Chapter 331: Mindset 10.1

"The Spirit Imprint Stone we're using is a low-grade one, only capable of detecting Heart of Mind below 9.0. In other words, it can only test the cultivation levels of Master Teachers below three stars. If it goes beyond that, it won't be able to withstand the pressure and will turn into scrap."

Dean Jiang nodded, pointing to the powder on the ground, and explained, "Otherwise, a normal Spirit Imprint Stone is incredibly hard. As long as the Heart of Mind doesn't exceed its detection limit, how could it possibly shatter into pieces just by touching it?"

"That makes sense!"

Everyone was stunned again. As a type of jade, the Spirit Imprint Stone is incredibly hard; it's difficult to damage even with a sword. For it to turn into powder on touch was indeed quite bizarre.

"Dean means... Master Teacher Zhang's Heart of Mind scale might have exceeded... 9.0?" Elder Zhu's lips were dry, and his voice trembled slightly as he grasped the implication.

What does 9.0 signify? It's the standard for a 3-star Master Teacher! Could someone not even twenty years old have reached that standard?

Hearing this, everyone around them also understood, and their jaws dropped. "Damn it, he just tested at 5.0. We thought breaking 6.0 was already incredible, but Dean Jiang implies it's even higher..."

"It's simple to verify," Dean Jiang said with a solemn expression. "I have a mid-grade Spirit Imprint Stone here. A quick test will reveal the true score!"

Dean Jiang's face was solemn. With a flick of his wrist, a jade stone appeared. This Spirit Imprint Stone was clearly different from the previous one; it was more dazzling, and its surface patterns were denser. Those with lower cultivation might feel dizzy and overwhelmed just by looking at it.

A mid-grade Spirit Imprint Stone! Each one was priceless. The entire Master Teacher Pavilion of Tianwu Kingdom possessed only one.

"Brother Zhang, please trouble you to test it again!" He handed over the Spirit Imprint Stone.

Having heard about the cultivation technique, it was confirmed that Zhang Xuan was definitely Master Yang's student. Consequently, Dean Jiang's address to him changed to "Brother Zhang." For anyone else, it would be embarrassing for the Dean of the Master Teacher Pavilion—a powerful figure who could even disregard the king—to address someone younger than his own son as "Brother." However, having personally witnessed the terrifying power of "Master Yang," and considering the Master Teacher adage "age does not determine seniority, the accomplished are masters," the first utterance made subsequent ones feel less awkward.

"Hm!" Zhang Xuan responded, taking the Spirit Imprint Stone. He closed his palm, and with a mental command, his Heart of Mind circulated again. The stone hummed softly once more, and he looked down.

Unlike before, where there was no number, a dazzling light shot out from the mid-grade Spirit Imprint Stone, illuminating the surroundings brilliantly. A line of numbers slowly emerged from its surface. Upon seeing the numbers clearly, everyone froze, and the room instantly erupted in commotion.

"Ten, ten... ten point one?" "His Heart of Mind scale is... 10.1?"

They had thought he was bluffing, that he had no Heart of Mind scale. But the result... was 10.1! A Heart of Mind of 3.0 was for a 1-star Master Teacher, 6.0 for a 2-star, and 10.1... that was sufficient even for a 3-star Master Teacher examination!

"Wasn't it... 5.1 just now? How did it..." Mo Hongyi truly felt like crying this time.

He felt as if the other party had deliberately come to humiliate him. Not only had Zhang Xuan broken all the records he had set, but more importantly, as soon as Mo Hongyi questioned his profession, Zhang Xuan produced a badge; as soon as he said Zhang Xuan hadn't reached the Grandmaster realm, Zhang Xuan immediately broke through; and most crucially... as soon as he claimed Zhang Xuan's Heart of Mind scale was insufficient, Zhang Xuan not only reached 6.0 but instantly qualified for the 3-star Master Teacher examination.

Could they even have a pleasant interaction anymore? If there were a crack in the ground, he would undoubtedly crawl into it immediately and never want to live again.

On the side, Lu Xun felt a sweetness in his throat, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood. He had been so excited when he achieved the "Heart Like Still Water" realm, reaching a scale of 1.8, that he couldn't sleep, believing himself to be a super genius capable of roaming the world freely. But upon seeing Master Teacher Zhang's Heart of Mind, he realized... his own achievement was nothing.

He turned his head, shaking it involuntarily, filled with sympathy for Mo Hongyi. This esteemed number one genius was so thoroughly defeated... he could barely function. "Master Teacher Zhang, you're too much!" Even a formidable figure like Mo Hongyi had been crushed to this extent. Lu Xun knew that the gap between himself and Master Teacher Zhang was now as vast as a chasm, rendering any comparison pointless.

"It's 10.1?" While everyone else was going wild, Zhang Xuan was also momentarily startled before nodding. It seemed the Golden Page hadn't nullified his previous scale; it was as potent as ever, increasing his scale by another 5.0.

Everyone was already frustrated, and seeing his belated realization, as if he had just understood, they nearly vomited blood again. "You reached such a high Heart of Mind scale and didn't even know it... Can you be a little more sensible?"

"Master Teacher Zhang, Heart of Mind scale is very difficult to improve. How did you manage this...?" Suppressing the shock in his heart, Elder Zhu couldn't help but ask.

Heart of Mind scale, like age, can only be gradually increased through diligent effort, even with good cultivation methods. To jump from 5.1 to 10.1 so quickly was truly astonishing! And he didn't even know how much his Heart of Mind had increased... "Could you be any more clueless?"

