Chapter 310: Oh No!

The Sages' Bells were personally crafted by four-star masters, imbued with their will. Everyone in the Master Hall, including the hall master, treated them like ancestors. And now a kid taking the one-star master exam was yelling at them...

And he was furious, restless...

Holy crap!

Master Wu and the others felt like they wanted to die!

Anyone else would be ecstatic to have a hundred bells ring in unison and all sages bow in submission, not knowing which way is up or what their name is.

But this guy, instead, found it too noisy, burned with anger, and yelled at them like scolding his grandson...

Damn it!

Can you be any more fierce, any more arrogant?

And that's not the worst part... The worst part is that after his scolding, the bells actually stopped.

In other words, the will of the four-star masters contained in the bells had all yielded to him...

Holy shit!

This wasn't just submission—it was total capitulation!

All the masters turned green in the face, wishing they could tear their own heads off.

As masters, they had seen their share of the world, but this scene still drove them crazy, unable to contain themselves.

Especially Jiang Chen.

He had been hostile to this guy before, and seeing this, he was so scared he nearly crawled underground.

Where did this freak come from?

He yelled at the will left by four-star masters, scaring them into never daring to ring again...

Fuck!

Even his father wasn't this ferocious!

I... I... won't lose to you...

Mo Hongyi's whole body went rigid. After a long while, a ferocious expression appeared on his face.

Since he started cultivating, he had always worn the halo of a genius. No matter the profession, technique, or martial skill, as long as he learned and cultivated it, he was always number one!

Even when taking the master teacher exam, he broke all records in the Master Teacher Hall, becoming famous across thirteen countries. And now...

All his records were being broken one after another by this guy in front of him, making him feel disgraced and nearly driven mad.

"Once I get out, I'll take the exam for a two-star master teacher!"

His gaze was firm.

He could have taken the two-star exam before, but he had held back to break more records. Now this Zhang Xuan was closing in, and he dared not delay any longer.

"You may be formidable, but your mental state is only 5.1, still far from qualifying for the two-star exam. By the time you can take it, I'll have left you far behind again!"

Mo Hongyi's confidence reignited.

The other party had achieved excellent results in the Trust Room, Auxiliary Hall, Puppet Hall, Technique Sea... but so what?

The most basic mental state for a master teacher was only 5.1, far from enough to qualify for a two-star master teacher.

To take the two-star exam, one must reach at least 6.0.

Other things could be learned and excelled at, but this could only progress step by step.

As long as he took the two-star exam first and succeeded, the title of genius would still be his, and no one could take it away!

...

After scolding the ringing bells and seeing them quiet down, Zhang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought, 'Don't these bells have a problem? Ringing once or twice as a gesture is fine, but to keep ringing endlessly, and even all of them at once... Do you need a lesson?'

Damn it.

If it weren't for the fact that it's public property of the Master Hall, I'd have smashed it into eight pieces long ago.

He continued explaining for a while longer, then stopped and looked up at the Wu Master before him.

"Like this... am I considered to have passed? If not, I'll continue..."

According to his understanding, he had only explained a small part of this martial technique. But both Ling Xiaoxiao and Wu Master had said that as long as the bell rang, it counted as passing. Now the room full of bells was ringing and clamoring, as if about to jump up—shouldn't that be considered passing?

"Pass..." Wu Master swallowed his saliva and nodded.

With a hundred bells ringing in unison and the sages bowing in submission, if he didn't pass, he'd probably be beaten to death on the spot by the hall master upon stepping out.

"That's good!" Hearing that he had passed, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Since I've passed, let's move on to the next stage..."

With that, he walked out first.

...

In the hall outside.

"According to records, the hundred bells should ring for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Why did they stop after just a few breaths?"

At this moment, Vice Hall Master Guan and Elder Zhu had also arrived, looking at the door with puzzled expressions.

"Could it be... that this examinee was extremely lucky, drawing a very simple martial technique or cultivation method that he had seen in related books before, thus triggering the hundred bells and the sages' bowing? But since it wasn't his own understanding or theory, the bells only rang briefly before stopping abruptly!"

Elder Zhu thought for a moment and said.

When a master teaches, he must have his own insights. Merely imitating without any innovation only qualifies as mediocrity, with no connection to genius.

If that were the case, it would make sense why the hundred bells only rang once before stopping abruptly.

"That does seem quite possible!"

