Chapter 300

Chapter 300: Extorting Physician Bai

Even though Princess Mo Yu couldn’t compare to Mo Hongyi, the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom in the past thousand years, she was nevertheless a top-notch genius. Her status far surpassed any other princes and princesses.

Furthermore, she was on the verge of passing the master teacher examination, besides being highly favored by the emperor.

In fact, there were even rumors claiming that he would devote the resources into grooming her as the candidate to become the next emperor. This way, he could prevent the throne from falling into the hands of Mo Hongyi.

To have connections with her? Traveling alongside her?

Could it be…

They were merely ordinary soldiers who relied on bribes to earn some additional money… Offending the princess’s ‘friend’, that was no different from suicide!

“Are you… serious?” Squadron Leader Yao’s heart quivered, and he found himself unable to accept the situation.

How is the world be so small? To stumble upon the princess’s friend in such a huge Tianwu Kingdom?

Besides, the princess had always maintained her purity and stayed a distance away from the countless geniuses who attempted to pursue her. They had never heard of her having such a ‘friend’.

“I wish that it were false too…” Physician Bai Chan looked as if he was about to cry.

“This…”

Seeing the other party’s expression, the patrol squad members immediately understood that it was true.

After all, this was the up-and-coming, highly prominent Physician Bai Chan. To not even dare to retaliate after getting pummeled into such a state, something was clearly amiss.

“Since that’s the case, then we’ll accept Physician Bai’s kind gesture. Farewell!”

After struggling to his feet, Squadron Leader Yao clasped his fist.

He didn’t dare to offend Physician Bai, needless to say, Princess Mo Yu. Rather than asking for a beating here, it was much wiser for them to just leave.

To be patrolling in the capital, if they didn’t know how to adapt to situations, they would have long been beaten to death.

Regardless of whether it was Physician Bai or Princess Mo Yu, they were both figures whom they couldn’t afford to offend and it was best that they leave as soon as possible.

Hualala!

In just a few moments, the patrol squad members disappeared completely.

“How are they leaving just like that?”

Liu Ling and the others were still worried just a moment ago, and upon witnessing this occurrence, each and every single one of them became dumbfounded.

This was especially so for Lu Xun. He thought that his Senior Uncle Zhang had been too rash, and upon seeing this sight, his mouth twitched violently.

That was the kingdom patrol squad, they represented the dignity of the kingdom. They got beaten up so badly that their entire faces were swollen like pigs, yet they walked away without a single word?

However, this wasn’t the end yet. Physician Bai, who was so arrogant as to disregard even Liu shi, walked up to Zhang laoshi and bowed respectfully, “That… elder, I have already settled the matter. Do you think that… I can leave now?”

Everyone’s eyes popped out.

Senior?

You are already in your forties to fifties, while the other party hasn’t even reached his twenties. And you call him your elder?

Do you have to be so shameless?

“Can it be that… are all Tianwu Kingdom civilians that cheap? Do they have to be beaten up before they can talk properly?”

Yuan Tao could not help but mutter.

Upon hearing those words, even though the crowd remained silent, internally, they couldn’t approve of Yuan Tao’s words anymore.

How in the world did Zhang laoshi do it?

That fellow was already threatening to make this matter known to the entire city before they even did anything. With the smash of a teapot on his head and more than a dozen consecutive slaps, wouldn’t he exterminate everyone here?

Yet, at this moment, he was behaving just like an obedient dog. No one could understand what had happened, and at this very moment, all they could feel was deep admiration for Zhang laoshi.

It seemed as if… regardless how insurmountable an obstacle could be, once it comes into his hands, it would become a non-issue.

Lu Xun had initially harbored hopes of comparing with the other party. From the looks of it now, his thoughts were truly laughable!

“Leave? Don’t be in such a hurry, I’m not an unreasonable person. Since I did something, I will definitely take responsibility. After all, I do feel embarrassed for beating you up.” Zhang Xuan glanced at the other party. “How do you intend to deal with your injuries?”

“I was asking for it. It will be fine if I just find some medicinal paste to apply…” Physician Bai Chan laughed dryly.

Make the other party take responsibility?

He didn’t dare to!

Putting aside his relationship with the princess, just the fact that he could treat the Contract Gu, which baffled even 3-star physicians, showed how incredible his mastery in the Way of Medicine was. Most probably, no one in Tianwu Kingdom would be able to match up to him. In addition, considering his relationship with the Great Herb King…

Make the other party take responsibility? That was no different from committing suicide!

“Since you say you deserved it, I will not interfere. However… You framed my student, and this has left a huge trauma in her mind. How should we settle this?” Knowing what the other party was thinking of and what he feared, Zhang Xuan looked at him impassively.

“I…”

Physician Bai Chan’s mouth twitched.

“Didn’t you say that your stalk of medicinal herb is worth fifty million? How about this. Since your actions have left a scar in my student’s heart, you will use this money to compensate her. After paying up, you can scram. Otherwise, let’s see if I will break that calamity-bringing thing of yours!”

After which, Zhang Xuan’s eyes drifted downward and fell upon a certain spot. Feeling terrified, Physician Bai Chan could but help but to shudder.

“I… I don’t have so much money!”

After a moment, Physician Bai Chan replied meekly with a tearful face.

He was only a 1-star physician. Even though he had swindled quite a bit fortune and committed many evil deeds, he wasn’t able to save up that much of money.

“You don’t have it?”

Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan’s hands stretched out all of a sudden and stabbed straight at the other party’s forehead.

Almost jumping in shock, Physician Bai Chan’s neck tilted backward and simultaneously, his mouth opened just a little.

Hu! Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and an object flew straight into his throat.

“Cough cough… What is this…”

Pinching his throat, Physician Bai Chan’s face paled.

“It’s nothing much, just some good stuff which the Great Herb King gave me. Didn’t you treat the Great Herb King’s illness? You should be familiar with him, right? You can try asking him about it!” Zhang Xuan answered casually.

“I…” Physician Bai’s face reddened, and his legs went weak. Unable to suppress himself any longer, he fell to the floor, kneeling. “Elder, please be magnanimous as to spare me…”

The Great Herb King was the spokesperson of the Poison Hall. Even without thinking, it was clear what the other party fed him was…

“It’s not impossible for me to spare you. We have just arrived at the capital, and we don’t have a place to stay. I want you to find a mansion near the Master Teacher Pavilion! Once you’re done, I can consider saving you. Otherwise… Even if I don’t do anything, the Great Herb King’s poison should be more than sufficient to send you on your way!”

Zhang Xuan waved casually.

Even though this fellow’s character was atrocious, he could still be of help.

Zhang Xuan and the others had just arrived at the capital, and they were strangers in a strange place. With Physician Bai taking care of stuff for them, many difficult matters could be resolved easily.

The reason why Zhang Xuan chose to beat the other party up directly was that he knew the other party would recognize him. Back then, he was with Princess Mo Yu when he encountered the other party, so the other party would surely think that they were related.

If the situation was any different, such brute actions would have had a completely opposite effect.

Thus, he decided to render help from Physician Bai. This way, they could have a reliable person stand up for them and settle any matter that occurred in the future.

“Elder…”

Physician Bai Chan felt dismal, and bitterness welled on his face.

What the heck is this?

He had merely drunk a little bit of alcohol and teased a beautiful lady. In the end, not only was he scalded with boiling water, the assaulter even demanded a mansion as compensation…

Why does he have to pay despite being the victim?

“Why? Are you unwilling? Fine then. I heard that the poison which the Great Herb King gave me causes maggots to grow in one’s head, resulting in a constantly groggy state of mind. If it gets severe, the person might even rip off his clothes and run about nude… This will last for three days straight before one succumbs to death. I wonder… does this suit your taste?”

Zhang Xuan said.

Physician Bai Chan felt so terrified that his face was drained of color.

Even though his behavior was atrocious, if he really did something like stripping nude and running in the city, life would lose its meaning.

“Why? Don’t you like it? That’s easy. He gave me eighteen types of poison back then, and if you don’t like it, I can let you try something else!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Don’t…” Tearful, Physician Bai Chan shook his head in a hurry. “Elder, there’s no need to go through that much trouble. Isn’t it just about looking for a mansion? This is simple, I will do it right now. I’ll find one by tomorrow!”

Having been inflicted with poison, his life and death were under the other party’s control. Since he couldn’t defy the other party, he might as well… submit to him!

“Un, that’s more like it. Sun Qiang!” Hearing his reply, Zhang Xuan turned around.

“Young master!”

Sun Qiang walked forward.

Yang shi was his old master, and naturally, he would address Zhang Xuan, who was Yang shi’s student, as young master.

“Follow him and look for a good mansion. Tidy the place carefully. My teacher may be coming in two days!”

Zhang Xuan said.

“Is old master coming? Alright!” Sun Qiang nodded his head in excitement.

“Hurry along then, are you waiting for the sun to rise?” Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said.

“Yes!” Physician Bai Chan quickly nodded his head and left. He didn’t wish to stay here for a single moment longer.

Only after leaving the inn did he heave a sigh of relief. He couldn’t help but turn to Sun Qiang, who had just chased up to him.

“May I know… what’s the name of your young master?”

When he met the other party in the Red Lotus City previously, the other party has merely mentioned that he was a fan of his before knocking him out. Even today, the other party had not revealed his identity.

Even though he was so fearful of him, he realized that he didn’t even know the other party’s name.

“Our master is called Zhang Xuan!”

Sun Qiang nodded.

“Zhang Xuan?” Physician Bai Chan was perplexed. He hadn’t heard of any prince or incredible genius going by that name!

“You spoke about your old master previously… May I know who he is?”

Even though Physician Bai was bewildered, he didn’t dare to underestimate them. Thus, he continued asking.

“Our old master is a master teacher of a grade exceeding 3-star!” Sun Qiang said in admiration.

“A master teacher… of a grade exceeding 3-star?”

Physician Bai Chan trembled.

Even Tianwu Kingdom’s most formidable Jiang shi, the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion, was only a 2-star master teacher. Yet, Zhang Xuan’s teacher was a master teacher who had exceeded 3-star?

It could be said that if his teacher wished to do so, he would be capable of destroying the entire Tianwu Kingdom, at his whim!

This Zhang Xuan, so he’s actually a student to such a person.

“Indeed. As the old master’s direct disciple, the young master has received his inheritance. The reason why he came to the capital is to take the master teacher examination! Not only so, he’s a 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer (heard for Shen Bi Ru), and 1-star apothecary!” Sun Qiang continued.

“3-star… painter? 2-star beast tamer…”

Physician Bai Chan’s body stiffened.

It was no wonder why he was so incredible at such a young age. Any single identity that he casually mentions would already be earth-shattering. Perhaps… Even Princess Mo Yu might be inferior to him!

“If you serve the young master and old master well, you will be in for a life of glory. But if you were to betray him, I believe that I don’t need to tell you what would come!” Knowing what the other party was thinking of, Sun Qiang added in.

“Yes!” Physician Bai Chan nodded. Thinking about what he had enjoyed in the past few days, his heart leaped all of a sudden.

The events today are truly unfortunate, but perhaps, this might also be a rare opportunity!

Chapter 301: The Excited Ji Mo gongzi

“Teacher, why are you here?”

Zheng Yang couldn’t help but ask. The others also quickly turned to look over.

They had searched the entire area but didn’t even see a hint of him in the city. Yet… It turned out that they were in the same inn.

Truly, one always overlooks the places closest to them.

“I just arrived at Tianwu Kingdom today. This inn is closest to the city gates, so naturally, I settled in here as well!” Zhang Xuan smiled.

This was the only decent inn near the city gates. Where else would he choose to stay if not here?

“You just arrived today? Then…” Zheng Yang pointed at Physician Bai Chan’s departing figure in disbelief.

The other party was so arrogant that if he could, he would have torn down the entire heaven. Yet, after you beat him up, he acted so obediently as if he were a loyal dog. It is inconceivable for the two of you to not have known each other before that.

Furthermore, the patrol squad seemed to have left fearfully after they heard something. He had just arrived but was able to instill fear in them? What was going on?

“Perhaps my slaps were more painful than usual, so he felt intimidated!”

Zhang Xuan replied casually.

The matter regarding the Red Lotus Ridge involved the Great Herb King, Poison Hall, poison master, physician, disguiser… This wasn’t a matter that could be easily explained even if he wanted to. Therefore, he decided that he might as well avoid the topic altogether.

Besides, what Bai Chan was fearful of wasn’t just his connection with the Great Herb King. What he was more intimidated by was his relationship with Princess Mo Yu, so in a way, Zhang Xuan was taking advantage of another person’s prestige. It wasn’t anything honorable, so Zhang Xuan didn’t feel compelled to explain the matter to them.

“Slaps are more painful than usual?”

Everyone became speechless.

If beating the other party up was useful, they would have long done so. There wouldn’t have been a need for you to interfere at all!

If you don’t want to explain, you should at least come up with a better lie! This lie of yours is way too perfunctory?

“This fellow is the same as ever…”

Huang Yu rolled her eyes.

This fellow was just like that. If he didn’t want to speak, he could just say so. After all, everyone has their own secrets. However, what they found hard to accept was him lying so blatantly without any feelings of embarrassment.

“Regardless of the reason, as expected of teacher. No matter how big the problem is, you can solve it without a hitch!”

Zhao Ya and the other students’ eyes burned ardently.

The issue with Physician Bai Chan had left all of them helpless, yet their teacher was able to turn the situation around the moment he appeared. More importantly, the other party listened obediently to him. As expected of their teacher, it seemed as if there was nothing in the world that was insurmountable to him.

“Senior, if I’m not wrong, your cultivation has reached Half-Zongshi, right?”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to remain on that topic, Liu Ling stroked his beard and asked.

Zhang Xuan possessed the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, and even a Zhizun realm expert or a 2-star master teacher would be unable to tell the depth of his cultivation. However, during the battle just now, Liu Ling was able to discern Zhang Xuan’s cultivation realm through the overwhelming might and aura he that displayed.

Even so, he found it hard to believe.

Although reaching Half-Zongshi wasn’t as difficult as reaching Zongshi realm, it was nevertheless an extremely tall obstacle to overcome.

In Tianxuan Kingdom, there were several hundreds of Tongxuan realm pinnacle experts, but only one of them, Old Ancestor Shen Hong, was able to reach Half-Zongshi. This proved clearly how herculean the advancement to Half-Zongshi was.

It was just a while ago that Zhang Xuan was still Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Liu Ling thought that it would take at least two to three years of effort before Zhang Xuan could take the final step to reach higher realms. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that… in just a month of absence, the other party had already achieved Half-Zongshi!

“Half-Zongshi?”

Everyone was astonished, especially Lu Xun, who became wide-eyed.

After an entire month’s time, Lu Xun finally broke through to reach Tongxuan realm. He thought that he could finally be on equal footing as the other party. He wasn’t expecting that… the other party would have walked even further ahead!

“Un!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“By embracing the various schools of cultivation, a Zongshi is able to create his own unique school. This is the first difficult hurdle of the Fighter 9 dans. Even though you aren’t far from it at Half-Zongshi, it will be difficult for you to achieve a breakthrough without accumulating experience and reinforcing your cultivation time and time again.”

Upon hearing the other party affirming his conjecture, Liu Ling nodded.

Half-Zongshi may sound as though one is extremely close to reaching the level of a Zongshi, but in reality, one has only stepped onto the jumping platform. To truly make a successful leap over is another matter.

Shen Hong, him, Zhuang shi, and Zheng shi, which of them weren’t famous geniuses when they were younger?

Alas, they were stuck at this hurdle for decades, unable to make the final jump no matter how hard they tried.

If not for Yang shi, they might have been stuck at Half-Zongshi for the rest of their lives.

Thus, Liu shi knew very well that if one didn’t adjust one’s state of mind to cultivate properly and patiently, reaching Zongshi would be nothing but a fleeting dream.

