Chapter 1162: Wei Ranxue's Senior Sister

Chu Xiang nearly stumbled and fell.

"I want to watch Fairy Ziyan's solo dance because I wish to be alone with her... You're a grown man, who'd want to watch you? I don't have such peculiar tastes!"

"Teacher Zhang, please calm down..." Hu Yaoyao, unable to bear the sight any longer, quickly pulled him aside. Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier also held their foreheads, looking utterly helpless. They had long known that Teacher Zhang's emotional intelligence was low, but they never imagined it could be this abysmal. Was the way Young Master Chu Xiang was drooling earlier the appropriate reaction to the Startling Swan Dance? And you want to dance for *him*? He wouldn't even watch for free, let alone pay a top-grade Vitality Spirit Stone for it... You're truly mistaken.

"Young Master Zhang Xuan, well... if you want to dance, perhaps you should dance with these beautiful ladies instead. I'm... not quite into that!" Chu Xiang managed to say, his face flushed.

"What a pity, you've missed a great opportunity!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He hadn't spoken on a whim; rather, he had discreetly observed Chu Xiang using his Eye of Insight just moments before. Young Master Chu Xiang appeared to be a wasteful idler, yet he could casually produce a top-grade Vitality Spirit Stone and had reached the third stage of the Saint realm at such a young age. How could he possibly be an incompetent person simply blinded by lust? His willingness to pay such a high price just to watch a single dance performance seemed bizarre, but in reality, it was a means to repair a flaw in his soul and further enhance his strength. If left unrepaired, his chances of reaching the Primordial Spirit realm in the future would be virtually nonexistent. It was precisely this insight that prompted him to offer a dance. Although Fairy Ziyan, performing on stage, was a seven-star Startling Swan Master, she was considerably less proficient than him when it came to mending souls. Had Chu Xiang accepted, Zhang Xuan's intervention would have been highly effective. Unfortunately, he did not seize the opportunity.

"An opportunity? I think I'll pass..." Chu Xiang quickly shook his head.

As the two of them conversed, the auction below concluded. The final price for the top-grade Vitality Spirit Stone had already surpassed a thousand top-grade spirit stones, an item often priceless and unavailable on the market. Ultimately, Chu Xiang secured the spot.

Shortly after the auction concluded, the door to their private room slowly opened. Fairy Ziyan, who had been performing on stage, entered. She had changed into a different outfit, far less revealing than her performance attire. Instead, it was modest and well-fitted, making her appear from a distance like a cultured young lady, with any trace of her professional persona having vanished without a trace. Upon closer inspection, they realized that not only was the woman beautiful, with flawless skin, but the aura she exuded was also so captivating that one couldn't tear their eyes away.

"Ziyan greets Young Master Chu Xiang!" Fairy Ziyan said with a soft smile.

"Fairy, you are too kind..." Chu Xiang quickly rose to his feet and introduced, "This is my friend, Young Master Zhang Xuan!"

"Greetings, Young Master Zhang!" Ziyan nodded.

Zhang Xuan also nodded and looked at her. "Since the Fairy is a Startling Swan Master here, I have a question. If a peak six-star Startling Swan Master wishes to be assessed for seven-star status, whom should they approach, and where is the assessment held?" Upon arrival, the large crowd and impressive setup had prevented him from asking anyone. Now that she was directly in front of him, it was only natural to inquire.

"Assessing for a seven-star Startling Swan Master?" Fairy Ziyan glanced around, her eyes settling on Hu Yaoyao nearby. "Is this young lady the one wishing to be assessed?"

"It is I," Zhang Xuan confirmed.

"You?" Fairy Ziyan was momentarily stunned. Almost all Startling Swan Masters were women; a man seeking assessment was virtually unheard of.

"Indeed!" With that, Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist and produced a six-star emblem. It was the very one Wei Ranxue had helped him obtain.

"You are indeed a six-star Startling Swan Master. I'll take you there right away... Young Master Chu Xiang, I apologize, but would you mind waiting a moment? I will return to perform your solo dance after I've handled this matter." After a quick glance confirmed its authenticity, Fairy Ziyan turned to Chu Xiang with a look of apology.

"No problem at all!" Chu Xiang quickly nodded. "I have nothing else planned anyway, so... how about I accompany you?" He was utterly astonished that Zhang Xuan was actually a Startling Swan Master. A man dancing with such grace and charm... The thought alone was thrilling...

"Well..." Fairy Ziyan looked at Zhang Xuan. The assessment required absolute quiet, so she wanted to respect the candidate's wishes.

"Of course!" In Zhang Xuan's view, Startling Swan was merely a profession, and a public performance was nothing significant.

"Young Master Zhang, please follow me!" Knowing that the man before her was here for a seven-star assessment, Fairy Ziyan's demeanor became much friendlier, and she led the way. They quickly exited the hall and arrived at a spacious grand hall behind it.

"Ziyan, why have you brought people here?" A middle-aged woman approached them, her brow furrowed.

"Teacher, this Young Master Zhang is a six-star Startling Swan Master who wishes to be assessed for seven-star status..." she explained, handing over a token.

"Young Master Zhang?" The middle-aged woman glanced down, her face registering surprise. "Are you Zhang Xuan? Teacher Zhang from the Hongyuan Empire?"

"Huh?" Zhang Xuan was somewhat perplexed. "Do you know me?"

