Chapter 333: Respectful White Toad

The one-star library was vast and spacious, holding countless books that covered various professions and guidance techniques.

Upon entering, Zhang Xuan took a look and couldn't help but be astonished. This library was grander than the kingdom's previous one, containing even more books and a wider range of knowledge. It encompassed everything imaginable: humanities, geography, savage beast elixirs, secret realm treasures, and more.

"So many books... I must finish them all before tomorrow morning," he mused.

He let out a breath. He had spent five days and five nights reading in the kingdom's library, but his method had been much slower back then. Even with his current increased speed, finishing everything in a day and a half would still be a monumental task.

"Let's begin!"

Knowing he had no time to hesitate, he moved swiftly and began to run again. Having reached the Grandmaster realm in cultivation and with an increased Mind Scale, he was no longer like before, where he would tire quickly from running. He could now persist for longer and move faster.

Books flew into his mind. Rows of books were absorbed into his mind. Immersed in the ocean of knowledge, Zhang Xuan completely lost track of time.

Physician Bai Chan was internally distraught. A residence close to the Master Teacher Pavilion had been found, but the price was shockingly high, practically draining all the money he had ever earned. However, compared to saving his life, these material possessions were nothing.

"Young Master Zhang Xuan is at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Is he also taking the Master Teacher examination?"

After securing the residence, he and Sun Qiang, who was overseeing him, strode towards the Master Teacher Pavilion.

"Yes, the Young Master is the Master's student, so of course he'll be taking the Master Teacher examination..." Sun Qiang nodded. "Let's hurry; perhaps we can still see the Young Master display his talent and make a spectacular debut!"

"A spectacular debut?" Physician Bai Chan shook his head. "It's not easy to become a Master Teacher, especially with the five trials; each one is harder than the last. Your Young Master, although very capable, I think he's still a bit too young. Passing might be possible, but to make a spectacular debut? That would be difficult! After all, there's Mo Hongyi suppressing everyone; all the records belong to him!"

"Mo Hongyi?" Sun Qiang looked at him. He had just arrived in Tianwu Kingdom yesterday, encountering that person, then immediately searching for a residence, with little rest. He had never heard the name of this super genius before.

"Yes, Mo Hongyi is the number one genius in our Tianwu Kingdom," Physician Bai Chan explained. "Especially during the Master Teacher examination, he continuously broke records, hailed as the first person in a thousand years!" Admiration gleamed in Physician Bai Chan's eyes. "His Mind Scale even reached above 6.0, unmatched in the world! Hall Master Jiang once explicitly stated that no one would be able to surpass him within a hundred years."

"Mind Scale 6.0? The first person in a thousand years?" Sun Qiang clicked his tongue in amazement. He never expected such a master to exist in the kingdom.

The two continued walking and talking, soon arriving at the entrance of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Just as they were about to enter, a guard approached them.

"Physician Bai..." Seeing the two, the guard's eyes lit up, and he quickly came to greet them.

"Captain Yao, you're here too!" Physician Bai Chan nodded. It was indeed Captain Yao from last night.

Captain Yao, his face still red and swollen, no longer carried the imposing demeanor he had last night. Instead, his eyes revealed an uncontrollable shock.

*Thud!*

He came before them, his knees buckling as he knelt to the ground. "Thank you, Physician Bai, for saving my life!"

"Saving your life?" Physician Bai Chan was utterly bewildered. "Captain Yao, what are you doing? Why do you say that...?" When had he saved him?

"If it weren't for your dissuasion," Captain Yao explained, "I might have still been foolish, not knowing my place, and sought an opportunity to retaliate against Master Zhang. Your words saved me from disaster..." Captain Yao sighed with emotion.

As the princess's guard, he had witnessed Zhang Xuan's Master Teacher examination process, and it had scared him almost to death. Being a half-teacher to the princess, a senior brother to Hall Master Jiang, having a powerful teacher above three-stars, and on the verge of becoming a two-star Master Teacher... any single one of these identities or backgrounds was beyond what a mere guard like him could afford to offend. If Physician Bai Chan hadn't dissuaded him yesterday and he had foolishly gone to cause trouble, he would likely have been killed on the spot, with no one regretting his demise.

