Chapter 302: Heavenly Martial King's City

The Tianwu Kingdom spans tens of thousands of kilometers in diameter, covering a vast territory. With a 2-star Master Teacher presiding, it has been rated as a first-tier kingdom.

Twelve kingdoms, including Tianxuan, Beiwu, Hanwu, Beichen, Qianyuan, Anyuan, and Baili, are adjacent to it. This proximity has made Tianwu Royal City a cultivation and trade hub, a revered sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of kilometers around.

Princess Mo Yu had already departed on a Green Hawk Beast, leaving Zhang Xuan alone on the broad back of the Howling Sky Beast. Zhang Xuan enjoyed the peace, using the time to study knowledge from the library, solidify his cultivation, and assess his current situation.

"As my cultivation advances, the Heavenly Dao Golden Body's effectiveness is no longer as significant..."

While the Heavenly Dao Golden Body was highly effective at the Tongxuan realm, allowing him to surpass many peers, it became less notable upon reaching Half-Zongshi. Once he entered the Zongshi realm, its effect would be even more negligible. It would barely matter at all. It seems he needs to find some body cultivation techniques to continue his practice when he has time. As for the Heavenly Dao Fist Art, Leg Art, and Movement Art... despite their simplicity, their power was not insignificant. It appeared they wouldn't become obsolete before the Zhizun realm, so there was no urgent need to seek out new secret manuals.

"Upon arriving at Tianwu Royal City, the first priority is to pass the Master Teacher examination. Only by becoming a Master Teacher can I gain status, enter the Master Teacher Pavilion, and access records about Master Kong..."

On the way, he specifically wrote content on blank books and tested them, discovering that Master Kong, like himself, had also been afflicted with the Congenital Fetal Poison but had eventually resolved it. This meant that the so-called Congenital Fetal Poison was not incurable; it was simply that, at his current level, he hadn't yet found the correct method.

Discovering this result brought him considerable peace of mind, though it also filled him with doubt. His predecessor was merely an orphan; how could he have attracted the personal attention of an esteemed 8-star or 9-star poison master? Could he have some extraordinary background? Although it was strange, he didn't dwell on it. Even if his predecessor wasn't just an abandoned orphan, he, as a transmigrator, certainly didn't wish for parents, aunts, or uncles to suddenly appear. Rather than adding unnecessary trouble, it was better to ignore it. In any case, with his abilities at hand and his cultivation growing, the world was his oyster; there was nowhere he couldn't go!

After nearly two days of travel, as the sun began to set in the west, a majestic city appeared before him. Bathed in the fiery glow of the sunset, it resembled a vast mountain range, layer upon layer, stretching endlessly into the distance. This city was dozens of times larger than Tianxuan Royal City. Its diverse and magnificent buildings stood in stark contrast to the ancient city walls, which soared tens of meters high, evoking a sense of enduring history. From high in the sky, looking down, he saw that the city's streets were intricately connected, with people moving like shuttles and various vehicles and horses constantly entering and exiting, creating a truly beautiful tableau. As the trade center for the thirteen great kingdoms, Tianwu Royal City was indeed grand and magnificent, incomparable to any city he had seen before.

"Let's go down!"

Knowing that large cities would surely have restrictions on powerful beasts like the Howling Sky Beast, Zhang Xuan chose not to draw attention. He descended before reaching the city, instructing the beast to find a mountain range for free movement, while he strode towards the majestic city before him.

"Please stop! There's an entry fee to enter the city!"

Upon reaching the city gate, he was stopped by a squad of soldiers.

"Entry fee?"

He looked around and realized that everyone entering the city had to pay a fee. Without this restriction, Tianwu Royal City would likely expand beyond the control of even the Tianwu royal family.

"That's right. Unless you are a Master Teacher or an apprentice, even masters and grandmasters of other professions must pay!" the soldier said.

Master Teachers were the foundation of the world's progress, revered and enjoying special treatment everywhere—a privilege not extended to other professions.

"Alright, why are you wasting so much time talking to him? At his age, how could he possibly be a Master Teacher or an apprentice?"

"Exactly, hurry up! Others are waiting behind us!"

Seeing him wasting time, the other two soldiers looked impatient, and the crowd waiting to enter the city also began to show signs of urging him on.

What's with the act? Tianwu Royal City had required an entry fee for thousands of years. Not knowing this, where did this bumpkin come from?

"How much?" Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Zhang Xuan looked over.

"100 gold coins!" the soldier said.

"100?" Zhang Xuan gasped. As a teacher at Hongtian Academy, he earned only one or two thousand gold coins a month. Here, entering the city cost a hundred – quite exorbitant.

"That's right!" Seeing him flustered and seemingly unaccustomed to the world, the soldier's face showed disdain. Making such a fuss over 100 gold coins, he was clearly a penniless pauper.

"I don't have money..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Hearing this, the soldier's face showed a "I knew you'd say that" expression, and he bellowed, "If you don't have money, don't stand here blocking the way! Trying to enter the city? Dream on..." However, before he could finish speaking, he saw that the annoying fellow in front of him had somehow produced a token in his palm, and was looking at him with a pleased expression, saying, "With this, I don't need to pay, right...?"

