Chapter 973: Believe Zhang Xuan

“Principal of the Master Teacher Academy?”

A jolt!

Upon hearing that a human, and a principal at that, had infiltrated their ranks and was impersonating one of their kind, King Qingye and King Jinye's expressions darkened simultaneously. Their power immediately erupted, like hunting eagles, ready to strike at any moment.

They had already suspected the man's identity. If he truly was a Master Teacher, there was no question: he had to be killed immediately.

“Yes, I am Principal Zhang, and they are also preparing to deal with me. You can believe me now, right? Aren't you going to tell them that matter? Do you really intend to take the secret to your grave?” Zhang Xuan turned to Principal Lu Feng and said, ignoring the two who were ready to strike at any moment.

“That matter?” Lu Feng was stunned. This fellow had only said he would rescue them since he arrived; he hadn't mentioned any 'matter'!

“Let me introduce you!” Seeing his bewildered expression, Zhang Xuan ignored him, turned to King Qingye and King Jinye, and smiled: “This is the acting principal of the Master Teacher Academy, Lu Feng, a half-step 7-star Master Teacher…”

“Acting principal?” King Qingye and the other exchanged glances, frowning again.

“That's right, I am Lu Feng. Kill me if you wish, but if you think you'll learn anything from me, you're dreaming!” Lu Feng stood tall, head held high, radiating righteousness.

“How did an acting principal of the Master Teacher Academy end up here?” King Qingye and the other asked, perplexed.

“Kill you? Why would I kill you? I'm here to save you! Didn't I tell you, I'm really your principal, please believe me…” Zhang Xuan said with a sincere expression.

“Haha! Indeed, I can testify, he is your principal!”

“I can also testify. We suspected his identity just now, and now it's confirmed…”

King Qingye and King Jinye exchanged glances, understood simultaneously, and burst into laughter.

They had long heard of Master Teachers' unwavering resolve to die rather than surrender. They figured this tribesman was impersonating their principal, trying to gain trust to extract more secrets.

Principal of the Academy? Nonsense! Could a principal look like *that*? Possess such pure killing intent? What a joke! Principals are incredibly valuable; how could one possibly run into a dungeon, let alone come here? Wouldn't that be seeking death? Most importantly, this Lu Feng was a dignified acting principal, a man of such integrity. How could he possibly betray his superior? And even deliberately reveal his identity to them? Clearly, he was trying to sow discord between them and create conflict. Did he think such a petty trick could deceive them? How naive! They were kings; to think such a small ploy could fool them was laughable!

“See, they've testified for me too…” Hearing the two say this, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. Given the situation just now, no matter how he explained it, the other party definitely wouldn't believe him. Rather than trying, it was better to simply admit it. This way, it would only make the other party more suspicious, prompting them to... fill in the blanks themselves. Lu Feng's identity was particularly sensitive, and combining the two could certainly lead them to some wild speculations for a while. It seemed the effect was quite good.

“Hmph, for me to believe you, you're dreaming…” Unaware that he had been used to resolve the crisis, Lu Feng still gritted his teeth in anger.

“Oh, I've already revealed my identity, yet you refuse to believe me. Why are you so stubborn…” Zhang Xuan gave a wry smile and made a helpless gesture to the two kings not far away.

“In my opinion, why bother trying to be friendly with him? Just put him directly over a fire, barbecue him until his skin cracks and flesh tears, then throw him into an ice hole, repeat a few times. I don't believe he won't talk!” King Qingye raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly.

“Indeed, such a wretch deserves severe punishment. 'Integrity,' 'moral courage'—to me, it's all fake. Torture him brutally for a few days, and I believe he'll obediently confess everything!” King Jinye also nodded.

“Hmm, if absolutely necessary, I'll use the methods you suggested…” Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed as he said, “However, I have other methods to use right now! You two should leave for now…”

“Alright!” King Qingye and King Jinye nodded simultaneously and retreated.

Creak!

The door closed, leaving Zhang Xuan and the many Master Teachers once more.

“Kill us if you want, dismember us if you want. But if you think you'll extract any secrets from us, there's no chance!”

“Exactly, we've lived long enough anyway. At worst, we'll die!”

“To make us Master Teachers surrender to you Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen? You're dreaming.”

Seeing Zhang Xuan prepare to interrogate them, the Master Teachers stiffened their necks, each displaying proud integrity. Master Teachers can die, but they cannot surrender! This was the principle they upheld in their hearts, and the dignity of their lives.

Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan shook his head. While the Master Teachers' actions were indeed beyond reproach, he was genuinely here to save them! He hesitated, then sighed: “I know you all don't believe me, but remaining here will only lead to one outcome: either death or interrogation that makes life worse than death. If you follow me, I will take you out of here. As for whether I am Zhang Xuan, or the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, we can discuss that in detail once we've left this place!”

