Chapter 950

Chapter 950: Ingrate

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Called for you?”

Looking at the Goldenleaf King, who was going to interrogate them, the mouths of the master teachers twitched uncontrollably.

We were talking about the conflict between the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Lu Feng, who in the world called for you?

Can you stop being so narcissistic?

Lu Feng’s eyes also began flying around the place.

Who in the world would call for you given that ugly face you have?

Just as he was about to speak, the tall and ugly fellow walked over and said, “I was just thinking about how I should explain it to you all, but since you have already recognized me, I guess there’s no longer any need.”

Walking up to the master teachers, the ugly fellow stretched his hands forward to release the shackles binding them.

“What are you doing?” Everyone leaped in shock, alarmed by the other party’s actions.

Explain?

Recognized?

Recognized your head! We are righteous master teachers! We have never come into contact with any Otherworldly Demons before, so don’t you act chummy with us! Who in the hell knows you?

Seeing the master teachers acting warily around him despite clearly knowing his true identity, the Otherworldly Demon scratched his head in confusion.

“What am I doing? How are you going to leave if I don’t release your shackles?”

Naturally, the Otherworldly Demon was Zhang Xuan in disguise.

When he heard someone calling his name before entering, he couldn’t help but feel a little perplexed. Thus, he pushed open the door to take a look, and when he realized that the one who was speaking was Lu Feng, he immediately realized what had happened.

The other party must have recognized him and was currently explaining things to the others in his stead.

Why else would they have said his name in such a desperate situation?

Even though he was perplexed as to how Lu Feng was able to recognize him, this did work in his favor. There was no time for him to explain, and he had no idea how to do so either!

“Leave? What do you mean?”

“If you wish to kill us, so be it! Don’t even think that we will be so foolish as to fall for your ploy!”

“Scram, the likes of you aren’t worthy of touching our shackles!”

“We came to the Subterranean Gallery knowing that death will eventually befall us. Don’t even think that you can win us over with such cheap ploys!”

Seeing that the Otherworldly Demon was attempting to set them free, the group harrumphed coldly.

Incongruous actions could only mean that treacherous intentions were hidden beneath the exterior. Just from the shameless face the other party had, they were certain that he wasn’t a good person.

To try to buy them over with such trivial acts, wasn’t the other party looking down on the dignity of master teachers a little too much?

Facing the looks of disbelief of the group before him, treating him as if he was a villain, Zhang Xuan exclaimed anxiously, “I am here to save you!”

Weren’t you speaking up for me a moment ago? Why are all of you snubbing me now?

“Save us? An Otherworldly Demon King like you would be so kind as to save us?”

“To intend to win our hearts over using such a cheap ploy, aren’t you making light of us?”

The master teachers sneered coldly.

“I…”

Not expecting to be misunderstood in such a manner, Zhang Xuan shook his head bitterly before turning to School Head Lu Feng. “School Head Lu, even if they don’t they believe me, surely you trust me, right?”

As he spoke, his body jolted as his muscles began contracting with creaking sounds, reverting back to its original look.

“I am Zhang Xuan.”

“Zhang Xuan?”

Lu Feng was stunned for a moment before his eyes widened in astonishment, and his body stiffened in horror. His shock gradually turned into rage as he roared ferociously, “You… As I expected, you are an Otherworldly Demon King! I shall kill you right now!”

Back then, Zhang Xuan’s teacher had offered an extremely rational explanation to the various peculiarities surrounding Zhang Xuan, and this had left Lu Feng feeling extremely regretful that he had nearly prematurely terminated the journey of a talented master teacher. Out of sheer remorse for his deeds, he had chosen to head to this wretched land in hopes of repenting for his sin with his life.

He had thought that this death would cleanse him of his sins, but who would have thought that just as he was on the brink of death, he would see an Otherworldly Demon King morphing into Zhang Xuan’s form!

In other words, that fellow had deceived all of the school heads and him!

“You have misunderstood.” Zhang Xuan clearly hadn’t expected that reverting back to his original form would deepen the misunderstanding the others had of him. Thus, he hurriedly explained, “I really am not an Otherworldly Demon. I am a master teacher, and I came here specially to save you all.”

Peng!

But before he could finish his words, he suddenly felt a powerful force blasting toward him. Turning around, he saw an elder sending a kick toward his back.

With a nimble side step, Zhang Xuan dodged the attack as his face darkened in displeasure. “What are you doing?”

He had come here to save them out of goodwill, yet they had actually attempted to assault him from behind. They were getting overboard.

It was fortunate that they were severely injured and their cultivation had been sealed, or else even Zhang Xuan would have had a tough time dealing with an abrupt assault from a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert.

“I have long heard that the Otherworldly Demon Kings are able to disguise themselves as humans perfectly, such that even master teachers are unable to tell them apart. However, I truly never expected for one to actually successfully sneak into the Master Teacher Academy and even become its principal!” one of the elders roared furiously.

“Now that I know the truth, I will bring you down today even at the expense of my old life!”

“We must kill him by all cost…”

“As the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he has access to countless secrets of mankind. If he reports them back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind will be in peril.”

…

The many master teachers stood up and surrounded Zhang Xuan. Their eyes were crimson with rage, and if looks could kill, the man before them would have been torn to shreds that very instant.

It had just been a moment earlier that they had wondered if that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon King, and the very next moment, a huge Otherworldly Demon morphed into the latter’s form.

The truth couldn’t have been any clearer to them at that very moment!

It was one thing for an Otherworldly Demon to have infiltrated the Master Teacher Academy, but to become its principal on top of that… Who knew how many secrets of mankind he had leaked out to the Otherworldly Demons already? As master teachers, they would never be able to forgive themselves if he was allowed to do as he pleased.

Lu Feng was also on the verge of erupting in anger.

He had thought that Zhang Xuan, as the disciple of Yang Xuan, a Celestial Master Teacher, couldn’t possibly be an Otherworldly Demon, but having seen the Otherworldly Demons obey his words and him morphing from an Otherworldly Demon into a human…

To think that they, master teachers, would be made fools of by the Otherworldly Demons. Frustrated and furious, he clenched his fists tightly as his teeth creaked under the immense pressure of his clenched jaw.

How he hated the fact that he hadn’t been more forceful in exposing the other party’s identity back then! If only that had been the case, perhaps they wouldn’t have found themselves in such a disastrous situation.

“You misunderstand; I am human!” Noticing the rage boiling amid the crowd, as if they were going to devour him whole, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked his wrist, and the Byzantium Helios Beast swiftly appeared before him.

“You should recognize him, right? This is the righteous tamed beast of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios Beast. There is no way he could possibly submit to an Otherworldly Demon…”

But before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, Lu Feng abruptly stood up and roared, “Everyone, don’t listen to him! It’s due to this that I erroneously trusted him, thus bringing crisis upon the Master Teacher Academy. You must be daydreaming if you think that the same tricks will work on me once more!”

Another two more master teachers stood up.

“Indeed, we can’t trust his words. I saw with my own eyes how he commanded the Otherworldly Demons previously!”

“On top of that, the killing intent he exuded was condensed and powerful; at the very least, he must be a King among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Furthermore, I clearly heard with my own ears that the other Otherworldly Demons called him Goldenleaf King!”

Facing the master teachers who were completely convinced with their judgement, Zhang Xuan’s complexion turned incredibly ugly.

Had their cultivation not been sealed, they would have surely pounced forward to kill him on the spot.

What the heck was this?

He had gone there to save them, and it was one thing for the other party to doubt his kind intentions, but to be misunderstood as an Otherworldly Demon on top of that…

If they didn’t believe him, there was no way he would be able to lead them to safety even if he were to free their shackles!

The situation was truly getting out of hand.

On top of that, it isn’t safe for me to reveal my identity as a Celestial Master Teacher here. Zhang Xuan felt frenzied.

There were simply far too many Otherworldly Demons in the area, and they had each reached Saint realm. If he were to attempt to reveal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, there was no doubt that it would catch their attention. If so, not only would he be unable to save the master teachers, he could very well die there as well.

It was to conceal this news from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he had chosen to keep it hidden as long as possible. Once news spread, endless trouble and assassinations would surely come his way. By then, not only him, but the safety of those around him would be at stake as well!

However, if he didn’t reveal this identity, it would be nigh impossible for him to reverse the prejudice these master teachers had of him and convince them to leave with him!

Incredibly vexed, Zhang Xuan turned to Lu Feng and urged with a nearly pleading tone, “Lu Feng, I am really a master teacher. I have come here to save you.”

“I know that you are master teacher, but I also know that you are an Otherworldly Demon King!” Lu Feng sneered coldly. “Trying to deceive me once more? Dream on!”

“I…”

Seeing the sharp hostility in the other party’s eyes, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel frenzied.

Why did it seem like the situation was getting worse with his explanation?

With these master teachers antagonistic against him, what was he to do?

…

While Zhang Xuan was at a loss as to how he should clarify the situation, in the main hall where Tong Yue was seated in, a silhouette flashed across the room. The Otherworldly Demon that had left a while ago had returned hurriedly.

“Leader… Our King has arrived!”

“King? What King?” Tong Yue was taken aback by the abrupt news.

“His Highness, Greenleaf King!” the Otherworldly Demon swiftly replied.

“Greenleaf King? His Highness has arrived?” Tong Yue was astonished.

They were subordinates of the Greenleaf King, and the reason they had captured those master teachers was to offer them as tributes to breach the seal so that their King could come over. Who could have known their King would have already come over even though they hadn’t done anything yet?

“That’s right!” The Otherworldly Demon nodded.

“Hurry up and bring me to him! I have to welcome him.” Not daring to hesitate in the slightest, Tong Yue quickly made his way out.

Just as he arrived at the door, he saw the Greenleaf King walking in with another middle-aged man, chatting with smiles on their faces.

Stepping forward, he kneeled onto the ground and bowed deeply. “Tong Yue pays respect to Your Highness!”

The Greenleaf King smiled in satisfaction. “Un, well done. This base is indeed big enough to house an army of a hundred thousand!”

The Greenleaf King boasted a physique even larger than Tong Yue, and his face was pale and devoid of any facial hair. There was an air of valiance between his brows, which granted him an authoritative aura, reminiscent of a person who held great power.

The killing intent that emanated from his body felt so concentrated that it seemed almost tangible. Just a look at him, and one would suddenly feel as if one had descended upon a harsh battlefield with death lingering just around the corner.

“Your Highness, I am honored by your compliments!” Heaving a sigh of relief, Tong Yue thanked him before discreetly turning his gaze to the middle-aged man beside the Greenleaf King.

The other party’s physique was slightly shorter and smaller than his King’s, but there was an air of coldness around him that left one shivering.

The middle-aged man surveyed the surroundings for a moment before remarking nonchalantly, “This base is indeed well-built, and it is located in close proximity to the seal. However, the mountains in the surroundings make it easy for enemy soldiers to conceal themselves in the area, and that will place us in a dangerous position!”

“This…” Unsure of the other party’s identity, Tong Yue had no idea what to make of the other party’s remarks, so he turned a doubtful gaze to the Greenleaf King to seek his opinion.

“Yin Shou is an expert on this field, so worry not and heed his words!” the Greenleaf King said.

