Chapter 857: Who Is the Principal?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In Hongyuan royal palace, two young men dressed in lavish clothing were walking side by side.

Both of them seemed to be in their early twenties, and their cultivation was both at Perfect Harmonization realm as well.

"Fifth Brother, are you challenging the trial today as well?" the younger of the duo asked with a smile.

"Sixth Sister has managed to clear four trials after her previous breakthrough. As her elder brother, how can I lose out to her? If I can't match her at the very least, Father might just start looking down on me!" the man addressed as Fifth Brother replied with a glint in his eyes.

The older of the duo was the Fifth Prince of Hongyuan Empire, Yu Hong, and the younger was the Eighth Prince, Yu Zheng.

"Even the most talented of us siblings, our Third Brother, only managed to clear the third trial when he was at Perfect Harmonization realm. Yet, Sixth Sister managed to clear the fourth trial. She sure is amazing! In fact, it is after hearing about her matter that I came over today to see if I can surpass my previous limit and reach higher grounds!" Yu Zheng nodded.

"The Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway works wonders in tempering one's soul, but it also exerts immense pressure on it as well. Without a resilient mind, it could result in loss of consciousness or even a trauma in one's soul. You have been dispatched to guard the borders until recently, so it must have been a long time since you have cultivated your soul. If you find yourself reaching your limit, don't force yourself to continue. You can always try again another time," Yu Hong advised.

"Don't worry, Fifth Brother. I might have been guarding the border, but I haven't slacked on my training either. Even if I can't clear the third trial, I think I should still be able to get pretty far," Yu Zheng said confidently.

Yu Hong nodded. "That's good."

…

Soon, the duo arrived at the 'alley' that Zhang Xuan had gone through previously.

"Let's start then!"

Exchanging glances, the duo stepped into the passageway simultaneously with grim expressions. However, in just a few steps, they could already feel an overwhelming pressure crushing their soul, and their bodies began to sway unsteadily. Cold sweat began flowing down their backs.

"Hold on!"

The duo exchanged glances before clenching their teeth and pushing onward. As they ventured deeper into the passageway, their bodies began shaking more and more intensely.

Pu!

Yu Zheng was the first one to cave in. Spurting a mouthful of blood, his body abruptly fell to the ground. Sighing deeply, he said, "Fifth Brother, I can't go on any further. I guess I am still stuck on the second trial for the time being… Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Yu Hong squeezed out through his clenched teeth before trudging forward arduously.

Inscribed on the walls of the passageway were soul cultivation techniques, but if one wanted to read them, one would have to endure the increasing pressure on their soul from the passageway. Each trial was roughly five meters, and there was a total of nine trials in the passageway.

If a Perfect Harmonization realm could clear the third trial, he could already be considered a talented soul cultivator.

Pu!

A few more steps later, Yu Hong's face paled. His knees caved in, and he fell to the ground as well.

Even though he had been diligently cultivating his soul day and night, he was still unable to clear the third trial!

"I am still too weak…"

The two princes looked at one another and shook their heads in frustration.

Hearing that the Sixth Princess had managed to clear the fourth trial had motivated them to give the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway another try, but their results still didn't live up to their expectations. This passageway was simply far too difficult!

After resting for a moment and feeling the stabbing pain in their heads disappear, they stood up and left the premises.

"It seems like we are still too weak… I guess the current record holder is still Sixth Sister, right?" Yu Zheng asked.

"I would think so. Let's go and take a look…" Yu Hong nodded.

The duo walked up to a wall outside the passageway, and Yu Hong placed his palm on it lightly.

This wall was known as the Wall of Records, and it detailed the results of the current record holder of the passageway's challengers.

Weng!

With a slight buzz, a few words appeared on the Wall of Records—First Trial: Two Breaths!

"Two breaths? Sixth Sister cleared the first trial in two breaths? That is unbelievable!" Yu Zheng widened his eyes in astonishment.

"That is impossible! Even if she can reach the fourth trial, it shouldn't be possible for her to clear the first trial in two breaths… Let's take a look at her result for the second trial…" Yu Hong frowned in bewilderment as he swiped his hand on the wall.

Weng!

Yet another row of words appeared—Second Trial: Two Breaths!

"Two breaths again?"

The duo stared at one another in disbelief. They hurriedly swiped the wall once again.

Weng!

Third Trial: Two Breaths!

Fourth Trial: Two Breaths!

Fifth Trial: Two Breaths!

Sixth Trial: Two Breaths!

…

All the way up to the ninth trial, the recorded challenger had only used two breaths.

"Someone managed to clear the ninth trial… and in two breaths for all of them at that?"

The two princes exchanged glances, and they could see sheer horror reflected in the other's eyes.

Was this for real?

They couldn't even clear the third trial, and yet someone managed to clear all of the nine trials in two breaths each, no more and no less?

Was the person strolling instead of challenging the trials?

"The person who made the existing record didn't leave their name behind," Yu Zheng noted.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Hong said, "Let's call Uncle Bai here. He is in charge of this passageway, so he probably has some way of finding the person who left the record!"

"Alright!"

The duo left the passageway hurriedly, and not too long later, they returned with a middle-aged man following behind them.

If Zhang Xuan were there, he would surely be able to recognize the middle-aged man as the Saint 1-dan pinnacle expert he had encountered back in the residence filled with stone tablets.

"What happened for you two to call me over so anxiously?" Uncle Bai asked with his eyebrows knitted tightly together.

He was in the midst of pursuing that intruding soul, and he didn't have time to waste with these two princes.

"Uncle Bai, did you or my father challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway in the last two days? How do you expect us to break the record you left there?" Yu Hong asked with a bitter smile.

"What are you saying? Why would we challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway?" Uncle Bai replied with a deep frown.

