Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Guild Leader Han was on the brink of madness.

He just couldn't understand why these students had so much trust in that unreliable principal of theirs.

No matter what, he had spent the past two days working closely alongside them as comrades, and a bond of camaraderie had been forged between them. Under normal circumstances, even if it was at the command of their principal, shouldn't they have at least hesitated before attacking him?

Yet, without even bothering to spend time thinking the matter through, they had gathered their strength together and sent him flying.

This was no longer obedience; it was more like they were Principal Zhang's devout followers!

He had even informed them that they might very well lose their lives should their principal identify the wrong node, and yet, their attack hadn't even wavered in the slightest.

What did this signify? It meant that they were all willing to stake their entirety on the twenty-year-old youth before him without any hesitation. Even if the other party was their principal, surely they didn't need to trust him so much that they even abandoned their common sense!

This was truly one of the most eccentric bunch of students he had ever met!

Struggling up from a pile of fragmented rocks, he turned his gaze toward the sky once more and saw that the formation flag had already left Zhang Xuan's hand, headed toward a node.

"We're doomed." Guild Leader Han's eyes were glazed with hopelessness.

It happened that he had done the calculations for the node that the other party was throwing at as well, and it was a point where the energies were the most volatile. If a formation flag was thrown into that point, not only would it not alleviate the situation, it would even induce an explosion with utmost certainty.

Who could have thought that he, Han Xu, despite the great fame and achievements he had accrued in his lifetime, would end up dying in such a manner, dragged down by an impertinent fellow who obstinately drove them down the path of demise? Just the thought of it left him feeling incredibly stifled, and he couldn't help but wallow in self-pity.

Boom!

The next moment, the rampaging energies beneath the ground finally gathered sufficient momentum to burst forth.

Weng!

The ground began to tremor with astonishing intensity. Caught off guard by the sudden shaking, a couple of students standing by the edge of the depression lost their balance and fell to the ground.

Upon seeing such a sight, fear surfaced in the eyes of Wu shi and the others.

"It seems like this burst is far stronger than the ones before." Guild Leader Han's complexion turned incredibly awful as he shook his face in disbelief.

This burst of energies was clearly many times stronger than the ones before. The seal suppressing the burst of energies distorted menacingly under the immense pressure, as if it would be torn to shreds at any moment.

Even if every single person present were to devote their full strength to reinforcing the seal, it was still utterly impossible for them to suppress this burst of energies.

Just what in the world happened? Why would there suddenly be such a powerful burst of energies?

"It's over" Guild Leader Han despaired.

They had barely hung on even when dealing with the weaker bursts of energies previously, so against such devastating force Without a doubt, there was no way the seal could withstand this. The immense might would tear through the seal, inducing a massive explosion that would reduce everything within several thousand kilometers to dust!

Just when he thought that all hope was lost, Principal Zhang's voice suddenly sounded from above.

"Here, here. There's no need to tense up; it will be over once I put it in a little!"

Right after those words were spoken, the formation flag flew forward at an even greater speed, stabbing right into the node the other party had identified beforehand.

Hu!

As soon as the flag came into contact with the node, the imminently-exploding seal suddenly lost its ferocity, as if a wolfhound whose tail had been stepped on. With a pop, it abruptly calmed down, becoming as gentle as the placid waters of a roadside puddle.

Following which, a deafening blast sounded from the node, and an immense blast of energies burst toward the heavens. It was as if a hole had been pricked into a balloon, and the vast amount of gas trapped within, upon finally finding an escape route, hurriedly charged out of it. Due to the powerful blast, it felt as if the sky was going to be severed into two.

"This the crisis has been resolved?" Guild Leader Han's body stiffened from shock. Unable to believe what he was seeing, he rubbed his eyes forcefully.

Wasn't that node the area where the energies were the most volatile? How could the energies be released so smoothly right after the formation flag was planted into it?

Guild Leader Han wasn't the only one who was perplexed by the situation before him. Liu Mo, who had only just returned from his long flight, was dumbfounded by what he saw right after his return as well.

