396-400

Chapter 396: Acknowledgement of the Ancestors

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

This was Kong shi!

The incredible figure who founded the Master Teacher Pavilion!

If Zhang Xuan was accepted as his student, not only could he learn the solution to solving the Innate Fetal Poison, he would even gain a huge backer.

If he were to become the student of such a formidable figure, he would probably get at least a few thousand spirit stones as an acceptance gift, otherwise, it would be unbefitting of his title as the world's teacher!

If only I knew that you are Kong shi, I wouldn't have rejected you go haughtily. I would have surely agreed to it immediately...

Zhang Xuan felt so regretful that his intestines were turning green.

To reject even Kong shi's admittance, was there a person who was more foolish than him in this world?

If he knew that such a matter would occur, he would have at least flipped through some books to take a look at Kong shi's appearance. If he knew who this old geezer was, he wouldn't have made such a foolish decision...

"Zhang shi, Kong shi has already been dead for many years. This is only his statue, and it doesn't possess consciousness..."

Seeing the fellow before him going into a frenzy, Su shi hurriedly stepped forward to persuade him.

Kong shi had departed from the world many years ago, and what was left in his statue was just his lingering will.

Putting aside your crying, it will be useless even if you were to smash this statue!

Take you in?

Do you think that it's that easy to become Kong shi's student?

"Could it be that it isn't him?"

Different from Su shi's reaction, Pavilion Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, and the others glanced at one another doubtfully.

This morning, they had witnessed the bestowment of the title of Celestial Master Teacher and the act of Kong shi accepting a disciple for themselves.

And they remembered clearly how that person rejected him on the spot...

All along, they had been thinking that it was Zhang shi, but from the looks of it, that didn't seem to be the case.

After all, just by looking at the desire and anticipation on his face, how could he have possibly given up such a good opportunity?

But of course, if Zhang Xuan were to know their thoughts, he would probably burst into tears.

Do you think that I wanted that to happen? It's because I didn't recognize him!

"Doesn't possess consciousness? I see..."

Lifting his head to take another look at the statue, he confirmed that there wasn't any spirit within it, unlike the situation before. Thus, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head helplessly.

Even so, he secretly sneaked his hand over and touched the statue.

Hu!

A book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path: "A statue produced in Luohai City from a 9-mo craftsman. It was created by roasting deep ocean soil for forty-nine days, giving it a durability that could even last past a millennium. Flaws: ..."

Pu!

Zhang Xuan's body swayed.

There was no doubt about it. What was before him was just a simple statue.

To think that he passed up the opportunity to become Kong shi's disciple...

Such a huge waste!

"Let's begin!"

Seeing that the genius Zhang shi had finally reverted back to his normal state, Su shi gestured.

"Un!"

Pavilion Master Jiang stepped forward and said, "You two have passed the examination and obtained your master teacher emblems, but to be acknowledged by the other master teachers, you all must gain the acknowledgement of the ancestors first!"

"If you succeed, the ancestors will bestow you a unique aura. Even without your emblem, through exuding this aura, other master teachers will still be able to recognize you."

Even though Su shi and Ling shi didn't take out their emblems just now, and all they had said was their names, Pavilion Master Jiang didn't doubt their words at all. This was because of a unique aura that they exuded which confirmed their identities.

"Succeed? Does that mean that there are people who aren't acknowledged?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

"Of course! The acknowledgement depends on the will of the ancestors. Every single tablet possesses a lingering spirit. Even though they don't possess consciousness, they are capable of determining whether a person is truly qualified to become a master teacher or not!"

Smiling, Pavilion Master Jiang pointed to the front, "You both only need to kneel here. When an ancestor acknowledges you, his tablet will fall. With every acknowledgement, you will earn a surge of aura. The more ancestors who acknowledge you, the greater the surge of aura will be. This is also an indication of their approval of your talent, and their belief in your capability to reach greater heights."

"I see!"

Zhang Xuan came to an understanding.

Since he took the 2-star master teacher straight away, he had never been here, so he wasn't too sure of the proceedings. On the other hand, Mo Hongyi, already being experienced in this matter, wasn't too surprised by the process.

"If one fails to earn the acknowledgement of any ancestor, will one lose their master teacher qualification?"

Since there were those who weren't acknowledged by any as well, what would happen to them?

They couldn't possibly strip a person of his license after all the hard work he put in into passing the examination just because some tablets refused to acknowledge them.

"Of course not!" Pavilion Master Jiang shook his head. "Actually, it's common for one not to be recognized. The owners of these tablets were all powerful figures in their lifetime, and they only acknowledged those who manage to catch their eye. Under normal circumstances, the chances of a 1-star master teacher being recognized are less than one percent. Even for 2-star master teacher, the chances are only at ten percent!"

"Ten percent?" The crowd was dumbstruck.

This percentage was really way too low.

"At 3-star, the possibility will be raised to twenty percent. At 4-star, forty percent, and at 5-star, seventy percent. Only 6-star master teachers have a hundred percent possibility of being acknowledged. However, the number of tablets that fall for them would be a completely different matter."

Pavilion Master Jiang nodded.

Even though they didn't have any master teachers beyond 2-star in their guild, this was all basic knowledge. As the pavilion master, he was well-aware of such details.

"This..." Zhang Xuan finally understood the difficulty of the matter.

A 6-star master teacher was a powerful expert whose stomp could cause an entire region to tremble regardless of where he went. Even the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance could be easily destroyed before the might of such a figure.

Yet, one had to reach such a level before there was a hundred percent chance they could be acknowledged. From this, the difficulty of the matter was clear to see.

"Receiving the acknowledgement from the ancestors is an honor. Those who've received the acknowledgement of more ancestors tended to be more talented, and most of them went on to achieve great things in the future. The most famous genius in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Jun Ruohuan, managed to pass the 4-star master teacher examination before reaching his thirties, and his feat became a legend among the master teachers in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Back then, when he passed his 2-star master teacher examination, he earned the acknowledgement from seven of the tablets!"

Su shi turned to look at Zhang Xuan and smiled.

If the greatest genius in Tianwu Kingdom was Zhang Xuan, then Jun Ruohuan was, indubitably, the number one genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

"Becoming a 4-star master teacher under thirty?" Zhang Xuan was astounded.

All of the master teachers he knew were mostly in their seventies and eighties. Under such a trend, to be able to pass the 4-star master teacher examination below thirty was indeed a formidable feat, and it bore testimony to the other party's talents.

In comparison to him, even the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom Mo Hongyi lost his radiance.

The further one progressed as a master teacher, the more difficult the examinations became, the greater the demand on one's Soul Depth. Many talented experts ended up being stuck at 3-star for their entire life, unable to take the final leap to become a 4-star master teacher.