Vice Hall Master Guan's expression turned serious. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the door creaked open, and Zhang Xuan walked out first.

The other masters followed behind him.

"Wu Master!"

Seeing everyone come out, Vice Hall Master Guan called out.

Just as he was about to say something to Zhang Xuan, Wu Master, noticing the vice hall master's presence, hurried over before he could speak.

In the Tianwu Kingdom, there were a total of thirteen one-star masters and three two-star masters. Vice Hall Master Guan and Elder Zhu were two of the latter three.

When a two-star master summons, how dare one delay?

"What technique did the examinee draw just now?" Vice Hall Master Guan frowned and voiced his doubt. "It wouldn't be something like the Tianwu Ninefold Art or the Qi Vortex Palm, would it? If so, the assessment might need to be redone..."

The Tianwu Ninefold Art and Qi Vortex Palm are similar to the Hongtian Academy's Hongtian Ninefold Art—the most basic cultivation methods in the Tianwu Kingdom, known to almost everyone. If an examinee drew a technique of this level during the master assessment, even if it gained the sages' approval, it would be useless.

Because it's too common; being able to explain it is no great feat.

"Tianwu Ninefold Art? Qi Vortex Palm?"

Not expecting the vice hall master to think that way, Wu Master smiled bitterly and shook his head. "It's... the Multiwave Water Palm!"

"The Multiwave Water Palm? You... what did you say?"

Vice Hall Master Guan was stunned for a moment, then his body trembled.

"That most difficult technique to cultivate?"

"He drew that?"

Others who had similar thoughts also shuddered upon hearing this.

This martial technique was one of the hardest to cultivate in the Tianwu Kingdom, known to almost everyone. Drawing this book and explaining it to trigger the hundred bells...

"If it's the Multiwave Water Palm, then... why did the hundred bells only ring once before stopping? According to records, shouldn't they ring for a full cup of tea's time?"

Elder Zhu couldn't help interjecting.

The others also looked over, wanting to hear what had happened inside.

"It is..."

Master Wu looked baffled: "The bell had been ringing continuously. Teacher Zhang found it too noisy and shouted at it..."

Then he recounted what he had just witnessed.

The other masters nodded in unison, each appearing as if they had not yet recovered from the earlier shock, dumbfounded.

"Too noisy?"

"Shouting at the Sage's Bell?"

Elder Zhu, Deputy Hall Master Guan, and the crowd in the hall, upon hearing this explanation, nearly spat blood just like the other masters.

When others take the master assessment, they dream of the bell ringing as many times as possible, yet this fellow actually found it noisy...

"Alright, since there's no problem, after finishing the fourth level, proceed to the fifth! I too would like to see our Master Hall gain another genius!"

Knowing that nothing was wrong with what happened in the Sea of Techniques, Deputy Hall Master Guan suppressed the shock in his heart, waved his hand, and gave instructions.

Having a genius in their branch of the Master Hall was also an honor for him as deputy hall master.

"Yes!"

Master Wu nodded, looked around, and suddenly froze: "Where is Teacher Zhang Xuan?"

He had just walked out from the front, how... had he disappeared in the blink of an eye?

"He's already entered the Hall of No Mistake!"

Someone in the crowd said.

As soon as Zhang Xuan came out, seeing too many people here, and since he had to take the assessment anyway, and the first four levels were similar to what Ling Xiaoxiao had described, he didn't stop and walked straight in.

"He went in?"

Master Wu was startled, and indeed saw that the door to the fifth level had already closed. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something, his pupils involuntarily contracted, and his face turned pale: "Oh no..."

"What's wrong? Wasn't he supposed to enter the fifth level after finishing the fourth? Going in now shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Seeing his terrified expression, Deputy Hall Master Guan frowned.

You were about to go in anyway—what's with all the fuss?

"He's going in..."

Master Wu's face was full of anxiety, a hint of madness in his eyes: "But... I haven't yet told him the rules of the No-Error Hall, the precautions..."

He had just come out, intending to explain the matters of the fifth level to Zhang Xuan, when the deputy hall master called him over. By the time he reacted again, the man had already gone in.

None of the things he needed to convey had been said in time.

In other words... the other party had gone in knowing nothing about the No-Error Hall.

"Even if you didn't brief him, it's no big deal. Who doesn't know these five levels when coming to assess a master teacher? He must have prepared long ago—no need to worry!" Thinking it was something major, Deputy Hall Master Guan waved his hand upon hearing this.

