Chapter 102: Until the World's Peak

Phew! It's finally over!

Zhang Xuan finally stopped, exhaling, after continuously flipping through books from the afternoon until almost ten at night. The elementary library's books were all-encompassing, entirely focused on alchemy. Even with his recent significant increase in strength, flipping through them all had left him somewhat fatigued. By going through the books, he finally confirmed that this library indeed contained no information about special constitutions. Naturally, he couldn't find the answer here. This meant he had to become an alchemist to search the advanced library!

"To pass the official alchemist examination, this knowledge should be sufficient!"

Although the Alchemist Guild of Tianxuan Kingdom was merely a small branch, it was backed by the main guild, allowing it to stand firm even through dynastic changes. Over hundreds or even thousands of years, even its elementary library had accumulated an astonishing amount of knowledge. Even a true master teacher couldn't possibly read all these books and assimilate all the knowledge within them. But Zhang Xuan had. With such vast knowledge, if he claimed to be second in understanding alchemy in Tianxuan Kingdom, no one would dare claim to be first. Of course, this was only theoretical knowledge. If he were to actually perform alchemy, he probably couldn't even light the furnace fire, let alone refine a pill.

"Time to find something to eat!"

Feeling his already rumbling stomach, Zhang Xuan stretched and strode out of the library. He had only eaten breakfast today, followed by classes, mind interrogation, and the alchemist apprentice examination—it had been a chaotic day. His stomach was already growling loudly; if not for his increased strength and improved physique, he might not have been able to endure it. The elementary library was further inside, past the apprentice examination room. As he walked out, he saw Ouyang Cheng and Du Man still sitting inside, holding brushes and seemingly writing something. Their expressions were strange—a mix of bewilderment, struggle, and discomfort...

"What are you doing?"

Seeing the two official alchemists in such a state, Zhang Xuan walked in, full of curiosity.

"Ah..."

Ouyang Cheng and Du Man were in the midst of analyzing what Zhang Xuan intended by flipping through books. Startled by his sudden entry, they quickly covered a piece of paper on the table with their hands. Zhang Xuan looked down. He saw a few lines of text visible.

"Guessed purpose of flipping books in the library: 1. Showing off (30 votes); 2. Boredom (1 vote); 3. Researching book materials (1 vote)..."

Just reading those lines, Zhang Xuan's face darkened. "Is this about me?" He was the only one who had been flipping through books in the library. "It's about me, but... what's with the voting? And why is 'showing off' ranked first, with so many votes?"

"Ahem, ahem, we just found your book-flipping in the library a bit strange, so we couldn't help but discuss it..." Seeing that he had already seen it, Ouyang Cheng stopped trying to hide it, suppressing his embarrassment. The normally stern and humorless Alchemist Ouyang Cheng, known for his seriousness, was actually hiding in a room with another alchemist, analyzing an apprentice's purpose for flipping through books, even asking others to vote... If this got out, it would be absolutely unbelievable.

"I was looking for a book... couldn't find it, so I was just flipping through others randomly!" Zhang Xuan said casually. He certainly couldn't reveal anything about the Library of Heaven's Path, but his book-flipping had indeed been too peculiar, making suspicion inevitable. It seemed he needed to be more careful in the future. However, he was just flipping books and not doing anything else. Although others might be suspicious, they couldn't possibly understand what he was truly doing, much less imagine that he had a massive library in his mind.

"It's that simple..."

Hearing this, Ouyang Cheng and Du Man both wore expressions of utter bewilderment. They had spent the entire afternoon pondering, losing their appetite, convinced there was some special intention behind his actions. They never dreamed it was so straightforward.

"What else could it be if it's not simple?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking at them. Anyway, as long as he didn't admit to the Library of Heaven's Path, lying was easy for him, without even a blush.

"Uh... alright then!" Ouyang Cheng shook his head helplessly. After an entire afternoon of analysis, he hadn't expected such a simple answer from Zhang Xuan. To ease the awkwardness, he said, "I've already informed ten alchemists about the Pill Debate; they will all arrive tomorrow! You should prepare well too. It will take place here tomorrow afternoon!"

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded, then asked for more details about the Pill Debate procedure before turning to leave.

Just as he left the room, he heard Du Man's voice. "You lost, give me the money..."

"I lost, but you didn't exactly win either; your biggest bet was that he was showing off..." Ouyang Cheng retorted, displeased.

Zhang Xuan stumbled. "You're all reputable alchemists, yet you're gambling on me..."

Feeling utterly dismayed, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room. As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw Zhao Ya and the others standing outside.

"Why are you here?" A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. This was the Alchemist Guild, not the academy. Why had Zhao Ya come here?

"Teacher Zhang, thank you!"

Seeing him appear, Zhao Ya could no longer hold back. She immediately knelt, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

"Get up quickly, what are you thanking me for?" Zhang Xuan frowned. What was wrong with this girl? Kneeling as soon as she arrived... Had her body's "stubborn ailment" been cured? Thinking this, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you finish that Frigid Sun Mother Grass? How were the effects?"

Hearing the words "Frigid Sun Mother Grass," Yao Han, who had initially suspected Zhang Xuan didn't recognize the herb and thus gave it away, trembled. It seemed he knew about this grass, which meant he definitely knew its value! To casually give away such a valuable medicinal herb to a student, and to risk taking the alchemist examination simply to help a student unlock a special constitution... Regardless of his teaching methods, this level of responsible teacher's ethics alone made Yao Han utterly admire him.

"Teacher Zhang, I was blind before; I judged a noble man with a petty heart. Please forgive me!" Yao Han stepped forward, completely bowing in reverence. Reflecting on his previous actions, he found them truly laughable. How could such a responsible teacher not teach well? It seemed the rumors outside might not be true after all.

"This..." Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan blinked. "Can someone tell me what's going on? How did me just passing the alchemist apprentice exam make them act like this?"

He soon understood what had happened. He had come here to find a solution for special constitutions not just for Zhao Ya, but primarily for Yuan Tao. He hadn't expected such a simple act to move her so deeply. However, thinking about it, he suddenly realized: the Pill Debate was seen as having an extremely low success rate and being very dangerous in others' eyes. Yet, he had gone ahead without hesitation. In their view, he was willing to sacrifice everything and overcome any difficulty for his students! That sheer dedication alone was priceless!

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan fell silent. While he had moved Zhao Ya, her actions, in turn, had moved him. Previously, he had only seen these students as leverage to avoid being expelled. Now, he realized that people were emotional beings: how you treated others was how they would treat you. The children's thirst for knowledge and their gratitude made him deeply feel the responsibility of a teacher and the heavy burden on his shoulders.

"Rest assured, as my students, I will help you go further and further, until you reach the pinnacle of the world!"

Clenching his fists, Zhang Xuan secretly swore in his heart. At this moment, he finally completed his transformation from a transmigrator to a true teacher.

Boom! The instant this thought emerged, at the highest point of the Library of Heaven's Path, a violent roar resounded, forming a golden book. However, Zhang Xuan did not perceive it.