555: Chapter 555 Confession

"Hmph!"

Before True Lord Jingshan could speak, a Golden Core Immortal Master behind him jumped out first and scolded Liu Xuan to his Face, "The position of Academy Dean belongs to those with virtue! You, a pervert from the Southern Border, what virtue or capability do you have to serve as the head of an academy?!"

"You..." Wen Zhihua's willow-leaf eyebrows shot up, and she was about to retort immediately, but Liu Xuan waved his hand to stop her.

There is a saying that when a small character suddenly launches an accusation against a great figure, excluding the factor of mental instability, the only possibility is that they were instigated by someone. Retorting would instead be a lower-class move.

Liu Xuan ignored this Golden Core Immortal Master and instead looked at True Lord Jingshan, asking faintly, "Does Fellow Daoist think so as well? Do you want to be this Dean?"

True Lord Jingshan cupped his hands in a salute and smiled, "Lady Yaoguang gave the order; how would I dare to question it? However..."

He looked back at the crowd of academy students, "What they said is also not wrong. Fellow Daoist Liu is not from the academy, so you are indeed unsuitable for the position of Dean."

"How about this? Fellow Daoist Liu, you remain the Dean and make decisions on all external matters, but you must not interfere in the internal affairs of the academy."

Liu Xuan laughed. As he laughed, his expression turned gloomy. "What kind of thing do you think you are?! You look quite ugly, but your dreams are quite beautiful."

Boom~

Layers of black clouds instantly filled the sky, and lightning bolts as thick as thighs flashed one after another, the light reflecting on the Faces of everyone in the square.

Ji Bingzheng's expression changed drastically. A barrier of magic power rose around him as he roared, "Liu Xuan! This is the academy, you dare to act recklessly?!"

"Heh~" Liu Xuan chuckled, "So you still know this is the academy?"

"I am the Dean personally appointed by the Demon Saint. Based on your crime of disrespect alone, what if I were to kill you?"

Feeling the intense killing intent emanating from Liu Xuan, Ji Bingzheng panicked!

Wasn't it said that Liu Xuan had an easygoing personality and followed rules the most? Why was he going for the kill as soon as they met?

Previously, True Lord Nianci had targeted him several times, and the most serious case was merely using a bet to cripple a Golden Core Immortal Master Disciple. He had investigated all of this.

"This is the behavior of the Demonic Path! I... I advise you to think clearly. Even if you are the Dean, you have no right to kill people!"

"Demonic Path?" A smile curled at the corner of Liu Xuan's mouth. "Since ancient times, the Demonic Path has never been able to defeat the Righteous Path. Do you know why?"

Without waiting for an answer, Liu Xuan smiled and said, "Because if the Demonic Path wins, it becomes the Righteous Path!"

Liu Xuan flicked his sleeve, his voice spreading throughout the entire academy, "True Lord Jingshan has betrayed the academy, having been seduced by the Endless Demon Court in an attempt to usurp the academy. I shall execute him according to academy regulations and report to the Demon Saint afterward."

Ji Bingzheng's heart shook violently, and a chill rushed straight to his crown. This was the Southern Border, and the Star Academy was Liu Xuan's long-established home base; he might actually do it.

The Southern Border was a wild land that had been at war not long ago, not a place like the Main Mountain that had been peaceful for countless years.

Turning black into white was too easy for Liu Xuan. Even if Lady Yaoguang knew the truth, she might reduce the punishment for various reasons, giving Liu Xuan a minor reprimand as a token gesture.

"A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!!"

Ji Bingzheng shouted in a panic. If not for his concern for his Face, he would have wanted to kneel.

"Dean... Dean Liu, it was all a misunderstanding just now. Please calm your anger, let's have a good talk."

"Oh?" The violent thunder overhead suddenly became a bit gentler. Liu Xuan said faintly, "There's nothing to talk about. Plead guilty!"

"This..."

"Fine, fine, fine. I plead guilty. Please show mercy, Dean!"

Seeing the thunder in mid-air showing signs of becoming violent again, and the terrifying pressure of the formation rendering him unable to move, Ji Bingzheng could only beg for mercy.

"The death penalty can be avoided, but punishment is inescapable!"

Liu Xuan waved his hand, and a bolt of purple lightning descended from the sky, instantly striking the top of Ji Bingzheng's head.

His protective Magic Treasure shattered immediately. His Fourth-Grade Low Grade Acquired Spirit Treasure scholar's robe dimmed, and his Divine Soul's aura gradually weakened.

Cough, cough, cough!

Ji Bingzheng coughed repeatedly, his Face deathly pale. He forced himself to cup his hands and bow to Liu Xuan, "Thank you, Dean, for showing mercy!"

Liu Xuan didn't look at him. "Don't be in a hurry to thank me. This matter isn't over yet. Stay in the academy to recover for now. You are not allowed to leave a single step without my permission!"

Ji Bingzheng was a Nascent Soul True Lord and a Great Scholar; Liu Xuan was unwilling to kill him unless absolutely necessary.

By keeping him in the academy, he could properly investigate his background and confirm whether this trouble was his own idea or if there were other reasons, and whether he truly submitted or was thinking of revenge later.

Master Liu was kind and dignified. Since it was everyone's first meeting, if Ji Bingzheng hadn't been plotting with others for a long time, it wasn't actually some deep-seated hatred; there was no harm in sparing his life.

A living person is always more valuable than a dead one; this was Liu Xuan's creed in life.

As for whether he would be hated or targeted for revenge later, Liu Xuan didn't care much. A mere Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator wouldn't even be able to see his tail lights before long. If he feared even this, he would be too cowardly!

Enemies were not fixed entities. When looking at them, whether there was a grudge wasn't actually important; what mattered most was who possessed the ability to threaten him.

Liu Xuan summoned Chen Beiming and had him temporarily watch over Ji Bingzheng, then ordered the academy's opening ceremony to proceed as scheduled.

Thousands of students had followed Ji Bingzheng into the academy. Liu Xuan was relatively lenient with them; aside from recording a demerit in the academy's records, he did not pursue further action.

After the opening ceremony ended, students from the Star Academy began to arrive and join one after another. However, the Star Branch Academy had relatively high entry requirements, and even higher requirements for the teaching masters.

There were requirements not only for cultivation levels but also assessments for Confucian classics, the degree of Righteous Qi cultivation, and talent.

Most people currently in the academy only had temporary status. Once the assessment time set by Dean Liu arrived, they might very well be kicked out.

What did Liu Xuan know about Confucianism? He was only interested in female students who possessed a scholarly temperament.

Academy affairs were basically handled by An Yunmiao. Those female academy students who were his Concubines were all given honorary key positions in the academy; they didn't participate in teaching and only collected a salary.

Some female Cultivators who originally weren't qualified to enter the academy could, as long as they caught Liu Xuan's eye and entered the Liu Family's inner courtyard, transform into managers in charge of finance, security, chores, inspections, or records.

Although such positions were not recognized by the Main Mountain, they enjoyed even higher treatment than ordinary students. In the eyes of outsiders, they were still high-and-mighty, legitimate members of the academy.

The academy was a place valued by the Yaoguang Demon Saint. Liu Xuan only dared to tamper with the management positions; he didn't dare to mess around with teaching. The assessment for real students was still very strict.

However, Liu Xuan also arranged for those of his descendants who were interested in the academy to enter. There was no need to fake anything; with the talent of his children, as long as they wanted to enter, it wasn't a big problem.

Younger Cultivators who wanted to enter the academy were mainly assessed on talent, and that was precisely the strength of the Liu Family descendants.