“Yes!” Tong Yue turned to the middle-aged man, clasped his fist, and bowed deeply. “Lord, may I know what kind of changes should be made?”

“Simple. You just have to move these mountains away. The area within a hundred li radius of our camp should be completely flat so that we will have an unhindered view of the surroundings,” the middle-aged man said.

“Move these mountains away?” Tong Yue’s mouth twitched.

The mountains within the Subterranean Gallery weren’t too tall, but they extended far into the distance. Even with everyone on the job, it would be an arduous task, requiring at least a month or two at the very minimum.

“Send someone to do it and accomplish it as soon as possible!”

Noting the expression on Tong Yue’s face, the Greenleaf King chuckled. “Right, I forgot to introduce to you. Brother Yin possesses great fame, so you must have heard of him before as well. He is a member of our Ten Kings of Qingtian…

“… the Goldenleaf King!”

Chapter 951: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Tong Yue was stunned for a moment before astonishment swept across his face. “Golden… leaf… King?”

It was just a moment ago that one Goldenleaf King had arrived, so how could another one pop up all of a sudden?

Was there more than one Goldenleaf King? That didn’t seem likely.

“Aren’t you going to pay respects to the Goldenleaf King? It has only been a short while; have you already forgotten your manners?” Seeing how his subordinate was staring intently at the Goldenleaf King with a shocked expression on his face, not showing the slightest politeness at all, the Greenleaf King frowned in displeasure.

“M-my apologies, Your Highness! I was so shocked for a moment that I lost myself.” Tong Yue hurriedly fell to the ground and kowtowed.

“Shocked?” The Greenleaf King was perplexed.

Tong Yue might not have been the strongest of his subordinates, but he possessed exceptional capability in getting work done. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dispatched the other party and entrusted him with the important responsibility of laying down the groundwork for their great army. For him to be so shocked as to even forget his bearings for a moment, just what could have happened?

“I-it’s… Just a moment ago, a powerful tribesman arrived, and he claimed to be the Goldenleaf King. As such, when I heard that this lord over here is the Goldenleaf King as well, I lost myself for a moment,” Tong Yue quickly explained.

“Claimed to be the Goldenleaf King?” The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King glanced at one another and froze.

The Goldenleaf King’s face darkened, and he took a step forward. “What do you mean? Are you saying that someone tried to impersonate me?”

“This…” Tong Yue wasn’t sure how he should respond.

The Greenleaf King gazed at Tong Yue and demanded authoritatively, “What is going on?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, the matter goes like this. Just a moment ago, when my men were in the midst of rounding up a group of master teachers, a tribesman appeared and claimed that he is the Goldenleaf King. Currently, he is still in the opposite hall, interrogating those master teachers!” Tong Yue swiftly explained the matter anxiously.

“Claimed that he is the Goldenleaf King?”

“Interrogating those master teachers?”

The two Kings frowned doubtfully.

“Take us there. I would like to see the person who dares to impersonate me!” With a livid expression, killing intent began seething from the Goldenleaf King, ready to explode at any moment.

To think that someone would be so brazen as to impersonate as him, an Otherworldly Demon King… Unforgivable!

Tong Yue shot a discreet glance toward the Greenleaf King, and it was only upon seeing the latter’s nod that he began to lead the way. “Kings, this way please!”

Barely after taking two steps, the Greenleaf King suddenly stopped and instructed, “Wait a moment, there is no need to rush into it. Tong Yue, have your men seal the surroundings first. Make sure to do it discreetly so as to not alarm whoever is inside. We can head in after that is done.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Tong Yue nodded.

If what Tong Yue had said was real, it was very likely that the impersonator would have malicious intentions in mind. Naturally, they would have to apprehend him for interrogation so as to learn his aims.

Tong Yue quickly took his leave before issuing several instructions to his men. Following which, the two hundred Otherworldly Demons from before swiftly moved out and encircled the hall that Zhang Xuan was in discreetly.

The movements of these Otherworldly Demons were structured and orderly, sealing every single blind spot as they got into position. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, it would be nigh impossible for even a Saint realm 3-dan expert to escape from their encirclement.

“Alright, let’s go take a look!” Seeing that the preparations were ready, the Greenleaf King waved his hand, and the group swiftly made their way over to the hall.

…

Seeing that none of the master teachers were willing to trust even a single word of his, Zhang Xuan waved his hand helplessly. “You might not trust me, but give this some thought. If I truly was an Otherworldly Demon King, would I waste my breath with you all here? I would have just dispatched my men to have all of you killed!”

“You must be trying to obtain some crucial intelligence from us. You are trying to numb us with expressing goodwill!” a master teacher spat through gritted teeth.

“Obtain crucial intelligence for you all?” Zhang Xuan shook his head in frustration. “I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, do you think that your standing can possibly be higher than mine? Do you actually think that I will need to pry words out of your mouth to obtain crucial intelligence? Just think about it!”

“This…”

Everyone was stunned as there was some logic to Zhang Xuan’s words.

However, at that moment, Lu Feng roared, “Don’t fall for his eloquence! Even as the esteemed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it is impossible for him to know everything! He must have captured us to learn about the secrets regarding the Subterranean Gallery.”

Once bitten, twice shy. He had suffered greatly due to the lies of the fellow before him once, and he would never allow history to repeat itself.

“I concur; we shouldn’t trust him! Those who aren’t our kind will eventually turn against us! If he isn’t an Otherworldly Demon, why would he appear before us with such coincidental timing? How could he possibly have so many Otherworldly Demons obey his orders?”

“The Otherworldly Demons are devious. He is bound to be up to something with this abrupt show of goodwill. We mustn’t fall for his trap!”

A few other master teachers roared indignantly.

“You all…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes flew around the place.

He had come here to save them only to end up pleading to save them, and even at the end of it, they still refused to budge. The world was truly unbelievable.

Unable to hold back his wrath anymore, Zhang Xuan snapped furiously, “Up to something… A bunch of frail elderlies, do you really think that you, who already have a foot in the grave, have anything I need?”

The ages of these men added together amounted to several dozen thousand years. What could Zhang Xuan possibly hope to gain out of them?

“We…” A master teacher was just about to refute Zhang Xuan’s words when the Byzantium Helios Beast’s face suddenly darkened. “Master, bad news. We have been encircled…”

Having reached Spiritual Perception realm, it was far more sensitive of its surroundings than anyone else in the hall. The movements outside was slight, but the Byzantium Helios Beast was still able to feel it vividly.

“Encircled?”

Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly activated his Eye of Insight and looked out of the window. amid the endless darkness, he could see many Otherworldly Demons positioned around the hall, sealing all possible routes of escape. Even though each of them had concealed their aura well, there was no doubt that the army would collapse upon anyone who attempted to escape.

What is going on? Zhang Xuan’s heart turned cold at that sight.

Hadn’t he convinced them that he was the Goldenleaf King just a moment ago?

Why would they suddenly go so far as to encircle the surroundings, as if preparing to kill him?

Zhang Xuan swiftly turned to the Byzantium Helios Beast and said, “You should return for now.”

With a glance, he could already tell that it was impossible to break through the other party’s defenses and escape.

“Yes!” The Byzantium Helios Beast nodded before returning to the Myriad Anthive Nest.

After stowing away the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan began warping his physique once more to return back to the form of an Otherworldly Demon.

Shortly after he was done, the doors to the hall opened from the outside, ‘jiya’, and three men walked in with wide strides.

The one leading the way was Tong Yue, and the other two trailing behind looked rather unfamiliar. However, the energy coursing through their bodies felt powerful and relentless, creating a huge pressure on those facing them.

Saint ream… 4-dan experts? Zhang Xuan’s face twitched as the hands hidden beneath his sleeves clenched tightly into fists.

He had never expected to encounter a Saint realm 4-dan expert there.

He had been thinking that even in the worst of situation, he would still be able to forge a bloody path out with the army he had. But with the emergence of experts of such caliber, this plan had become infeasible.

Knowing that he was cornered, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel anxious within. Nevertheless, he knew that it was precisely in such situations that he had to maintain his composure and rationality. Driving his Soul Depth, he gradually regained himself.

“Tong Yue, didn’t I tell you not to have anyone disturb me? Do you really think that I dare not kill you?” With a livid face, Zhang Xuan glared at Tong Yue with killing intent tinged in his words.

He had no idea where he had erred for the other party to have seen through his disguise, but he could only follow through at this point. Otherwise, he could very well be killed on the spot.

If only that bunch of dim-witted master teachers had been able to think rationally and do as he had said, they could have very well been out by now! Such a crisis wouldn’t have occurred either.

“It is not that I wish to disturb you, but… our King and the Goldenleaf King has arrived, and upon hearing that you claimed to be the Goldenleaf King as well, they instructed me to bring them here to meet you,” Tong Yue replied.

Your King? Goldenleaf King? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the world spin around him and he nearly keeled over.

Surely, I couldn’t have been so unlucky, could I?

I was only going to make use of the name for a brief moment, but the owner of the name just had to appear with such unholy timing. Did I offend the God of Fortune somehow?

The previous time I feigned as the special envoy of the Poison Hall, the real special envoy also arrived shortly after I began, nearly causing my ship to capsize 1 . I thought that luck would return to me after that unfortunate event, but it seems like it has only gotten worse. This time, while I am pretending to be the Goldenleaf King, not only did the man himself appear, even the Greenleaf King came along with him as well…

How could my luck be so poor at such a crucial moment?

At this point, the Goldenleaf King stepped forward and bellowed with a livid face, “Who are you? Why are you making use of my name?”

“Who are you?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up as he returned the question.

With no other plausible way out, he could only make this gamble.

“I am the Goldenleaf King!” the Goldenleaf King replied furiously.

“Audacious! Where the hell did you find the guts to impersonate me? Tong Yue, what are you waiting for? Take that man down!” Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously with a majestic wave of his hand. After which, he gracefully placed his hands behind his back and emanated a powerful aura, which hinted at incomparable strength. “I am the Goldenleaf King!”

After uttering those words, he warped his muscles to assume an appearance identical to the Goldenleaf King opposite to him.

His previous appearance was modelled after his puppet. Since the real Goldenleaf King had arrived, it went without saying that he should adopt the same appearance as the other party.

“You!” Seeing that the other party was not only making use of his name but had even morphed into his appearance right before his eyes, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that he could explode.

Can you be any faker?

To morph into my appearance before everyone’s eyes, are you seriously taking everyone here to be blind?

On the other hand, after changing into the Goldenleaf King’s appearance, Zhang Xuan said haughtily, “This is my original appearance. I only morphed my appearance because I didn’t want to show my true face to others!”

Seeing how the other party was so brazen as to fearlessly pose as the Goldenleaf King before the both of them, the Greenleaf King finally came to the end of his patience and snapped, “Who in the world are you? I have travelled through the seal along with the Goldenleaf King, so there is no mistake about his identity!”

Naturally, he trusted the Goldenleaf King, who had travelled through the seal with him, more than a stranger who had seemingly come out of nowhere.

“No mistake about his identity?” Zhang Xuan waved his hands in frustration and sighed deeply. With a look of pity, he said, “Greenleaf King, you are too naive! You should have taken a closer look at that fellow beside you before putting your trust in him. You might not know who the fellow beside you is, but I do! He once impersonated me in the past, and I taught him a lesson after I found out about it, but that cunning beast managed to slip away. I truly couldn’t have thought that he would get to you. If only I knew, I would have killed him back then when I had the chance!”