“Yes!” Zhang Xuan knew that the other party was saying these words for his own good, so he nodded in agreement.

“You’re much more talented than I am, and you are entitled to teacher’s personal guidance. Thus, your breakthrough should be much smooth-sailing than mine. The reason why I said so much to you is that I hope that you won’t get anxious and lose yourself. You would still be considered a genius among geniuses if you manage to reach Zongshi realm within three years.” Liu Ling continued.

This senior of his had reached Half-Zongshi at such a young age, and it was unavoidable for him to feel complacent. The reason why he said so much was that he wanted to remind the other party to remain humble and persevering so as to not lose himself in pursuit for greater heights. Otherwise, he might just end up destroying himself.

“Alright, I won’t obstruct the reunion between senior and your students. We’ll leave to take a rest first!”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan and his students had a lot to catch up on, Liu Ling smiled, clasped his hand, and bided his farewell. Huang Yu, Lu Xun, and the others followed behind him.

“Teacher!”

After the three left, Zheng Yang and the others kneeled onto the floor in agitation.

This was especially so for Zhao Ya. She felt extremely grateful to her teacher for saving her.

If not for his timely appearance, who knows what might have happened to her by now.

“Execute a punching routine so that I can see how much you have all improved!”

Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan sat down and looked at his students.

Since he was their teacher, it was his responsibility to keep a close watch on their cultivation.

“Yes!”

The group immediately executed their punching routine.

Huhuhu!

A strong gust of wind, full of might, whipped up within the room immediately.

If it were anyone else, even if they manage to discern the cultivation realm of the five, they wouldn’t be able to see where their flaws laid.

However, Zhang Xuan was different. With a jolt inside his mind, the recent flaws in their cultivation appeared in their respective books instantly.

“Not bad. All of you have improved in the past month. Nonetheless, you are still far lacking.”

After browsing through the issues they met in cultivating written in each of their books, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. “Zheng Yang, the cultivation technique I gave you specifically called for you to cultivate your taiyin meridian, why are you cultivating your sancu meridian instead? Not only are you wasting your effort, you are destroying your own cultivation. If you continue to behave like this, you should just scram now. Don’t waste my time!”

“Liu Yang, although your right arm has recovered, when you’re training, you still have to be mindful of exerting too much strength. Do you wish to be crippled again?”

“Wang Ying…”

…

Very quickly, Zhang Xuan pointed out the recent cultivation flaws that his five students had and imparted them some new methods.

Even though Zhang Xuan might be unreliable when it came to other aspects, he didn’t slacken at all when it came to guiding his students.

Honglong! Pipa!

In the next two hours, the five students started to achieve breakthroughs. Zheng Yang and Wang Ying first broke through Pigu realm to reach Dingli realm primary stage, and Yuan Tao followed closely behind, reaching Pigu realm pinnacle.

Of the five, the one who experienced the biggest improvement was still Zhao Ya. Initially, she had only opened two acupoints. However, after Zhang Xuan’s explanation and deciphering of the Pixue realm, she opened ten acupoints consecutively in the next two hours, resulting in an exponential rise in her strength.

Having their cultivation raised significantly in such a short period of time, everyone felt both excited and astonished.

Previously, Liu shi said that if they wanted to achieve a breakthrough, they would require an impetus. Even at the fastest, it would take about half a month. However, after a session with Zhang laoshi, all of them broke through into higher realms immediately. Didn’t this display clearly that Zhang laoshi’s means were superior to Liu shi’s?

Upon realizing this fact, they felt even greater admiration for Zhang laoshi.

“Alright, I’ll be taking the master teacher examination tomorrow, so we’ll stop here for today! Have a good rest!”

Zhang Xuan instructed.

After this incident with Zhao Ya, he realized that there was an urgent need for him raise his status. This fueled his determination to pass the master teacher examination.

…

“I have urgent matters to report to Ji Mo gongzi!”

At the Ji Clan, one of the Three Great Clans of Tianwu Kingdom, a figure could be seen in an urgent rush to the doorstep.

If Zhang Xuan were here, he would surely have been able to recognize the person as the leader of the group whom he pummeled outside the city previously.

This leader was still wounded throughout his body. However, after undergoing treatment, his situation had alleviated greatly, and at the very least, he was able to move around without help.

“How is it? Have you succeeded yet?”

Jiya!

The doors opened. Upon seeing the other party’s face, Ji Mo gongzi’s face lit up.

“Reporting to gongzi, even though we are severely injured, we have managed to accomplish the task you asked of us!” The leader kneeled onto the floor.

“Un, not bad, not bad!”

An excited gleam flashed across Ji Mo gongzi’s eyes.

That lad had caused him to lose his entire dignity, and he wouldn’t be able to vent his anger if he didn’t teach him a good lesson.

“Take out the Record Crystal, I want to take a look!” Stretching his palm forward, Ji Mo gongzi asked expectantly.

Weren’t you full of arrogance?

Producing paintings of the third level, fourth level, and fifth level as if they are circus acts… So what if you’re a 3-star painter? Let’s see if you can remain as haughty now that we hung you nude on a tree.

“Reporting to young master, the Record Crystal was ruined in the middle of the battle!” The leader answered in embarrassment.

“Ruined?”

“Yes. However, we have hung that lad on a tree outside the city, and the other brothers are currently guarding him. Young master, why don’t you follow me there to mock him in his face? This way, you will be able to vent your anger better!”

The leader replied.

“That’s a good idea. Ridiculing him right in his face is what I like best!”

Chuckling, an evil gleam flickered across Ji Mo gongzi’s gaze.

It felt that it would be a great pity if he didn’t personally view and mock that arrogant fellow who had been hung naked on a tree.

“Let’s go!” Ji Mo gongzi was ready to go right after putting on his robe.

“Gongzi. No matter what, the person we have offended is a 3-star painter. Even if we were to record his sorry state with a Record Crystal in order to blackmail him and that the other party does not dare to do anything to us, if any of those elders in the residence find out about this, you won’t be able to avoid a lashing. In my view… Why don’t you put on a black suit and sneak out? This way, we won’t alarm anyone, thus preventing the news from leaking out and avoiding unnecessary trouble.”

Seeing that Ji Mo gongzi was about to walk out openly through the main door, the leader immediately advised him otherwise.

“You’re right. Not bad, seems like you have given the matter some thought. I’ll deal with those old fellows sooner or later. Once I become a 2-star painter and inherit the position of the clan leader, I’ll definitely teach them a lesson!”

Ji Mo gongzi nodded his head in satisfaction.

Did you see that? This is what a loyal subordinate should be like, keeping the welfare of his owner at heart.

I am probably the only person who is sufficiently charismatic such that my subordinates give their all in order to accomplish my tasks.

Thinking of this, he felt exhilarated.

Chapter 302: Paying Respect to Zhang laoshi [2in1]

“I shall reward you handsomely, in view of your loyalty, when we return!”

Giving the leader a compliment, Ji Mo gongzi changed into a black suit and followed behind the other party to an isolated corner of the residence before secretly flipping over the wall.

They proceeded carefully and they successfully managed to avoid alarming anyone.

Soon, they arrived at the forest beyond the city.

“Young master, this is the place…”

The leader pointed forward with a finger.

“Alright!”

Upon hearing that the person who embarrassed him was inside, Ji Mo gongzi proceeded in, his body shaking with excitement.

“Where is the person?”

Walking into the forest, Ji Mo scanned the surroundings, but it was completely empty. He was feeling perplexed when the sight before him turned dark all of a sudden. A gunny sack had been pulled over his head.

“What are you doing…”

Feeling shocked, Ji Mo was about to struggle, but he felt a sudden and excruciating pain on his face. Fists, sticks, and stones came raining down on him.

Pi li pa la!

The sounds of fists and legs sinking into his flesh filled the air, and before Ji Mo gongzi could react, he was already knocked onto the ground. Innumerable bones throughout his entire body had been fractured.

Wuuu!

Ji Mo gongzi wailed through lips that had swollen to look like sausages. Until now, he had yet to comprehend the situation.

Isn’t the purpose of the trip here to watch Zhang Xuan getting humiliated? Why am I getting beaten up now?

It seemed as though an eternity had passed before the torrential blows on his body came to a stop. The gunny sack was torn apart, and his clothes were taken off his body.

Then, he felt an ache on his hands. When he finally recovered, he was already hanging on a tree. A chilly night breeze blew across his bare body.

“What are all of you up to?”

At this moment, Ji Mo finally saw the faces of the group who bashed him up.

They were the five subordinates whom he sent after Zhang Xuan.

“Gongzi, we don’t have a choice either. Why did you have to offend someone you shouldn’t have offended? You even had to implicate us…”

As the leader spoke, he infused zhenqi into a Record Crystal, recording the sight before him.

“You… Puuuu!”

Realizing that his naked body was getting recorded, Ji Mo gongzi felt embarrassed and infuriated, and he spurted a mouthful of blood.

What the heck is this…

Aren’t these people my subordinates? When did they betray and become the other party’s lackeys?

It wasn’t easy for me to devise this plan, a plan where the other party has no choice but to suffer in silence. Yet… To think that it would be executed on me instead!

It was laughable that he had felt impressed with his subordinate’s loyalty… They were indeed loyal, just not to him…

“All along, I thought that he would be big and strong since he was able to attract the attention of so many beauties. To think that it would be that small!”

“You’re right, it’s really small. It’s my first time seeing one of that size…”

“Me too. It is such an eye-opener!”

…

Just as his frustration was bubbling within, he heard the discussion that went on in the group below him.

The hell! You’re the one who has a small one, your entire family has small ones…

Pu!

Greatly infuriated, Ji Mo gongzi couldn’t hold himself back, and he sprayed another mouthful of fresh blood. Then, he fainted.

…

It was a silent night.

When Zhang Xuan finally woke up from his sleep, his fatigue from the journey had disappeared completely. As he stepped out from his room, he saw Liu Ling and the others standing right outside his doors, looking at him as if he were a monster.

“You… simply gave them a few pointers and they achieved breakthroughs?”

Pointing to Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others, Liu shi asked in disbelief.

When he woke up early in the morning and saw the leap in the group’s cultivation, he was so shocked that his teeth nearly fell onto the floor.

For all of them to achieve breakthroughs with just a brief of guidance…

Isn’t it way too easy to achieve breakthroughs!

All along, Liu shi thought that even though his senior had a unique and impressive way in guiding his students, his senior was inferior to him, especially since that he wasn’t yet a master teacher. Only after witnessing this situation did he understand…

That there was indeed a gap between the two of them, but it was the other party who was way ahead of him…

“Ah, that’s right!” Zhang Xuan nodded. “It isn’t anything much. Let’s go to the Master Teacher Pavilion!”

Upon hearing these words, the group staggered on their feet.

Breakthroughs in their cultivation aren’t any big deal?

Seeing how casually he put it, Liu shi and the others felt as though they had taken a thousand arrows to their heart.

In order to help students achieve a breakthrough, they had to go through all kinds of trouble and dig up every last inch of their knowledge, but even so, it wasn’t certain that the other party would succeed. Yet, Zhang Xuan made it seem as easy as eating and sleeping… Indeed, humans aren’t born equal…

After checking out from the inn, they rented two carriages and headed straight for the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Two hours later, a grand building stood before them. On top of the entrance were three grand words which represented the ultimate authority!

Master Teacher Pavilion!

Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion is considered as a function of the Teacher Guild, it wields much greater influence and power. Those who are able to join its ranks would gain incredible standing in society.

Flashing his emblem, Liu shi led the group in.

The hall was vast and grand.

“Zhang Xuan? You’re here!”

Melded within the crowd, Zhang Xuan was about to inquire about the examination venue when he heard a voice, then with a turn of his head, he saw a young lady who was accompanying an elder.

“It’s you?”

The person was the master teacher apprentice whom Zhang Xuan met right after entering Tianwu City… Ling Xiaoxiao!

“Yeah. You’re here to attend Princess Mo Yu’s Question Symposium as well, right? It’s about to start and almost every master teacher in the city is there. Let’s go!”

Even though she wasn’t very fond of this ignorant fellow, he was nevertheless an acquaintance. Thus, Ling Xiaoxiao invited him with a smile on her face.

“Are they all there? Alright, let’s go then!”

Hearing that every master teacher was there, Zhang Xuan knew that his master teacher examination would have to wait until after the Question Symposium. Hence, he decided that he might as well take a look to get an idea of the symposium so that he will be able to make better preparations for his own turn.

Upon hearing that someone was facing the Question Symposium, Liu shi and the others became interested as well. Thus, all of them followed Ling Xiaoxiao into a room.

It was similar to those theory classrooms. Tables and chairs of various designs filled the room, and a crowd, numbering above a hundred, was gathered in here.

An entire row of powerful-looking elders and middle-aged men were seated at the very front.

“To think that this fellow would be here as well…”

Scanning the surroundings, Zhang Xuan suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

He was Squadron Leader Yao of the patrol squad from yesterday night.

This fellow stood by the corner and was acting as a guard. If not for his reddened and swollen face, Zhang Xuan would have suspected if he were his twin brother.

After scanning the entire room briefly, Zhang Xuan didn’t see Mo Yu. Thus, he followed the group and casually took a seat.

…

Just as Zhang Xuan noticed Squadron Leader Yao, the latter saw him as well.

In usual circumstances, the kingdom patrol squad would never be responsible for the safety of the Master Teacher Pavilion, but because the person taking the examination this time was Princess Mo Yu, he was transferred here for temporary duties.

Initially, he intended to look for a replacement due to his injuries, but upon recalling that it was the princess’s examination, he thought that the fellow would definitely appear if he was truly related to her.

If he didn’t show up, or if the princess didn’t recognize him, that would mean that Physician Bai Chan was lying. Considering how badly he was beaten up, no one could blame him for desiring to take revenge.

Thus, with such motives in mind, he endured his injuries and stood guard at a corner. To think that the fellow would really turn up.

“Hmph, I would really like to witness if you are indeed close to the princess…”

With a cold harrumph, Squadron Leader Yao stood upright and observed the situation quietly.

…

Zhang Xuan and the others took a seat.

“There’s a total of thirteen 1-star master teachers and three 2-star master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom. The Question Symposium is the last formal procedure for a master teacher examinee, and none of the 2-star master teachers is here.”

Knowing that the person before her knew nothing at all, Ling Xiaoxiao explained kindly.

Zhang Xuan was astounded.

Tianxuan Kingdom didn’t even have a 1-star master teacher, yet Tianwu Kingdom had thirteen 1-stars and three 2-stars. Just by the number of master teachers, one could tell the difference in the national might.

As expected of the strongest kingdom within the cluster of thirteen countries.

With so many master teachers conducting lessons here, how is it possible that the next generation not be incredible? How would the nation not be so mighty?

“Who are the 2-star master teachers in the kingdom?”

Recovering from his shock, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask.

Hearing the other party ask such a fundamental question, Ling Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes once more. “The most formidable 2-star master teacher in the empire is naturally Pavilion Master Jiang. According to the rumors, he has reached 2-star pinnacle, and it is just a matter of time before he reaches 3-star. As for the other two, they are Wang shi and Mu shi. Mu shi reached 2-star less than two years ago, and he is the newest of the three.”

“Oh!” Zhang Xuan nodded. Glancing around, he asked, “Is the genius you spoke of, Mo Hongyi, present?”

“Of course he’s here! Furthermore, he has the highest position of all the master teachers here. Look, he’s the one seated right at the center!”

Ling Xiaoxiao pointed.

“Right at the center?” Zhang Xuan raised his head to take a look.

At the center of the very front row of master teachers sat a young man who seemed to be about twenty-five. He exuded an aura which felt as vast and deep as an ocean, and it exerted an immense pressure on those around him.

Zongshi realm pinnacle!