Without using a compass or studying the terrain, the other party had simply picked up a formation flag and thrown it randomly and the rampaging energies had been released just like that?

Is there really such a maneuver in the Way of Formations? Why am I unaware of it even after studying formations for so many years?

Liu Mo couldn't help but turn his eyes toward the students below, only to see them gazing at the sight before them with perfect nonchalance, as if knowing that their principal would be able resolve the rampaging energies easily.

He and his teacher had spent two whole days working on the formation, only to remain nearly as clueless as they had been at the start. On the other hand, the other party had casually planted a flag a few minutes after he arrived, and the crisis was resolved.

Could it be that when the other party said that they were dumb earlier it wasn't intended as an insult toward them but a simple fact?

Just as Han Xu and Liu Mo were feeling deeply stifled within, they saw Zhang Xuan slowly descending from the sky before eventually stopping before his students.

"You have worked hard for the past two days. The problem here has been resolved, so quickly return and have a good rest!"

"Thank you, Principal Zhang!"

"I knew it; there is nothing in the world that Principal Zhang can't possibly resolve!"

"Guild Leader Han was prattling on about being a 7-star pinnacle formation master or something a while ago, but from the looks of it now, it doesn't seem like he is anything much."

"Well, it is usually the incapable who find a need to boast about their own abilities. Look at our Principal Zhang, despite the great capabilities he possesses, has he even bragged about them even once?"

"Indeed! Principal Zhang is simply too humble. I must learn from his example"

Hearing the confirmation from their principal that the crisis had been resolved, a huge commotion broke out amid the crowd. Many faces reddened in agitation, and a huge number of students hurriedly sat onto the ground and began driving their cultivation technique to recuperate from their weakness and fatigue.

Two days of intense work had depleted them greatly, and quite a number of them had sustained significant internal injuries as a result.

However, it was fortunate that there was nothing too severe. With sufficient time, they would all be able to make a full recovery.

While the students were recuperating from their exertion, Zhang Xuan carefully assessed the condition of each individual student. Upon seeing any student whose injuries were too severe, he would step forward and treat them personally.

"No wonder This explains why the students have unconditional trust in him, entrusting themselves to him without any hesitation at all. They don't just regard him as their principal, but their teacher, friend, and comrade as well"

Witnessing this scene, Guild Leader Han and Liu Mo smiled bitterly. At this moment, they finally understood why the students had chosen to trust Zhang Xuan over them in the crucial moment.

As a principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other party's standing could be said to be even above theirs. Yet, such a figure was taking care of 4-star and 5-star master teachers meticulously without the slightest hint of impatience. Just this in itself was something that most weren't able to do.

"Alright"

After confirming that his students were fine, Zhang Xuan returned to where Wu shi and the others were standing. He turned his gaze toward Guild Leader Han and Liu Mo and clasped his fist hurriedly. "Please do pardon my previous insolence. It was a critical situation then, and I feared that any delay could result in a disastrous outcome."

"Principal Zhang, there is no need to apologize to us. We are the ones who have acted rashly." Guild Leader Han and Liu Mo's faces flushed crimson. If there was a hole in the ground at this moment, they would have surely leaped in without any hesitation.

Their intentions had been out of goodwill; a mistake in that situation could have easily resulted in a disastrous outcome. Yet, they had nearly caused everyone's death due to their incompetence. The guilt that they were feeling at this moment weighed down on them heavily.

It was fortunate that Principal Zhang had decisively commanded his students to knock them down in that moment, not bothering with etiquette. Otherwise they would have gone down in history as sinners.

"It will take some more time for the energies to be released, and the seal isn't going to open anytime soon. Since that's the case, why don't we return to Firesource City for the time being and await the arrival of those from the Combat Master Hall?" Zhang Xuan proposed.

While the situation with the seal had been resolved, it would still take some time before they would be able to enter it. For one, it would take at least two to three days for the immense buildup of rampaging energies beneath the seal to disperse completely.

