Chapter 412: Kong Master, Please Accept Me

A trust level, with a maximum score of 100, reaching above 90 is considered top-tier, existing only between master teachers of six stars or higher and their students. Above 95 is even rarer; at least at their level, they had never even heard of such a thing. This level of trust was known as "Perfect Trust, Life-and-Death Devotion!" In other words, with this level of trust, students would not hesitate to die for their teacher at a mere command.

Master Su and Master Ling felt their heads spin and were utterly stunned. They had just been thinking that this person was quite inferior compared to other geniuses, but now they realized that the master teacher hadn't even presented his most capable student yet... A trust level of 99... Let alone others, even they, with students they had taught for over thirty years, were nowhere near achieving such a score... And this person had only taught for six days! How could such an astonishing individual exist?

"A trust level of 99?" "That high?" The room erupted. The many family heads and elders present, even if not master teachers themselves, knew a great deal about trust levels. Reaching 99... This was beyond imagination, enough to drive people insane.

"With such an incredibly high trust level, how can he be just an ordinary teacher? Many powerful master teachers are probably nowhere near this, right?" someone in the crowd exclaimed. Gaining a student's trust enables better teaching, and extremely high trust levels have always been a hallmark between master teachers and their students. Could it be that President Liu is actually a master teacher? Previously, no one had suspected it, but now they were forced to seriously consider the possibility.

"Alright," Hall Master Jiang said. "I mentioned earlier that I had an important announcement to make. Now that the assessment is complete, I won't waste any more words!" Seeing the bewildered expressions in everyone's eyes, Hall Master Jiang smiled and looked at Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi. "You two, please remove your masks!"

"Understood!"

Knowing they had passed the assessment and it was time to reveal their true identities, Zhang Xuan and Mo Hongyi didn't hesitate. They swept their hands across their faces, and their original appearances were immediately revealed to everyone present.

"It's... Master Zhang Xuan!""Teacher Liu, President Liu, is Master Zhang?""No wonder! I kept wondering how two such formidable geniuses suddenly appeared in the capital. Turns out... they're the same damn person!""I've only ever admired two people in my life, and now... it's just one!"

The hall erupted into chaos. The two most famous geniuses in the capital recently had each garnered their own fans and supporters, who had been arguing fiercely... but it turned out they were the same person!

Oh, come on! Are you serious? In that case, wouldn't Master Zhang also be astonishingly proficient in medicine and sword arts?

"Teacher Liu... is Master Zhang?"

As the masks fell and they heard the murmurs around them, Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and the others were also dumbfounded. They had previously worshipped Zhang Xuan and wished to become his disciples, but they also knew it was impossible... Who knew happiness would arrive so suddenly? Teacher Liu was Master Zhang all along... If only they had known, why would they have bothered competing with Zhao Ya? All that fierce competition, fighting tooth and nail... and it was all for the same person.

"As expected..."

At the back of the crowd, Zhao Ya and the others who had just arrived wore bitter smiles. Although they had guessed it beforehand, witnessing it firsthand still brought an intense shock. Especially Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others were on the verge of tears, wishing they could smash their heads on the ground and die on the spot. As students, they had actually tried to poison their teacher and make him suffer... What kind of situation was this?! It was incredibly embarrassing.

"President Liu is... Master Zhang?"

Mo Tianxue was also startled, then looked at his daughter beside him, shaking his head helplessly. He had previously thought that Master Zhang was too far beyond reach, and that he should encourage his daughter to interact more with President Liu, hoping to secure him as a son-in-law. Now it seemed that idea could only remain a pipe dream... Such an incredibly powerful super genius of the prestigious Master Teacher Pavilion was bound for a limitless future. The Tianwu Kingdom could no longer contain him; he would soon spread his wings and soar.

As the masks were removed, everyone had their own thoughts, but mostly, there was profound shock. It was clear that almost no one had expected President Liu, who had made such a name for himself in the capital, and the genius Zhang Xuan, to be the same person. After all, their cultivation levels were different, their appearances were different, and their verifiable experiences were completely distinct...

"These are your rank badges!"

Having long known this moment would come, Hall Master Jiang smiled faintly and took out two badges representing their status, handing them over. With the successful assessment, from now on, they were officially 2-star master teachers.

"Everyone," Hall Master Jiang said, "Master Zhang and Master Mo have successfully passed the 2-star master teacher assessment and need to proceed to the Master Conferment Hall for official recognition. They will therefore take their leave now!" Placing the badges in their palms, Hall Master Jiang smiled and clasped his fist towards the crowd.

"Yes, please go quickly!""This is a custom of the Master Teacher Pavilion; we won't disturb you...""To witness a teacher-student trust level of 99, and for Teacher Liu to be Master Zhang... this trip was truly worthwhile!"

Understanding the implication of his words, everyone promptly bid their farewells. They had come this time to see what had happened to cause the Gathering Bell to ring and what exactly was going on at the Master Teacher Pavilion. Upon witnessing this scene, they all knew that their trip had been more than worthwhile. What happened today would surely spread throughout the capital with lightning speed, and Zhang Xuan's name would soon cause a sensation across the Thirteen Kingdoms, making him an idol worshipped by countless people.

Soon, the bustling hall was left with only a few master teachers; everyone else had departed.