Not only was he strong, his pitch-black eyes seemed to wield some kind of unique power as well. He was appeared to be confident and astute, seeming as if there was nothing in the world which could trouble him.

“Incredible!”

With just a single glance, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other geniuses he had met were nothing compared to him.

They were in different leagues.

Even Princess Mo Yu paled far in comparison to him.

“I’m afraid that his Soul Depth is 6.0 at the very least!”

Liu shi’s attention was also on Mo Hongyi, and he sent a telepathic message over.

“6.0?” Zhang Xuan was thrown.

With a Soul Depth of 3.0, one becomes eligible for the 1-star master teacher examination; 6.0, one can take the 2-star examination.

To possess such incredible Soul Depth at just twenty-six year old and, not to mention, his formidable cultivation, he sure lives up to his name as THE genius!

“Princess Mo Yu is here!”

Just as he was busy examining Mo Hongyi, Ling Xiaoxiao’s voice echoed once more. Turning to the entrance, he saw a young lady making her way in.

Who else could the person be if not Mo Yu!

Dressed in a bright red robe, her hair and face had been immaculately done up, making her appear much more charming and beautiful than before. At this moment, she was in no way inferior to Zhao Ya.

As expected of the number one beauty in Tianwu Kingdom. It was mere moments since her entrance and she had already managed to attract everyone’s attention.

Once inside, Princess Mo Yu began to scan her surroundings, then her eyes fell on a certain spot and lighted up unwittingly.

As the center of attention, her expression piqued everyone’s curiosity immediately.

They followed the direction of her gaze and swiftly turned their heads over. They thought that they would find a formidable figure, but it turned out to be just an ordinary young man.

Seeing her look toward him, Zhang Xuan became speechless.

You know that you’re the star of the show, yet you just have to look at me like that, bringing me unwanted attention. You are doing this intentionally, aren’t you…

Feeling despondent, Zhang Xuan was thinking about what to say when he heard an agitated and excited voice sound out beside him.

“Princess Mo Yu looked at me! She actually noticed me…”

Ling Xiaoxiao was so excited that her face turned red. If not for the situation, she would have shrilled in joy.

“Ah?” Zhang Xuan shook his head, looking at that zealous lady before him.

However, coincidentally, her actions actually helped Zhang Xuan to avert that awkward predicament.

“The Question Symposium begins!”

Upon the arrival of the examinee, Mo Hongyi declared, and the final test of the master teacher, the Question Symposium, began.

The Question Symposium was similar to the Pill Debate of the apothecaries. Every 1-star master teacher in attendance would pose a question regarding cultivation, and the scope would usually be limited to below Zongshi realm.

“One’s zhenqi is congested at the last acupoint, resulting in the person being unable to reach Tongxuan realm. How can this problem be solved?” A master teacher asked.

“There are two solutions. The first solution is to gather a large amount of zhenqi around the acupoint to stimulate the blocked zhenqi. As for the second method, one can utilize medicine. A grade-1 Acupoint Soothing Pill can resolve this situation, but it is ineffective for those who have suffered from this problem for an extended period of time. If so, one should consume a grade-2 Acupoint Breakthrough Pill instead…”

Princess Mo Yu answered the question calmly. Clearly, a question of this level wasn’t sufficient to stump her.

After listening for a few moments, a blank expression appeared on Zhang Xuan’s face.

Although he could impersonate master teachers and had, in fact, helped many people achieve breakthroughs, he had basically been relying on his Heaven’s Path zhenqi . The methods that Princess Mo Yu mentioned were completely foreign to him.

There wasn’t a question that he could answer!

“Looks like I have to browse through some books first before taking the 1-star master teacher examination. Otherwise, I will surely fail this Question Symposium…”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

After all, when they ask him about how to achieve a breakthrough in different circumstances, he couldn’t simply reply them all with ‘a needle and a surge of zhenqi’!

If he were to really reply like that, he would surely be evicted right away.

After listening for another duration, he ascertained that he truly didn’t understand a single word that the other party spoke. Thus, he could not help but look at the lady beside him and ask, “How many tests are there in the master teacher examination?”

Even though his purpose here was to attempt the master teacher examination, he had no idea how the examination was conducted.

“Do you not even know that?”

Ling Xiaoxiao was on the verge of going insane.

She was even suspecting whether the other party had bought his apprentice emblem using money.

These are all… fundamental knowledge!

If you don’t even know these, how the hell are you going to take the master teacher examination!

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Alright!”

Feeling utterly defeated by the other party, Ling Xiaoxiao could only explain helplessly. “There are a total of five tests for the master teacher examination!”

“Five tests?”

“That’s right. The first test is the House of Trust. What it assesses is the Trust Level that the examinee’s student has for him, and the passing criterion is a Trust Level that exceeds fifty. If one doesn’t have any students or if none of his students had a sufficient Trust Level, it would be deemed as a failure.”

“The second test is the Supporting Occupation Pavilion. In order to become a 1-star master teacher, one must possess a supporting occupation and reach the level of an official member.”

“The third test is Puppet Hall. During the test, two puppets fighting each other will appear. These puppets are forged using a unique method, and the moves and battle techniques they utilize will be completely different. However, they are similarly powerful, and neither of them is able to defeat the other. The examinee has to provide guidance on the spot such that one of them achieves victory over the other.”

“The fourth test is the Cultivation Technique Ocean. There are countless cultivation and battle technique manuals in the Ocean, and one will have to pick out a random book and conduct a relevant lecture immediately. During the lecture, you will be judged by several master teachers, as well as the Whilom Sage Bell!”

“Whilom Sage Bell?”

“Un. The Sage’s Bell is a spirit treasure in the Cultivation Technique Treasure. Imprinted inside the Whilom Sage Bell is the comprehension that former sages had over the techniques. If the content of one’s lecture doesn’t satisfy the Whilom Sage Bell, the bell will not chime and he obtains a fail!”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He didn’t expect such an incredible object to exist in this world.

“After the first four tests, one will have to undergo the Unerring Pavilion! In the Unerring Pavilion, a puppet will display a cultivation technique, battle technique, or even a skill from the supporting occupation you chose. The movements that it displays will contain errors within them, but they will all be well-disguised, making it nigh impossible to discover them. The examinee has to identify one error within an incense stick’s burn time in order to pass, otherwise, it is considered a failure.”

Ling Xiaoxiao seemed to be extremely familiar with the various tests of the master teacher examination, and she explained each of them in detail.

House of Trust, Supporting Occupation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Sea, and Unerring Pavilion…

Five tests, with each of them is harder than the previous.

“Wait, what about the Question Symposium?”

Zhang Xuan had a perplexed expression.

Isn’t the Question Symposium the final test in the master teacher examination? Why didn’t Ling Xiaoxiao mention it?

“Even though the Question Symposium is the final test out of the entire master teacher examination, it is also the easiest one. As long as an examinee is able to pass the first five, this last test is negligible. So far, its passing rate is hundred percent. Thus, as long as one passes the first five tests, he would be considered to have passed the master teacher examination and be qualified to call himself a master teacher. The Question Symposium is more of a formal event to introduce the new master teacher to the others.”

Ling Xiaoxiao explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded, but at the same time, a wave of dejection took over him.

So it appears that this symposium is the simplest stage of the entire examination… To think I would be unable to understand anything that they said on stage!

From the looks of it, the master teacher examination isn’t that easy after all.

As the two of them continued to converse, the Question Symposium above neared its end.

“Congratulations, Master Teacher Mo Yu!”

“Here is your emblem. From now on, you’re a 1-star master teacher!”

…

The master teachers in the front row of seats offered their congratulations.

After receiving the master teacher emblem and the robe specially tailored for master teachers, Princess Mo Yu felt thrilled.

There seemed to be just a sliver of difference between an apprentice and a true master teacher, but the status they possessed were worlds apart.

Only after successfully becoming a master teacher can one truly be considered to be at the pinnacle of society.

“I have something on, so I’ll first take my leave!”

After passing presenting the emblem and robe to Mo Yu, Mo Hongyi nodded and then turned around to leave immediately.

Seeming to be well aware of the other party’s temperament, Mo Yu didn’t look angered.

After trading a few obligatory pleasantries with the crowd, Mo Yu was finally able to extricate herself and she headed in Zhang Xuan’s direction.

Upon seeing Mo Yu walking over, Ling Xiaoxiao’s face flushed in agitation, and words could do little to describe her excitement.

“My idol is coming. Does she really recognize me? Hurry, help me take a look. Is my hair messy?”

“Er… It’s not messy!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“That’s good…”

Ling Xiaoxiao stood up hastily.

“Apprentice Ling Xiaoxiao pays respect to Mo shi!”

“Un!” Nodding her head slightly, Princess Mo Yu then ignored her, turning to face Zhang Xuan instead.

Seeing how the princess who had just passed her 1-star master teacher examination had her gaze fixated on an unfamiliar youngster, the environment fell into silence immediately.

Ling Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded by the sight, and she nearly keeled over.

She thought that her idol had come for her. Never in her dreams did she expect for Princess Mo Yu to simply respond with a slight nod and then immediately turn to the person beside her.

Isn’t this fellow merely an ignorant apprentice who knows nothing?

To come here specially to meet him… What in the world is going on?

“Can… what Physician Bai Chan said be true?”

From the side, Squadron Leader Yao had been keeping tabs on Zhang Xuan. Upon witnessing Princess Mo Yu approach that person, his breathing hastened.

What Physician Bai Chan said must be true, without a doubt. Otherwise, the princess wouldn’t have gone to him.

It was fortunate that he listened to the other party’s advice and stepped down. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even know how he died…

“However, the princess always carries herself with dignity and does not get involved with any men. If this fellow does have a relationship with her, many people will definitely soon learn about it…”

Squadron Leader Yao thought. Just as he was picturing how the bewildered faces of her suitors would look like when the news spread out, he saw Princess Mo Yu clasp her hand and perform the formality that would only be done when a student meets her teacher.

“Student Mo Yu pays respect to Zhang laoshi!”

Chapter 303: Master Teacher Examination, Begin! [2in1]

Student Mo Yu?

Pays respect to Zhang laoshi?

The entire room became ghastly silent. Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

What is going on?

Princess Mo Yu is the second greatest genius of the kingdom, a figure who became a 1-star master teacher at such a young age… Yet, to respectfully greet someone younger than her as Zhang laoshi…

Where did he appear from?

What rights does he have to make the princess behave in such a manner?

Putong!

Squadron Leader Yao felt his knees go weak and he nearly kneeled onto the ground.

Oh my gosh!

He thought that the other party was romantically involved with the princess, but to think that the princess was actually the other party’s student…

Is there a need for such exaggeration?

It was fortunate that he didn’t behave too recklessly the day before. Otherwise, even if he were to be killed on the spot, no one would have dared to speak up for him.

On the other end, Ling Xiaoxiao’s face became frozen.

She thought that her idol was here to speak with her. She couldn’t have imagined that she was here to greet this ignorant lad.

Brother, didn’t you not know where the Master Teacher Pavilion is? Didn’t you not know how the master teacher examination is conducted?

Didn’t you not know who Mo Hongyi is?

An insignificant and ignorant apprentice made the number two genius of the kingdom, the newly qualified master teacher, Princess Mo Yu, bow and respectfully address him as laoshi…

What kind of twist is this?

Even the expert beside her widened his eyes in astonishment, nearly dropping to the ground.

Initially, he had been feeling somewhat dissatisfied to see the young mistress wasting her breath on this fellow. But at this moment, he realized that this ordinary-looking guy was actually a hidden expert!

To be addressed by the princess as teacher… Based on just this fact alone, he was on an equal footing with several prestigious clans in the capital.

They weren’t the only ones, even Zhao Ya and the others felt bewildered.

The arrogant Physician Bai Chan was beaten to a pulp, but he didn’t dare to retaliate; the genius princess bowed respectfully and addressed him as laoshi…

Didn’t Zhang laoshi say that… he arrived at Tianwu Kingdom just yesterday afternoon?

It had not been long since his arrival and he had already managed to cause such a huge ruckus, earning himself respect, fear, and awe…

If he were to remain here for any period longer, wouldn’t the pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion have to come greet him personally as well?

“Un!”

Ignoring everyone’s shock, Zhang Xuan nodded his head faintly.

He was indeed worthy of the other party’s bow.

If not for his guidance back at Red Lotus City, it would have been impossible for her to pass the 2-star apothecary examination.

“Zhang laoshi…”

Princess Mo Yu had intended to ask about the matter in the Poison Hall, but after hesitating for a moment, she decided not to bring it up, especially with such a huge crowd present.

Back then, when she left Red Lotus City for Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan and the Great Herb King had already set off for the Poison Hall.

Impersonating the special envoy to enter the Poison Hall was extremely dangerous, so she had been worried about him. Initially, she thought that even if Zhang Xuan were to return alive, it would be difficult for the two of them to meet again. But never in her dreams did she expect that she would encounter him in just a few days’ time.

This was why she lost herself back then and stared at him.

Then after the end of the Question Symposium, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore and came forward to greet him.

As the number two genius of Tianwu Kingdom, she did possess her own pride. However, after the days accompanying this young man, she realized that the little talent she possessed meant nothing before him.

“Mo Yu, aren’t you going to introduce him to me?”

Mo Yu was about to continue speaking when a voice suddenly sounded. Then, a tall and muscular man could be seen walking over.

Looking to be in his thirties, he was dressed in a long robe, and the emblem on his chest signified his identity as a 1-star master teacher. Judging from the aura he exuded and his immense strength, he was a Zongshi realm expert!

Being a 1-star teacher and a Zongshi realm expert in just his thirties, even though his talent was beneath that of Mo Hongyi and Mo Yu, he wasn’t too far from them.

Upon seeing him, a faint look of displeasure flickered across Mo Yu’s eyes. Nevertheless, she nodded, “The reason why I am able to forge a grade-2 pill and pass the 2-star apothecary examination, despite my cultivation not having reached Zongshi realm, is due to Zhang laoshi’s guidance. As such, he is half a teacher to me!”

The Apothecary is one of the top occupations among the Upper Nine Paths, and under normal circumstances, a practitioner’s cultivation has to reach Zongshi realm before he can take the 2-star examination.

This is because only upon achieving Zongshi realm can one better control the heat of the cauldron, the properties of the medicinal herbs, the clash of various energies within the cauldron… And from there, forge a grade-2 pill.

By merely following Zhang Xuan’s instructions, Mo Yu was already able to successfully forge a grade-2 pill in the Beast Hall.

Then after continuing to learn diligently from Zhang Xuan for several days in the Red Lotus City, her proficiency in pill forging improved even further.

After returning to the capital, with the support from the royal family, her cultivation escalated. Even though she was still a distance away from reaching Zongshi realm, she had already managed to reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle.

Under usual circumstances, no one is allowed to take the 2-star examination without first reaching Zongshi realm. However, she successfully forged a grade-2 pill and was granted a special exception to be promoted to a 2-star apothecary. From then on, her feats became a legend.

“Half a teacher?”

“For Mo shi to pass the 2-star apothecary examination at such a young age, that young man’s pill forging skills must be incredible!”

The crowd burst into an uproar, and they stared at Zhang Xuan in amazement. They finally understood why Mo Yu regarded that young man so highly.

If Mo Yu passed the 2-star apothecary examination due to his guidance… Doesn’t that mean that he is superior to her in the field of pill forging?

Surpassing 2-star? It can’t be possible that he’s a 3-star apothecary, right?

A 3-star apothecary who has yet to reach twenty?

Everyone poured out a cold breath of air.

“Taught you how to forge pills?”

A flash gleamed across the muscular man’s eyes. He turned toward Zhang Xuan immediately and smiled, “So it’s a grandmaster apothecary. I apologize for my disrespect. My name is Jiang Chen, and I am grateful for your guidance to Princess Mo Yu!”

