That’s a good plan, but it’s a pity that she found the wrong opponent! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
It must be said that Hu Yaoyao had indeed planned this well. Anyone who was ignorant of souls would be in a state of panic at this moment, forced to choose one of the two options. However… this problem was nothing for Zhang Xuan at all.
As a soul oracle, the true master in the study of souls, he could think of at least a dozen ways off the top of his head to wake Luo Qiqi from her sleep instantaneously.
The only reason he hadn’t done so yet was to see what Hu Yaoyao had prepared for him. It would be truly disappointing if this was all she’d got.
With this much, how could she possibly declare that she would take him down so confidently last night?
Zhang Xuan shook his head and said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice, “Save petty ploys like that for others. Are you actually so naive to think that you can ruin our teacher-student relationship through this?”
He and Luo Qiqi were comrades who had survived a life-and-death situation together. How could such a cheap ploy possibly foil their relationship?
“You are smarter than I thought. However…” Realizing that Zhang Xuan had seen through her thoughts, a hint of astonishment flashed across Hu Yaoyao’s eyes. However, the smile on her face only deepened.
In the next moment, she abruptly reached out her hand and flicked lightly.
Si la!
A surge of sword qi shot forth from her fingertips, and severed the cloth concealing the unconscious Luo Qiqi’s shoulder, revealing her smooth shoulder and neck bone.
“If Luo Qiqi were to wake up to this and realize that her teacher actually harbors some lustful thoughts toward her, do you think that she will still be able to remain as trusting of you as before?” Hu Yaoyao chuckled.
“Even if she doesn’t doubt your character, I can just take the recording of this scene and spread it amongst the students of the academy, saying that you intend to make sexual advances toward Luo Qiqi… I wonder if the students will be more inclined to believe my words or yours. Honestly speaking, I am curious to see how many fans of Luo Qiqi will stand up in her stead!”
Zhang Xuan frowned.
If Hu Yaoyao were to really take a snippet of the recording and frame it in a suggestive manner, considering the Bewitching Devil Faction’s influence in the academy, it wouldn’t be too difficult for her to turn the student populace against him.
While Zhang Xuan had no qualms about being misunderstood, such rumors could ruin Luo Qiqi’s reputation as well.
Naturally, this was a situation Zhang Xuan wanted to avoid.
“I intended to give you a chance, but you just had to keep pushing your luck…” Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed.
The next moment, he raised his hand, lifting it to his forehead.
It was a simple action, reminiscent of the gesture one would make when adjusting one’s fringe. But for some reason, the movement felt extremely natural and graceful, as if a dance performance.
Hu Yaoyao thought that the young man before her would start to panic helplessly before her, but upon seeing this gesture, she froze.
Hong long!
The next moment, an overwhelming pressure gathered and rushed for her soul, inducing tremendous dizziness in her head.
Damn it, this is a terpsichorean art! How can he possibly know any terpsichorean arts? Hu Yaoyao’s face paled under the pressure, and she nearly lost consciousness.
As one of the top students of the Terpsichore School, she had intended to make use of her terpsichorean art to pressure the other party into submitting to her. However, before she could succeed, she was already struck squarely by the other party using the same method she was going to use against him! The immense frustration she felt from being outdone in her field of specialty left her on the verge of spewing blood.
However, considering the limitations of the other party’s cultivation, no matter how strong his soul might be, it would be impossible for him to leave her dizzy for too long. As soon as she recovered, she would make him regret his actions!
Vowing angrily, Hu Yaoyao was just about to focus her soul energy to dispel the dizziness in her mind when she suddenly felt a searing energy gushing right for her.
“To dare assault me, you are courting death!”
Realizing that the other party was attempting to launch an attack on her in her weakened state, Hu Yaoyao strenuously lifted her palm to retaliate.
Based on the intelligence she had received, Zhang Xuan was only a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator. Even in her moment of weakness, it was impossible for him to subdue a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert like her!
At Chrysalis realm, one’s power would have crystallized into the form of a golden core, granting them strength almost reaching up to that of a Saint. How could she possibly be defeated by a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator in a fight?
Hu la!
