Hearing that voice, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but turn around, and what he saw left him in a trance.
The three elders who had leaped onto the stage were none other than Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang.
Weren’t those three fellows cultivating in the residence outside the academy? Why were they here?
Furthermore, considering the tight security of the Master Teacher Academy, how did they sneak in without getting caught?
While Zhang Xuan was astonished by the sight before him, Lu Feng also didn’t expect the abrupt situation that fell upon him. He pondered for a moment before chuckling softy and replying, “I heard about the three of you from School Head Xu. Despite your young age, you are geniuses among geniuses, possessing extraordinary insight into battle techniques and cultivation. The fact that you were able to win School Head Xu’s approval speaks volumes about your capabilities!
“Since you are the guest elders of the Martial Arts School, you are naturally elders of our Master Teacher Academy as well. Without a doubt, you are my peers!”
The standing of guest elders was higher than that of ordinary elders.
Even though Lu Feng was a school head, in the strictest sense, he was only considered an elder of the academy as well. In other words, despite the age difference between them, the trio were his peers.
“It’s good to hear that!” Zheng Yang nodded in satisfaction.
He gestured to the other two, and the three of them turned to Zhang Xuan and kneeled to the ground. “Student Zheng Yang (Wang Ying, Liu Yang) pays respect to teacher!”
“Ah?”
“The three guest elders invited by the Martial Arts School are actually… Zhang shi’s students?”
“If Zhang shi’s students are of the same seniority as School Head Lu, doesn’t that mean that… School Head Lu is lower than him in terms of seniority…”
“Just what is going on?”
…
Not only were the seniors stupefied by the situation before them, the many teachers, elders, and school heads who had gathered in the area were dumbfounded as well.
Many people had heard about the new guest elders recruited by the Martial Arts School, and there were quite a few who had gone to listen to their lessons as well. The three new guest elders might be young, but their understanding of cultivation and battle techniques was truly worthy of respect.
As such, there was no one who had any qualms with their position.
Nearly all of the student populace thought that the reason the trio could achieve such a deep understanding of battle techniques and cultivation was because they had inherited the heritage of some formidable figure in the Master Teacher Continent, but never in their dreams had they expected that… their teacher would be Zhang Xuan!
He was just a freshman, and yet his students had already become elders of the academy…
Just what was with this weird turn of events?
While the others were shocked by the situation before them, on the stage, Lu Feng was on the verge of losing his mind.
It was just a moment ago that he had haughtily said that Zhang Xuan was free to teach him a lesson if the latter’s seniority was above his, but the next moment… these three appeared.
Going by seniority, if Zhang Xuan was the teacher of the academy’s guest elders, wouldn’t that mean that Lu Feng would have to call him… uncle?
The thought of that immediately sent a streak of darkness across his face. An extremely stifling sensation gripped his chest, leaving him short of breath.
The hell with this!
If he had known that this would happen, he would have never said that the trio were his peers… But spilt water couldn’t be taken back. Since he had already declared it publicly, he couldn’t possibly refute what he had just said.
It took a long time before his soul finally returned to him, and he said, “Zhang Xuan might be your teacher, but he is also a student of the academy as well…”
“Since you say that my teacher is a student of the academy, may I ask, who has he acknowledged as his teacher?” Zheng Yang asked.
Lu Feng’s face stiffened.
Given the huge ruckus that Zhang Xuan had caused in the academy, as the stand-in principal of the academy, he’d naturally had someone investigate his background. According to what he knew, the other party had gone into a coma during the recruitment period, so he had no teacher at all!
Realizing what Zheng Yang was possibly driving at, Lu Feng replied with an awful complexion, “He didn’t acknowledge anyone as his teacher…”
“Then does my teacher have a student token?” Zheng Yang asked.
Lu Feng hesitated once again.
Most students would receive their student tokens straight from their teachers when they acknowledged them. As for those who didn’t acknowledge a teacher, they were still allowed to attend open lectures and they would be given the benefit of the doubt to access most facilities in the academy, but the processing of their student token would be a little more troublesome, requiring at least ten days.
Considering that it was only six days since the start of the semester, it was natural that Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have a student token yet!
“Since my teacher doesn’t have a student token and he hasn’t acknowledged a teacher in the academy, why do you say that he’s a student of your Master Teacher Academy? Do you have any proof that he is?” Zheng Yang pressed on.
There was nothing Lu Feng could say to this.
Considering that Zhang Xuan didn’t have a student token and hadn’t acknowledged any teacher in the academy, even though he was recognized as a student in the academy, there were no official records stating so… If that was the case, it wasn’t exactly wrong to say that he wasn’t a student of the academy…
Assuming that Zhang Xuan really wasn’t a student of the academy but the teacher of guest elders, it would mean that his standing was higher than Lu Feng’s. Thus, if Lu Feng dared to hinder his path, that would be a blatant disrespect for his elders, and this was unacceptable for a master teacher!