However, Mo Yu’s eyebrows knitted together in displeasure and she spoke sharply, “I don’t need you to thank him for me!”

“Hehe!”

Jiang Chen laughed dryly, not giving any heed to Mo Yu’s attitude. Flinging his sleeves aside, he carried an aura of superiority as he looked at Zhang Xuan, “The Apothecary Guild’s Apothecary Hong is my friend, and he passed the 3-star apothecary examination recently, Since Zhang laoshi is a talented apothecary as well, I believe that the two of you should be acquainted with one another. But why have I never heard of there being a genius like you in the guild? Furthermore, I know every single apothecary in the guild who is 2-star and above… May I enquire what Zhang laoshi’s grade is?”

Hearing what he said, everyone turned to Zhang Xuan immediately, their eyes filled with curiosity.

“I am only a 1-star apothecary!” Zhang Xuan replied.

He had only taken the 1-star apothecary examination and didn’t think that he was a genius of any sort. Besides, he had never been to Tianwu Royal City’s Apothecary Guild, so naturally, he neither knows Apothecary Hong nor possesses any fame.

“1-star?”

“A 1-star apothecary guided Princess Mo Yu to forge a grade-2 pill? You must be joking!”

“The hierarchy in the Upper Nine Paths occupation is extremely strict. How can a 1-star apothecary guide a 2-star apothecary…”

…

Everyone became baffled once again.

They had seen for themselves how highly Princess Mo Yu regarded the young man, and it felt as if she would really kneel down in admiration for the other party. Thus, they thought that the young man would be a formidable apothecary. In the end, it turned out that he was only a 1-star… Did someone make a mistake?

“1-star?”

Jiang Chen was taken aback as well. An expression of disdain was revealed on his face but was swiftly hidden. “To be able to reach 1-star at your age, Brother Zhang is indeed talented. As long as you work hard, you will surely be able to reach great heights!”

He had addressed the other party as Zhang laoshi previously, but in the blink of an eye, he had amended that to ‘Brother Zhang’. He had even dropped all of the pleasantries.

After which, he ignored Zhang Xuan completely and turned to Princess Mo Yu, “Mo Yu, I have prepared a feast to celebrate your successful promotion as a master teacher. Let’s go!”

“I refuse!”

Princess Mo Yu shook her slender hands.

“This celebration feast is specially prepared for you, how can the star of the show go missing…” Getting rejected before such a huge crowd, Jiang Chen felt somewhat embarrassed.

“I still have things that I need to consult Zhang laoshi with. Feel free to carry on with the feast without me!” Mo Yu replied coldly.

It seemed that she wasn’t fond of the other party.

“How about this, why don’t Brother Zhang come along as well? This way, you can consider it as repayment for his guidance.”

At which, Jiang Chen turned to Zhang Xuan and said, “What does Brother Zhang think? You seem like you have just arrived at the capital, and there are many VIPs joining in the celebration. Apothecary Hong will be there as well, and I can make use of this opportunity to introduce him to you. As a 1-star apothecary, it will be good for you to come into contact with high-ranking apothecaries like him.”

“I’m not free!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

If the other party was inviting him sincerely, he would have considered heading over after he was done with his master teacher examination. However, Jiang Chen acted as though he was inviting Zhang Xuan out of charity. Taking into account the other party’s attitude, even if it were the emperor’s birthday celebration, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have bothered.

“You’re not free?”

Jiang Chen could tolerate being rejected by Mo Yu, but to be turned down in public by a 1-star apothecary, his complexion darkened immediately, and his eyebrows shot up. He emitted the pressure of a Zongshi realm expert, “An official apothecary may possess incredible status, but that is nothing compared to a master teacher. You should reconsider your option. Don’t let a moment of folly land you in deep trouble… Hey, I’m still talking to you! Hold it right there!”

Jiang Chen thought he could frighten the other party into obedience by pointing out the possible consequences of his rejection. However, before he could finish his words, the other party was already gone. Jiang Chen nearly fainted out of anger.

As a 1-star master teacher and a Zongshi realm expert, when had anyone dared to disrespect him like that?

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan disregarded the conceited fellow and stopped before Mo Yu. “Bring me over!”

“Yes!”

Back in Red Lotus City, Zhang Xuan had told her that he intended to take the master teacher examination. Thus, Mo Yu immediately understood the other party’s intentions, and the duo walked pass Jiang Chen.

“This fellow…”

Seeing how Zhang Xuan disregarded Jiang Chen and left just like that, the corners of Ling Xiaoxiao’s mouth twitched.

Do you know who this fellow is? To ignore him like that…

Even the emperor would have to give him VIP treatment, yet you ignore him…

Ling Xiaoxiao was about to go forward to offer some advice when she saw Princess Mo Yu stop before an elder and said, “Wu shi, Zhang laoshi intends to take the master teacher examination. I will have to trouble you to make preparations.”

“Take the master teacher examination?”

Ling Xiaoxiao had barely taken a step forward when she heard those words and staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

It is just a moment ago that you are clueless about the master teacher examination and you want to give it a try now… Brother, are you sure you aren’t joking with me?

After the conversation just now, she could have confidently declared that the fellow named Zhang Xuan knew nothing about master teachers. In fact, she had even suspected that Zhang Xuan’s master teacher apprentice emblem was bought…

Does he want to take the master teacher examination, just like that?

Do you know what master teachers represent?

Ling Xiaoxiao felt as that she was on the brink of going insane.

Jiang Chen, who intended to step forward to teach the other party a lesson, also stopped upon hearing Mo Yu’s words. His eyes narrowed, and he seemed to have fallen into deep contemplation.

“Alright, but I’ll have to check if you are qualified to take the examination!”

Wu shi nodded.

In the guild, he was in charge of conducting the master teacher examination, thus he was extremely well-versed in the procedures.

Before taking the examination, he had to ascertain that the candidate fulfilled both the internal and external conditions.

The external conditions are: the recommendation from a master teacher, the identity of an assistant master teacher, and at least one supporting occupation!

The internal conditions are: reaching the State of Insight of the Heart of Tranquil Water and Tongxuan realm cultivation!

Liu Ling had told Zhang Xuan about these conditions at Tianxuan Kingdom, so Zhang Xuan was no stranger to them. With a flick of his wrist, he took out his master teacher apprentice emblem and 1-star apothecary emblem and passed them forward. At the same time, he revealed his Half-Zongshi cultivation.

With a glance, Wu shi verified that the emblems were genuine. Thereafter, he took out a Stone of Insight and passed it to Zhang Xuan.

“It’s a test of your Soul Depth!”

Zhang Xuan nodded. He grabbed the Stone of Insight and adjusted his state of mind.

…

“Jiang shi, there’s no need to get angry. He is just an ignorant countryside bumpkin. I doubt that he will even be eligible for the examination!”

Upon seeing Jiang Chen’s darkened expression, an apprentice walked up and fawned on him. “Besides, even if he is eligible for the examination, it is impossible for him to match up to you! After all, you are a genius who is born with a Soul Depth of 4.0!”

The requirement for the master teacher examination was a Soul Depth of 3.0.

Most apprentices, upon achieving Heart of Tranquil Water, would only possess a Soul Depth of 1.5. They would require countless years of cultivation before they are able to raise it to 3.0.

But this Jiang Chen possessed a Soul Depth of 4.0 from the moment he reached Heart of Tranquil Water.

His name was spread far and wide.

Even though he wasn’t able to match up to Mo Hongyi’s 6.0 and Mo Yu’s 5.0, he was still ranked among the best of geniuses in the capital.

“Competing with me? Who does he think he is!”

Upon hearing those words, Jiang Chen’s grim complexion lightened greatly.

Other than those two monsters, he didn’t fear anyone when it came to Soul Depth.

The other party was just a nobody. He might be skilled in pill forging, but his Soul Depth… This is the foundation of being a master teacher, similar to what zhenqi is to a fighter. Even if the other party’s Soul Depth had reached 3.0, he would still be a far way off from him, who was blessed with a natural Soul Depth of 4.0.

The difference between 3.0 and 4.0 doesn’t appear to be great, but this gap can only be bridged by decades of effort.

Ling Xiaoxiao looked over as well.

She didn’t think that this ignorant fellow would possess a Soul Depth that was eligible for the master teacher examination.

After all, have you ever met a master teacher who came for the examination without knowing what would be tested?

Every other master teacher had to study and prepare for their master teacher examination in advance, not daring to slack off in any way. Yet, this fellow wants to make an attempt without knowing anything about it. Examination… your head!

If even this guy manages to pass the examination, didn’t that mean that I, who know everything about the tests, am ready for the 2-star examination?

She was thinking about what she should say if the other party’s Soul Depth didn’t meet the criteria when she heard a light buzz.

The Stone of Insight in Zhang Xuan’s hands shone, and a line of digits slowly floated into appearance.

Wu shi received the Stone of Insight over from Zhang Xuan and lowered his head to take a glance. His indifferent expression was shattered immediately, and his lips quivered uncontrollably, “This… this…”

“Quick, let’s see how much it is!”

Everyone was startled to see the usually calm Wu shi behave in such a manner. With faces full of curiosity, they could not help but direct their attention to the Stone of Insight.

With a single look, each and every single one of their bodies shuddered.

“Go and take a look!” Full of pride, Jiang Chen refused to go forward and instead, sent his apprentice.

The young man nodded and walked forward. But when he returned, he had an expression that seemed as if he had just seen a ghost.

“Why? Can it be that his Soul Depth matches me, Jiang Chen? Did he attain 4.0 as well?”

Jiang Chen frowned. “I come from a clan of master teachers, and from young, I have been receiving guidance from master teachers. This is also the reason why I can achieve such a high Soul Depth upon reaching Heart of Tranquil Water. How can a wild brat like him compare with me? How much is it?”

With an extremely red face, the apprentice spoke hesitantly, “He… 5.1!”

Putong!

Jiang Chen’s body swayed, and he immediately felt his heart stifle.

The heck! He had just claimed that this fellow could never compare up to him and his Soul Depth was revealed to be 5.1… This was superior even to that of Princess Mo Yu!

Jiang Chen could feel fresh blood welling up in his mouth.

“5.1? This…”

Ling Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in shock. Brother, you have achieved a Soul Depth of 5.1 and yet you don’t know what the master teacher examination tests are about? Do you live under a stone?

5.1, that’s already the level of a top-notch genius! With just a bit of effort, your Soul Depth will be able to reach 6.0, and you will be eligible to take the 2-star master teacher examination!

Despite the geniuses that have appeared in Tianwu Kingdom over the years, less than a handful became 2-star master teachers…

The person whom she thought to be an ignorant countryside bumpkin suddenly became an absolute genius. Ling Xiaoxiao’s face reddened, and for a long while, she was unable to say a single word.

…

“Soul Depth of 5.1, you are a genius among geniuses. Let’s go to the field, I’ll conduct the examination for you right now!”

With a greatly agitated expression, Wu shi took large strides as he headed out of the room.

Zhang Xuan and the others quickly followed behind him.

In no time, the group arrived at a vast hall.

At the very end of the hall were five tightly shut doors.

“The five tests for the master teacher examination are House of Trust, Supporting Occupation Pavilion, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Ocean, and Unerring Pavilion! If you have students, you can have them enter that room. As long as their Trust Level exceeds 50, you will pass the first test!”

Pointing to the very first door, Wu shi said.

“Un!”

Having heard the rules from Ling Xiaoxiao, Zhang Xuan nodded and beckoned for Zhao Ya and the others to come closer. “These are my students!”

“They…”

Glancing at the crowd before looking back at Zhang Xuan, a sliver of doubt flashed across Wu shi’s eyes.

Usually, there would be a significant age gap between the teacher and student because it would be easier to establish a trust that way.

Taking, for example, if a twenty-year-old man were to teach a seven-year-old child, he would be likely to hold unconditional trust for your words. However, if that same man were to teach a sixteen-year-old teenager, putting aside whether he would trust your words, it would be a problem in itself to have him acknowledge you as his teacher.

Why should he?

This was exactly the situation before him. This Zhang laoshi appeared to be below twenty, but his students were sixteen to seventeen, and there was a small age gap. Are you sure that the Trust Level these students have in you exceeds fifty?

“That… May I ask how long have you taught these students for?”

After hesitating for a moment, Wu shi asked.

While the small difference in age posed a problem, it could be made up with time. If one could impress his students with his guidance over time, the Trust Level would surely rise.

“Around half a month…”

Then, after hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan added sheepishly, “For that half a month, I’ve been out often, so adding it all up, it’s probably only around five to six days!”

“Five to six days…”

Wu shi’s body swayed violently, and he nearly passed out. He stared at the fellow before him as if he were looking at a monster.

When others take the master teacher examination, they would bring students whom they have groomed for numerous years. This way, the Trust Level would be higher, increasing the likelihood that they pass the examination. Yet, you sure are bold… Bringing students whom you have taught for just five to six days…

Are you sure that their Trust Level in you exceeds 50?

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xuan didn’t know that there were so many things to consider about deciding on which student to deploy, so he felt perplexed.

“That… It’s nothing. I would like to ask if you have any other students whom you have taught for a longer period of time or are younger…”

Fearing that the other party wouldn’t understand his meaning, Wu shi explained patiently.

“There’s none. They are the ones whom I have taught for the longest period of time, as well as the youngest!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Wu shi rolled his eyes.

The heck! They are almost the same age as you and you’ve only taught them for five to six days. And you say that they are your youngest students, those whom you have taught for the longest period of time?

You must be pulling my leg!

Feeling dismayed, Wu shi was thinking about how he should explain to that fellow when the other party shot him a doubtful look, “If they won’t do, I have taught Princess Mo Yu for a few days as well. She can give it a try too!”

Give it a try?

Try your head!

Do you think that the master teacher examination is a joke?

He thought that since the other party had a Soul Depth of 5.1, a top-notch talent, it shouldn’t have been a problem for him to pass the examination. Yet, to think that… even such simple words could not get through to him.

“If these are your only students, you can get them to enter. However, allow me to remind you in advance. Their Trust Levels in you must reach at least 50 in order for you to pass. If they don’t… You can only try again the next time!”

Forcefully suppressing his own feelings of frustration, Wu shi couldn’t be bothered to explain any further.

“Un, I understand!”

Zhang Xuan turned to Zhao Ya and the others. “You all should enter!”

“Yes!” Zhao Ya and the others nodded their heads before stepping into the room.

“Drip a droplet of fresh blood here. Just like the crystal ball used to test Trust Level, all kinds of illusions will appear in this room to assess your student’s trust in you. Eventually, the result will appear on the wall!”

Seeing the fellow urge his students to enter without even giving them any instructions, Wu shi felt increasingly dumbstruck. At this point in time, he was no longer carrying any expectations for him.

Other teachers would explain to their students what they should do upon encountering the illusion to hint their students about how they can achieve a higher Trust Level…

Yet, he didn’t even bother to say anything. It was a wonder how someone like him became a teacher.

It was true that Zhang Xuan wasn’t aware of the rules for the master teacher examination, but from his perspective, there wasn’t really a need for any clarifications. He simply came to the front and released a droplet of blood onto a pedestal.

Weng!

With a light ring, the entire House of Trust burst into action, and a glaring radiance filled the room.

Seeing that the first test of the master teacher examination had begun, the crowd, who had followed along, focused on the tightly shut doors with great anxiety.

“To bring similarly-aged students whom he had taught for just five to six days… It would already be considered incredible if his Trust Level reaches 20!” Jiang Chen sneered coldly.

Even though the master teacher examination was difficult, there were certain tricks.

As a 1-star master teacher who came from a clan of master teachers, he was well aware of the ways to maximize the possibility of passing the examination.

One’s Trust Level toward one’s parents would be only around sixty, while this test required a Trust Level of fifty at the minimum. This was equivalent to trust that people have for their own siblings.

