Chapter 973: Defeating Master Zhuo with One Finger

"Well? Do I have the right to call you Wu Rufeng?"

Seeing him confirm, Zhang Xuan looked over.

"I..."

Master Wu wanted to refute but couldn't speak, his face flushed red. He waved his hand: "To earn respect, seniority doesn't count; what matters is... contribution to the Master Teacher Hall and to humanity. Without contribution, no matter how powerful one's teacher is, it's useless. Can your teacher guide you for life?"

"Make contributions?"

"Exactly. Only those who work diligently for humanity and make great contributions deserve respect."

Master Wu raised his head.

The measure of a master teacher is not who has the highest rank. For instance, You Xu, just executed, was a six-star peak master teacher, and with his age... his status was not low, but he betrayed humanity—how could he be worthy of respect?

Seeing his pride and arrogance, Zhang Xuan asked: "From your tone, it seems you have given much to humanity and made great contributions?"

"Indeed! Since I killed my first Otherworldly Demon at sixteen, I have slain forty-seven Otherworldly Demons above the Cocoon Severance realm! To be precise, I have contributed twenty-two points to humanity!"

With a snort, Master Wu released an aura of a master teacher.

"That many?"

"Impressive!"

"As expected of Vice Hall Master Wu! With such contributions, you rank high even in the Qingyuan Empire!"

"A seven-star upper-grade master teacher... terrifying..."

...

Hearing his words, Liao Zhanshi, Zhuo Zhanshi, Wu Tianqiong, and others all brightened, showing respect and admiration.

Even Elder Mi couldn't help but sigh, looking at Master Wu with a changed gaze.

"Twenty-two contribution points? What does that mean?"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled and looked at Zhao Bingxu, who was nearby.

"Killing an Otherworldly Demon counts as a contribution; saving humans also counts... Contributions vary in size. To better distinguish and quantify them, the Master Teacher Hall uses points to measure them!"

Seeing the dean didn't understand, Zhao Bingxu quietly explained.

This was a regulation from the Master Teacher Hall headquarters, not implemented in the Master Teacher Academy, so there were no related introductions or books.

Although the dean had read many books and was knowledgeable, he wasn't clear on this.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

That made sense. Based on what he had learned, contributions could be exchanged for treasures in the Master Teacher Hall. Without a standard, how could one know whose contribution was greater?

Even when exchanging treasures, one needed to know the cost!

You couldn't just do something trivial and exchange it for a treasure that was otherwise unattainable.

"How are these points... determined?"

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan asked.

"The Master Teacher Hall has a special criterion for determining points. I'm not clear on the specifics, but... when the dean tamed all the sacred beasts and spirit beasts in Cloud Mist Ridge, averting a human crisis... it was reported to the Master Teacher Hall, and the calculation came out to... about five contribution points!"

After thinking, Zhao Bingxu said.

"Only five points?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

The nine kings of Cloud Mist Ridge were all at the peak of Saint Realm One, and there were countless beasts at the Saint, Half-Saint, and Cocoon Severance realms.

Taming so many only yielded five points...

Twenty-two points from the other party—that was indeed terrifying!

"Yes. Although the spirit beasts of Cloud Mist Ridge were violent, they had been entrenched on the mountain for years without many beast tides. With the Master Teacher Academy stationed there, they posed little threat to humans, so... the contribution was less!"

Zhao Bingxu was a bit embarrassed.

When he heard that taming so many spirit beasts only yielded that many points, he had inquired and received that explanation.

The size of a contribution depends not on what you do, but on what you do for the entire human race.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The spirit beasts of Cloud Mist Ridge had secretly hunted Master Teacher Hall members, and even Zhao Bingxu and others knew little, thinking they were just guarding the mountain without attacking.

Later, the Azure Horned Dragon Beast and the ruthless man involved too much; Zhang Xuan hadn't let Elder Mi disclose it, so the headquarters didn't know and naturally calculated fewer merits.

"Master Wu, the junior is young. With his talent and strength, making more contributions is only a matter of time. Besides, capturing You Xu and exposing his true face has reduced a parasite of humanity..."

Seeing the discussion turn to contributions, Master Mu mediated.

He didn't know about the Cloud Mist Ridge spirit beasts, but capturing You Xu, a traitor to humanity, would also count as a contribution.

"Capturing You Xu? Hmph, can that contribution be even one point?"

Master Wu chuckled lightly.

"This... exactly one point!"

Master Mu nodded.

"Heh!"

Master Wu sneered and looked at Zhang Xuan again: "Dean Zhang, you heard. Although your teacher is powerful, to earn respect, you need to contribute to humanity or have real strength... I think you should stay. This relic is very dangerous, not a place to play. If you go, I fear no one can take care of you if danger arises."

