366-370

Chapter 366: Tenacious Lu Chong

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Upon hearing the price of the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan's heart crumbled.

After spending an entire night of effort to earn three spirit stones, he only managed to earn enough to buy the medicinal herbs...

This is robbery!

Do you think that it is easy for me to earn spirit stones? Do you all need to go that far?

Holding his brush, Zhang Xuan waited for a very long time, but the other party didn't reply at all. Clearly... he had no other questions.

"Stingy! To think that he's still a 4-star apothecary, it's just a small sum of money. Scrooge!"

Tossing the brush aside, Zhang Xuan bellowed.

What the heck is this!

Aren't you a 4-star apothecary? Aren't you a huge figure in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? To be unwilling to even spare three spirit stones... I've never seen someone as miserly as you...

"Scrooge..."

Mu Yangfeng and Apothecary Hong trembled.

Brother, you're the scrooge, alright?

Since the other party has no questions, he can't possibly give spirit stones to you for free...

To scold a 4-star apothecary stingy and scrooge... You're probably the only one in the entire kingdom...

"Guild Leader Liu, we'll take the spirit stones from the headquarter as the compensation for the medicinal herbs. I'll prepare the rest for you now..."

Afraid that the other party would do extreme things once more, Mu Yangfeng hurriedly said and left.

This Guild Leader Liu was indeed a person of great capabilities, but his guts were too huge for Mu Yangfeng to bear.

Mu Yangfeng had always faced higher tier apothecaries with utmost respect. Yet, the other party didn't seem concerned about the hierarchy at all, spewing criticisms without the slightest hesitation...

Mu Yangfeng was afraid that he would die of shock if he remained here.

"We..."

Just as Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen were about to leave, the young man turned to look at them with a bright smile. With glowing eyes, he asked, "Those scrooge don't even dare to ask their questions once they heard that they needed to pay... What about you two? Feel free to shoot. As long as you have the spirit stones to pay, I'll solve any problems you have..."

"We don't have any..."

Frightened, their faces turned pale. They quickly shook their hands.

"No questions? Then... Are you all ill? I can treat you as well..." Zhang Xuan continued.

"..."

Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen.

...

The efficiency of the Apothecary Guild was one to behold. In less than an hour, they had already gathered all of the medicinal herbs required for the forging of the Frigid Yin Pill.

After confirming again and again that the duo didn't require any treatment, Zhang Xuan followed behind Mu Yangfeng with a regretful expression, and before long, they entered one of the Pill Forging Chambers prepared for the apothecaries in the guild.

The best cauldrons were here, and a formation was also set up in the surroundings. Even if a cauldron explosion were to occur, the operations of the guild wouldn't be affected at all.

"Guild Leader Liu, are you sure that... you want me to forge it?"

Looking at the medicinal herbs and cauldron before him, Apothecary Mu hesitated.

Grade-4 pills were also known as Spirit pills. Even if one didn't store it in a jade box, it would absorb spiritual energy from the world automatically, thus preventing its quality from deteriorating with time.

Legend has it that someone had once dug out pills of this level from an ancient tomb, and despite countless years had passed, not only did the pills not lose their effectiveness, they even became more potent. Some of the pill at Formation level reached Satiation and even Perfection!

This kind of pill didn't just have a high demand on one's pill forging skill, it also required one to possess superior cultivation. Otherwise, if something were to crop up and a cauldron explosion occurred, it would very possibly result in one's death.

Even though Guild Leader Liu had asked for his help, Mu Yangfeng didn't have any confidence in himself at all.

"Later on, just strictly forge by my instructions. You mustn't make even the slightest mistake!" At this moment, Zhang Xuan's face was completely grave.

After browsing through the books in the guild, Zhang Xuan understood the difficulty of forging a grade-4 pill.

Even though he was able to rectify all of the errors in the forging process through the Library of Heaven's Path, it was still an extremely difficult task to have a Zongshi successfully forge a grade-4 pill.

"Alright!"

Despite knowing of the risks that came with forging a grade-4 pill, Apothecary Mu also knew that this was a valuable experience. Even if he were to fail in the forging, it would definitely help bring his pill forging skills to new heights. Thus, he didn't hesitate for long before clenching his jaws and agreeing to it.

The young man before him had created way too many miracles. Deep down, he had already developed a deep trust for the other party's capability. If he were to turn down this opportunity today, he knew that he would regret it for life.

"Let's start then!"

Mu Yangfeng meditated for a moment to reach his tiptop condition before walking forward to the cauldron. With a slight wave of his hands, a flame ignited beneath the cauldron.

Xiong xiong xiong!

Under the intense heat, the cauldron started to turn red.

"Add in the Alfalfa Flower. Two breaths after, add in the Motherwort Grass. Fourteen breaths later, add in the Coldfrost Leaf..."

Zhang Xuan started to issue instructions non-stop.

Mu Yangfeng followed all of Zhang Xuan's instructions strictly, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

Hualala!

Medicinal herbs were thrown into the cauldron one after another, slowly fusing with one another under the heat of the cauldron.

...

Outside the Pill Forging Chamber.

To prevent interrupting the duo, Apothecary Hong Yun and the others remained outside.

"Do you think that... they will succeed?"

After a long moment, Jiang Chen asked.

"I've no idea either... It would be impossible for any other people, but this Guild Leader Liu cannot be understood by common sense..."

Apothecary Hong Yun shook his head.

Until now, he was still unable to gauge the full extent of Liu Cheng's ability.

While requesting for a pill formula on the Wall of Pill Formulae, he was able to solve a question which stumped even the 4-star apothecary on the other side of the wall, leaving the other party tongue-tied...

His capability was way beyond imagination.

"Indeed!"

Jiang Chen felt a sense of defeat.

He was the son of Pavilion Master Jiang, and he was considered as a genius as well. Even though he couldn't compare up to Mo Hongyi and Mo Yu, but he was considered as one of the most talented geniuses among his peers.

He thought that even if he lost out to those two monsters in terms of talent, he could catch up to them through hard work. However, when he met Zhang Xuan and Guild Leader Liu, he realized that...

There was a huge difference among geniuses as well.

Despite being a physician, Guild Leader Liu was actually attempting to instruct a 2-star pinnacle apothecary to forge a grade-4 medicine just through his understanding of medicinal herbs... He felt like if he were to tell anyone about it, the other party would just think that he was a lunatic.

"However, regardless of whether he succeeds or not, Apothecary Mu's pill forging skill would surely rise greatly. In fact, with this experience, it is not entirely impossible for him to become a 4-star apothecary..."

Apothecary Hong Yun felt deep regret.

Even if this pill forging failed, just the experience itself would allow Apothecary Mu's pill forging skills to reach a whole new level. As long as he builds on it, it would just be a matter of time before the other party surpasses him.

He could already see the seat of the guild leader falling to the Apothecary Mu and not him.