How can he establish a trust of this level with students whom he had taught for just a few days?

Putting aside a star teacher, even 1-star teachers are unable to induce this level of trust in similarly-aged students within such a short period of time.

“Did you really only teach these students for… five to six days?”

Jiang Chen wasn’t the only one who thought so. Mo Yu could not help but ask Zhang Xuan.

“Actually… If I were to add up the time I’ve been together with them, it’s only about fifteen to sixteen hours!”

Zhang Xuan contemplated for a moment before answering.

During the period he was teaching Zhao Ya and the others, he was busy every single day with many different things. Thus, he would often just lecture and correct their flaws in the morning before disappearing in the afternoon. Thus, the time in which they spent together might only add up to a total of fifteen to sixteen hours.

“Fifteen to sixteen… hours?”

Princess Mo Yu saw her vision turn gray for a moment.

What kind of trust can you establish in such a short period of time?

She thought that this fellow was well-prepared, that’s why she brought him here. To think that he would be so unreliable…

“Look, the Trust Level is out!”

Just as she was considering how she should explain the matter to this fellow and have him prepare himself properly before retaking the examination, she heard someone from among the crowd shout.

Mo Yu turned to look immediately.

Weng!

The first door trembled violently, and a row of digits slowly appeared on its surface.

“What? How is that possible?”

Mo Yu, Jiang Chen, and the others exclaimed in shock.

“The Trust Level of Life-and-death Kindreds? This is what only a 5-star master teacher can achieve…”

Wu shi trembled vigorously in agitation.

All of the master teachers who tagged along fell silent, displaying their shock for the numbers before them.

The two large digits that hung on the door were exceptionally conspicuous, but those looking at it couldn’t help but doubt their eyes…

85.

Chapter 304: No Mistake?

The relationship between parent and child was around 60 while with one’s spouse, it was around 70. Beyond that was the level at which both parties would be willing to die for one another, Life-and-death Kindreds!

This was the level at which both parties had unreserved trust for one another. They would willingly die for the sake of one another if there was a need to!

This was a level that would only appear in students taught by a 5-star master teacher!

Jiang Chen had just said that it would be impossible for the Trust Level to even reach 20, and such a situation occurred in the very next moment. He felt a stinging sensation on his face as though someone had slapped him hard and dislocated his lower jaw. He stared at the numbers with his mouth agape.

He only taught his students for only five to six days?

Have you ever seen anyone reaching such a high level of trust after teaching for just a few days?

If you can reach this level after such a short period of time, doesn’t that mean that if you were to teach them for a few years, you would reach 90 and above?

The heck!

Even a 5-star master teacher would be incapable of such a feat!

Soul Depth of 5.1, Trust Level of 85…

This countryside bumpkin was about to charge through the heavens!

Ling Xiaoxiao’s slender body trembled, and ten thousand mud horses raced across her mind.

Bringing over new students who were around the same age as him… It was clear that the young man was a newbie who didn’t know a single thing about the master teacher examination.

Yet, it was the same person who casually blasted their eyes with a Trust Level of 85!

She felt helpless and frenzied.

Mo Yu’s mouth twitched violently as well.

She had guessed long ago that Zhang laoshi would surely pass this test. However, she had never expected him to do it so overwhelmingly with such inconceivable results.

One must know that she had brought students who she had groomed for three years for her test but their Trust Level only reached 52.

Even the students brought here by the number one genius of the kingdom, Mo Hongyi, only had a Trust Level of 55. Those students had been following him since they were seven and at the time of the examination, they were only eleven.

Regardless of whether it was the age of Zhang Xuan’s students or the duration he had guided them for. The result of the House of Trust was completely inconceivable, to the point that they started to doubt if it was malfunctioning.

Jiya!

The door opened and the slightly fatigued Zhao Ya and the others walked out. They turned around and glanced at the Trust Level on the door.

“I’m sorry, teacher…” The few of them apologized.

On the inside, they felt that they would trust Zhang laoshi unconditionally no matter what he did, or else, they wouldn’t have left their kin to follow him here. Thus, upon seeing the result of the test, they felt embarrassed.

Seeing their expressions, the crowd immediately suffered billions of damage.

Not only was the teacher a monster, the students were monsters as well. To be discontent with a Trust Level of 85, why don’t you all just go and die…

“Cough cough!”

Seeing that the master teachers and apprentices were traumatized and rendered speechless by this matter, Wu shi immediately coughed to draw everyone’s attention.

“With a Trust Level of 85, you passed the first test! We’ll move on to the second test now, Supporting Occupation Pavilion!”

“The content of the test for the Supporting Occupation Pavilion will naturally be on your supporting occupation. However, as your supporting occupation is that of an apothecary, I will have to warn you in advance.” He said as he turned towards Zhang Xuan.

“For the 1-star apothecary examination, you have to forge a grade-1 pill. However, the test for the Supporting Occupation Pavilion is different. What it tests is not your understanding on pill forging, but… your ability to impart your knowledge!”

“That’s to say, even if you are a 3-star apothecary, if you are incapable of guiding others on pill forging, you will be deemed to have failed this test! The results of the test will be determined by two factors. Firstly, the level of the pill you have forged. Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill… The higher the level, the better your results. Secondly, the number of errors you make in your guidance. For every error made, you will have points deducted from your score. Do you understand?”

After explaining the content of the test, Wu shi asked.

“I understand!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Even though he was a 1-star apothecary, he passed the examination through Pill Debate. As such, he was unable to even forge a grade-1 pill. For him, guiding others… was much easier.

With the all of the books from the Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild in his head, even if he didn’t use the Library of Heaven’s Path, he would still be able to guide others to forge a grade-1 pill with ease.

“Good, you may enter!” Wu shi gestured.

“Un!” Not wasting any time, Zhang Xuan walked in.

“Do you all think he will be able to pass this test?”

“Even Mo shi has addressed him as teacher, he must possess incredible aptitude in pill forging. Passing shouldn’t be an issue, I only wonder what his results will be.”

“Just like the House of Trust, the maximum score that one can get in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion is 100 points, and the passing score is fifty. The difference in occupation will result in a difference in judging criteria. For a painter to pass, he has to guide someone to paint a second level painting. Since he is an apothecary, as long as a pill is successfully formed, he should be able to reach 50 points and pass the examination.”

“Indeed. Back then, when Mo Hongyi took the Supporting Occupation Pavilion test, he was tested on his occupation as a formation master. With his score of 60, he created a huge commotion back then!”

“Reaching a score of 60 means that one’s understanding of one’s supporting occupation has already exceeded the level of a 1-star. To be achieve such results for the 1-star master teacher examination… Only a genius like him is capable of doing so!”

“However, this fellow’s Soul Depth is 5.1 and his students’ Trust Level is 85. I think that… his results won’t be low.”

“You’re right. However, forging a pill by yourself and guiding another person to do the same are two completely different matters. I think that reaching 55 will already be a huge hurdle for him!”

…

The crowd started discussing as they saw Zhang Xuan walk into the Supporting Occupation Pavilion.

What the Supporting Occupation Pavilion tested was one’s ability to guide others on the occupation, not their own mastery in the occupation. There were many geniuses who came to take the examination, only to leave the examination hall disappointed.

Even though Zhang Xuan’s Soul Depth and House of Trust results have astonished the crowd, most people didn’t think that he would do well for the second test.

…

Jiya! The doors closed.

Zhang Xuan scanned the room.

It was a room of around twenty meters in length and width, and there was a massive cauldron placed in the center of the room.

“It looks like this room will change according to the supporting occupation of the examinee!”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback when he saw the cauldron. However, after giving the matter some thought, he came to a realization.

The Supporting Occupation Pavilion would change its interiors depending on the supporting occupation of the examinee. Since Zhang Xuan’s supporting occupation was apothecary, naturally, a cauldron would be placed at the center of the room.

Hu!

Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering how the test would be carried out, a puppet walked over to the side of the cauldron.

Zhang Xuan couldn’t tell what the puppet was made of, but it seemed no different from a human apart from its completely impassive expression.

Before the puppet was a row of around forty to fifty different medicinal herbs.

“Green-leafed Split Palm Flower, Rootless Grass, White Angelica Flower…Am I supposed to forge a grade-1 Spirit Enriching Pill?

Zhang Xuan deduced as he examined at the medicinal herbs.

Based on his knowledge on pill forging, even without using the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could tell what kind of pill these ingredients could make.

Right as he was discerning the various herbs present, the puppet started to move.

Lighting the flame, warming the cauldron, placing the medicinal herbs in… Even though the puppet’s movements weren’t fluid, they were orderly and sequential.

“It is impossible for a pill to be formed like that…”

With a glance, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Pill forging was just like executing a battle technique. Even with the same herbs and the same forging sequence, if the person forging it was different, the result would be different as well.

Although the sequence in which the puppet placed the medicinal herbs in was correct, the puppet failed to grasp the timings well, resulting in multiple conflicts between the medicinal properties of the various herbs. Under such circumstances, the pill forging was inevitably bound to end in failure.

Bo! As expected, when the pill forging came to an end and the cauldron was opened, black smoke immediately billowed out.

Failure!

“To pass this examination, you have to guide the puppet to successfully forge the pill!”

A voice sounded.

It seemed like the examinee was supposed to carefully watch the forging process of the puppet and determine the errors in its movements so as to guide it when it forges for the second time.

As soon as those words sounded, the puppet started forging once more. Its actions were exactly the same as before.

If it was an ordinary apothecary, it would be impossible for him to forge another pill in the exact same way as he did before. Probably, only this kind of specially created puppet could follow instructions so precisely.

“However, this is better for me. Unlike humans, puppets won’t suffer from lapses in concentration. As long as it strictly follows my instructions, it will surely be able to forge the pill out!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Back then, when he instructed Mo Yu on forging a grade-2 pill back in the Beast Hall, it was due to her concentration wandering that the pill forging nearly failed.

Humans have emotions, be it happiness, sadness, or anger, and these could affect the result of the pill forged. However, puppets were different.

They would strictly follow the instructions given to them so it was impossible for them to make any mistakes.

“Slow the igniting process of the flame by half a breath, and extend the warming of the cauldron by four breaths. Wait a moment. Alright, begin…”

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan smiled. Standing on the spot, he muttered instruction after instruction.

…

In the hall outside, everyone’s gaze was fixated on the number on the door.

“He should already be guiding the puppet by now!”

Someone shouted.

“That’s right! Different from the House of Trust, the score of the Supporting Occupation Hall will be reflected on the door as soon as the test begins. As correct instructions are issued by the examinee, the score increases. On the other hand, if erroneous instructions were to be issued, the score decreases.”

“This way, we can see his result real-time!”

“Back then, when Mo Hongyi guided a puppet to set up a formation, the points kept increasing and there were only five occasions where the score fell. That is to say, he has only made five errors!”

“Indeed. Even Pavilion Master Jiang made seven mistakes when he took the 2-star master teacher examination. Yet, Mo Hongyi only made five. This in itself is making history!”

“I wonder how will the fellow inside fare!”

“Even if he’s a genius, his Soul Depth is only 5.1. Compared to Mo Hongyi Mo shi’s 6.0, he is still slightly lacking. I think that his mistakes should probably number at least ten!”

“I think so too. It should be above ten!”

…

Everyone were chattering wildly about the situation.

“Look, the score is starting to increase!”

Another voice broke all of the discussions in the room. All gazes swiftly fell onto the door.

The number which appeared previously was slowly increasing.

10!

11!

12!

“Not bad, his score is increasing steadily. This means that he hasn’t made any errors so far, I am impressed!”

“It’s just a matter of time before he makes a mistake. After all, who can guarantee that he will be able to guide someone perfectly?”

“Your words make sense…”

The crowd nodded as they watched the number on the door.

Initially, they were still chatting casually, but as time went by, their faces slowly turned grim.

“It’s already 40 and he hasn’t made a single error…”

The eyes of all the master teachers in the room widened, as though they were looking at a fearsome monster.

The number on the door has already reached 40 but it hasn’t decreased a single time yet. This meant that from the start of the pill forging, Zhang Xuan hasn’t issued a single erroneous instruction!

---

Mud horses -> It is a homophone for a vulgarity in Chinese

Chapter 305: Mo Hongyi Goes Into A Frenzy

“45, no mistakes!”

“50, no mistakes!”

“55, no mistakes!”

The unceasing voice gradually grew fainter and slower, as if the one speaking was finally overcome by disbelief.

Since the score had reached 55 without a single error, it meant to say that the pill forging was already more than halfway through…

To make no errors for the entire former half of the examination?

Even that invincible genius, Mo Hongyi, wasn’t capable of such feat back then!

It could even be said that no master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom had ever achieved such an impressive result.

“This… impossible! It wouldn’t be possible for even a 3-star apothecary to offer such perfect guidance… He is just a countryside bumpkin, what basis does he have to achieve that?”

Jiang Chen’s mouth quivered, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Even though one merely has to guide the puppet to forge a grade-1 pill, the ‘answer key’ was based on the forging process of a 4-star apothecary.

At 4-star, an apothecary’s understanding toward medicinal pills has reached an extremely profound level. They are already capable of forging grade-1 pills impeccably.

Thus, using their forging process as an ‘answer key’ was more than appropriate.

For the fellow inside to forge the pill without any errors, what does that mean? Can it be that his comprehension of pill forging is already comparable to that of a 4-star apothecary?

How is that possible?

The most capable apothecary in the entire of Tianwu Kingdom, the guild leader of the Apothecary Guild, was only a 3-star apothecary primary stage. Just like the newly-promoted Apothecary Hong, he was still a long way from reaching 4-star.

Yet, a youngster below twenty has managed to reach the level of a 4-star?

“Can it be that… what Princess Mo Yu said is true?”

Someone within the crowd muttered.

Upon hearing those words, the eyes of the crowd narrowed involuntarily.

Previously, Mo Yu, a 2-star apothecary, said that Zhang Xuan was half a teacher to her, and if not for him, she wouldn’t have successfully passed the examination.

Back then, most of the crowd found it hard to believe.

Then, when he revealed his apothecary grade… 1-star! Everyone thought that the princess had exaggerated her words.

A mere 1-star apothecary… How skilled and knowledgeable can he be?

But after witnessing the result he obtained in this Supporting Occupation Pavilion, they realized that it was all true.

If it wasn’t true, then the situation that had unfolded before them couldn’t be explained.

“Don’t worry, he will definitely make an error soon. Even a 4-star apothecary can’t promise to forge a 1-star pill perfectly each time…”

Veins popped out on Jiang Chen’s temple. Unable to accept the situation, a ferocious expression had crept onto his face subconsciously.

He thought that this fellow would make a disgrace out of himself once the examination started. Who would have thought that he would be so formidable, going against all odds and not making a single mistake in the entire first half!

“60, no mistakes!”

Without care for the astonished expression on the audience’s faces, the digit on the wall continued to increase steadily without any signs of stopping.

“He has already broken Mo Hongyi, Mo shi’s record!”

“I thought that this record would remain unbroken for at least several centuries, to think that it would be broken in just a few years’ time!”

“This Zhang Xuan’s understanding of pill forging is simply too formidable. Not only is his score high, the crux is that he hasn’t made a single mistake. Will he really create a new record?”

“Who knows? In any case, based on the current flow of events… He will surely make a new record. Just that, I wonder how far he can go… 65? 70? Or 75?”

…

Accompanying the unceasing rise in his score, everyone grew progressively nervous.

Wu shi, who was in charge of conducting the examination, felt his body stiffen, and sweat flowed down his forehead incessantly.

He had conducted uncountable examinations throughout the years, but it was his first time witnessing such a situation.

Despite having exceeded 60 points, Zhang Xuan hadn’t made a single error. No one would have believed it if they hadn’t seen it for themselves.

“Wait, look, he made a mistake!”