It was truly terrifying!

"Master Zhang?" Bai Chan still didn't quite understand. "Are you referring to... Young Master Zhang Xuan?"

"Yes, Master Zhang is incredibly powerful!" Captain Yao exclaimed. "He broke all of Mo Hongyi's records during the one-star Master Teacher examination, and even broke all records during the two-star Master Teacher examination! I was truly blind, wanting to retaliate against such a genius; I really must have a death wish..."

"Broke Mo Hongyi's records? What on earth happened?" Physician Bai Chan was dumbfounded.

"You don't know? Oh, you weren't in the Master Teacher Pavilion just now, so it's normal. It's like this: today I was ordered to protect the princess..." Captain Yao quickly recounted everything he had witnessed.

"Trust rating 85, Auxiliary Cultivation Hall 130, defeating an opponent in one move in the Puppet Hall... breaking through to Grandmaster on the spot, passing four trials for the two-star Master Teacher examination, senior brother to Hall Master Jiang..."

After hearing Captain Yao's account, Physician Bai Chan's eyes turned bloodshot, his body trembled, and he was on the verge of tears. What kind of monster had he actually offended? He had just declared that breaking Mo Hongyi's records would be difficult, only for Zhang Xuan to not only break them but also deliver a powerful slap to his face...

He had originally planned that as soon as the other party removed the poison from his body, he would immediately turn hostile and use his connections to properly teach the young man a lesson. Only now did he realize that compared to Zhang Xuan, his own connections were utterly worthless, not even a single hair. A two-star Master Teacher, combined with being Hall Master Jiang's senior brother, likely meant that with a single command, even His Majesty the King would have to obey without question.

It was laughable that he had brazenly flirted with the other party's student... He was truly courting death!

"Master Zhang... where is he now?" he asked, his face a mournful mess.

"The Master Teacher Pavilion gave him a mission, so he might have to leave the royal city for a short period!" Captain Yao thought for a moment, then cupped his fist. "I'll keep my gratitude in mind and treat you to a meal sometime. I have other matters, so I won't say more!" After speaking, he turned and left.

"I told you the Young Master would make a spectacular debut during the examination, wasn't I right!" Sun Qiang said, his head held high.

"Yes, yes!" Physician Bai Chan thought of something, and his eyes lit up. "Since Master Zhang has a mission, are his students also here? We can pick them up and bring them to the residence... and serve them well!" After hearing about Zhang Xuan's many feats, he no longer harbored any thoughts of defiance. The rift that had formed earlier because he had flirted with Master Zhang's student could perhaps be mended with this opportunity.

"Uh, alright!" Sun Qiang nodded, and the two walked into the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Inside the Master Teacher Pavilion, an apprentice approached Liu Ling. "Master Liu, Master Zhang asked me to tell you to find a place to rest first and take care of the students on his behalf. His two-star Master Teacher examination might still take some time!"

"Thank you for the message!"

After the apprentice left, Liu Ling looked at the group. "Since Senior Brother will still need some time, I think we should find a place to stay first!"

"Okay, but... where should we stay?" Zhao Ya couldn't help but ask. "We're not familiar with Tianwu Royal City. What if we stay somewhere too remote and Master can't find us when he returns?"

"This..." Liu Ling also frowned. "If worst comes to worst, we can stay in the previous place..."

Before he could finish speaking, a shout rang out. "Master Liu, young masters and young ladies, I have prepared a residence. Please follow me..."

Turning to look, they saw Physician Bai Chan, who had brazenly flirted with Zhao Ya yesterday and acted like a tyrant. He now stood with a respectful expression, like a servant, his face filled with a humble smile, seemingly afraid of displeasing them.

"What's going on?" Liu Ling and the others were all stunned simultaneously.

"What did you say?""Someone continuously broke Mo Hongyi's records?""Hall Master Jiang's senior brother? His teacher is a Master Teacher above three-stars?""Successfully passed the two-star Master Teacher examination?"

What happened at the Master Teacher Pavilion spread like a hurricane, instantly reaching the ears of countless patriarchs of major families. Master Teachers are the very foundation of a nation. A two-star Master Teacher is a pinnacle figure in Tianwu Kingdom. The news of Zhang Xuan successfully passing the examination and breaking all of the genius Mo Hongyi's records was too astonishing to be concealed.