“What did you say?” Hearing the story get more and more preposterous, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that killing intent seethed within his veins.

It was one thing for that fellow to impersonate him, but to shamelessly claim that he was the real one before him… Just where did the other party find his guts?

Furthermore, I impersonated you? And you taught me a lesson?

How can you lie through your teeth without your face reddening in the slightest?

Where is your sense of shame?

“Don’t you know very well what I am saying?”

Shaking his head with a deeply disappointed expression, Zhang Xuan bellowed wrathfully, “You beast, how could you betray my trust in you? I treated you like my own son, imparting my cultivation techniques and battle techniques to you just so that you could grow to become a decent demon. Yet, taking advantage of your deep knowledge of me and my techniques, you disguised as me and went around swindling others. You ingrate, show your true form!”

After which, Zhang Xuan turned to Tong Yue and the Greenleaf King and sighed deeply. “To tell you the truth, he is actually a tamed beast that I raised. In our years together, he learned all of my habits and skills, which allowed him to pass himself off as me.”

“Tamed beast?” The Greenleaf King and Tong Yue were taken aback.

The latter couldn’t help but ask, “Tamed beast? But our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe doesn’t have any spirit beasts or saint beasts.”

Chapter 952: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“No spirit beasts or saint beasts?” Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood.

It wasn’t easy for him to fabricate a passable story for this bizarre turn of events, and he was banking on it to convince the others that he was the real one. Upon hearing those words, he nearly burst into tears on the spot.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has no spirit beast or saint beast?

What the heck is with that?

Just what is with my luck today?

“That is not important!” Despite feeling so stifled that his heart could explode, he didn’t allow any of that to show on his face. Waving his hands nonchalantly, he explained, “When I said tamed beast, what I am referring to is a junior who I have raised from young. I have always treated him like a close pet of mine, and over the years, I have put in much effort and many resources to groom him. Just that, who could have known that he would be such an ingrate, impersonating me and committing atrocities in my name? I have truly kicked myself in my foot this time around!”

“You are spouting nonsense!” the Goldenleaf King roared indignantly.

You are the one who is a pet; your whole family are pets!

Hong long!

The Goldenleaf King roared furiously as he raised his hand. An immense might, which covered the entire skyline, burst forth from his palm, heading straight toward Zhang Xuan.

He was truly pissed off this time around.

He thought that he would be able to scare the impersonator silly by confronting the other party head-on, but who could have known that… that fellow would actually prattle on and on excitedly, to the point that he even became the other party’s pet.

This was truly his first time seeing someone as shameless as that fellow!

To impersonate another so daringly before the person in question… this was truly an eye-opener for him!

Sss la!

That powerful strike devastated even space itself, twisting and contorting it as if a piece of flimsy fabric.

“How powerful…”

“We are done for…”

Upon seeing this strike, the many 6-star master teachers behind Zhang Xuan went pale with fear.

As esteemed 6-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Continent, they were confident in their ability, thinking that they were at least on par with the Otherworldly Demons. However, after witnessing the might exerted by the Goldenleaf King, they couldn’t help but feel a deep, instinctive fear that permeated their souls.

There was a difference in their strength, one that was so huge that there was no basis for comparison.

If the strike were to land on them, they would surely die instantaneously. Not even the deities would be able to bring them back to life.

“Hah, the dogs are biting one another? Good!”

“Kill that fellow!”

Two master teachers harrumphed coldly.

However, the attack wasn’t directed toward them, and they were more than glad to see the Otherworldly Demons thinning their forces through infighting. It would be the best if they ripped one another apart.

“To dare make a move against me, how dare you!” Not expecting the Goldenleaf King to attack him without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. Not bothering to dodge, he lifted his finger and tapped into the sky.

Hu!

The speed of his finger wasn’t fast, and it didn’t seem to harness much might behind it either. However, a killing intent so powerful that it shook one’s heart abruptly burst forth. From the callous killing intent, one could feel the majesty of an Otherworldly Demon King, and it seemed to suppress those who shared the same bloodline.

The Greenleaf King narrowed his eyes in astonishment. “What pure Zhenqi of Slaughter…”

As an Otherworldly Demon, he could clearly sense how powerful the other party’s zhenqi was.

The might the other party exerted was beneath that of the Goldenleaf King who first made a move, but to his astonishment, the other party’s zhenqi purity was extremely high, even higher than his!

In other words, the other party was of the King Stratum through and through, or even above him at that!

Even if he isn’t the Goldenleaf King, there is no doubt that he is another formidable King from somewhere else, the Greenleaf King thought.

Otherworldly Demons were ranked according to the purity of their Zhenqi of Slaughter. Considering that the fellow before him had zhenqi even purer than him, the other party was definitely a King as well. Even if he wasn’t the Goldenleaf King, his standing was surely not beneath theirs in any way.

But… why would a person of such standing impersonate the Goldenleaf King? Was there any need for him to do so?

Hu!

While the Greenleaf King was musing over the doubts in his mind, Zhang Xuan’s finger collided with the Goldenleaf King’s palm strike. In that very instant, a flash of light burst from his fingertip and formed a barrier.

Formed of countless wills, the barrier of light was nigh indestructible, allowing it to neutralize the impact of the Goldenleaf King’s palm strike perfectly. Following which, the finger came into contact with the barrier, and astonishingly, the might harnessed in the finger was transmitted through barrier.

Peng!

Under the powerful impact, the Goldenleaf King’s face reddened as he was forced back several steps.

It was direct clash of might, and he had even held the upper hand from being the first to strike. Yet, the other party had easily neutralized his attack and even successfully launched a counterattack against him. In other words, the other party was even stronger than him!

Where did this freak come from?

“What a close shave!”

In contrast with the Goldenleaf King’s astonishment, Zhang Xuan discreetly heaved a sigh of relief within.

Possessing only the cultivation of a Half-Saint, there was no way he could stand against the might of a Saint realm 4-dan expert under normal circumstances.

In that critical moment, he swiftly activated the Principal’s Seal.

As an artifact made out of the wills of countless teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy, the absolute defense formed by the Principal’s Seal was difficult for even a Saint realm 4-dan expert to breach.

After neutralizing the attack, he swiftly made use of Vicious’ finger to counterattack.

Vicious was still a long way off from recovering to his peak, but in a direct confrontation, he was still able to hold his ground against a Saint realm 4-dan expert. However, it would be unsafe to use him too much. Once or twice, he could still feign it as his own attack. Too many times, and the other party could potentially realize that he was tapping into an external force.

After knocking the other party back, Zhang Xuan bellowed angrily, “It is out of our past relationship that I have spared you for so long. Are you really intending on killing your own master?”

If the battle were to continue, he would surely lose. In such circumstances, there was only one thing he could do—scare the other party out of his wits first!

“Who the hell are you?” After trading a blow and knowing that the other party possessed strength on par with him, the Goldenleaf King knew that there was a chance he could lose if a fight were to occur between the both of them. Thus, he decided to talk it out first before deciding on the next course of action.

“Like I said, I am the Goldenleaf King!” Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the Greenleaf King and said, “It is pointless for us to continue arguing like this, we won’t get anywhere. Why don’t you be the judge and determine which of us is the real one?”

“Me?” The Greenleaf King was taken aback.

Like I just said earlier, you are the fake, and the one beside me is the real one. What else do you want me to judge?

“Indeed. The real Goldenleaf King should have a deep understanding of his own cultivation flaws, right?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“That… of course!” The Greenleaf King nodded.

Each cultivator would keep their cultivation flaws a secret, telling no one about it for obvious reasons. If one of them could logically point out the flaws in the Goldenleaf King’s cultivation, that would only go to say that he was the real Goldenleaf King.

Even though the Greenleaf King was only an outsider and didn’t have a thorough understanding of the Goldenleaf King’s cultivation, it wasn’t an issue for him to determine whether the flaws listed were correct or not based on his deep understanding of cultivation.

Seeing through the Greenleaf King’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan said, “What I am proposing is simple. That fellow and I will tell you the flaws in our cultivation, and you will be the judge to determine which of us is the Goldenleaf King. Naturally, the one who is more precise and accurate can only be the real Goldenleaf King!”

“You wish to list out the flaws in your cultivation?” The Greenleaf King hesitantly turned to the Goldenleaf King. “Brother Yin…”

The Goldenleaf King harrumphed. “Don’t listen to his nonsense! I have cultivated my ‘Grand Lunar Art’ to its very limits; there is no way there are any flaws with it!”

“There is no way there are any flaws? What arrogant words! I did point out the various problems in cultivating the Grand Lunar Art to you back then, but I didn’t point out the most fundamental issues with it, so it’s only natural that you are unaware of it! If you dare not compete with me, that can only mean that you are the fake. Greenleaf King, as you can see, the truth can’t be any clearer. Have that imposter beside you apprehended!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

“Me, a fake?” The Goldenleaf King’s face darkened. “Preposterous!”

“If you aren’t a fake, why do you fear such a simple challenge? Of course, it goes without saying that the fake can’t possibly know more than the original, so it is natural that you fear me,” Zhang Xuan said.

“This…” The Goldenleaf King hesitated.

If it was anyone else, he would have charged forward and had the other party killed. However, from the previous blow they had traded, he could tell that the other party possessed extraordinary strength. Even if he were to use his full might, he might not necessarily be a match for the other party.

If things went badly, he might even be severely injured.

The most important issue at hand was to find out who the other party was and why the other party needed to impersonate him.

After a moment of hesitation, the Goldenleaf King roared, “Fine, I will accept your challenge. If you lose, you had better spit out your true identity obediently.”

The cultivation technique that he cultivated, as well as the flaws concerning it, were among the greatest secrets that he kept. He had never told anyone before, so he didn’t believe that an impersonator could possibly know more than him.

“I should be the one saying those words to you. Alright, let’s begin. We will do it by sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King. You can start first.” Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan gestured for the Goldenleaf King to go first.

He might not be too confident about the other things, but in the field of identifying flaws, he was definitely supreme!

There was no way that the other party could know more than him.

“Alright!” The Goldenleaf King harrumphed coldly before sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King. “That fellow is a little weird. My cultivation technique does have some flaws, but there aren’t too many of them. I will tell you some of them. Later on, listen carefully to what that fellow says and repeat it all to me. I want to know what he can come up with.”

After saying that, the Goldenleaf King began to point out the various flaws concerning his cultivation.

There was no cultivator who didn’t have any flaws in their cultivation.

The ones that the Goldenleaf King pointed out were the flaws commonly found in cultivation techniques. It was nothing much even if others were to learn of them.

After all, one’s flaws were often where one’s mingmen lay. There was no way a cultivator could allow another to learn of it.

The reason he agreed to the challenge was to hear what the other fellow had to say. If the other party had a tight grasp over his flaws as well, that would be truly scary!

“Un.” After hearing the Goldenleaf King’s piece, the Greenleaf King nodded before turning to Zhang Xuan. “It’s your turn.”

“Alright!” Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what the other two had spoken about, he could tell that they were up to something from a momentary gaze they had shared. Nevertheless, he chose not to expose that and began sending a telepathic message to the Greenleaf King with a faint smile on his lips.

