Chapter 626: Hong Shi's Conditions

"Severely weakened? Injured? Injured, my foot! Was that a 'battle' you just had with Master Feng? It looked more like a brutal beating to me! You weren't even moving or breathing heavily, so how could your vitality be severely damaged, making you unable to fight for the next ten years? The one who's truly damaged is Master Feng, lying on the ground, isn't he? Look at him... he's starting to roll his eyes. And you? After beating him up, you look refreshed and so happy your grin stretches from ear to ear!"

"Whether I'm injured or not, we both know the truth in our hearts. Just tell me, do you dare to accept the challenge or not?" The more he thought about it, the angrier Master Luo Zhao became, and he roared through gritted teeth.

"If you truly disregard the ethics and dignity of a Master Teacher and wish to take advantage of my supposed weakness, then I have no objection to accepting. However, I will set the rules for the match." Master Hong glanced over indifferently. "Each of us will have a flying spirit beast, and we'll fight at an altitude of at least a thousand meters. Do you dare... or don't you?"

"You..." Luo Zhao staggered. Aerial combat? The scenes he had just witnessed from the recording jade crystal were still vivid in his mind. If he truly fought this guy in the air, he'd probably end up like Master Feng, lying on the ground, falling almost to his death, and then... getting rushed and beaten again. Forget teaching the other party a lesson; it was doubtful if he would even survive.

"Don't dare?" Master Hong glanced over, his eyes full of disdain. "If you don't dare, then don't issue challenges! For a dignified Master Teacher to challenge an injured person and then not even dare to accept a counter-challenge, it's disgraceful!"

Luo Zhao's face flushed crimson, and he was so enraged he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Master Hong used to seem quite normal; how had he become so utterly shameless?

"Alright, since you don't want to challenge, I won't bother pursuing the matter further. My reason for coming to see you today is simple: you intercepted me in mid-air, undermining fairness and impartiality. This matter demands an explanation!" Master Hong snorted and continued.

His purpose in coming here was to demand an explanation. Now that Feng Yu had been beaten, his anger had subsided by more than half. He wondered if he could still reclaim some justice.

Originally, after settling everyone, he had planned to come directly, but Master Zhang had called him aside for a chat. Now, it seemed Master Zhang's method was indeed effective. Otherwise, with his initial plan of rushing over, unleashing a torrent of abuse, and then leaving, not only would the opponents fail to learn their lesson, but his own anger wouldn't dissipate either. In fact, if they had ganged up, he might even have suffered a loss. But now, by immediately asserting the moral high ground of a Master Teacher's challenge, he had silenced them, and by proposing a fight on flying spirit beasts, he had made them afraid to accept. Even if they wanted to retaliate, they were now at a disadvantage.

"An explanation? You still want an explanation?" Luo Zhao and the other Master Teacher exchanged glances, almost dying of exasperation. "You just arrived and beat Master Feng until he was nearly unconscious, and you still demand an explanation from us?"

"It's simple. For using despicable means to obstruct us, you must provide compensation! How about this: I won't ask for too much, just 500 mid-grade spirit stones. Then, this matter will be considered settled, and I won't report it to my teacher or His Majesty. Otherwise, I will certainly blow this matter up and let everyone judge for themselves!" Master Hong waved his hand.

He was full of confidence. After all, Master Zhang was Hall Master Mo of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Hall, a figure important enough that Hall Master Mo was willing to offer high-grade spirit stones to befriend. If this matter wasn't escalated, it would be fine, but once it was, these three individuals would certainly be punished.

"500... mid-grade spirit stones?" Both men swayed. Although they were five-star Master Teachers, they didn't have many mid-grade spirit stones on hand. Being able to produce one or two hundred was already a lot. Demanding 500 in one go... it was practically robbery!

However, they were indeed in the wrong regarding this matter. According to their initial plan, this fellow would be trapped for a day, lose all three spots, and then surely be too ashamed to show his face, turning around and leaving. Even if he spoke out, they could simply say he wasn't capable enough... Who would have thought he'd come here completely unfazed, seizing the moral high ground, making it impossible for them to refuse? They were so frustrated they felt like spitting blood.

"We did act a bit rashly in this matter, but Hong Qian, you shouldn't be so unforgiving just because you have the upper hand. Besides, we didn't actually do anything to you, did we? It's best to leave a little room for maneuver; it makes future interactions easier. There's no need to be so extreme!" Luo Zhao flicked his sleeve.

"Exactly! We are all five-star Master Teachers, respected figures. You've already beaten and pummeled him, what else do you want? Are you trying to extort us now?" The second elder's face also flushed red with anger.

"Why don't you want to pay? Or can you not afford it?" Master Hong asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Hmph, mid-grade spirit stones are precious to us five-star Master Teachers. 500 of them—can you produce that many all at once?" Luo Zhao scoffed.

"If you can't produce them, that's fine too. I hear the Crown Prince is hosting a banquet tonight to discuss how to resolve the issue of the three spots. Since you arrived in the imperial capital so early, you must have already thoroughly investigated how it will be handled, right? Just tell me the solution, the countermeasures you've discussed, and this matter will be dropped!" Master Hong waved his hand.

500 mid-grade spirit stones were an impossible sum for five-star Master Teachers to produce; it was merely a tactic of demanding a high price to allow room for negotiation. The immediate priority was to learn how the Crown Prince planned to resolve the issue of the three spots, so they could prepare in advance and avoid being flustered.

