatest master teacher? What was going on?

But as soon as Zhang Xuan asked that question, a loud bellow sounded from the distance.

“Audacious! How dare you address Zhang shi’s name directly and speak such disrespectful words? Where did you find the guts to do so?”

Following which, a young man strutted over proudly.

With an appearance of sixteen or seventeen, the young man was dressed in extravagant clothes, and he commanded a powerful presence. With just a look, it was clear that he was a person of high standing.

Due to his loud exclamation, he immediately caught the notice of the crowd, and gazes swiftly turned to him to see what was going on. Their eyes only lingered on Zhang Xuan for an instant before turning to the four beautiful ladies beside him.

Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin… They were top-notch beauties; any man would smile even in his dreams if he could bring one of them home. For four to appear simultaneously and with a young man beside at that, it was no wonder they would spark the curiosity of the crowd.

“The Eighth Prince is a well-known playboy. He must be trying to show off before those beautiful ladies so as to win their fancy!”

“But that young man was also asking for it. If he hadn’t done anything, the Eighth Prince would have had no reason to start anything either. Yet, he was actually so brazen as to call Zhang shi by his name in public… I truly wonder where he found the guts to do so!”

“Zhang shi is the idol of countless youths in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. This is especially so for the Eighth Prince; he views Zhang shi as a goal to strive for. Yet, that fellow actually dared to ask if the ‘Xuan’ character referred to the one synonymous with hanging… Hanging your head! He sure doesn’t know to watch his tongue; he deserves it!”

“Who can he blame when he is the one who is seeking death?”

After learning what had happened, cold sneers emerged on the lips of the crowd as they watched the commotion intently.

The young man was the eighth son of Alliance Head Zhao, Zhao Feiwu’s younger brother, and he was only sixteen this year.

Despite his young age, his reputation in Myriad Kingdom City was appalling.

Lustful, domineering, arrogant, short-tempered… He had committed many atrocities in Myriad Kingdom City, disappointing his father and sister time and time again.

A few months ago, however, after being reprimanded by his sister once more, he suddenly declared that he would take Zhang shi as his role model and cultivate diligently in hopes that he would become a powerful expert like the other party. Due to his great admiration for Zhang shi, he detested anyone speaking badly about the latter.

Yet, the fellow before him actually asked if the ‘Xuan’ character in Zhang shi’s name was the one synonymous with hanging. This was blatant disrespect for Zhang shi! It was no wonder he flew to a rage. On top of that, the four beauties around Zhang Xuan reminded him of the playboy he used to be, and that further stoked his irritation.

All of a sudden, someone amid the crowd exclaimed in astonishment, “Wait a moment… Is it just me, or does that young man look… a little familiar?”

“I also think that he looks quite familiar, like I have seen him somewhere before. But I just can’t put my finger on it.”

As soon as someone uttered those words, a few voices of agreement echoed among the crowd, and frowns began emerging on the faces of many.

Rendered speechless by the explosive outburst of the young man before him, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head. “Disrespectful? How was I disrespectful? Is the name ‘Zhang Xuan’ not meant for anyone to speak of?”

He had never thought that a day would come when it would be a taboo for him to even say his own name. Faced with such a situation, he didn’t know whether he should laugh, cry, or rage.

“Of course, it is not meant for anyone to speak of! It is one thing if you had been disrespectful on a normal occasion, but do you know what day it is today?” The young man’s eyes narrowed in hostility.

“What day is it?” Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

So, whether he was allowed to call his own name was dependent on the day too?

Hearing that the young man had no idea what day it was, the young man immediately erupted in fury. “Today is the day that Zhang shi’s sculpture was erected in this square! As a citizen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you don’t even know this? Have you been living under a rock?”

The crowd was also perplexed by the reaction of the young man before them. Even if he didn’t know what day it was, he should have noticed the crowd in the square! It was such an important occasion for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet he actually said that he was unaware of it. Was he intentionally demeaning the alliance, or was this his way of expressing his dissatisfaction with it?

“The day that Zhang shi’s sculpture was erected?” Stunned, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to the sculpture.

He had only shot it a passing glance earlier, not thinking much of it. Taking a closer look now, he noticed that the man depicted in the sculpture was dressed in a master teacher robe. A hand of his was placed behind his back while the other hand was holding onto a brush. His eyes were directed toward the sky, as if peering through the fabric of the world itself. He carried a powerful disposition, which left one not daring to look at him directly.

Beneath him, serving as his mount, was a phoenix with its wings spread, seemingly ready to soar into the sky and venture into the depths of heaven.

That’s me? Zhang Xuan’s eyelids and mouth began twitching uncontrollably. Isn’t he a bit… different!

The sculpture in the square had a towering stature, and the material used was also extremely rare. It was an excellent work of art no matter which aspect of it one looked at it from, clearly having come from a master sculptor…

However, there were still some differences in his appearance, especially in his disposition. The sculpture felt too tall and majestic, which made it seem unlike him instead.

Furthermore… a phoenix? When did he ride on such a thing? He had no recollection of taming a spirit beast or saint beast of this sort before!

Of the savage beasts, spirit beasts, and saint beasts he had tamed, the only one that bore even the slightest resemblance to a phoenix would be Viridescent Eagle, but… how in the world did his Viridescent Eagle transform into a phoenix?

To be soaring into the heavens atop of a phoenix, was that dignified poser really him?

This was truly difficult to swallow.