If not for his bragging, this opportunity might be his! It's truly a huge pity...

However, opportunities only present themselves once, and time couldn't be turned back!

No matter how heavy the regret weighing down his heart was, it was all too late.

...

In a small room in the Tianwu Academy.

The naked Lu Chong slowly opened his eyes.

Using a towel to wipe off the sweat which dripped off his body, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

"It's already my fourth time..."

Looking at the bottle of medicinal powder, which was still more than half full, Lu Chong hesitated.

"Teacher said that my strength will reach my limit after five times. If so, the medicinal powder will become useless... In the past few trainings, I can sense that the effectiveness is getting worse and worse. Most probably, after the fifth time, my strength will only reach the level of Tongxuan realm pinnacle. It'll still be difficult for me to exact vengeance!"

Lu Chong gritted his teeth.

Liu laoshi had once told him that it would take around five times before he would successfully cultivate the Poison Body.

Thus, he had been cultivating doggedly in the last few days. As soon as he recovered, he would immediately continue with his training. Through his determination, his strength grew swiftly.

However, a problem also soon became apparent to him.

That was... the effects of the poison powder was slowly weakening. The previous time, his improvement was already less than half of his first session.

He could foresee that it wouldn't take long before the poison powder became completely ineffective.

"Since it comes down to this... I should just use all of the poison powder at once!"

Tenacity flashed across his eyes.

Strictly following his teacher's instructions, the bottle should still be around half full by the time he completed the five sessions.

Since the effects of the fifth session were going to be minimal, what would happen if he tried increasing the dosage?

"To exact my vengeance, I'll have to go all out!"

Lu Chong gritted his teeth, and without using the silver needle, he poured all of the poison powder directly at his acupoint.

Dabbing a little bit of poison on his acupoints through a silver needle and smearing it directly on his skin were two very different concepts. Even if Zhang Xuan was here, he would definitely think that the other party had gone mad.

Boom!

A heart-piercing pain suddenly struck him, and intense vertigo caused Lu Chong's body to sway vigorously.

"I can't die yet, I need to exact my vengeance first. Father, mother, and big sister, I will avenge all of you..."

Familiar faces flashed across his mind, and Lu Chong howled furiously.

Of his entire clan consisting of 137 members, he was the only one left. How could he die before revenging them?

Gugugugugu!

The lethal poison seeped into his blood vessels and flowed through his entire body. Excruciating pain tore his entire body. If there was such a thing as hell, this must be it.

Compared to the pain he felt during the first time he came into contact with the poison powder, the suffering he was undergoing now was ten times worse!

If not for his increased tolerance to pain after the past few days of suffering, he might not have even persevered past a single breath!

Even so, he felt a strong sense of dizziness clouding his head, and it seemed as though death was looming right on top of him.

"Teacher has high expectations of me, father, mother, big sister, and the others are still waiting for me to avenge them. Hang on..."

Bellowing tenaciously, Lu Chong bit on his tongue tightly. Blood slowly trickled down the corner of his mouth.

For the past two years, he had been keeping completely silent while cultivating as though his life was on the line. What was that for?

Despite the pain and the risk of death, he chose to cultivate the Poison Body. What was that for?

As long as my enemies aren't dead, I, Lu Chong, cannot die!

Boom!

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally started to fade. Only then did Lu Chong's mental state loosen, and his vision immediately turned dark and he fainted.

Before he fainted, the poison powder dissolved in a surge of incredibly pure zhenqi and slowly fused with his body, causing his strength to rise.

This zhenqi was the one which Zhang Xuan left in Lu Chong's body when the latter made the vow to not divulge the techniques to others.

If it wasn't for it protecting his heart, no matter how strong Lu Chong's will was, it was impossible for him to survive the onslaught of the lethal poison.

For some reason, under the onslaught of the lethal poison, the zhenqi seeped into his body and augmented the flexibility and strength of his muscles.

Just like that, his strength exceeded that of the foreseen limit of Tongxuan realm pinnacle.

...

Apothecary Hong Yun and Jiang Chen waited for nearly two hours before the Pill Forging Chamber opened and two figures walked out.

They were Apothecary Mu and Guild Leader Liu.

At this moment, the duo's faces were white and they looked exhausted. Sweat soaked their clothes, and their appearance was nothing short of unkempt.

"Could it be that..."

Gedeng, upon seeing the appearance of the duo, an ominous premonition appeared in their heads as they hurried up to the duo.

.

.

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Chapter 367: Mo Hongyi Fell Into the Fecal Drain

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"How did it go?"

Apothecary Hong Yun stepped forward and asked.

"Success..."

Mu Yangfeng was exhausted, but excitement twinkled in the depths of his eyes. He turned to look at Guild Leader Liu in reverence.

Having forged alongside him, Mu Yangfeng finally understood how deep his understanding of pill forging was.

This wasn't a level that one could reach based solely on one's understanding of medicinal herbs.

Even though he had followed the other party's instructions strictly, several crises still occurred throughout the process.

It wasn't because he had made a mistake, but because his cultivation was too low. Tianwu Kingdom was a decently powerful kingdom, but it still wasn't capable of forging grade-4 pills yet.

For the forging of the pill, maintaining the flame, as well as the temperature of the cauldron, required zhenqi.

There were many times that the pill forging nearly failed due to the depletion of his zhenqi. If not for the many regeneration pills that he had forged throughout the years, he might have died of exhaustion then and there.

Every time his zhenqi ran low and a crisis occurred, this Guild Leader Liu would use inconceivable but surprisingly effective means to salvage the situation. Even though it seemed as though failure was inevitable, he produced miracle after miracle, which led to the ultimate success.

It was as though he could see the situation in the cauldron with his own eyes, and he knew what he had to do to prevent an explosion.

He truly couldn't imagine how someone of the other party's age could possess such vast and deep knowledge of pill forging.

Just like Apothecary Hong Yun had guessed, he had learned many things through this pill forging. Regardless of whether it was his skill or his mental fortitude, he had experienced a huge growth. It probably wouldn't be long before he managed to forge grade-3 primary or even intermediate pills independently!

"Success?"

Seeing Apothecary Mu's look of admiration, Hong Yun and Jiang Chen also turned to look at Guild Leader Liu, dumbstruck.

To think that the other party could really create a miracle! This was result that one couldn't accept easily even when seeing it for oneself!

...

After the successful forging of the Frigid Yin Pill, there was nothing left for Zhang Xuan to do here. After a moment of rest, Zhang Xuan started to help Mu Xueqing trigger the medicinal energy accumulated in her body.

Apothecary Mu had prepared the medicinal fluid long ago, and Mu Xueqing had also reached the peak condition, allowing Zhang Xuan to start on the treatment immediately. Using the silver needles as a medium, Zhang Xuan infused the Heaven's Path zhenqi into the other party's body.

