Chapter 1044: Master, Not to Be Deceived

As a peak 6-star refiner, hearing this and recalling Sun Jin’s past actions, if he still couldn't figure out what was happening, he might as well have ended himself on the spot.

Though he had a guess, President Zhong still looked at Sun Jin, who was not far away, disbelief etched on his face. This man, once his favorite elder, someone he even considered his successor for the presidency... how could he have done such a thing? Yet, the truth was undeniable. Zhang Xuan, the esteemed principal of the Master Teacher Academy, would never tarnish his own reputation and cause such a commotion if he hadn't thoroughly investigated and confirmed the facts.

"What exactly happened?" Gritting his teeth, he stared coldly, wishing he could flay the man before him. If his suspicions were true, not only would Sun Jin be disgraced, but the entire Huoyuan City Refiner Guild would become a negative example for the headquarters. Even he himself would be condemned by future generations, unable to hold his head high, his name tainted for eternity!

"I..." Sun Jin's mouth twitched, and he quickly tried to explain, "President, I didn't do it, I truly don't know!"

"You don't know?" President Zhong's gaze was like lightning. "You should know the consequences of lying to a Master Teacher! Tell the truth now, and you might still beg for leniency. But once the full truth comes out, forget me—even if Zhang Xuan executes you on the spot, I wouldn't utter a single 'no'!"

Master Teachers are not to be deceived! Lying to a Master Teacher, if discovered, significantly increases the severity of the crime. Not only can the individual be executed on the spot, but their blood relatives will also be implicated, barred from being assessed for any of the Nine-Flow professions! This wasn't a rule set by the Master Teacher Pavilion itself, but rather an oath sworn by numerous professions, out of respect for teachers. Deceiving a "teacher" is akin to deceiving one's own parents; it signifies a complete lack of moral principles. Such individuals, if left unchecked, will inevitably become a menace.

"I..." Sun Jin's face turned ashen, his body trembling uncontrollably. He naturally knew this rule, but deep down, he still harbored a sliver of hope that with time, they wouldn't be able to uncover the truth.

"What, speechless now?" President Zhong's disappointment grew even deeper. In fact, the moment Sun Jin hesitated, he had already guessed. If he truly hadn't done it, he would have argued vehemently, not looked so conflicted. His current appearance was proof enough.

"Don't hold onto the naive hope that the Master Teacher Pavilion won't be able to find out over time... If they can't even investigate something like this, they wouldn't be called the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Hall Master Feng Yihui, standing to the side, also deduced the situation, his expression grim. Such an incident occurred under his jurisdiction, yet he failed to notice it, while Principal Zhang, who had only been there for two or three days, discovered it. This was a serious dereliction of duty on his part.

With his thoughts exposed, Sun Jin stiffened, unsure how to respond. Indeed, if they were willing to investigate, there was nothing the Master Teacher Pavilion couldn't uncover. Even if a long time had passed, the families of those thirty-plus apprentices would surely still be around. A thorough search would certainly yield clues. One apprentice failing an assessment could be due to poor talent, but for so many, with not a single one passing, even the most foolish could see there was a problem. Previously, apprentices had low status and high turnover, so it went unnoticed. But with a focused investigation now, it would be impossible to hide.

What's more... His pupils contracted, and his other hand subtly reached for the storage ring on his right middle finger. True Qi surged within him, intending to destroy it. Before he could act, a sword glint whistled past.

Whish! His right middle finger was severed, and the ring fell to the ground.

"If my guess is correct, the cultivation technique he taught Song Zhen should be in that ring!" Zhang Xuan stated calmly, having intercepted his move.

"Yes!" President Zhong reached out, grabbing the storage ring from the ground. Energy surged forth, erasing the soul imprint on it. He looked into it for a moment, and then a book abruptly appeared before him. He gently opened it, and his face immediately turned ashen. He seemed on the verge of exploding, gritting his teeth as he handed the book to Song Zhen, who was nearby.

"Is this the cultivation art you practiced?" Approaching, Song Zhen glanced at it and nodded involuntarily, "That's right, this is what he taught us..."

"What more do you have to say?" Holding the book, President Zhong looked at Sun Jin again, his gaze like ice.

"I..." Sun Jin could no longer hold back. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. If he could have continued to conceal and stall before, now that the book had been retrieved from his storage ring, anything he said would be meaningless!

"I was momentarily deluded... I thought there were so many ores here, and if I could find them, I could earn more money, and even if I stopped being a refiner later, I could still live a better life..."

"To live a better life for yourself, you harmed so many innocent cultivators... You are not fit to be a refiner, much less to teach apprentices!" Shaking his head, President Zhong gritted his teeth. Although refiners are not Master Teachers, they still have a legacy. This man, under the guise of training apprentices, was actually committing acts that benefited himself at others' expense, severely violating the very essence of what a "teacher" represents.