If the other party hadn’t said that it was him, he would not have thought that it was modelled after him even if he were to stare at it for an entire day.

When did he become so tall and dignified?

Did they sculpt it according to Kong shi’s standards?

Otherwise, that compassionate look in the eyes that seemed as if it could embrace the entire world… What the hell was that?

Zhang Xuan wasn’t the only one who was shocked by this. After seeing the sculpture, the eyelids of Luo Qiqi and the others also began jerking uncontrollably. This was even more so for Hu Yaoyao, who had experienced how ‘formidable’ Zhang shi was personally.

How could that shameless schemer have such a majestic and dignified sculpture in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? This was unbelievable!

Suppressing the frustration he felt, Zhang Xuan asked, “Based on what I know, the Zhang shi you spoke of isn’t dead yet, right? Why did you erect a sculpture of him all of a sudden?”

Erecting a sculpture and building an ancestral shrine were things one would do only after the person in question was dead. Given that he was still alive, why were they doing this?

“You dare to curse Zhang shi?”

As soon as the young man heard those words, his body trembled in anger. “Zhang shi’s lecture has benefitted millions in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and all of us view him as our esteemed teacher… We have erected a sculpture of him so that we can pay respect to him. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Lecture?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

It was at that moment that he suddenly recalled the lecture he had conducted right after the Master Teacher Tournament ended. At the very end, he even drew a phoenix and flew away on it…

Was this sculpture modelled after that scene?

If that was the case, that would explain the phoenix he was riding on. However, he only did it back then because he thought that it would look good and boost his reputation. Who could have known that the others would take it for real and sculpt him in such a manner?

Wasn’t this taking it too seriously?

Zhang Xuan felt deeply distressed.

Was he to tell them that he wasn’t as great as they thought him to be? But that would be as good as slapping his own face!

However, if he chose not to say anything, he would feel ashamed for holding onto this undeserving title.

Ah, what a dilemma!

Chapter 922: Meeting Zhao Feiwu Once More

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan decided it would be better not to say it anything.

To a master teacher, on top of their ability to impart knowledge, reputation was extremely important as well. Since he had built up considerable prestige with his previous lecture, there was no reason for him to ruin it. After all, for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, his name could serve as a symbol to unify its citizens, as well as a powerful figure to deter conflict.

Naturally, it would also be beneficial for him to have such a reputation as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, and it would aid in his 6-star master teacher examination as well.

Seeing how the person before him was refusing to show the slightest respect to Zhang shi’s sculpture, even showing a conflicted expression as if to mock it, the young man furiously issued a command. “This fellow dared disrespect Zhang shi; I suspect that he is a spy from some foreign power. Men! Apprehend him and interrogate him well!”

“Yes!” The guards following behind him swiftly rushed forward to encircle Zhang Xuan and the others.

“I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful…” Realizing that his explanation was unlikely to work, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He walked up to the young man, fondled his head, and asked with a smile, “Where is your elder sister Zhao Feiwu? Ask her to come over to meet me…”

Was there something wrong with that fellow’s head, or was he simply that slow? The Eighth Prince of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had already ordered for his apprehension, but not only did the other party not show the slightest bit of fear, the other party had even walked forward to fondle his head. Not to mention, to directly call his sister by her name and order her to meet him… Unforgivable!

“Audacious! How dare you call the alliance head by her name alone? Just how brazen can you get…” Roaring furiously, the young man could no longer hold himself back anymore and sent a fist straight toward Zhang Xuan.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan didn’t bother dodging at all. Instead, he pushed the other party’s head lightly, and the other party’s fist wasn’t able to reach him at all due to the difference in arm length, thus rendering the prince powerless regardless of what he did.

“What are the rest of you waiting for? Get him!” Seeing that his attack had been stopped in such a humiliating manner, the young man felt so enraged that he could lose his mind. He immediately issued an order to the guards furiously.

It was also only after hearing the order that the guards jolted out of their dazed state. They immediately tried to rush forward to help, but to their horror, they found that they were unable to move their bodies at all, as if they had fallen into a marsh of some kind.

The party behind that was Hu Yaoyao and the others.

With their prowess, discreetly dealing with a bunch of guards who hadn’t even reached Zongshi realm 1 was a walk in the park.

“Oh? Zhao Feiwu became the alliance head?” Surprised, Zhang Xuan asked with a chuckle as he stared at the young man who was busy flinging his fists forward but was unable to hit him.

From what he remembered, Zhao Feiwu was a knowledgeable and sharp-witted lady, but due to her affliction from birth, she wasn’t able to cultivate.

Even though Zhang Xuan had resolved her problem of being unable to cultivate before leaving, she should still be some distance away from achieving the strength required to become the highest leader of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

One must know that in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, without the strength of a Transcendent Mortal, it was impossible to become one of the top officials, let alone the alliance head!

“Let me go, or else I will definitely have you killed!” the young man roared with clenched teeth, not bothering to answer Zhang Xuan’s question.

“Forget it, I won’t be able to get the full story out of you anyway; I will ask her personally then!”

Knowing that things would only get more complicated at this rate, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze toward the Alliance Head Residence and said, “Princess Feiwu, won’t you come out to meet an old friend?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but with his prowess as a Half-Saint, his words still easily reached the ears of every single person in Myriad Kingdom City.

“Zhang shi?”