As soon as that pure zhenqi came into contact with the accumulated medicinal energy within Mu Xueqing, it was as though a spark of flame had come into contact with gasoline. A huge flame was ignited, and massive energy started streaming through her entire body via her meridians.

Pilipala!

Crisp sounds, reminiscent of exploding bamboos, reverberated consecutively throughout her body as numerous acupoints were opened.

Knowing that Mu Xueqing wouldn't be in any danger under the protection of the medicinal fluid, Zhang Xuan bade Mu Yangfeng farewell and left the guild.

After finding a remote alley, he disguised himself as Yang Xuan and walked towards the residence.

By the time he reached the residence, it was already late at night. It was fortunate that Zhao Ya was still awake. He passed the Frigid Yin Pill to her and instructed her to consume it as soon as possible.

After which, he passed to her the sword Beast Tamer Wang gave him back at the Beast Hall.

This sword was at a significantly higher tier than the one he broke, and it complemented Zhao Ya's disposition.

After dealing with these miscellaneous matters, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of fatigue, so he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

Honestly, he had underestimated the difficulty of forging the Frigid Yin Pill. If not for the Library of Heaven's Path instantaneous updates which allowed him to peer into the flaws of the forging, an explosion would have occurred.

Keeping his mind working at maximum capacity had exhausted both his body and his soul, causing his face to pale.

Seemed like he had to avoid doing matters beyond his strength. Otherwise, he might just die from exhaustion one day.

...

By the time Zhang Xuan woke up the next day, the sun was already up.

After a good rest, he felt revitalized.

After asking the others, he found out that Zhao Ya had gone into seclusion to cultivate. Thus, he delegated some instructions to Sun Qiang before leaving the residence for Tianwu Academy.

He hadn't met Lu Chong for two days already, so he felt that he should check on his condition now that he had the time.

"Teacher, you're here..."

As soon as Zhang Xuan reached the entrance of the classroom, Meng Tao immediately rushed up to him.

"What's wrong?"

Zhang Xuan looked at him.

Meng Tao had always been a composed person. It was impossible for him to be waiting at the entrance of the classroom for him for nothing.

"Teacher, Sun laoshi has been waiting for you since morning, and it has already been two hours since he arrived!" Meng Tao quickly reported.

"Sun Cheng?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Wasn't that Mo Hongyi? Why would he look for him now?

Walking into the room, he saw Mo Hongyi sitting quietly on a stool in the classroom, sipping quietly on a cup of tea.

"You're finally here! You sure kept me waiting..."

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan walk in, Mo Hongyi flashed a bitter smile.

Zhang Xuan was indeed incredible. To pass the 2-star master teacher exam, Mo Hongyi had been holing himself up in the classroom, not daring to leave at all. Every single day, he would spend eight to ten hours conducting lessons so as to build trust with his students.

This fellow spent less than an hour in his classroom every day and disappeared frequently... Yet, his students were still completely infatuated with him!

They even went to the extent of fighting with 'Zhang shi's' students for his honor...

This was truly maddening!

Mo Hongyi had no choice but to submit to him.

"Let's go in to speak!"

The classroom was filled with students, so it wasn't a good location to speak. Thus, Zhang Xuan beckoned Mo Hongyi into the mini tutoring room.

"I have two matters to discuss with you!"

Mo Hongyi dived straight into the topic. "Firstly, the principal asked me to convince you to meet with Zhang shi for a meal so that no conflict will evolve between you two over the students' fight!"

"Meet with Zhang shi?" Zhang Xuan blinked in shock. "How can I agree to that..."

Meeting with himself? And have a meal at that?

How in the world can he do it?

"Who asked you to be so high profile..." Seeing the fellow who had broken most of his records suffering from this dilemma, Mo Hongyi chuckled gleefully.

You were only asked to act as an ordinary teacher, yet you went to the Physician Guild to take on the role of their guild leader, and the students you teach even insisted on fighting it out with 'Zhang shi's' students...

Given how high-profile you are, it will be difficult for you not to attract any attention!

You were the one who put yourself in such an awkward position!

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I know that you won't agree to it anyway. However, given the principal's attitude, if I tell him that I am unable to persuade you, he'll definitely come to look for you personally! At that time, it'll be difficult for you to turn him down!"

Mo Hongyi shook his head as he changed the topic. "Let's talk about the second matter then. After the past few days of effort, I think the Trust Level of my students should have already reached 40. Thus, I intend to return to the Master Teacher Pavilion to end the examination!"

"Your students also seem to hold a high level of trust in you, so why don't we go together! Once you end the examination, others will know that Liu laoshi is Zhang shi, and you will be able to get out of this dilemma. At the same time, your students will also stop their quarreling!"

"Un..."

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded.

The condition that the Master Teacher Pavilion gave them was to earn a Trust Level of 40 from their students within ten days in their disguised self.

This time was just a limit on the examination. If one could achieve this feat earlier, one would be able to end this examination in advance.

However, if it turned out to be a fail, the students would definitely know their true identity, making it impossible for them to continue on with the examination. If so, it would be a fail for their 2-star master teacher examination.

After the past few days of guidance, putting Mu Xueqing and Lu Chong who Zhang Xuan were exceptionally close to aside, Meng Tao and the others were also completely obedient to his words. Even if their Trust Level in him wasn't too high, Zhang Xuan was confident that it had already reached 40, allowing him to pass the examination.

Seeing the other party agree to it, Mo Hongyi chuckled. "Alright, then let's visit the Master Teacher Pavilion tomorrow morning then!"

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan replied.

This matter wasn't too complicated, so after coming to an agreement, Mo Hongyi bade his farewell and left. He wanted to continue on his lesson to make one last push.

Returning back to the classroom, Zhang Xuan guided Meng Tao and the others on their cultivation before asking, "Where's Lu Chong? Why isn't he here today?"

"He should be cultivating. I'll get him here..."

Meng Tao replied and left.

As a student of the academy, Lu Chong lived in the dormitory.

Knowing that it would take some time before Meng Tao can get Lu Chong here, Zhang Xuan took a seat. While overlooking the students' cultivation, he poured himself a cup of tea and placed it to his lips.

Just as his lips came into contact with the cup, he suddenly frowned.

"Dry Earthen Powder?"

Zhang Xuan had never taken the poison master examination, but after taking in all of the books in the Poison Hall, he already possessed the capability of a 2-star pinnacle poison master.

Even before coming into contact with the tea in the cup, he already noticed the lethal poison contained within.

Dry Earthen Powder was a type of grade-2 pinnacle poison, and it was effective even on Zongshi realm pinnacle experts. Even though it wasn't deadly, it could sap a person's energy completely and induce both nausea and diarrhea, leaving him in agony.

Who would spike his teacup?

And why?

Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask who had come into contact with his tea set when Meng Tao suddenly rushed back in with a bizarre and frantic expression.

"Liu laoshi, bad news!"

"What's wrong, has something happened to Lu Chong?"