“The cultivation technique I cultivate is the ‘Grand Lunar Art’, and it has been 1731 since I started learning it. So far, I have reached the 4-dan of the technique, and there is a total of seven major flaws with it.

“Firstly, this cultivation technique intensifies one’s killing intent, making one more prone to violent outbursts. This is also the reason I often kill others in a moment of recklessness…

“Secondly…

“Thirdly…”

…

Zhang Xuan swiftly went through the flaws of the Grand Lunar Art.

The flaws that he listed were detailed, but just like the Goldenleaf King, he didn’t reveal anything vital that could compromise his safety.

In other words, even if the Greenleaf King were to be aware of these flaws, he would still be unable to exploit them to get the better of him.

As Zhang Xuan spoke, the Greenleaf King couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock and disbelief.

The words of the other party were similar to what the Goldenleaf King had told him previously, and it was even more detailed than the latter. It contained some details that made perfect sense with the cultivation technique if one were to analyze it as a whole.

Could it be that… that fellow is the real Goldenleaf King? Doubts sprouted within the Greenleaf King’s mind.

If the other party wasn’t the Goldenleaf King, how could he have such a detailed understanding of the Grand Lunar Art’s flaws.

After all, cultivating was an individual activity, and one wouldn’t even share the details regarding it with one’s closest friends or even one’s spouse. Considering how the other party was able to speak of it so fluently without making any mistakes, it was truly hard to believe that he wasn’t the Goldenleaf King.

“Alright, this is all I have to say. You have heard us both out, so I believe that you should be able to easily tell which of us is the real Goldenleaf King.” Zhang Xuan smiled calmly.

“This…” the Greenleaf King hesitantly turned his gaze toward the Goldenleaf King beside him, only to hear the latter sending a telepathic message to him anxiously.

“What did that fellow say?”

“He said…” The Greenleaf King hesitated for a moment, but he still eventually chose to tell the Goldenleaf King everything that he had heard from Zhang Xuan.

Hearing those words, the face of the Goldenleaf King paled, and his body stiffened. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a horrified expression. “Who the hell are you? How do you know so much about me?”

Chapter 953: The Real and the Fake Goldenleaf King (3)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was no wonder the Goldenleaf King felt frenzied.

The words that the Greenleaf King had just told him made him feel as if someone had patted him down head to toe, to the point that even the color of his underwear wasn’t a secret anymore.

For a person he had never met before to know so much about him… To make things worse, he didn’t even know who the other party was! The immense fear he felt from this perplexing situation left him feeling incredibly frenzied.

“Who am I? I am the Goldenleaf King!” Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves in rage and bellowed. “Just stop that pointless struggle and come clean. Why are you impersonating me?”

“Impersonating you? Damn you!” The Goldenleaf King’s breathing hastened.

“Greenleaf King, like you have seen, my version is far more detailed than his.”

Paying no heed to the Goldenleaf King, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Greenleaf King and said grimly, “However, there is no point pursuing this matter. At this rate, we will just become laughingstock before this bunch of master teachers! Why don’t we just do it this way then? I still have some business with them that isn’t convenient for the rest of you to learn about, so allow me to finish interrogating them privately first. If you still harbor some reservations toward me, you can seal the area completely so that no one will be able to escape. This mission was entrusted to me by the superiors, and it concerns a great secret of our race. It must be accomplished regardless of the cost!”

Zhang Xuan’s goal wasn’t really to convince the others that he was the Goldenleaf King.

It was infeasible to do so. After all, the real Goldenleaf King was standing opposite him.

What he was aiming to do was stall for time instead. As long as he could confuse them sufficiently to buy some time alone with the master teachers, that would suffice.

“You want to interrogate them privately?” The Greenleaf King frowned.

“Rest assured, there are so many people stationed outside. There is no way they will be able to escape. After I am done with my interrogation, I will come out to match testimonies with you once more so as to prove my true identity!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually.

“What is it that you wish to question them about? Why can’t we remain here to listen in?” the Greenleaf King asked doubtfully.

“Like I said, this concerns a great secret of our race! It is due to the great responsibility I bear that I paid a heavy price to bypass the seal in advance. None of you will be able to bear the responsibility should something go wrong in the mission and affect our great plan!” Zhang Xuan said with a sharp glint in his eyes.

“Don’t listen to his nonsense! He is just changing the subject…” the Goldenleaf King argued.

However, before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan turned around and glared at the Goldenleaf King coldly, as if wanting to rip the fool before him into pieces. “Changing the topic? How dare you! For so many years, our tribesmen have suffered after that darned Kong shi drove us out. It wasn’t easy for us to find an opportunity to rise up once more, and you… Let me just ask you this! If something happens, do you think that a mere King like you can face the consequences?”

Under the great pressure from Zhang Xuan’s gaze, the Goldenleaf King stuttered, “I-I…”

Back then, after their Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was driven out of the main continent by Kong shi, they had been forced into the sunless and sinister otherworldly battlefield. For many years, their tribesmen had viewed returning to the main continent as their ultimate goal. If he were to really mess up this matter, he wouldn’t be able to pay for his sins even if he were to die ten thousand times over!

Just as he was at a loss, the Goldenleaf King suddenly heard a telepathic message from the Greenleaf King. “Brother Yin, do you know who he is?”

In the depths of his heart, the Greenleaf King still trusted the person that he had come here with.

“I wouldn’t be so frustrated if I knew who he is!” the Goldenleaf King cried in exasperation.

After a moment of hesitation, the Greenleaf King said, “Forget it, let’s just leave for now. In any case, those in the surroundings are our men, so there is no way he will be able to get away. If, on the off chance, his words are true, that will be an extremely heavy sin for us to bear. We can’t afford to take the risk!”

From the beginning to the end, he had never believed that Zhang Xuan was the real Goldenleaf King. However, the fact that the other party had been able to point out the Goldenleaf King’s cultivation flaws and the incredibly pure Zhenqi of Slaughter the other party harnessed indicated that the other party was no ordinary figure.

If the other party was an envoy dispatched by their superiors and had a mission at hand to accomplish, they would be in deep trouble if they were to hinder his mission.

“This…”

The Goldenleaf King was in a dilemma.

Doubts filled his mind.

As angry as he was at being impersonated, considering the fact that the other party was able to maintain a fearless attitude before him and have such a deep understanding of him, it was very likely that the other party had some kind of backing.

“Regardless of whether he has impersonated you or you have impersonated him, that is a matter we can resolve internally. As long as we have sufficient time on hand, it will be easy for us to resolve the issue. If it really comes to it, we can have the both of you execute your strongest moves, and through the movements, we should be able to tell who the real one is!” the Greenleaf King said.

“At least for the moment, I think we shouldn’t interfere with the other party’s mission. This could very well involve directions from the superiors, and we won’t be able to bear the consequences if anything goes wrong.”

In the eyes of most Otherworldly Demons, they were esteemed Kings who wielded great power. However, they themselves knew that their standing was truly not worth a mention at all.

Even within the King Stratum, they were among the weakest.

“You are saying that we should leave for the time being?” the Goldenleaf King asked.

“Indeed, I think that we should leave for the time being. Don’t you specialize in formations? If you are still worried, you can set up a formation around the area so that they won’t be able to escape. Once he is done with his interrogation, we can continue to decide how to deal with the matter. Don’t worry, you came over with me, and I trust you more than that fellow!” the Greenleaf King said.

The Goldenleaf King hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. “Alright then.”

What the Greenleaf King said made sense. In terms of zhenqi purity and strength, the other party was on par with or even superior to him. If they were to fall out and battle here, there was a good chance that they would end up harming the Otherworldly Demons in the area and destroy the base they had built painstakingly, thus affecting their great plan.

The superiors had paid an astronomical price for them to bypass the barrier. If they were to screw it all up over a minor matter like that, they would become the sinners of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

As the saying goes, a lack of forbearance for the trivial can foil the greater scheme.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had waited far too long for this opportunity. They could not allow it to fail because of him.

Upon seeing that he had the Goldenleaf King’s approval, the Greenleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. Turning toward Zhang Xuan, he clasped his fist and said, “Since you are going to interrogate them, we will wait for you outside. Pardon us, but we can only give you an hour at most.”

“Un, that’s fine.” Nodding, Zhang Xuan turned around and waved his hands, indicating for them to leave.

The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King glanced at one another before making their way out. However, before they could get far, they suddenly heard the voice of an indignant master teacher from within the hall.

“Didn’t you say that you are principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan, in disguise and that you are going to set us free? When did you become the Goldenleaf King?”

The one who spoke was Lu Feng.

That fellow had a deep-rooted notion that Zhang Xuan was an Otherworldly Demon. Knowing that it was impossible for him to kill the latter himself, he wished to make use of this opportunity to create a rift between the Otherworldly Demons so that they could destroy one another!

You… Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nearly spurted blood and fainted.

It hadn’t been easy for him to dispel the doubts in the minds of those few, and success was just around the corner. Yet, that fool had suddenly dumped this farce on him. Are you that intent to see me dead?

As the previous head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy Apothecary School, how can you be so brainless?

Zhang Xuan felt truly enraged by Lu Feng’s foolish actions, but he could still understand the rationale behind why the latter would do so.

It was just a moment ago that he had insisted that he was a master teacher, but in the next moment, he was suddenly trying to convince the others that he was the Goldenleaf King, and he had even produced a relatively convincing argument. In any case, that further convinced Lu Feng that he was indeed an Otherworldly Demon King, and this prompted him to make use of this ideal opportunity to stir internal strife between them.

Zhang Xuan felt so vexed that he could explode, but he knew that this wasn’t the time for him to lose his cool. Swiftly turning around, he saw that the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King had stopped in their footsteps and directed doubtful gazes his way.

“Principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Zhang Xuan?”

“Set them free? What is going on?”

The duo stared at Zhang Xuan with sharp eyes, seemingly trying to peer through his disguise.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan’s body stiffened as his brain swiftly whirred into action. A moment later, he chuckled softly and calmly replied, “Indeed, I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan!”

Chapter 954: Trust Zhang Xuan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“The principal of the Master Teacher Academy?”

Hong long!

Upon hearing that a human, the principal of a Master Teacher Academy at that, had actually snuck into their ranks, disguised as one of their own, the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King’s faces darkened as a powerful force burst from their bodies. They eyed Zhang Xuan coldly like an eagle staring at its prey, seemingly prepared to make a move at any moment.

From the very start, the other party’s identity had been very dubious. If the other party was truly a master teacher, they would have to kill him on the spot.

Ignoring the two who were going to make a move, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to Lu Feng and urged anxiously, “Indeed, I am Principal Zhang. Look, they are going to make a move on me, so you can believe me now, right? So, hurry up and tell me that thing! Are you really intending to take the secret to your graves?”

“That thing?” Lu Feng was taken aback.

From the start to the end, the other party had been speaking about how he wanted to rescue them. The other party hadn’t said anything about ‘that thing’!

“Allow me to introduce to you two!”

Paying no heed to Lu Feng’s dumbstruck expression, Zhang Xuan turned to the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King and said, “This is the stand-in principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, half 7-star master teacher Lu Feng…”

“Stand-in principal?” The Greenleaf King and the Goldenleaf King glanced at one another and frowned.

