Chapter 1156: Zhang Xuan Level Three

"Elder Wei was dispatched here because he happened to be not far from Qingyuan City," President Ruan explained, seeing his confusion.

The Spirit Awakener Guild's headquarters, like other headquarters, was very far from here. Even Saint Realm 4-dan or 5-dan Saint Beasts would take a long time to fly here. Elder Wei, however, was nearby, which allowed him to arrive within three days.

After the introduction, he turned around. "Elder Wei, this is the super genius I mentioned to you, Master Zhang! His talent in spirit awakening is extraordinarily high, reaching an astonishing level!"

"Indeed!" Elder Wei nodded, looking at Zhang Xuan. "President Ruan told me in detail about your situation. In just a few hours, you went from knowing nothing to successfully awakening the guild's spirit simply by reading books... Your talent in spirit awakening is truly frighteningly strong!"

"You're too kind..." Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hand, a little puzzled. "May I ask why the Elder specifically came here?"

"Master Zhang is direct, so I won't hide anything. Upon hearing about you, the headquarters became very interested and hopes to invite you to the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters for cultivation..." Elder Wei said, cutting to the chase.

With her cultivation level, there was no need for pleasantries.

"Go to the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "President Ruan must have told you that I am a Master Teacher. Spirit awakening is just a supplementary profession for me, not my primary one!"

If he didn't reach the level of a 9-star Master Teacher before turning thirty, his life would be in peril. While spirit awakening was impressive, it held no significance for him. To be honest, going to their headquarters first and using their resources to improve his strength would greatly benefit his future development. However, the greater the benefit, the greater the obligation. It was impossible to simply gain without giving back, or to just take and run. Because of this, he had always adhered to his principles, advancing step by step, precisely because he didn't want to incur too great a debt of gratitude that he couldn't repay, ultimately delaying his Master Teacher promotion and cultivation.

"You can resign from your Master Teacher profession!" Elder Wei said, looking at him calmly, a strong sense of confidence on her face. "With your talent, if you cultivate diligently and receive training from the headquarters, it's not impossible to control Spirit Awakening Mountain and become a Spirit Awakening King! Upon reaching that realm, you could traverse the continent freely, and even 9-star Master Teachers would treat you with respect... Wouldn't that be far better than being a mere Master Teacher?"

Although the Spirit Awakener Guild was a supplementary profession and not as powerful as some other professions, reaching its highest level was truly terrifying. Especially once one gained control of the Sacred Land and became a Spirit Awakening King... what would a 9-star Master Teacher have to fear then?

"I will not resign from my Master Teacher profession!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "That is my life's pursuit. I will learn spirit awakening, but only as a supplementary skill!"

The Master Teacher path was his foundation. While he could learn supplementary skills, he couldn't let them interfere with his main profession. Otherwise, it would be a betrayal of his Master Teacher's heart. His status as a Celestial Master Teacher would also suffer backlash, leading to an unstable Dao Heart and the emergence of inner demons.

"You don't need to answer me so quickly. I can give you a few days to consider. This is an opportunity for a meteoric rise, and once missed, it won't come again..." Elder Wei frowned.

If it were anyone else with such talent, they would undoubtedly agree immediately. After all, the Spirit Awakener Guild was one of the most prominent powers on the entire continent. Even if it couldn't compare to behemoths like the Master Teacher Pavilion or the Combat Master Hall, it was still far beyond what minor guilds could achieve.

"Thank you for your generous offer, but I don't need to consider this matter!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Supplementary studies were fine, but his main profession was non-negotiable. However, he also knew that such an answer would certainly not be agreeable to the other party. Otherwise, if they spent a great deal of resources on his training only for him to run off as a Master Teacher, wouldn't it be akin to training talent for the Master Teacher Pavilion?

"Although Master Teachers are the continent's foremost profession, competition within the Master Teacher Pavilion is intense, and resources are limited. Reaching 9-star is by no means easy... If you join the Spirit Awakener Guild, we have women everywhere; you can marry as many as you wish! Or, if you prefer, you can awaken weapons and buildings and have them as your companions, with no problems at all..." Elder Wei continued.

"The Glacier Palace offered similar conditions, and I rejected them. Could the women of your Spirit Awakener Guild possibly be better than those of the Glacier Palace?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. It seemed that men had left a poor impression on women, who all assumed they were lecherous... What a joke! Did they really think women held such a huge allure for him? If that were true, Hu Yaoyao, Zhao Feiwu, Mo Yu, and others would have long since stayed by his side, instead of him barely giving them a second glance.

"The Glacier Palace?" Elder Wei was momentarily stunned. While many women in the Spirit Awakener Guild were also beauties, they paled in comparison to those of the Glacier Palace. That place had many women who cultivated pure Yin-attribute cultivation techniques, each one a breathtaking beauty of unparalleled charm. For this very reason, countless major powers on the continent considered it an honor to marry a woman from the Glacier Palace.