Seeing the other party's expression, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

He had told the other party to look for Lu Chong, yet the other party came back with a panicked expression. Did that fellow deviate from the cultivation technique he taught him, and a problem had occurred?

If the student he taught during this period of time were to go berserk or die...

Putting aside failing the 2-star master teacher examination, he might even be expelled!

If it was in the past, given how he possessed the Library of Heaven's Path, being a master teacher or not meant nothing much to him.

However, if he didn't become a 9-star master teacher before reaching thirty, the Innate Fetal Poison in him would act up, causing his death. He had to pass the examination!

Even though he knew that there were other ways as well, there was no guarantee that he would be able to find them...

If he couldn't find those solutions, there was no point knowing of their existence! The best chance that he had now was this.

Others might deem it impossible, but to Zhang Xuan, as long as he cultivated diligently and found the corresponding cultivation technique manuals he required, there was a high chance he could succeed.

"That shouldn't be it. I have sent in a surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi to protect his heart. Furthermore, he has already survived the hardest ordeal, so he shouldn't meet with any problem!"

Before leaving, Zhang Xuan had made sure to double check that the zhenqi he infused earlier was still within Lu Chong's body. Since he had survived even the hardest ordeal, there should be no reason why a problem would occur now.

"It's not Lu Chong!" Meng Tao shook his head. A bizarre expression slowly unfurled on his face. "It's Sun Cheng laoshi! H-He..."

"What about him?" Zhang Xuan asked.

With an awkward expression, Meng Tao replied, "H-he fell into the fecal drain..."

.

.

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Chapter 368: Two Methods

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

In the campus, the autumn wind blew and the tree rustled.

"I must say that Sun laoshi's classes are indeed impressive!"

Walking along the corridor, Zhao Wuxing commented.

Even though Sun Cheng laoshi, who came in at the same time as Liu Cheng laoshi, was outshone by the latter, he did possess true ability.

It was just yesterday that Liu Changyan and he listened to a lesson from Sun laoshi, and they benefitted greatly from it.

"Indeed, his lessons are very good. I think that he's even better than Hu laoshi!"

Liu Changyan nodded.

Actually, the class which they wanted to listen into was Liu laoshi's, but he was rarely around. They had looked for him a couple of times but to no avail.

Eventually, when they heard the rumors that Sun laoshi's classes were not bad as well, they went to attend his lessons. In an instant, they were astounded.

Sun laoshi may seem unimpressive, but his understanding of cultivation reached an unbelievable level. Even the most impressive star teacher in Tianwu Academy seemed to pale in comparison to him.

"Liu laoshi and Sun laoshi are people of great capability. But why would they be obscure before being accepted by the academy?"

While they were impressed by the means of the duo, they harbored their doubts as well.

All gold shines. Given how capable the two teachers were, it should have been impossible to bury their radiance. They should have long been famous figures in a region, so how could they be only discovered now?

"I have no idea, but since the academy took them in, it must have looked into their backgrounds beforehand so there should be no trouble!" Liu Changyan shook his head. "Actually, we need not pay too much heed to this matter, it is sufficient as long as their lecture is good. Let's listen to Sun laoshi's lessons more frequently. The most important thing we have to do right now is raising our cultivation!"

Tianwu Academy had an open concept, and all students were allowed to enter classrooms freely to listen to the lectures of other teachers.

For top geniuses like them, ordinary lessons were already ineffective. Only by going around the classes and broadening their horizons could they grow.

"You're right... I have a new idol now - on top of Zhang shi and Liu laoshi - Sun laoshi!"

Zhao Wuxing chuckled.

"I feel the same as well. His ability to explain profound concepts so easily truly opens up my mind..."

Liu Changyan nodded. Halfway through his words, he suddenly froze. Then, he pointed to a direction and asked, "Look, isn't that Sun laoshi?"

Following the other party's finger, they saw a youngster staggering weakly with spiritless eyes.

Who else could it be other than the formidable Sun Cheng laoshi they just spoke of!

"What's wrong with him? Let's take a look..."

When they met the other party yesterday, he was still filled with energy and vigor. Why would he be reduced to such a state today?

"Could it be that... he is in the midst of cultivating some powerful battle technique?"

Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhao Wuxing's mind, and his eyes lit up in excitement.

It was rumored that there was a powerful battle technique in Tianwu Kingdom which one could only execute when drunk. Even though the movements seemed sloppy, similar to that of a drunk person, it was profound and possessed great might.

Sun laoshi had touched on this battle technique when he was explaining and deciphering the various cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Upon seeing his current state, the duo couldn't help but think of this matter.

"It's possible!" Liu Changyan nodded. He couldn't help but utter in amazement, "Such a profound movement. It looks as though it is full of openings, but... there is high possibility that it is intentional!"

Most of the talented geniuses in the academy had bizarre quirks, and given how capable this Sun laoshi was, he might be the same as well. Until now, they still found it hard to believe that there could be such a formidable teacher in Tianwu Academy.

Upon seeing the other party's weak and bizarre footsteps, their first thought was that he was cultivating some powerful battle technique rather than something had happened to him.

"Look at this move. It seemed to be sided toward the east, but it is actually a movement to the west. This must a high-level feint technique..."

"This move also seems quite incredible. His kneecap suddenly caving in might make it seem as though he is falling down, but in truth, this is a good move to avoid an opponent's attack. I should give it a try later on..."

Just as they were complimenting the other party, they suddenly paused.

"The heck! Sun laoshi has fallen into the latrine pit! Save him..."

The Sun laoshi, who they were complimenting to the heavens a moment ago, had suddenly lost his balance and fallen into a latrine pit.

Since there were public toilets in the academy, there were drainage systems for it as well. These drainage systems were located at the corner of the academy, far away from the official paths.

As though drunk, Sun laoshi's footsteps were wobbly and unstable. The duo thought that he was practicing some formidable battle technique, and never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that he would suddenly fall into the drain.

They quickly rushed forward and, enduring the stench, they fished him out. Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stared at one another with faces burning red.

They had just said confidently that Sun laoshi was definitely practicing some powerful martial arts when he fell into the drainage pit... The heck, what was going on?

For a teacher with such incredible understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques to fall into the fecal drain while walking...

Despite witnessing the sight with their own eyes, they were still stumped. They couldn't comprehend the situation.

"Sun laoshi, could it be that... you are tired of living?"

After grabbing a few pails of water to wash up, Zhao Wuxing couldn't help but ask.

Pu!

Upon hearing those words, Mo Hongyi's face immediately turned pale and spurted a mouthful of blood.

Your head!

Even if I am tired of living, I would at least choose to choose some better location to jump... Have you seen anyone jumping into the fecal drain to commit suicide?

Even if I wish to die, I won't degrade myself like that!

I've been poisoned, alright...

This kind of poison can numb one's mind, leaving one unable to control oneself. Otherwise... Do you think that it is possible for me to fall in?