“Even though he doesn’t have a student token, he has a residence in the academy, and he even created a student faction…” Lu Feng argued anxiously.
In the few days since he had entered the academy, that fellow has already caused two schools to collapse and created so much trouble everywhere. Yet, you are telling me that he’s not a student… Are you seriously trying to argue that?
If he wasn’t a student, he would have long been kicked out from the academy for all he had done! There was no way the academy would condone such actions from unaffiliated personnel.
“Enough, Junior Lu Feng. It’s due to the token that School Head Mo gave me that I was able to obtain a residence in the academy, and the reason I established a student faction is due to the overwhelming support that the freshmen showed me. I don’t understand why you are overthinking this matter,” Zhang Xuan said.
“I know that it’s in consideration of the academy’s interests that you want to stop me, and I don’t blame you for that. However, it’s a fact that You Xu did lose to me in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel, so it’s my right to take him away. As a junior, you should know better than to hinder me!”
“Jun-Junior?” Hearing the other party’s nagging tone, as if a senior trying to persuade a junior not to do the wrong thing, School Head Lu Feng nearly fainted on the spot.
Do you have to rise up to the occasion every single time someone gives you the opportunity to brag?
If someone says that you are the principal, are you going to start acting like you own the academy immediately?
School Head Zhao, School Head Mo, and the others began muttering in disbelief.
“Elder Zheng, Elder Wang, and Elder Liu are actually… Zhang shi’s students?”
“It seems like they are direct disciples at that…”
They had thought that You Xu would surely escape with his life now that School Head Lu was mediating the dispute. But who could have known that three guest elders would suddenly appear at this crucial juncture?
What shook them the most was how Zhang Xuan addressed Lu Feng as his junior… Going by that, wouldn’t that mean they were his juniors as well?
Knowing that he would only be cornered if he allowed himself to be swept along at the other party’s pace, Lu Feng harrumphed coldly. “Let’s just drop the word games here. No matter how you put it, you are only a 4-star master teacher; don’t even dream about taking You Xu away today!”
In truth, the matter regarding seniority was indeed very troublesome to iron out. If one were to put it like that, everyone would be everyone’s senior in one way or another.
At that moment, an impassive voice suddenly sounded from above.
“Enough, School Head Lu! For a stand-in principal of the Master Teacher Academy to make such a huge fuss like that, don’t you think that’s shameful?”
Everyone lifted their gazes and saw a ravishing figure descending from the sky.
Upon seeing the figure above, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
The person was no other than the beautiful teacher who had captured his heart at first sight, Luo Ruoxin!
“Luo shi!” Upon seeing her, School Head Lu hurriedly clasped his fist and reported, “This matter concerns the dignity of the Master Teacher Academy! If we were to allow an outsider to take away one of our vice school heads, wouldn’t others start to question the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion? How can we explain this to the headquarters if they question us on this matter?”
A slight frown appeared on Luo Ruoxin’s face as she waved her hands. “That’s not a problem for you to worry about; Mu Yuan will explain it to the headquarters.”
“This… Yes!” Even though School Head Lu was dissatisfied with Luo Ruoxin’s response, he dared not to talk back to her.
Even though the lady before him was young, there was a high chance she was a member from a Sage Clan, the Luo Clan. Even Mu shi had to treat her with the utmost respect, so naturally, he wouldn’t dare challenge her authority.
Seeing Lu Feng backing down on this matter, Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Could it be that… you have comprehended the Eye of Insight?”
Zhang Xuan didn’t expect Luo Ruoxin to ask such a question. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I guess you could say so!”
The other party had probably noticed it when he used it in the Life-and-Death Physician Duel against You Xu earlier.
“He has comprehended the Eye of Insight which only 6-star master teachers can comprehend?”
“I heard that it is extremely difficult to comprehend the Eye of Insight, and there are many top-notch geniuses in Sage Clans who spend their lives trying to understand it, only to eventually die in regret. Yet, Zhang shi has comprehended it?”
“With talent like his, as long as he doesn’t die, he’ll at least become an 8-star master teacher…”
“Indeed! So far, there are only ten people who are recorded to have comprehended the Eye of Insight in the books. Six of them became 9-star master teachers, two of them died a premature death, one of them had his cultivation capped after suffering severe wounds, but nevertheless, he still reached 8-star, and the last one went missing after clearing the 7-star master teacher examination… However, rumor has it that the missing 7-star master teacher was seen exerting might comparable to a 9-star master teacher in a fight against the Otherworldly Demons before passing away. All of these point at one thing—those who have comprehended the Eye of Insight will at least achieve strength equivalent to an 8-star master teacher if they are given time and space to grow!”
