“Zhang Clan?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“Indeed. Even amongst the Sage Clans, the Zhang Clan is ranked in the top three. It would be no joke to say that they are one of the strongest clans throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent. Their inner disciples, consisting of those who possess bloodline of superior purity, can easily reach Saint realm by sixteen and Leaving Aperture realm experts by twenty! If a comparison must be made, the strength of the Zhang Clan is definitely above that of the Luo Clan!” Wu shi remarked.
“The Zhang Clan is so formidable?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.
“Indeed. If you really wish to court Luo shi, there’s a good chance that you will find yourself standing against these two clans. But of course, given Principal Zhang’s talents, it’s only a matter of time before you are able to surpass the Sage Clans. However, before then, it’ll be best for you to lie low. After all, your standing as a Celestial Master Teacher and Celestial Saint is simply too astounding. If the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to learn of this matter, they could very well dispatch the full might that they have at their disposal to destroy you, and that would put you in peril. Furthermore, you shouldn’t take it for a given that all master teachers are willing to side with you. Alright, that’s all that we wish to talk about. We’ll leave it to you to decide the path you wish to walk down!”
Wu shi smiled. “If you really wish to stand against the two Sage Clans, feel free to approach us for help. No matter how difficult the task may be, we are willing to stand behind you!”
“Indeed, Principal Zhang. Regardless of your choice, we will back you unconditionally!” Guild Leader Han added.
As long as the young man before them didn’t meet his end prematurely, there was no doubt that he would eventually achieve great things.
As powerful as the Sage Clans may be at the moment, give it a few hundred or a thousand years, and they would surely be nothing before the eyes of this young man.
But at the moment, without sufficient strength, it was still best for the other party to lie low. Otherwise, great trouble could very well ensue.
“You have my gratitude!” Understanding that the both of them were only saying those words to him out of concern, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and thanked them.
He knew that Luo Ruoxin’s background was bound to be atypical, but who knew that it would be that complicated?
It was no wonder why she was reluctant to accept him and had even warned him against it. If the opponent was going to be two Sage Clans, one would indeed have to stop and think twice.
“Principal Zhang has always been a wise and reliable figure, so I believe that you will be able to make the right decision yourself. Thus, we won’t say any more than that. We will be waiting for your arrival at Qingyuan Conferred Empire, so till then, farewell!” Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, Mo shi, and the others clasped their fists and took their leave.
“Principal Zhang, we are returning straight to our academies as well. Before we leave, we would like to express our earnest gratitude to you. It’s due to your leadership that we are able to overcome the ancient domain safely…” Wo Tianqiong and the others also walked over and bade their farewells.
“Principal Zhang, we will be returning to the Combat Master Hall now. We will make preparations for the arrival of your students for the exchange!” Jiang Yuan, Feng Xun, and the others from the Combat Master Hall did the same too.
Very soon, everyone went on their own way, leaving behind just Zhang Xuan, Zhang Yinqiu, Ji Yan, Tan Qing, and Luo Ruoxin.
“Alright, let’s return to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!”
Thus, the group began making their way back.
“Zhang shi, I heard from Feng Xun earlier that the students of our academy are intending to head to the Combat Master Hall for an exchange? May I ask what is the matter about?” Standing atop the back of the saint beast, Zhang Yinqiu hesitated for a moment before walking up to Zhang Xuan to ask.
Exchange—this was something usually conducted amongst powers of equivalent strength. For one, it was not uncommon for the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to bring their students to Yunxu, Luoqing, and the other Master Teacher Academies so that they could learn from one another.
But the Combat Master Hall… One must know that the combat masters were existences capable of rivaling opponents who surpassed their cultivation realm. To bring their students there for an exchange… How was that any different from asking for a beating?
“When I was still a student, I established a student faction known as the Xuanxuan Faction, and I have specially conducted a few lessons which brought about a substantial rise in the overall fighting prowess of the students. I know that the Combat Master Hall is powerful, but I think that this is a good opportunity for them to see the world.” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.
“But even if you have specially conducted a few lessons, our students are still bound to be far from matching up to the geniuses of the Combat Master Hall…”
“The combat masters are simply too powerful. While it does broaden their horizon, I fear that it would end up as a crushing blow to the confidence of our students, and that would impede their further growth…”
Hearing those words, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing couldn’t help but shake their heads.