While others didn’t think much of the voice, an excited voice sounded from within the Alliance Head Residence. Following which, Alliance Zhao Feiwu abruptly emerged from the residence on the back of an aerial spirit beast, heading toward the square.

Even before the spirit beast could descend, the young lady had already leaped down to the ground. She rushed forward excitedly, wanting to give the young man before her a warm hug. However, at the final moment, she hesitated and clasped her fist instead. “Feiwu pays respect to Zhang shi!”

“Zhang shi?”

“For Princess Feiwu to act so respectfully toward him, could he be… that Zhang shi, Zhang Xuan?”

“Now that you mention it, he does seem to bear some resemblance to the sculpture in the center of the square.”

“It’s not just ‘bear some resemblance’; they are the same person! How could we have failed to recognize Zhang shi?”

“He looks much more medio… magnificent than his sculpture!”

“Indeed, magnificent is the word I was thinking too.”

…

Zhao Feiwu’s words and actions had caused a huge commotion in the square.

Everyone turned to the young man at the center with eyes lit up in excitement.

Even the Eighth Prince, who had just ordered for Zhang Xuan’s apprehension a moment ago, was completely dazed, and he looked as if he was going to lose his mind.

He had always regarded the latter as his idol, but to think that, not only would he fail to recognize the other party in person, he would even act so disrespectfully. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt of his actions. If only there was a burrow in the ground at this very moment, he would have dived right in.

“Let’s head to the Alliance Head Residence to speak!” Noticing the fiery gazes around them, Zhao Feiwu knew that they weren’t in a good place to speak. Thus, she beckoned Zhang Xuan toward the residence.

“Un.” Nodding, Zhang Xuan and the others leaped onto the back of the aerial spirit beast and headed toward the Alliance Head Residence.

Shortly after they left, a deafening uproar broke out amid the square, and it felt as if even the sky would fall under the din.

“So that is Zhang shi…”

“What a gentlemanly and cultured person he is! If I could marry him, my life will have been worthwhile even if I die the moment after!”

“Marry him your head! Look at the ladies beside him and Alliance Head Zhao Feiwu, which of them isn’t a top-notch beauty? With your appearance, you probably aren’t even worthy of serving as his maid…”

“Even if I can’t become his maid, a night of pleasure is fine by me as well…”

…

Some amid the crowd had their eyes glowing in admiration while others had gone green in envy, but there was palpable excitement in the air.

Zhang Xuan had simply created far too many miracles. Becoming the half-teacher of millions of experts, he had brought the Myriad Kingdom Alliance out of its many years of oppression from the neighboring empires. As news of his sudden appearance spread, the citizens of Myriad Kingdom City began crowding the streets, curious to see the form of the legendary genius.

…

Oblivious to the chaos in the square, at that moment, Zhang Xuan was seated in a vast hall. Sitting not too far away from him was Zhao Feiwu, who carried a faint smile on her lips.

Over the past four months since Zhang Xuan left, Zhao Feiwu had made considerable progress in her cultivation. She was still some distance away from reaching Transcendent Mortal, being still at Zhizun realm, but to have made such great progress within a limited period of time, she must have put in quite a bit of effort.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s thought, Zhao Feiwu explained, “Zhang shi, you left behind a cultivation technique manual for me before you left, and the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect… all of these powers have been providing me resources for my cultivation unconditionally, so it is only natural that I’ve made such progress within this period of time.”

“Cascading Sand Sect, Frigid Gale Sect, Fleeting Cloud Sect… Those powers provided resources for your cultivation unconditionally?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

These sects had been the culprits behind the oppression of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for so many years, so why would they suddenly change their attitude all of a sudden, supporting her instead?

“That’s right. They have only made a single request of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in exchange for their unconditional support, and that is for me to become the alliance head,” Zhao Feiwu explained.

After hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately realized what was going on, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.

Back then, before the Master Teacher Tournament, he had once appeared before those powers in Yang shi’s form and killed the leader of the White Helios Sect, Bai Kaizhi, with a single book. That incident had probably instilled great fear into the leaders of the other powers. On top of that, he himself had also emerged as the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament and successfully enrolled into the Master Teacher Academy.

Even if the Master Teacher Academy was a distance away, it was inevitable that they feared he would return one day and exact vengeance on them, especially given what they had done in the past.

After receiving news that he had close ties with Zhao Feiwu, they decided to fawn on the latter, probably in the hope that she could speak up for them should they fall into a dire situation.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan spoke. “Since those sects and powers are willing to forge a close relationship with the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you should send a message to inform them that I will be staying at Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom for a period of time. During my stay there, I will be conducting public lectures, and if any of them are interested, they are free to join as well.”

Since these powers intended to express their goodwill to him through supporting Zhao Feiwu, he should reciprocate their goodwill. This was essential if the Myriad Kingdom Alliance hoped to enjoy peace for many years to come.

Furthermore, what a Conferred Kingdom lacked the most was a strong foundation. As just an individual, it would be difficult for him to build a strong foundation in Xuanyuan Kingdom by himself.

The best way to do so was to draw more experts into the country. Their arrival would be closely followed by merchants, who would bring in a great amount of resources necessary for the common populace to advance their cultivation faster, thus enhancing the national power.

“Alright!” Knowing the intentions behind Zhang Xuan’s instructions, Zhao Feiwu nodded with a smile. “I will also inform everyone in the alliance. You have many fans within the alliance at the moment, so they will surely follow you if they hear that you are heading to Xuanyuan Kingdom.”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

By this point, he had also figured out the reason the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had decided to erect his sculpture.

