Chapter 26 The Principal's Wrath

Now let us turn to the adversaries of Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang: Boka, An, Qian, and Yao She. Because of a strange flash of light emanating from within Han Tianyue, An was blinded, leaving Boka, Qian, and Yao She with no choice but to watch helplessly as Han Tianyue and his companions departed into the distance.

"An's eyes are already blind. What should we do next?" Qian asked, casting a glance at An.

Boka looked out in the direction where Han Tianyue had vanished and said, "Now that An is blind, let us first return to the academy and see if the Headmaster can cure him!"

"The Headmaster is not such a kind person, Boka. You know that better than I do!" Yao She said slowly and seductively, swaying her waist.

Boka was well aware of what the Headmaster was truly like, but since An was currently allied with them, Boka felt he had to try regardless. Putting aside all other concerns, Boka, accompanied by Qian and Yao She, led the blind An and hurried back toward the academy.

Having been away from the academy for nearly a year, the first person to step forward to greet them upon their return was Faculty Advisor Song. With deep concern, he asked, "Have you found Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang? How are they doing now?"

Boka supported An and showed no intention of answering Faculty Advisor Song.

Qian dragged his bulky, overweight frame right up to Faculty Advisor Song and sneered, "My boss Jin Di, Duo Na, Wang Chong, Shui Xi, and now Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang—I truly wonder how you manage to call yourself a faculty advisor when your students keep running off one after another!"

Faced with these words from Qian, Faculty Advisor Song was left utterly speechless.

Faculty Advisor Yun stepped forward to defend his colleague, scolding, "How dare you students speak to a teacher in such a manner!"

Yao She stepped forward with a seductive sway and retorted, "Save your breath, you useless teachers. Don't lecture us about respect. If it weren't for my mood, I wouldn't even deign to look at you!"

Faculty Advisor Yun glared at Yao She in mounting anger. Faculty Advisor Song reached out to hold him back, whispering, "Teacher Yun, do not lower yourself to their level."

When Faculty Advisor Song returned to his own class, Wen Pin, Dapeng, Qingmu, and the other students immediately crowded around him, asking, "Is there any news of Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang?"

Faculty Advisor Song shook his head.

The students could only let out a long, collective sigh.

Meanwhile, when Faculty Advisor Yun returned to his class, Zhang Min, Huang Ya, Qingni, and Tiemu stepped forward to ask, "Teacher Yun, do you have any news of them?"

Faculty Advisor Yun shook his head.

Zhang Min, Huang Ya, Qingni, and Tiemu declared, "Teacher Yun, why don't the four of us go out and search for them? We believe we can persuade them to return!"

Faculty Advisor Yun looked at the four students and remained silent.

Back in their dormitory, Wen Pin, Dapeng, and Qingmu exchanged a long, sorrowful sigh. Finally, Dapeng broke the silence, saying, "In a few days, I will be leaving as well. We will have far fewer opportunities to meet in the future, so the two of you must keep in touch with me often. Don't be like Han Tianyue, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang—once they left, goodness knows if we will ever get the chance to see them again."

Wen Pin nodded and said, "Dapeng, we will miss you terribly!"

"First the three of them left, and now you are leaving too. The six of us brothers are scattered just like that!" Overcome by memories of the past, Qingmu could not hold back his tears.

Dapeng walked over to Qingmu and comforted him, "Qingmu, you are the youngest of the six of us. Knowing that you and Wen Pin are staying behind at the academy gives us brothers peace of mind. You are a grown man now, so stop crying at every little thing. A real man must be able to weather storms and trials!"

Qingmu nodded.

Meanwhile, Boka, accompanied by An, Qian, and Yao She, arrived at the Headmaster's office. Without a hint of pleasantry, the Headmaster demanded, "A whole year has passed! What have you achieved out there?"

Boka replied with utmost respect, "We failed to bring them back."

The Headmaster's expression twisted in fury as he bellowed, "What use are you all? You couldn't even bring back four students! Why did you bother coming back at all?"

Yao She sashayed forward and purred, "I never said I wanted to return. It was Boka who insisted on coming back!"

Maintaining his deferential posture, Boka addressed the Headmaster, "An has been blinded. I brought him back in the hope that you could cure his eyes. I will take full responsibility for the consequences!"

"You will take responsibility? Very well, you shall bear it!" The Headmaster stood up.

Though sightless, An could sense the situation. He knelt down facing the Headmaster and pleaded, "Headmaster, this matter started because of me. If there is a punishment, punish me along with them!"

Qian chimed in, "Along this entire journey, Boka has been the only one truly dedicated to carrying out your mission, Headmaster. As for certain others, they have done nothing from the beginning to the end except talk!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yao She snapped, her face flushing with sudden rage.

"Enough! Get out of my sight, all of you. Boka, stay!" The Headmaster slammed his fist on the desk. Qian helped An out of the room, while Yao She shot the Headmaster a lingering, alluring glance before reluctantly trailing behind them.

"Boka, what exactly are you playing at?" The Headmaster stepped right up to him. Boka remained unyielding in his respectful demeanor. "Headmaster, I do not understand what you mean."

"Boka, do not pretend you do not understand. I am your father—do you take me for a fool?" Rage radiated from the Headmaster.