Based on the classification of the guild headquarters, one was considered a primary master teacher from 1-star to 3-star, an intermediate master teacher from 4-star to 6-star, and an advanced master teacher from 7-star to 9-star.

There was a huge gap in standing between 3-star to 4-star. It was as though the distance between Tongxuan realm and Zongshi realm, and ordinary people couldn't hope to make the leap.

"There's no need for you two to feel pressured about this. It's best to be acknowledged, but if not, there is no need for you two to worry. For the past three hundred years, there hasn't been a person who succeeded before. All I hope is for a single exception to happen while I am still the pavilion master so that I can brag about it when I visit the other pavilions!"

Pavilion Master Jiang smiled bitterly.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was initially a little tense over the matter, but after learning that it wasn't necessary, he heaved a sigh of relief.

But that was to be expected. Different master teachers had different expectations. It was possible for a talented master teacher to not meet the eyes of any of the ancestors. Besides, the owners of those tablet had already turned into dust, and all that was left of them was just a lingering will. It shouldn't be a big deal even if one failed to win their acknowledgement.

"Mo shi, you should go first!"

After explaining the entire matter, Pavilion Master Jiang beckoned Mo Hongyi forward.

"Yes!"

Mo Hongyi nodded. There was a grim look on his face.

Back then, when he was still a 1-star master teacher, he failed to earn the acknowledgement of any of the ancestors. As the number one genius of Tianwu Kingdom, especially after hearing the deeds of Jun Ruohuan, his motivation suddenly surged.

If he were to succeed, he would leave a mark in history.

At the very least, he wouldn't pale too much in comparison to Zhang Xuan.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and kneeled onto the prayer mat at the very center of the room.

"Descendant Mo Hongyi pays respect to the ancestors, and I earnestly plead for your acknowledgement!"

His voice was crisp. After finishing his words, his entire body bent forward, nearly touching the floor.

"How is it?"

Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned his attention to the tablets. The other master teachers, including Su shi and Ling shi, also looked over in interest as well.

Mo Hongyi was the most talented genius in Tianwu Kingdom for the past millennium. Despite his young age, he had already passed the 2-star master teacher examination.

Putting aside the monster, Zhang Xuan, he was famous even in Xuanyuan Kingdom. If such a person couldn't earn the acknowledgement of the ancestors, then the test of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was indeed too difficult.

No one dared to speak, and the entire room fell so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.

Kacha!

After a long period of time, just as everyone thought that there was no hope, a tablet fell over.

Boom!

Then, a surge of green aura flew from the depths of the hall and shrouded Mo Hongyi.

"This is... the same unique aura from the bestowment of Celestial Master Teacher?"

Upon seeing the aura, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Back when Zhang Xuan was bestowed the title of Celestial Master Teacher, he had been shrouded by a unique aura which swiftly increased his Soul Depth.

To think that the acknowledgement from the ancestral tablets in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall would have the same effects.

It was no wonder why a Celestial Master Teacher would be acknowledged by other master teachers even without an emblem. So, the aura that the others were talking about referred to this!

"How sparse..."

After confirming the identity of the green aura, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head.

When he became a Celestial Master Teacher, the green aura was as thick as billowing smoke, but the surge shrouding Mo Hongyi was only around the thickness of a finger.

This was just like the difference between a raging river and a small stream.

Hu!

In a few breaths, Mo Hongyi managed to absorb it cleanly. Delight showed clearly on Mo Hongyi's face as he stood up.

He couldn't suppress the exhilaration in his heart.

Even though only one ancestral tablet had fallen for him, he had at least won the acknowledgement of a single ancestor. With this, he had broken the record of the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion for the past few centuries!

"Incredible!"

"As expected of the ex-number one genius of our kingdom!"

"Finally, one of our master teachers is acknowledged. Good! That old fellow Zhao Xue won't be able to brag about this matter before me anymore..."

Upon seeing this sight, Pavilion Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, and the others couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.

None of the master teachers in Tianwu Kingdom had ever earned the acknowledgement of the ancestors before. Seeing this sight before them, they couldn't hold back their agitation anymore.

"Not bad! To earn the acknowledgement of an ancestor as a 2-star master teacher, you have a bright future in front of you! Even I only managed to earn their acknowledgement upon reaching 3-star!" Su shi nodded in approval.

"Being approved at 3-star is already an incredible feat. I only managed to have a single tablet fall for me after becoming a 4-star master teacher... Seems like the talent of Mo shi is indeed incredible!" Ling shi chuckled.

Even Su shi and Ling shi failed to be recognized when they were still 2-star master teachers. From this, the difficulty of this trial was clear to see.

"Alright, now that Mo shi has obtained the approval of an ancestor, Zhang shi, it's your turn!"

Recovering from his shock, Pavilion Master Jiang turned to Zhang Xuan.

The crowd immediately turned their attention to Zhang Xuan as well.

.

.

.

Chapter 397: Kong shi's Statue Breaks!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

As a Celestial Master Teacher, the acknowledgement of these ancestors didn't mean much to him. However, since he was here, he was also curious to see how many of their acknowledgements he could receive.

Thus, walking forward to the praying mat, he took a deep breath and knelt down.

"Descendant Zhang Xuan pays respect to the ancestors, and I earnestly plead for your acknowledgement!"

Then, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply, just as Mo Hongyi did earlier.

Everyone immediately turned their gazes to the ancestral tablets. Even the 4-star master teachers, Su shi and Ling shi, felt a little nervous as well, and they clenched their fists tightly.

This fellow had created too many miracles. Perhaps, he might be able to break Jun Ruohuan's record.

Everyone waited expectantly with bated breaths. The hall fell completely silent.

However, the ancestral tablets remained fixated on their spot, and there was no sign of them falling over at all.

"It can't be that... he failed to earn the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors?"

After a while, the master teachers in the hall glanced at one another in bewilderment.

This Zhang Xuan had broken so many records, and the Trust Level of a student he taught even reached a shocking 99. He should be able to earn the respect of quite a handful of experts. Why wasn't there any movement at all?

This was way too peculiar.

"Usually, the tablets will fall within a tea's time. The time has already passed, but there isn't any movement. Seems like... it's a failure!"

After another moment of silence, Pavilion Master Jiang roughly calculated the timing, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

Based on the results of the two, since Mo Hongyi was able to earn the acknowledgement of one of the ancestors, Zhang shi should be able to earn the acknowledgement of quite a few. Yet, the current situation broke all preconceptions they had. He couldn't help but feel slightly under.

"Talent and strength aren't the determining factors for the ancestors' acknowledgement. Rather... it's whether you are suited to be his student or not."

After a moment later, Su shi spoke up, "It could be that Zhang shi's talents are too high, and they feel pressured!"