"Principal Zhang, Hall Master Feng, I failed to properly supervise my subordinate and was blind to his true nature, mistakenly trusting him, which led to this disaster... I am willing to resign as the President of the Refiner Guild and will spend the rest of my life seeking out the families of these thirty apprentices to compensate them..." With a flick of his wrist, President Zhong sealed Sun Jin's cultivation and looked at Zhang Xuan. As the President of the Refiner Guild, for this man to commit such acts right under his nose for twenty years without detection was a serious dereliction of duty in itself. Besides Song Zhen, the other apprentices, though dead, surely had families, and he was willing to spend his life making amends.

"While this matter isn't your fault directly, you bear significant responsibility!" Zhang Xuan stated, his hands clasped behind his back. Although the primary guilt wasn't his, as Sun Jin's superior, he failed to discern his subordinate's character, granted him the status of an elder, and provided him with greater convenience, allowing him to act without restraint and harm so many people. This was undeniable. If Sun Jin hadn't been an elder of the guild and a 6-star refiner, how could he have possessed the power to conceal the deaths of dozens of apprentices without arousing suspicion?

"I know, but unfortunately, given the current situation, nothing I do can truly make amends..." President Zhong glanced at Song Zhen, his face filled with despair. Not to mention the deceased, even for Song Zhen standing before them, no matter how much effort he exerted, the outcome could no longer be changed. The cultivation technique Song Zhen practiced clashed with refining. Even a peak 6-star Grand Refiner Master couldn't change this or set his fate back on track.

"It's not entirely unchangeable..." Seeing the President's attitude, Zhang Xuan understood what he was thinking. He shook his head and extended a hand. "Let me see that book!"

"Yes!" Nodding, President Zhong handed over the cultivation technique retrieved from Sun Jin's storage ring.

Zhang Xuan took it, casually flipped through it, and then lowered his head in thought. Moments later, he took out paper and brush, writing with flowing, elegant strokes. Before long, he had rewritten a new set of cultivation art and handed it to Song Zhen, who was nearby. "Cultivate according to this set of techniques!"

At this point, Song Zhen finally understood what had truly happened. He looked at Sun Jin again, no longer with respect, but with intense hatred. He had become Sun Jin's apprentice, filled with immense hope, and had persevered for twenty years, only for it all to amount to nothing in the end!

Song Zhen took the book, a look of confusion on his face. Although he was grateful to Principal Zhang, his life's goal had been declared impossible, and he no longer knew what to do.

"I said I would make you a true refiner, and I naturally stand by my word!" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly. "After you finish cultivating this technique, you can take the assessment to become a 5-star refiner today, or even... a 6-star!"

"Assess for 5-star? 6-star?" Song Zhen froze, startled, unable to believe it.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile.

Song Zhen quickly opened the book. The ink hadn't fully dried yet, emitting a faint fragrance, and the characters seemed almost ready to leap off the page, filling him with exhilaration. Soon, after reading through the book once, Song Zhen's body stiffened, unable to believe what he read. Having cultivated to Consonant Spirit realm around thirty years old without a Master Teacher's guidance, his cultivation talent was undeniable. Though he had only briefly skimmed the book's contents, he already knew how formidable this technique was! Just as Zhang Xuan had said, it not only resolved the fundamental issue with his cultivation but also allowed his cultivation to advance further, reaching a higher realm!

"Begin!" Seeing his dazed look, Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Yes!" Without hesitation, he quickly sat cross-legged on the ground and began cultivating according to the instructions in the manual.

Seeing him cultivate, Zhang Xuan turned to the old man nearby. "President Zhong, I might need to trouble you to help him find three Level-6 pills: the Bone-Opening Body-Tempering Pill, and the Meridian-Reversing Pill..." Song Zhen had cultivated that technique for twenty years. Even with Zhang Xuan redesigning the manual to reverse his meridians and alter his True Qi, it wouldn't be easy for him to smoothly refine artifacts without assistance. Some medicinal pills would still be needed as assistance. Altering meridians and transforming True Qi that was previously opposite to Earth Fire into a compatible form—no one else could achieve this. Only with the Heaven's Path Divine Art, a cultivation technique without any detours, as a foundation could he successfully deduce such a method.

"These kinds of pills are hard to find elsewhere, but they aren't rare in Huoyuan City... Please wait a moment!" President Zhong hurried away. Huoyuan City, rich in Earth Fire, was where the refining and alchemy professions flourished most. Coupled with an abundance of rare medicinal ingredients, pills unobtainable elsewhere could be found here, so it wouldn't take much time.

Before long, he returned, bringing all three pills Zhang Xuan had requested. He handed the pills to Song Zhen, instructing him to consume them while cultivating. Half an hour later, a sudden rumble echoed within Song Zhen's body. His aura surged instantly. After a period of cultivation, not only did the properties of his True Qi change, but he also broke through his limitations, reaching the Half-Saint realm!