Furthermore, the members from the Combat Master Hall and the other three Master Teacher Academies hadn't arrived yet. To maximize the expedition's chances of success, it would be best for them to venture in only after the full team had arrived.

"Alright." Nodding, the crowd got onto an aerial saint beast and flew back to Firesource City.

Zhang Xuan and the others were settled into a huge manor that the regional Master Teacher Pavilion owned. As for the twenty thousand students, Zhang Xuan arranged for School Head Zhao and the others to take them back to the academy.

Threats were bound to be lurking throughout the ancient domain, and it would be too dangerous for the students to join the expedition as well.

A day later, the principals and elders of the other three Master Teacher Academies, as well as those from the Combat Master Hall, finally arrived.

Liao Song had escorted Zheng Yang to the Combat Master Hall headquarters and hadn't returned yet. However, two Saint 3-dan pinnacle Thousand Men Commanders had been dispatched instead.

"You are Principal Zhang?"

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, one of the two Thousand Men Commander immediately emanated a deep aura of hostility.

He had heard about the Combat Master Hall's tragic defeat in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and he also knew that even though the cultivation of the young man before him was at Nascent Saint, his true fighting prowess was far greater than even combat masters like them.

"That's right." Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Do you dare have a match with me?" the Thousand Men Commander challenged.

"A match?" A troubled look surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face.

All he wanted to do was keep a low profile and peacefully remain as the dashing young man he was in the background, was that really that much to ask for?

Being too outstanding sure was tiring!

"Indeed! Do you dare accept my challenge or not?" The Thousand Men Commander eyed Zhang Xuan provocatively.

"It is the first time we are meeting, and it won't do for us to sour our relationship with a match like that. Why don't you allow me to treat you to a drink instead?" Zhang Xuan took out a wine gourd and offered it to the other party earnestly.

However, the Thousand Men Commander shook his head and harrumphed coldly. "You don't want to accept my challenge? Very well. I will find a way to show you that the Combat Master Hall isn't an organization that anyone can humiliate!"

After which, he turned around and left.

Through asking around, Zhang Xuan learned that the name of the Thousand Men Commander was Feng Xun, and he was one of the more pro-combat members of the Combat Master Hall. When he heard that the combat masters who had gone to Hongyuan to assess the potential candidates had been thrashed instead, he couldn't help but feel great hostility toward the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Ever since then, he had been wanting to spar with Zhang Xuan to regain the Combat Master Hall's dignity.

The other Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall went by the name of Jiang Yuan, and while he looked amicable on the surface, his eyes were filled with fighting will as well.

Combat masters had always been synonymous with the word 'invincible', and yet, they had actually suffered multiple setbacks when facing the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. As Thousand Men Commanders, they viewed it as their responsibility to recover the dignity of the Combat Master Hall.

Mu shi walked up to Zhang Xuan and explained, "Senior Uncle, our Qingyuan Conferred Empire has dispatched four men for this mission; me, Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Liu Mo. As for the Combat Master Hall, other than Feng Xun, Jiang Yuan, and Zhuo Qingfeng, there are another twelve more combat masters. Last but not least, for the three Master Teacher Academies, the three principals have come with two elders each, making up nine people in total. All in all, our expedition team has a strength of around thirty or so."

"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Initially, Zhao Bingxu and the others had wanted to join the expedition team as well, but Zhang Xuan hadn't agreed to it.

The ancient domain was lurking with danger. Should something bad befall him, the Ten Great Master Teachers should at least be around to take care of the academy, or else it would fall into chaos.

"According to my calculations, the ancient domain will open tomorrow. We will be setting forth tomorrow morning," Mu shi said.

"Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded.

After bidding Mu shi farewell, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence, and just as he was about to rest, he noticed Luo Ruoxin sitting on one of the stone seats in his courtyard. Her right elbow was pressed against the stone table, her right fist supporting her head. A contemplative look was on her face, but it was impossible to tell what she was thinking of.