“Pavilion Master Mo, please wait here for a moment. Allow me to organize the freshmen first before assembling the Ten Great Elders for a conference,” Elder Mo said before turning around to exit, leaving Mo Gaoyuan and Zhang Xuan in the gazebo.
After a moment of silence, Mo Gaoyuan suddenly asked, “Zhang shi, may I ask if… Yang shi is here as well?”
The reason he had put a high-tier spirit stone up as a reward for the tournament and had come over here to meet Zhang Xuan was to strike up a relationship with Yang shi.
“My teacher has always been a carefree person who hates to be restrained, so I am unsure of his whereabouts as well,” Zhang Xuan replied casually. “I heard from my teacher that you met with some trouble trying to open the Zhukong acupoint. May I know if the problem has been resolved already?”
“Speaking of this, I really have to thank Yang shi for his guidance!”
At this point, Mo Gaoyuan clasped his fist politely.
If not for Yang shi’s guidance, he might have ended up straying further and further from the right path, and perhaps, it might even have become impossible for him to ever reach Saint 2-dan in his life. Now that he had healed his internal wounds, a breakthrough was already within sights.
This incident served to further emphasize how fearsome Yang shi was.
With just a casual glance, the other party had been able to determine the cause of his problem and come up with a solution which would not only resolve the problem but further his cultivation as well.
Even if he could clone himself ten times over, he would still be no match for the other party.
In his eyes, the Ten Great Master Teachers of Hongyuan Academy were probably not much different from children playing house.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Teacher has always been a person who follows his whims. Since he has offered to help you, it only goes to show that the both of you are fated. Thus, there’s no need for you to think too much about it!” Zhang Xuan chuckled.
“I see!” Mo Gaoyuan nodded in response.
There were indeed some high-ranked master teachers who based their decisions off fate after having comprehended the essence of the world. If fate didn’t allow for it, they would never offer their guidance to another.
It was also because of fate that Yang shi offered his guidance to Mo Gaoyuan, and he had never expected anything in return.
Besides, even if Mo Gaoyuan intended to return the favor, he had to have something that could interest the other party in the first place…
At that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled another matter and asked, “Right, since Elder Mo is a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer, why don’t I see his tamed beast anywhere? May I ask, what saint beast is he contracted to?”
Even though he was certain that the Byzantium Helios Beast was a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there were still several doubts he had in his mind.
Firstly, considering the proximity between Leiyuan Peak and the Master Teacher Academy, it was doubtful that such a powerful saint beast could reside on the mountain without catching the attention of the master teachers in the academy.
“It’s Inferno Dragon Saint Beast!” Even though Mo Gaoyuan was unsure of the purpose behind Zhang Xuan’s words, he still chose to answer his query without any hesitation.
“Inferno Dragon Saint Beast?”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
He had never heard of such a saint beast before, but it should be fine as long as it wasn’t the Byzantium Helios Beast.
“Indeed. That tamed beast of his… Sigh, it’s truly an unfortunate event!” Upon speaking of the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast, Mo Gaoyuan hesitated for a moment before shaking his head in pity.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xuan was bewildered by Mo Gaoyuan’s reaction.
“Based on what I know, it seems that the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast… doesn’t have long to live.” Mo Gaoyuan sighed.
“Doesn’t have long to live?” Zhang Xuan was left even more puzzled by the other party’s words.
Typically speaking, saint beasts possessed a far greater longevity than humans. As such, it was extremely rare for a beast tamer to outlive their tamed beasts.
“Yes. It appears that the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast has met with some trouble in its cultivation… Forget it, let’s not talk about such a depressing topic!”
Halfway through his words, Mo Gaoyuan shook his head, deciding to speak no further.
Even though the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast’s fiery temperament made it unsuited to serve as the invigilator for the examination, the least it could do was show its support by attending, especially considering how important the entrance examination was.
Thinking that the situation was peculiar, he had asked Elder Mo regarding the matter just a moment ago, and only then did he learn about the problem plaguing the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast.
“Alright.”
