Chapter 1107: Luo Ruoxi's Identity

Wu Shi's minor in alchemy was quite skilled, and it wasn't long before he successfully refined the Discontinuation Pill.

It was unclear whether it was due to his improved cultivation or the exceptional age of the Discontinuation Grass, but this time, a total of five pills were successfully refined in a single batch.

Dean Tan Qing took three pills, and only then did his previously severed limbs fully recover, allowing him to walk again.

Approaching Zhang Yinqiu, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a Humanoid Beast puppet appeared before him.

Although he was currently just a soul, having been exposed to the sacred light for so long, it had become incredibly resilient. While not comparable to a Primordial Spirit, it could still survive for a very long time.

All he needed was to refine a new body, and living like a clone would pose no problem.

"Is this... a Humanoid Beast puppet?"

Upon seeing its appearance clearly, Zhang Yinqiu shook his head.

He had spent his entire life fighting against the Humanoid Beasts; it was absolutely impossible for him to enter such a puppet.

"This was something Master Wu Yangzi forcefully refined after he was captured, using the body of a Humanoid Beast... it contains his most exquisite craftsmanship!" Zhang Xuan explained, knowing that the person before him held Master Wu Yangzi in the highest esteem.

"The Master... personally refined this?" Zhang Yinqiu's pupils contracted, and he quickly looked over.

His admiration for Senior Wu Yangzi came from the heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to find this relic.

After carefully examining it for a while, he couldn't help but praise it. However, in the end, he still shook his head. "No matter what, I am a true Master Teacher. To live by relying on a Humanoid Beast's body... I simply cannot do it!"

"Master... you're not dead!"

Just as he was about to continue refusing Master Zhang's kind offer, a voice filled with excitement rang out.

Looking up, he saw a huge ape-shaped sacred beast standing not far away, its eyes moist, rushing straight towards him.

"Ziyang..."

Seeing the other party's appearance clearly, Zhang Yinqiu's eyes also reddened, and he stepped forward.

It was indeed his beast pet, the Ziyang Beast!

Master and beast had thought they were long separated by death, but never expected to see each other again.

"Master, I missed you so much..."

Because of its height, the Ziyang Beast knelt on the ground, hugging Zhang Yinqiu, tears streaming down its face, no longer resembling the dignified Guardian of Hongyuan.

"It seems that although he submitted to me, his deepest loyalty is still to the old dean..." Zhang Xuan gave a wry smile, seeing the sight of the man and beast.

He had thought that after spending so much time together, he could already replace the other, but now it seemed he was still far from it.

With a flick of his finger, the soul that the other party had previously sacrificed flew out and went straight back towards the Ziyang Beast.

"Dean..." Feeling its soul restored, the Ziyang Beast quickly turned to look at the young man before him, unable to believe it.

"From now on, you are free, and still the old dean's beast pet..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

Truth be told, with his current strength, the Ziyang Beast staying by his side held no real significance. Rather than that, it would be better to let it do what it most wanted: to continue following Zhang Yinqiu.

"Thank you, Master..." The Ziyang Beast bowed several times to Zhang Xuan, its eyes filled with gratitude.

If it weren't for him, it would certainly never have had the chance to see the old dean again.

"Master Zhang, I've made up my mind. I'll enter this puppet first. Before, I had no attachments, and with you in charge of the academy, it will surely be even more glorious. Instead of clinging to life, it would be better to die..." At this point, the old dean smiled and looked at the sacred beast before him. "Now... seeing it, I want to continue living!"

He had no wife or children, only the academy. Now that there was a new dean, he had originally thought it didn't matter if he lived or died. But seeing the Ziyang Beast and its attachment to him, he knew that only by living on could he do more.

People live not just for themselves; sometimes, they live for others too.

"Alright!" Hearing his agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded. With a grab of his palm, a special energy spread out, sending him into the puppet.

A moment later, the puppet opened its eyes.

Although this Humanoid Beast puppet wasn't particularly good-looking, it was a genuine Saint 3-dan powerhouse. If his soul fused with it, his strength would also greatly improve.

After taking care of the old dean and Tan Qing, Zhang Xuan then led everyone back to the seal outside the Conferred Saint Hall.

With a flick of his finger, a crystal appeared, and with a light swipe on it, a passage opened in the seal that had previously prevented their departure.

"Let's go!"

The crowd filed out and soon gathered with Master Mu, Feng Xun, and others who had remained behind.

Seeing them return safely, and having brought back Tan Qing, Ji Yan, and others, there was a burst of joyous cheering.

With their objective completed, and without much delay, he once again raised the crystal, and its light enveloped everyone.

The next moment, everyone was back above the volcano on Yanlin Mountain.

"Everyone," Zhang Xuan announced, "these are the storage rings obtained from killing various kings along the way, as well as the treasures we acquired. Before, inside the relic, it was uncertain if we could get out, so we couldn't properly distribute them. Now that we're out, everyone will get a share!"

Seeing that they were back in their original location, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and gave a light smile. Innumerable treasures immediately appeared on the ground.