The explanation felt shaky to even Su shi, but this was the only reason he could find. Otherwise, it made totally no sense for the less talented Mo Hongyi to succeed and the more talented Zhang Xuan to fail.

"Indeed. That must be the case. Otherwise, how could not earn even a single acknowledgement from the ancestors?"

Smiling bitterly, Pavilion Master Jiang was just about to continue speaking when Vice Pavilion Master Guan pointed over and said, "Wait, something is amiss. Look there...'

Everyone hurriedly raised their heads, but the ancestral tablets were still completely still.

"Vice Pavilion Master Guan..." Jiang Shu looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm not referring to the tablets, but..." Vice Pavilion Master Guan's face turned pale, and his lips quivered in fear. "But... Kong shi's statue!"

Everyone froze for a moment before swiftly turning their gazes to the massive statue. The statue which was fixated to the ground suddenly... swayed!

"The statue is swaying?"

Not only was the crowd surprised, even Su shi and Ling shi were perplexed over this phenomenon.

They had seen the tablets fall over before, but they'd never heard of Kong shi swaying!

"It's not swaying..."

Just as everyone was stunned by this bizarre occurrence, Pavilion Master Jiang suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Zhang shi, watch out..."

Before he could finish his words, 'jiya!', the gigantic Kong shi statue fell to the floor.

The location where Zhang Xuan was bowing toward was right in front of the statue, and the statue fell straight towards his head.

"The hell!"

Zhang Xuan, who was kneeling and awaiting the acknowledgement of the ancestors, couldn't possibly have expected that such a huge statue would fall on him. His complexion immediately turned awful. Knowing that it was too late for him to avoid, he hurriedly stood up and faced it head on.

Peng!

His fist and the statue collided together.

On top of being a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, Zhang Xuan possessed a physical strength of 9999 ding. No matter how resilient the Kong shi statue was, it was made of mud, so how could it withstand the might of his fist? Boom! It exploded from the center.

Hualala!

The moment Kong shi's statue was broke apart, the sound of beans popping sounded, and the ancestral tablets in the room hurriedly fell down. Then, 'jiya! 'jiya!', the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall began to shake as well.

"Escape..."

Pavilion Master Jiang's face paled, and he hurriedly shouted. Then, he darted out of the hall with the group of master teachers.

Not daring to hesitate at all, Zhang Xuan also dashed out.

The moment he left the room, 'boom!', the grand hall collapsed inward. Dust flew in the air, and smoke billowed.

"This... What the heck just happened?"

Pavilion Master Jiang and the other master teachers were completely dumbfounded.

They hurriedly turned to the stunned youngster standing not too far away, and an urge to strangle him to death welled up within them.

When other people paid respect to the ancestors, they either got acknowledged or ignored. Yet, when it was his turn, not only did he destroy Kong shi's statue, he even tore down the entire Teacher Acknowledge Hall...

What was wrong with you!

Kong shi is the world's teacher, an existence whom everyone respects. Even if his statue was going to fall on you, shouldn't you at least support him? To face him with a fist, what was going through your head?

To make a move on Kong shi...

That is enough of you!

All of the master teachers felt a spell of dizziness.

The young man before them stared at the ruins, and scratching his head, he asked, "This... Have I been acknowledged?"

Acknowledged?

Acknowledged your head!

Everyone was on the verge of tears.

You destroyed Kong shi's statue and tore down the ancestral hall; how in the world can you still hope for others to acknowledge you?

In truth, Zhang Xuan was breaking down within as well.

He was fine with not being acknowledged, but what in the world was with that falling statue?

Since it was durable to the extent of being able to last for beyond a millennium, its toughness was already far beyond that of ordinary rocks. If he didn't strike back and allow it to fall on his head, even if his physical body was strong enough to endure it, he would probably suffer a concussion.

"This old geezer must be trying to get back at me..."

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

Back then, he refused to acknowledge Kong shi as his teacher, so the other party must be trying to get back at him for that. Otherwise, why would such a huge statue suddenly fall on him?

And for the entire Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to fall along with it?

How was he supposed to resolve the situation now...

"No one is to talk about what happened today!"

After a moment of silence, Su shi scanned the surroundings and instructed.

The destruction of Kong shi's statue and the collapsing of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall were no different from having the tomb of one's ancestor being ransacked... If news were to spread out, others would definitely laugh their heads off. The prestige of their Master Teacher Pavilion would be whittled down.

Thus, the only thing they could do now was to seal the news.

It was fortunate that there were only a handful of people present, and given their standing, they would surely be reluctant to speak of such a shameful affair.

"Yes!" The crowd nodded.

"Alright, it's nothing much to not be acknowledged. Since you two have become master teachers, allow me to introduce you two to your responsibilities and duties as master teachers!"

Knowing that it was a waste of time to discuss this matter, Pavilion Master Jiang immediately changed the topic.

"As a teacher, one's role is to impart knowledge and clarify doubts! As a master teacher, this is even more so expected of you. Back then, when Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion, he only had a single vision in mind. That is... for everyone to become an expert!"

"For everyone to become an expert?"

Mo Hongyi and Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Indeed. Even though our world may seem peaceful on the surface, that's actually not the case."

A grim expression appeared on Pavilion Master Jiang, "Back in Kong shi's era, humans weren't the only dominant race in the continent. There was another powerful race... the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!"

"Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?"

"Un. It's an extremely powerful race, and every single one of them possesses the strength of a Zhizun realm expert from birth! Back then, humans who were captured by them ended up as their slaves for life!"

Pavilion Master Jiang slowly explained, "Eventually, under Kong shi's leadership, the human race managed to emerge triumphant. He then established the Master Teacher Pavilion and promoted the heritage of equality of education hoping that all humans could gain sufficient strength to fend for themselves."

"This..."

Zhang Xuan was shocked.

Even though he had a huge collection of books in the Library of Heaven's Path, such ancient secrets weren't written in any one of the books, so he had never heard of it before.

He could have never imagined that there would be such a powerful race in the world, possessing the strength of a Zhizun realm from birth.

"Do you two know why poison masters are despised and unrecognized by the other occupations?" Pavilion Master Jiang asked.

Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi glanced at one another doubtfully before shaking their heads.

"Even though the ability of poison masters to kill others discreetly induces fear in others, their expertise contributes a lot to the human race as well. Even so, the other occupations still despised them... The reason for it isn't just fear and worry, but back then, they once allied with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and helped them to bring harm to their human counterparts!"

Pavilion Master Jiang explained.

The duo immediately came to a realization.

Actually, Zhang Xuan had also been perplexed over this matter. Poison masters were indeed fearsome foes, but they weren't a deranged bunch who poisoned everyone they met. Not to mention, poison was, by no means, omnipotent too. He didn't think that there was a need to be so guarded against them, going to the extent of chasing them out of the cities and exiling them to remote corners such as the Red Lotus Range.