It's fortunate that he was using his impersonated identity. Otherwise, if word were to spread around the kingdom that the genius Mo Hongyi had fallen into fecal drain, how could he meet anyone else in the future?

"Other than drinking a cup of tea at Zhang Xuan's classroom this morning, I didn't do anything else..."

Despite his dismal, Mo Hongyi didn't dwell on his misfortune. Instead, he slowly inferred and deduce the situation.

Upon waking up, he went straight to Zhang Xuan's classroom, and while waiting for him, the only thing he consumed was a cup of tea. Could it be that... the tea was poisoned?

From the looks of it, that seemed highly probable!

However, his arrival at the Liu laoshi's classroom was opportune. It was impossible for the other party to bank his hopes on an uncertain factor. In other words, the other party's target was... Master Teacher Zhang Xuan!

But who could it be? Who would be so daring as to lay his hands on a master teacher?

"Wait. Yesterday night..."

A thought suddenly flashed through his head, and he recalled the three figures he saw in Zhang Xuan's classroom yesterday.

All along, he had thought that they were the newly-accepted students of 'Liu Cheng', so he didn't think much of it. Yet, in the two hours he spent in the classroom, he didn't see any of the trio.

Despite not being Liu Cheng's students, they suddenly appeared in his classroom in the middle of the night. Could it be that...

"They are... Zhang Xuan's student?"

Recalling the appearance of one of them, Mo Hongyi's mind suddenly jolted. He remembered where he had met them before.

Back when Zhang Xuan was taking the 1-star master teacher examination, he had brought his students along. It's these students who allowed him to pass the House of Trust with a Trust Level of 85, breaking his own record.

Back then, overwhelmed by astonishment, he only briefly glanced at their appearance. Thus, he didn't have a clear memory of their appearances.

As such, the second time he met them, he only found their faces familiar. However, thinking about it now, that seemed to be the case...

Zhang Xuan's student had tried to drug 'Liu Cheng', and... he accidentally took the other party's place!

What the heck was this?

Who in the world did I offend?

It's one thing for those two female students of yours to cause such a huge ruckus throughout the capital... But on top of that, your remaining students even sneaked here to poison you!

If they wish to poison you, so be it. But what does this have to do with me...

Mo Hongyi felt a stifled feeling in his chest, and tears streamed down his face.

Due to his talents, his name had induced awe through Tianwu Kingdom and even the neighboring kingdoms when he was just five. No one dared to disrespect him, so when did he suffer such grievous injustice before...

...

"Mo... Sun laoshi dropped into the fecal pit?"

Hearing Meng Tao's words, Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his own saliva.

That was Mo Hongyi, a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, one of the top ten strongest cultivators in Tianwu Kingdom, the idol of countless young ladies...

Yet, he fell into the fecal pit?

What was going on?

"Yes. When I went out, I saw Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan helping him out... Teacher, you should hurry and take a look!"

Meng Tao urged him.

Zhang Xuan nodded and he swiftly walked out of the classroom. Walking around two hundred meters, he saw a stiff 'Sun laoshi' lying on the floor, staring at him with a look of anguish.

"Liu laoshi, could Sun laoshi be tired of living? You should hurry up and talk him out of it..."

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stood up and clasped his fist.

"Tired of living?" A bizarre expression was on Zhang Xuan's face.

In just four to five days, he managed to induce a Trust Level of forty among his students with his disguised identity. He was currently filled with expectations to pass the 2-star master teacher examination... So how could he possibly be tired of living?

"Don't worry, let me take a look!"

Replying so, Zhang Xuan walked up to Mo Hongyi.

At this moment, the other party's face was pale, and a powerful stench was emanating from his body. His lips were quivering, and it seemed as though he was trying to say something but his body wouldn't listen to him.

"He is... poisoned?"

Even without the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan could immediately tell what was going on.

With a glance, he could tell that the other party was poison... And on top of that, it seemed to be rather similar to the effects of the 'Dry Earthen Powder' that someone laced his tea set with.

"You drank the tea in my classroom?"

Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation.

The tea was laced with poison, and Mo Hongyi was acting abnormally. It was obvious that he had drunk the tea.

Upon realizing this, Zhang Xuan was tongue-tied.

Dry Earthen Powder was a grade-2 pinnacle poison. Not only could it induce nausea and diarrhea and leave one completely weak, it would also numb one's nerves, leaving one unable to move one's body properly.

This fellow was caught off guard. It was no wonder why he fell into the fecal drain.

The poison concocted by poison masters were scentless and tasteless, making it nearly impossible to guard against. On top of that, even Zongshi realm pinnacle experts, despite their strength, had no immunity to their poison either. This was the reason why poison masters were such a feared existence, and few were willing to come into contact with them.

Furthermore...

Given how severe his symptoms were, he seemed to have consumed quite a lot of the poison.

Probably around an entire bottle!

Wuwu!

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan deducing the matter accurately, Mo Hongyi tried to nod his head, but he was lacking the strength to do so. Thus, he could only whimper in response.

"Un. Since you're poisoned, then we should find a way to treat you... I have two methods. One will require quite a bit of medicnal herbs, and it'll take one to two days! As for the other, I am confident that I can treat you by today! Which one... do you choose?"

Zhang Xuan gazed questioningly at Mo Hongyi.

Mo Hongyi struggled to put out two fingers.

"The second one, is it? Alright..."

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan lifted up his hand.

Pah!

A powerful slap struck him.

"..."

With eyes widened in disbelief, Mo Hongyi fainted.

.

.

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Chapter 369: Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Before passing out, Mo Hongyi's heart was filled with boundless resentment.

I came to look for you out of goodwill, yet first, I was poisoned by your students, then, I ended up being knocked unconscious by your slap...

How in the world did I offend you?

"Liu laoshi..."

Zhao Wuxing and the others were perplexed as well.

Ignoring their shocked gazes, Zhang Xuan took out a few silver needles, and driving his zhenqi, he pierced the needles at several acupoints of the other party.

He had read about the 'Dry Earthen Powder' in some books before, so he knew about the symptoms and the treatment method. Under normal circumstances, one would have to concoct the antidote, and the entire process was lengthy and troublesome.

However, if he were to use the silver needles and Heaven's Path zhenqi, it could be solved in a matter of moments.

However, his zhenqi was extremely pure, so he couldn't allow any outsiders to learn of it. Mo Hongyi was a genius, and his cultivation realm also equaled his own. Instead of being stumped by his questions later on, Zhang Xuan decided to knock him out first.

Before long, more than a dozen of silver needles were pierced into the locations where the bulk of the poison aura was accumulated. Under the cleansing from Heaven's Path zhenqi, the poison was absorbed by the silver needles, causing their surfaces to turn black. Mo Hongyi's pale face slowly alleviated, and traces of redness returned to it.

"Incredible..."

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan stared at one another in shock.

