Chapter 5: Dealing With The School Principal

Eden Formation's principal frowned at Zax's threat. "Don't overreach, boy, accept my invitation. Let's go to my office".

"Fifty seconds!" Zax growled. Reminiscing over the scar on Anet's back, it was not about killing Binjo and his brother anymore, he wanted to inflict pain on all who should have taken responsibility instead of letting Anet suffer at home.

"Principal Ram, is that truly a human boy?" The vice principal asked behind her back. With the appearance of the school's head and the short time that passed he managed to hone himself up to the frightening killing intent. He felt it, he was wary of it, but he rose up with his pride as a Core Master of Eden Formation.

"Vice principal Mizuri, this one is very special. My Soul Sense detected his level of cultivation ... this boy's Qi channels are clogged, but his body fitness level is even superior to my own!"

"You are saying..."

"This boy is following a bodily refinement technique!"

As the school principal and vice principal of the number one first rate Martial school, Eden Formation, regardless of their level of cultivation, the two knew perfectly well what sort of rarity are bodily refinement techniques and how formidable the practitioners that train in them.

For one to suddenly come by their school, moreover a child, was an unprecedented opportunity to roll in a legendary refinement technique and put themselves ahead of the other two number one first rate schools of Tongguo and Shitou!

Who the boy was, currently was not on their mind, how to appease him without losing face and the support of the Derneldar family at the same time was the school principal's and vice principal's main struggle.

"Let's have it your way", the school principal said and Zax curiously halted counting mid way to forty. "Your grudge is with a Derneldar family member. Say that you get your hands on him, do you know what will happen next even if our school let it slide? The Derneldar family will seek revenge on you, sending their top experts to kill you. And if those experts won't be enough, sooner or later, you'll ignite the wrath of the Derneldar founder..." The school principal's eyes narrowed. "To get to my point let me first ask, are you the Tal of a Mor or the apprentice of a Master?" With that question not only could the school principal deduce if Zax had a human or a beast behind his back, she could also discern which bodily cultivation technique he followed.

Of the three recognized bodily refinement techniques in New Earth, two originated in Valgarel and one in Kingdom Earth. If Zax was taught by a Tal, than the school principal would be able to tell right away his background, which in this case the Derneldar family and founder will be powerless against his Mor. But if Zax was taught by a Master, although the school principal would not be able to tell which exactly bodily refinement technique he follows, the Derneldar family could act according to their whim and with no concern. The reason for that was an agreement between Kingdom Earth and Valgarel that any expert in the second realm of cultivation is forbidden from harming a core family or a core tribe in the other species' territory. With this, the balance of powers can remain intact and if it would be shaken by a member of the same species, the other would not be blamed.

"Forty seconds, I am an apprentice of a Master". Zax answered, oblivious to the repercussions of his response.

The school principal sighed. Although it will hurt the reputation of the school if a student would be assaulted on school's ground and even more so, by a non school's personal, she could still find an angle to work around it if behind the youth that barged into her school was that bodily cultivator of Kingdom Earth...

"Then allow me to proceed to my point", the school principal said mildly. "If the founder of the Derneldar family will come after you, other than running to your Master, you'll be powerless to do anything else. And if you have bonds in Kingdom Earth, they would bear the consequences of your doings".

"Hmph..." Zax snorted in disdain.

It's true that against Core Masters above the first level he will not stand a chance, but how many of them were in New Earth? Even if the founder of the Derneldar family was in the second level, Zax was confidence that if he will implement the Kinetic Force competently, then he would not need to break through the sixth gate of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement to contend against Core Masters in the second level.

Although at the moment Zax did not care, if calamity will befall on him, it would only be in the form of a Core Master in the third level.

"Why are you so sure that I can't handle the Derneldar founder?" Zax shot back.

A small smile adorned the bright face of the school principal. "That is simple, he and I both equal in terms of cultivation, and you are weaker than me". She said.

'Weaker? Is she... ' Zax pondered, but for Anet he was not willing to back down. "That bastard, Binjo, and his elder brother deserve to die! They will die by my hands and anyone who'll shelter them will not be treated lightly!" Zax bellowed. "Ten seconds!"

"I don't want to fight with an extraordinary young talent like you, but you don't leave me any choice!" The school principal said heatedly, an azure aura exploded from her body, her fine suit suddenly looking like a battle uniforms.

The students and teacher that watched from the surrounding buildings gasped. An unknown youth made their repute principal draw her combat spirit out! Even if their eyes could not follow, just being in the sidelines and seeing flashes was worth the school's annual fee!

Zax saw the school principal of the best Martial school in El-Eden coming at him in a speed not that much inferior to his own.

Heading toward him, the school principal formed several hands' signs and shapes with her mist energy. Completing the complicated formation, the aura of the school principal condensed around her body into a transparent azure armor ornamented with runes that elucidated the true meaning of the hands' signs and mist's shapes.

Zax threw a fist toward the school principal, his movement, his body, his rhythm in flawless unity. However, he could not summon the power of the Kinetic Force like when he practices the bodily maneuvers. Zax did not have time to think what was amiss in his execution.

The school principal deflected Zax's punch; simultaneously a foreign energy entered his body.

'A soul attack!' Zax realized. His soul energy instantly met with the foreign power that flowed in his sea of consciousness. The two energies collided. The school principal soul attack was a basic infiltration to momentarily halt the opponent rather than harming him. The shock from the collision dispersed the school principal soul attack whilst Zax became a bit disoriented.

SLAP!

The school principal actually struck Zax with an opened palm instead of a fist.

SLAP!

Another slap hit his other cheek and his tongue tasted a hint of blood.

The pain brought Zax back to his senses, yet was too piercing, worse than any punch he could remember, almost as painful as the times his Master destroyed his limbs during a spar! It spread across his face like fire that burned under his skin.

Zax clenched his jaw. 'Second level!' He determined the level of the school principal.

It meant that in body fitness level she was about the same as a regular participant at the sixth gate of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement. In addition to her strong body was her stronger mist energy, which alone was enough to boost her speed and strength beyond what Zax could endure. To top it all, she even used a weird formation to solidify her defense and spared him a serious soul attack.

Zax's desire to take vengeance on Binjo and his big brother was raging in his heart and soul, but it did not obstruct clarity from his current situation. With a kick to the ground he escaped a straight palm to his face. 'Without summoning the Kinetic Force I'll lose terribly!' He understood and could not allow himself to even entertain the notion. 'I am still holding myself back!'

He reached fifty meters from the plaza of the Intermediate grade building and away from the school principal and turned to her. She was right behind him, fast, but not as fast. Her technique concentrated more on frontal attack and defense than speed.

"Grrr!" Zax moved his body with all his might to greet her with a kick. Nevertheless, the kinetic energy did not manifest in its purer abundant from as the Kinetic Force.