Chapter 734: Dead to the Bitch

That's right!

While Half-Saints or Lesser Saints might be hard to detect, even with him shielding his aura and sealing his acupoints, a Saint is a different story. Upon reaching this level, one can perfectly integrate with their surroundings, and every move carries an innate aura of power. Let alone merely hiding, even if buried under snow or underground, they could still be found. Saints' life forms have transcended the mundane, reaching a higher realm.

"You still found me!"

Realizing there was no point in hiding further, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, his body swayed, and he stood up. The other party must have noticed when his Eye of Insight fluctuated earlier. Since this creature and the flying spirit beast communicated in beast language, without fear of being overheard, it had remained patient. Only after their discussion concluded did it decide to reveal him.

"A new Master Teacher?" The Purple Sun Beast looked at him. Having reached the Saint realm, its life form had transformed, allowing it to speak human language.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded, knowing he couldn't play any tricks in front of the beast.

"To have reached the peak of the Bridging Heaven realm and found this place before even entering the academy is impressive. You're certainly among the top new students, if not the very best!" Upon discerning Zhang Xuan's cultivation, the Purple Sun Beast nodded.

"It's nothing," Zhang Xuan replied with a faint smile, his expression calm, but his foot pressed against the ground while his hand, hidden behind his back, seemed to be busy with something.

"Don't try any tricks in front of me... or I might lose my temper!"

"Temper?" Zhang Xuan shook his head, looking at the beast calmly. "Indeed," he replied, "I'm also afraid I might lose my temper and beat you to death!"

"What did you say?" The Purple Sun Beast froze, staring at the young man as if he were a monster. It was a Saint Beast! The other party was merely in the Bridging Heaven realm; it could crush him without even lifting a paw, simply by using its soul. Yet, he audaciously claimed he might lose his temper and beat it to death? Did he even know what kind of being he was speaking to? He had no idea of his place!

"Are you so confident?" The Purple Sun Beast's face turned ashen. It snorted, its gaze like a lightning bolt, ready to incinerate him at any moment.

"It's not confidence, but the truth," Zhang Xuan stated. "How about this: I'll give you a chance. Acknowledge me as your master, and I'll spare your life..." With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Xuan's expression remained calm.

"Only the ignorant are fearless. It seems you have no idea who you're speaking to! In that case, I shall make you pay for your insolence!" It had never imagined that an ant-like figure would dare to demand its submission, let alone threaten to spare its life! The Purple Sun Beast's face turned livid, its fur bristled, and with a roar, its massive paw suddenly shot forward.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, a massive palm formed from potent spiritual energy, seemingly blotting out the sky and descending from above. It felt as if an entire mountain peak could be obliterated by its mere thought. While Saint Beasts might not cultivate *zhenqi*, at this level, they possess the ability to move mountains and drain oceans. Every action they take carries inherent power; destroying a mountain peak is trivial, let alone obliterating a kingdom of the caliber of the Tianxuan Kingdom from the map. Thus, before the palm even landed, the accumulated snow on the ground melted away, creating a sensation akin to a mountain plummeting or a meteor striking the earth.

"Seeking death? I think *you* are seeking death..."

Facing such a powerful strike, Zhang Xuan didn't dodge. Instead, he smiled faintly, clapped his hands together, and commanded, "Ruthless One, finish him off!" Though his opponent was a Saint, Zhang Xuan was not without his own trump cards. He had obtained over twenty puppets from the underground palace, each possessing the strength of a Saint. Beating a Saint Beast that was only a first-stage Saint should not be difficult! What's more, he held a formidable entity that claimed to have fought with Confucius himself... the 'Ruthless One'! Although this entity was trapped within the Book of the Heaven's Path and unable to move freely, its power was undeniable. Forget a single Purple Sun Beast; even ten wouldn't be enough to stand against it!

Boom!

As he clapped, a book abruptly appeared in the air, and a pulsating heart emerged from its pages.

"Shatter!" A voice rang out.

Crash!

As if words themselves commanded reality, or the voice of heaven had spoken, the palm strike unleashed by the Purple Sun Beast instantly shattered like glass, dissolving into wisps of spiritual energy and vanishing into thin air.

"What..." Witnessing the young man's magical treasure shatter its attack with just a single word, the Purple Sun Beast's pupils constricted, and it nearly fainted from shock. It was a peak first-stage Saint, whose true power was among the highest in the entire Hongyuan Empire! It had believed that dealing with a mere Bridging Heaven realm youth would be effortless, never dreaming that the opponent's treasure could shatter an attack with a single word and command the very world!

"Run!"

A powerful sense of danger surged within it. Without hesitation, the Purple Sun Beast leaped, shooting straight into the sky. As a Saint Beast, it could fly despite lacking wings. Though the young man before it wasn't particularly strong, the magical treasure in his hand was simply too powerful. Continuing to fight would surely result in defeat, so fleeing was the better option.