Hearing the question, everyone else also looked over, wanting to know what exactly had happened.

"Well..." Zhang Xuan hesitated, a troubled expression on his face. After a moment, he said, "Alright, if I don't tell you, I suppose you won't be satisfied. I genuinely don't know the exact value of my Heart of Mind scale because my teacher sealed it when I first achieved 'Heart Like Still Water,' specifically instructing that it could only be unsealed once my cultivation reached a certain level... The reason for such a significant increase just now is likely due to my recent breakthrough to Grandmaster, which restored some of it!"

He couldn't reveal the Golden Page, so he used the excuse he had prepared earlier, attributing it to his non-existent teacher.

"Sealing one's Heart of Mind? Is there such a thing?" "How strong must one's Heart of Mind be to require sealing?" The crowd was in an uproar.

They had never heard of sealing a Heart of Mind scale, but if not for that, there was no way to explain why Zhang Xuan's Heart of Mind scale had suddenly surged by 5.0! While shocked, they also looked at him as if he were a monster. Just how high must one's Heart of Mind be to require sealing? And what star-level Master Teacher could his teacher possibly be to achieve such a feat?

Previously, some had wondered if he possessed some powerful method for improving his Heart of Mind. Only now did they realize that his strong Heart of Mind was innate and incomparable.

"Some people are indeed born with a powerful Heart of Mind," Dean Jiang began. "It's said that Master Teacher Kong, a Celestial at the time, was born with a Saint-level innate Heart of Mind, comparable to a 9-star Master Teacher. He was extraordinary from birth, which is why he ultimately reached the pinnacle of the world and commanded universal respect!"

"Saint-level innate Heart of Mind? Comparable to a 9-star Master Teacher?" Everyone was startled again. Although they didn't know the exact standard for a 9-star Master Teacher, if each level was 3.0, it would require a scale of 27.0 or higher. Born with a Heart of Mind scale of 27?

"Not only Master Teacher Kong, but the Master Teacher Pavilion of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom also had a genius who entered the 'Heart Like Still Water' realm at seventeen. His first test revealed a terrifying Heart of Mind scale of 9.3, enough to qualify for the 3-star Master Teacher examination." As Dean, Jiang Shu knew many secrets. He continued, "Such super geniuses, though rare, do have precedents! However, if one's Heart of Mind is too high and their cultivation can't keep up, it's easy for deviations to occur, leading to imperceptible changes. Perhaps your teacher sealed your Heart of Mind scale precisely for this reason." As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Xuan, his eyes full of envy. No wonder a formidable figure like Master Yang took him as a student. To be born with such a Heart of Mind scale was truly a one-in-ten-thousand Master Teacher prodigy. As long as he didn't perish, his achievements would certainly not be below that of a 4-star Master Teacher.

"So that's how it is..." "That's right, Heart of Mind is hard to improve. Often, after decades of cultivation, one might only increase it by a few tenths or a little over one. If everyone started as low as us, how could 6-star, 7-star, or even higher-level Master Teachers ever appear?" "Indeed, the world is vast, and there are countless experts. Although Tianwu Kingdom is considered the largest among the surrounding thirteen nations, compared to truly powerful kingdoms, it's still just a remote corner." After hearing Dean Jiang's explanation, everyone finally understood. The world was vast, filled with countless experts; many things that seemed inexplicable to them were simply due to their limited knowledge.

Zhang Xuan hadn't expected that some people were born with such powerful Heart of Mind scales; he was slightly taken aback. However, since Dean Jiang had already explained it for him, he couldn't be bothered to find another excuse and looked at Mo Hongyi.

"My profession, cultivation, and Heart of Mind have all met the requirements... Master Mo, are there any other requirements for the 2-star Master Teacher examination? Perhaps... you could list them all at once, so I can prepare for them simultaneously!"

"There are no more..." Mo Hongyi felt his face burning, his body trembled, and his face was as bitter as a gourd.

He had intended to stop Zhang Xuan from taking the examination, hoping to make a spectacular impression, but instead... he failed to impress and only ended up embarrassing himself.

"None left? Then... can I take the 2-star Master Teacher examination now?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

"You may..." Mo Hongyi forcibly suppressed the urge to vomit blood.

If he had known this guy was such a freak, why would he have bothered challenging him? Now, instead of gaining a reputation as a genius, he had only proven himself to be overconfident in the eyes of others...

"Since the conditions are met, you two may begin the examination!" Fearing that Mo Hongyi might jump off a building out of sheer frustration if Zhang Xuan continued to ask questions, Elder Zhu quickly interrupted the awkward silence.

"The 2-star Master Teacher examination also has five stages. The Auxiliary Occupation Hall, Puppet Hall, Cultivation Technique Sea, and Flawless Hall are almost identical, just with increased difficulty. For example, if the Auxiliary Occupation Hall still tests alchemy, you will be required to guide the refining of a Grade-2 pill. For calligraphers and painters, you will be expected to guide the creation of a fourth-tier painting!"

"These four stages are similar, but the first stage, the Trust Test, is entirely different!"

"The first stage, the Trust Test, requires evaluating a student's trust. This student could be someone you've taught for years, and their age isn't limited. Many people exploit this by taking students from a young age to naturally foster a high affinity... but the 2-star examination isn't that easy."

"For the 2-star examination, examinees must take on new students and are given ten days. Within this period, the trust level doesn't need to exceed fifty; reaching forty is considered passing." Elder Zhu explained the rules for the 2-star Master Teacher examination.