“Fearsome…”
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s admittance, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd.
Even though the Eye of Insight was said to be an ability that 6-star master teachers could awaken, only a small handful of true geniuses had managed to comprehend it.
Yet, Zhang Xuan had actually managed to comprehend it! It was no wonder he possessed exceptional capabilities in smithing, terpsichorean arts, and the Way of Medicine!
His talent was rare even among the offspring of Sage Clans.
“Eye of Insight?” At the same time, upon hearing of the news, Lu Feng’s body trembled uncontrollably in fear.
Even the students beneath the stage knew of the significance of the Eye of Insight, so how could he possibly be unaware of it?
It was definitely no joke to say that the other party’s potential was boundless!
To offend such a talent for You Xu… was it really worth it?
It was no wonder Luo shi chose to side with him instead. Possessing such talent, the other party would surely grow to become one of the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent one day. Even those of the Sage Clan would be inclined to build a good relationship with him, not daring to offend him in the least.
“As I expected!” Luo Ruoxin nodded for a moment before abruptly leaping off the stage. For an instant, it felt as if she had come here to stop Lu Feng just so that she could ask this question, but the next moment, her soft voice sounded in his ear.
“I will come and find you tonight!”
Leaving behind those words, she stepped into the crowd, and after a few turns, she abruptly disappeared from sight.
Find me? Zhang Xuan frowned.
Possessing the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could easily see through anyone. But for some reason, he was unable to see through Luo Ruoxin.
Forget it!
Knowing that it was impossible for him to fathom the other party’s thoughts, and that he would get the answer tonight, Zhang Xuan decided to put the matter aside for the time being.
With Luo Ruoxin speaking up on his behalf, Lu Feng didn’t dare stop him any longer. After instructing Zheng Yang to carry the poisoned You Xu, Zhang Xuan stepped off the stage with his students.
With everything that had happened, there was no one who dared to block his path. In an instant, the seniors immediately opened up a way for him to pass.
As Zhang Xuan walked, he couldn’t help but shake his head in disappointment. Given the scale of the ruckus he had caused this time, it would probably be difficult for him to enter the Master Teacher Academy anymore.
Of the ten schools, he had only challenged the Blacksmith School, Terpsichore School, and Physician School so far. There were still seven more to go, and it felt like a huge loss for him to leave just like that.
Looks like I will have to assume the role of a challenger if I wish to return to the academy…
After Zhang Xuan had denied being a student of the academy, there was no way School Head Lu would acknowledge him anymore.
Those who weren’t students of the academy possessed no Academic Credits or student tokens, so they weren’t able to enter the academy freely, and they weren’t allowed to use its facilities or take the examinations here either.
If Zhang Xuan still wished to raise the rank of his supporting occupations to 6-star in Hongyuan City, there was only one way—challenging the schools!
For example, if Zhang Xuan intended to obtain the 6-star apothecary emblem, he could challenge the entire school, and if no one could match up to him, he would naturally be qualified to apply for a 6-star apothecary emblem.
Why is it just so difficult for me to live a quiet and humble life? Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
He could already foresee the huge chaos he would bring to the Master Teacher Academy should he challenge the schools.
Honestly speaking, all he wanted to do was to be an ordinary student, study in a peaceful environment, and pass his exams with flying colors. Yet… trouble simply had to come knocking on his door.
But since what had happened had happened, he decided to return to his residence and rest for a few days first. If no better solution came to mind by then, he would just have to resort to challenging the schools.
Once he obtained six 6-star supporting occupations, he would be able to take the 6-star master teacher examination.
With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan walked toward the entrance of the academy. However, on his way there, he suddenly saw a young man wielding a spear run up to him excitedly and block his way.
“I have finally reached the tenth dan of the Fallen Spear Art, achieving the level of Spear-Man Union! Zhang Xuan, I want to challenge you to a duel. Will you accept the challenge?”
The young man flicked his spear, and a resounding whir reminiscent of the roar of a dragon echoed. In that instant, his figure resembled an undefeatable God of War.
That person was none other than Xue Zhenyang.
After listening to Zheng Yang’s lecture the day before, he had gone into seclusion, and just a few moments ago, he had finally succeeded in breaking through his bottleneck.
After asking around and learning that Zhang Xuan was here, he immediately made his way over.
With his newfound strength, he would cleanse the humiliation he had suffered and reforge the True Helios Faction’s reputation!
Pah!
But before he could even listen to Zhang Xuan’s reply, he suddenly felt someone striking the back of his head forcefully.
He quickly turned around, only to see Zheng Yang laoshi glaring at him with a displeased gaze. “Unfilial disciple, hurry up and pay respects to your grandteacher!”