“Indeed, I am Lu Feng! Kill me if you want to, but you won’t be getting anything out of my mouth!” Lu Feng stood up and raised his gaze proudly.

“What is a stand-in principal of a Master Teacher Academy doing here?” The two Kings were bewildered.

“Kill you? Why would I kill you? I am here to save you! Didn’t I tell you that I am your principal? Trust me!” Zhang Xuan said earnestly.

The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King glanced at one another before realization struck them, and they burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Indeed. I can testify that he is your principal!”

“I can vouch for that, too. We have been doubting his identity from the start, and it seems like we have an answer now…”

They had long heard of the obstinacy of the master teachers; not even death could pry open their lips. Most likely, the other party was trying to impersonate their principal in the hope of winning the other party’s trust so as to uncover more of their secrets.

In fact, it was a joke in itself for the other party to be the principal of a Master Teacher Academy.

Would the principal of a Master Teacher Academy have such an appearance? Would the principal of a Master Teacher Academy wield such pure Zhenqi of Slaughter?

What a joke!

Besides, considering the lofty standing of the principal, why would he descend to the Subterranean Gallery and seek death?

More importantly, given that Lu Feng was the stand-in principal, how could he possibly betray his own leader, uttering his name loud for them to hear?

It was apparent that the other party was trying to sow discord among them!

To try to use such poor deception on us? You are still too young, my boy! We are Otherworldly Demon Kings; it is ludicrous that you actually think such small ruses could work on us!

Hearing the words from the two, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief within. “Look, even they have testified in my favor…”

In the previous situation, it would have seemed suspicious no matter how he tried to explain it. Since that was the case, he might as well admit it candidly.

This way, he would confuse them further, forcing them rethink the entire situation and fill in the incongruencies in the story with their rich imagination.

It also happened that Lu Feng’s identity was rather sensitive, and that worked in his favor as well. By dropping these hints, it wasn’t too difficult for him to lead the other party on in the direction he wanted.

From the looks of it, it was working pretty well.

On the other hand, Lu Feng still had no idea that he had been used, and he bellowed at Zhang Xuan furiously, “Humph, you want me to believe you? Dream on.”

“Why are you just so stubborn? I have already proven my identity to you again and again, but you just won’t believe it…”

With a bitter sigh, Zhang Xuan glanced at the two Kings and shrugged helplessly.

The Greenleaf King harrumphed with a frown. “In my view, there is no need to go through so much trouble to get close to them. You should just burn them on the rack, and when their skin bursts open from the intense heat, toss them into the ice cavern. Repeat the cycle a few times, and there is no way they will be able to keep their spunk!”

The Goldenleaf King also nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Such knaves should be dealt with severely to make them talk. What backbone or dignity? Those are nothing more than mere words. Just wear them thin for a few days, and I believe that they will spill everything out obediently!”

“Un. If it doesn’t work out, I will try your method.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, “However, for the time being, I still have other methods to try. You should leave for now.”

“Alright!” The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King nodded before leaving the area.

Jiya!

The door closed, leaving Zhang Xuan alone with the other master teachers once more.

“Kill us, mince us, do your worst! Just don’t expect to get a word out of us!”

“Indeed. We have already lived long enough anyway; the worst that can happen now is death!”

“You must be dreaming if you think that we master teachers will to submit to you Otherworldly Demons!”

Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to interrogate them, the master teachers stiffened their necks proudly.

Master teachers could die, but they couldn’t submit to another race!

This was the bottom line in their hearts, as well as the dignity and honor they had lived by.

Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Their attitude was indeed admirable, but he was really there to save them!

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, “I know that none of you believe me, but you should be well aware that there is only one fate awaiting you if you wait here. You will either die or suffer a fate worse than death. However, if you follow me, I can get you out of here. As for whether I am Zhang Xuan and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy or not, we can always talk about that once we are safe!”

Seeing the sincerity in the other party’s eyes, which contrasted deeply to the savagery reflected in the gazes of Otherworldly Demons, the master teachers glanced at one another doubtfully.

Seeing that the group was starting to waver, Zhang Xuan pushed on. “If I wanted to kill you, do you think that any of you would be able to stop me in your current state? Considering that I am Hongyuan’s principal, there is no need for me to interrogate you either. Is there any secret you have that is worth me going through so much trouble for?”

“This…” The crowd fell silent. Even the hostile Lu Feng opened his mouth several times but didn’t utter a word of protest.

The other party was right. If he intended to kill them, there was no need for him to waste his breath on them. If he intended to procure valuable intelligence from them, he would have fared much better torturing them than acting chummy with them. Could the other party really be there to save them?

“Even if you don’t believe me, surely you recognize this, right?” Seeing that his words were finally working, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Flicking his wrist, a token appeared in his hand.

Principal’s Seal!

“This is… an Impeccable Principal’s Seal? How could that be possible…” Upon seeing the seal, Lu Feng was stunned.

As Hongyuan’s previous stand-in principal, he was well-aware of the various tiers of Principal’s Seal. The token in the other party’s hands was clearly the Impeccable Principal’s Seal of legend! It was said that only one who had gained the recognition of all the academy’s teachers and students could form it. Due to the impossibility in doing so, it had never appeared in history before.

Yet, for it to appear in Zhang Xuan’s hands… How was that possible?

“Impeccable Principal’s Seal? What does that mean?”

The other master teachers weren’t too sure about the significance of it, so they glanced at one another in confusion.

“It’s…” Lu Feng hesitated for a moment before explaining everything to them.

“It is a Principal’s Seal that is formed by earning the earnest recognition of every single teacher and student in the Master Teacher Academy?”

“If he possesses the Impeccable Principal’s Seal, doesn’t that mean that even all of the predecessors trust him? If that’s the case, what right do we have to doubt him?”

“Could he have killed the real Principal Zhang Xuan and stolen his token?”

“That’s impossible! The Principal’s Seal is formed by gathering the wills of the teachers and students together for the principal. If the principal is killed, the gathered wills will begin to dissipate!”

…

After hearing the explanation, everyone’s gazes turned to Zhang Xuan once more. Even though they still harbored some reservations toward him, they weren’t that resistant to the notion of following his orders anymore.

“Time is not on our side, so I don’t have the luxury to explain everything to you now. If you trust me, follow me and I will bring you out of here!” Seeing that the others didn’t have as much hostility toward him anymore, Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly. “We only have one chance. Only by living on can you slay more Otherworldly Demons in the future and protect mankind. Courage and righteousness are good traits, but only under the right circumstances. If you remain here, your blood will only be used as tributes by the Otherworldly Demons to bring even more of their tribesmen over!”

“This…” Hearing those words, everyone’s faces froze.

The other party was right. They had also heard that the reason the Otherworldly Demons had spared them thus far was to use them as tributes to bypass the seal so that more powerful Otherworldly Demons would be able to come over to this side.

If they were to remain there, such would be the fate awaiting them. Not only would their sacrifice be in vain, they would have even potentially harmed more humans.

The eldest master teacher of the group asked, “How do you intend to escape? We will listen to your commands!”

“Even if you are lying to us, it will still be much better than remaining here!”

The other master teachers nodded in agreement as well.

“Un, the plan is simple. All I need you to do now is not resist, and I will bring you into a folded space,” Zhang Xuan said.

He had already given some thought to how he could escape with the master teachers.

It would clearly be impossible to take them out of the Otherworldly Demon’s base discreetly given the security in the area. As such, the only way was to move them into the Myriad Anthive Nest and find a way to sneak out himself.

“Alright!” The others were surprised when they heard that they had to enter a folded space, but knowing that time was limited, they hurriedly nodded.

This was indeed the best solution they had at hand.

“Alright, come in!”

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the Myriad Anthive Nest before extending his consciousness toward them.

The other master teachers also slackened their mental guard, not resisting Zhang Xuan’s pull.

Hu!

With a light buzz, the room of forty or so master teachers vanished, entering the Anthive Nest.

Returning the Myriad Anthive Nest to his storage ring, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

It was indeed frustrating to deal with those obstinate master teachers when they were against him, but ultimately, it was clear that their hearts were aligned with mankind, and the lengths they were willing to go for mankind was worthy of respect. No matter what, he felt that he should save them.

Now… how do I get out?

Having put everything into the Myriad Anthive Nest, all that was left was for Zhang Xuan was to find a way out of this place.

Taking a glance out through the windows, he saw that the two Kings were indeed guarding the area from the outside. On top of that, there were several additional formations set up around the area. Should Zhang Xuan attempt to leave the area abruptly without a valid reason, he could very well find himself lynched the next moment.

I was able to persuade them to leave before through forcefully arguing my way through, but as soon as they notice that the master teachers are missing, they will surely realize that something is amiss and take me down! Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration.

There was no way he could explain the disappearance of the master teachers to the two Kings, and there was no way the two Kings would believe him either. The only way he could survive in this situation was to flee discreetly, but… how could he flee given the tight guard placed around the hall?

Eventually, Zhang Xuan came to a decision. Seems like I will have to rely on my means as a soul oracle!

He had weighed his options, and it seemed like the best and possibly only way he could possibly get out of this situation was to flee in his soul form.

Having made up his mind, he sat on the floor and drew his soul out from his glabella without any hesitation.

After which, he stowed his physical body into his storage ring before discreetly carrying his ring to flee from the door.

This was same as the situation back at the Cloudmist Ridge. Perhaps, through making use of the intangibility and invisibility of his soul, he would be able to sneak away discreetly.

Life or death, it would hinge on this!

Chapter 955: Raising the Strength of the Puppets

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Using the invisible and intangible properties of a soul, Zhang Xuan was able to carry the storage ring out through the cracks of the door discreetly by lying close to the ground.

As soon as he floated out, he immediately saw many Otherworldly Demons guarding the area, maintaining an airtight defense in the surroundings. No matter which direction he left in, there was a good chance that he would be discovered.

Zhang Xuan assessed his surroundings, vexed. It seems like these Otherworldly Demons are veterans of the battlefield.

Only those who had frequented the battlefield and collaborated with one another on multiple occasions could form such a tight defense.

On top of that, there were also defensive formations. It was no joke to say that not even a fly could hope to get in. It was no wonder the two Kings had allowed him to have some private time with the master teachers so easily. In the very first place, they had absolute trust that both him and the master teachers couldn’t possibly get away.

Eye of Insight! Driving his Soul Depth, green lines began surfacing in Zhang Xuan’s composed eyes.

Taking a look, Zhang Xuan smiled in relief. While the defense is so tight that no cultivator could hope to get in or out without alerting the Otherworldly Demons, it seems like the defenses were aimed toward corporeal beings. In my soul form, I should still be able to get out with relative ease as long as I am careful.

Special means had to be utilized to guard against souls, but it was apparent that such measures hadn’t been set up in the area. After all, considering how long it had been since the soul oracles had gone missing, it would have been a waste of time and resources to do so.

But if I just leave like that, will they think that I am too soft and weak?

The fact that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had constructed a base in the Subterranean Gallery only went to show that they had malicious intentions in mind. Wouldn’t it be unseemly for him, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, to leave just like that after discovering the enemy’s base?