Seeing how Mo Gaoyuan was unwilling to speak any further on the matter, Zhang Xuan chose not to ask as well.
…
Hu Qing was a 4-star pinnacle master teacher from Qingyuan Tier-2 Empire. His cultivation had only reached Clarifying Turbidity realm advanced stage, still a way off from reaching pinnacle.
He had come from a remote location, and he had to give up on a lot of things before he could pass the examination to come here.
In the final round of the Master Teacher Tournament, in order to get into the top ten, he had to fight frenziedly without care of his life, sustaining seventeen grievous wounds before he could defeat his opponent.
The reason he was so desperate was because he was different from the others.
The other master teachers could still return to their local Master Teacher Pavilion to enjoy the highest of privileges if they were unable to qualify for the Master Teacher Academy, but such an option didn’t exist for him!
Born with a deadly affliction, there was only a single medicinal herb which could save his life. However, this herb was incredibly valuable and the only way he could obtain it was through enrolling into the Master Teacher Academy and purchasing it with academic credits.
He’d thought that as long as he was willing to put his life on the line, he would be able to pass the entrance examination no matter how difficult it was… Who knew that in the end, despite how hard he tried, he still failed the examination!
He’d attempted to hunt down spirit beasts to procure their inner core, but he had ended up being surrounded by them instead, and he’d nearly lost his life in that encounter. It had taken him tremendous effort to escape from the encirclement, but even so, he’d ended up suffering grievous wounds for it. Eventually, the examination finished without him obtaining a single inner core.
Without a single point to his name, he would be unable to become a member of the academy.
Unable to obtain the medicinal herb required to cure his affliction, it would just be a matter of time before his illness was triggered, resulting in his death.
“No, I must enroll in the Master Teacher Academy by hook or by crook…”
Withstanding the immense pain from his wounds, he struggled to his feet and walked over to one of the celebrated geniuses in this examination—Yu Cheng.
He had watched the bet earlier, and he knew that the other party possessed more than two thousand points. As long as the other party was willing to give even a single point to him, he would be able to enroll in the academy, and there would still be hope for his affliction.
Clasping his fists and bowing deeply, Yu Qing pleaded earnestly, “Brother Yu… I am Yu Qing, a master teacher from Qingyuan Empire. As long as Brother Yu can give me a single point so that I can pass the examination, I am willing to spend the rest of my life serving you to repay your magnanimity…”
Even though it was a huge blow to his dignity as a master teacher, with his life at stake, he had no choice but to endure it!
“Give you a single point? Who do you think you are?”
Yu Cheng was already frustrated about losing to Zhang Xuan when this fellow suddenly came over to beg him for points. Displeased by the other party’s actions, his face darkened.
All in all, he only had two thousand points. Even though he was unable to win Elder Mo’s favor, he was still hoping that he could catch the attention of other elders through this achievement. If he were to give this fellow a point, was he supposed to give one to everyone who came begging him for it?
The moment he created this precedent, it would only cause a whole string of trouble. Furthermore, none of these points had come easily. He’d had to work extremely hard for every last one of them, so he was reluctant to give them away as well.
“I…”
Humiliated, Hu Qing’s face turned crimson. His head hung lowly by his chest, and he clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Taking a deep breath, he gritted his jaws in determination and kneeled onto the ground. “I beg Brother Yu to give me a single point to clear this examination. As long as you grant my request, I’ll obey every single command you ask of me without the slightest hesitation in the future!”
“You are just a measly Transcendent Mortal 4-dan advanced stage weakling. Even if you were to become my servant, you would be no use to me at all. Scram! Otherwise, I’ll kick you away myself!” Yu Cheng harrumphed furiously with a frown.
What the heck was this supposed to be?
If a Consonant Spirit realm expert had come to him with these words, he could still consider the matter. But a fellow who hadn’t even reached Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle actually wanted to negotiate with him? How insolent!
He’d had to spend invaluable artifacts in order to earn his points, and he was even humiliated by a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast for it.
Given how much he had gone through for them, how could he be willing to give his points away so easily?
