Chapter 1203: Gou Hall Master Admits Defeat

Although he understood the spirit of a teacher who teaches everyone without discrimination, Hall Master Gou harbored selfish motives, couldn't distinguish right from wrong, and was poor at judging character. How could such a person, whose increasing strength would only make him a greater menace to humanity, be entrusted with the transmission of such a powerful palm technique from Ancient Sage Qiuwu?

Zhang Xuan had a kind temperament but was not a pushover. He knew exactly who he could accept as a disciple and who he couldn't.

"I was just being fanciful..." Hall Master Gou's face was filled with despondency.

He had personally forced the other party to challenge the hall, and now he wanted to learn their martial arts? How was that possible? Not killing him on the spot was already a great concession.

"I lost..." Hall Master Gou shook his head and announced loudly, "Master Zhang has passed the first stage of the challenge!" The first stage, which required defeating all the master teachers of a Master Teacher Hall, was now complete.

"Wait... I haven't fought with Vice Hall Master Tian Qing... I'm afraid he won't be convinced!" Zhang Xuan interrupted him.

"I'm not his opponent, so Tian Qing certainly isn't either. Therefore, whether we fight or not is meaningless..." Hall Master Gou shook his head.

"I'm not his opponent, I concede!" Tian Qing clasped his fist.

Seeing the other party concede, Zhang Xuan was filled with regret. To be honest, he really wished the other party had agreed so he could give them a good thrashing, perhaps paralyzing them first, making it impossible for them to walk ever again. However, since they conceded, it would be improper to attack. After all, this was just a challenge to the hall, not an assassination.

"The Master Teacher Tower is this way, Master Zhang, please follow me..." The Master Teacher Tower contained the spiritual wills of the most formidable master teachers from previous generations within a Master Teacher Hall. Some of these individuals had reached the low-level Eighth Star, or even higher, making it extremely difficult to gain their recognition and pass. Therefore, compared to the overall challenge, defeating all the master teachers in the first stage was considered relatively easy. The real difficulty lay here, where countless geniuses throughout history had been trapped.

Following closely, Zhang Xuan soon saw a seven-story tower standing before him, exuding a sense of steadfastness like the ocean, as if it could suppress all directions.

Knowing this stage would be more difficult than the last, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, focused his mind, pushed open the door, and entered.

Seeing him disappear, a master teacher couldn't help but ask, "Master Zhang... can he succeed?"

"It's very difficult. Although the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall isn't among the top-ranked of the Eight Conferred Empires, it has produced four Eighth-Star master teachers throughout history. Among them, the most formidable, Master He, even reached the mid-level Eighth Star! The spiritual wills they left behind are vast and knowledgeable; it likely won't be easy to pass!" A knowledgeable master teacher stated.

"Indeed, for a master teacher to reach Eighth Star means they are nearing the pinnacle of the entire continent. Their knowledge, state of mind, and understanding of cultivation are beyond what ordinary people can contend with..." The first master teacher nodded.

"Sigh, I just hope Zhang Xuan can pass. If he succeeds, we, as his students, will also share in the glory!" "Yes, I also hope he passes. No one has challenged the hall for so many years. If he succeeds here, imagine how famous he'll be! We'll have something to be proud of when we go out later..."

"Pfft!" Overhearing their conversation, the injured Hall Master Gou could no longer suppress the blood in his chest and coughed up several more mouthfuls before finally stopping.

When others challenged a hall, the master teachers of that hall would wish to slay them. But here, they were all eager for the challenger to succeed... This was *their* Master Teacher Hall! If someone successfully challenged it, wouldn't they be utterly disgraced? What was there to be proud of?!

"'A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little.' Hall Master Gou, regardless of whether Master Zhang passes or not, you have already lost the support of the people. Even if the headquarters doesn't pursue your responsibility, it's likely that no master teacher within the hall will ever be willing to follow your commands again..." Seeing his expression, Master Wu knew what he was thinking and shook his head.

Even if Vice Hall Master Tian Qing's scheme to frame Master Zhang was initially secretive, with so many master teachers returning simultaneously and causing such a stir, it would certainly be impossible to hide any longer. To contend against all the combat masters of the entire Master Teacher Hall by himself and even take them as students—even if it was only a half-master, half-disciple relationship—it was enough to change everyone's perception. A Hall Master who, in order to avoid trouble and retire peacefully, indulged his Vice Hall Master in framing other master teachers... this single accusation would cause countless master teachers to despise him, making it impossible for him to recover.

"I..." Hall Master Gou's face turned ashen.

Ever since the other party declared the challenge, he knew it would be difficult for him, as Hall Master, to recover. He just hadn't expected... the combat masters who had previously fought alongside him would betray him so completely.

"Could it be... I really did something wrong?" His body swayed, and his face grew dim. As a Hall Master for five hundred years, he had grown accustomed to his high position, losing his former humble mindset and considering everything based on his status... Receiving such retribution in the end could be considered well-deserved.

"This Master Zhang... what is his background, exactly?" His chest aching from suppression, he could no longer hold it in and asked.

"He is the most diligent and most talented person I have ever met..." Master Wu clenched his fists, his eyes shining.