I took a careful look when I arrived, and it seems like this base is constructed in alignment to the Seven Profound Spiritual Light Formation. As long as I destroy the center of the formation, I can undo the formation. Even if they manage to avert the backlash from the formation running amok, it will still make their hard work over all this time meaningless! Zhang Xuan thought as his lips crept up.

While he wasn’t skilled in building things, he was definitely the master of demolition!

Even the Ten Great Master Teachers hadn’t been able to stop him back when he was still in the Master Teacher Academy! Collapsing these buildings was truly just a walk in the park for him.

I should head over to take a look!

Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings and confirmed the direction in which the center of the formation lay before heading over.

…

Shortly after Zhang Xuan left, the Goldenleaf King suddenly frowned.

Noticing his companion’s expression, the Greenleaf King asked, “Brother Yin, what is wrong?”

The Goldenleaf King pondered for a moment before responding uncertainly, “I am not too sure, but for a moment, I thought I felt like something passed by me.”

He had an innate sensitivity toward his surroundings, allowing him to perceive the happenings around him vividly. For just a brief moment, he felt like something had passed right before his eyes, but when he attempted to take a closer look, he was unable to see anything at all.

Of course, if he had swept the area with his Spiritual Perception, Zhang Xuan’s soul would have been in plain view to him.

However, maintaining one’s Spiritual Perception around one’s surrounding was extremely taxing on one’s spirit. Even as a Saint realm 4-dan expert, it was impossible for him to maintain it for an extended period of time.

It was precisely due to this opening that Zhang Xuan had been able to escape from the notice of the two Kings.

It didn’t take long before Zhang Xuan slipped out of the encirclement. Heaving a sigh of relief, he picked up the pace and continued to proceed ahead with his storage ring beside him.

Soon, a majestic palace came into sight.

There were considerable differences in the formations used by Otherworldly Demons and humans. Nevertheless, through his Eye of Insight and the Library of Heaven’s Path, these differences did little to impede Zhang Xuan. From the moment he arrived at the base, he had known that this palace was where the center of the formation was located.

He carefully entered descended to the ground.

In order to set up an airtight defense against him, nearly all of the Otherworldly Demons had been mobilized to guard the hall where he was supposed to be. As such, there was only a handful of Otherworldly Demons left to guard this important facility, thus allowing him to break in easily.

These Otherworldly Demons hadn’t reached Spiritual Perception realm yet, and they didn’t specialize in the study of souls either. Furthermore, through the Eye of Insight, the flaws in their defenses were as clear as day to Zhang Xuan, so he was able to sneak in without alerting anyone.

The palace was vast, taking up an area of more than ten thousand square meters. The walls and the pillars within were inscribed with kinds of bizarre inscriptions, reminiscent of ancient runes. At the very center was a huge alter, which was roughly eight meters long.

Realizing that he was unable to recognize the inscriptions after taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan asked Vicious telepathically, “What kind of inscriptions are these?”

Vicious took a glance at it and replied, “These are runic inscriptions unique to the Otherworldly Demons. If inscribed in a specific manner, it has the effect of gathering spiritual energy, similar to the Spirit Gathering Formation of the humans.”

“Spirit Gathering Formation?”

“Un. They are similar to some extent, but there are some differences between the two as well. A normal Spirit Gathering Formation only has the effect of gathering spiritual energy in a set area, but this runic formation has the effect of transforming the property of the spiritual energy to enhance the physical strength of Otherworldly Demons as well. It is somewhat similar to the formation that was inscribed in my underground chamber!” Vicious replied.

“Enhance the physical strength of Otherworldly Demons? Does that mean that it can be used to recharge the Otherworldly Demon puppets?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Back in the underground chamber, he had seen how Vicious recharged the energy of the puppets. After taking control of those puppets, he had used them several times, and the energy within them was already almost completely depleted. This was the reason he hadn’t used them for such a long time.

If he could recharge the energy of those Otherworldly Demon puppets, he would have another card to use against the Otherworldly Demons gathered in the area.

“Under normal circumstances, it would be hard for outsiders to tap into the energy accumulated within the formation due to the restrictions inscribed into it. However, that isn’t a problem for me. I can help recharge the puppets for you now if you’d like,” said Vicious.

“That’s good.” With a relieved smile, Zhang Xuan drew out the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets along with his body from the storage ring and returned to his body. After which, raising his arm ahead of him, a finger flew out from his palm and flew into the air, emanating a dense killing intent abruptly.

Feeling this immense energy, the puppets immediately kneeled down in deference.

“Un.” Harrumphing in satisfaction, Vicious began speaking in a bizarre language, and in response to that, the puppets formed a neat queue and began marching up to the altar in the center of the room.

As the puppets reached the altar, the floating finger began drawing a series of bizarre runes in the air

Weng!

The air trembled slightly for a brief moment before spiritual energy began gushing into the palace like a rapid torrent, nourishing the puppet standing right before the altar.

Geji! Geji!

A sharp glint returned to the torpid eyes of the puppet as its strength was swiftly restored back to its peak.

Incredible! Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in awe.

To his surprise, this method of infusing energy was even more effective and efficient than Cultivation Impartation 1 .

From the looks of it, however, this method of infusing energy would likely only work on puppets. Had it been an ordinary cultivator instead, the cultivator would experience all of their meridians and acupoints rupturing apart within seconds under the vigorous infusion of violent energy and die on the spot.

As fast as it was, it was beyond the limits of the body of a human cultivator.

Perhaps due to prior experience, Vicious was extremely efficient. It didn’t take too long for him to restore the energy within the twenty puppets.

With their energy restored, the puppets emanated a powerful fighting aura, seemingly ready to face any opponent.

It is a pity that they are too weak, possessing only the strength of a Saint realm 1-dan. They are a formidable force against normal opponents, but in the face of so many Otherworldly Demons, the aid they can provide is limited.Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he shook his head.

These fellows were only at Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage or pinnacle. Against an army of two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and even a few Saint realm 2-dan Otherworldly Demons, they would be defeated in an instant.

Suddenly, a thought surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s mind. Wait a moment… All along, I have been thinking of them as the moving corpses of Otherworldly Demons, and naturally, it is impossible for a corpse to cultivate and raise its strength. But if I think of them as just plain puppets and modify their structure to make them more efficient… it should be possible for me to raise their fighting prowess swiftly!

Due to the fact that the Otherworldly Demon puppets were forged from the bodies of real Otherworldly Demons, he had always regarded them as corpses whose cultivation had stagnated with their deaths. But if he were to view them as just puppets, if he could alter some of their mechanisms to make them more efficient, he would be able to raise their strength significantly.

Back in the Mountain of Records, he had altered the puppet made of Principal Mo Liuzhen’s rib bone and raised its cultivation to Saint realm.

If he could do the same to the Otherworldly Demon puppets as well, they could become a strong card to utilize against the Otherworldly Demon army!

“Flaws!” Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath after having the Otherworldly Demons utilize their battle techniques.

Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path, he began to browse through the flaws in the Otherworldly Demon puppets.

“The greatest flaws in the Otherworldly Demon puppets are their crafting method and the materials used in their crafting. Wu Yangzi was renowned as the number one blacksmith of Hongyuan Empire, but he was ultimately only a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith. Otherwise, the Otherworldly Demon puppets could potentially achieve might comparable to a Saint realm 3-dan cultivator,” Zhang Xuan muttered contemplatively after reading the books.

More often than not, one’s smithing skills and the materials used were the main limiting factors to the prowess of an artifact, preventing it from reaching its maximum potential. This limitation could be fully seen in the Otherworldly Demon puppets.

Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan was a little disappointed to learn that the limit of the Otherworldly Demon puppets was Saint realm 3-dan. He had thought that as long as he could perfect all aspects of the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he would be able to raise their strength to an unbelievable level. However, it seemed like he was thinking too much.

Forget it, raising their cultivation to Saint realm 3-dan isn’t too bad either, Zhang Xuan thought in consolation.

Even though the reality didn’t meet his expectations, twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets were still a formidable force to reckon with.

Of course, it still wouldn’t be sufficient to deal with the army of two hundred outside.

Putting everything aside, the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King were Saint realm 4-dan experts. Even with the numerical advantage, it would be difficult for the twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets to subdue them.

At Saint realm, the advancement of each cultivation realm signified a vast difference in one’s fighting prowess.

This was particularly so for Saint realm 3-dan and Saint realm 4-dan.

Forget it, I should raise their strength first before deciding on my next move.

Having decided the source of the problem, Zhang Xuan walked up to the puppets and began striking them with his palm.

Pilipala!

A series of crisp echoes sounded, and the aura shrouding the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets suddenly became sharper and more fearsome.

After he was done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before saying with in exhausted tone, “Alright, you can infuse spiritual energy into them now.”

Had it not been for the many books he had gone through at the Celestial Designer School back then, which had given him a deep understanding of a puppet’s internal structure, he never would have been able to succeed.

Even so, by the time he was done modifying the puppets, he felt as if his soul had been sapped dry, and he could pass out at any moment.

However, this was to be expected. After all, to perfect the many parts of the puppets, he couldn’t afford to make any mistake in any of the steps. Furthermore, there were various differences in the form and smithing technique used for the twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets, so he had to make some alterations between them as well, thus further complicating the matter. As such, his mind had to operate at maximum capacity throughout the entire duration.

Sitting with his legs crossed on the ground, Zhang Xuan took out the soul of the Bluehorn Dragon Beast and began absorbing its energy to recuperate.

Meanwhile, Vicious continued adjusting the runic inscriptions to fill up the strength of the newly-upgraded puppets.

Even with their parts perfected, if the puppets didn’t have sufficient energy in store, they would still be unable to exert the strength equivalent to a Saint realm 3-dan cultivator.

This was just like a car; no matter how much horsepower it possessed, if it didn’t have the required fuel to sustain it, it would be unable to drive it to the limit of its ability.

It was fortunate that there was plenty of spiritual energy in the surroundings for them to tap into, so that didn’t pose a problem.

Hong long long!

As spiritual energy was swiftly pumped into the Otherworldly Demon puppets, the palace began to shake violently as the inscriptions on the walls and pillars started to dim and peel off.

At this point, Vicious suddenly said, “Master, it seems like there isn’t sufficient energy here to use.”

1. It is an ability exclusive to 6-star master teacher which involves pumping energy into a cultivator in order to raise the cultivator’s cultivation swiftly.

Chapter 956: On the Verge of Tears, the Goldenleaf King

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Outside the hall in which the many master teachers had been imprisoned, the two Kings frowned as they stared at the room before them intently.

“Why is there no movement inside at all?” the Greenleaf King asked with a livid face.

They had been waiting outside for nearly an hour now, and they had expected to hear the sounds of fighting as the fake Goldenleaf King killed a few master teachers to establish his dominance over them. Yet, contrary to their expectations, there was nothing at all. It was as if the people inside had vanished altogether!

“I also think that something is amiss here. Should we take a peek inside with our Spiritual Perception?” the Goldenleaf King asked.

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea. The other party is an expert who is on par with us, so checking on him with our Spiritual Perception would be rather disrespectful. Furthermore, if what he is doing truly involves confidential information for the superiors, this might bring trouble upon us,” the Greenleaf King replied with a conflicted expression.