"I..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

He was only at the peak of Saint Realm, and going to a relic where even seven-star master teachers could fall was indeed dangerous. It was understandable that the other party didn't want to take him.

But judging strength solely by cultivation level was too arbitrary.

Thinking this, he smiled and looked over: "I wonder... does Master Zhuo have the qualifications to go?"

"Master Zhuo is a centurion of the War Master Hall, and his strength has reached Saint Realm Two, the Spirit Perception realm. Naturally, he is qualified to go!"

Master Wu nodded.

"Then..." Zhang Xuan's lips curled, and he turned to Zhuo Qingfeng with a warm smile: "Master Zhuo, are you free? I've recently made some breakthroughs in cultivation and would like to spar with someone..."

"Me?" Zhuo Qingfeng was startled, hesitated, then said: "Since Dean Zhang has the interest, I'd be happy to oblige..."

To be honest, these days, the War Master Hall had been thoroughly beaten by this man's students, and he had long wanted to test Dean Zhang's strength.

Unfortunately, Zhang Xuan was elusive. Now that he finally appeared and even wanted to spar, Zhuo Qingfeng was very interested.

He didn't believe that he, a Saint Realm Two expert, couldn't defeat a Saint Realm cultivator!

"Alright, let's begin!"

Zhang Xuan smiled, and with a flicker, he appeared in the center of the hall.

"Here?"

Zhuo Qingfeng was taken aback: "This is the council hall. If our battle energy impacts it, I'm afraid it will collapse..."

This was the council hall of the Elder Court. Although it seemed spacious, at their level, any leakage of power could cause massive damage. It wouldn't be good if it collapsed.

"Don't worry, the battle will end quickly. That won't happen!"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"End quickly?"

Frowning, Zhuo Qingfeng's expression darkened: "Since Dean Zhang insists, I'll oblige!"

With a snort, he flipped his wrist, and a long sword appeared in his palm.

"Draw your weapon?"

"Weapon?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head: "No need for such trouble. Let's begin!"

His golden embryonic form had transformed into purple-gold, more than doubling his combat power. Even against a Saint Realm Two expert, it was nothing.

"Then I won't hold back..."

Seeing this man was even more arrogant than his students, not even drawing a weapon, Zhuo Qingfeng's face darkened. He shook his long sword, and with a whoosh, he thrust it forward.

This time, he didn't suppress his strength. The full power of Saint Realm Two, the Spirit Perception realm, erupted, and in an instant, the room was filled with raging true energy, roaring like thunder.

"So strong..."

Zhao Bingxu and Elder Mi turned pale with fright.

Even Wu Tianqiong and the others involuntarily constricted their pupils.

In terms of rank, as deans of the four academies, they were stronger than Zhuo Qingfeng, but in a real fight... they would surely lose.

Dean Zhang, only at the peak of Saint Realm, was so much lower in level—how could he fight?

They quickly looked up and saw Zhang Xuan facing the ferocious sword technique, not afraid but smiling, standing still.

"Hmph!"

Sensing his contempt, Zhuo Qingfeng's face darkened. The cold gleam of his sword shot out like a venomous snake, stabbing toward Zhang Xuan's chest.

It was just a spar, so he didn't aim for a vital spot.

Still, if it hit, with the sword aura and violent true energy, Zhang Xuan would be severely injured.

"Heh!"

Seeing the sword approaching, about to strike him, Zhang Xuan finally extended two fingers and gently pinched.

Hum!

Zhuo Qingfeng's magnificent sword, like a snake caught by the neck, struggled but couldn't break free.

"This..."

His pupils constricted, and Zhuo Qingfeng was startled.

Catching a sword barehanded required not only sharp eyesight and precise timing but also immense strength.

He was a war master, naturally powerful in combat. His strongest strike was caught by two fingers... How was that possible?

While he was shocked, the young man released the sword and gently flicked the blade.

Boom!

Immediately, a tremendous force surged along the sword, and Zhuo Qingfeng turned pale, involuntarily retreating seven or eight steps.

Each step left a deep footprint on the floor.

After stopping, he still felt immense power in the sword. Unable to withstand it, he leaped backward again.

Bang!

Jumping too fast, his back hit a pillar in the hall. His face flushed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Only then did he feel much better. He quickly sheathed his sword, cupped his fists, and approached the young man: "Thank you, Dean Zhang, for going easy!"

If the other party hadn't held back, that blow would have crushed him into a meat patty.

No wonder he could teach freaks like Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan... This teacher was even more freakish!

Having experienced it, he knew—a dignified Saint Realm Two expert indeed couldn't beat a Saint Realm cultivator...

"You're welcome..."

He only wanted to demonstrate his strength; having achieved his goal, there was no need to continue.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Xuan turned to Master Wu nearby: "I wonder if my strength... qualifies me to go?"