Chapter 924: The Four Deans

"The exam is already over?"

"In just two months, he elevated a titled kingdom to an empire?"

"As I recall, Dean Mo Liuzhen, who held the highest record in our academy, took a full three years, didn't he?"

"That's too fast..."

All the elders were stunned.

They had long guessed that the dean's assessment to advance to an empire would surely pass, but they never dreamed it would be this fast.

Succeeding in two months had probably already broken the record of the Master Hall.

"Indeed, too fast. Barring any accidents, the dean should have already set off to return..."

Elder Mi nodded.

"That's for the best; it'll be just in time for the war teacher selection..." Zhao Bingxu said.

"Yes!"

Speaking of the war teacher selection, everyone's faces turned solemn.

The four master academies hold it once every hundred years. Although on the surface there's nothing to it, in reality, it's a silent competition. At this time, having the dean return in person to take charge, and becoming a six-star master, couldn't be better.

"For the war teacher selection, every grade has a chance. The top twenty from each grade have been roughly selected after two months of competition."

Xu Changqing said.

The war teacher selection prioritizes martial prowess. Over the past two months, each grade has been holding major competitions, finally selecting their respective top twenty. These individuals will represent the academy in competing against the other three academies for the final spots.

"How strong are our students?" Upon hearing about the selection, Zhao Bingxu paused and asked.

"Based on past situations, they're still a bit weak. I'm afraid... not many will pass!" Xu Changqing's face reddened.

Hongyuan Master Academy has always been at the bottom among the four academies. In the ten thousand years since its founding, only a total of three hundred and twenty-seven people have become war teachers, which averages out to just three or four per hundred-year cycle.

"There are still a few days until the selection. Gather these students and have them train hard, striving to make them improve further!" Hearing the grim outlook, Zhao Bingxu said.

"That's all we can do!" The others nodded.

Sharpening the spear on the eve of battle, though the effect is minimal, is still a matter of necessity.

The other master academies have seven-star masters in residence and richer resources than Hongyuan Academy. Many top geniuses choose to study at those three, while what they can recruit are the leftovers... There's no way to compete with them.

Teaching benefits both teacher and student. It's not enough for the teacher to be good at teaching; if the student pool is poor and the students lack talent, there's no advancement rate.

This is a vicious cycle. With poor results year after year, the rewards from the Master Hall headquarters dwindle, the reputation declines, and good students naturally stop coming... It only gets worse from there.

...

While the elders of the master academy were discussing matters, a huge flying boat landed outside Hongyuan City.

It was seventy or eighty meters long, over ten stories high, fully equipped with pavilions and towers, looking exceptionally luxurious from afar.

At the front and rear of the flying boat, eight sacred beasts with dragon bloodlines were harnessed, lifting the massive vessel in the air and descending slowly without any jolt.

On the deck, two old men stood, gazing at the majestic and vast city wall before them, both smiling slightly.

"Dean Wu, thanks to your Cloud Cliff Flying Boat, it wouldn't have been easy to get here so quickly!"

An old man in blue on the left stroked his beard and said.

"The four academies are like branches of the same tree; mutual help is only right. Besides, since the selection is being held at Hongyuan Academy this time, and we came from Yunxu Academy, passing by your Luoqing Academy, we picked you up along the way... It also allows the many students to interact early and realize the vastness of the world and the multitude of experts. Otherwise, if they remain secluded and think themselves the only heroes under heaven, it won't do them any good."

The old man in gray on the right said with a smile.

Both of these men possessed strength above the Saint Domain, their auras ethereal, giving an unfathomable impression.

Especially the badges on their master robes—seven stars glittering brightly—clearly indicating they had reached the level of seven-star masters.

A seven-star master was something that even the Hongyuan Empire's Master Hall, or even the master academy, had never achieved.

"Indeed, truth is not clarified without debate, and principles are not explained without discussion... These students, having stood out from the academy to participate in the war teacher selection, are mostly exceptionally talented. It's inevitable that they are arrogant and proud. Letting them know early that there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people is not a mistake but rather a great benefit!"

The old man in blue nodded.

"We're both here. What about Dean Wu? Why haven't we seen him?"

Dean Wu asked curiously.

"You know Wu Ran, that fellow. He's obsessed with the insights left by Confucius on the Sealing Saint Platform and even started a Sealing Saint Society. He left a few months ago and is probably already in the city by now."

The old man in blue said.

The Wu Ran they mentioned was the dean of Qingzhu Master Academy, whom Zhang Xuan had met at the Sealing Saint Platform, and the president of the Sealing Saint Society.

The old man in blue was Shen Pingchao, dean of Luoqing Master Academy, and Dean Wu was Wu Tianqiong, dean of Yunxu Academy.

Yunxu, Luoqing, Qingzhu, and Hongyuan were the four master academies under the Qingyuan Title Empire.

Yunxu ranked first, Hongyuan last.

"Master Wu, Master Shen, my master Wu Ran invites you!"

As the two were conversing, a middle-aged man flew over, landed before them, and respectfully cupped his fists.