If not for fear of the latter’s strength, he would have already checked on the situation within with his Spiritual Perception instead of waiting helplessly outside.

“You are right.” The Goldenleaf King nodded before falling silent.

Boom!

At that moment, the ground suddenly rumbled as an immense quantity of spiritual energy from the surroundings surged toward the palace at the center of the base.

With an awful look on his face, the Greenleaf King quickly turned to the subordinate beside him and asked authoritatively, “What is going on?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, the ruckus seems to be from the Palace of Runes.” Tong Yue hurriedly took a look, and his face immediately turned ghastly white.

The Palace of Runes was the center of their base. If something were to happen to it, all of the work they had done could very well be undone.

Frowning in displeasure, the Greenleaf King spoke as the ground rumbled violently once more. “Palace of Runes? Let’s go take a look!”

Huala!

A cloud of dust rose as smoke swiftly permeated the base.

Following which, a large area of buildings began crumbling down as if a devastating avalanche had swept through the area. All of the defensive formations that had been set up on them dissipated as if ice before a scorching sun. There were even some that exploded due to their energy running amok, severely wounding the unguarded Otherworldly Demons in the area.

The formations were driven by the spiritual energy supplied by the Palace of Runes. If anything happened to the Palace of Runes, the other formations would be affected as well.

The more powerful a formation was, the greater the backlash when something happened to it. This was similar to a balloon filled with air. If the air within it were to be leaked all of a sudden, it could very well run out of control.

“My buildings…” Tong Yue nearly burst into tears on the spot.

Two months ago, the moment they had passed through the seal and entered the Subterranean Gallery, they had begun building this base. It had taken them a lot of effort and a great amount of resources in order to expand it to its current scale. Yet, for all of it to be reduced to rubble in the blink of an eye… He couldn’t help but feel light-headed, and a stifling sensation welled up in his chest, causing him to spurt a huge mouthful of blood.

On the other hand, watching the destruction unfolding before his eyes, the Greenleaf King’s body also twitched as he muttered, “The cause seems to be the depletion of spiritual energy in the Palace of Runes.”

With his eye of discernment, he could easily tell the cause of the destruction. However, the Palace of Runes was heavily guarded and reinforced with formations, so it should have been impossible for anything to happen to it in the first place.

Just as the Greenleaf King was bewildered by the situation before him, the Goldenleaf King’s face abruptly warped in shock as he exclaimed, “How could this be?”

“What happened?” The Greenleaf King and Tong Yue turned their eyes over simultaneously.

“Look at the hall in front of us!” The Goldenleaf King pointed forward with a pale face.

Frowning, the duo turned their gazes in front, only to see that the hall before their eyes had collapsed into a cloud of dust and rubble as well.

“What is wrong? This hall was built using top-grade Bluemetal Stone and has been reinforced by many formations, but considering that most of the other buildings have collapsed too… it shouldn’t come as any surprise that this building suffered the same fate,” Tong Yue remarked, confused by the Goldenleaf King’s huge response to the matter.

“Collapse your head! Where is that fellow and the master teachers? Don’t you think it’s weird how they didn’t come out when the entire hall is already in such a state?” the Goldenleaf King bellowed furiously.

“This…” It was then that the duo realized, and their faces warped in astonishment. The Greenleaf King immediately activated his Spiritual Perception to peer into the rubble, and his body stiffened at the outcome of the scan.

Within the rubble, there was not a single living being to be sensed. It was as if that tribesman had vanished together with the many master teachers!

“They are gone.” The Greenleaf King turned to look at the livid Goldenleaf King with a look of horror.

“We’ve been had by that fellow. Hurry, head to the Palace of Runes!” the Greenleaf King roared after realizing what had happened, and together with the Goldenleaf King, they quickly rushed over.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the collapsed Palace of Runes, and after a quick examination of the surroundings, their vision went dark.

With their eye of discernment, they could easily tell that this wasn’t an accident but a man-made incident.

In other words, just a moment ago, someone had sapped the Palace of Runes dry of its spiritual energy and destroyed the inscriptions on the walls and pillars, resulting in the devastating collapse.

Otherwise, the Palace of Runes couldn’t have been reduced to such a state even if an accident were to occur.

“Master teacher! That fellow must be a master teacher!” The Greenleaf King clenched his fist tightly as the truth suddenly dawned on him.

Except for a master teacher, it was impossible for an ordinary cultivator to tell that the Palace of Runes was the center of the entire base and destroy it so utterly. On top of that, the matter of the other party wanting some private time with the master teachers was extremely suspicious as well, especially given their disappearance shortly after. No matter how slow they might be, it was clear that the other party’s purpose was not to interrogate them but to save them!

The Goldenleaf King stepped forward and exclaimed in disbelief, “But how did they get away? The both of us have been keeping a close eye on the hall, and there were defensive formations set up around the area as well.”

To think that they, Kings of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, Saint realm 4-dan experts, would actually be toyed with by another! Just the thought of it left them frenzied.

“No matter how he got away, considering that he has just destroyed the Palace of Runes and that there is a huge group with him, he can’t possibly have gotten too far away. Men, comb the area! If you find any traces of him, immediately report back. By no means should you engage them recklessly!” the Greenleaf King instructed as he turned around.

With so many old, weakened master teachers with him, he didn’t believe that the other party could escape from them!

“Yes, Your Highness!” Tong Yue and the others replied before scattering all around.

“Damn it, damn it! Just who is that fellow!” After dispatching all of his subordinates, the two Kings clenched their teeth tightly together as immense rage coursed through their bodies.

At this moment, a thought suddenly flashed across the Goldenleaf King’s mind as he muttered contemplatively, “If he is a master teacher in disguise… could he possibly be the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy that they talked about earlier, Zhang Xuan?”

Back then, the stand-in principal Lu Feng had said that the fellow had claimed that he was Hongyuan’s principal, Zhang Xuan, but they had shrugged it off, thinking that this was a method used by their tribesman to win their trust.

However, thinking back, that could very well have been the truth.

“Zhang Xuan?” the Greenleaf King repeated meaningfully before nodding his head.

This name was extremely foreign to them, but how could one who was able to become the principal of a Master Teacher Academy possibly be a simple figure?

“We will know the truth after we capture and interrogate him. I swear that I will tear that fellow apart for this humiliation!” the Greenleaf King roared furiously, and his voice echoed clearly even from a very far distance away.

…

While the two Kings were completely furious, at a considerable distance from the collapsed Palace of Runes, a storage ring fell from the sky, and shortly afterward, a figure appeared.

The figure was completely motionless for a brief moment before abruptly coming to live.

Hu!

Exhaling deeply, the figure smiled in relief, revealing his shiny, white teeth. The figure was Zhang Xuan, who had just escaped from the Palace of Runes.

Not bad. The puppets have reached Saint realm 3-dan, and they have been recharged as well. Even if I meet the Saint realm 4-dan Kings later on, I won’t have to fear them.

Even though the rapid depletion of the energy through the puppet’s absorption had caused the Palace of Runes to collapse, it had helped to bolster his current fighting force significantly.

With twenty experts to hold the ground, he would be able to fend off the Saint realm 4-dan experts. Even if he was unable to defeat them, he would at least be able to buy some time to escape.

“Alright, come out!”

Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan brought out the master teachers from his Anthive Nest.

“Where are we? Have we escaped?”

“This is the far south of the Subterranean Gallery; I have been here once before. We should be roughly two hundred li 1 away from the Otherworldly Demons’ base.”

“Two hundred li away?”

…

After confirming their location, the master teachers swiftly assessed their surroundings. Realizing that there were no Otherworldly Demons around them, they turned to the figure before them with gratitude in their eyes.

The young man wasn’t lying; he was indeed there to save them.

Noticing the gazes from the crowd, Zhang Xuan morphed from his Otherworldly Demon form back into his original appearance and switched to his master teacher robe. The six stars on the emblem pinned onto his chest gleamed brightly.

“Zhang shi, thank you for saving our lives.” An elder clasped his fist, and the others behind him quickly followed suit.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. We are all master teachers, so it’s only natural to help one another in times of need.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands to gesture that it was fine.

These men were willing to put their lives on the line for the justice they held in their hearts. Zhang Xuan felt that such good men shouldn’t be left in the lurch.

Interjecting in the midst of the others’ words, Zhang Xuan said, “We still aren’t in a position to rest easy yet. Having sneaked out of their base right before their eyes, the Otherworldly Demons are surely combing the area frenziedly for us at the moment. It is only a matter of time before they find us here. For the time being, you should find a place to rest and recuperate. Make sure to find somewhere secure so that you won’t be found!”

“Rest and recuperate? We can’t!” One of the master teachers frowned. “The Otherworldly Demons have already begun building their base, and there are even two Otherworldly Demon Kings who have infiltrated the Subterranean Gallery. It is clear that they are up to something! We have to stop them, or else… I can hardly imagine the consequences myself!”

The Otherworldly Demons had clearly come prepared. In such a situation, they couldn’t afford to waste time to rest and recuperate.

“Don’t worry about that. I will deal with it.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

The reason he was there was to investigate and resolve the peculiarities happening with the Mausoleum Tablet. So far, he had only destroyed their base; the two hundred Otherworldly Demons were still alive and kicking. So, how could he leave yet?

“You are going back alone? That won’t do; it is too dangerous!” the crowd exclaimed in horror.

“In your current states, even if you do come along, you won’t be able to offer any help. What you need to do right now is recuperate from your injuries so that you can find the strength to battle with the Otherworldly Demons once more!” He knew that the master teachers were worried about him, but he still shook his head.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the master teachers, but the force they were going against were simply too powerful. The master teachers couldn’t possibly battle them in their current state.

If they went with him, Zhang Xuan would have to divide his attention between the Otherworldly Demons and taking care of them.

“This…” The faces of the master teachers reddened in embarrassment.

The other party was right. Yes, they were 6-star pinnacle master teachers, but against more than two hundred Otherworldly Demons and two Saint realm 4-dan Kings, they were completely powerless.

“Zhang shi, we might not be powerful enough to defeat their army, but you can’t possibly go there alone either! At the very least, we should be of some help to you. With our combined strength, even if we can’t wipe out their forces, we should still be able to deal significant damage to them!”

“Indeed! There are more than forty of us here. If each of us kill an Otherworldly Demon, that will lessen the pressure on you significantly.”

“Allow us to go with you! As long as we proceed more carefully this time around, we won’t be cornered by them as easily as before!”

The crowd was still worried.

1:two hundred li ~100km

Chapter 957: Breakthrough, Nascent Saint!

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Since I was able to save you from their hands, that only goes to show that I have my own means to stay alive. Thus, there is really no need for you to worry. In the worst-case scenario, I will just flee from them!” Zhang Xuan said with a kind smile.

“I know that you don’t fear death, but that doesn’t mean that you should throw away your lives like that. At the very least, you must make your lives count! I will go ahead first, and if I fail, you will have to serve as the final line of defense until help arrives. Otherwise, if those Otherworldly Demons charge out of the Subterranean Gallery, who knows how many lives will be lost?”

“Ah…”

The crowd fell silent.

Indeed. Even if they didn’t fear death, their deaths shouldn’t be meaningless.

They had to make it count every single bit it was worth.