It seemed like Zhang shi was still too young.
As a Celestial Saint, it was natural that he could defeat Feng Xun and the others as easily as if dicing vegetables on a chopping board. However, their students were just ordinary humans. How could they be able to match up to the likes of the Combat Master Hall?
If they were to really head there for an exchange, wouldn’t they simply lose all of their confidence?
“Don’t worry, I have already given them a heads up. In this exchange, it doesn’t matter whether they win or lose. What is more important is for them to know that there’s always a higher mountain out there, as well as to give them a goal to strive for!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“This… Alright then!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan knew what he was doing, the crowd decided to go along with his decision.
The aerial saint beast traveled at an incredible speed, and within just a few days, the massive Hongyuan City had already come into sight.
“The rest of you can return to the Master Teacher Academy first. I intend to take a brief stop at my manor first…” Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bade Zhang Yinqiu and the others farewell.
Before returning to the Master Teacher Academy, he wanted to first see how Wang Ying and the others were faring on their cultivation. As for the academy, there was School Head Mo and the others standing fort, so it was unlikely for anything to go wrong there. Besides, with the return of Zhang Yinqiu and the two vice principals, they were bound to have much to talk about, so Zhang Xuan felt that he should leave them to be.
Returning back to the manor, Zhang Xuan noted that Wang Ying and Liu Yang had made substantial advancement in their cultivation in his absence. They had started to cultivate the Saint Ascension Decipher, and their zhenqi had grown more condensed and substantial, granting them far greater fighting prowess than before.
Zhang Xuan divided the various treasures he had obtained from the ancient domain amongst them before calling Butler Sun Qiang over.
In the ten days of absence, Sun Qiang seemed to have grown even fatter. However, his cultivation remained the same as before—a clear sign that his heart was not on cultivating at all.
Naturally, Zhang Xuan gave him a good lashing yet again, but judging from past experience, it didn’t seem likely that it would work.
Perhaps it was due to how reliable and driven his students were that the world gave him such a worrying butler for him to fuss over.
While Zhang Xuan was offering his students pointers and teaching his butler a lesson, Zhang Yinqiu and the others finally returned back to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.
“Even though Zhang shi is an incredible genius, he’s still a little too young and lacking in worldly experience. It is truly reckless of him to propose an exchange between our academy and the Combat Master Hall… I honestly think that he’s making too light of the matter!”
“My sentiments exactly. Which of the combat masters aren’t top-notch geniuses, invincible existences within their own cultivation realm? If our students were to clash with them, there’s a good chance that instead of motivating them, it would end up eroding their confidence and drive!”
Zhang Yinqiu, Ji Yan, and Tan Qing sighed.
Fighting a rival of the same strength as oneself could motivate one to strive harder so as to overcome the rival. However, when the gap between both parties was too great, it would only cause one to despair and fall into despondency instead.
This was simply how the human mind worked.
“How about this? Let’s first pay that Xuanxuan Faction which he talked about a visit first, and in the midst of doing so, we can warn them about the strength of the Combat Master Hall once more. At the very least, if we prepare them for what is about to come mentally, it’ll cushion the trauma that they would suffer later on!” After a moment of silence, Vice Principal Ji Yan said.
“Indeed. We should emphasize to them that the exchange with the Combat Master Hall serves to show them what the peak fighting prowess within their individual cultivation realms are, and they should lower their expectations beforehand so that they wouldn’t be too dismayed by their lack of strength.” Vice Principal Tan Qing nodded in agreement.
Before long, the trio had already made up their minds.
Considering that Zhang shi was currently the principal and he had already confirmed an appointment with the Combat Master Hall, it would be improper for them to attempt to veto his decision at this point. That would be undermining his authority and that of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. However, the least they could do was to give the students a heads up of what that was about to come and inform them that they were visiting the Combat Master Hall to study and not to challenge them. If they could ready their mindsets beforehand, the students wouldn’t be too affected by the disparity in their fighting prowess.
“Alright, let’s go over then!”
They had learned about the location of the Xuanxuan Faction’s headquarter from Zhang Xuan on the journey here, so it didn’t take long for them to arrive at their destination.