However, after hearing this news, he realized that it was due to the unforgivable deeds that poison masters had once done.

As time passed, the grudges were forgotten, but habits die hard, thus resulting in the current circumstances.

Even today, poison masters remained a feared existence. No one was willing to provoke them, but their name remained sullied.

"Alright, you two are just 2-star master teachers, and this matter has already passed. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe no longer exists, so there's no need for you to ponder so much over it!"

Pavilion Master Jiang smiled. "Even though the danger from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has passed, the heritage of the master teachers continues on to this day. As long as you are a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion, you are expected to fulfill the role of a teacher, follow the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and enlighten the masses!

"It is not because of our title as master teachers, but because of our role in enlightening the masses that we are given unparalleled standing and esteem!"

Then, Pavilion Master Jiang's face grew stern, "If I were to learn that any of you two were to commit atrocities and infringe the rules, even if I didn't do anything, other master teachers would definitely find you and purge you!"

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi nodded.

"Remember, being a master teacher isn't an honor or a standing, it's a responsibility and a duty. A true master teacher should always have his students' welfare in his mind. Only by fulfilling our role will we be acknowledged and respected by others!"

After delegating his instructions, Pavilion Master Jiang shook his hands casually and said, "Alright, I've already said all that I need to. Let's go to the main hall, I'll introduce you two to Su shi and Ling shi!"

"Un!"

The duo answered, and the three of them headed to the main hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

No one noticed a slight unique aura slowly seeping out from each of the innumerable ancestral tablets and Kong shi's statue. Gathering together, they formed a huge torrent.

However, as there wasn't anyone to accept it, it slowly dissipated with time, as though it had never appeared before.

.

.

.

Chapter 398: Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the conference hall of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Master Teacher Pavilion.

"I believe that everyone should know of the matter. I hope that you all can try your best so that our name won't be sullied!"

The austere elder seated on the center seat gestured grandly.

The head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Master Teacher Pavilion, 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Pavilion Master Kang Gan.

"Pavilion master, rest assured. We will do our best to find the most suitable candidate so as to not sully the name of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance!"

"I've been informed that Elder Su and Elder Ling heard of a genius in Xuanyuan Kingdom; they rushed there a few days ago!"

"Elder Bai and Elder Lu heard that there's a genius who passed the master teacher examination at Chiyuan Kingdom, and they rushed there eight days ago as well!"

...

The elders in the hall hurriedly answered.

These elders were dressed in the robe specially crafted for master teachers, and an emblem sat on their chest, reflecting their ranks. There were several 4-star master teachers in the hall, and even the weakest of those present was a 2-star. The radiance that shone off their emblems was dazzling.

"Good. Make preparations in advance to welcome and groom them. In the past, our Myriad Kingdom Alliance's ranking has always been at the very bottom. This time, we must show them that our geniuses don't lose out to them in any way!"

The pavilion master harrumphed.

"Un..."

The crowd nodded. Just as they were about to continue discussing, a bell suddenly sounded.

It carried deep sorrow in its chiming, as though something tragic had happened.

Dong dong dong dong!

Then, innumerable bells started sounding as well.

"What's going on?" Pavilion Master Kang abruptly stood up.

"That direction... the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall!"

Ascertaining the direction where the sound came from, a master teacher's face suddenly distorted in shock, and he exclaimed loudly.

"Let's go take a look!"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others immediately rushed out and headed straight for the Master Teacher pavilion. Upon pushing open the door, what welcomed them was the sight of countless ancestral tablets shaking non-stop, and sorrowful calls sounded from them, as though they had met with something tragic. At the same time, surge after surge of bizarre aura circled around those tablets, and the deep rumbling of thunder roared from their movements.

"This is... Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell"

Pavilion Master Kang's face changed, and he nearly fell to the floor.

"Rejection of the Ancestors? What does this mean?"

Seeing Pavilion Master Kang's loss of composure, one of the master teachers couldn't help but ask.

"After passing the master teacher examination, one would head to the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to pay respects to the ancestor and seek their acknowledgement. Many people take pride in being acknowledged by the ancestors." Pavilion Master Kang started explaining.

The crowd nodded.

This was common knowledge among master teachers. The greater the number of ancestors who acknowledged one when one was a lower tiered master teacher, the more likely it was for one to climb to greater heights in the future. This should be something for master teachers to take pride in.

"As master teachers, you all should know that while teachers can choose their students, students are allowed to choose their teachers as well!"

At this point, slight disbelief flashed in the eyes of Pavilion Master Kang, and he clenched his fists tightly, "The ancestors can acknowledge their descendants, but at the same time... their acknowledgement can be rejected as well!"

"Rejected? The acknowledgement of the ancestors isn't just an honor, it also grants a unique aura that raises one's Soul Depth. There's actually a person who would reject it?"

Taken aback by Pavilion Master Kang's words, the crowd widened their eyes in shock.

Putting aside the fact that the acknowledgement of the ancestors represented unparalleled honor, more importantly, it could nourish a person's Soul Depth. Yet, for someone to reject it? Why?

"There were such cases in the past as well! Taking in the aura granted by an ancestor means having the will of the ancestor's will imprinted within one. In other words, that ancestor will be considered as a half-teacher for one. As everyone should know, the moment one accepts the favor of another, one will establish a karmic debt with the other party. One has to eventually pay back the favor. Some of the top-notch geniuses refuse to accept this kind of favor, so they reject it outright!" Pavilion Master Kang explained.

"This..." The crowd was stunned.

Even though it would establish a karmic debt, the benefits were too great to refuse.

Everyone here dreamt of earning the acknowledgement of the ancestors, yet for someone to reject it...

"Even though there's a sliver of the corresponding ancestor's will sealed within each of the tablets, it contains their spirit. Being rejected by their descendant, naturally, they'll cry in sorrow! It's under such a situation that'll induce the Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell! Even so, I've only read about all of this in books. To think that it was all... true!"

Pavilion Master Kang's face paled, "More importantly... for so many ancestral tablets to cry sorrowfully at the same moment... It means that all of these ancestors have acknowledged a person at the same time, but all of them were... rejected!"

"Acknowledgement... by all of these ancestors?"

"H-how is this possible?"

The crowd was completely astonished. Some of them even nearly fainted on the spot.

In the past hundred years, even the most talented genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for the past several hundred years, Jun Ruohuan, only obtained the acknowledgement of seven of the ancestors. Who in the world was this? To obtain the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors at once, and more importantly... to reject all of them as well?

Surely I am hearing things?

The lips of all of the master teachers quivered, and they fell into a frenzy.