Senior Feng stepped forward and said, “The fact that you weren’t able to obtain any points only goes to show that you are lacking in ability and are unworthy of becoming a member of the academy! I suggest you stop embarrassing yourself here.”
They might not be able to match up to Zhang Xuan, but without a doubt, they possessed capability superior to most of their peers, and they had the rights to be proud.
“Indeed, stop your shameful actions here. If everyone were to beg for points just because they couldn’t earn any, the academy wouldn’t be called the Master Teacher Academy but the Beggar Academy!”
“You only have yourself to blame for not working hard enough!”
“You are not fated with the Master Teacher Academy, so just leave… Don’t soil the dignity of master teachers here!”
…
The master teachers in the region also waved their hands disdainfully in response to Hu Qing’s actions.
It was undignified for a master teacher to beg for points like that. If they were to condone such actions amongst them, how could they hold their heads up high and preach to the world?
A failure meant a failure. Since Elder Mo had set this a rule, they were meant to follow it.
“Alright…”
Knowing that it was hopeless, Hu Qing’s body trembled uncontrollably as he stood up.
At this instant, he felt as if the wind had blew away every bit of dignity he carried.
While master teachers were expected to behave nobly, they were still mortal. There was no mortal who could truly be selfless, and even master teachers had their own desires and goals.
“Forget it…” Hu Qing shook his head.
He knew that even if he were to abandon his pride, there was not a single person here who would give him a single point. Since that was the case, he might as well clutch onto the final shred of pride he had and leave with his head held high.
Hu!
But just as he was about to walk away, Elder Mo suddenly appeared in the air, and with a resounding voice, he said, “In this examination, there are a total of 6817 people who passed the examination. Those who failed to obtain a single point have failed the examination, and they are not fated with the Master Teacher Academy!”
“Not fated…”
The faces of the twenty thousand people who had failed the examination turned pale.
While they knew what the outcome of the examination would be, it was still difficult for them to accept it. Their hopes and dreams lay within the Master Teacher Academy, and after all they had been through, they couldn’t accept failure so easily.
“However, there’s no need to worry. Upon learning of this news, Zhang shi of Huanyu Empire approached me, and he offered to give his points to the others so that everyone can pass the examination. He hopes that our Master Teacher Pavilion can grow stronger through this!
“After careful consideration, I decided to agree to his request.
“In other words, from today onwards, everyone here will be a student of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!” Elder Mo announced grandly.
“Give points… to us?”
“Zhang shi was willing to fork out his points so that we could pass the examination?”
“This…”
Everyone was stunned by the sudden news. At the same moment, Hu Qing’s body began trembling in agitation, and tears began streaming down his cheeks.
Just for a single point, he abandoned his pride, fell to his knees, and pleaded desperately with another man. But he was rejected mercilessly, and he thought that this was where his journey would end!
Yet, at the lowest point in his life, Zhang shi stepped forward and offered to give his points to everyone so that they could clear the examination…
This was the magnanimity that a master teacher should possess, selflessly putting the human race above his own needs!
“Zhang shi… thank you!” Hu Qing fell to his knees once more and vowed solemnly, “From this day forward, you shall be my benefactor. Regardless of what you ask of me, I’ll do it without any hesitation!”
But different from the previous time, he had kneeled willingly this time around!
“This…”
Seeing those who had failed the examination mutter words of gratitude for Zhang shi, Yu Cheng and Senior Feng’s bodies trembled.
It was just a moment ago that they had rejected giving out a single point, and in the next, it was announced that Zhang shi was going to give out his points so that everyone could pass the examination…
‘Did your face slap have to come so quick and exaggerated?’
The duo quickly scanned the surroundings, only to see disdainful gazes from the freshmen on them. It was as if their eyes were saying, “How could the both of them be master teachers but behave so differently?”
Pu!
Unable to stand it any longer, Yu Cheng felt his old injuries acting up, and he spurted a mouthful of blood.
At the same time, Senior Feng also found the sight before him turning dark. He had been traumatized so many times that he had lost his confidence.
What in the world was this? Why was it that nothing good ever happened from anything associated with that Zhang Xuan?