As Zhang Yinqiu was currently possessing the body of an Otherworldly Demon puppet, he chose to remain on the back of the aerial saint beast. On the other hand, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing leaped down from the aerial saint beast and walked toward the headquarters. However, before they could get past the entrance, they were already stopped by several students.
“May I know whom you are looking for?” one of the students asked.
“I am here to look for the person-in-charge for the Xuanxuan Faction…” Vice Principal Ji Yan was slightly surprised to see that the students didn’t know who he was, but nevertheless, he still replied politely.
As most of the members of the Xuanxuan Faction were freshmen of the same batch as Zhang Xuan, they had never really seen the two vice principals before as the both of them had gone missing in the ancient domain two years back, so they were unable to recognize them.
“The person-in-charge? Alright, I’ll invite him over right now…” While the student didn’t recognize the two vice principals, he did notice that the two elders carried an extraordinary air of authority around them. Thus, he quickly left without much hesitation, and before long, he brought Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao back with him.
The both of them were the founders of the Xuanxuan Faction, so naturally, they were their de facto leaders when Zhang Xuan wasn’t around.
“May I know the reason for the arrival of our guests?” Seeing that the two elders possessed strength far beyond them, Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao exchanged swift gazes before clasping their fists respectfully.
“I heard that you intend to visit the Combat Master Hall for an exchange?” Not bothering to beat around the bush, Vice Principal Ji Yan got straight to the topic at hand.
“There’s indeed such a matter. This is also the reason why the members of the Xuanxuan Faction have been working hard recently so as overwhelm the Combat Master Hall with our prowess and teach them a lesson!”
This matter was no secret. There was no one in the academy who was unaware of the matter, so there was no need to hide it from the two guests either.
“Overwhelm the Combat Master Hall?”
“Teach them a lesson?”
Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing exchanged gazes, and the knot between their eyebrows tightened.
Are you honestly telling me that you intend to teach that bunch of monsters from the Combat Master Hall a lesson? Do you have a death wish?
Truly, the ignorant know no fear!
After a moment of silence, Vice Principal Ji Yan spoke up, “How about this? If you’re that confident in your ability, why don’t the both of us suppress our cultivation to your level and have a match with you?”
“You want to have a match with me?”
“That’s right. Those from the Combat Master Hall possesses strength far superior to their counterparts, so it won’t be easy for just anyone to defeat them. If you can defeat us when our cultivations are suppressed, it won’t be an issue for you to face the Combat Master Hall. Otherwise… I hope that you can head there with the intention to learn from them instead!” Vice Principal Ji Yan said.
“Very well, I understand your sentiments. We, of the Xuanxuan Faction, won’t bully you either…” Hearing the proposal made by the two elders, Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment before turning his gaze towards a student who was sweeping the area not too far away. “You, come over here! Spar with these two elders for a while. Make sure to go easy on them so as to not hurt them…”
“…” Ji Yan and Tan Qing.
Seeing how that fellow, instead of sparring with them himself, ordered a student sweeping the area to fight with them instead, even instructing the latter to go easy on them… the two vice principals nearly exploded on the spot.
“Are all of the freshmen as arrogant as you? Very well, I sure am interested to see how powerful you are!” Clenching his jaws tightly, Ji Yan suppressed his cultivation to the same level as the sweeping student before beckoning with his hand, “Come!”
…
“Master, Vice Principal Ji has begun fighting with a student…” In the air, the Byzantium Helios Beast informed the old principal.
“Don’t worry, the both of them know what they are doing. They won’t go overboard…” Zhang Yinqiu replied with a reassuring smile.
He was just about to continue speaking when a gust of wind suddenly blew in the surroundings. Shortly after, he saw Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing flying over.
To his astonishment, the two Primordial Spirit realm experts had the mark of a broom imprinted firmly on their faces, and their clothes were soiled with dust and mud as well.
“What happened?” Zhang Yinqiu couldn’t help but ask.
“We were defeated…” The duo replied with unspeakable embarrassment on their faces.
“The both of you were defeated?” Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in disbelief.
Two powerful vice principals actually got pummeled? How was that possible?
Seeing the incredulous expression that Zhang Yinqiu had, the faces of the duo reddened further as they added, “We weren’t able to even withstand a single blow…”
