Chapter 302: Meeting Teacher Zhang

"You are very loyal. I will reward you handsomely when I return!"

After praising the leader, Ji Mo changed into his night clothes, followed him, and quietly left along the most secluded corner of the mansion.

They moved very stealthily, and indeed did not alert a single person.

Before long, the two arrived at a small grove outside the city.

"Young master, it's here..."

The leader pointed ahead.

"Good!"

Hearing that the Zhang Xuan who had caused him such embarrassment was inside, Ji Mo's face lit up with excitement as he flickered and walked in.

"Where is he?"

Entering the grove, he looked left and right but saw nothing. Just as he was wondering, his vision went dark as a burlap sack was suddenly thrown over his head.

"What are you doing..."

Startled, he tried to break free, but felt a sharp pain on his face as fists, clubs, and stones rained down on him.

Crackle!

The sound of fists and feet hitting flesh was dense and unbroken. Before Ji Mo could react, he was knocked to the ground, countless bones in his body broken.

"Wah!"

His lips were swollen like fried dough sticks. Ji Mo still had no idea what was happening.

Wasn't he supposed to see Zhang Xuan humiliated? How had he ended up being beaten?

After an unknown time, the pain on his body finally subsided. The sack was torn off, and then his clothes were stripped away.

A sharp pain in his palm, and before he could react again, he was hung from a tree. The night breeze brushed against his bare body, sending a chill through him.

"What do you want?"

At this point, he finally saw clearly the faces of the group that had beaten him.

They were exactly the five subordinates he had sent to tail Zhang Xuan.

"Young master, we had no choice. Who told you to offend someone you shouldn't have? You dragged us into this..."

The leader said as he infused his true energy into a recording crystal, capturing the entire scene before him.

"You... ugh!"

Seeing his naked body being recorded, Ji Mo was both ashamed and furious, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

What kind of mess was this...

Weren't these his own subordinates? When had they betrayed him and switched sides?

He had finally come up with a good plan to make the other suffer without daring to complain, but it had all been turned back on him!

How laughable that he had thought the other was loyal... he was loyal, but not to him...

"I always thought that with so many beauties paying attention to him, he must be strong. I didn't expect him to be so small!"

"Yeah, so small. This is the first time I've seen one so small..."

"Me too. What an eye-opener!"

...

While he was fuming inwardly, he heard the men below whispering.

Damn you, you're the one who's small, your whole family is small...

Ugh!

Crying out in his heart, Ji Mo could no longer hold back and spat out another mouthful of blood before fainting.

...

The night passed without incident.

Zhang Xuan woke up feeling completely refreshed from the long journey. After washing up, he stepped out of his room to find Liu Ling and the others staring at him like he was a monster.

"You... gave them a few pointers, and they all broke through?"

Pointing at Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others, Teacher Liu still couldn't believe it.

Waking up in the morning to see these people advancing by leaps and bounds, all breaking through, had nearly made his jaw drop.

A casual bit of guidance, and they broke through...

Breaking through was way too easy!

He had always thought that this fellow student, who hadn't yet taken the master teacher exam, might have unique insights into teaching but was still inferior to him. Seeing this scene, he finally understood...

There was indeed a gap, but it was the other who had left him far behind...

"Oh, yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "It's no big deal. Let's go to the Master Teacher Hall."

Hearing this, the others stumbled again.

Helping people break through, and it wasn't a big deal?

Seeing how casually he took it, Teacher Liu and Lu Xun felt a deep sense of melancholy.

When others guided breakthroughs, it was all kinds of trouble, exhausting all their knowledge, and success wasn't guaranteed. But look at him—as easy as sleeping... Indeed, there was a gap between people...

They checked out of the inn, rented two carriages, and headed straight for the Master Teacher Hall.

An hour later, a massive building appeared before them, with three large characters exuding a magnificent aura, representing inviolable majesty!

Master Teacher Hall!

Although the Master Teacher Hall was a branch of the Teacher Guild, it was even more powerful. Those who entered and obtained a certain title gained a very high status.