In the royal palace, on the grandest throne, a middle-aged man finished reading a report, his eyes gleaming as he immediately announced, "There's actually such a person within the kingdom? Someone, issue an imperial decree: confer the title of 'King Xuan' upon Master Zhang. He can freely enter and exit the royal palace without needing an audience..." However, before he finished speaking, he hurriedly waved his hand. "Don't rush; these conditions are too vulgar. Send someone to constantly guard the Master Teacher Pavilion. The moment Master Zhang appears, inform me immediately. I want to personally pay my respects!"

"Personally pay respects? Your Majesty, this..." Hearing his decision, all the ministers were stunned. After all, he was the emperor of a first-rank kingdom. Personally paying respects to a youth under twenty... wasn't that a bit of an overreaction?

"No need to say more; my decision is final!" the middle-aged man huffed. Although Zhang Xuan currently appeared to be only at the early stage of a two-star Master Teacher, with trials yet to complete, his potential meant that becoming a three-star, or even higher, was only a matter of time. Such a person would be a supreme existence dominating any area he went to. Even as king, he dared not be negligent.

"Yes!" The ministers could only nod.

"With such excellent results, passing the two-star Master Teacher examination is an absolute certainty. Quickly prepare a lavish gift for me. The moment Master Zhang appears, send it to him..."

In a spacious residence in the royal city, a middle-aged man also received the news. He slammed the table and made a decision. "No, I will personally deliver it!"

"Yes!" The guard in front of him nodded.

"By the way, has the Young Master been found?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Reporting to Master, the Young Master has been found," the guard hesitated for a moment before cupping his fist and reporting, "He was hung naked on a tree outside the city, subjected to extreme humiliation..."

"What? Someone dared to strip my son and hang him on a tree? Who was it? They're courting death..." His face turned ashen, and the middle-aged man seemed to be on fire. For the legitimate son of the patriarch of one of the royal city's three great families to be treated this way was an utter disregard for the Ji family's prestige and an open provocation.

"The Young Master didn't say... your subordinate does not know!" Seeing the patriarch explode in anger, the guard was startled and quickly bowed.

"Bring him in!" The middle-aged man waved his hand.

"Yes!" The guard turned and walked out. Soon after, a young man with a swollen, red face walked in. If Zhang Xuan were present, he would certainly recognize him as Young Master Ji Mo, the one-star Calligrapher-Painter who had competed with him. Ji Mo at this moment bore no trace of his former suave appearance. His entire body was red and swollen, like a pig's head. He was wearing a single garment, and if he claimed to have just returned from begging, people would certainly believe him.

"Father, you must avenge me..." The moment he entered, Young Master Ji Mo burst into tears, knelt on the ground, and wailed loudly.

"Don't worry," the middle-aged man roared, seeing his son's miserable state, his aura erupting wildly like a surging river. "Anyone who dares to challenge my Ji family's prestige and humiliate my son, no matter who he is, even if he's the heavens, I'll tear him apart!"

"Thank you, Father, for upholding justice for me!" Hearing his father's words, Young Master Ji Mo's eyes reddened.

"Tell me, who beat you up like this?" the middle-aged man demanded. "I'll take people there right now, turn him into a human stick, and avenge you!" With a wave of his large hand, the middle-aged man displayed the majesty and demeanor of the patriarch of one of the three great families.

"It was those few subordinates of mine... oh, no, they weren't the mastermind," Young Master Ji Mo stammered, his face contorted with madness. "It was a Calligrapher-Painter who just successfully passed his examination. He used some unknown method to make my subordinates betray me and hang me naked on a tree, shaming me. I want him dead..."

"A Calligrapher-Painter? Hmph, a lowly profession," the middle-aged man sneered, his eyes like lightning, revealing a formidable aura of dominance. "And they dare to cause trouble for our Ji family? I'll go find their president right now and make him hand that fellow over! Our Ji family has kept a low profile for so many years; it's time for us to rise up and let everyone see our true power!"