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, so different from the ferocity of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen, the Master Teachers exchanged glances, each filled with doubt.

“If I wanted to kill you, in your current state, who could stop me? As for interrogating you, I'm already the principal... what secrets could you possibly have that would be worth this much trouble for me?” Seeing their resolve waver, Zhang Xuan continued.

“This…” The crowd was speechless. Even Lu Feng, who had always been hostile, opened his mouth several times but no sound came out. The other party was right. If he truly wanted to kill them, he wouldn't need to waste so much breath. If he wanted information, he would have simply interrogated them directly. Since neither was the case, could he really be here to save them?

“If you don't believe me, you should at least recognize this!” Seeing their minds waver, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, a token appeared in his palm.

The Principal's Token!

“This is a perfect-grade Principal's Token, how is that possible…” Seeing the token, Lu Feng couldn't help but stare in disbelief. As the acting principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he was very familiar with the token's grades. One that had reached the perfect-grade signified the approval of all teachers and students. Such a thing had never appeared in history; how could it be?

“Perfect-grade Principal's Token? What does that mean?” The others, not quite understanding, all looked over simultaneously.

“It's…” After a moment of hesitation, Lu Feng explained the situation.

“A Principal's Token that has gained the approval of *all* teachers and students of the Master Teacher Academy?”

“If he possesses this, it means he truly is the Principal of the Master Teacher Academy. Even many ancestors and countless teachers and students believe him, so why shouldn't we?”

“Could it be that he killed Principal Zhang Xuan and seized the token?”

“That's impossible. The Principal's Token is formed from the collective will of all teachers and students. If the principal were killed, the will would dissipate, and it might even backfire!”

After hearing the explanation, everyone looked at Zhang Xuan simultaneously. Although they still had many doubts about him, their hearts were no longer as resistant.

“Time waits for no one, and I can't explain any further. If you believe me, don't resist, and I'll take you out of here!”

Seeing that the crowd's hostility had lessened, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and continued: “We only have one chance. Only by surviving can we kill more Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen and protect humanity. Dying bravely here will not only be useless but will also become sustenance for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen. If things go wrong, your blood might even be used as a catalyst to summon more of them!”

“This…” Hearing his words, everyone's expressions turned grim. He was right. They had overheard the previous conversation: the reason they weren't killed was that they were intended as sacrifices to break a seal and summon more powerful Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen. If they couldn't escape, this would indeed be the outcome. Far from being a righteous sacrifice, it would lead to harm for many more.

“How do we escape? Tell us, we'll listen to you!” An elderly Master Teacher spoke up.

“Even if you're deceiving us, it's better than staying here. Tell us!” The other Master Teachers also nodded simultaneously.

“Alright, what I need you to do is very simple: don't resist now. I will take you into a folded space,” Zhang Xuan said. He had already planned how to escape. With this group of the old, weak, and injured, secretly leaving without alerting the Otherworldly Demonic Tribesmen was utterly impossible. The only way was to put them into the Myriad Ants' Nest, and then he would figure out his own escape.

“Alright!” Hearing that he would take them into a folded space, everyone looked bewildered, then nodded simultaneously. This was indeed the best method.

“Alright, everyone come in!” With a flick of his wrist, he took out the Myriad Ants' Nest. Zhang Xuan's consciousness spread, enveloping everyone within. Understanding the current situation, everyone relaxed their minds, without a trace of resistance. With a soft hum, the thirty or forty Master Teachers in the room all vanished, having entered the nest.

After storing the nest in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. These Master Teachers seemed somewhat stubborn, but they were all dedicated to humanity, truly admirable, and had to be saved no matter what.

“Now, how do I get out?” With everyone placed inside the nest, his next task was to figure out his own escape. Looking out the window, he saw that the two kings were indeed guarding outside. Not only that, but many large formations had also been set up around the area. As soon as he stepped out, if he couldn't explain himself, he would very likely be ambushed.

“Just now, I could still talk my way out of it, create confusion. But now that I've taken everyone, any explanation will definitely be useless. Once I go out, I'm highly likely to be ambushed!” Zhang Xuan rubbed his temples. With everyone gone, no matter how he explained it, the other party definitely wouldn't believe him. The only thing he could do now was escape, but… how?

“The only way is to continue using my Witch Soul!” With a raised eyebrow, Zhang Xuan made a decision. To escape unnoticed, without anyone knowing, he could only use his Witch Soul. After much thought, weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Xuan no longer hesitated. He sat cross-legged on the ground, and with a mental command, his Witch Soul left his body. He then put his physical body into his storage ring. His soul, carrying the ring, quietly walked towards the main door.

Now, just like back in Cloudmist Ridge, he could only use his Witch Soul's intangible and insubstantial nature to escape unnoticed. As for whether he would succeed, he could only take a gamble!