"I am Wei Ranqin, the president of this Startling Swan Master branch, and also Wei Ranxue's senior disciple sister," the middle-aged woman replied with a smile. "She messaged me specifically about you before, mentioning that you've comprehended the realm of returning to simplicity at such a young age. Your talent is truly astonishing!"

"So you're President Wei!" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. Although Wei Ranxue hadn't mentioned her specifically, given what she said and her accurate knowledge of his background, there seemed to be no issue.

"No need for formalities! Junior Sister Ranxue, limited by her identity as a Master Teacher, often found her dance constrained, which prevented her from breaking through the peak six-star level. It was only after your guidance that she made further progress and reached the seven-star level!" President Wei Ranqin said with a smile. Indeed, after receiving Zhang Xuan's guidance, Wei Ranxue had achieved a breakthrough in her understanding of the Startling Swan profession. "She sent a special message, saying you would arrive here soon and instructed me to thank you properly if I met you. Since you wish to be assessed for seven-star status, I will go prepare now..." President Wei Ranqin nodded.

"Thank you very much, President," Zhang Xuan said, clasping his fists.

"It's no trouble at all. For our guild, having more geniuses is a fortunate thing," Wei Ranqin said with a smile, then turned to Ziyan. "Ziyan, please keep Teacher Zhang company here. I'll go prepare and be back soon!"

"Understood!"

As Wei Ranqin left, Fairy Ziyan and Chu Xiang immediately turned to Zhang Xuan, both filled with astonishment. President Wei was known for her reclusive nature, indifference to fame and fortune, and her ability to conceal her emotions. Even Fairy Ziyan had never seen her teacher so excited.

"Brother Zhang Xuan, are you truly... a Startling Swan Master?" Chu Xiang asked, still in disbelief.

"Yes," Zhang Xuan confirmed.

"Oh, how foolish I've been!" Chu Xiang exclaimed, slapping his forehead upon hearing the confirmation.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

"If I had studied the Startling Swan Master profession, I would have had the chance to interact with Startling Swan Masters. Then, I could watch as many Startling Swan Dances as I wished without paying. Most importantly... 'the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first.' Look at you, Brother Zhang, you have three such stunning beauties accompanying you here. You're practically a grand winner in life!" Chu Xiang said with a face full of regret. "How could I have been so foolish not to study it? Otherwise, my life would surely be completely different now..."

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

Disinclined to entertain someone whose mind was so preoccupied with such thoughts, Zhang Xuan turned to Fairy Ziyan. "I'd like to ask, how is one assessed for a seven-star Startling Swan Master?"

"You don't know?" Fairy Ziyan asked, surprised. To come for an assessment without even knowing the procedure was truly bold.

"I don't," Zhang Xuan replied, shaking his head.

"The seven-star Startling Swan Master assessment isn't significantly different from the six-star one. Since you've passed the six-star assessment, you needn't worry!" Fairy Ziyan nodded.

"Ahem, may I ask... how is the six-star assessment conducted?" Zhang Xuan asked, scratching his head. He had obtained his six-star emblem with Wei Ranxue's help in applying for it, without having gone through an actual assessment himself. He was equally unclear about the assessment process or what constituted a pass.

Fairy Ziyan frowned, a look of displeasure on her face. Not understanding the seven-star assessment was one thing, but how could he be a six-star Startling Swan Master and not even know how the six-star assessment was conducted? She wondered if he was intentionally trying to make a fool of her.

"I became a six-star Startling Swan Master without participating in an assessment," Zhang Xuan explained, sensing her misunderstanding. "Rather, Dean Wei directly helped me apply for it, so I'm not familiar with the examination process."

"Directly applied for? How is that possible?" Fairy Ziyan scoffed, flicking her sleeve. "Without performing the Startling Swan Dance, how could anyone know the depth of your understanding of this profession? How could an emblem be directly bestowed? That's simply absurd! There should be a limit to exaggerating! While the Startling Swan Master profession's assessments weren't as rigorous as those for the Nine Major Professions, it was still a specialized field. Every assessment required the joint review and confirmation of several elders of the same rank before a rank emblem could be issued... To be directly granted an emblem without an assessment... What kind of joke was that? In all her years of cultivating as a Startling Swan Master, even being hailed as a once-in-a-century genius, she had never witnessed anything so preposterous."

"Well..." Zhang Xuan hadn't anticipated that telling the truth would result in such disbelief. Unsure how to explain further, he simply said, "How about this? Where is your guild's library? Could you take me there?" It wouldn't matter if she refused; as long as there were books, he might find the answers himself. Moreover, he was currently only *comparable* to a seven-star; he could only be considered a true seven-star Startling Swan Master after reading seven-star level texts and condensing them into a Heaven's Path cultivation technique.

"My teacher will be here shortly. Please wait here for now..." Fairy Ziyan was about to speak, waving her hand, when she saw her teacher, President Wei Ranqin, approaching, a smile already gracing her face before she even reached them.

"Congratulations, Teacher Zhang! Wei Ranxue has reported your understanding of the Startling Swan Master profession to headquarters, and it has passed their review. I just submitted an application, and headquarters responded that no assessment is needed; you are to be directly granted a seven-star emblem," Wei Ranqin said with a smile, handing over an emblem.

"Thank you very much!" Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"It can truly be directly bestowed?" Fairy Ziyan stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.