Chapter 908: The Cause of the Old Dean's Death

Upon returning to his residence, Zhang Xuan finally felt completely exhausted. From the time he went to find the Crimsonflame Fruit until now, nearly two days and two nights had passed, and he had barely rested. Taming so many spirit and saint beasts in Cloudmist Ridge had been particularly draining on his spirit. If not for his massive soul, he wouldn't have been able to endure it. Even so, as he relaxed, he felt intense throbbing pain in his head.

"Before the ruthless man fell into slumber, he refined the soul of the Azurehorn Dragon for me. Without its own consciousness, it would be perfect for restoring my damaged soul!" Exhaling, Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist, and a pure soul appeared before him. With a thought, his own shamanic soul left his body. He activated his cultivation technique and began to absorb the soul before him.

The pure soul of the Azurehorn Dragon transformed into a warm stream, nourishing his damaged shamanic soul, making it stronger, smoother, and more translucent. In a short time, his soul fully recovered and even grew stronger. Although the Azurehorn Dragon's soul was incomplete, it had reached Saint 5-dan, and its power was incredibly pure, far superior to even high-grade spirit stones.

"It's a pity I don't have the cultivation technique for the Cocoon Seal realm... otherwise, my shamanic soul could definitely advance further!" After absorbing for a while, feeling that he had reached saturation, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head and put the pure soul away.

Currently, his shamanic soul only had cultivation techniques up to Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, the Dimension Shatterer realm. The Cocoon Seal realm techniques hadn't been compiled yet, so even if he wanted to cultivate, he couldn't. Unless he increased the volume of his soul, but if he did that, he might face the same awkward situation as with the Purifying Lake, where his physical body and soul were mismatched, leading to a decrease in strength instead of an increase.

"It's a pity Cloudmist Ridge is a place for spirit beasts; there are no human cultivation techniques here. Otherwise, I could have attempted to break through to Half-Saint tonight..." The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast's storage ring contained all sorts of treasures, but no cultivation techniques. The cultivation techniques for spirit and saint beasts were different from those for humans, so even if they were kept, they would be useless, which is why none were stored. Otherwise, with all the techniques, and still some time until dawn, he could have certainly tried to break through to Half-Saint.

"Never mind. The succession ceremony is at dawn. Once I become the principal, I'll have free access to all the books. I can gather all the Half-Saint, Conferred Saint, and other remaining cultivation techniques then..." Exhaling, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Before, without cultivation techniques, he would certainly have left his body as a shamanic soul to search for them. But now that he had comprehended the Heart of a Teacher, and would officially become the principal tomorrow, there was no need to go through such trouble.

Just as he was about to rest, he heard Wei Ruyan's voice from outside the window, calling, "Teacher!"

"What is it?" Zhang Xuan frowned and walked out. Had she not brought herself to take revenge for her father?

"Teacher, just now, when I was about to execute You Xu, he revealed some matters concerning the Master Teacher Academy. I didn't dare to make a decision, so I came to report to you," Wei Ruyan said.

"What matters?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows furrowed. He had suspected You Xu before, and the incident with the poisoned Bodhi Tree made him realize it was even less straightforward. However, since You Xu was Wei Ruyan's enemy, it was natural for her to handle him. He hadn't expected her to actually extract some information.

"It seems to involve the true cause of the old principal's death..." Wei Ruyan's expression was solemn. "However, he didn't elaborate. I hope Teacher can go and question him personally!"

"Hmm," Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he hesitated for a moment. With a thought, the Violetleaf Beast appeared before him. This fellow used to be the old principal's tamed beast and was fiercely loyal to him. The cause of the old principal's death, no matter how unbelievable, had to be heard by it directly.

The two humans and one beast soon arrived at You Xu's courtyard. At this moment, You Xu's face was pale, as if he had seen a ghost, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"You poisoned him?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched at You Xu's appearance. As a master of poison, he could naturally tell that You Xu wasn't merely frightened; he was severely poisoned. Wei Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Soul Body, so it was easy for her to poison a Master Teacher whose cultivation had been sealed.

"Yes!" Wei Ruyan nodded. Although she didn't fully understand her own physique, she was well aware that she could poison people to death. Since this fellow was the murderer of her father, she naturally wouldn't let him off easily; she intended to torment him severely. She just hadn't expected him to break so quickly under torture and reveal secrets that shocked even her, which was why she hurried to find her teacher for a decision.

"Was that... wrong? Then next time... I won't dare!" Fearing her teacher would be angry, Wei Ruyan looked at him nervously.

"No, you did well!" Zhang Xuan smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Only by knowing one's strengths and being skilled at utilizing them was one qualified to be his student.

"Vice Principal You, we meet again. What exactly happened to the old principal? Speak up!" With a mental command, the Heaven's Mandate of a Teacher activated, and Zhang Xuan looked at him. His current Soul Depth had reached 21.1, comparable to a 7-star Master Teacher. Coupled with the Heart of a Teacher, he could easily make You Xu tell the truth.