"Look into it, it must have happened within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, or else such a phenomenon wouldn't happen here! If we can invite the genius acknowledged by all of the ancestors, we'll surely be able to win..."

Pavilion Master Kang's eyes shone in excitement. He was just about to continue issuing instructions when the ground suddenly shook.

Hualala!

Then, he saw Kong shi's statue trembling violently as well, calling out sorrowfully.

"Kong shi crying out sorrowfully? Could it be that... Kong shi has been rejected as well?"

Dumbfounded.

Pavilion Master Kang's mouth was wide open, but not a word came out from his mouth.

...

"This... Do we really need not bother about this?"

Seeing Pavilion Master Jiang walk away, Zhang Xuan glanced at the ancestral tablets and Kong shi's statue which was lying under the ruins of the hall doubtfully.

Those were the statue of the world's teacher and the tablets of countless great ancestors.

"Master teachers have already peered through the essence of the world, and what we value is the intent, not the form. The respect for Kong shi and the other ancestors lay deep in our hearts, not in these ancestral tablets. Otherwise, given how the falling over of the tablets should have been an extremely disrespectful action, how could we, as descendants, wait expectantly for it to happen? Don't worry, the Master Teacher Pavilion have specialized craftsmen in charge of fixing such damages. It won't take long for the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall to be brought back to its former glory!"

Pavilion Master Jiang explained.

"What we value is the intent, not the form?" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Zhang Xuan liked the sound of it.

The master teachers he knew, be it Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, or Jiang Shu, never used their position as master teachers to oppress others. Instead, they interacted with others like anyone else, and upon realizing that they had erred, they weren't hesitant to admit their mistakes as well.

Instead of their pride, they used their heart and conscience to deal with matters.

Knowing that the other party understands that he didn't intentionally break Kong shi's statue, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Advancing forward, he soon arrived at the conference hall.

"Allow me to formally introduce you two to them, these two are 4-star master teachers from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Su shi and Ling shi!" After the group settled down, Pavilion Master Jiang introduced.

"4-star master teacher?"

Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi leaped in shock.

They thought that those two were 1-star master teachers who came from other kingdoms. How could have even imagined that they were 4-star master teachers...

Especially for Zhang Xuan, his face turned green in regret.

He had even criticized them earlier.

"The two of you are talented, and it's just a matter of time before you two become 4-star master teachers, so there's no need to feel so restrained before us!" Su shi chuckled. Then, turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Zhang shi, I have a presumptuous request to ask of you."

"Su shi, feel free to speak!"

Knowing that the other party was a 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan immediately clasped his fist respectfully.

Not only were 4-star master teachers knowledgeable, their cultivation had also reached a frightening level!

To become a 3-star master teacher, one had to possess the strength of minimum Zhizun realm. At 4-star... his cultivation must have already surpassed Zhizun.

"I heard that Yang shi is in the capital, so may I ask if Ling shi and I can pay a visit to him?" Su shi asked.

"Pay a visit... to Yang shi?" The corner of Zhang Xuan's lip twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

What Yang shi... The teacher behind him was Zhang Xuan himself!

The two 4-star master teachers were interested in meeting Yang shi, what should he do?

It had already taken him a lot of effort to fool Jiang Shu. This time, the other party were 4-star master teachers. It wouldn't be a simple feat to fool them!

It was possible that they might even be able to see through his disguising ability.

"Why? Is it not convenient?" Su shi asked.

"That isn't the case, just that my teacher... has always been wandering around the area. So, even I'm not too sure where he is..."

Zhang Xuan hurriedly added, "How about this, I'll ask him of this matter as soon as he appears!"

"Un! I'll be depending on Zhang shi then!" Su shi smiled.

Even though they were both 4-star master teachers, they didn't have any domineering aura to them. Instead, they felt particularly amiable.

It was said that the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more they would be like that. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to earn the trust and acknowledgement of their students swiftly, and better impart their knowledge.

"Alright, now that you two are done with your examinations, I won't beat around the bush. Actually, there are two reasons why Ling shi and I are here. Firstly, it's because of Zhang shi's astonishing examination results, so we came over to take a look. Other than that, we have something that we might need your help on!"

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the matter, Su shi stroked his beard and spoke of the primary reason for their arrival.

"Su shi, feel free to speak. If it's within the abilities of Tianwu Kingdom's Master Teacher Pavilion, we'll definitely give it our all!" Pavilion Master Jiang said.

Putting aside the fact that the other party was his superior, the other party's rank as a 4-star master teacher made him more than qualified to command them.

.

.

.

Chapter 399: Above the Alliance

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"I won't stand on formalities then!"

Hesitating for a moment, Su shi started explaining, "I believe you all should have at least heard a little about the standing of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the continent!"

Having read through books, Zhang Xuan knew that due to the influence of the master teachers, this continent was known as Master Teacher Continent.

It was a huge continent that seemed boundless.

In which, there were countless kingdoms, sects, and individual influences scattered all over.

The Myriad Kingdom Alliance might be the strongest existence in this region, but when placed against the entire Master Teacher Continent, it didn't amount to anything much.

Seeing the confusion in the eyes of many master teachers here, Su shi shook his head. "I guess that even if you all know a little about it, your knowledge is probably incomplete. Allow me to explain more then!"

"I'm sure you all should be well-aware of the ranking system of the kingdoms. There is a total of four ranks, Unranked, Tier-2, Tier-1, and Conferred!

"Your Tianwu Kingdom is a Tier-1 Kingdom, and it is considered as a vassal to Conferred Xuanyuan Kingdom. And there are 142 kingdoms of Xuanyuan Kingdom's level under the jurisdiction of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!"

"So many?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

The map he saw was only at the level of a Tier-1 Kingdom. As such, he wasn't too sure about the conditions of the Conferred Kingdoms.

Initially, he thought that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was just a name, but at this moment, he realized that the number of countries within it had to be at least ten thousand.

There were 142 Conferred Kingdoms, and Xuanyuan Kingdom had twenty Tier-1 Kingdoms like Tianwu under its jurisdiction, and then going down further... The total quantity numbered so many that it was hard to calculate on the spot.

"That's right. The presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion and various historical circumstances formed the present situation, but I won't touch on that for now. For now, I'll focus on the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

"The Myriad Kingdom Alliance governs all of the kingdoms within a certain boundary, and even though it sounds like a massive organization, but compared to the scale of the Master Teacher Continent, it is actually just an insignificant droplet within a vast ocean. There are several thousands of similar powers in the entire continent, such as the neighboring Mingxia Empire, Henghai Empire... There are also some powerful third rate sects such as the Cascading Sand Sect and Frigid Gale Sect."

"There are so many similar existences to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?"