"Master Zhang, Master Mo," Hall Master Jiang said with a welcoming smile, "having become 2-star master teachers, it's customary for us to take you to receive your official recognition and explain the responsibilities and obligations of a master teacher. Let's head to the Master Conferment Hall together!"

"Alright!"

Knowing this rule, Zhang Xuan said no more and followed behind the group as they walked out. The Master Conferment Hall was located near the assessment hall. In just a few steps, everyone entered. The room was densely filled with memorial tablets of numerous ancestor master teachers. In the very center stood a massive statue, holding a scroll, exuding majesty in all directions.

"This..." Zhang Xuan's eyes fell on the statue, and his mind reeled. Full of confusion, he muttered, "Is this that... old man?"

He had seen this very individual this morning when he became a Celestial Master Teacher! He had been pulled into an illusion where this person insisted on taking him as a student, and Zhang Xuan had flat-out refused then. He never expected this Master Conferment Hall to actually have a statue of him.

"Who is this old man?" Zhang Xuan wondered aloud. "The previous Hall Master? Or someone else? How could they leave a statue of such a shameless fellow here?" Remembering how the other party had dared to secretly ambush him, Zhang Xuan felt a surge of indignation. He couldn't help but turn to Hall Master Jiang, casually pointed, and shouted with righteous indignation. What in the world was this! The Master Conferment Hall, such a prestigious place, actually keeping a statue of a wretched old man—how incredibly careless!

"Old man?" Hall Master Jiang, Master Su, Master Ling, and the others all turned pale and nearly fainted. This was Master Kong, the Teacher of Myriad Generations! Anyone who saw him, even 9-star master teachers, would respectfully bow, not daring to breathe loudly. And he called him "old man"... "Good heavens!" "Are you insane?!"

"Presumptuous!" With a flick of his sleeve, Master Su couldn't help but reprimand him.

"I'm stating a fact! This guy ambushed me..." Thinking back to the previous scene, he felt a bit dejected. Just as he was about to say more, he suddenly froze. Zhang Xuan couldn't help but look at Master Su and snapped, "Who are you? Where did you pop out from? Do you have the right to speak here?" In Tianwu Kingdom, there were a total of thirteen 1-star master teachers and three 2-star master teachers. Now, including Mo Hongyi and himself, there were only five 2-star master teachers. He had seen all these people before and knew them. So where did this old man pop out from? And how dare he scold him? Didn't he know he was a 2-star master teacher? What audacity...

Hall Master Jiang, Vice Hall Master Guan, Elder Zhu, and the others clutched their hair in disbelief. Calling Master Kong an "old man" and "shameless" was already enough to drive people mad, and now he was directly scolding a 4-star master teacher? The master teachers who had followed them in were also on the verge of losing their minds. Standing before a 4-star master teacher, they wouldn't even dare to breathe loudly, let alone raise their voices. But this guy, on the other hand, was scolding him directly to his face. Did he have to be so fierce?

"Master Zhang, there's no need to be anxious," Master Ling said, unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer. "Master Su and I have just arrived from afar, and Hall Master Jiang hasn't introduced us yet, so it's perfectly normal that you don't recognize us!" Master teachers, after all, possessed a certain demeanor. Since they had deliberately hidden their identities, it was indeed normal for him not to recognize them.

"Since you speak politely, I won't hold it against you!" Zhang Xuan nodded. The other party's attitude was sincere, so he was too lazy to press the matter.

"Cough, cough!" Seeing that his efforts had earned the other party's "forgiveness," Master Ling and Master Su exchanged glances and simultaneously choked on their saliva.

Knowing that the other party was unaware of their identities, and that ignorance was no crime, Master Su didn't dwell on the matter. He explained, "My apologies, I was a bit rash just now. Let me introduce you, and then you'll understand why I spoke that way. This is the Master Conferment Hall. Everyone else here is merely a memorial tablet; even 9-star master teachers only have their names recorded. Yet, this person has a standing statue. Can you still not guess who he is?"

"Who is he?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. As soon as he entered, he had recognized the old man's appearance and, remembering how the other party had secretly acted against him, he was extremely angry and blurted out his thoughts without much consideration. But hearing this explanation, he realized it indeed presented a problem. The surrounding memorial tablets included many 9-star and 8-star master teachers renowned across the continent. Even such esteemed figures weren't qualified to have statues, yet this person was placed right in the center. It certainly gave one pause.

"Could it be, he is..." A possibility struck him, and Zhang Xuan froze, his eyes widening.

"That's right, he is Master Kong!" Master Su said, stroking his beard. "He is revered by everyone. Any aspiring master teacher, upon assessment, must come here to pay their respects."

"Master Kong?" Zhang Xuan stood dumbfounded. He had been researching Master Kong's deeds specifically to learn from him and resolve his Innate Fetal Poison. Unfortunately, not many of Master Kong's deeds remained in the world. After extensive searching and piecing together information, he had only found one method to resolve the poison: becoming a 9-star master teacher. He had originally planned to go to a higher-level Master Teacher Pavilion to continue his research, but he never expected... Master Kong had tried to take him as a student, and he had actually... with a righteous expression... refused?

His face flushed then paled. Suddenly, with a roar, Zhang Xuan lunged towards the statue, his eyes gleaming. "Old man... Ah, no, Master Kong! I accept! Please take me, take me now..."

Master Su, Master Ling: "..."Hall Master Jiang, the many master teachers: "..."