Who among those coming to assess master teachers doesn't know the content of the five levels?

Since they know, they will certainly prepare in advance and won't be flustered or run into problems.

"Prepare in advance? I wish he could prepare..."

Recalling Zhang Xuan's performance in the previous levels, Master Wu nearly cried.

If that were the case, he wouldn't be so anxious.

This guy looked like a complete newcomer who knew nothing.

If he had known that a hundred bells ringing together was the highest praise, how could he have shouted at them?

If he had known about the tricks in the Trust Room, how could he have brought a group of students his own age?

If he had known about the self-repair ability of the Puppet Hall, how could he have stayed inside trying to fix things after winning?

"He... probably knows nothing. That the master teacher assessment has five levels—I just told him that... When I first met him yesterday, he didn't even know where our Master Teacher Hall was!"

Hearing their conversation, Ling Xiaoxiao couldn't help but speak up.

Deputy Hall Master Guan, Elder Zhu, and the others seemed to recognize her and were not angered by her interruption; instead, they all looked at her.

Ling Xiaoxiao then recounted everything from meeting Zhang Xuan yesterday to encountering him today.

"He came to take the master teacher exam without even knowing what it tests, and still managed such an impressive score?"

The others went crazy again upon hearing her words.

They had thought this guy knew the rules inside out and had prepared thoroughly, which was why he got such results—but it turned out... he didn't even know the rules and just took the exam casually!

Taking it casually and still getting such results...

How outrageously talented must he be?

Mo Hongyi swayed on his feet, feeling like he wanted to vomit blood.

He had prepared for who knows how long to pass the one-star master teacher exam, only to end up with results worse than someone who came in knowing nothing...

If that's the case, what's the point of preparing at all!

"If he really knows nothing, then he definitely doesn't know that the No-Error Hall... actually has two stages!"

Hearing Ling Xiaoxiao's introduction, not only was Master Wu nervous, but even Deputy Hall Master Guan's face darkened, and his body trembled involuntarily.

"This..."

"Yes, it's divided into two stages, and they're side by side..."

The others also realized something, and their pupils contracted.

"What do you mean by two stages?"

Seeing everyone so tense, Alchemist Hongyun was somewhat confused and couldn't help asking.

"The No-Error Hall, on the surface, has puppets demonstrating techniques and martial skills, which sounds similar to the Puppet Hall, but it's actually completely different! The Puppet Hall is about puppets fighting each other, testing one's guidance. But the No-Error Hall... not only requires finding the puppets' flaws, but also tests the examinee's cultivation level!"

"That is to say... in the No-Error Hall, you have to fight the puppets. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, you must find the flaws and use them to defeat the puppet to pass. If you don't find them, the puppet will likely keep attacking, and might even... kill you!"

"Kill?"

Many apprentices, unaware that the No-Error Hall was so terrifying, stood frozen in place.

"Everyone who takes the master teacher exam goes through this, so it shouldn't be too dangerous, right..." Alchemist Hongyun couldn't help asking.

So many people had taken the master teacher exam, and he had never heard of anyone being killed. Since others had no danger, he should be fine too.

"Others have no danger, but he's different..."

Master Wu's mouth twitched: "The No-Error Hall exam in the Tianwu Kingdom has two stages. The first stage tests for one-star master teacher, the second for two-star. For anyone else, they would definitely come out after finishing the first stage. I didn't mention it earlier, but he knows nothing. If he rashly barges into the second stage... that puppet is at the Grandmaster realm!"

"A Grandmaster realm puppet?"

Everyone was startled.

To pass the one-star master teacher exam, one needs the strength of the Tongxuan realm, and can defeat a Tongxuan realm puppet.

But facing a Grandmaster realm puppet... and one with almost no flaws!

That's basically suicide.

Their faces turned pale.

This was a situation with no chance of survival!

The Tongxuan realm and the Grandmaster realm are two different concepts, not to be mentioned in the same breath.

"Quick, stop him..."

Deputy Hall Master Guan hurriedly shouted.

They had finally produced a genius, and if he fell because he didn't know the rules, their Master Teacher Hall might as well shut down.

Buzz!

Before he finished speaking, the wall of the fifth hall, the No-Error Hall, shook, and a beam of light suddenly flashed out.

"He... he..."

Seeing the color of the light, Master Wu swayed, and his vision went dark.

"It's too late... he, he didn't take the first stage, he went straight into the second!"