Just as her palm was about to clash with Zhang Xuan’s attack, she suddenly felt the assault before her vanish with a slight gust of wind. The next moment, she suddenly felt yet another immense might gathering behind her.
How did he withdraw his attack so quickly? Narrowing her eyes, Hu Yaoyao’s heart leaped in shock.
In her moment of weakness, it had already taken all she had to focus all of her might to protect her front.
She could clearly feel a violent strength reminiscent of the raging torrents of a river rushing for her, but with her reaction dulled by vertigo, it was impossible for her to retaliate on time.
Peng!
Struck squarely on her back, Hu Yaoyao’s face paled as her entire figure catapulted forward before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Pu!
Blood spewed from her mouth. In this short encounter, she had already sustained grievous wounds.
Feeling her internal organs being jolted from their original position, Hu Yaoyao was overwhelmed with shock. “The strength he commands is on par with a Chrysalis realm primary stage cultivator? How is that possible?!”
There was no doubt that the other party’s palm carried a might exceeding 25,000,000 ding. Otherwise, given the resilience of her body as a Chrysalis realm expert, even if she was caught off guard, it was impossible for her to be wounded so heavily.
Wasn’t the other party a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator?
Yet, not only did he manage to successfully assail her soul, he was even able to command a might of 25,000,000 ding… Just how in the world did he do it?
Another mouthful of fresh blood spurted by Hu Yaoyao’s mouth. The next moment, she felt someone lifting her body up, and her body immediately tensed in alarm.
Soon, as the dizziness she felt began to dispel, she got a clear sight of the situation before her.
At this moment, she was being held up by Zhang Xuan, who was looking at her with a frustrated expression.
His expression seemed to be saying that he didn’t intend to make a move at all, and she was the one who forced him into resorting to physical violence.
Seeing this, Hu Yaoyao’s slender figure trembled once more, and yet another mouthful of fresh blood spewed from her mouth.
She was a Grade-5 student, a Chrysalis realm expert… She should have been the one teaching the other party a lesson…
Yet, at this very moment, it seemed as if she was a mischievous student who was taught a lesson after being caught pranking someone instead…
Can anyone tell me how in the world everything suddenly came down to this?
To think that she, one of the top Grade-5 students in the academy, would end up being utterly subdued by a freshman in the academy. The immense frustration she was feeling at this moment from the stark contrast between expectations and reality left her on the verge of going insane.
“Spew out the location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence, and I can drop everything that has happened today!” Zhang Xuan said impassively.
With Zhang Xuan’s mastery of terpsichorean arts, which was on par or even higher than most 6-star pinnacle terpsichores, and his extraordinarily powerful soul, it wasn’t impossible for him to assail Hu Yaoyao’s soul while she was unguarded.
After which, by exerting the incredible might of 26,000,000 ding he commanded from his body, soul, and zhenqi, it wasn’t too difficult for him to overpower the weakened Grade-5 genius.
If Zhang Xuan wanted to, he could even have killed the other party easily!
“Humph!” Hearing the threat in the young man’s words, Hu Yaoyao sneered coldly.
At this point, she had already recovered from her shock, and she taunted with a provocative smile, “So what if I don’t spew out the location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence? What can you do about it? Are you going to kill me for it?”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned.
Despite all that Hu Yaoyao had done, her actions didn’t warrant death.
On top of that, putting aside the fact that she was a master teacher and that they were in the Master Teacher Academy which prohibited killing amongst fellow students, just the fact that it might be possible that what Hu Yaoyao had claimed was true—that she was the only one who knew where Wu Yangzi’s old residence was—made it an unwise decision to kill her.
If they were to really kill her, it was possible that they might never be able to find Wu Yangzi’s treasure anymore.
“Of course, I won’t kill you for something as trivial as this. However… I can seal your acupoints and hang you on a flagpole so that everyone passing by can admire the embarrassing state of the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction!”
Throwing Hu Yaoyao on the ground, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and glanced down at her coldly.
Are you trying to compete with me to see who can be more shameless?
Hah, you must be joking with me!
When I was at the peak of my shamelessness, you were still playing in the mud!