His very existence served as a deterrent factor against the 27 other regional powers, preventing them from doing anything overboard. So, of course, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance would try to glorify him as much as possible.

After chatting a while longer and learning that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had been faring well in recent times, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to rise and take his leave, Zhao Feiwu suddenly stared at him with deep anticipation.

“Zhang shi, is it fine… if I follow you to Xuanyuan Kingdom?”

“Aren’t you the alliance head at the moment? Are you allowed to leave your post?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“I am only the alliance head in name at the moment. The one who is handling everything within the alliance is still my father,” Zhao Feiwu replied.

“I see. You should follow along too then; I will offer you some pointers with your cultivation whenever I have time. Even though it’s impressive that you have reached Zhizun realm within just a few months, it’s still insufficient to hold your ground against the many powers in the region! I will try to raise your cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan or 6-dan within this period of time,” Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.

In order to claim the highest position of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance stably, one had to possess a cultivation of at least Clarifying Turbidity realm. However, to become a truly unrivalled existence in the region, one would have to be at Consonant Spirit realm or Cosmos Bridge realm.

In the past, Zhang Xuan didn’t have the power to achieve this. However, having reached Half-Saint and possessing many artifacts and pills in his inventory, it wasn’t too difficult for him to raise Zhao Feiwu’s cultivation to such a level within a short period of time.

“Thank you, Zhang shi!” Zhao Feiwu’s eyes lit up in excitement after learning that the other party would help her raise her cultivation.

She didn’t have much of an interest in amassing authority and power, but the fact that the other party was willing to help her showed that she meant something to him, and this left her heart tingling in joy.

On top of that, as Zhang shi continued on his journey, the disparity in their strength would only continue to widen. At this rate, they would only become two individuals living in two different worlds, unable to reach one another.

If she could grow stronger, that would mean that she would be inching even a step closer to him. Even if she couldn’t catch up with him, at least the distance between them wouldn’t be so great.

After dealing with the affairs at the alliance and spreading the news out, Zhao Feiwu and the others got on top of the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast and began making their way over to Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom.

Chapter 923: 6-star Master Teacher!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Two months later, in the Elder Hall of the Master Teacher Academy, Mo Zhu, Zhao Bingxu, and the other school heads were seated around a table.

Shortly after Lu Feng was stripped of his position as the head of the Apothecary School, Vice School Head Lu Qing had taken over his position. At the same time, Chen Chengxun had also stepped from his position as the head of the Formation Master School, and another vice school head had taken over it.

In other words, all ten of the school heads were gathered together.

“School Head Mo, how is Principal Zhang’s Empire Building going?” Zhao Bingxu asked.

Their principal taking the 6-star master teacher examination was a major affair for the Master Teacher Academy. As such, School Head Mo had been appointed to keep tabs on the matter so that they could respond should anything major occur.

“Alright, allow me brief you all on the matter.”

School Head Mo stood up and began. “The Conferred Kingdom that Principal Zhang has chosen for Empire Building is… Xuanyuan Kingdom! It is a nation beneath the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, which is the vassal state of Tier-2 Huanyu Empire.”

Everyone nodded.

To be honest… they hadn’t even heard of Xuanyuan Kingdom before. That was how remote and backward it was.

The Master Teacher Continent was simply too large, and there were far too many kingdoms and empires for one to remember. Despite the vast knowledge that master teachers possessed, it was impossible for them to know all of them.

They had still heard of Huanyu Empire, but they would hardly hear any news about nations beyond that, such as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, let alone Xuanyuan Kingdom.

To a typical 6-star master teacher, it could be considered as a backward, undeveloped plot of land.

“Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom two months ago, but he didn’t announce his arrival. Instead, he immediately headed to the local Master Teacher Pavilion.”

School Head Mo had kept a close eye on Zhang Xuan’s every single action, allowing him to explain everything in detail. “The local head of the Master Teacher Pavilion is a 3-star pinnacle master teacher known as Luo Qianhong. He once had a conflict with Principal Zhang, and Principal Zhang crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion as a result.”

“Crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion?” Everyone was astonished to hear that.

As master teachers, they understood the immense difficulty in crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion. Not only would one have to subdue every single master teacher in the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would also have to face the wills left behind by preceding master teachers as well.

Based on what they know, back when their principal was still at Xuanyuan Kingdom, he had only been a 2-star master teacher. To successfully crash a Master Teacher Pavilion then, didn’t that mean that he had been superior to 3-star pinnacle or 4-star master teachers despite only being at 2-star?

“According to the rules, Master Teacher Pavilion will have to unconditionally obey the orders of the master teacher who has successfully crashed it. What did Principal Zhang order them to do after heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion?” Wei Ranxue asked.

Crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion was similar to a martial artist crashing a dojo. The loser would have to accept the punishment from the victor regardless of what it was.

“Principal Zhang didn’t order them to do anything. Instead, he held a lecture for them, and within three days, both the cultivation and comprehension of the Way of Teacher of the master teachers in there were raised significantly. This was especially so for Luo Qianhong. Not only did he successfully clear the 4-star master teacher examination within this period of time, he has even advanced to 4-star pinnacle!” School Head Mo said.