Weng!

Just when everyone began to think that the fellow would continue his streak until the end of the examination, the number on the wall flickered all of a sudden, and from 60, it dropped to 59!

Since the score dropped, it meant that there was an erroneous instruction!

“He finally made a mistake! I thought that he might complete the test without making any mistake. Phew…”

“Indeed, didn’t I say so? How can there be anyone who doesn’t make a mistake guiding another on pill forging? It wouldn’t be logical…”

…

Seeing the dip in the score, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

If he were to really achieve a perfect score, that would be truly scary.

That would mean that the fellow inside was way beyond their league.

They felt relieved that that wasn’t the case.

“As time passes, the rise in temperature and the increasing medicinal herbs in the cauldron makes errors more likely to happen. Even if he made no mistakes in the earlier half, there is no guarantee that he can keep this up for the rest of the process. In fact, most of the errors should be made toward the end!”

A master teacher within the crowd, who had a supporting occupation as an apothecary, stroked his beard.

The crowd nodded in approval of his words.

That was also why it was so difficult to become an official apothecary.

Due to the flame beneath the cauldron, the temperature within would just grow higher and higher as time passes. Furthermore, while fusing two medicinal herbs together may be easy, fusing dozens at once might result in all kinds of unexpected conflicts.

This is similar to stacking blocks of wood. Stacking two pieces of wood may be easy, but when it comes to stacking several hundred of them, putting aside how they are stacked toward the end, a single error at the start can possibly result in a poor foundation and an unstable center of gravity, and all of your work might end up in vain.

The slightest mistake would cause miles of difference.

It was the same any other thing. The further one got, the greater the difficulty.

Zhang Xuan’s flying start had indeed shocked them all, but once a mistake occurred, it would be as if a dripping a droplet of ink into clear water, resulting in an irreversible domino effect.

“Hmph, I thought that you would never make a mistake…”

Jiang Chen also heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to continue speaking, his eyes suddenly narrowed into two thin slits.

The number on the door, which had just decreased, flickered again before increasing abruptly!

Zi la!

62!

…

In a silent chamber inside the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Seated within, Mo Hongyi was in the midst of adjusting his breath. Wave after wave of visible spiritual energy absorbed into his skin, slowly but steadily pulling his cultivation to higher heights.

Hu!

He opened his eyes all of a sudden and revealed his displeasure, “Didn’t I say that no one is to interrupt me when I’m cultivating?”

Jiya!

The door opened, and a servant walked in fearfully. “I don’t mean to interrupt Your Highness, just that…”

At this moment, he hesitated with his words.

“Speak!” Mo Hongyi frowned.

“It’s because someone is taking the 1-star master teacher examination!” The servant spoke up hastily.

“The master teacher is the world’s number one occupation, and many view it as their dream. Every day, countless people travel to the Master Teacher Pavilion from all around the world in hopes of achieving their goal, but those who do pass amount to less than a handful!”

Mo Hongyi thought that it would be a something important. However, after hearing the servant’s words, he shook his head and said indifferently, “Did you interrupt my cultivation just for this matter? If that’s the case, go ahead to receive your punishment. 100 whips, not a single one less!”

He hated to be interrupted during his training, and as such, he made a rule stating that anyone who interrupted him without a good reason would be punished.

Upon hearing the punishment that his master had issued, the servant shuddered and hurriedly added, “It’s not just that… The one taking the examination has a Soul Depth of 5.1!”

“Soul Depth of 5.1? Even higher than Mo Yu?”

A gleam flashed across Mo Hongyi’s eyes.

Without a doubt, the news had surprised him.

“That isn’t anything much. However, to be able to achieve such a Soul Depth during the 1-star master teacher examination, he is indeed talented!” Even though Mo Hongyi was surprised, he didn’t think too much of the matter.

He was a genius whose Soul Depth exceeded 6.0. A mere 5.1 didn’t mean anything to him.

“A person with a Soul Depth of 5.1 taking the master teacher examination is indeed a huge affair. However, it isn’t good enough a reason to interrupt my cultivation. Go back and take 50 whips!”

Mo Hongyi waved his hands and returned back to his cultivation.

“Your Highness, Your Highness… I’m not done yet…”

Seeing that his master was about to return to his training, the servant hurriedly spoke up.

“Is there anything else?” Mo Hongyi frowned.

“That person taking the examination is known as Zhang Xuan, and he seems to be below twenty. Just a moment ago, he brought a few sixteen to seventeen-year-old students into the House of Trust and… he achieved a Trust Level of 85!”

Afraid that he would incur his master’s displeasure if he wasted his time, the servant spoke swiftly.

“House of Trust… 85 points?”

Mo Hongyi lost his calm and stood up abruptly.

He had never heard of any teacher in Tianwu Kingdom who could induce such trust in his students. This completely exceeded his expectations.

“Yes!”

The young man nodded his head and his disbelief was apparent as well. “Not only so, he is currently undergoing the second test, Supporting Occupation Pavilion and managed to reach 60 points without making a single mistake!”

“Reached 60 points? How… How is that possible?”

Mo Hongyi’s face warped in shock.

He was the one man who scored the best result in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion throughout the past thousand years of history of the guild. Even so, he had made five errors. Yet, the other party hadn’t made a single mistake?

Didn’t this mean that the other party was even more talented than him?

“Yes… However, this is where weird things started to happen. At 60 points, he made a single mistake, so a point got deducted. However… in the next instant, his score leaped to 62!”

Up until now, the youngster still unable to understand what was going on. He had even suspected that the scoreboard was malfunctioning.

“After getting a point deducted, his score decreased to 59, but in the next moment, it increased to 62?” Mo Hongyi had never heard of such a situation either and he became stupefied.

“That’s the case!” At this point, the servant hesitated once more. “Furthermore…”

“Furthermore, such a situation was repeated three times afterward. A point was deducted first before three points were swiftly added…”

“Points were deducted before being added again? What’s going on? The scoreboard of the Master Teacher Pavilion was created with the efforts of a formation grandmaster and countless master teachers. For the last several thousand years, it has never once malfunctioned. Why would it behave like this all of a sudden?”

Mo Hongyi felt perplexed, “Has anyone checked if it is damaged?”

“Wu shi, who is in charge of the examination, checked the scoreboard on the spot and has confirmed that there is nothing wrong with it…” The servant said.

“If there’s no error, why would his score be added back after being deducted? This…”

Mo Hongyi shook his head. Then, he suddenly froze upon a certain thought, and his eyes narrowed to small slits, “What did you say just now? The situation happened after he reached 60 points, and repeated itself for another three more times afterward?”

“Yes!” The young servant nodded.

“Then…” Mo Hongyi’s lips quivered. “What… is his current score?”

The first time it happened, Zhang Xuan’s score reached 62. If it happened another three times, didn’t that mean that his score had already exceeded 62? Judging by how his point would increase by a total of 2 every time the situation occurred, his score would be at minimum 68 by now!

Achieving 68 points in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion?

This… Such a score is completely unimaginable!

Can that fellow called Zhang Xuan really be more talented than me?

How is that possible?

“His… His current score is…”

Upon recalling the score, the servant’s face contorted immediately as if he had thought of something terrifying. His body trembled, and his mouth opened and closed for several times before words escaped from his quivering lips.

“101 points!”

Chapter 306: The Expert

“101?”

Mo Hongyi’s shuddered violently and he nearly fell onto the ground.

The heck!

The maximum score in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion is 100 and you tell me 101?

Are you for real?

It was no wonder why this servant was trembling as if he had gone mad! If Mo Hongyi were in his place, he would be shivering as well!

Managing to achieve 60 points back then had already made him the idol of countless people. What in the world is 101?

“What’s key is that… 101 doesn’t seem to be the conclusion. His points are still increasing, and until now, the test at the Supporting Occupation Pavilion has not yet ended…” The servant added in.

“The test isn’t over yet?”

Mo Hongyi felt a sudden urge to rip out his hair.

Achieving 60 points in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion for his 1-star master teacher examination had made him a legend, but now, the other party had reached 101… and the test had yet to end…

Madness! The world has gone mad!

“Let’s go and take a look!”

Unable to endure any longer, Mo Hongyi lifted his legs and made his way out immediately.

“Your Highness, about my punishment…” The servant was about to follow along when he recalled something.

“Punishment? What punishment? Go and claim your reward, ten Night Illumination Pearls, and one steel sword!”

Taking big strides, Mo Hongyi continued his way to the examination hall.

Upon hearing that not only was the punishment abolished but that there were also generous rewards, the servant knew that he had made the correct decision reporting this matter to the master.

Overjoyed, he chased after Mo Hongyi hurriedly.

…

The same situation was also occurring at several other locations.

In the Apothecary Guild.

“Congratulations, congratulations!”

“Apothecary Hong, congratulations on your breakthrough. You have finally taken the final step and became a 3-star apothecary. You have my admiration and respect!”

“Indeed! Back then, we took the 2-star apothecary examination together, but in the end, you are the only one who has managed to reach this level!”

Numerous apothecaries surrounded a middle-aged man.

Dressed in a long robe, a prominent emblem decorated with three stars was pinned on his chest.

He was the person who reached 3-star not long ago, Apothecary Hong.

He took the examination a few days ago, and today, the emblem representing his new identity finally arrived.

The most formidable apothecary in Tianwu Kingdom’s Apothecary Guild was also a 3-star. At his grade, he was already standing toe-to-toe with the guild leader.

“There’s no need for all of you to be so modest. I happened to meet an expert when I was out a while back, and his guidance has enlightened me. If not for him, I couldn’t have imagined how long I would take before I can reach this level!” Apothecary Hong said.

“Even if you meet an expert, you need to possess the wisdom to decipher his words. I wonder when I can reach 3-star like you!”

Seeing the Apothecary Hong responding to their praises with such humility, another apothecary shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Teacher!”

At this moment, an apprentice apothecary barged into the room in a hurry.

“Calm down, it is unseemly to panic like that!”

Upon realizing that the apprentice was his student, Apothecary Hong flung his hand.

“Yes!” The apprentice halted, panting heavily to catch his breath.

“I told you to ask Master Teacher Jiang Chen about the feast. What did he say? Will Princess Mo Yu be attending?” Apothecary Hong asked.

“I…” The apprentice was taken aback by his teacher’s question. “I… haven’t asked him!”

“You didn’t ask him?” Apothecary Hong’s face darkened in rage. “If you can’t accomplish such a simple task, don’t bother calling me teacher anymore!”

The apprentice’s face paled.

Apothecary Hong was a 3-star apothecary, and as his student, he would have a huge advantage when taking the 1-star apothecary examination in the future.

If he were to be expelled from his tutelage… he would lose all hopes of becoming an apothecary in this lifetime.

“Teacher, I have a reason… for panicking. Just now… someone was taking the 1-star master teacher examination… and he entered the Supporting Occupation Pavilion. He chose pill forging and…” The apprentice’s body shuddered.

“What’s wrong? Did he achieve a score of 60? Is his score higher than that of Mo Hongyi Mo shi?” Apothecary Hong waved his arm.

The student quivered for a moment before replying, “He… he scored… 101 points!”

“What? 101 points?”

Apothecary Hong’s entire body trembled, and his eyes nearly popped out from their sockets. His face spoke of nothing but disbelief.

Even though the master teacher and the apothecary were two separate occupations, many formidable master teachers chose apothecary as their supporting occupation, so he was very familiar with how master teachers worked.

The maximum score for the Supporting Occupation Hall is 100. For someone to score 101, what in the world is going on?

“101 points in the Supporting Occupation Hall?”

“Let’s go and take a look!”

After hearing the apprentice’s words, everyone went into a frenzy. All of them rushed out of the Apothecary Guild.

To score 101 for instructing a puppet in pill forging in the Supporting Occupation Hall, how incredible must that person be?

They felt that this was a sight they mustn’t miss.

The Apothecary Guild was located nearby the Master Teacher Pavilion and it didn’t take long for them to arrive at the examination hall. The hall, by this time, was already flooded with people, and all of their gazes were fixated on the tightly shut door.

“Jiang shi, what is going on?”

Scanning the surroundings, Apothecary Hong finally noticed a familiar figure and walked over.

That person was Jiang Chen.

At this moment, his eyes were opened so wide that they might drop out at any moment. His body was shaking uncontrollably, his fists were tightly clenched by the side, and he had an expression full of fear. Upon seeing Apothecary Hong, he pointed to the door in front with a shaky finger.

“Take a look for yourself…”

“Un?”

Lifting his head, Apothecary Hong saw the numbers on the door and his body wobbled, causing him to nearly fall to the ground.

“130? How can it be 130? Isn’t the maximum score for the Supporting Occupation Pavilion 100?”

He exclaimed in shock.

The number ‘130’ was displayed prominently on the door. The number seemed to pierce into the hearts of those who laid their sight on it. The apothecaries behind him froze on the spot, dumbfounded.

“I am not sure what happened as well…”

Jiang Chen shook his head. He, too, felt that the situation was insane, “Perhaps there is a problem with the Supporting Occupation Pavilion. Otherwise, how can it be possible for someone to achieve such a result?”

“A problem?”

“That’s right! There must be a problem with the system. Otherwise, how can one achieve such a high score?”

“If there’s a problem, this result should be invalidated and a retest should be conducted!”

Someone chirped in.

The maximum score was 100, yet someone shoved a 130 in their faces. It was natural that anyone would think this way.

“I’ll talk to Wu shi later…” Jiang Chen nodded, but halfway through his words, a voice interjected.

“The examination hall is a spiritual treasure that the Master Teacher Pavilion specially tasked experts to create, so it is impossible that it contains any faults!”

Not expecting someone to refute his words so disrespectfully, Jiang Chen was about to rebuke when he obtained a clear look at the other party’s appearance, immediately suppressing himself. “Since Mo shi said that it isn’t a problem with the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, then… what is going on?”

The one who refuted his words was the number one genius of the kingdom, Mo Hongyi.

He had also received the shock of his life after witnessing the results displayed on the door.

“I’ve heard of a legend regarding the master teacher examination, but I’m unsure of its authenticity!” Mo Hongyi said with a grim face.

Looking at his grave expression, the surrounding crowd turned uniformly to focus their attention on him.

Even Wu shi, who was conducting the examination, turned to look at him as well.

“In the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, what is tested is one’s ability to guide another. A wrong guidance results in the deduction of one point, and a correct guidance results in an addition of a point. Everyone should know this, so I will not elaborate any further!” Mo Hongyi said.

The crowd nodded.

“However, have all of you ever thought… about how the Supporting Occupation Pavilion judges whether one’s actions are correct?”

Mo Hongyi surveyed the surroundings and continued, “Just like the apothecary test going on now, the so-called correct procedure is based on the standards of a 4-star apothecary forging the same pill. What if… one were to judge the process from the perspective of a 5-star or 6-star apothecary?”

“This…”

Everyone’s body trembled simultaneously.

Knowledge was relative.

Something that a 1-star apothecary thinks to be a fundamental law might not necessarily be true in the eyes of a 3-star apothecary.

A child might think that the sky is round and the earth is flat, but the same could not be said about an adult.

The assumption for judgment in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion is that the forging procedure created by the 4-star apothecary is entirely correct.

If one’s pill forging standards haven’t reached 4-star, one would think that there is no mistake in his actions. However… what if one’s skills and knowledge surpasses 4-star?

If a 5-star, 6-star or even 7-star apothecary were to come, will he think that the forging procedure is perfect?

That might not necessarily be so.

In the eyes of such an expert, the ‘model answer’ might actually be filled with mistakes.

“Are you saying that… the fellow taking the examination inside possesses knowledge that already exceeds that of a 4-star apothecary?”

How could Jiang Chen possibly believe this?

How can that seemingly ordinary lad actually be such an incredible apothecary?