“Alright, we will listen to you and rest up first. Then, Zhang shi… you have to be careful, too! If it is really beyond our means, we will report to the headquarters and have them deal with this matter,” an elder said.

“Rest assured!” Zhang Xuan replied with a confident smile.

“Un.” At this moment, the master teachers couldn’t help but recall the various miracles that the young man before them had produced, and all of a sudden, they couldn’t help but feel that the situation wasn’t as desperate as they thought.

Considering how the other party had saved them despite the encirclement of so many Otherworldly Demons, it was clear that he possessed means far beyond them. Perhaps, he might just have a way to deal with the Otherworldly Demons.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something and asked, “Right, do you all have any formation flags or formation plates in your hands? The higher the grade, the better!”

“Formation flags? Formation plates?” Everyone exchanged confused glances with one another.

“I have a set of grade-6 formation flags here. There are 120 of them; you can use them to set up the Zhengyu Illusory Formation.”

“I have 81 of them here, you can use them to set up a grade-6 Slaughter Formation!”

“Before I left, I bought a grade-6 pinnacle formation plate. However, it is a Beguilement Formation, so I don’t know how useful it will be in a battle.”

“I also have a grade-6 pinnacle formation plate here.”

Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan needed formation flags and formation plates, the master teachers quickly took out whatever they had, and it didn’t take long for a huge pile of items to appear before Zhang Xuan.

These men knew that they would face great danger in the Subterranean Gallery, so they had exchanged all of their possessions for artifacts that would be useful in dangerous situations. Formation flags and formation plates were particularly useful in dealing with stronger enemies, so they had prepared plenty of those.

Looking at the mountain of formation flags and formation plates before him, Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle, “Not bad, this is more than enough.”

As expected of 6-star pinnacle master teachers, they did have quite a lot of good items with them. Even though most of the items they had produced were grade-6, they were generally toward the higher end.

With one swift motion, he stowed everything into his storage ring before clasping his fist. “Farewell!”

After saying those words, he turned around and left. But before he could get very far, a voice sounded from behind. “Principal Zhang, wait for a moment.”

He turned around to find that the one who had spoken was Lu Feng.

His face was flushed crimson as he looked at Zhang Xuan.

“Lu shi?” Zhang Xuan responded questioningly.

“Principal Zhang, I… I wish to apologize to you for the matters that happened before. I hope that you can forgive me for my foolishness,” Lu Feng said hesitantly.

“Lu shi, there’s no need to worry about that. As master teachers, it is our responsibility to guard against Otherworldly Demons; I don’t blame you for being too wary,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

“Thank you for your magnanimity.” After a moment of hesitation, Lu Feng flicked his wrist and took out a round formation plate. “This is a formation plate that I obtained some time ago. It’s a grade-7 Beguilement Formation; hopefully, it will be of some use to you.”

“Grade-7 formation?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly took it.

It was hard to tell what kind of material the formation plate was made of, but it felt heavy. Inscribed on it was a complex inscription consisting of lines so fine that he could hardly see them even with his Eye of Insight.

“The creator inscribed it carefully using their Spiritual Perception to check the formation plate. It can exert an incredible might once activated, so it should do you well against the Otherworldly Demons. I happened to obtain it by some stroke of luck, and I haven’t been able to bring myself to use it,” Lu Feng explained.

“Inscribed using Spiritual Perception? No wonder!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

A grade-7 formation plate could only be inscribed by a 7-star formation master, and the prerequisite to becoming a 7-star formation master was to possess the cultivation of a Saint realm 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm.

Spiritual Perception was a method of perceiving the world through one’s soul, allowing one to perceive the world with far greater sensitivity than with one’s eyes.

“Thank you!” Knowing that the formation plate would be very useful to him, Zhang Xuan nodded in gratitude before stowing it into his storage ring.

“Alright, I will be leaving now!”

Stepping off, Zhang Xuan began charging ahead, and it didn’t take long for him to disappear before everyone’s eyes.

After he left, the master teachers turned their gazes to Lu Feng.

“Is that man… really the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?”

Till this point, the crowd could still hardly believe it. After all, the other party was simply too young.

“That’s right.” Lu Feng nodded.

Previously, he had thought that the Ten Great Master Teachers nominating him to become a principal was a huge mistake, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like he was the one lacking foresight.

To be able to save them from the hands of so many Otherworldly Demons calmly and yet remain humble and not claim credit for his work on top of that, it was doubtful that Principal Mo Liuzhen from back then would have been able to do the same.

At the very least, he knew that he wouldn’t have been able to do the same if in the other party’s shoes.

“He might very well be the most formidable principal that our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy has ever had, ushering in an era of greatness for our academy,” Lu Feng muttered to himself as he gazed in the direction that Zhang Xuan disappeared in.

It was only after seeing what that young man had done that he realized how formidable the other party was. With such a great man earnestly putting his effort into the academy, how could the academy possibly not prosper?

…

After proceeding ahead for a moment, Zhang Xuan stopped at a valley.

I won’t be their match at this rate. I have to find a solution… Even though he had twenty Saint realm 3-dan puppets, it would still be difficult for him to stand his ground against more than two hundred Saint realm 1-dan and 2-dan Otherworldly Demons and two Saint realm 4-dan Kings. The situation wasn’t in his favor.

He had to find a suitable countermeasure that could wipe out the entire group in a single move so as to terminate any possible threat from them.

I should first take a look at this grade-7 formation plate. Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the formation plate that Lu Feng had given him and pumped his zhenqi into it furiously.

Hmm? Nothing? Zhang Xuan frowned.

Was the formation plate spoiled?

That wasn’t it.

“Flaws,” Zhang Xuan muttered, and a corresponding book concerning the formation plate appeared in his Library of Heaven’s Path. Upon taking a look, his face darkened, and he really wanted to hide somewhere in shame.

It was fortunately no one had seen it, or else he would have really made a fool out of himself!

It was not that the formation plate was spoiled, but… his zhenqi wasn’t strong enough to activate the formation plate yet!

His current zhenqi cultivation was only at Half-Saint pinnacle. Altogether, his fighting prowess was on par with a Saint realm 1-dan cultivator. He could easily drive a grade-6 formation plate without trouble, but grade-7… That was clearly beyond his means!

The Byzantium Helios Beast has reached Spiritual Perception realm, but as a saint beast, he is unable to activate a formation plate. Less has to be said about the Golden Origin Cauldron, a Saint-tier artifact. Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in distress.

Perhaps… if I raise my cultivation to Nascent Saint pinnacle, with the sheer strength of the Saint Ascension Decipher, I might be able to exert power comparable to a Saint realm 2-dan cultivator and activate this grade-7 formation plate!

Since he was unable to activate the formation plate in his current state, the logical thing to do was to attempt a breakthrough.

It was fortunate that he had procured the Lightning Resonance Rock beforehand, which was required for his breakthrough to Nascent Saint.

Alright, time to begin! Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan leaped into the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation.

To attempt a breakthrough, he would require a quiet environment. Given that the Otherworldly Demons were combing the area to search for him, he couldn’t possibly cultivate peacefully in the open.

After entering the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan sat down beneath the Bodhi Tree and took out a pile of high-tier spirit stones with a flick of his wrist.

The first batch of profits from the Shen Clan consisted of more than three thousand high-tier spirit stones. While he had used five hundred of them to raise the cultivation of the candidates for the Master Teacher Selection, he still had a sizeable amount of them remaining. At least for the time being, he didn’t need to worry about having insufficient spirit stones.

He casually took out a couple of formation flags and set up a Spirit Gathering Formation in the area. Spiritual energy was swiftly drawn from the high-tier spirit stone, creating a dense mist-like congregation of spiritual energy in the air.

With all of the preparations ready, Zhang Xuan held onto the Lightning Resonance Rock tightly in his hands and closed his eyes to begin cultivating.

Gugugu!

Pure, condensed zhenqi coursed through his veins like a mighty dragon, pushing his cultivation further up. At the same time, every single pore of his body was greedily taking in the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings, as if a ravenous behemoth enjoying a luxurious feast.

He had already reached Half-Saint pinnacle two months ago, but due to the lack of the Lightning Resonance Rock, he had only been able to further reinforce his cultivation again and again. At this point, his desire for a breakthrough was already irrepressible, like an arid land desiring for rain.

With the Lightning Resonance Stone in his hand and the rich spiritual energy in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan’s aura swiftly went through a qualitative change, becoming far sharper and more powerful than before.

Geji geji!

Absorbing the spiritual energy, Zhang Xuan swiftly converted it into zhenqi to knock at the bottleneck limiting his cultivation relentlessly, and eventually, the bottleneck began to loosen.

Hong long!

After some time, with a deafening buzz, he finally broke through the bottleneck. In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt his eyesight and hearing becoming exceptionally clear, and his ability to analyze also became faster than ever.

Nascent Saint, reached!

Nascent Saint was the foundation to achieving a real breakthrough to Sainthood, the preparation to a cultivator’s metamorphosis of their level of existence. As such, there was a significant enhancement in one’s zhenqi and soul.

It might only have been a cultivation stage of difference between Half-Saint pinnacle and Nascent Saint primary stage, but this single hurdle signified the evolution of a fish into a dragon. 1

Furthermore, he cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher, which made his zhenqi far more condensed and powerful than ordinary cultivators.

At the same time, his zhenqi strength also advanced from the previous 84,000,000 ding to 90,000,000 ding!

Continue!

Even though he had achieved a breakthrough, he knew that it would still be difficult for him to drive his grade-7 formation plate. Thus, Zhang Xuan continued with his cultivation.

Having achieved the breakthrough, everything else was relatively easier.

Four hours later, he managed to advance to Nascent Saint realm pinnacle.

At the same time, the strength from his zhenqi cultivation had also exceeded the 100,000,000 ding mark, reaching 120,000,000 ding!

More important, the Origin Core in his dantian had also assumed a perfectly round shape, emanating a brilliant light that seemed to indicate that a breakthrough was just around the corner.

From the looks of it, it seems I have achieved a Second Grade Pinnacle Origin Core!

Mu shi had put in so much time and effort to cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, but he had only succeeded in forming a Second Grade Advanced Origin Core. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan hadn’t achieved a breakthrough to Saint realm yet, but he had already reached Second Grade Pinnacle.

However, this was to be expected. Considering that he cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art and possessed the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, if he couldn’t achieve this much, he could just knock himself dead with a blob of tofu.

As long as I reinforce my Origin Core, its grade should continue to rise. It shouldn’t be too difficult for me to achieve First Grade! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he hadn’t spent so much effort and paid such a heavy price for nothing.

As long as he could successfully forge a First Grade Origin Core, his fighting prowess should increase considerably.

Perhaps, he might even become a Celestial Saint.

Of course, it would still take him quite a bit of effort to reinforce his Origin Core and condense it further.

But I don’t have the luxury to do that at the moment. For the time being, I should try activating the grade-7 formation!

Knowing that he didn’t have much time to spare, Zhang Xuan took out the grade-7 formation plate once more.

1. This is a phrase from a Chinese saying. It is said that in Shanxi Province’s Hejin City, there is a downstream against two sharp cliffs, and the top lies a Dragon’s Gate. Every spring, carps will try to rush up the stream, and those who succeed will evolve to become dragons, thus the saying ‘carp entering the Dragon’s Gate’.