Everyone was shocked.

They knew that the Master Teacher Continent was vast, but they didn't expect it to be of such a scale.

In their eyes, an existence that gathered over ten thousand kingdoms was already a mammoth. How could they possibly fathom that there were several thousands of such influences scattered throughout the continent?

Just the thought of it was fearsome!

"Myriad Kingdom Alliance might sound domineering, but as the kingdoms within are autonomous and there's lack of connection between each of them, it's actually one of the weakest among similar influences.

"Take Mingxia Empire for example, regardless of whether it's the number of experts they have or their economy, they are way superior to us. Liuyun Sect and Luosha Sect are also filled with outstanding geniuses, and their strength far surpasses ours.

"But of course, these influential powers also have Master Teacher Pavilions within them, and they're under the jurisdiction of a headquarter.

"In order to better select talents to groom and glorify master teachers, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and 26 other similar influences cooperate together to conduct a Master Teacher Tournament!

"It's conducted once every decade, and all master teachers under twenty are allowed to participate. The winner will be entitled to generous rewards.

"This tournament has been conducted 77 times already, but it's a pity that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance has continued to hover around the bottom! Even at best, we only reached the 23rd place..."

At this point, Su shi's face flushed in embarrassment.

Of 27 similarly influential powers, their best placing was only at 23rd place, or fifth from the bottom.

It was no wonder why he felt embarrassed.

"This time, the newly-appointed Pavilion Master Kang has decided to make some changes and strive for better results... He instructed for the personnel of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Master Teacher Pavilion to pay attention to the other kingdoms and pick out talented individuals to groom for the tournament that would be held three months later..."

Su shi stared at Zhang Xuan expectantly.

"Su shi means that... you wish to ask Zhang shi to join this tournament?"

Pavilion Master Jiang came to a realization.

"That's right!" Su shi nodded. "Despite his young age, Zhang shi has broken many records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there is probably none who can match his talents. Thus... I would like to formally invite him to participate in the tournament!"

"This..."

Not expecting the other party to ask such a request, Pavilion Master Jiang instinctively turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

The gazes of the other master teachers focused on Zhang Xuan as well.

It was Zhang Xuan's personal decision to choose whether he wanted to participate or not. No one could force him into it.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was also stunned by the sudden request.

"Zhang shi, there's no need for you to rush to answer the question. You have two days to consider this this matter and discuss it with your teacher. You can answer me once you've made up your mind!" Su shi said.

"Alright, then I'll give it some thought..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Zhang Xuan had never even heard of the Master Teacher Tournament, and he had no idea what form the tournament would be in. As such, he felt that he should be more prudent with this matter.

His primary focus at the moment was to become a 9-star master teacher before thirty. Everything else was of secondary concern.

"Alright, this is all I have. Zhang shi, I'll be troubling you to on Yang shi's matter then. Ling shi and I are truly interested in meeting your teacher!" Su shi chuckled.

Given how the other party was able to groom a talent of Zhang Xuan's caliber, his means could only be greater than theirs. Since they were here, it was a breach of etiquette to not pay respects to their senior.

"Once teacher returns, I'll immediately report to the two elders."

Seeing that the other party hadn't forgotten this matter, Zhang Xuan felt his head hurt.

Seeing the serious expressions on these two 4-star master teachers, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to avoid this affair.

Just that, disguising before 4-star master teachers... Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan had no confidence at all.

"If there's no other instructions, I'll be taking my leave first then!"

Seeing that there was nothing else, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

"Farewell!" The others nodded.

Since the 2-star master teacher examination and inauguration were over, it was about time for Zhang Xuan to return back to his residence to meet his students.

Zhang Xuan had disguised himself a little after reaching the capital, so he hadn't really walked around the city in his original appearance yet.

Walking out of the conference hall, he saw Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and his other students from Tianwu Academy walking up to him.

"Teacher!"

Their eyes were filled with admiration.

They thought that their teacher was only an ordinary teacher. Who could have thought that he was the great genius whose name echoed throughout the entire capital, Zhang Xuan!

They couldn't help but feel proud to have such an esteemed teacher.

"Teacher..."

Zhao Ya and the others walked over, but in comparison to the excitement from the other groups, their heads were lowered as though a rooster who had lost a duel.

This was especially for Zheng Yang and Yuan Tao. As though a rat meeting with a cat, they trembled fearfully.

"See how I'll teach you all a lesson once we return to the residence!"

This was the Master Teacher Pavilion, and there were many eyes here. If outsiders were to learn that his own student tried to do him in, they would definitely laugh their teeth out.

The prestige he had just earned from becoming a 2-star master teacher would also crumble in an instant.

Such family scandals should be dealt with behind closed doors. He was determined to teach these arrogant brats a lesson once they returned to the residence.

"You all should follow me as well!"

Glancing at Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and the others, Zhang Xuan gestured.

Since his two identities had converged together, it was time for him to do some reorganization and end the relationships that needed to be ended.

"Yes!"

The crowd nodded, and they followed behind Zhang Xuan.

Returning to the residence, Liu shi, Bai Chan, and the others had already heard of the news. They hurried forward to welcome Zhang Xuan's return, and admiration glittered in their eyes.

Reaching the main hall, Zhang Xuan sat at the top seat as he glanced at the kneeling Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others below with a steeled face.

As soon as he arrived, the group immediately explained the matter of the poison.

"Regardless of who Liu laoshi is, even if he isn't me, as a teacher, you should show him the basic respect he deserves. To poison him because of a small contention, how dare you all!" Zhang Xuan bellowed.

These few fellows had indeed gone too far this time.

He was embarrassed by their act of poisoning him, but what truly made him furious was the lack of values in their actions. They disregarded the honor of a teacher and overstepped their moral boundaries.

Once a person loses his values, then no matter how strong he became, he could only be a scum!

As a teacher, what he should impart wasn't just knowledge, but morals and values as well.

It was just like grooming a flower. It didn't just consist of watering and adding fertilizer, one also had to trim its branches from time to time. Otherwise, as its branches started to twist and turn, it would lose its aesthetics.

"Teacher, we don't dare anymore..."

Seeing their teacher fly to a rage, Zheng Yang and the others paled in fright.

"Don't dare anymore? You all even dare to make a move on me, what else wouldn't you all dare to do? I, Zhang Xuan, don't have a student like you all, and I am not fitting to be your teacher!"

Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.

"Teacher..."

Zheng Yang and their bodies swayed.

This meant that Zhang Xuan was expelling them from his tutelage!

"Teacher, I beg of you to take back your orders. Zheng Yang and the others didn't do it intentionally..."

Zhao Ya rushed forward and pleaded with Zhang Xuan.

"Don't plead for them, leave them kneeling. We'll talk about it once they finally think it through!"