They had heard of Liu laoshi's amazing feat of solving nineteen questions on the Wall of Dilemma consecutively, making him the new guild leader of the Physician Guild. Even so, they didn't have a clear grasp of his abilities. Upon seeing it firsthand now, they finally realized how fearsome the capability of the other party was.

Even without conducting a diagnosis, with just a few needles, he was able to heal the incapacitated Sun laoshi. Compared to him, the physicians in the academy seemed like complete amateurs.

"You two, send Sun laoshi back. He should wake up in about two hours!"

After finishing the acupuncture and confirming that the poison in the other party's body had been expelled, Zhang Xuan instructed the duo.

Grade-2 pinnacle poison was an extremely fearsome substance. Even if it was cleared from one's body, it would take a while before one could recover from its damage.

Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to infuse a little more Heaven's Path zhenqi into the other party's body, he should be able to wake up swiftly. However, he would be unable to explain away his Heaven's Path zhenqi that way.

"Yes!" Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan quickly lifted Sun laoshi and carried him to his classroom.

"Someone wants to poison me. Mo Hongyi only happened to be at that spot at the wrong timing and drank that drugged tea... Who is the one trying to kill me?"

Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan was stumped.

He was currently 'Liu Cheng' and he didn't remember offending anyone. Who in the world would go through so much trouble to procure such a valuable poison to kill him?

Could it be those men from the Physician Guild?

Were they unhappy that he had become the new guild leader?

Zhang Xuan immediately shook his head.

Physicians were responsible for healing the injured and treating the sick, and those who choose this occupation carried compassion in their hearts. At the very least, they wouldn't resort to such lowly methods.

Putting aside the fact that this Dry Earthen Powder wasn't fatal, more importantly, if he were killed and the headquarter were to investigate this matter, the physician would stand to lose more than he had gained.

After pondering for a long moment, Zhang Xuan was unable to fathom who it was. Thus, he rubbed his glabella and decided not to be bothered about it anymore.

"Let's go to Lu Chong's dormitory!"

With Meng Tao leading the way, the duo soon arrived at the student dormitory.

Rather than living with the other students, Lu Chong stayed in a storage room beside the dormitory.

A typical room in the Tianwu Academy student dormitory consisted of four students. The reason why Lu Chong decided to stay there was because he was afraid of revealing his secrets in his sleep talk.

The storage room was small and dirty, but he would be able to guard his secrets here.

"Lu Chong! Lu Chong! Why didn't you come to class today? Teacher is here to meet you!"

Walking to the door, Meng Tao nodded.

There was no response. Gedeng, Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Could this fellow have truly collapsed from the poison?

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan kicked open the door and walked in.

The room was small, and all kinds of miscellaneous objects were placed here. However, it was packed properly, and at the very corner, there was a small bed where one could rest on.

"No one is here?"

The place was small, and with a brief glance, Zhang Xuan could see that there was no one in here.

"Teacher..."

Meng Tao noticed something, and he passed it over to Zhang Xuan.

It was an envelope, and written on it was 'To Liu laoshi'.

From the looks of it, he knew that Zhang Xuan would look for him, so he made preparations beforehand.

Zhang Xuan swiftly tore open the envelope.

There was just a line of words, and the meaning behind it was simple.

"Liu laoshi, pardon your unfilial student, but I can't abandon my vengeance for my parents and kin. Please don't look for me!"

"He... went to exact vengeance?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

He knew that Lu Chong was carrying a huge burden in his heart, and there wasn't a single day that he didn't think about exacting vengeance on his enemies. Even so, to rush over as soon as his Poison Body was successfully cultivated, wasn't he being a little too anxious!

Even so, Zhang Xuan could understand his impulse.

How could a person allow the murderer of his family and relatives to get away scot-free? He had toiled silently for two years just for this, and upon seeing his goal right before him, how could he remain seated?

"Just that, I wonder who his enemy is..."

Afraid of implicating him, Lu Chong had never revealed who his enemy was. Even though Zhang Xuan wanted to look for Lu Chong, he didn't have any idea where he should start from!

"Pay close attention to the movements in Tianwu Royal City these few days. If anyone is killed or there's any sort of uproar, notify me immediately!"

Zhang Xuan instructed.

Those students of his came from distinguished families. Alone, Zhang Xuan might be unable to find anything, but through their connections, he should be able to get some news soon.

Since Lu Chong was going as far as to feign mute, there was a high probability that his enemy was in the capital, and he possessed a high standing at that!

Thus, if he were to make his move, it would surely cause a huge commotion. By then, it shouldn't be a problem to find him.

"Reckless!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He was just thinking of imparting the other party a battle technique after he had finished cultivating his poison body to increase his chances of winning.

Who knew that the other party would leave as soon as he was done, not even greeting him at that. Despite his composed nature, he sure acted rashly.

Actually, Zhang Xuan knew that Lu Chong was doing this because he didn't want to implicate him.

If Zhang Xuan were to find out about it, he would surely interfere in his matters. Even more so, if he were to meet in danger, there was a high possibility that Zhang Xuan would stand up for him. If so, Zhang Xuan would be implicated to this matter as well.

In order not to bring harm to his respected teacher, he chose to depart by his own, leaving behind just a letter.

This fellow may be young, but he sure had a lot of thoughts.

"Let's return to the classroom first!"

Sighing, Zhang Xuan started walking back toward the classroom.

Even though he felt that the fellow was acting too rashly, Zhang Xuan felt moved by his gesture.

"Teacher and student. What makes a teacher? What makes a student?"

Zhang Xuan contemplated as he walked.

Ever since his transcension, he had been accepting students and teaching them for his own motives.

He was earnest in his job as a teacher, and the knowledge he imparted was also carefully selected with the welfare of his students at heart... But in truth, from the very start until now, he hadn't been able to understand the true meaning behind a teacher.

It was just like a pair of young parents. They might shower unconditional love and concern for their child, but the notion of being a parent was still blurred in them.

Zhang Xuan was only a librarian of a high school in his previous life, so he wasn't a teacher in the truest sense.

Even though he had accepted quite a few students, his time with them hadn't been long, and he was plagued with many other affairs as well.

Somehow, Lu Chong's actions had unwittingly struck a chord in his heart.

"Does imparting knowledge make a teacher? Does accepting knowledge make a student?

"That's not it! Being a teacher isn't that simple, and being a student isn't that easy!"

The interactions he had with Zhao Ya, Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and all of his others students slowly trickled through his mind, and gradually, the fog veiling Zhang Xuan's mind gradually cleared.

"It's camaraderie, it's responsibility, it's interdependence, it's..."

Boom!

After a seemingly long yet short period of time, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt everything before him clearing it. It seemed as though something blocked him had been removed, and he felt enlightened.

Then, a powerful energy shaped as though countless lines descended from the skies and seeped into Zhang Xuan's head, causing his mind to become clearer and richer.

"Don't allow anyone to interrupt me, I am going into seclusion!"