“You dare…” As expected, upon hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao’s smile vanished, and her face turned livid.
To be honest, she’d thought that she was already quite a brazen person herself, but to think that this fellow would be even more brazen than her!
One must know that she was one of the top beauties in the academy, and a slight smile or a small gesture could send butterflies fluttering in the stomach of another.
There were many men who would be more than willing to do anything to please her, but not only did this fellow beat her up mercilessly, he even wanted to hang her on a flagpole…
Screw you!
“You can try me if you want to,” Zhang Xuan replied coldly.
“You…” Hu Yaoyao glared at Zhang Xuan furiously with gritted teeth.
Considering how the fellow before her had caused such a huge uproar in the academy as soon as he had arrived—destroying the Passageway of Records in the Blacksmith Guild and provoking the four biggest school factions in the academy…
She might still harbor some doubts if it was anyone else, but this fellow… she could totally see him doing it!
Putting everything else aside, she could still feel a stabbing pain in her organs from the heavy blow on her back.
Considering how he was able to strike her so heavily without any hesitation, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he would hang her on a flagpole.
But to submit to a freshman… Impossible!
Ever since entering the academy, she, Hu Yaoyao, had always been the one to get the better of others. When had she been bullied like that before?
If she were to give in, what pride would she have to remain in the academy?
Not to mention, what would the members of her Bewitching Devil Faction think of her as well?
But if she adamantly refused to submit… what if that lunatic were to really do it?
Frustrated, Hu Yaoyao clenched her teeth so tightly together that it felt as if they would chip soon. In that moment of dilemma, her gaze suddenly fell on Luo Qiqi, and a thought flashed through her mind.
Si la!
She extended her right hand to her left shoulder and tore off the cloth of her dress, revealing her smooth shoulder.
“If you wish to hang me on a flagpole, so be it! However… be prepared to face the consequences then. If I were to say that you tried to take advantage of me, I wonder what will happen to you. For a master teacher to engage in such despicable acts… will you even be able to retain your master teacher license?” Hu Yaoyao chuckled cunningly.
Challenge me?
Try again a century later!
“…” Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by the other party’s antics.
He finally understood why the other party was called the Bewitching Devil.
If it had been Luo Qiqi who’d met with such a situation, she would have been overwhelmed with embarrassment and humiliation. Yet, Hu Yaoyao actually went to the extent of ripping her clothes apart!
If she were to run out in such a state and scream that Zhang Xuan had taken advantage of her, there would really be quite a few people who would believe her.
Ultimately, ladies were often viewed as the weaker gender, making it easier for them to win the sympathy of others, especially for those as beautiful as Hu Yaoyao.
Even though Zhang Xuan had nothing to fear as he hadn’t done anything at all—the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn’t act without concrete evidence on hand, and it was illogical to think that a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan cultivator could actually take advantage of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan cultivator—but considering the large fan-base that Hu Yaoyao had, he would definitely face a fair bit of trouble following such rumors.
That would truly be annoying for him.
All Zhang Xuan wanted to do was to spend his time in the Master Teacher Pavilion peacefully, reading his books and making some breakthroughs in his cultivation before leaving quietly. Why was this simple wish of his so difficult to achieve?
Seeing the young man before her fall speechless, Hu Yaoyao’s eyes curled into crescents, and she chuckled softly. Enduring the severe pain her body was suffering from, she stood up and walked up to Zhang Xuan. Standing half a chi1 away from him, she taunted, “What? Are you scared now?”
With their bodies nearly pressed against one another, Zhang Xuan could clearly smell the unique fragrance that she exuded. Troubled by her actions, however, Zhang Xuan frowned and subconsciously took a step backward.
Just as he was considering whether he should send another fist at the other party to make her behave, an astonished voice abruptly sounded.
“Teacher… and Senior Yaoyao… What are you two doing?”
Unknowingly, Luo Qiqi had woken up amidst their confrontation, and looking at the two who were just slightly more than a chi away from one another, she exclaimed in alarm.
5/20 If we get first this week, there will be three additional chapters next week!
Also, sorry this chapter’s a bit late. It was all ready to publish, but I (millman) forgot to press a button which meant Starve was unable to publish it