Teacher Liu showed his identity badge and easily brought everyone inside.

The hall was spacious and grand, with an air of majesty.

"Zhang Xuan? You're here!"

As they entered and were about to ask where the exam was, a voice sounded. Turning around, they saw a girl approaching with an old man.

"It's you?"

It was the master teacher apprentice he had met upon first entering Tianwu Royal City... Ling Xiaoxiao!

"Yeah, you're here for Princess Mo Yu's Q&A session too, right? It's about to start. Almost all the master teachers are here. Let's hurry over!"

Although she wasn't particularly fond of this clueless guy, since they were acquaintances, Ling Xiaoxiao smiled.

"All of them? Good, let's go take a look."

With all the master teachers present, it seemed no one would be available to administer his exam. He might as well go see how the Q&A was conducted and prepare in advance.

Hearing that someone was taking the master teacher exam with a Q&A session, Teacher Liu and the others were also interested. They followed behind and entered a room.

Like some theoretical classrooms, it was filled with various desks and chairs. Many people were already seated in front, over a hundred in total.

A row of imposing-looking old and middle-aged men sat at the very front.

"I didn't expect this guy to be here..."

Scanning the room, a familiar figure caught his eye.

It was Captain Yao from last night's patrol.

The guy was actually standing in a corner, working as a guard. If not for his still-red and slightly swollen face, he might have suspected a twin brother.

After a glance, it seemed Mo Yu hadn't arrived yet, so they found a spot and sat down.

...

"He really came!"

As Zhang Xuan saw Captain Yao, the latter also saw him.

The patrol was responsible for the royal city's safety. Normally, the Master Teacher Hall's security wouldn't fall to him, but since this was Princess Mo Yu's exam, he had been temporarily assigned here.

Originally, due to his injury, he wanted to find a replacement, but then he thought that if the princess's exam was related to that person, he would surely come.

If he didn't come, or if he came but didn't recognize the princess, then it would prove that Physician Bai Chan hadn't told the truth. Having been beaten so badly, he wouldn't hesitate to take revenge.

With this in mind, he endured his injuries and stood to the side, and sure enough, the man came.

"Hmph, let's see if you're familiar with the princess..."

With a cold snort, Captain Yao took his position and observed quietly.

...

Zhang Xuan and the others sat down.

"The Tianwu Kingdom has a total of thirteen one-star master teachers and three two-star master teachers. The Q&A session is the final step for master teachers, but no two-star master teachers have come."

Knowing that this guy knew nothing, Ling Xiaoxiao kindly explained.

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

The Tianxuan Kingdom didn't even have a single one-star master teacher, while here there were thirteen one-star and three two-star. Just from the number of master teachers, one could see the difference in national strength.

No wonder it was the strongest among the surrounding thirteen kingdoms.

With so many master teachers giving lectures, how could the younger generation not be formidable? How could the overall strength not be great?

"Who are the two-star master teachers of the kingdom?"

After his shock, Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

Hearing that he didn't even know such basic常识, Ling Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes again. "The most powerful is naturally Hall Master Jiang, who is said to be at the peak of two-star, only a matter of time before reaching three-star. The others are Teacher Guan and Teacher Zhu. Teacher Zhu became a two-star master teacher less than two years ago, making him the newest."

"Oh," Zhang Xuan nodded, then looked over. "Did that super genius you mentioned earlier, Mo Hongyi, come?"

"Of course he did, and he holds the highest status among these master teachers. He's the one in the middle!"

Ling Xiaoxiao pointed.

"The middle one?" Zhang Xuan looked up.

Among the foremost row of masters, there indeed sat a young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, whose aura was as deep as an abyss and vast as the sea, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

Peak Grandmaster!

Not only was his strength formidable, but his jet-black eyes seemed to possess a special power, wise and confident, as if nothing could stump him.

"Impressive!"

With just one glance, Zhang Xuan knew that all the geniuses he had encountered before were nothing but dregs compared to this man.

