Chapter 219: Ink

Hongtian Academy was already abuzz with excitement. The freshman competition was about to begin. Ten thousand new students, after half a month of study, were now ready to have their progress evaluated.

"Who do you think will take first place in this competition?"

"I think it will still be that guy who was first. He reached Fighter 2nd realm as soon as he enrolled and must be even stronger now."

"The freshman competition isn't solely about strength. Besides, his strength before enrollment doesn't necessarily reflect his current power. I heard that several new students under Teacher Lu, who participated in the teacher assessment, have also broken through to Fighter 2nd realm and received his true teachings. It's hard to say if he can even beat them!"

"He seems to be Teacher Lu's student too, right? It looks like even if he doesn't take first place, the winner will still be one of Teacher Lu's students."

"Of course. Among the top five hundred students in the entrance exam, at least three hundred joined Teacher Lu's class. It would be hard for anyone else to even contend for second place!"

"Teacher Zhang Xuan and Teacher Lu still have their teacher assessment, though. Who do you think will win?"

"Win? Are you crazy? Is that even a question? What qualifications does Teacher Zhang Xuan have to compete with Teacher Lu? Even if the Dean's Office deliberately made things difficult for him, leading to an incorrect teaching assessment score, he doesn't seem to have achieved anything significant in over a year of teaching!"

"That... that's true!"

"Exactly. To be honest, I heard that guy wanted to gain fame and deliberately provoked Teacher Lu. He even taught someone in a way that caused them to go berserk, and then had the nerve to propose a teacher assessment... I really don't know how he can be so shameless!"

"That's not what I heard. I heard that Teacher Zhang Xuan is a noble person and has long since reached the Aperture Opening realm. To save the academy's reputation, he has been patiently enduring and not speaking out!"

"I also heard that the student who went berserk was supposedly intentionally caused by him, with the purpose of helping that student break through the shackles of their innate locked meridians."

"That student's name is Zhao Yanfeng; I've met him a few times. Teacher Zhang not only helped him remove this innate barrier but also directly enabled him to achieve a breakthrough. He's now a Fighter 2nd realm master. Grateful for his kindness, he wanted to re-apprentice himself to Teacher Zhang, which is what enraged Teacher Lu and led him to propose the teacher assessment."

"Is that how it is? Really?"

"Of course it's true. This news came from a close friend of mine; it's absolutely reliable."

Discussions were everywhere. Some said Zhang Xuan was overestimating himself, while others claimed he was forced into the challenge and had no choice.

The matter with the Dean's Office, after Yao Han's deliberate dissemination, finally came to light, and almost everyone in the academy knew about it. However, most students chose not to believe it. After all, Lu Xun's reputation in the academy was simply too great. Although Zhang Xuan had cleared his name regarding the zero-score teaching assessment, it was still difficult for him to establish a strong image in the minds of so many students in such a short period.

Zhang Xuan paid no mind to any of this. Anyway, the teacher assessment was tomorrow, and everything would be resolved then. Rather than dwelling on it, it was better to quickly help a few students improve their strength.

He soon arrived at his classroom.

"Teacher Zhang!"

Zhao Ya and the others were all present, full of vigor and exuding a formidable aura.

"Good!"

Seeing their condition, Zhang Xuan nodded with satisfaction. His painstaking efforts had indeed not been in vain. Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao—all five had experienced a qualitative leap in their strength, appearing like completely different individuals compared to half a month ago. Not only that, but even the auditing students, such as Wang Tao, Wang Yan, and Zhao Yanfeng, had made significant progress. Although he didn't teach many classes, every word he spoke pointed directly to the core of cultivation. Listening to his lessons, their understanding of cultivation grew steadily, and progress became a given.

"What is that?"

After complimenting them, and just as he was about to give individual lessons to help them improve further, Zhang Xuan's gaze suddenly fell on a corner of the classroom. Several basins were placed on one side, pitch black inside, and he didn't know what they contained. He clearly remembered that these items hadn't been in the classroom before.

"Teacher Zhang, it's ink," Wang Ying whispered, her face flushing.

"Ink?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "Why are these things in the classroom?"

He taught cultivation, not cultural lessons. There was no need for ink-splashing or calligraphy copying. What were these things for?

"Well..."

Hearing his question, all the students looked embarrassed, and not a single one spoke.

"What's wrong? Is there something to explain? Yuan Tao, you speak!"

"I..."

Yuan Tao hadn't expected Teacher Zhang to call on him. His face twisted into a bitter expression, and after hesitating for a moment, he said, "It's like this, Miss Zhao Ya's Pure Yin Physique has awakened, making her even more beautiful, and many students want to socialize with her..."

"Socialize?"

Only then did Zhang Xuan notice that after her Pure Yin Physique awakened, Zhao Ya had indeed been reborn. Both her appearance and temperament had undergone drastic changes. She no longer resembled the unruly young lady from before but was now an absolute beauty. Her beauty was even more stunning than Shen Biru's; it was no wonder other students admired her and secretly came calling.