He had been spending his time studying the ancient stone tablets in recent years, so how could he have the time to spare to challenge the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway.

This was even more so for Yu Shenqing, the emperor of Hongyuan Empire. With an endless stream of work on his hands, he couldn't possibly find the time to challenge the passageway either.

"But… if isn't my father or you, who else could have left that record?" Hearing Uncle Bai deny the matter, Yu Hong hurriedly placed his palm on the Wall of Records once more.

Weng!

The records reflected previously appeared again.

"T-t-two breaths?" Uncle Bai's body staggered weakly, and he nearly fainted from shock.

"Even with His Majesty's and my cultivation, we can only reach the eighth trial. Furthermore, beyond the sixth trial, every single step made will take us a very long time, and it could easily take up to an hour for us to clear the trial. To succeed in just two breaths… J-just who could it be?"

Uncle Bai was in disbelief as well.

The Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway was created by an old ancestor of the Yu Clan to challenge the later generations. The pressure emanated by the passageway had the astounding effect of tempering souls, and it was due to this that the Yu Clan was reputed for its soul cultivation amid the many Tier-1 Empires.

Countless outstanding geniuses had emerged in the Yu Clan over the years, but still, no one had succeeded in clearing the ninth trial to enter the hall… So how could there be a record reflected for the ninth trial?

Not to mention, two breaths?

If he recalled correctly, there wasn't such a record when Yu Fei-er challenged the passageway yesterday after coming out of her seclusion…

"Could it be…" Uncle Bai's eyes narrowed as he recalled the soul he had encountered earlier.

"No, I have to check the hall…" Realizing what could have happened, he quickly circumvented the passageway and headed to the hall lying behind it.

As the manager of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, he had the authority to enter the hall even without clearing the passageway itself.

Pushing open the door, he rushed into the hall, and what he saw left his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

The dense concentration of spiritual energy that should have been inside the hall had disappeared without a trace, and the four ancestral sculptures that were used to temper the souls of later generations had lost their glow. With a touch, 'huala!', the sculptures crumbled to the ground.

"Damn it… Just who is that fellow?!" Uncle Bai felt as if he was going insane.

Harnessed in this hall was the overwhelming aura of their ancestors, and had he not been the manager of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, he would have never dared to enter the grounds. Who could the intruder have been to be able to enter the hall and reduce it to such a state?

To be able to achieve this feat, just how powerful must his soul be?

"No, I must report this matter to His Majesty immediately…"

Alarmed, Uncle Bai hurriedly rushed to the main hall, where Yu Shenqing was.

…

In a majestic assembly room of the royal palace, Yu Shenqing had just finished going through the reports and was currently closing his eyes for a short rest.

An old eunuch walked into the room and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Master Teacher Academy has sent a notice saying that the inauguration ceremony for the succeeding principal will be held in three days, and they have invited Your Majesty to witness the ceremony!"

"Un, understood. Tell them that I will be there!" Yu Shenqing nodded.

Even though the Master Teacher Academy was located within Hongyuan Empire, in terms of standing and influence, he could be said to be beneath the academy's principal.

Upon becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, that person could be said to have become the number one figure of Hongyuan Empire. Even he, despite being the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, wouldn't dare to treat the principal with the slightest disrespect.

The old eunuch nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Right, did they mention who the succeeding principal will be?" Shen Yuqing asked.

"Your Majesty, they didn't reveal who the succeeding principal will be, but they did mention that Mu shi from the headquarters will be overseeing the inauguration ceremony personally!" the eunuch replied.

"Mu shi? You are referring to 7-star master teacher Mu Yuan?" Yu Shenqing's eyes lit up in agitation.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"If he is going to be overseeing the ceremony personally, the principal must be either Lu Feng or Zhao Bingxu. Send someone in to ask about the identity of the succeeding principal so that we can prepare an appropriate gift in advance!" Yu Shenqing waved his hands.

Lu Feng and Zhao Bingxu had different main supporting occupations, so their interests differed as well.

If it was Lu Feng, they would have to prepare some valuable medicinal herbs. If it was Zhao Bingxu, they would have to prepare some precious ores.

The fate of Hongyuan Empire was intricately linked with the Master Teacher Academy. If he could win the favor of the new principal, he might be able to consolidate the royal authority that the Yu Clan wielded.

The old eunuch frowned. "But Your Majesty, since they didn't reveal the identity of the succeeding principal in the notice, I am afraid that we might not be able to receive an answer from them."

If the other party didn't reveal to them who the new principal was, it could only mean that they had a reason for doing so. Since that was the case, the result would be the same no matter how many times they asked for it.

Yu Shenqing waved his hands casually. "Tell them that it is a personal request from me, the school heads should at least give me some leeway. Besides, it's no big deal to learn of the identity of the next principal in advance."

As the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, even if his standing couldn't be matched with the principal, he could at least be considered an equal to the Ten Great Master Teachers. If they were to ask under his name, the other party should speak.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the old eunuch nodded.

"Right, has Fei-er's birthday banquet begun yet?" Yu Shenqing suddenly asked.

"As Your Majesty is still here, we dare not start the banquet yet…"

"I see. Tell her I will be heading over now…" Yu Shenqing said as he stood up from his throne. "Right, is that Zhang Xuan fellow here yet?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Zhang shi is currently seated in the main hall!"

"Has he caused any trouble yet?" Yu Shenqing asked with a frown.

"He has been sitting quietly ever since his arrival. He must be lying low, knowing that he is currently in the royal palace…"

The old eunuch knew that Shen Yuqing was interested in Zhang Xuan, so he had been keeping an eye out for his affairs.

"Good!" Shen Yuqing nodded. "Let's go over to take a look!"

Thus, he began making his way toward the main hall, where the banquet was held.

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