“What’s going on?”
“Did you see that? This fellow cheated in the Chamber of Earth Flame challenge and destroyed the entire area. On top of that, he even intentionally directed the Earth Flame to tear down the Passageway of Records!”
“Is that fellow insane, or is he simply sick of living?”
“I have no clue either, but since it isn’t a matter involving us, let’s just watch quietly…”
A portion of the guild collapsing was no trifling matter. Before long, a huge crowd had already gathered around the area, each busy asking one another to satisfy their curiosity.
When they learned that it was a freshman who had caused such a huge uproar, pity immediately surfaced in their eyes.
Even if he was tired of living, this wasn’t how he should seek the end!
They were in the Master Teacher Academy, not some countryside school. To cause such a mess and be caught personally by Vice School Head Yuan Hong at that… It would be perfectly accurate to say that he was a goner!
Even if he were to spend his life working here, he would never be able to pay off the debt!
“Stand obediently!” Luo Yan glared at the young man coldly.
Knowing that his teacher was truly infuriated by this matter, he dispatched eight experts to guard this fellow. If not for fear that it might reflect badly on them, he would have already had him pummeled!
For a freshman to go about wreaking havoc instead of staying put in the freshman area, he deserved it even if he was expelled from the academy!
“I don’t mean to do anything, I just want to check on the other mechanisms in the Passageway of Records and see if they can be fixed!” Seeing how the other students were so guarded against him as if he was a burglar out to steal their valuables, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
He was also very apologetic that such a situation had occurred.
All he’d wanted to do was take the 5-star blacksmith examination quietly. Never had he thought that he would end up in such a state.
In the end, he allowed greed to get the better of him. Earth Flame Hearts were extremely valuable commodities, and who knows how long it would be before he could encounter another one?
Furthermore, he also hadn’t thought that the renowned Earth Flame Heart’s reputation would precede its capability. He had already tried to limit himself, thinking that he would stop once his soul reached ten meters, but it coincidentally broke down right when he reached that mark.
And as for the repairs, how could he have known that the esteemed Blacksmith School would end up skimming on a formation plate used to draw Earth Flame…
But it was all too late now. The only thing he could do now was try to salvage the situation as best he could. Otherwise, if he were to really incur a debt of three thousand high-tier spirit stones, he would end up wasting many years here!
“You are thinking of repairing the other mechanisms? Let me tell you, if you dare to lay even a finger on them, don’t blame me for getting nasty!” Seeing that the other party lacked the slightest remorse for his actions, attempting to put his demonic claws on the other mechanisms as well, Luo Yan’s rage immediately flurried.
‘What the hell is this!
‘If it wasn’t for your “fixing”, would the Blacksmith Guild have been reduced to ruins?
‘If you don’t have the ability to fix it, don’t even try it in the first place!’
“I can really fix them! What happened a moment ago… was just an accident!” Zhang Xuan hurriedly explained. “I can prove it to you. Bring me a higher quality formation plate, and I’ll fix the Chamber of Earth Flame before your eyes…”
“You… You’re seeking death!” Seeing how that fellow was still prattling on despite all he had done, Luo Yan’s rage finally reached its breaking point. A powerful aura gushed forth as he thrusted his palm toward the conceited fellow before him.
Hu la!
As a 5-star pinnacle blacksmith, his cultivation had already reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm. His palm thrust was bursting with might, threatening to tear apart the fabric of space.
“Stop!” Just as the palm was about to reach Zhang Xuan, a loud bellow suddenly sounded from afar. A silhouette rushed forward, and with a light flick of his hand, he dispelled the zhenqi that Luo Yan had gathered behind his strike.
Deng deng deng deng!
Luo Yan’s face reddened, and he was pushed several steps back. A dull pain resonated throughout his body as his zhenqi fell into disarray with his offense abruptly dispelled.
Upon catching a clear sight of the figure who had stopped his offense, Luo Yan froze.
“Teacher…”
It was no other than his teacher, who was dying to strangle Zhang Xuan a moment ago!
Wasn’t his teacher extremely furious with this fellow? Why would he stop him from teaching this fellow a lesson?