There was simply no comparison.

Even Princess Mo Yu fell far short.

"His mental state calibration must be at least 6.0 or above!"

Master Liu also focused his attention and transmitted his voice.

"6.0?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

A mental state calibration above 3.0 qualified one for the one-star master exam; 6.0 was enough to take the two-star exam.

At twenty-six, to possess such a formidable mental state and such powerful cultivation, the title of genius was indeed well-deserved.

"Princess Mo Yu is here!"

As he was observing, Ling Xiaoxiao's voice rang out. Looking up, he indeed saw a girl walk in.

It was none other than Mo Yu!

At this moment, Mo Yu wore a bright red robe, and both her hair and face had been meticulously groomed, making her even more beautiful and moving, no less than Zhao Ya at present.

Truly worthy of being the number one beauty of Tianwu Kingdom, living up to her name. The moment she entered, she drew everyone's gaze.

Entering the room, Princess Mo Yu glanced around, then suddenly stopped at one spot, her eyes lighting up.

She was the center of everyone's attention, and this expression immediately caught the crowd's notice.

They all followed her gaze, expecting to see some formidable figure, but found only a plain-looking young man.

Seeing her look at him, Zhang Xuan was speechless.

You, a dignified princess, looking at me like that—are you doing it on purpose...

Just as he was feeling frustrated and thinking of what to say, he heard an excited, thrilled voice beside him.

"Princess Mo Yu is looking at me! She noticed me..."

Ling Xiaoxiao's pretty face flushed with excitement, on the verge of screaming.

"Uh?" Zhang Xuan looked at the infatuated girl beside him and shook his head.

But this actually helped him out of a tight spot.

"The Q&A begins!"

With the arrival of the main party, at Mo Hongyi's call, the final stage of the master exam, the Q&A session, began.

The Q&A was somewhat similar to the debate on alchemy. Each one-star master present would ask a cultivation-related question, usually not exceeding the Grandmaster realm.

"True qi is blocked at the last acupoint, unable to break through to Tongxuan. Is there a solution?" asked one master.

"There are two methods. First, the true qi acupoint stimulation method: gather a large amount of true qi around the acupoint to stimulate it. Second, the medicinal enhancement method: although the first-grade pill Runxue Dan is effective for the Bixue realm, it has little effect on such prolonged stagnation. One can use a second-grade pill, Chongxue Dan..."

Princess Mo Yu spoke eloquently, handling it with ease.

After listening for a while, Zhang Xuan was completely baffled.

Although he had pretended to be a master and helped many break through, it was all based on his Heavenly Dao true qi. Many of the methods Mo Yu mentioned, he had never even heard of.

If he were to answer, he could say... not a single one!

"It seems after the one-star master exam, I need to read some books. Otherwise, I definitely won't pass this Q&A round..."

He shook his head.

He couldn't just say, when asked how to break through, that a silver needle and a strand of true qi would do the trick!

If he said that, he'd surely be thrown out.

After listening a bit more, feeling like he was hearing a foreign language and unable to understand, he couldn't help but ask the girl beside him: "What are the stages of the master exam?"

Though he had come to take the master exam, he had no idea how it was conducted.

"You don't even know that?"

Ling Xiaoxiao was about to lose it.

If she hadn't seen his apprentice badge with her own eyes, she would have thought he bought it.

These... were all basics.

Not knowing this and still wanting to take the master exam—what a joke!

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Fine!"

Defeated by this guy, Ling Xiaoxiao explained helplessly: "The master exam consists of five stages!"

"Five stages?"

"Correct. First, the Trust Room: tests the student's trust level. A trust level above fifty is required to pass. Without a student or trust level, you're disqualified."

"Second, the Auxiliary Hall: tests auxiliary professions. To become a one-star master, you must have at least one auxiliary profession at the formal level."

"Third, the Puppet Hall: during the test, a pair of battling puppets are provided. The puppets are specially crafted, using completely different techniques and skills but with similar strength, so neither can defeat the other. You must give on-the-spot guidance to make one of them win to pass."