Sensing the change in his State of Mind, Zhang Xuan could no longer hold himself back. After instructing Meng Tao, he walked into the mini tutoring room and sat down.

...

Master Teacher Pavilion.

"Father, I'm speaking the truth. That Liu Cheng laoshi really guided Apothecary Mu to forge a grade-4 pill..."

Jiang Chen looked at this father, who was seated a short distance away from him.

The sight yesterday was too shocking that he had yet to recover from it even now.

After looking through numerous books, he realized the impossibility of guiding a 2-star apothecary to forge a grade-4 pill. In any case, it wasn't something that could be explained by possessing absolute knowledge in medicinal herbs.

In other words, that Liu laoshi was likely to be an apothecary, an extremely skilled one at that.

"Ok, I believe you!" Pavilion Master Jiang nodded.

He already knew that this senior of his possessed pill forging skills far beyond others. Even so, this feat was still beyond his expectations.

"Father, tell me the truth. Is Liu laoshi related to Senior Uncle Zhang?"

Seeing that his father was nonchalant, Jiang Chen raised his doubts.

Jiang Chen had been harboring this doubt since yesterday.

Zhang shi was skilled in pill forging, and so was Liu laoshi! The day that Zhang shi disappeared for the 2-star master teacher mission, Liu laoshi appeared... The coincidences between these two absolute geniuses couldn't help but make him consider this possibility.

Seeing that his son was getting doubtful, Pavilion Master Jiang opened his mouth to speak, but he suddenly paused and his face warped in shock.

"What?"

He wasn't the only one. Jiang Chen was dumbstruck as well.

"It's the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall!"

Pavilion Master Jiang quickly dashed out, and Jiang Chen followed closely behind.

After leaving the residence, he realized that all of the master teachers had been alarmed, and they were all headed anxiously for the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall.

The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall was where master teachers were where master teachers were given their emblem and officially acknowledged.

After passing the examination, the new master teachers were to apply for their emblems here, pay respects to Kong shi, and request for the acknowledgement of the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was similar to how normal clans paid respect to their ancestors.

As for the Question Symposium, it was more like a public declaration of one's identity after one was acknowledged in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. However, Zhang Xuan had applied for the 2-star master teacher examination right after passing the first examination, so he hadn't had the chance to come here yet.

Huhuhuhu!

Many master teachers arrived at the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall at the same time, and they lifted their heads to take a look.

The innumerable memorial tablets of the predecessors were shaking non-stop, as though an earthquake was going on.

Putong! Putong! Putong!

One after another, the memorial tablets fell over.

"Trembling of Myriad Tablets, this is... [Celestial Master Teacher]?" Pavilion Master Jiang's lips quivered.

"That isn't just the case. Pavilion master, look..."

A master teacher pointed at a direction.

Hearing those words, Pavilion Master Jiang and the others immediately looked over.

At the center of the room, Kong shi's statue was trembling slightly non-stop as well.

"This is... Kong shi Admits a Disciple, the Student of the Sage?" Pavilion Master Jiang exclaimed.

.

.

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Chapter 370: Unwilling to Become Your Student

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

One was required to go through all kinds of examinations to become a master teacher. Only then could he earn the acknowledgment of the Master Teacher Pavilion, obtain the corresponding emblem, and gain the respect of the masses.

This was the standard procedure.

However, there were also exceptions of geniuses who were born with capabilities way beyond that of the typical master teacher.

Given their overwhelming ability, they couldn't be assessed through normal means and naturally, a standard rank couldn't be assigned to them.

Take Kong shi as an example. As the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, who had the qualifications to test him?

Such people possessed natural learning abilities so superb that they could gain the approval of heavens and assume the identity of a master teacher automatically.

They were known as [Celestial Master Teachers]!

As a title bestowed by the heavens, Heaven Master Teachers were recognized as master teachers even without undergoing trials and test. In fact... their standing was higher than that of ordinary master teachers.

After all, who dared to defy the will of heaven?

Nonetheless, such geniuses only existed in the legends whereby Kong shi was the only one back then who had reached such a level. Never could they had expected that someone from their guild would succeed!

To achieve the well sought-after standing of Celestial Master Teacher was already fearsome enough but for Kong shi's statue to be trembling along as well...

This made everyone even more frenzied!

According to the books, Kong shi had infused a sliver of his consciousness in his statues. As long as an existence whom he was willing to accept as disciple appeared, it would tremble.

This was a dictum that was followed strictly by all master teachers.

However, such a person had never appeared despite the passing of innumerable years. In other words, no one was able to win Kong shi's recognition to become his student.

Who could have thought that at the moment someone was bestowed the title of 'Celestial Master Teacher', the statue would begin to shake as well. In other words... Kong shi had acknowledged this very person and wanted to accept him as his disciple!

A disciple of Kong shi. And that is... the student of the Sage!

Empyrean Kong shi had accepted many disciples in his lifetime, and rumors had it that they amounted to more than three thousand.

However, the numbers had dwindled as more and more of them passed away as time went by. Even the most formidable 9-star master teacher in existence now could only be considered a descendant among their descendants.

By becoming the student of Sage meant that even 9-star master teachers had to call him elder or even old ancestor!

To think that such an incredible existence would appear in their guild...

If news of this matter were to spread, the entire world would be thrown into a frenzy.

Who was it?

Mo Hongyi? Zhang Xuan?

Or was it one of them here?

The Teacher Acknowledgement Hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion only reflected the news and did not pinpoint the identity of the person.

Thus, even though everyone was shocked, they were unable to confirm for sure who the lucky person who won Kong shi's favor was.

"Even so... The Sage's acceptance of a disciple is a huge affair. I'm afraid that it's impossible to hide this matter..."

Pavilion Master Jiang muttered.

Once the matter had been confirmed, the entire world would be informed of it. All kingdoms and Master Teacher Pavilions would receive the news.

When that time comes, people from all kingdoms would come to offer their blessings.

If that really happened, it would be impossible for that person to hide even if he wanted to.

"Indeed. Our guild will become famous..."

"Incredible! After such a long interval, Kong shi is going to accept a disciple?"

...

The eyes of countless master teachers glowed with euphoria.

But...

Before they could even finish their sentence, Kong shi's statue suddenly stopped trembling and with a sudden jolt, 'kacha!', a crack running down the middle of the statue appeared.

Upon seeing this sight, everyone was once again stunned. Pavilion Master Jiang's eyes widened to their limits.

"This is..."

"Kong shi wishes to admit a disciple, but... he was rejected?"

Complete silence.

Everyone looked as though they had just seen a ghost.

Since a teacher could choose his student, a student could choose his teacher as well.

Therefore, even if Kong shi was considered as the teacher of all beings and was respectfully addressed as the Empyrean, he still had to ask for the other party's permission when intending to admit him as his disciple. If the other party was unwilling, he couldn't force himself on the other party either.