“If that’s not the case, how can you explain why a point is deducted before three is added? In the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, a single mistake that is pointed out should award only one point, the total score rising in increments of one!”

With a grim expression, Mo Hongyi continued, “The person taking the test inside must have found loopholes in the answer key, and initially, these were judged by the Supporting Occupation Pavilion to be mistakes. However, the Supporting Occupation Pavilion is a treasure which possesses intelligence. It realized that the modifications that the examinee made allowed the pill forging process to continue more smoothly, so it compensated for the points immediately, and awarded double bonus points for discovering the loophole.”

“This…” The crowd’s eyes narrowed involuntarily.

“So that is to say… has the person inside found 15 mistakes in the pill forging procedure of a 4-star apothecary?”

If one were to follow the forging procedure of 4-star apothecary perfectly, one would be able to attain a score of 100 points. However, given that the score had reached 130, it meant that Zhang Xuan had found 15 mistakes in the model answer provided by a 4-star apothecary!

The heck!

Is he human?

“Other than this… I truly can’t think of any other possibility!” Mo Hongyi shook his head.

“Now that Mo shi mentioned it, I recall having read about this situation while browsing through books regarding the master teacher examination. However, as no one has managed to achieve such a feat for a very long time, it became forgotten!”

Seeming to have remembered something, Wu shi could not help but remark.

Having had two master teachers verify the situation, the crowd realized that it was highly likely to be the case. Nonetheless, they continued to find the situation hard to believe.

Not only did the person inside notice the mistakes intentionally incorporated into the puppet, he was even able to point out the flaws left behind by the 4-star apothecary. If so, what is the actual standard that the fellow inside possesses as an apothecary?

“Who is the person inside? Can it be that he is an elder in the Apothecary Guild? ”

Apothecary Hong could not help but ask.

“He isn’t an elder, he is merely a 1-star apothecary. What’s more, he hasn’t even reached twenty years of age. His name is…”

Jiya! Just as Jiang Chen was about to speak his name, the door of the Supporting Occupation Pavilion opened all of a sudden.

A young man walked out slowly from within.

“Ah… Zhang Xuan? Why is he here?”

Apothecary Hong burst out in shock.

“Apothecary Hong, do you know him?”

A 2-star apothecary that had followed behind him asked immediately.

“He… he…”

Apothecary Hong’s face paled. “He is the one who helped me achieved a breakthrough in my pill forging, the expert whom I just spoke of!”

Chapter 307: How Many Moves?

“Expert?”

The several 2-star apothecaries at the back glanced at one another in astonishment.

“That’s right. Didn’t someone request to purchase the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossal Rhinoceros Blood some time ago? Out of all the kingdoms nearby, we are the closest branch who possesses both items. Thus, I was ordered to deliver the medicine!”

Apothecary Hong nodded.

“I know about this matter. Didn’t they say that you were going to the lowest tiered Tianxuan Kingdom? Why would…” The person from before, a 2-star apothecary, felt baffled and asked once again.

Going to the lowest tiered kingdom and meeting an expert? Inducing a huge improvement in his pill forging skills?

“I did go to that lowest tiered kingdom, and during my journey, I found out that the person who purchased the two objects is a 1-star apothecary who passed the examination through the Pill Debate!” Apothecary Hong replied.

“Passed the examination through the Pill Debate?”

The crowd’s eyes narrowed into thin slits.

In a small and weak country like Tianxuan Kingdom, not many people knew what the Pill Debate was. However, in the powerful and large Tianwu Kingdom, virtually every apothecary knew about it.

This examination is several times harder than forging a grade-1 pill. One has to have a profound knowledge of pill forging in order to pass. Even in the thousands of years of history of Tianwu Kingdom, there wasn’t anyone who passed the Pill Debate with success!

How fearsome would someone who became an apothecary through the Pill Debate be?

“Indeed. After hearing that news, I was infuriated. I thought that Tianxuan Kingdom Apothecary Guild didn’t know the rules and was interpreting it as they please. However, when I arrived and looked at the Record Crystal they left behind, I realized that I was wrong!” Recalling the situation that day, Apothecary Hong was still daunted.

If Zhang Xuan were to see him, he would surely be able to recognize this Apothecary Hong whom Jiang Chen said he would introduce him to. He was Apothecary Hong Yun who made a wager with him in Tianxuan Kingdom and eventually gave him the Unravel Yin Pill and Colossus Rhinoceros Blood for free.

Back then, he was still a 2-star apothecary. In the single month after they parted, he managed to pass the 3-star examination and was successfully promoted.

“Can it be that… the person who passed the 1-star apothecary examination through Pill Debate… is him?”

Realizing the meaning behind Apothecary Hong’s words, another 2-star apothecary exclaimed.

“That’s right, it’s him!” Apothecary Hong Yun smiled bitterly. “After we met, the pointer he offered gave me enlightenment, allowing me to forge a grade-3 pill and advance to become a 3-star apothecary!”

“This…”

Everyone stared at the young man who emerged with fearful, narrowed eyes.

He became an apothecary through Pill Debate, allowed a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-3 pill through his guidance, and achieved 130 points in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion…

“How can he possess such profound pill forging knowledge when he isn’t even twenty…”

Someone couldn’t help but mutter.

No matter how talented a person is, there is a limit to what he can learn in a fixed period of time. It was hard to believe that he could possess such profound knowledge considering his age.

“I was also puzzled at first, so I found someone to specially investigate this matter. It turns out that he has an extremely incredible teacher called Yang Xuan, and he is a master teacher whose rank is likely to exceed 3-star!”

“A master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star?” The crowd’s breathing hastened.

Just like any other jobs, the highest rank that a master teacher can attain is 9-star, and every 3 stars signify a different league. Even Conferred Kingdoms might not necessarily have master teachers above 3-star!

With such a powerful background, it is no wonder why the other party can be so incredible at such a young age.

…

Members of the crowd were still whispering among themselves when Zhang Xuan walked up to Wu shi.

Zhang Xuan was able to identify numerous mistakes in the puppet’s pill forging at a single glance, but due to the limitation of time, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to point out all of them. Even so, when the cauldron was opened and upon seeing the pill, he knew that he would pass for sure.

The pill was round and smooth, and a unique pattern had formed on the surface of the pill. It was a pill that surpassed the level of Perfection, an Inscribed Pill.

It would truly be unbelievable if he were failed after producing such a pill.

He thought that managing to forge such a pill would award him with seventy or eighty points, but never in his dreams did he expect to attain 130. He was also shocked by the score he saw on the door.

“This… is it malfunctioning?” Zhang Xuan uttered.

Hearing those words, Wu shi’s body swayed as he explained, “It’s because you found the flaws in the pill forging of a 4-star apothecary…”

“Is this the level of a 4-star apothecary?” Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes, and a look of disdain appeared on his face. “Isn’t that too weak?”

Members of the crowd vomited blood.

It’s not the 4-star apothecary who is weak, you are the one who is too formidable, alright…

It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan thought that way. This time, he didn’t resort to the Library of Heaven’s Path, relying on solely his own judgment for the test.

After taking in the knowledge of all of the books in Tianxuan Kingdom’s Apothecary Guild for his own, his understanding of forging grade-1 pills had reached a different realm.

If he were to instruct another person on forging grade-2 pills without using the Library of Heaven’s Path, he might turn out inferior to some 2-star apothecaries. However, for grade-1 pills… Putting aside a 4-star apothecary, even a 6-star apothecary might not be able to match up to him.

This was just like Heaven’s Path Divine Art. It was currently limited at merely Half-Zongshi, but in terms of the most basic of foundations, even the most valuable cultivation technique in the world might not be able to create pure zhenqi like his.

Which means, even if a 5-star or 6-star master teacher were to explain the cultivation method for Half-Zongshi and below, they might not be able to point out the essence as precisely as he could.

“Let’s begin the third test, Puppet Hall, then!”

Knowing that he would only get increasingly frustrated speaking to this monster, Wu shi ushered him toward the third door.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“There’s no scoring system for Puppet Hall. Upon entering, you will meet a red puppet and a blue puppet of similar cultivations. You have to offer pointers to the red puppet to help it defeat the blue one. Once you do so, you will have passed this test.”

Wu shi explained the rules.

“Alright!” It was the same as Ling Xiaoxiao explained to him. Without too much hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked in.

In the room was a circular dueling ring which was about 20 meters wide. Two puppets were in the dueling ring, one dressed in a blue and another dressed in a red.

Upon seeing him enter, the two puppets began their battle.

Peng peng peng!

The duo crossed blows and the shock waves from their fists caused gusts of wind to billow around them.

“Tongxuan realm pinnacle?”

Zhang Xuan was full of astonishment.

To think that the two are able to exert the strength of Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivators! Furthermore, their movements are nimble and profound, such that even an ordinary Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator might not be a match for them.

In Tianxuan Kingdom, a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator is already regarded as the strongest tier, on par with its royal elder. Yet, to think that they would not compare to even a puppet here.

As expected of the Master Teacher Pavilion!

“This test is indeed difficult. No wonder people say that it is uphill to pass the master teacher examination if one does not reach Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Seems like this is the reason why!”

Zhang Xuan was awed.

If a person’s strength does not even match the two puppets, it would be difficult for him to see through their flaws in order to offer wise guidance. If so, how can one pass the examination?

“Let’s begin!”

Even so, Zhang Xuan was already in the midst of the test. Thus, he swiftly focused his attention on the battling puppets.

He had already achieved Half-Zongshi, and even without the Library of Heaven’s Path, he was capable of clearly identifying flaws in those who had not reached his level of cultivation.

It was because his cultivation was a perfect version, and anyone who possessed a different cultivation had to be wrong. It was child’s play for him to identify any flaws.

It didn’t take long before he memorized every flaw that the two puppets had.

Hu!

The battle stopped.

Just like what happened in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion before, a voice sounded, prompting him to guide the red puppet to victory.

“The red puppet’s movements are forceful and savage whereas the blue puppet’s movements are lithe and nimble. Both of them have their own strengths, making it difficult for one to triumph over the other… Since that’s the case, I’ll point out the flaws in them both side in a way that grants the red an advantage over the blue…”

Very quickly, Zhang Xuan had formulated a plan. He simulated it once in his mind, and it was only after confirming that it was feasible that he heaved a sigh of relief.

Hu hu hu!

Not long after he finished thinking, the puppets began fighting once more.

“Red puppet, retreat three cun, twist your body to the right by half a body, and strike with your fist…”

Seeing the both sides engaged in a battle once more, Zhang Xuan began issuing instructions.

…

“Do you think that he’ll be able to pass this test? Even though his skills as an apothecary are remarkable, the same might not apply to his ability to impart knowledge relating to cultivation!”

“Looks like you are still unaware. Apothecary Hong Yun said just now that this Zhang Xuan is a student under a master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star!”

“The student of a master teacher whose rank exceeds 3-star? Then… he will certainly pass the examination!”

“Indeed…”

Master teachers are adept at guiding others in cultivating. As the student of a master teacher, his ability to guide another person in cultivating is most likely to be far superior to his ability to guide another on pill forging. It would be hilarious if he couldn’t pass this test.

“Even though there isn’t a score for this test, many people compare the results among candidates through the amount of time they take and the number of moves required to pass!”

Standing before the door of the third test, Wu shi stroked his beard.

The other master teachers nodded as well.

In guiding a specific person to defeat the other when they are of the same cultivation realm, using three minutes and ten seconds are two very different concepts.

Similarly, after receiving the guidance, whether the person used a hundred blows or a single blow to defeat the enemy were also two very different concepts.

“I remember that Mo shi’s guidance back then allowed the red puppet to defeat the blue puppet in less than twenty blows, and that went on to become a legend in the Master Teacher Pavilion!” Wu shi glanced at Mo Hongyi in admiration.

“It’s seventeen!”

Mo Hongyi nodded confidently.

“Indeed, it’s seventeen blows! To be able to get one of the two equally powerful puppets to triumph over the other in so little blows, Mo shi’s understanding of cultivation must have reached an extremely high level!”

After complimenting the latter, Wu shi turned to the door once more. “Just that, I wonder how many blows would this Zhang Xuan take!”

“I am curious as well!” A gleam flashed across Mo Hongyi’s eyes.

The other party has already broken several of his records, so he was interested to see how formidable this fellow who came from Tianxuan Kingdom would be. Can his guidance on cultivation be as incredible as the other skills he had just displayed?

…

“Given how he is under twenty, I’ll accept that he is phenomenal at pill forging, but I don’t believe that he can be so incredible at cultivation as well!”

With eyes fixated on the door, Jiang Chen harrumphed.

He had grown up in a clan of master teacher, and under his father’s guidance, he rarely stumbled in his cultivation. At the same time, this gave him a deep insight into cultivation. Even then, he had to take a full twenty-five blows before managing to pass this examination. He didn’t believe that this fellow could fare any better than him.

“The first demonstration should take around three hundred breaths, and ten breaths after that, the test will officially begin! Based on the assumption that one blow is made in a single breath, we can roughly calculate how many blows he used…”

Even though he didn’t think that the other party could match his record, Jiang Chen felt nervous nonetheless.

This fellow had exceeded all of the expectations that he had of him previously.

Before this, if someone were to tell him that a person has achieved a Trust Level of 85 after casually teaching his students for a few days, he would definitely spit on the other party’s face.

If someone said that an examinee achieved a score of 130 in the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, he would definitely have torn the person’s mouth.

But now… all of these which he had deemed impossible before was happening with this fellow.

Even though he was hostile to him due to Mo Yu, he had to admit that this fellow did possess exceptional abilities.

“312, 313, 314…”

He counted the time, tapping his right forefinger on his left arm.

As more time passed, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

“333, 334, 335!”

Eventually, when he reached 335 breath, the duration which Jiang Chen took to pass the test, the other party had yet to come out from the room. Only then did Jiang Chen heave a sigh of relief, and a delighted look appeared on his face.

“Haha, looks like his ability to give guidance on cultivation is lacking…”

With a cold harrumph, his eyebrows shot up haughtily.

He thought that the other party would be able to surprise him just like he did with the previous two tests. In the end, it had already exceeded 335 breaths, but he was still inside the room. This meant that under his guidance… the red puppet wasn’t able to defeat the blue puppet within twenty-five blows. Even if the other party were to come out now, his result would be considered inferior to his.

…

While Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up, Wu shi and Mo Hongyi glanced at one another and shook their heads.

“Looks like he is still slightly lacking in imparting knowledge on cultivation!”

“Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. While he might be skilled in pill forging, his ability to instruct on cultivation is lacking. However…”

Mo Hongyi’s head tilted upward and, with an intimidating brilliance, said, “He has abandoned his fundamentals! There’s nothing to fear about such a person!”

You are taking the master teacher examination, and the main responsibility that a master teacher has is to provide guidance on cultivation so that his students can grow stronger.

So what if you are skilled in pill forging? There are many other skilled apothecaries who have devoted their lives to pill forging. There’s no reason for them to look for you!

What use is a teacher if he is skilled in flying an airplane instead of teaching?

He had forgotten the core responsibility of his occupation.

In the previous two tests, this fellow achieved such overwhelming results, that Mo Hongyi thought that he would become his greatest rival from this day on. However, from the looks of it now, he had simply been thinking too much.

If he is mediocre at guiding cultivation, then he is nothing to fear as a master teacher.

“Indeed, it’s such a pity…”

Understanding this as well, a look of regret appeared on Wu shi’s face.

The other party had performed exceedingly well in previous two tests, so Wu shi thought that he would do the same for the third test too. But looking at how things turned out, he had pinned too many expectations on the other party.

How can there be a person in the world who is skilled at all occupations?

He is already a formidable apothecary. Isn’t it too much to expect him to be as knowledgeable in cultivation?

Everyone’s thoughts continued to wander as another ten breaths passed.