"Nothing will work... huh? A Master Teacher Apprentice token..." He stopped mid-sentence, recognizing the token in the other's hand. The soldier's body trembled, his words caught in his throat, and he almost cried.

"A Master Teacher Apprentice?" The cursing soldiers who had been earlier also saw the token, and their eyebrows twitched wildly, their faces turning pale. They had thought he was a bumpkin, but unexpectedly, he was an influential figure.

"Big brother, you're a Master Teacher Apprentice! You can just enter directly. Why ask about the entry fee and put on an act? Aren't you intentionally making things difficult for us...?"

"Please, come in..." Suppressing their frustration, the soldiers quickly made way, no longer daring to obstruct him. Troubling a Master Teacher Apprentice, if the royal family found out, they could lose not only their positions but also their lives.

Seeing that the token given to him by Master Liu and the others indeed allowed him entry, Zhang Xuan nodded with satisfaction. "I didn't expect this thing to be quite useful; it saved me a hundred gold coins instantly..."

"..." The soldiers.

They had seen stingy people, but never anyone this stingy. A dignified Master Teacher Apprentice, revered wherever he went, was beaming with joy over saving 100 gold coins... Are you worthy of your noble status?

Ignoring the dejected soldiers, Zhang Xuan walked through the city gate. Although he currently possessed tens of millions of gold coins in his storage ring, he still held an ingrained frugal mindset: save every penny you can. As for what others thought... what did it have to do with him?

Inside the city, the streets were wide, filled with hawkers and bustling vendors. Shops lined the thoroughfares, and the tall buildings reflected the lingering glow of the sunset, creating a warm ambiance.

"As expected of Tianwu Royal City! Even a random street stall sells items far more advanced than those in Tianxuan Kingdom!" Strolling down the street, observing the various goods around him, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but click his tongue in awe. He felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, filled with wonder at so many new things. Although he had read about many of these items in books, seeing them in person provided a different experience.

"You're a Master Teacher Apprentice too?" As he was looking around, a voice spoke up. He turned to see a girl in her twenties standing nearby, looking at him with a puzzled expression. The girl, dressed in a pale green robe, was not strikingly beautiful; she was far from comparable to Shen Biru and others, but she was pleasant to look at and could be considered attractive. Beside her was an old man, clearly dressed as a guard, with a profound aura. Flashes of electricity occasionally flickered in his eyes, indicating he was a Zongshi realm expert. With a Zongshi realm expert as a guard, it seemed the girl's status was not low.

"Mm-hmm!" He responded with a nod, realizing that the two must have been behind him when he entered the city gate. They had seen him present his apprentice token, which prompted them to follow and inquire.

"Me too!" With a laugh, the girl flipped her hand, and a token appeared in her palm. She was also a Master Teacher Apprentice.

"Impressive!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed. In Tianxuan Kingdom, even someone as excellent as Lu Xun found it difficult to become an apprentice, yet here, he casually met a girl who was one. The disparity was clear.

Hearing his praise, the girl showed a satisfied expression. She looked at the young man again, her attitude clearly much friendlier than before. "My teacher is the 1-star Master Teacher Cheng Xuan. May I ask who your teacher is?"

"My teacher isn't very famous; you wouldn't know him if I told you, so I won't bother," Zhang Xuan replied, shaking his head. He didn't actually have a teacher; the apprentice token had been given to him by Master Liu and the others, so he had to play vague.

Seeing that he wouldn't say, the girl didn't press further but looked at him with slight confusion. "Coming to the Royal City at this time... are you also here for the Question & Answer session?"

"Question & Answer session?" Zhang Xuan paused, bewildered. "What's that?"

"You don't know?" The girl looked at him as if he were an anomaly. "The Question & Answer session is the final step in the Master Teacher examination. Only by passing it can one become a true Master Teacher. Since you're an apprentice, how could you not know this?"

Zhang Xuan was utterly bewildered. He had obtained the apprentice token by posing as Master Yang's apprentice, and thus knew nothing about the Master Teacher examination process. Master Liu and the others had only mentioned the qualification requirements, not the details, so he wasn't aware of a Question & Answer session.

"Ah, I see!" The girl nodded, hesitated for a moment as if realizing something, then enlightened, "I understand now! You must have only recently become an apprentice! If you've just become one, you'll naturally have to study for quite a while before you can be examined as a true Master Teacher, so it's natural you don't know much about the examination process!"

Zhang Xuan nodded. Not only had he been an apprentice for a short time, but he had also been in this world for less than two months. Furthermore, Tianxuan Kingdom didn't even have a single Master Teacher, or even books about them, so it would be strange if he knew anything about the examination process or its stages.

"There's no need to rush if you've just become an apprentice. Study diligently, and if you pass the examination within ten years, it will be enough to bring great honor to your ancestors!" Hearing that he had only recently become an apprentice, the girl's attitude became noticeably friendlier. "After all, we aren't as talented as Princess Mo Yu, who successfully passed the Master Teacher examination at just twenty-two!"

When she mentioned Princess Mo Yu, her eyes immediately lit up, revealing profound admiration.