"See? I told you this fellow arrived early..." Shen Pingchao chuckled, said no more, and replied, "We'll go right away."

After speaking, he and Wu Tianqiong gave a few instructions to the teachers and students behind them, then followed the young man, flying straight into the city.

Before long, they arrived at a spacious courtyard.

Entering the hall, they saw Wu Ran sitting inside, pouring hot water into a teapot with graceful and comfortable movements, clearly a master of tea ceremony.

"You old fellow, you're quick! What, calling us over for tea? Let me tell you in advance, if it's not good tea, we won't drink it!"

Wu Tianqiong laughed.

"Don't worry, it's definitely good tea!" Wu Ran smiled lightly and looked up. "I had someone buy this specially at great expense, waiting for you two to come!"

As he spoke, he poured the tea from the pot into cups.

The two took the cups, and before even tasting, they saw a dense mist rising from them, like smoke and clouds, dazzling and brilliant.

"What beautiful tea..."

Their eyes lit up.

Leaving aside whether the tea was good, just this appearance alone left countless teas far behind.

Clouds drifted and mist settled, giving a sense of smoke enveloping rivers and lakes. Before the tea even entered the mouth, they already felt relaxed and happy.

"Naturally. This is the Cloud Mist Tea unique to Cloud Mist Ridge in the Hongyuan Empire. Just this small pot cost me ten top-grade spirit stones! And it's not even available on the market—basically impossible to buy. I had many people help, but only managed to get one tael. I've been saving it, waiting for you two to come..."

Wu Ran smiled.

"Just this appearance alone is worth it!" Wu Tianqiong laughed. "Come, let me try the taste!"

After laughing, he took a sip, his eyes immediately brightening, and he praised endlessly, "Good tea!"

Shen Pingchao on the side didn't hesitate either; after drinking, his eyes also lit up.

"Where did you buy this tea? Get me some too..."

"Get some? If I could, I'd have bought ten catties to store first..." Wu Ran shook his head.

"Then sell me your one tael; I'll pay double the price!" Shen Pingchao quickly said.

He too was a tea lover. Such exquisite tea, though he had only drunk it once, was already hard to give up.

"Not even at double the price... Alright, enough nonsense with you!" Wu Ran shook his head. "Have you heard the news about the old dean of Hongyuan Academy?"

"We heard. He went missing two years ago, life or death unknown. Hongyuan Academy probably still doesn't have a new dean yet."

Wu Tianqiong shook his head.

The deans of the four master academies were of equal status. They had long heard that the old dean had gone missing during a trial and never returned, his fate unknown. They had even grieved privately for a long time.

"The news that the old dean went missing two years ago is correct. However, Hongyuan Academy has already selected a new dean!" Wu Ran said.

"Selected a new dean? What kind of person is he? Have you inquired?" Shen Pingchao asked.

"Even without inquiring, I've learned quite a bit... If I tell you about this new dean of Hongyuan Academy, you'll definitely be shocked!"

He had arrived in Hongyuan City a few days early, and news of the new dean was everywhere; it was impossible not to know.

"Shocked?" Wu Tianqiong and Shen Pingchao exchanged glances. "Is this dean very famous? Sent down from headquarters?"

"Of course not. He's a student who just enrolled in the master academy this year, only twenty years old, named Zhang Xuan!" Wu Ran said.

"A newly enrolled student?"

"Twenty years old? Are you sure this information is correct?"

Both deans were stunned, wondering if they had misheard.

Was Hongyuan Academy going mad, or were they giving up in despair?

A twenty-year-old whose downy hair hasn't even grown in, becoming the dean of an academy? Really?

"Of course it's correct. You can ask anyone in Hongyuan City!" Wu Ran smiled bitterly. "Don't underestimate this twenty-year-old dean. I've heard many things about him, and even now, I find it incredible..."

"Incredible? Tell us!"

Wu Tianqiong couldn't help but say.

"Dean Wu, when you succeeded, you also invited the ancestors, didn't you? How much recognition did you receive from them?" Wu Ran looked over.

"I am not talented; I only received forty-five percent recognition from the ancestors, ranking seventh among over a hundred deans in Yunxu Academy's history."

Though he said 'not talented,' his tone was full of pride.

With over a hundred ancestors, achieving forty-five percent recognition meant that more than forty people had acknowledged his status, which was considered strong even in the academy's history.

After all, twenty percent recognition was enough to pass; he had nearly doubled that.

"And Dean Shen?" Wu Ran looked at the other.

"I only received thirty-seven percent recognition, not even in the top ten among Luoqing Academy's deans... I'm ashamed!" Shen Pingchao said.

"Forty-five percent, thirty-seven percent... For the ancestors of each academy, these are not weak numbers. But compared to this new dean of Hongyuan Academy, it can indeed be called shameful!"

Wu Ran shook his head, his eyes showing disbelief, as if the news he knew was too shocking for him to digest even now.

"You mean... we are inferior to him?"

The two deans frowned.