Bewildered, he was just about to ask his teacher about the matter when the latter suddenly turned around to look at the young man behind him with a bright smile on his face. “Are you alright? Are you injured? How dare that unfilial student of mine lay his hands on you! Shall I teach him a lesson in your stead?”
“Ah?” Hearing those words, Luo Yan’s body staggered from shock.
What was this madness unfolding before him?
Was the person he was seeing really his teacher, the vice head of the Blacksmith School?
Wasn’t he dying to strangle that fellow to death a moment ago? Why did his attitude suddenly make a 180-degree change…
“Didn’t you say that Vice School Head Yuan is extremely angry?”
“Given that the branch has suffered such severe damage, who wouldn’t be angry in his position? But that response of his… It doesn’t seem like he’s angry at all?”
“That is a gross understatement. Look carefully, don’t you feel that he’s fawning over that freshman?”
“Fawning? You are exaggerating! Vice School Head Yuan is a 6-star pinnacle master teacher and blacksmith! With such esteemed standing, is there anyone in the school he needs to fawn over?”
…
All of the students who had gathered for the commotion were also dumbfounded.
With the branch suffering such catastrophic damage, they’d thought that the freshman behind it would be heavily punished to send out a stern warning to the others. But if that was the case, what was with that declaration to teach Luo Yan a lesson?
That bright smile and that attitude… No matter how one looked at it, surely the vice school head was trying to fawn over that fellow!
“Teach him a lesson? There’s no need for that; I’m fine!”
They weren’t the only ones who were baffled by the situation, even Zhang Xuan, the perpetrator of this entire incident, was confused by the abrupt twist in the plot.
Didn’t this elder march off furiously to the school head’s office to bring forth a heavy penalty upon him? Why would he suddenly treat him so kindly?
“It’s good that you’re fine!” Yuan Hong heaved a sigh of relief. Following which, he turned his gaze to Luo Yan and bellowed, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize to Zhang shi!”
Ever since leaving the school head’s office, Yuan Hong had rushed all the way back here, fearing that the students might have laid their hands on Zhang Xuan. And it was fortunate that he did.
If that palm were to land on Zhang Xuan, it would strike out whatever goodwill he had for the Blacksmith School along with it.
If that were to happen, how were they going to keep him in the Blacksmith School?
One must know that the school head had already expressed his interest in accepting him as his direct disciple! If he were to reject the Blacksmith School due to Luo Yan’s slap, how was he going to explain this matter to the school head?
This unfilial student of his had nearly gotten him into deep trouble!
“Apologize? I…” Luo Yan couldn’t help but feel that the world had gone bonkers. “Teacher, why should I apologize to him? He destroyed the Passageway of Records and half of the Blacksmith Guild…”
“Enough!”
But before Luo Yan could finish his words, Yuan Hong interrupted furiously. Waving his hands in annoyance, he roared sharply, “Return back to your quarters and reflect on what you have done! Without my orders, you are not to leave your room!”
‘Just apologize when I tell you to, do you need to spout so much nonsense?
‘Are you only going to be content when you land me into deep trouble?’
“Teacher…” Hearing that his teacher was going to ground him for no good reason, Luo Yan seethed with indignation, unable to accept what was happening before him. At the same time, the others in the area also glanced at one another, uncomprehending of what Yuan Hong was up to.
“What are you all standing around for? The group over there, take Luo Yan back to his quarters!” Yuan Hong instructed sternly.
After issuing those orders, Yuan Hong turned his gaze back to Zhang Xuan and said politely, “Zhang shi, aren’t you intending to take the 5-star blacksmith examination? Allow me to bring you to the Ocean of Weapons!”
“Ocean of Weapons? But… I don’t have any Academic Credits…” Zhang Xuan uttered in bewilderment.
‘What is wrong with this fellow? Did he bump his head somewhere?
‘It is one thing to teach Luo Yan a lesson, but to bring me to the Ocean of Weapons as well?
‘I thought that the Ocean of Weapons is only open to those with ample Academic Credits!’
“You don’t have any Academic Credits? Don’t worry, that’s not a problem at all! The group over there, wait there for a moment. Luo Yan, take out your Academic Credits token and give Zhang shi two…” ordered Yuan Hong as he turned to the departing group.