"I was foolish for a moment!" You Xu's eyes gradually glazed over, and he couldn't help but speak. "Two years ago, the old principal gathered all the elders in the academy, saying that an ancient ruin had been discovered. This ruin might involve a huge secret, and they needed to investigate it. At that time, I and over twenty other elders received the order and went together! Who knew that shortly after entering the ruin, we encountered a spatial storm that scattered everyone. I fell into a folded space and was captured by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... They gave me a bottle of medicine and forced me to use it on the old principal and the others... I really didn't intend to harm anyone, but they placed a very powerful curse on me, so I was forced..." You Xu explained in detail, weeping profusely as he spoke.

"Was that the same poison you used to compete with me before?" Zhang Xuan's expression turned grim.

"Yes!" You Xu nodded.

"Despicable..." The Violetleaf Beast gnashed its teeth, its eyes red, its huge body trembling uncontrollably, on the verge of exploding with rage. Its old master had been so kind to it, and yet he had been poisoned to death! If not for this fellow, even if the ruin had genuinely been dangerous, it was unlikely that everyone would have been wiped out and never returned.

"As a Master Teacher, instead of protecting your own kind, you surrendered to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, aided evil, and slaughtered your companions. What face do you have left to live?" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed. He had personally experienced the poison You Xu used; without an antidote, it could easily kill even a peak Saint 1-dan expert. Although the old principal's strength was not weak, he hadn't reached Saint 2-dan. How could he have survived after being poisoned and then besieged by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? It could be said that You Xu was simply a disgrace to humanity and a stain on the Master Teacher lineage!

"Was the royal family's Saint Bodhi Tree also poisoned by you?" Zhang Xuan demanded, continuing his interrogation.

"Yes!" You Xu nodded.

"Why?" The Saint Bodhi Tree had nothing to do with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe; it was merely something the royal family used to enhance souls. Why did it have to be poisoned to death?

"I really don't know the specific reason. They just wanted me to do it. As long as I completed it, they would extend my lifespan by 50 years..." You Xu dared not conceal anything. He was already severely poisoned, his strength reduced to less than one percent, and now under the influence of Zhang Xuan's Heaven's Mandate of a Teacher, he quickly revealed everything he knew. You Xu's lifespan was nearing its end, and as he grew older, his fear of death intensified. After being captured by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they promised to extend his life, combined with various threats, which naturally led to his complete surrender. Although deep down, he knew what he was doing was wrong, he had strayed too far and could no longer turn back.

As for the ruin the old principal had gone to, You Xu had been captured by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe shortly after entering, so he couldn't explain the specifics. After questioning him for a while, no further details emerged. Poisoning the Bodhi Tree was done under orders; as a mere puppet, he wasn't privy to the exact reasons.

"Master, may I kill this human disgrace?" Seeing that the interrogation was complete, the Violetleaf Beast could no longer restrain itself and gnashed its teeth.

"He will certainly die, but with so many implications, he cannot die by our hands! I will have Master Mu take him back to the headquarters... Rest assured, the Master Teacher Pavilion's punishment for traitors is extremely severe. He will endure an experience more painful than death!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. If You Xu hadn't been involved in these matters, killing him would have been simple. But since it concerned the old principal's death and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he couldn't simply be executed on the spot. He definitely had to be reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters for them to handle.

"Alright!" The Violetleaf Beast nodded. Although it desperately wanted to kill the fellow, as the old principal's tamed beast, it knew many of the Master Teacher rules. Simply executing him would be too lenient for You Xu. Being sent to the headquarters, forever branded with dishonor, would be the greatest punishment.

"What do you think?" Zhang Xuan looked at Wei Ruyan.

"I'll follow Teacher's arrangements!" Wei Ruyan nodded.

"That's good then!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I'll contact Master Mu right away!" With that, he called Sun Qiang over and gave him instructions. Sun Qiang immediately left, and in less than ten minutes, Master Mu flew over and landed in the courtyard.

"Martial Uncle!" Master Mu clasped his fist upon seeing him.

"This You Xu betrayed humanity and conspired to harm the Master Teacher Academy's old principal. I hope you can take him back to the headquarters for interrogation!" Zhang Xuan said, pointing.

"Betrayed humanity?" Master Mu's pupils constricted. "Are you certain, Martial Uncle?" This was an enormous crime, especially for a Master Teacher. Once established, it would not only ruin their life but also lead to them being scorned by everyone.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Very well, I'll handle it immediately!" Master Mu knew he couldn't delay this matter. With a grab of his hand, he confined You Xu with zhenqi and lifted him. "I'll take him back to headquarters now. I might not be able to attend Martial Uncle's succession ceremony..." The principalship was already confirmed; the succession ceremony was merely a formality, so his attendance didn't matter. What was important was taking this human traitor back first.

"Go on!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Master Mu said no more. He shot up, flying straight into the distance, and soon disappeared into the night sky.