"With me here, you think you can escape? Dream on!" It had barely flown a few dozen meters when a faint voice sounded, followed by a dense aura of slaughter that surged directly into its mind, making its vision go black.

"Spirit Demon Race..." Its pupils constricted, and the energy within its body immediately scattered. The Purple Sun Beast's body swayed and it plummeted straight from the sky, landing with a "thud" headfirst into a snowdrift.

"Little Ruthless," he praised, "not bad at all! You weren't boasting after all!" He hadn't expected the 'Ruthless One' to be so formidable; a single word shattered the beast's attack, and a mere thought sent the Purple Sun Beast plummeting from the sky. Zhang Xuan contentedly stroked the heart embedded in the book's pages.

"..." The 'Ruthless One' twitched, unable to utter a single word.

Witnessing this scene, the Purple Sun Beast, lying on the ground, nearly vomited blood. Though it didn't know exactly what was sealed within the book's pages, it was certain that it was an entity standing at the absolute peak of power. It had initially assumed it was the young man's master or guardian, but it never would have dreamed... that he would simply pat and stroke it as if it were a pet dog! Are you kidding me? Who is this guy?

"That heart belongs to an expert of the Spirit Demon Race. Could it be... this young man is a member of the Spirit Demon Race, trying to infiltrate the Master Teacher Academy?" A sudden thought chilled it to the bone. According to legend, members of the Spirit Demon Royal Family could not only disguise themselves as humans but also as Master Teachers, undetectable to others. Years ago, one such individual successfully infiltrated, acquired vital secrets, and nearly brought about the downfall of the Master Teacher Pavilion! Had it not been for Confucius's timely discovery and his efforts to turn the tide, it might have been humanity, not the Spirit Demon Race, that suffered defeat! This person before it looked no different from a human, and he was capable of becoming a Master Teacher to infiltrate. Could he truly be a Spirit Demon King? Otherwise, how could he treat such a powerful expert like a pet dog?

"I will kill you..." The Purple Sun Beast's eyes immediately turned bloodshot. If its guess was true, this individual absolutely could not be allowed to infiltrate the Master Teacher Academy. Otherwise, the entire academy would suffer a devastating blow, and even humanity itself would face ruin! It slammed a paw onto the ground, and its massive body immediately charged towards Zhang Xuan. A powerful aura, like a sharp sword, seemed intent on obliterating him.

"Lie down!" The 'Ruthless One' inside the book, who had been feeling frustrated and planning to find an opportunity to negotiate his release, saw the massive beast charging again. He erupted in anger, letting out a furious roar. "Do you think I can't keep you in line? You dare to attack even a Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher who can control the Heavenly Dao? What gall!"

Boom!

Accompanying his roar, the Spirit Demon Race's unique aura of slaughter once again pierced the beast's mind. The Purple Sun Beast, like a swatted fly, immediately crashed to the ground and skidded forward. Though his current power was vastly inferior to his peak, dealing with a mere first-stage Saint beast like this was effortless, no more trouble than swatting a mosquito.

"I will kill you..." Lying on the ground, suppressed by an immense force and unable to move, the Purple Sun Beast glared at Zhang Xuan, its eyes blood-red, roaring in furious resentment.

"You want to kill me so badly?" Seeing the beast's determined attitude, Zhang Xuan was momentarily speechless. This minion of the Spirit Demon Race was truly arrogant! It probably saw his talent and wanted to eliminate him to prevent future problems.

"Indeed! If I don't kill you, I won't rest in peace, even in death..." the Purple Sun Beast roared.

"Alright..." Hearing such words, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers, pointed forward, and commanded, "All of you, go get him!"

Whoosh!

From the surrounding snow, over twenty puppets instantly burst forth. Earlier, when his foot pressed against the ground and his hand was behind his back, he had hidden the storage ring containing the puppets underground, waiting for this moment. Since this beast was so intent on killing him, there was no need for politeness.

"Roar!" Receiving their command, the numerous puppets roared in unison and charged forward. One puppet was first to arrive, delivering a kick to the Purple Sun Beast's face that sent it flying. Before the beast could even react, another puppet, already positioned behind it, delivered a punch.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The Purple Sun Beast was sent careening back and forth, its face bruised and swollen, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood.

"Spirit Demon puppets? So he really is a Spirit Demon King... Damnable, damnable!" To have a Spirit Demon expert's will protecting him, and to command so many Spirit Demon puppets—if he isn't a high-ranking figure of the Spirit Demon Race, then what is he? It regretted not realizing it sooner and striking him down immediately. Now, it was too late... With over twenty first-stage Saint puppets, whose attacks bypassed defenses, assailing it simultaneously, let alone itself, even second or third-stage Saints would only have escape as an option! What's more, it was currently struck by the heart's aura of slaughter, rendering it unable to move! After countless punches and kicks, the Purple Sun Beast's vision blurred, and it felt its head was about to explode.

"Do you surrender? Acknowledge me as your master now, and I'll spare your life!" the young man's calm voice suddenly sounded.