The shaking of the statue had meant that Kong shi was willing to accept the other party as his disciple, but its subsequent fracture meant that... the other party had rejected him!

Rejecting the opportunity to become Kong shi's student?

The heck!

Who in the world is this formidable person?

To refuse the offer to become the student of the greatest man in the world, could you be any more arrogant than that?

...

In the small classroom.

Zhang Xuan's mind was operating at high intensity as he tried his best to absorb the unique energy that descended from the skies.

These slivers of energy seemed to fuse perfectly with his soul, causing his eyes to become clearer.

"It is increasing my Soul Depth..."

Having read the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan understood what was going on.

This was neither spiritual energy nor zhenqi, this was Insight Energy!

All that wished to become a master teacher had to possess the State of Insight Will of Mind.

And to raise one's Will of Mind Soul Depth, one had to absorb this kind of unique Insight Energy.

Back then, the Enlightenment Jade that Zhao Ya's father gave him possessed this kind of energy, and it was through absorbing it that he managed to recover his Soul Depth back to 0.1.

"Absorb!"

Even though Zhang Xuan was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Insight Energy, he showed no indication of wanting to stop at all.

Since he had attained his previous Soul Depth level with the help of the golden pages instead of cultivating his soul through the cultivation of a secret manual, he had never seen or absorbed Insight Energy before. Even so, he knew how precious it was.

To master teachers, it was definitely a priceless treasure!

Tzzzzz!

As Zhang Xuan absorbed the Insight Energy that descended from the skies, his Soul Depth slowly inched forward.

After an unknown period of time.

His body jolted, and he came to a stop.

"There's nothing left..."

Looking around, Zhang Xuan knew that he had absorbed the final sliver of the energy that had fallen and exhaled deeply. With a flick of his wrist, a Stone of Insight appeared in his hands.

He immediately got into the state of Heart of Tranquil Water.

Numbers appeared on the stone.

11.1!

"Despite absorbing for so long, my Soul Depth only increased by 1.0?"

Zhang Xuan pouted.

He had thought that his Soul Depth would increase significantly after absorbing so much Insight Energy. At the very least, it would increase by eight or ten. Yet, betraying his expectations, it only raised by 1.0!

This was way too little!

If anyone else were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely rush forward to strangle him.

To raise a mere 0.1 Soul Depth, others had to endure all kinds of hell, toiling in extreme cold and heat just to train their mind.

In contrast, he had gained this 1.0 Soul Depth in a single go, yet he wasn't satisfied...

Of course, if they knew that he could raise his Soul Depth by 5.0 using the golden page, they would definitely think otherwise.

Zhang Xuan shook the dismal in his head away and slowly opened his eyes.

String after string of Insight Energy flowed in his eyes, allowing him to peer through the fabric of the world to see its very essence.

Glancing at a saber on the weapon rack, he saw a faint apparition striking on a lump of metal, slowly shaping it.

With just a single look, he could see the forging process of the saber, its tier, as well as its flaws.

Not too far away, behind a table, there was an apparition of a towering tree. The tree was hacked down and worked on by craftsmen...

"This is..."

A name appeared in his mind, causing Zhang Xuan's eyes to widen and his fists to clench tightly together.

Eye of Insight!

It was said that formidable master teachers could expend their Soul Depth to activate their Eye of Insight to peer into the essence of matter, the strengths and weaknesses of battle techniques as well as cultivation techniques.

It was just like how even Zhizun experts were unable to notice his original face under the human mask of 'Liu Cheng', but those who possessed the Eye of Insight could see through it in an instant and peer at the original appearance of the person.

This was precisely the reason why high-tiered master teachers were fearsome existences.

With just a single look, they could see through the problems and ailments of a person, and guide them to resolve it.

Despite that...

"I thought that only 6-star master teachers are able to comprehend this technique? What's going on?"

After checking the details of the Eye of Insight in the books, Zhang Xuan felt bewildered.

According to the records, only 6-star master teachers possessed the strength to comprehend this powerful talent.

How could he possess it when he wasn't even a 2-star master teacher.

Boom!

Just as he was pondering over this matter, the sight before him blurred, and his consciousness seemed to have been pulled by an overwhelming strength reminiscent of a vast ocean into a chaotic dimension.

Then, an elder with a snow-white beard walked over and a compassionate voice sounded in Zhang Xuan's head.

"I wish to take you in as my disciple, do you accept?"

"You want to take me in as your disciple?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Then, he quickly shook his head and said, "I refuse!"

What a joke! Possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, he was able to see through the flaws of everything with a look. From his perspective, there was no need for him to acknowledge any teacher at all.

Could 4-star to 5-star master teachers conjure theories that surpassed that of the Library of Heaven's Path?

In terms of cultivation, was there any technique that could surpass the Heaven's Path Divine Art?

Besides, the other party had invaded his mind without any forewarning. Who knew whether he bore malicious intents?

It was better to be safe than sorry.

After all, it was just a moment ago that someone spiked his tea.

Hu!

As soon as he replied the other party, his body jolted once more, and he realized that he was still in the mini tutoring room. He hadn't gone anywhere, and the sight just now seemed nothing more than a dream.

"An Illusion Formation? No, there can't be any formation here. Otherwise, the Library of Heaven's Path would have detected it... Could it be something similar to the Trust Crystal?"

Zhang Xuan thought.

The Trust Level test was something similar to what he had experienced; one's mental state would be sent into an illusion, and they would undergo various events so as to test their compatibility with their teacher.

Could he had just met with something similar?

Otherwise, how could some old geezer just appear and ask to take him in as his student?

What in the hell is this? If you wish to take me as your disciple, you should at least name yourself! To put me into this kind of illusion without any warning, aren't you being inconsiderate?

Harrumphing coldly, he immediately labeled that elder as shameless.

Of course, if he were to know that the elder was Empyrean Kong shi, and if he had agreed to become the other party's student, his identity and standing would rise exponentially...

Would he spew blood and die straight from disappointment?

"Even if I don't take the examinations now, I am already a recognized master teacher. No one will be able to refute that..."

Ignoring that inconsiderate old geezer, Zhang Xuan hid his Eye of Insight and clenched his fists excitedly.

After reading through the books, he knew that he had unintentionally comprehended the true meaning of 'teacher and student' and from there, he was recognized by the heavens, becoming a Celestial Master Teacher!

In other words, even if he didn't take any examination, no one would be able to refute his standing as an official master teacher. There was already no need for him to continue his impersonation.

"However... the title of a Celestial Master Teacher is too conspicuous. I should take the examination as per normal. Anyway, I am just lacking the final step..."

Even though Zhang Xuan was excited, he knew that it was best to keep it to himself.

Celestial Master Teacher was a huge affair. If word were to spread, he might face quite a lot of trouble.

Keeping a low profile was the way to go.

No matter what others say, I, Zhang Xuan... have always been a low-profile person...