"Indeed..." Hearing his father's words, Young Master Ji Mo felt his blood boil with excitement, his eyes reddening. The Ji family hadn't made a move in so many years; many people had already forgotten their existence. Now they should know that in Tianwu Royal City, the Ji family was still a supreme power. Even if the Calligrapher-Painter Guild was formidable, it was merely one of the "lower nine" professions. What could they possibly do to the Ji family?

"By the way, what's the name of the person who harmed you?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Reporting to Father, this fellow is called Zhang Xuan. He just successfully passed the Calligrapher-Painter examination and even calls himself a genius!" Young Master Ji Mo said, his eyes red. "When I catch him, I'll torture him thoroughly, making him wish he were dead but unable to die..."

He was roaring with a distorted, ferocious expression when he suddenly noticed the room had fallen silent. He couldn't help but look up, only to see his father, who had just been full of vigor, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Father, what's wrong...?" he asked, full of confusion.

Before he could finish speaking, he saw a huge foot flying towards him as the middle-aged man let out a roar. "What the hell is wrong with you, you useless wretch, why didn't you just die outside!" Young Master Ji Mo hadn't even reacted when he was immediately kicked flying backward.

"Someone, tie up this beast for me, and prepare to send him to Master Zhang as an apology!" The middle-aged man's lips trembled.

"Apology?" Young Master Ji Mo's mouth twitched, his vision went black, and he couldn't help but cry. Didn't he just say he'd avenge him? Didn't he just say he'd display the Ji family's prestige? Kicked him away and then demanded an "apology," what the hell was going on? Can anyone tell me... what on earth is happening?

After half a day and a night of running, he finally absorbed all the books from the Master Teacher Pavilion's one-star library into his Library. At this moment, Zhang Xuan's face was also filled with fatigue. The high-intensity use of mental energy, even with his Mind Scale at 10.1, was still difficult to sustain. He sat in place and recovered for half an hour before finally feeling fully relieved.

Mentally scanning his Library, he couldn't help but frown. "There's actually no introduction about Master Kong," he murmured, "and no cultivation techniques for the Grandmaster realm..."

He had come to the library to find information about the Celestial Master Kong and, incidentally, cultivation techniques for the Grandmaster realm. As a result, neither was present.

"A one-star Master Teacher probably isn't qualified to access information about figures like Master Kong," Zhang Xuan mused. "As for cultivation methods, one-star Master Teachers are generally at the Transcendent Mortal realm or Half-Grandmaster, so even if there were Grandmaster realm cultivation methods, they wouldn't be useful to them..." After thinking for a while, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It seemed he had overthought things. As the lowest tier in the Master Teacher profession, a one-star Master Teacher isn't qualified to access many secrets. Especially the Celestial Master Kong, hailed as the Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations and the Head of Master Teachers — how could the deeds of such a person be casually placed in a place like this for easy perusal? Even if there were, it would probably only be well-known facts, not something as specific as innate fetal toxins.

"Never mind," he sighed. "Although there are no Grandmaster realm cultivation methods, there are quite a few secret arts and cultivation methods for the Transcendent Mortal realm and Half-Grandmaster realm. I can organize them and give them to Zhao Ya and the others to cultivate..." While there were no Grandmaster realm cultivation methods, there were plenty of others. Each level contained at least several thousand different secret arts. Given some time to organize them, he could certainly create a set of cultivation techniques suitable for Zhao Ya and the others.

After reviewing the cultivation methods, he focused his attention on the Master Teacher-related books. After reading for a while, he finally understood. No wonder Master Teachers were considered the foremost among many professions; they were indeed extraordinary. The ability to instantly spot others' flaws and cultivation method weaknesses wasn't innate vision, but rather the result of continuous refinement and comprehension. According to the books, there were hundreds of thousands of methods to determine if someone's cultivation method had problems. Just like a physician diagnosing an illness, one had to master these to detect what others couldn't, thereby solving problems and earning respect.

"I'll use these ten days to study properly as well..." he thought. When he had impersonated a Master Teacher and easily given guidance to others, he had relied on his limited knowledge of a true Master Teacher's skills. These ten days of examination, however, provided a good opportunity to learn more, supplement his knowledge, and make him more fitting as a two-star Master Teacher.