After bellowing at Zheng Yang and the others, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Mu Xueqing and his other students.

"It's under my identity as Liu Cheng that fate brought us together as teacher and students. However, now that I'm reverting back to my original identity, our fate has come to an end. I'll leave you all with cultivation techniques that will allow you all to reach Zongshi realm, so you all should return for now!"

Zhang Xuan's connection with these students was only through Tianwu Academy. Now that he had come to the end of his mission, it was time for their relationship to come to an end.

Other than that, Tianwu Kingdom was still way too small for him. It was just a matter of time before he'd leave. Taking care of Zhao Ya and the others was already difficult for him, he couldn't possibly bring an entire class around!

"Teacher..."

The eyes of Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others reddened.

"Alright, there's no banquet that doesn't end. Even if you all aren't my students, you all must cultivate diligently!"

After issuing them one last instruction, Zhang Xuan waved his hands, "You all should go now!"

"Yes..."

The group kneeled down and kowtowed together once.

"Teacher, I... would like to follow you. I'll go wherever you go!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth in determination.

"You are the sole daughter of Apothecary Mu. If you leave, who will take care of him? You should return!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"I..." Mu Xueqing was tongue-tied.

She had lost her mother at a young age, and her father went through a lot of trouble to raise her. If she were to leave, what would happen to her father?

"If you still wish to follow me in the future, you can first settle the matter with Apothecary Mu before looking for me. Don't worry, as a master teacher, it won't be hard for you to track me down!" Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Yes. Teacher, thank you for your tutelage over the past few days!"

Upon coming to terms with the matter, Mu Xueqing bent down and kowtowed deeply several times.

Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak, his head suddenly jolted. A bookshelf trembled, and the golden book appeared once more.

.

.

.

Chapter 400: Elder?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Another page?"

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He had gone through a lot of trouble to teach Mu Xueqing, even going to the extent of imparting the Heaven's Path Saber Art to her. Even so, he didn't really expect to earn the other party's earnest gratitude and form a new golden page.

Zhang Xuan had no idea what other effects there were to this Book of Heaven's Path, but its ability to raise Zhang Xuan's Soul Depth easily and assimilate the contents of the books gathered in the Library of Heaven's Path into his knowledge already made it a priceless treasure.

"Teacher, regardless of where you go, I'll definitely look for you!"

Making a vow in her heart, Mu Xueqing led the crowd away.

The room soon chilled down with their departure. However, Lu Chong remained in the room, and he stood on the spot impassively.

"You..."

Zhang Xuan was about to speak, but the other party interrupted him.

"Teacher, I have nothing to tie me down here anymore. Wherever you go, I'll follow you!" Lu Chong's eyes reflected his determination.

After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded, "Alright!"

Zhang Xuan was well aware of the character of this student of his. Knowing that there was no use persuading him, he eventually relented.

After dealing with that, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. At that moment, Liu shi stepped forward with a worried frown.

"Are you going to keep them kneeling?"

Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Wang Ying, and his other students were still kneeling motionlessly in the main hall. Did he intend to keep them kneeling like that?

"Their cultivation has progressed too quickly, and this has added to their complacency. Making them kneel will help build their character so that they won't act so rashly in the future!" Zhang Xuan said.

Actually, Zhang Xuan's rage had already died down. The poisoning incident didn't cause much harm, and his students already knew their mistakes. However, he still chose to neglect them and keep them kneeling. The reason for it was simple; he wanted to build their character. Only with a strong character will they be able to reach greater heights in the future.

Taking Lu Chong for example, the tragedy in his clan had made his mental fortitude as tough as steel. Even though his cultivation had progressed swiftly in the past few days, he didn't show the slightest arrogance or complacency.

On the other hand, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, Wang Ying, and the others were entitled to the best education from the very start, and they have never faced any major problems in their cultivation before. Zhang Xuan thought that it was about time to teach them the difficulty of cultivating so that they wouldn't get complacent.

"That's good. I've neglected this matter..."

Liu shi nodded. At this moment, he truly felt impressed by this senior of his.

When he first met his senior, he thought that he was still slightly immature in his actions. However, at this moment, he already possessed on the disposition of a teacher, and every single action he took aligned with his duties as a teacher.

As a teacher, one shouldn't just focus all of one's efforts on the cultivation of one's student; one must also reinforce their mental fortitude.

Using building a palace as an analogy, one's mental fortitude would be like the foundation of the construction.

Without the foundation, no matter how many bricks one laid on top and what kind of technologies one utilized, there would still be a limit to its final height. On top of that, it would be unable to weather the winds of a storm as well.

Zhang Xuan made use of this matter to sternly punish the others, but the truth was that he was trying to grind their will...

Without a bone-piercing chill, how could there be the fragrance of the plum blossoms!

"I just hope that they can understand your efforts..." Liu shi sighed.

Sometimes, students were unable to understand why their teachers were so harsh on them, and this incited a rebellious streak in them. By the time a falling out occurred, it was already too late for regrets.

Zhang Xuan nodded. After chatting with Liu shi for a moment longer, he walked out of the residence and settled some other miscellaneous matters.

The Great Herb King and Liao Xun had already left the capital. The Ji Clan had sent many generous gifts in apology, and Zhang Xuan kept them all in his storage ring.

In truth, the matter with Ji Clan wasn't anything much, and there was nothing for Zhang Xuan to pursue.

By the time Zhang Xuan had settled everything, it was already late at night.

The next day, he went to the Physician Guild and swept through all of the books in their library. He went on to do the same for the other guilds in the kingdom, storing them inside the Library of Heaven's Path. He busied himself throughout the day, and only upon sunset did he return to the residence.

"Time to begin!"

With a thought, the golden book appeared right before Zhang Xuan.

The two 4-star master teachers had specifically brought up their desire to meet Yang Xuan before him, and dragging the matter out wasn't a solution. If Zhang Xuan didn't want to be exposed by the other party, he had to accrue a huge mountain of knowledge to make up for his lack thereof. In any case, he had two golden pages now, so using one wasn't too much of a heartache.

"Assimilate..."

Boom!

As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, a violent buzz sounded. The golden page radiated a bright glow, and all of the books in the Library of Heaven's Path immediately started infusing their contents into his head. Unable to withstand the huge surge of information, Zhang Xuan's vision turned dark and he fainted.

...

In the Physician Guild, Physician Cheng Feng stared helplessly at the unconscious Physician Mu Hong lying on the floor.

This ex-guild leader had gone to the Lin Clan to cure the other party of their poison, but... not only did he fail to resolve their poison, he even got afflicted with it.

For a 3-star physician to land himself in such a state... It was indeed shameful.

"Physician Cheng Feng, is there any way to cure him?"