Knowing that even this esteemed organization had failed to recruit him, Elder Wei hesitated for a moment. Then, with a flick of her wrist, a light gray stone appeared in her palm.

"I have a Spirit Awakening Test Stone here that can test talent. If you can reach level ten... I can apply to headquarters for better terms, making it possible for you not to resign from your Master Teacher profession!"

"Test talent?"

"That's right. To be honest, only those whose spirit awakening talent reaches level ten have a chance to awaken Spirit Awakening Mountain... Unfortunately, for over five thousand years, our entire guild hasn't seen a single cultivator with such talent!" Elder Wei paused, then switched to telepathic transmission. This was a guild secret that she shouldn't have revealed on a first meeting, but according to President Ruan, the person before her might very well have reached this level. They absolutely had to bring him back to headquarters. Otherwise, the guild would grow weaker and weaker, eventually being swallowed by other forces. Even if a supplementary profession could rely on other professions, it still needed its own strength; otherwise, it would eventually become accustomed to dependence, becoming a subordinate with no voice.

"Spirit Awakening Mountain..."

"Spirit Awakening Mountain is a magical artifact born of heaven and earth, and it is our guild's greatest reliance. This stone was mined from it. Once successfully awakened, you can directly possess combat power comparable to a 9-star Master Teacher, allowing you to traverse the world freely, going anywhere you wish!" Elder Wei explained.

"That powerful?" Zhang Xuan was startled. To possess combat power comparable to a 9-star Master Teacher simply by successfully awakening a spirit was incredibly tempting. It was a complete meteoric rise. And to be able to retain his Master Teacher profession while having such an opportunity... it would be a lie to say he wasn't swayed. If this were truly the case, he wouldn't have to worry about so-called high-grade or peerless spirit stones anymore. He could have as many as he wanted, and his strength could advance a level a day. In just ten-odd days, he might even reach the continent's peak, becoming a super-powerful entity like Kong Shi.

"Yes!" Seeing his interest, Elder Wei nodded and handed him the test stone from her palm.

"The test is simple. Just hold the stone, calm your mind, and it will automatically test your talent..."

"Understood!" Zhang Xuan casually took it and nodded. He clasped his hands tightly and closed his eyes.

To be honest, he also wanted to see how high his talent in spirit awakening truly was. If he met the requirements and they didn't demand he resign from his Master Teacher profession... then going along wouldn't be an issue.

He instantly entered a state of tranquil mind. The test stone in his palm began to emit a dazzling light.

"Done!" A moment later, the light dissipated, and Zhang Xuan released his grip.

Elder Wei and President Ruan eagerly looked over. After just one glance, their eyebrows couldn't help but twitch, and they rubbed their eyes, filled with disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan felt a little strange. He looked down and his mouth also fell open. "How is this possible?" On the test stone, a single character was displayed: "Three!"

"This 'Three'... does it mean level three?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

He had just been told that the highest level was ten. He had easily reached the level of a 7-star pinnacle Spirit Awakener, so even if he wasn't level ten, he should at least be level seven or eight... What did "Three" mean?

"It's level three!" Elder Wei's mouth twitched.

She had heard the full report and personally seen the awakened guild. She had believed that the man before her should have at least reached level nine. How could it be... only "level three"? That was far too low, wasn't it?

"What does this level signify? Is it... very weak?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"Well..." Elder Wei's face was filled with internal conflict, unsure how to answer. She paused, then pointed to the test stone in his palm. "This stone... is level four!"

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

"Maybe I should try again..." Fearing an error, he tried several more times, but the result was the same as before: "Three."

Seeing the number, Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead, feeling a wave of helplessness. He had initially thought his talent was good, but now it seemed he was even worse than a mere stone... The thought filled him with frustration. It appeared that the reason he had become a Spirit Awakener so quickly and successfully awakened the guild was not due to his high talent, but rather... the Heaven's Path Divine Art being too formidable!

"Never mind. We've troubled Master Zhang enough for today..." Elder Wei shook her head with a wry smile.

If one test could be mistaken, repeated attempts convinced even her to give up hope. Master Zhang's spirit awakening talent was not just poor; it was ridiculously low... The reason he was able to awaken the guild was likely due to a fortunate coincidence. She had thought that if a level ten talent appeared, the Spirit Awakener Guild would be saved. Now, it seemed... she had been far too fanciful. If level ten geniuses appeared so easily, their guild wouldn't have had an vacant presidency for over five thousand years, constantly serving as a subordinate to other professions.

"Don't mention it..." Zhang Xuan's face was flushed with embarrassment.

He had just righteously negotiated with them, only to be tested and found to be inferior even to a stone... The thought alone made him feel ashamed.

"Please do not reveal anything about our guild's affairs, Master Zhang!" Elder Wei said via telepathic transmission. After receiving a clear affirmative, she beckoned to President Ruan. "Let's go!"

Just as the two were about to leave the courtyard, a clear voice rang out. "Teacher... may I try this test stone?"