“Within three days, he actually raised the capability of a 3-star pinnacle master teacher to 4-star pinnacle?”

“Isn’t this… a little— way too fast?”

The school heads were flabbergasted when they heard the news.

The reason it was hard for master teachers to advance their rank was because there were many aspects they had to improve in order to qualify for and clear each master teacher examination, such as their cultivation, eye of discernment, Soul Depth, and supporting occupations. All of this require considerable time. For Luo Qianhong to advance from 3-star pinnacle to 4-star pinnacle with just three days of guidance, this rate of improvement was unbelievable!

“Not only so, in the past, Xuanyuan Kingdom had a total of a dozen or so 3-star master teachers. However, after those three days, another eight of them has made a breakthrough to 4-star. Even though they are only at 4-star primary, that is still rather frightening!” School Head Mo said with a bitter smile.

When he first heard this news, he could hardly believe his ears. He’d had to confirm the matter several times before he could finally come to a conclusion—true geniuses were existences whom ordinary men like them couldn’t hope to fathom.

“So, all in all, Xuanyuan Kingdom has nine 4-star master teachers… That is a big step forward, that it is still insufficient for a kingdom to advance to an empire,” one of the school heads remarked.

It was true that the foundation required for a kingdom to advance to an empire was the Master Teacher Pavilion, but it would still take considerable time for the other aspects to rise up to the required level as well, such as the economy and the military force of the nation. With just a few 4-star master teachers, it was still infeasible to accomplish Empire Building within a short period of time.

It was for this reason that Empire Building was indubitably the hardest test of the 6-star master teacher examination.

“It’s indeed insufficient, but on the tenth day that Principal Zhang arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom, many master teachers and Transcendent Mortal experts from the surrounding Unranked Empire, sects, and powers suddenly came flooding into the nation, joining its ranks.”

“They joined Xuanyuan Kingdom?”

“Many? How many people do you mean by that?”

Everyone frowned.

One of the school heads shook his head. “A Conferred Kingdom will at least have a population of several hundred million, and the addition of a couple of master teachers and experts won’t make much of a difference…”

Experts had their own pride, so it was highly unlikely that they would lower themselves to join a lower-ranked nation. After all, that would be equivalent to regressing, and it would make it harder for them to advance their cultivation and capability as well.

As such, in the school heads’ view, even if some of the experts and master teachers decided to join Xuanyuan Kingdom, it was unlikely that there would be too many of them. Even at most, there would only be dozens of master teachers and several hundred experts. However, such numbers were like a drop in the ocean for a nation with a population of several hundred million, and their presence wouldn’t make a significant difference.

Empire Building required the raise in the overall prowess of the nation, the average cultivation of the entire populace. This was not something that could be achieved just by a couple of master teachers and experts coming in.

“A couple of master teachers and experts you say?” Hearing those words, a bitter smile emerged on School Head Mo’s lips.

“You are severely underestimating Principal Zhang’s rallying ability in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance! Within just ten days, more than three thousand 4-star master teachers and a hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts joined Xuanyuan Kingdom.”

“Three thousand 4-star master teachers?”

“A hundred thousand Transcendent Mortal experts?”

Everyone was dumbstruck.

That number of master teachers and experts… Even an average Unranked Empire wouldn’t have such numbers!

“But the sudden arrival of so many experts in Xuanyuan Kingdom could potentially destabilize the nation and undermine the authority of the royal family. If they rise up and start a rebellion, how will the royal family quell the insurrection?” Jiang Qingqin asked with a frown.

Even though he usually maintained a low profile within Hongyuan Empire, he was still aware of the balance of power between the royal family, the officials, and the populace.

Considering that the arriving experts were far stronger than the officials and the royal family, how could the nation impose their laws and govern them? Should they choose not to submit, would the nation have any way of dealing with them?

One must know that in an average Conferred Kingdom, even the strongest old ancestor would only be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, and the emperor would only be at Half-Transcension at most, usually. The sudden influx of over a hundred thousand experts was not necessarily good news for the country.

“There is no need to worry about it; Principal Zhang already has everything thought out. After spending three days in the Master Teacher Pavilion, he spent the next seven days, before the influx of the master teachers and experts, in the Xuanyuan royal palace… Within the seven days, he raised Empress Mo Yu’s cultivation to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and the other officials who have a close relationship with her have also reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan or 3-dan,” said School Head Mo.

To induce such an unbelievable increase in the cultivation of those within the Xuanyuan royal palace within seven days… They would have never been able to think this possible had it been in the past.

However, after witnessing the huge commotion resulting from Principal Zhang’s public lecture, how innumerable animals had made the breakthrough to become savage beasts, they had come to realize that whenever he was involved, miracles were nothing more than a normal occurrence.

School Head Mo continued his explanation. “Not only that, Principal Zhang also took more than a thousand of the spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge with him, and each of them possesses a cultivation of at least Transcendent Mortal 6-dan. He has instructed them to obey the commands of no one but Mo Yu. With such a powerful hand, even an average Tier-2 Empire will dare not provoke Xuanyuan Kingdom, let more those cultivators…”

“Over a thousand Transcendent Mortal 6-dan spirit beasts? Hahaha, only Principal Zhang is capable of playing such a big hand!”

“Indeed, there is probably no one else in the world who can take out so many loyal spirit beasts so easily!”

“With the royal family wielding such a powerful force, it could be said that the security of the nation is guaranteed.”