After scanning the Master Teacher-related books, he then scanned all the others. Although the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion covered many categories, they focused only on a few common professions. There wasn't much description for specialized fields like poison masters. It seemed the Master Teacher Pavilion wasn't omnipotent. Although Master Teachers possessed an Ethereal Mindset, allowing them to read and memorize faster than normal cultivators, it was impossible for one person to learn all the professions in the world.

"There aren't many books on other professions, but there are quite a few here about artificers!" His eyes paused on a stack of books. They were books about artifact forging, densely packed and numbering tens of thousands. Regarding artifact forging, he knew absolutely nothing. Tianxuan Kingdom had no artificers, nor corresponding guilds, so naturally, there were no books either.

"Weapons are divided into four grades: Mortal, Spirit, Saint, and King..." He casually opened a book, which described it in detail. "Each grade corresponds to four ranks: Low, Mid, High, and Peerless!" he read. "Typically, cultivators at the Nine Realms of Martial Arts use Mortal-grade weapons. Spirit-grade weapons can only be forged by artificers of four stars or higher..." He quickly finished reading through it.

"I didn't expect weapons to have so many classifications..." He had been full of doubts when he previously saw how powerful the Master Teacher Pavilion's puppets were; only now did he realize that they belonged to the category of Spirit Weapons. So-called Spirit Weapons are those that possess spirituality within them. For example, a longsword that gains a sword spirit can become a Spirit Weapon. Such weapons are far more powerful, greatly surpassing Mortal Weapons. However, they are exceedingly precious; there might not even be a few in the entire Tianwu Kingdom.

"Actually, not only are weapons divided into four types, but cultivation methods and secret arts also have classifications!" After finishing with weapons, he recalled the cultivation methods and secret arts he had just seen. These items were also divided into four grades: Mortal, Spirit, Saint, and King, with each grade further divided into three minor ranks: Low, Mid, and High. For instance, the Ninefold Hongtian Art cultivated by all students at Hongtian Academy was merely a Low-grade Mortal cultivation method. The cultivation methods and secret arts cultivated by the Tianxuan royal family were only Mid-grade Mortal. Such cultivation methods were low-level, slow to cultivate, and produced impure true qi, making them the lowest grade. Because Tianxuan Kingdom did not possess higher-grade cultivation methods, these distinctions were not detailed there. Only after seeing the records in the Master Teacher Pavilion's books did he truly understand.

"I wonder what grade the Heaven's Path Divine Art is!" Knowing that the cultivation methods he had seen before were all low-grade, a thought flashed in his mind, and he remembered the Heaven's Path Divine Art he cultivated. This set of cultivation methods was formed by condensing countless other cultivation methods, summarizing all correct cultivation methods within them. Whether in cultivation speed or effect, it far surpassed ordinary cultivation methods. Although he didn't know its exact grade, it was likely no lower than Saint-grade, or even a higher King-grade! Because only such a powerful cultivation method could make his Heaven's Path true qi incomparably pure, allowing him to easily unblock any clogged meridians.

"Alright, all the books have been added to the Library; I can read them slowly later," he thought. "It's getting late now; it's time to go to Tianwu Academy!" He glanced outside through the window. A night had passed, and the sun had already risen. He stretched, then strode out. There were so many books, he could read them at his leisure. The most important thing now was to complete the last trial of the two-star Master Teacher examination.

"Master Zhang, the Tianwu Kingdom's recruitment fair is about to begin," Mo Hongyi greeted him. "We should hurry!" Mo Hongyi at this moment had completely transformed into a different person. He looked twenty-six or twenty-seven, his face ashen, completely different from his previous handsome, cold appearance.

"Okay!" Knowing that Tianwu Kingdom was recruiting today and that it would be difficult to blend in if he missed this opportunity, Zhang Xuan immediately nodded.

Following him, Zhang Xuan exited the Master Teacher Pavilion through the back door. After walking along the street for less than half an hour, a massive campus appeared before his eyes. Built against a mountain and encircled by a river, it was spacious and grand! Countless students entered and exited, their voices reciting lessons loudly, giving off a sense of tranquility and etherealness. Compared to this campus, the former Hongtian Academy was like a rural school, utterly insignificant.

Arriving before the wide gate, the two stopped. They had arrived at Tianwu Academy!