"Fourth, the Sea of Techniques: there are countless cultivation techniques in the Sea of Techniques. To pass, you need to randomly select one and teach it. During the teaching, not only do many masters sit in judgment, but the most important is the Sage Bell!"

"Sage Bell?"

"Yes, the Sage Bell is a sentient treasure in the Sea of Techniques, a spirit weapon. It contains the sages' understanding and mastery of techniques. If your explanation doesn't satisfy it, the bell won't ring, and you won't pass!"

Zhang Xuan was startled.

He hadn't expected there to be such a remarkable thing in the world.

"After passing the first four stages, you reach the final stage, the Error-Free Hall! In the Error-Free Hall, puppets demonstrate techniques, martial skills, and even your chosen auxiliary profession. The demonstrations contain errors, but they are well-hidden and almost impossible to find. You must find one error within the time it takes an incense stick to burn to pass; otherwise, you fail."

Seeming very familiar with the master exam, Ling Xiaoxiao explained each item.

Trust Room, Auxiliary Hall, Puppet Hall, Sea of Techniques, Error-Free Hall...

Five stages, each harder than the last.

"But what about this Q&A session?"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

Wasn't the Q&A supposed to be the final stage of the master exam? Why wasn't it mentioned?

"The Q&A session, though called the final stage of the master exam, is actually the easiest. Once you pass the first five, it's negligible—a hundred percent pass rate. So passing the first five stages means you've passed the exam and can be called a master. This is just a formality, really to introduce the new master to other masters."

Ling Xiaoxiao said.

Zhang Xuan nodded, feeling a bit frustrated.

So this stage was the easiest, just a formality... yet he was listening to it like a foreign language, understanding nothing.

It seemed the master exam was not so easy after all.

As they talked, the Q&A session above was also drawing to a close.

"Congratulations, Master Mo Yu!"

"This is your rank badge. From now on, you are a one-star master!"

...

The masters seated in front offered their congratulations.

Taking the master badge and the special master attire, Princess Mo Yu was also filled with excitement.

Though an apprentice and a master were only a step apart, their statuses were worlds apart.

Becoming a master meant truly walking at the forefront.

"I have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave!"

Handing the badge and attire to Mo Yu, Mo Hongyi nodded and turned to leave.

Seeming to know his temperament well, Mo Yu wasn't angry.

After finally exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Mo Yu walked over in this direction.

Seeing her approach, Ling Xiaoxiao on the side was so excited her face turned red, and she seemed incoherent.

"My idol is coming over! Does she really know me? Quick, look, is my hair messy?"

"Uh... it's not messy!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"That's good..."

Ling Xiaoxiao quickly stood up.

"Apprentice Ling Xiaoxiao greets Master Mo!"

"Mm!" Princess Mo Yu nodded, then ignored her and turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

Seeing that this newly minted one-star master princess had fixed her gaze on a young man who seemed to have come out of nowhere, the surroundings fell silent.

Ling Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded, almost fainting.

She had thought her idol had come specifically for her, but never dreamed she would only nod and then look at this guy beside her.

Wasn't this guy just an ignorant little apprentice?

Coming specifically to see him... what the hell?

"Could it be... what Physician Bai Chan said is true?"

Captain Yao on the side, who had been watching the commotion, saw Princess Mo Yu approach that man and immediately breathed heavily.

It seemed Physician Bai Chan's words were true; otherwise, the princess wouldn't have come specifically.

Fortunately, after hearing his words earlier, he hadn't continued to show off, or he would have died without knowing how...

"But the princess has always been pure and aloof. If she really has a relationship with this guy, it will soon be known by many..."

He muttered to himself, thinking that once the news got out, it would shock quite a few suitors, when he saw Princess Mo Yu not far away clasp her hands and bow in a gesture that only a student would make to a teacher.

"Student Mo Yu greets Teacher Zhang!"