"This..." Luo Zhao and the other elder exchanged a glance and shook their heads simultaneously.

"The Crown Prince holds a highly esteemed position. How the selection will be conducted hasn't been revealed beforehand; we truly don't know..." "If we had known what the assessment entailed in advance and had a plan, we wouldn't have resorted to such a poor strategy as obstructing you."

"You don't know?" Master Hong frowned.

"That's right!" Luo Zhao responded.

Seeing them say this, Master Hong shook his head helplessly. He supposed they were right; if the other party had known the rules and prepared in advance, there would have been no need for such a desperate measure as actively intercepting them, thus giving him leverage.

"Alright then, I don't know what the Crown Prince will be testing, but... I can tell you in advance about Princess Fei'er and the four spots. We only found out about this after a long time of inquiry." Luo Zhao hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Good. As long as you tell me, the previous matter will be completely wiped clean!" Master Hong nodded.

Master Zhang and the others would eventually go to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Since Princess Fei'er was from the academy, knowing some information in advance and building a good relationship would be beneficial for handling future situations.

"Yes, Princess Fei'er is the Sixth Princess of the Hongyuan Empire. Despite her young age, she was found to possess extraordinary talent for Master Teachers. This year, at twenty-four, she has already successfully passed the five-star Master Teacher assessment!" Luo Zhao stated.

"Twenty-four... a five-star Master Teacher?" Master Hong's pupils contracted.

To become a five-star Master Teacher, understanding the difficulty of that rank, it wasn't just a matter of having Master Teacher talent. One also needed to master at least five professions, all studied to the five-star level. He had taken over 160 years to achieve that, and the other party was twenty-four... It was hard to believe without hearing it with his own ears.

"Such talent... perhaps only Master Zhang could compare with her!" He sighed with emotion, a wry smile on his face. Undeniably, true geniuses were indeed beyond the comprehension of people like him.

"Yes, it's precisely because of this that Crown Prince Ye proactively sought her acquaintance and had His Majesty offer four spots!" Luo Zhao nodded. When he first learned this news, he too was greatly shocked. Had his mental fortitude not been exceptionally strong, he might have been paralyzed with fear. A twenty-four-year-old five-star Master Teacher... it was something previously unimaginable.

"Princess Fei'er is only one person; why would she need four spots?" Master Hong looked over. He had wanted to ask Zhuang Qin earlier, but unfortunately, Zhuang Qin's status was too low to inquire about such matters, so asking would have been pointless, and he had remained silent. Now that the other party was willing to speak, it was a good opportunity to get a clear answer.

"The princess is indeed one person, but she has a friend and two classmates from the Master Teacher Academy with her. It seems they are here in Qingji Mountain to carry out some mission, which is why they were invited by the Crown Prince. Otherwise, how could a princess of the Hongyuan Empire deign to come all the way here?" Luo Zhao explained.

Master Hong nodded. The Hongyuan First-tier Empire was considered a major power on the Master Teacher Continent, governing hundreds of second-tier empires the size of the Phantom Feather Empire. Unless there was a special circumstance, how could they condescend to come here? Even if the Soul Cleansing Pool was miraculous, its effects were only useful for the souls of Spirit-Integration Realm and Heaven-Bridge Realm experts. Such effects, in a resource-rich nation like a first-tier empire, could be entirely replaced by numerous treasures. There would be no need to travel an unknown distance and exert such effort to come here.

"Have you managed to find out the names and identities of these individuals?" Master Hong continued to ask.

"Princess Fei'er's friend is called Luo Qiqi. She is said to be a princess from a first-tier kingdom as well. As for her specific identity, she didn't reveal it, and we have no authority to investigate. However, her Master Teacher rank seems to be no less than Princess Fei'er's, and her cultivation is even superior. From my estimation, the few of us combined probably wouldn't be a match for her!" Luo Zhao revealed a solemn expression.

Although he had only met Luo Qiqi once, he could still discern that her strength was unfathomable. At the very least, she was someone he could not contend with.

"As for the remaining two, they are male classmates of the princess. Their cultivation and strength are also considerable, no weaker than the princess. Most importantly, they both have the aura of noble descendants, so if I'm not mistaken, their backgrounds are also not simple. As for their names..." Luo Zhao thought for a moment. "One is called Xing Yuan, and the other seems to be named Wu Zhen... I don't know the specific details beyond that!"

"Luo Qiqi, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen?" Master Hong nodded.

Coming from a Master Teacher Academy, they were certainly Master Teachers. Being classmates with Princess Fei'er meant they should all be at the five-star level. As students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, sent out to complete some mission, these individuals' future achievements were undoubtedly limitless. The Phantom Feather Empire naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity to form connections. No wonder Crown Prince Ye was so enthusiastic.

"Oh, and by the way, Princess Fei'er has a rather bad temper, and Luo Qiqi is extremely aloof. If you encounter them, it's best not to offend them. Otherwise, even the Phantom Feather Empire might not be able to bear the consequences!" Remembering something, Luo Zhao hastily cautioned.

"Offend them? Don't worry, we won't encounter them, so we certainly won't offend them!" Master Hong smiled, his face sincere. "We're all honest folks!"