Thanks to the river, Li Luo managed to reach the outskirts of the forbidden zone ahead of schedule.

After just half a day, the familiar mountain range was already in view.

Now it was time for the hard part. One mistake would ruin him.

The next step was actually pretty easy too. He had already lured out the beast once, by accident. Back at the onyx lake, he knew that it coveted the dual resonances in his body.

That was why they had that incident back then.

The mark of a Duke's power, but housed in a frail, little resonant master. The combination was irresistible for the spirit beast.

Surely this time it would come for the bait again.

Which left another problem: the principal's seal…

The seal was placed on a mountain top, and they had witnessed its power for themselves last time.

It was what had stopped the spirit beast from roaming out of the forbidden zone.

If Li Luo couldn't get it cleared, it would be like holding bananas against the glass for the monkeys at the zoo.

If it couldn't come out, the plan was screwed.

To think that their ally's seal would end up as the biggest problem…

However, Li Luo had some ideas that he was planning to try. The best one was... beg!

Beg who? The seal itself, of course!

Jiang Qing'e had mentioned that the principal's seal was sentient. The principal had left a fragment of his will in it, so it was linked to him. If Li Luo could appeal to it directly, it might just work.

This was an iffy idea on paper, but Li Luo felt that a King expert might be incredible enough to do such a thing.

With enough strength, the impossible could become possible.

In any case, he would have to try to find out.

If not...

He would stand outside and taunt the spirit beast until it went berserk and broke the seal.

A very extreme idea. In that state, it might swallow him in one gulp the instant it broke out. Not a good plan.

He oriented himself with the terrain and identified the mountain, then he quickly climbed towards its peak.

Four hours later, Li Luo arrived at the top, out of breath as he gazed upon a green stone.

On it, the character for “seal” was written.

It looked like a scratchy and shallow carving. If Li Luo had not seen its power with his own eyes before, he would never have suspected that a King expert had carved it himself.

Li Luo carefully approached, and he was heartened by the fact that it didn't seem hostile or anything.

"Er...

"Principal, this student is Li Luo, a One Star Hall student. I came here because there's a Heavenly Disaster Class Other that managed to get into purified spot number 13. We're in a really bad situation, so I wanted to release the spirit beast and lure it over to fight the Other.

"It might sound like a crazy plan, but big dreams make big wins, Sir. I'm going to have to just go for it. I hope you can help me out here, wise Principal."

Li Luo bowed to the rock awkwardly.

However, the rock remained as silent as... a rock. Li Luo tentatively reached out and placed his palm on the seal.

He felt a cool, stinging sensation, and he flinched a little, but then there was nothing.

He frowned with disappointment. "Oh, come on, Sir," he muttered to himself. "Standing by and watching us die is very unbecoming of a principal."

It seemed like he would have to execute Plan B.

But suddenly, he felt like something was off. Things were too quiet here.

The sound of the wind had vanished completely.

Turning back around, he saw that there was now a figure in the lotus position on the green rock.

He was a middle-aged man clad in a green shift. His eyebrows were completely white, and yet his eyes were profoundly deep and dark.

He sat there quietly, as immovable as a mountain.

Watching Li Luo.

His quiet gaze had Li Luo feeling a bit like some powerful beast was watching him, his instincts screaming that this was danger.

He swallowed hard. This man's identity was all too clear, even without him saying a word. It had to be the mysterious principal.

"Student Li Luo greets the principal." Li Luo bowed deeply. This might well be the strongest person he had ever met in his life.

The man laughed.

"Li Luo...

"Born with blank palaces, and grew three of his own. Acquiring resonances is a rare art form indeed.

"You're the son of Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan, correct?"

His few simple statements blew Li Luo's mind over and over again, and he staggered back, too shocked to speak. It was the first time anyone had actually guessed his secrets.

Just how terrifying was this guy?