Jiya! At this moment, the door finally opened, and only Zhang Xuan’s head could be seen popping out from behind.

“A total of 352 breaths. That means that the two puppets have crossed a total of 42 blows…”

Jiang Chen sneered coldly. Just as he was about to commence his mockery, the young man scratched his head in embarrassment.

“That… During my guidance, the red puppet exerted too much force and bashed the blue puppet’s head off… I tried to fix it but to no avail. May I ask… that… It’s not a fail, right?”

“Bashed the head off?”

“Regardless of the resilience of their physical structure or strength, they are of the same level. At the very most, it should only be possible for one side to subdue the other. To bash the other puppet’s head off… What in the world happened?”

The crowd fell to the floor in shock. For a moment, the entire examination hall became silent.

Chapter 308: Cultivation Technique Ocean

Top-notch blacksmiths were invited to create the puppets in the Puppet Hall and infuse spirit into them. The moves and cultivation technique of the two puppets were calibrated to the same level, making it difficult for one to defeat the other in battle.

Under usual circumstances, the examinees are only able to grant a slight advantage to one of the puppets so that it can defeat the other.

Yet, this fellow got the puppet to bash the other puppet’s head out… How in the world did he do it?

Wu shi, Mo Hongyi, and a few other master teachers walked to the door in a hurry and peered inside. Their eyes narrowed immediately, and they nearly fainted.

They saw the blue puppet lying on the floor with its head was lying a great distance from its body.

For the red puppet to smash through the blue puppet’s head, they thought that it should have suffered some kind of severe injury in exchange for this fatal blow. However, after glancing at the red puppet, they realized that they were wrong.

The red puppet stood motionless on the spot, and there wasn’t a single scratch on it.

Without incurring the slightest injury, it was able to knock the other puppet’s head off…

The heck!

How in the world did it happen?

In a normal battle, such a situation was only possible if a person’s cultivation was way above the other’s.

With just a simple guidance, he was able to raise the red puppet’s strength exponentially to subdue the other puppet so overwhelmingly?

Why does it feel like a dream?

“You said that you took a long time trying to fix it… How many blows did the red puppet take before defeating the blue puppet?” Mo Hongyi asked.

It was the matter he was most concerned about.

Hearing his words, everyone pricked their ears up immediately, afraid that they might miss a single word he was about to say.

“How many moves? Given the immense strength of the red puppet, a single blow was more than enough. If it were to execute a few more moves, the blue puppet would have become a meat paste by now…” Zhang Xuan was speechless.

What do you mean by how many blows? The blue puppet didn’t even manage to survive the first blow. If the red puppet were to release any more blows, wouldn’t it become completely wrecked?

“One blow…”

Mo Hongyi, Jiang Chen, and the others’ vision went gray, and their bodies swayed violently.

They thought that their feats of seventeen blows and twenty-five blows were incredible, but to think that this fellow required only a single blow…

With a single blow, not only did he allow one of the two equally powerful puppets to subdue the other, he even managed to knock off the other puppet’s head… Is he still a human?

More importantly… What is with your look of disdain?

Under guidance from other examinees, the puppets usually had to exchange numerous blows before the battle could come to an end. Yet, with your advice, the red puppet crippled the blue with a single strike…

“This… Pardon me, but for the red puppet to destroy the blue with a single blow… how did you do it?”

Wu shi couldn’t hold it back any longer, and he asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

Every single master teacher here had been through this Puppet Hall test, and they knew that the two puppets were of absolutely equal strength. In a normal battle, it would already be considered an incredible feat for one side to defeat the other in just a dozen blows, needless to say, in a single blow.

This was precisely the reason why he couldn’t understand how this was possible.

Mo Yu looked at him in doubt as well. She had just taken the examination a few days ago, and it took her twenty-two blows before she succeeded. Thus, she was also curious to know what method Zhang laoshi utilized.

Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan was stunned for a short moment before he replied casually, “It’s simple! The red puppet possesses extraordinary strength whereas the blue puppet is exceptionally swift. In a normal battle, it would be difficult for either side to defeat the other. However, it becomes a simple matter once you realize the flaw in the blue puppet’s movement. No matter how fast it is, it can’t possibly remain in a state of constant motion! By predicting the location it would stop at and then instructing the red on where to land its strike, the latter would be able to subdue the former easily…”

“Predicting?”

“Foresee the other party’s location?”

Everyone present trembled

Zhang Xuan’s theory sounded simple, but it was extremely difficult to carry out in practice.

Everyone knew that with a 10000 ding strength, even a Zongshi can be defeated with a single blow. However… even though everyone knew that it was true, it would be useless if one isn’t able to exert that strength.

Similarly, the method that Zhang Xuan spoke of sounded simple, but a battle changes every single moment. A lapse of judgment in a tenth or even a hundredth of a breath could very well spell failure, and if things go wrong, the other party might even be able to make use of this lapse in judgment to retaliate.

Predicting the other party’s location so that the red puppet could strike off the blue’s head with a single punch…

To do this, not only must one possess absolute grasp over the flow of the battle, one must know about the strength, physical condition, speed of the movements and punches of the two puppets, so on and so forth!

Only after knowing all of these can one issue a precise command to achieve such a feat…

The heck!

Brother, are you actually a 3-star master teacher feigning as a 1-star master teacher candidate to play with us?

Ling Xiaoxiao’s slender body trembled so violently that it seemed as if she was about to fall to the ground convulsing.

When she met the other party a day ago, she thought that he was an ignorant apprentice. Only at this moment did she realize that he was actually a hidden monster!

Despite being so ignorant, you are able to fare so well in the examination… You monster… Where in the world did you pop out from?

She felt an extremely stifling sensation in her chest. If not for her holding herself back, she would have long spurted blood all over the room.

“About this… I shouldn’t need to pay, right?”

After explaining himself, everyone in the room fell dead silent. Zhang Xuan nervously pointed to the puppet on the floor.

“The Puppet Hall possesses the ability of self-recovery. After a few days of rest, the puppet will become as good as new!”

Snapping back to reality from his shock, Wu shi nodded.

“That’s good…” Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. “Then… Is this considered as a pass?”

“Of course!” Wu shi smiled bitterly.

The others rolled their eyes as well.

With your guidance, the red puppet wrecked the blue puppet with a single move. If you do not pass, who else can?

The next test is Cultivation Technique Ocean!”

Holding back his dismal, Wu shi started to explain the content of the next examination. “The Cultivation Technique Ocean possesses countless cultivation techniques, and a book is chosen at random and one has to conduct a lecture on its contents. During the lecture, one will not only be judged by numerous master teachers, but by the Whilom Sage Bell as well!”

“The Whilom Sage Bell is a spiritual treasure which has the comprehension, that past sages had over cultivation techniques, imprinted within. If the examinee is unable to satisfy its requirements, it will not chime, and he will be considered to have failed! The more chimes there are, the more accurate and precise one’s lecture is indicated to be.”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Alright, you may enter now. Master teachers, please follow me in. As for the others, I will have to request you to remain outside!”

Surveying the surroundings, Wu shi said.

The fourth test, Cultivation Technique Ocean, requires master teachers to be present to serve as examiners. Outsiders do not possess the qualifications to participate in the test.

“Yes!” Everyone answered simultaneously.

Pushing the door open, Zhang Xuan walked into the room.

The Cultivation Technique Ocean was similar to an ordinary classroom, and the primary objective of the test was to assess a master teacher’s ability to conduct lessons.

No matter how incredible a master teacher is and how good his pointers are, if he is inept at lecturing, he would only serve a good private tutor, and would not be considered a good teacher.

An excellent teacher should have students all over the world, and every student under his tutelage should be an expert.

It isn’t anything impressive to produce just one or two good students.

Surveying the interior of the room, there were two rows of large, magnificent bells hung on the two sides of the room. Every single one of these bells was around the height of a human, and there were unique and profound inscriptions on them.

There were tables and chairs in the center, and they were arranged neatly like in an ordinary classroom.

More than ten master teachers walked entered and took their seats.

At this moment, they were just students, and there was only one teacher, Zhang Xuan.

Once the crowd sat down, the doors closed and the room became quiet immediately.

Hu!

The lecture table trembled for a moment and a book slowly appeared.

“This is the secret manual taken at random from the library. You have an incense stick’s worth of time to read through it before conducting a lesson! The Whilom Sage Bell will analyze the content of your lecture, and we will make our own judgment as well. The final verdict of whether you pass or not will be based on both the input from us and the Whilom Sage Bell.”

Upon seeing the book appear, Wu shi explained.

The Whilom Sage Bell was left behind by a 4-star master teacher, and contained within was his understanding toward cultivation techniques, battle techniques, as well as their merits and demerits. As long as the content of one’s lesson was aligned with the concepts infused within it, one would gain the recognition of the Whilom Sage Bell. On the other hand, if one’s lecture turned out to be full of mistakes, the bell wouldn’t chime.

Even though it sounded complicated, it was actually similar to the Supporting Occupation Pavilion test.

In the Supporting Occupation Pavilion, the accuracy of the examinees’ guidance was reflected in their score whereas over here, it was reflected through the chiming of bells.

“Un!” After hearing Wu shi’s explanation, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand and picked up the book before him.

“Undulating Water Ripple Palm?” Numerous eyes fell on the cover of the book.

It was a battle technique.

“Undulating Water Ripple Palm? Seems like his luck isn’t good. This is one of the most profound battle techniques in the Master Teacher Pavilion used for the purpose of this test!”

“That’s right. The more profound the technique is, the more difficult it is to decipher and explain. In the several millennia that the kingdom’s Master Teacher Pavilion has been established, there were eight examinees who had managed to pick this book, and out of them, seven left disappointed. The remaining one had also managed to only touch on the surface of the battle technique and barely passed!”

“Even if he were to pass this test by luck, it is unlikely that his results would be as good as those before…”

…

Upon seeing the name on the book, the master teachers seated below shook their heads, and looks of pity flashed across their faces.

The Cultivation Technique Ocean picked cultivation techniques and battle techniques at random, so luck played a part as well.

If one is lucky, he would manage to pick an easy book or a technique that he has seen before. If so, it would be much easy to explain and decipher. However, if one were to pick a difficult technique which he finds hard to even practice, how can he possibly give a lecture about it?

It was apparent that this Zhang Xuan’s luck wasn’t too good.

This Undulating Water Ripple Palm might not be the toughest battle technique to learn in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, but it wasn’t too far from it.

Innumerable cultivators had tried learning it and they put in great effort, only to end in failure. It was nigh impossible to obtain a sufficient understanding of the entire technique in just an incense’s time.

Oblivious to the thoughts in the crowd below, Zhang Xuan flipped open the book casually, browsed through it briefly, and nodded his head.

Even though this secret art seemed to be profound, it was nonetheless within the scope of a Tongxuan realm cultivation.

Having cultivated the Heaven’s Path Spear Art, Heaven’s Path Movement Art, and such, he had gained a deep understanding of battle techniques. As long as it was within his level, no matter how profound or difficult it was, he would be able to see through the intentions the creator had in mind when creating the technique and from there, identify the correct cultivation method.

Having been trained by the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan’s eyes became extraordinarily sharp. Many times, even without resorting to the Library of Heaven’s Path, he was able to discern a thing or two in a person’s cultivation technique and enlighten them.

It was just like after coming into contact with a genuine money note, even if one hadn’t seen a fake money note, with a single touch, one would still able to discern whether it was real.

Heaven’s Path Divine Art and the various battle techniques borne from the Library of Heaven’s Path stood at the very pinnacle of cultivation. Standing right at the peak, it was extremely easy for Zhang Xuan to look down and pinpoint the problems in other techniques.

“Alright, I’ll start my lecture…” Several dozen of breaths later, Zhang Xuan was done browsing through the secret manual and he placed it on the table casually.

“Zhang laoshi, there’s no need for you to rush. You have an incense’s time to analyze it carefully…” Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to start the lecture after browsing through the book once, Wu shi couldn’t help but advise him.

“There’s no need for it!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It was instead a waste of time for him to browse through such a simple battle technique once more.

Scanning the crowd, Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered to dawdle any longer and began immediately. “Undulating Water Ripple Palm may sound like a water attribute palm technique, and many perceive the technique as such when practicing it. However… this is wrong!”

“Wrong?” The crowd was taken aback.

Zhang Xuan continued, “Actually, what the name, Undulating Water Ripple Palm, means is that after mastering the technique, one’s attack will be just like ripples, striking one after another ceaselessly! This technique has nothing to do with the water attribute…”

Zhang Xuan offhandedly raised the common problems that a cultivator would face with the technique, as well as the correct training method.

“This…”

“To think that this would be the case, I didn’t expect it at all…”

“So that’s the case! I am enlightened!”

…

His explanations left everyone flushed and trembling in agitation

Those present were all master teachers, and naturally, they possessed the capability to deduce whether his explanations were correct or erroneous. Initially, all of them assumed that this palm technique was a water attribute technique. Never in their dreams did they expect themselves to be so sorely mistaken.

After analyzing the technique from another angle, the incredibly technique from before seemed to be just like a beautiful lady who was fully stripped; demystified.

“There is indeed a great difference between us…”

After hearing the explanation, Mo Yu glanced at the young man on the stage with a complex gaze.

She had seen this Undulating Water Ripple Palm before, and her understanding of the technique was no different from what the others believed. She never thought that the technique could also be interpreted in such a manner.

After hearing the other party’s explanation, she felt that her understanding of battle techniques had been too shallow.

“Incredible…”

Mo Hongyi clenched his fists tightly.

Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he felt that the other party’s explanation was flawless.

“This person will probably be my greatest rival…” Narrowing his eyes, a strong fighting spirit had been ignited within Mo Hongyi.

As an unparalleled genius in Tianwu Kingdom, he had never met any equals. To have met a person who was tied with him, or had even surpassed him, had ignited his fighting spirit.

“Looks like it’s time for me to take the 2-star master teacher examination!”

Exhaling fully, Mo Hongyi harrumphed coldly.

In actual fact, given his cultivation, he could have taken the 2-star master teacher examination. However, he chose to delay it so that he could improve himself and break all of the records in the Master Teacher Pavilion in a single go. However, after seeing Zhang Xuan’s outstanding performance, he felt that if he didn’t pick up his pace, he might be soon be overtaken by the other party.

…

Every master teacher present had their own thoughts, but one thing they had in common was that they felt impressed by the young man before them. On the other hand, the crowd outside was anxious to know the results.

“I wonder how his results would be!”

Ling Xiaoxiao’s eyes were fixated on the fourth door. If she could, she would have dived right in at this very instant.

“The result of the Cultivation Technique Ocean is closely tied with the chiming of the Whilom Sage Bell. A single chime means a pass, two chimes means good, three chimes means excellent, four chimes means outstanding, five chimes means that there are no flaws in the person’s comprehension of the technique, and six chimes mean a perfect score!”

The Zongshi guard behind her said. “The record holder for this test is Mo Hongyi with four chimes. Back then, he astounded many with this feat. If Zhang Xuan wants to outdo him, he must achieve a result of at least five chimes!”

“Five chimes? How can it be that easy? It is too difficult to browse through a battle technique and understand it fully within an incense’s time.”

“I heard that when Mo Hongyi took the examination, he was lucky enough to pick a battle technique which he happened to have seen before, allowing him to explain the technique in depth. I doubt that this fellow can be as lucky as him!”

Hearing the duo’s conversation, the crowd shook their heads. They didn’t think well of Zhang Xuan.

Everyone wants to score well in examinations, but how is it possible that one ace every single subject?

He might have been formidable in the past few stages, but they didn’t believe that he could do the same for this stage.

Dang!

Everyone was still immersed in their discussions when the ground suddenly trembled, and a deep and loud chime resounded.

The Whilom Sage Bell rang!

“How many chimes will there be?”

Everyone held their breaths as they gazed at the door in uniformity.