Chapter 1471: Eighth Disciple

"Me? Champion?"

Zhang Jiuxiao was stunned and quickly shook his head, "How is that possible!"

He was currently only at the Out-of-Body realm. He didn't even know when he would be able to reach the Domain realm, let alone how far behind he was compared to Zhang Chun, Zhang Feng, and others. Whether he could even pass the first round was uncertain; becoming champion was something he dared not even dream of. To be honest, as a collateral branch disciple, just being able to attend the family gathering, which was typically only for core disciples, was already incredibly unbelievable for him. Champion... he wouldn't even dare to hope for it!

"As long as you listen to me, your teacher, it's not impossible for you to surpass others and create a miracle in a short amount of time!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"But... among the younger generation, the strongest, like Zhang Chun, have already reached the Half-step Void-Shattering realm. I've even heard some have reached the true Void-Shattering realm. I'm... too far behind!" Seeing that the other party wasn't joking, Zhang Jiuxiao gave a bitter smile. It wasn't that he didn't believe the person in front of him; it was simply impossible. He was at Saint 5-dan Out-of-Body realm. The Void-Shattering realm was Saint 8-dan—the difference was immense, incomparable. If he encountered even one such expert, he'd only be able to flee, let alone fight, if he met a hundred. Furthermore, the Zhang clan's core disciples were geniuses among geniuses; even battle masters of the same cultivation level might not be able to contend with them. In short, his chances of participating in the competition and winning the championship were zero!

"Don't boost others' morale and diminish your own! Just by becoming my student, your foresight has already surpassed countless others!" Seeing that the young man had no confidence, Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

"It's my honor to become your student, Teacher, it's just..." Zhang Jiuxiao's face was as bitter as a gourd. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but the grand competition started tomorrow, and his current strength...

"I know what you're worried about!" With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked over. "I, Zhang Xuan, started from Tianxuan Kingdom, advancing from Martial Artist 3-dan to the peak of the Domain realm in just 14 months. I have seven direct disciples. My eldest disciple, Zhao Ya, is now the Young Palace Master of the Yin-Yang Palace. My second disciple, Wang Ying, has joined the Spirit Awakener Guild with boundless prospects. My third disciple, Liu Yang, whom you've met, though sometimes wayward, has also made a name for himself and acts with courage and conviction. My fourth disciple, Zheng Yang, is the Battle Master Hall's Battle Son, and will be its future Hall Master!" As he spoke, he walked forward, his aura growing stronger with each word. "My fifth disciple, Yuan Tao, is the Young Clan Head of the Yuan clan, possessing the unique Dragon-Rhinoceros bloodline, unmatched under heaven. My sixth disciple, Lu Chong, inherited the lineage of a Soul Oracle, whose soul cultivation arts are unparalleled, past and present! My seventh disciple, Wei Ruyan, is the new Hall Master of the Poison Hall, with an Innate Poison Body that can poison all things! All seven of my direct disciples are extraordinary. I'm taking you as my student with great expectations for you. How can you shrink back?" At this point, Zhang Xuan looked over, his gaze like lightning.

"I..." Clenching his fists, Zhang Jiuxiao's face flushed with excitement. He knew his teacher had many students, but he never imagined that each one was so powerful! The Young Palace Master of the Yin-Yang Palace, the Battle Master Hall's Battle Son, the Hall Master of the Poison Hall, the Young Clan Head of the Yuan clan... each of their statuses was not much inferior to the acting clan head of the Zhang clan, and they were all his students! If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, he wouldn't have believed it. He had previously thought winning the championship would be impossible, but now, upon hearing the names of his teacher's many students, he immediately felt his blood boil, as if his entire body was about to explode. With such a teacher, what more could one ask for!

Seeing Zhang Jiuxiao motivated by his words, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction and looked at him again. "If you, despite being at a disadvantage, win the championship, what's wrong with me taking you as my eighth disciple!"

"Eighth disciple..." Zhang Jiuxiao's breathing became shallow, and his face turned red. This implied he would be accepted as a direct disciple. The previous Heaven-Acknowledged Teacher, Master Kong, had three thousand disciples and seventy-two direct disciples. Even the direct disciples with the lowest cultivation became Ancient Sages! Bu Shang, the Ancient Sage who founded the Sage Temple, wasn't even among the top-ranked of Master Kong's many disciples! This demonstrated their power. The teacher before him was a Heaven-Acknowledged Teacher. Although he had spoken simply of his previous seven disciples, there was no doubt that each of them would become world-shaking figures in the future. If he could become his eighth disciple, his prospects would be boundless!

"That's right. Our Zhang clan's Old Ancestor didn't possess a superhuman bloodline at first. It was only after he reached the peak that his bloodline was passed down. So what if I'm from a collateral branch? It doesn't mean I can't stand out and reach the pinnacle!" The more he thought about it, the more excited Zhang Jiuxiao became, his breathing quickening. "Are kings, dukes, generals, and ministers destined from birth?" Who said that those with powerful bloodlines were necessarily strong? If that were truly the case, why had none of the countless geniuses with pure bloodlines in the Zhang clan surpassed the Old Ancestor over tens of thousands of years? Back then, among Master Kong's seventy-two Sages, no one was said to have been born with an exceptionally strong bloodline! Success depended not on bloodline, but on diligent effort and unwavering confidence to strive upward! And a truly good teacher! Now, his teacher was right in front of him, and he himself was working hard enough. Whether he could become a direct disciple, whether he could make a name for himself, was now a matter of a single thought.

"Teacher, what should I do? Just give the command, and I, Zhang Jiuxiao, will do my utmost!" His blood ignited, Zhang Jiuxiao no longer hesitated. He gritted his teeth and looked over. His teacher, being a Heaven-Acknowledged Teacher, if he said it was possible, then it definitely was. There was nothing to worry about.

"Very good!" Seeing the young man's decision, Zhang Xuan nodded with satisfaction. "Pay your respects as a disciple!"

"Now?" Zhang Jiuxiao couldn't help but be startled. "Didn't you say I'd only be qualified after I win the championship?" He couldn't believe his ears. His teacher had just said he'd take him as a disciple *after* he won... but he was still far from achieving that, and whether it was even possible was unknown. How could he...

With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan's face showed strong confidence. "If I, Zhang Xuan, say you will become champion, then you will definitely become champion. What's the difference between taking you on now or later?"

"I..." Zhang Jiuxiao felt as if his muscles were about to leap, and his entire body's blood began to burn. Spurred by the words and seeing the resolute gaze in his teacher's eyes, he suddenly felt that whatever his teacher said could be achieved, would definitely be achieved. This wasn't manipulation or brainwashing, but a powerful sense of self-confidence. With this confidence, even the most difficult tasks seemed insignificant.

"Teacher, what should I do now?" Kneeling on the ground, he kowtowed eight times, completing the disciple's ritual, then Zhang Jiuxiao looked over again. Since his teacher spoke with such confidence, he must have already devised a cultivation method.

"Your current strength is only at the Domain realm. The only way is to quickly raise your cultivation. However, it's completely impossible to push such a low level to Saint 8-dan overnight, unless..." Zhang Xuan paused, looking in a certain direction with a profound gaze. "...we use the Zhang clan's... Blood Pool!"