Boka replied dutifully, "Headmaster, is it worth flying into such a rage over someone as worthless as me?"

"Very well, very well! I will give you one more chance. If you fail to bring them back this time, I shall hunt them down myself, and as for you lot, you can go die!" the Headmaster threatened with arrogant authority.

Boka bowed his head. "Thank you for granting us another chance, Headmaster."

"Get out!" the Headmaster roared. Boka immediately turned and left the office.

At that moment, another person emerged from an adjoining room and asked, "Father, is it truly worth working yourself into such a state of anger over the spawn of a savage?"

"Boxing, take your three subordinates and set out immediately. Even if Boka fails to bring them back, you must capture them for me! Time is running out. The Fire God must be stirring from his slumber by now, and without Mao Xuanzi as our trump card, we are all doomed!" the Headmaster fumed.

Boxing, one of the Headmaster's many sons, nodded. "Rest assured, Father, I will handle this!"

When Boka exited the office, An, Qian, and Yao She were waiting outside, expecting him to say something. Instead, Boka merely said coldly, "Take An to the infirmary," and strode away without looking back.

"It has been so long since I last saw Xin Zhong, Kuang Yue, Zuo Qi, Hong Fu, Jiu Tong, and Luo Ye. I wonder what level of cultivation they have attained by now," Boka thought to himself. Although he had made progress, it amounted to little on the treacherous path they walked, where powerful and capable individuals were everywhere. He dared not slacken; he needed to become even stronger.

"It's Boka! Boka has returned!" Xin Zhong was the first to spot him. Thrilled by his return, Xin Zhong cried out, and soon Kuang Yue, Zuo Qi, Hong Fu, Jiu Tong, and Luo Ye all rushed over.

Luo Ye walked up and clapped Boka on the shoulder, saying, "You went away for a whole year, kid. How is your cultivation now?"

Boka stepped forward and pronounced, "Cyan-Blue Light." Instantly, the entire classroom where the legendary squad had gathered was flooded with a brilliant cyan-blue radiance.

"Whoa!" Everyone gasped in astonishment, never expecting that Boka would return with such formidable power.

"And what about the rest of you?" Boka asked with genuine curiosity.

Xin Zhong stepped forward and said, "I have only reached the first layer of the Myriad Tribulations." For Xin Zhong, his journey had begun with Burial, followed by Funeral, and the Myriad Tribulations was the third technique he had mastered. Being only at the first layer, his cultivation progress had been much slower.

As for Luo Ye, he had reached the third layer of Spatial Folding, the second layer of Spatial Shattering, and had just begun to comprehend Spatial Traversing.

Hong Fu had attained the sixth stage of the Telepathic Communion known as Mind-Linking, leaving her with only one stage left to complete the technique.

Zuo Qi had also advanced significantly, moving from his initial Inversion, through the Black and White Error, to his current mastery of the Virtual-Real Error.

As for Jiu Tong and Kuang Yue, their progress need not be detailed one by one. Everyone had improved, yet their progress felt agonizingly slow by comparison. Witnessing Boka's dramatic leap forward filled them with envy. "If only we could also go out and temper ourselves in the outside world, surely our abilities would soar as well!"

Boka paid no mind to their envious musings. Seizing the opportunity, he hurried away to the forbidden grounds of the academy. Hidden there was a miraculous energy; anyone who absorbed it would experience a massive surge in power. Though Mao Xuanzi had warned that it was a trap, Boka cared for nothing except increasing his strength. Methodically absorbing this energy, Boka advanced to the realm of the Pale-Blue Soul within just a few days.

While Boka devoted himself entirely to cultivation and absorbing this power in secret, Qian returned to his former class, where Faculty Advisor Wen welcomed him warmly. "Wonderful! Our Qian is back!"

"And it looks like Qian has put on another layer of fat!" the students cheered in celebration.

Qian replied smugly, "Naturally! My flesh shield has been tempered to its absolute maximum, and my heavy strike has reached near-peak proficiency. It's only natural that my body expanded a bit!"

Everyone looked at Qian with eyes full of envy.

Xing Tu, Lietu, and Mingce—three hulking, muscular youths—strode up to Qian and said, "Brother, let's go grab a feast!"

At the mention of food, Qian nodded eagerly. The four of them felt as though they had returned to the good old days, setting off to eat and drink to their hearts' content.

Faculty Advisor Wen watched them go with a helpless sigh. "Oh well, I won't bother trying to manage them anymore!"

As for Yao She, no one had ever seen her employ any specific combat techniques aside from commanding a giant python. Because she had constantly felt ostracized by Boka, Qian, and An, she harbored deep resentment. Furthermore, considering herself a great beauty, she was mortified that she had failed to capture the hearts of even three men. "Am I truly that unappealing?"

Then a fierce resolve took hold of her. "No, I refuse to believe that my charm as Yao She cannot win over the hearts of those three!" With that, she began applying her makeup once more, determined to become even more stunning and alluring.

As for An, after being taken to the infirmary, the doctor informed him that there was no hope of his eyesight ever recovering unless he underwent an eye transplant. Since a transplant was out of the question, An was forced to remain blind. Yet, despite his blindness, he applied himself with unrelenting diligence, pushing his Crow's Crown technique to its absolute limit. "I swear I will exact vengeance with my own hands!"