Everyone was astonished for a moment after hearing the news before nodding excitedly in approval.

Typically speaking, an average beast tamer would only have a tamed beast or two, and considering the effort he would have had to put into taming them, it was impossible for him to give his tamed beasts away to another. However, their principal had made the hundred thousand spirit beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge submit to him! As such, giving away a thousand weaker spirit beasts was truly nothing at all to him.

But while it was nothing to their principal, it was of vital importance to Xuanyuan Kingdom. In the first place, the lifespan of a spirit beast was far longer than that of a human. On top of that, the strength of each of them was far higher than the strongest expert in the kingdom. With them guarding the royal family, who would dare show the slightest disrespect to them?

School Head Mo still wasn’t finished. “Shortly after the influx of experts and master teachers into Xuanyuan Royal City, Principal Zhang conducted his first public lecture. In the lecture, his voice could be heard even from a distance of several hundred kilometers away, and the cultivators of the capital benefited greatly for his lecture, with over half of them achieving a breakthrough on the spot. On top of that, his Spirit Gathering Diction has caused spiritual energy to concentrate within Xuanyuan Royal City, not dissipating even after the end of the lecture, thus turning the entire area into a blessed land for cultivation.”

“Spirit Gathering Diction, Rain of the Heavenly Flowers… Principal Zhang does wield the capability to raise the cultivation of others swiftly. With this, many powerful cultivators will emerge in Xuanyuan Kingdom very soon. However, the strength of a nation lies not only within its cultivators, but the development of the occupations as well,” the head of the Painter School, Song Danqing, remarked.

In assessing the overall strength of a nation, the average cultivation of the populace was only one of the factors involved. More important was the development and prosperity of the occupations.

National power covered not only potential military might but a nation’s economic development, culture, and the individual’s standard of living too.

Many of these factors were intricately tied with the occupations within the nation. An empire, even if an unranked one, needed not only a powerful Master Teacher Pavilion, but the existence of a capable Painter Guild, Apothecary Guild, Blacksmith Guild, and such. Only then would they be able to attract and retain talents to further the prosperity of the nation.

“Maybe you have been too busy recently, so you didn’t notice it, but on the very day that Principal Zhang left Hongyuan City, the Shen Clan and Liu Clan of the Four Great Clans announced that they would be establishing a trading branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom so as to expand their business there. As soon as that announcement was made, many huge merchants in the vassal states quickly made plans to enter Xuanyuan Kingdom as well. As a result, the number of businesses within Xuanyuan Kingdom at the current moment is on par with even some Tier-2 Empires.

“As for occupations, Principal Zhang spent the ten days imparting painting, pill forging, smithing, demonic tunes, and such occupation skills to the locals, and this has caught the attention of many occupation guilds. To date, another seven occupation have already opened a branch in Xuanyuan Kingdom,” School Head Mo said.

After hearing those words, a school head couldn’t help but mutter beneath his breath, “The average strength of the populace, military strength, economic development, and presence of occupations are all in place. Doesn’t that mean that Xuanyuan Kingdom is already qualified to be an empire?”

These were the main indicators to determine if a nation was qualified to be considered an empire. In less than two months, their principal had induced an overwhelming change within Xuanyuan Kingdom. Could it be that… he had already completed the Empire Building test?

School Head Mo nodded. “That’s right. Twenty days ago, the headquarters sent a representative down to check on the situation in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and the reason I have called for this gathering is to officially announce the result to you all.

“Principal Zhang has successfully cleared his 6-star master teacher examination, Empire Building, and thus, from this day forth, he is officially a 6-star master teacher!”

Chapter 924: The Four Principals

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“He has already cleared the examination?”

“In just two short months, he successfully raised a Conferred Kingdom into an Unranked Empire?”

“If I recall correctly, even the current record holder for our academy, Principal Mo Liuzhen, took three whole years, right?”

“Two months… that is really way too fast!”

The school heads couldn’t help but be dumbstruck by the shocking revelation.

They had no doubt that their principal would clear the Empire Building test, but they hadn’t thought that it would be so fast!

To clear it within two months, he had probably broken the record of the Master Teacher Pavilion!

School Head Mo nodded. “Indeed, that’s really fast! At the moment, Principal Zhang should be on his way back…”

“That is good. At this rate, he should be able to make it for the Combat Master Selection,” Zhao Bingxu said.

“Indeed.”

As soon as the Combat Master Selection was brought up, grim faces immediately emerged in the room.

The Four Great Master Teacher Academies would gather together for the Combat Master Selection once every hundred years, and while it might seem like nothing much on the surface, there was actually strong rivalries and competition in the dark. If the principal could return in time, that would be for the best.

“Over the past two months, our Martial Arts School has managed to sieve out the top twenty of each grade to participate in the Combat Master Selection,” Xu Changqing said.

The only requirement for the Combat Master Selection was superior strength. The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had been fighting against one another in a selection exercise over the last two months, and finally, the twenty strongest students of each grade to represent the academy and vie with the other three academies for the slots in the Combat Master Selection had been decided.

Hearing that the results were out, Zhao Bingxu hesitated for a moment before asking, “How is the strength of our students?”

“Judging from the previous Combat Master Selections, our students are still a little weak. I fear that not many of them will be selected.” Xu Changqing sighed deeply.