Physician Mu Hong's student, 2-star Physician Xie Shunda, looked at Cheng Feng nervously.

Physician Cheng Feng shook his head. "I've tried all methods, but the poison he's afflicted with... is simply too formidable. I am also helpless before it!"

He had carefully examined this poison, and he realized that it was able to fuse easily with all zhenqi. This problem had left him completely stumped.

"Unless..."

"Unless?" Xie Shunda's face tensed up.

"Unless Guild Leader Liu, or rather, Zhang shi, treats him personally. Given how he was able to solve so many problems on the Wall of Dilemma, his aptitude for the Way of Medicine is truly frightening. This poison is formidable, but he might have a solution for it!" Physician Cheng Feng said.

"Zhang Xuan..."

Upon hearing this name, Xie Shunda's face immediately sank, and he howled deeply, "His student is the one who planted the poison! He must have been in cahoots with the master of the Poison Hall!"

Back then, he had clearly seen how Hall Master Liao treated Zhang shi so respectfully that it seemed as though the latter was his own father.

During the period when Physician Mu Hong was afflicted with lethal poison, the master of the Poison Hall appeared in the city. It was hard to believe that there wasn't any correlation between the two.

"Audacious! Such words cannot be spouted without evidence!" Physician Cheng Feng berated sternly, "Zhang shi is a master teacher and a grandmaster physician. How can he be in cahoots with the Poison Hall?"

"Without evidence? Hmph, so many people have seen it with their own eyes!" Xie Shunda harrumphed coldly, "What Wall of Dilemma and guild leader, pui! How can someone who has dealings with the Poison Hall be worthy to serve as the leader of our Physician Guild?

"In fact, I think that he might not even know medicine at all. He might have prepared the answers to the problems on the Wall of Dilemma beforehand. Otherwise, how could he solve so many problems within such a short period of time?"

Seeing his own teacher lying in a coma on the floor, Xie Shunda couldn't hold back his rage anymore, and he bellowed furiously.

Every single one of those questions on the Wall of Dilemma was extremely difficult. Even if Zhang Xuan were to start learning from the womb, given how he wasn't even twenty yet, how much could he learn?

Clearly, someone had given him the answers beforehand, and all he had to do was to copy them down.

Otherwise, given how skilled he was, why hadn't he treated anyone before?

It's worth noting that the issue with the guardian beast is a state secret, so not many people know of it.

"This..." Physician Cheng Feng hesitated.

Back then, when Zhang shi came to the Physician Guild, he was also present. The fact that the other party could solve nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma despite being ignorant of basic common knowledge already made the entire incident rather doubtful.

Speaking of which, Physician Cheng Feng also held his suspicions.

"This kind of person is unworthy of being the master of our Physician Guild. I hope that Physician Cheng Feng can host a meeting with the elders to strip that fellow of his position as the guild leader so that he can't go around fooling others..."

Halfway through Xie Shunda's incitement, a middle-aged man rushed into the room.

As soon as he entered, the middle-aged man shouted excitedly, "Physician Cheng Feng and Physician Xie Shunda, there's a response on the Wall of Dilemma!"

"There's a response? Did he get the final question wrong?"

Xie Shunda's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly turned his gaze to the middle-aged man.

A few days ago, Zhang shi provided the solutions for twenty difficult illnesses in a row. However, the other side of the Wall of Dilemma had been unable to give an accurate judgement on the final answer he provided.

Initially, it said that it would take ten days for it to assess the validity of the answer. However, the headquarters seemed to have operated more efficiently than it expected, and it had already given a reply today.

"Wrong?" The middle-aged man froze for a moment before hurriedly shaking his head. "It doesn't mention whether it's wrong or not..."

"Doesn't mention?"

The two physicians were stunned. Since the headquarter had given its reply, it should have already come to a verdict on the validity of Zhang shi's answer. What did he mean by saying it wasn't mentioned?

"Then... what's written on it?" Xie Shunda couldn't help but ask.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before replying, "It says that... it'll confer Liu Cheng as an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Physician Guild, and as for his exact ranking, a test will be conducted when his cultivation reaches a certain level!'

"Confer him... as an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Physician Guild?"

Physician Cheng Feng and Physician Xie Shunda glanced at one another, and their bodies trembled. Blood nearly spurted out of their mouths.

The heck, what was going on?

The Myriad Kingdom Alliance, that was a top-notch existence that stood even above the Conferred Kingdoms! The elders of the Physician Guild there were at minimum 4-star.

Conferring Liu Cheng as their elder?

At this moment, Xie Shunda could only feel a piercing heat on his face, and it felt as though someone had slapped him forcefully.

He had just said that the other party was unworthy of being their guild leader, and the next moment... the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Physician Guild sent a message indicating their interest in having him as an elder of their guild...

The heck!

You must be doing this on purpose...

Xie Shunda's face turned scarlet, and he nearly cried on the spot.

...

There was a peculiar room in the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion where a snowy-white wall towered.

Communication Wall!

At this moment, Su shi, Ling shi, and Pavilion Master Jiang was standing in front of the wall.

"Reporting to Su shi, Ling shi, and Pavilion Master Jiang, the reparations of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall are completed!"

Elder Zhu walked in and clasped his fist.

"Good!" Pavilion Master Jiang heaved a sigh of relief.

"The sudden shaking of Kong shi's statue and the fall of innumerable ancestral tablets... Such a matter has never occurred before. Ling shi, do you have any idea what happened then?"

Su shi frowned.

That day, they were all present on the spot. Kong shi suddenly fell, resulting in violent tremors throughout the hall.

Even until now, they were still unable to make sense out of the incident.

They had considered the possibility of Zhang shi winning the acknowledgement of all of the ancestors, but eventually, they shook their heads in denial.

That was Kong shi's statue! His lingering will was infused in it, how could it possibly acknowledge anyone easily?

Rumor had it that there was once a 9-star master teacher who tried to acknowledge Kong shi as his teacher, only to be rejected. To reject a 9-star master teacher and take in a 2-star master teacher instead? You must be jesting!

"Not yet!"

Ling shi couldn't comprehend the situation either. Shaking his head, he picked up a brush and smiled, "However, there's no need to worry. I intend to ask the headquarter now... Even though we don't understand the situation, the guild leader and the other elders might know a thing or two!"

"Un, hurry up..." Su shi nodded.

Just as Ling shi was considering how he should phrase his words, the massive wall before them suddenly lit up, and a row of words appeared.

"Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell! Someone in the Myriad King Alliance has refused the acknowledgement of the ancestors after passing the master teacher examination. If the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of any branch has collapsed, report swiftly!"

"Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, collapsed?" Su shi, Ling shi, Pavilion Master Jiang, and Elder Zhu were dumbstruck.