“I…” Hearing those words, Luo Yan nearly collapsed burst into tears from sheer indignation.
‘Why should I?
‘That fellow caused a huge mess over here, but not only are you sparing him from punishment, you are even asking me to give him Academic Credits? Isn’t this favoritism too much!’
“Stop wasting time, hurry up!” Yuan Hong frowned.
“Alright.”
Nevertheless, Luo Yan dared not disobey the commands of his teachers, so he obediently passed his Academic Credit Card over.
Students were allowed to transfer Academic Credits amongst themselves as well. Given that Zhang Xuan hadn’t received his identity token yet, it went without saying that he hadn’t received an Academic Credit Card as well. However, such a small issue couldn’t possibly stumble a vice school head.
With a flick of his wrist, Yuan Hong took out an empty card and transferred two points into it from Luo Yan’s card.
“Alright, Zhang shi. We have the Academic Credits now, so let’s go!”
After doing what had to be done, Yuan Hong turned to Zhang Xuan with a smile and gestured for him to head forward.
Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze, overwhelmed by the happenings before him. He pointed to the rubble in the area blankly and asked, “This… Don’t I have to compensate for this?”
“You don’t have to worry about it. This isn’t your fault, so you won’t have to compensate for this. I’ll have someone fix it up later,” Yuan Hong replied.
“This… Alright then.” Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what was going on, he was still relieved to hear that he was excused from payment.
Three thousand high-tier spirit stones was way beyond his means. It would be best if he could be spared from compensation.
“This…”
“Is this really the austere Vice School Head Yuan that I know?”
“What kind of play is this?”
“It was just a moment ago that Vice School Head Yuan looked as if he was going to tear that fellow apart. Yet, in just a few short moments, he suddenly became like that…”
…
Taking that scene into sight, the master teachers gathered in the area were trembling in frenzy.
This was a branch of the Blacksmith Guild! That fellow had caused the collapse of half of the entire building, and yet, not only was he not criticized for it, he was even granted so many privileges.
This was way too abnormal!
Such a feeling resonated particularly strongly with Li Xuan amidst the crowd. Her body was trembling uncontrollably, and she nearly fainted from the sight.
She had been the one to show that fellow around ever since he’d arrived at the Blacksmith Guild, and all this time, she had thought of him as a conceited and naive freshman… For such a person to actually win Vice School Head Yuan’s favor, what was this world turning into…
…
Despite wracking his brain, Zhang Xuan was unable to find any logical reason as to why the attitude of the elder before him would change so abruptly. In the end, he could only attribute it to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo’s halo. Sighing deeply, he followed Yuan Hong to the other half of the Blacksmith Guild, which had, fortunately, remained intact despite the previous explosion.
Before long, he was standing before a towering door.
“Zhang shi, this is the entrance to the Ocean of Weapons. To take the 5-star blacksmith examination, you just have to place your Academic Credit Card and 4-star emblem on the stone pedestal over there and step through the door, and you will be brought to the corresponding examination area.” With a gentle smile, Yuan Hong gestured.
Just like the Passageway of Records, the Ocean of Weapons was also a complex mechanism created using many unique materials. In order to activate it, one would require sufficient Academic Credits in their card, as well as an emblem a rank lower than the examination one was going to take.
With these two objects, one would be able to activate the mechanism and take the corresponding examination. This was an extremely efficient system which spared the Blacksmith Guild from having to devote too much manpower into manning its examination facilities.
“I need a 4-star emblem for the examination?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“Indeed. Since Zhang shi is here to take the 5-star examination, I believe you should already have the 4-star emblem in your possession. Don’t worry, any emblem distributed by the Blacksmith Guild is usable here!” Yuan Hong explained, thinking that Zhang Xuan was worried that the blacksmith emblem which he’d obtained elsewhere might not be usable here.
“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. “Is an emblem really required? What do I have to do if I don’t have one?”
“Don’t have one?” Yuan Hong froze. “What do you mean by that?”
Zhang Xuan blushed in embarrassment.
“That is… I have yet to take a blacksmith examination. The truth is that I am actually not a blacksmith yet…”