"Someone came looking for her... What's with the ink?" Zhang Xuan grew even more puzzled.

Even if Zhao Ya had become beautiful and other boys came to harass her, they could simply be driven away. He believed they wouldn't dare act recklessly within the academy. Furthermore, these students' strength had greatly increased. If anyone dared to come and cause trouble, they would have been beaten away long ago. Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao were clearly not individuals to be trifled with. If someone tried to poach their fellow student, would they patiently reason with them?

"Well... we've basically driven all the students away," Yuan Tao said, scratching his head with an embarrassed laugh, "but for the past two days, three lewd old men have been loitering around. Judging by their movements and actions, we definitely can't beat them. That's why we prepared some ink, planning to splash them! We heard ink is especially effective against lewdness. They show no respect for their age; if they get this stuff on them, they'll definitely be too embarrassed to stay..."

"Lewd old men?" Zhang Xuan was utterly confused. "Are you sure they aren't academy teachers?"

"No, I basically know all the academy teachers, and these few are definitely not among them," Zheng Yang said this time. "Just by looking at their lewd appearance, you can tell they have ill intentions! For the past two days, I've seen them secretly hiding to the side, pointing at Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, and occasionally nodding and smiling. You can tell at a glance they're not good people."

"Pointing at Zhao Ya and the others? When did such shameless characters come to the academy?"

Seeing the students' earnest declarations, Zhang Xuan furrowed his brows, as it didn't seem like they were lying. Old men pointing at sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls... that was indeed quite lewd.

"Alright then!"

After listening to a few more words from them and agreeing that these old men had ill intentions, Zhang Xuan nodded. "You all be careful. Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, don't go out alone these few days. If you encounter those three old men again, you can splash them with ink!"

Since they were old men, they surely had some status. Openly stalking and peeping at young girls was already disgraceful. If they were also splashed with ink, they would surely realize the humiliation and retreat on their own. Of course, for the next two days, he would spend most of his time at the academy. If those guys dared to come again, he wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson.

"Long live Teacher Zhang!"

"I knew Teacher Zhang was understanding and wouldn't blame us..."

Hearing his agreement, the students cheered simultaneously.

"Alright, stop babbling," Zhang Xuan said. "Yuan Tao, come here first. I'll check your recent cultivation progress."

The teacher assessment was tomorrow, so he needed to have a comprehensive understanding of his students today. At the same time, individual guidance might allow them to make even more progress. Even if the progress was small, it could significantly increase their chances of victory in battle.

He walked into the small classroom, closed the door, and waved his hand. "Perform a set of martial arts techniques."

"Yes!" Yuan Tao nodded, then threw a punch. The wind whistled, and his momentum was astonishing.

"This strength..."

Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder. Being able to produce a sonic boom with one punch indicated that his strength and defense had reached a high level. With such a punch, it was hard to say if even a Fighter 3rd realm, True Qi stage expert could withstand it, let alone cultivators of the same level.

"As expected of the Dragon Rhinoceros Bloodline; even if only ten percent is activated, it's still terrifying!"

That special physiques could be so famous, they were indeed extraordinary. Yuan Tao's cultivation was still the lowest among the five students, but his attack and defense power were terrifyingly strong.

"Your cultivation is still too weak," Zhang Xuan said. "During your cultivation, when gathering spiritual energy, you focus too much on absorbing it without matching it to your own condition. I'll give you an incantation now; write it down. As long as you cultivate properly, breaking through to Gathering Breath late-stage today won't be difficult."

After observing for a while, Zhang Xuan said. As Yuan Tao performed his martial arts, a new book had already formed in Zhang Xuan's mind. After reading its contents, he already knew Yuan Tao's problems and flaws.

"Yes!" Yuan Tao nodded quickly, focused on reciting it, and in a short time, he had memorized the incantation.

"Alright, call Zhao Ya over."

After instructing Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. Not long after, Zhao Ya walked over.

It had to be said, the Pure Yin Physique was indeed terrifying. Once activated, it immediately exuded an astonishing aura, giving people the feeling of a celestial fairy descending to the mortal world. Zhao Ya was already a beauty, and at this moment, she was even more beautiful; every movement she made carried an inherent grace.

"With this appearance and temperament, I'm afraid if she meets a male student, just a smile at him would make him voluntarily surrender."

Heaven truly was unfair. With Zhao Ya looking like this, if she participated in a competition and her opponent was a boy, he might not even dare to make a move.

"Throw a punch and let me see!"

"Yes!" Zhao Ya nodded, clenched her delicate fist, and threw a punch.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

The room was filled with the sound of wind.

"Your strength..."

As a book formed in his mind, Zhang Xuan opened it and looked. His eyes instantly widened, filled with disbelief.

"This... how is this possible?"

"What are you doing?"

"Impudence!"

*Crash! Boom!*

Just as he was about to speak, there was a sudden roar from the classroom outside, followed by violent roars mixed with angry shouts.

"What's going on?"

His brows furrowed. Zhang Xuan no longer cared to speak more; he lifted his foot and walked out.