These were all the treasures obtained from killing King Hongye, King Yuye, King Tianye, and others, as well as all the treasures found within the relic.

Although precious, these treasures were obtained through everyone's combined effort. Before, inside the relic, it was uncertain if they could get out, so him holding onto them wasn't a big deal, but now they had to be distributed.

"This..."

"Master Zhang," someone said, "the credit for killing King Tianye and the others belongs solely to you; it has nothing to do with us..."

They hadn't expected him to bring out all these treasures. Everyone was stunned and deeply moved.

In truth, the killing of the various kings was all thanks to the person before them. They hadn't done much and were getting benefits for no reason, which made them feel a bit uneasy.

"When we entered the relic, we were one unit," Zhang Xuan smiled. "Without you all, I might not have survived until now. Please don't decline..."

Having become a Heavenly Acknowledged Saint, his mindset had also changed.

Although these treasures were precious, if they could help more people improve their strength, they would definitely be more useful than if he used them alone.

"Alright," they said, "then we shall respectfully obey..."

Seeing his resolute attitude, everyone no longer declined and distributed the many treasures, each person receiving abundant gains.

After distributing the items, Zhang Xuan still had quite a bit left. However, these treasures were already of little use to him; his greatest gain was refining the entire Qiuwu Palace!

With a gentle twist of the crystal in his hand, the folded space within the relic imperceptibly attached itself to the map on the surface of the crystal ball. From afar, it looked like a carved scroll painting.

After distributing the many treasures, Wu Shi and President Han walked over. "Master Zhang," Wu Shi said, "now that the matter of the relic is concluded, we won't be returning to the academy; we'll head straight back to Qingyuan Empire..."

"Understood!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Going back to the academy from here and then to Qingyuan Empire would clearly be a detour; it would be better to leave from here, saving at least two or three days of travel.

"Before we leave," Wu Shi transmitted, "I'd like to have a private word with you, if that's alright?"

"Understood!" Zhang Xuan made a gesture with his palm, setting up a seal around them, then looked at the two before him. "What is it that requires us to avoid others?"

"It's nothing serious, actually," Wu Shi said, looking at President Han. "It's just... there's something we'd like to advise Master Zhang on!"

They exchanged glances, and then Wu Shi and President Han looked at him.

"Advise?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

What exactly was it that these two were being so mysterious about and wanted to advise him on?

"I'll be direct," Wu Shi said after a moment of thought. "From our observations these past few days, Master Zhang seems to want to pursue Master Luo as a companion, doesn't he?"

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan smiled, not denying it.

There was nothing to hide about love between a man and a woman. Moreover, this was the only woman he loved, the person he wanted to spend his life with.

"Then... do you know Master Luo's true identity and background?" Wu Shi couldn't help but ask.

"This... it should be related to the Luo Clan of the Saintly Clans, right?" Zhang Xuan said after a pause.

"That's right," Wu Shi said with a grave expression, voicing his speculation. "It is related to the Luo Clan of the Saintly Clans. If we're not mistaken, she is very likely the young princess of the Luo Clan!"

"Young princess?" Zhang Xuan was startled.

"Yes," Wu Shi continued, "this young princess possesses an extremely pure bloodline, and her talent is unparalleled. Most importantly, she inherited the Luo Clan's supreme artifact, the Still Empty Pearl..." Wu Shi paused. "The Saintly Clans are extremely strict regarding their bloodlines, and their control is extremely stringent. Furthermore, she also controls the clan's most important treasure. Under normal circumstances, it's impossible for her to marry an outsider!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned. "If she doesn't marry an outsider, does that mean she'll stay in the clan forever?"

"For ordinary bloodlines, marrying isn't an issue, but for one so pure... it's difficult!" Wu Shi shook his head. "Moreover, even if she does marry, it will likely be an intermarriage between Saintly Clans!"

"Intermarriage?"

"That's right," Wu Shi confirmed. "The cultivation techniques within the Saintly Clans are not allowed to be leaked. Marrying someone with an equally pure bloodline makes it more likely to produce even stronger geniuses. Therefore, if you truly want to become companions with her, I'm afraid it will be fraught with difficulties; it won't be that easy!" Wu Shi said after a moment of hesitation.

He wasn't trying to obstruct the two of them, but rather wanted to give the young man before him a heads-up.

Women from Saintly Clans are not so easily married off.

"The most crucial point is..." President Han continued, "I heard that the Luo Clan has already formed an intermarriage with an extremely powerful Saintly Clan! It's precisely because of this that the young princess was unhappy and escaped. Now, no one knows where she went..."

After previously guessing Luo Ruoxi's identity, these legends surfaced in their minds, making them feel a sense of caution.

If the young man before them truly wanted to be with Luo Ruoxi, he might not only offend the Luo Clan but also another major clan.

They had gone through life and death together; since they knew these things, they naturally couldn't let him remain in the dark.

"An intermarriage with a major clan? Which clan?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

"The same surname as you!" Wu Shi paused. "The Saintly Clan, the Zhang Clan!"