A person who would read regardless of how dangerous or difficult the situation was—that learning attitude alone was something Master Wu couldn't match and needed to seriously learn from. Perhaps it was precisely because of such diligence and eagerness to learn that he achieved what he had today, possessing power that Master Wu himself couldn't compare to, all at such a young age!

After entering the Master Teacher Tower, Zhang Xuan did not stop, but slowly walked upwards.

He had challenged the Master Teacher Tower once before, so he knew the rules. The spiritual wills preserved within were all of a high level. Therefore, it was impossible to challenge their strength; the assessments were mainly on things related to master teachers, such as teaching, identifying flaws in others, and guiding martial arts. Thus, passing this stage didn't require strength, but rather the most profound knowledge, which was precisely what a master teacher should possess.

He hadn't walked far when a phantom appeared before him. It was the guardian of the first stage, Zhao Zhen, a low-level Eighth-Star master teacher from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, who had left thirteen thousand years ago.

"To challenge the hall at such a young age, what injustice have you suffered?" Seeing that the challenger was merely a twenty-year-old youth, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen frowned.

"The current Hall Master, to protect his position, slandered my innocence..." Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bowed, then explained the matter in detail.

"Such a thing happened? This truly shows how each generation is inferior to the last! It seems the Master Teacher Hall needs rectification..." After hearing the explanation, Zhao Zhen shook his head and looked at him again: "Although you've suffered great injustice, as a guardian of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Hall, I cannot easily let you pass. Otherwise, if everyone with a grievance came to challenge the hall, where would the Master Teacher Hall's prestige be?"

"Understood!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"My assessment is simple: guidance on martial arts!" Seeing the other party's sincere attitude, Zhao Zhen nodded with satisfaction: "I will demonstrate a set of martial arts. If you can identify even one flaw, you will pass..."

"Great!" Zhang Xuan's face lit up.

Seeing the young man before him not only showed no nervousness but also seemed relaxed and relieved, Zhao Zhen frowned: "Don't think finding one flaw is easy. As a low-level Eighth-Star master teacher, the martial arts I demonstrate are naturally my most perfected, modified countless times, and I believe them to be flawless! Even though it's just one flaw, many peak Seventh-Star master teachers might need days, months, or even years to find anything!"

"Got it, please start quickly! I still need to get to the next stage soon..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

"You..." Filled with displeasure, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen flicked his sleeve. As a dignified Eighth-Star master teacher, the questions he personally set were naturally not as simple as imagined, yet this fellow was so frivolous, even wanting to rush to the next stage... Was he so sure he could pass?

"This martial art of mine is called Autumn Wind Silk Entanglement Hand! I created it after observing how autumn leaves swept down by the wind couldn't be grasped but were instead ensnared by spiderwebs. Now, I'll demonstrate it for you..." Master Teacher Zhao Zhen spread his fingers, and streams of ethereal true qi shot out from between them, forming a web-like construct that enveloped the surroundings. If someone were in front of him, they would surely be ensnared, making escape difficult. "'I have never demonstrated this set of martial arts to anyone, so don't think of any crooked ways or imagine you can bluff your way through. There are ten moves in total, each more powerful than the last. This is the first move, Golden Silk Entanglement...' As he demonstrated, Master Teacher Zhao Zhen continued, 'After I demonstrate all ten moves, I will give you two hours. If you can find one flaw, you will pass; if not, then leave!'"

A normal challenge to the hall would grant the challenger two days, but seeing how arrogant and disrespectful this young man was, he directly reduced it to two hours, aiming to dampen the other party's vigor.

After two hours, if he found nothing, he would then grant an extension.

"You don't need to demonstrate all ten moves, and I don't need two hours. I can tell you now!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

His challenge to the hall was merely a spontaneous decision made after being insulted. What he truly needed to do now was quickly complete the Seventh-Star Master Teacher assessment, find ways to earn money, and improve his strength. He didn't have time to waste here.

"Right now?" Zhao Zhen was taken aback.

He had only used one move, and Zhang Xuan was already going to speak... Could it be that he had seen the flaw after just one move?

"Your Autumn Wind Silk Entanglement Hand looks good. It should rank quite high among mid-level Saint realm martial arts. Once mastered, it allows you to entangle enemies, making escape difficult. However... it has quite a few flaws. I just took a glance and roughly estimated... there are about 37 defects and loopholes!" Zhang Xuan stated.

"37 flaws?" Zhao Zhen's expression darkened.

He had only used one of his ten moves, and it was still unknown if any flaws could be found, yet Zhang Xuan was claiming 37 with a single remark? In an instant, he lost all favorable impression of this challenger.

"That's right..." Not noticing Zhao Zhen's changing expression, Zhang Xuan thought the other party didn't believe him and sighed: "Creating martial arts requires practical refinement; they can only unleash their greatest power through actual combat. Since you haven't taught it to others, it hasn't been refined through practice. To only have 37 errors, honestly, is already quite good..."

"You..." Zhao Zhen's spiritual will trembled furiously with anger, almost collapsing on the spot: "Then tell me, which 37 flaws are there... If you can't, believe me, I'll slap you to death!"