The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had always been at the bottom of the Four Great Academies. In the ten thousand years since its establishment, only 327 people had succeeded in becoming combat masters. This meant that only three to four people, on average, were selected in the Combat Master Selection each time.

Hearing that the situation was not really optimistic, Zhao Bingxu shook his head and said, “There are still a few days before the selection. Let us gather the students together and try pushing them one last time before the selection. Perhaps, we might get more of them in.”

“This is the only thing we can do now.” The others nodded in agreement.

The effects of last minute training were usually minimal at best, but there was nothing else they could do at this point.

The other Master Teacher Academies had 7-star master teachers to offer pointers to their candidates, and the resources they received from the Master Teacher Pavilion were also far greater. As such, most top geniuses would opt to enroll in the other three academies if they had the chance, leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy with just the remaining ones. It couldn’t be helped that they weren’t a match for the others.

It was not sufficient to have good teachers. Without ample resources and talented students, it would be extremely difficult for the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to qualify in the Combat Master Selection.

This formed a vicious cycle. After many years of being unable to achieve good results, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy received fewer resources from the Master Teacher Pavilion, and its reputation fell as well, thus resulting in the more talented master teachers shunning the academy, which lowered the performance of the academy even further.

…

While the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy were discussing this matter, just outside Hongyuan City, a massive flying ship came to a halt.

The entire ship was nearly eighty-meters in length, and it was more than ten stories tall. All of the required facilities were on it, and from afar, it looked extraordinarily extravagant.

The front and the back of the ship were supported by eight saint beasts, each harnessing the Dragon Bloodline. Through perfect coordination among the sixteen saint beasts, they were able to bring the massive ship down without the slightest tremor.

On the deck stood two elders, who gazed at the towering city walls beneath them with a smile.

“Principal Wo, I am truly thankful for your ‘Cloudcliff Flying Ship’. Otherwise, it would have taken me a fair bit of effort to reach here so quickly!” the blue-robed elder standing on the left said as he stroked his beard.

“It is only right for us, the Four Great Academies, to help one another. Besides, the Combat Master Selection is held at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and your Luoqing Master Teacher Academy happens to be en route from our Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, so it’s no trouble at all. This is also an ideal opportunity for our students to interact with one another and learn that the world is far larger than they thought so as to reduce their complacency. Otherwise, if they stayed within the confines of the Master Teacher Academy, they would just think that they are the greatest in the world, and that contributes nothing to their growth at all,” the gray-robed elder on the right replied with a smile.

Both of these elders wielded the strength of a Saint, and the aura they emanated felt unfathomable, rendering one incapable of accurately determining their strength.

On top of that, there was an emblem pinned on their master teacher robes, on which, there were seven brilliantly shining stars. From this, it was clear that they were both 7-star master teachers.

7-star master teacher, this was a height that not a single person of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Master Teacher Pavilion had achieved.

“Indeed. The crux to learning lies in knowing one’s ignorance… The fact that these students are able to stand out among their peers in the academy and participate in the Combat Master Selection goes to show that they are incredible talents. Thus, it is inevitable that they will be complacent about their own abilities. As such, there is a need to have them know that there is always a mountain higher than the other, a person greater than himself. This will help them reach greater heights in the future.” The blue-robed elder nodded.

(The full phrase is that ‘Logic that is not debated is weak, and knowledge that is unspoken is unclear.’)

After a moment of silence, Principal Wo asked, “Where is Principal Wu? We have already arrived, so why is he nowhere to be seen?”

“It’s not like you don’t know about Wu Ran, that fellow. He is fixated on the insight that Kong shi left behind at the Saint Ascension Platform, and he even became the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle. For that, he set forth several months in advance, so he should already be in the city by now!” the blue-robed elder replied.

The blue-robed elder was the principal of the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy, Shen Pingchao, and the person he was speaking to was the head of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, Wo Tianqiong.

(Note: Wo Tianqiong’s surname is supposed to be Wu as well, just like Wu Ran, but as both of them are Principal Wu, I tweaked the former a little to Wo so as to avoid confusion.)

The person they were talking about, Wu Ran, was the principal of the Qingzhu Master Teacher Academy, as well as the leader of the Saint Ascension Circle whom Zhang Xuan had met back on the Saint Ascension Platform.

Yunxu, Luoqing, Qingzhu, and Hongyuan. These were the Four Great Master Teacher Academies under Qingyuan Conferred Empire.

Among the four, Yunxu ranked at the top whereas Hongyuan stood at the very bottom of the list.

“Principal Wo, Principal Shen, my teacher, Wu shi, invites you over to meet him!”

While the two of them were speaking, a middle-aged man suddenly descended onto the ship and clasped his fist respectfully to them.

“See, I told you, didn’t I? That fellow is sure to have long arrived before us…” Shen Pingchao chuckled softly to Wo Tianqiong before turning to the middle-aged man and replying, “We will be heading over now.”

After which, he and Wo Tianqiong issued some instructions to the teachers behind them before following behind the middle-aged man and heading toward the depths of Hongyuan City.

It didn’t take them too long to arrive at a huge manor.

As soon as they entered the main hall, they immediately saw Wu Ran seated within, elegantly and leisurely pouring hot water into a teapot. With just a glance, they could immediately tell that the latter was a skilled tea master.

“You old fellow, you sure are fast! Did you invite the both of us over for tea? I will just say these words beforehand, if the tea isn’t good, don’t expect us to drink it!” Wo Tianqiong said with a smile.

“Rest assured, I won’t treat you to anything less than good tea!” Hearing those words, Wu Ran chuckled softly. “I had to pull some connections and pay a heavy price for this pot of tea, and I have been waiting for the both of you to arrive to share it with you.”

As Wu Ran spoke, he poured the tea within the teapot into the small teacups by the side and offered them to Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao.

The duo took the teacups, but before they could take a sip, a thick layer of mist suddenly rose from the tea, lingering around the teacup, creating a dreamy haze around it.

“What a beautiful cup of tea…” The eyes of the duo lit up in amazement.

Putting aside the flavor of the tea, just its presentation in itself already made it far superior to most teas.

The drifting layer of mist shrouding the cup felt reminiscent of the thin mist that veiled the dawn river. Even before the consuming the tea, it had already induced relaxation and comfort within one’s heart.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way! This pot of tea is made from the renowned Cloudmist Flower, produced exclusively in Hongyuan Empire’s Cloudmist Ridge, and it has cost me ten whole high-tier spirit stones! Furthermore, had I not pulled my vast connections, I might not have been able to purchase it at all. Even so, I was only able to obtain one liang of it. I couldn’t bear to drink it all this while, deciding to wait for you two to arrive to share it with you,” Wu Ran said with a smile.

(One liang = 0.125 grams)

“Just the aesthetics itself makes it well worth the price!” Wo Tianqiong smiled. “Let me try and see how it tastes!”

Chuckling softly, he took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up in wonderment. “Good tea!”

Beside him, Shen Pingchao also sipped the tea without any hesitation, and brilliant, astounded gleams swiftly appeared in his eyes.

“Where did you purchase the tea from? Help me get some too…”

“Get some too? If I were able to do so, I would have definitely bought ten jin on the spot…”

(~5kg)

“Then… sell that one liang of tea leaves you have procured to me. I will pay double the price!” Shen Pingchao said anxiously.

He was also a person who savored a good tea. With just a sip of that marvelous tea, he had already fallen in love with it.

“Don’t even think about it, I won’t sell it to you no matter what price you offer! Alright, let’s get to the main business at hand.” Wu Ran shook his head. “Have you heard of the news regarding the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?”

Wo Tianqiong sighed deeply and said, “I did. He disappeared two years ago, and to date, it is unsure whether he is alive or dead. The top seat in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy should still be empty, right?”

The principals of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies were of similar standings, and they shared an amicable relationship with one another. As such, it was impossible for them to be unaware of the disappearance of the old principal, and they had even mourned over that matter for quite a while.

“You are right that the old principal went missing two years ago. However, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has already found a new principal!” Wu Ran replied.

“Found a new principal? Have you looked into what kind of person he is?” Shen Pingchao asked.

“Even without intentionally looking into the matters of the new principal, there is already plenty of news regarding him going around Hongyuan City. If I tell you his deeds, I bet you two will definitely have the shock of your life!”

He had arrived in Hongyuan City just a few days ago, and considering that the news regarding the new principal was literally everywhere, it would have been hard for him not to know who the new principal was.

“Have the shock of our lives?” Wo Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao glanced at one another in bewilderment before asking, “Is the new principal very famous? Could he be a representative dispatched from the headquarters?”

“Of course not! The new principal is only in his early twenties, and he is a student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy earlier this year. He goes by the name of Zhang Xuan!” Wu Ran said.

“A student who enrolled into the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy this year?”

“In his early twenties? Is this really accurate?”

The two principals were stunned, and they couldn’t help but doubt their ears.

Did the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy go insane all of a sudden? Or did they just give up on themselves?

A fellow who was barely in his early twenties, inexperienced, and immature, and yet they had chosen him to become their principal? Was this for real?

“Of course, this is accurate! If you don’t trust me, feel free to ask anyone in Hongyuan City!” Wu Ran replied with a bitter smile. “If you underestimate the new principal just because he is in his early twenties, you will be in for a great shock. I have heard a lot about him, and to date, I still find it all inconceivable.”

“Inconceivable? Interesting. Tell us!” Wo Tianqiong said.

“Principal Wo, when you inaugurated back then, you also invited the predecessors and sought their recognition, right? How much of their recognition did you receive?” Wu Ran asked out of the blue.

“I was incompetent, so I only received 45% of the predecessors’ recognition. Of the hundred principals in the history of the Yunxu Master Teacher Academy, I am only ranked seventh!”

Even though Wo Tianqiong claimed that he was incompetent, the slight hint of pride contained within his voice still betrayed his true thoughts.

To receive a recognition of 45% among a hundred preceding principals meant that he had the recognition of more than forty of them. Even compared to all of the preceding principals, his record was indubitably outstanding.

After all, one only needed a recognition rate of 20% to clear this formality, and he had received more than twice that figure.

Wu Ran turned to the blue-robed elder and asked, “What about Principal Shen?”

“I only received 37% of the predecessors’ recognition, failing to get into even the top ten in the history of principals in the Luoqing Master Teacher Academy. I am truly ashamed,” Shen Pingchao said.

“45% and 37% are outstanding records, considering the difficulty of the formality. However, when compared to the record of the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, they are indeed not worth mentioning!” Wu Ran said as he subconsciously shook his head. Disbelief was reflected in his eyes.

The news he had received was simply so shocking that he found it simply impossible to accept.

“You mean that… he has surpassed our records?”

The two principals frowned.