Chapter 414: Confucius statue shattered

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

As a Celestial Master Teacher, he didn't strictly need the ancestors' recognition. However, since he was already here, he was curious to see if he could receive their acknowledgment.

He took two steps to the meditation mat, took a deep breath, and knelt down.

“Your junior, Zhang Xuan, greets the esteemed ancestors and humbly requests your recognition!”

He bowed his head in obeisance, just as Mo Hongyi had done.

Everyone watched intently. Even Master Su and Master Ling, both four-star master teachers, couldn't help but feel a little nervous, clenching their fists.

This guy had created too many miracles; perhaps he could even break Jiang Ziye’s record.

The room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. The statues filling the room remained still and silent, seemingly without any reaction.

“Could it be… he won't receive recognition from even one ancestor?”

After a long wait, with no movement, the master teachers exchanged confused glances.

Zhang Xuan had consecutively broken so many records, and his students' trust level reached ninety-nine. He should have gained the admiration of many powerful figures. How could there be no reaction at all? This was too abnormal.

“Normally, if there’s no reaction after the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, it means no recognition was granted. The time has passed, so it seems… he has failed!”

After a moment of waiting, Hall Master Jiang calculated the time, his face filled with disappointment. Based on their achievements, Mo Hongyi had gained recognition from one ancestor, so Master Zhang should have been acknowledged by many more. Yet, there was no reaction at all, which made Hall Master Jiang feel somewhat dejected.

“Ancestor recognition isn’t about talent or strength; it’s about… whether you are suitable to be their student.”

After a while, Master Su spoke, “Perhaps Master Zhang’s talent is too exceptional, causing these ancestors to feel pressure!”

This was the only explanation now. Otherwise, no one could understand why the less talented Mo Hongyi succeeded while the more talented one failed.

“Yes, that must be it. Otherwise, how could he receive no recognition at all?”

Hall Master Jiang nodded with a wry smile, just as he was about to continue speaking, he saw Vice Hall Master Guan, standing nearby, urgently pointing forward with a panicked expression. “No, look quickly…”

Everyone hastily looked up, only to see that the numerous spirit tablets in the room remained perfectly still, unchanged.

“Vice Hall Master Guan…” Jiang Shu looked over, confused.

“Not the spirit tablets, but…” Vice Hall Master Guan’s face turned pale, and his lips trembled. “But… the statue of Kong Shi!”

Everyone froze and looked at the tall statue in the center. They saw the clay sculpture embedded in the floor suddenly… sway!

“The statue swayed?”

This time, not only others were puzzled, but even Master Su and Master Ling felt completely bewildered. Before, they had only seen spirit tablets fall. They had never heard of Kong Shi’s statue swaying!

“Not swaying…”

While everyone was still wondering, Hall Master Jiang suddenly realized something and shrieked, “Master Zhang, watch out…”

Before he could finish, the tall statue of Kong Shi creaked loudly and began to topple. Zhang Xuan was kneeling in front of the statue, bowing to the spirit tablets. As it fell, it was heading straight for his head.

“Good heavens!”

Zhang Xuan, kneeling and awaiting recognition, never in his wildest dreams expected such a massive statue to fall on him. His face instantly turned grim. There was no time to escape, so he quickly stood up and met it with his hands. His fists met the statue.

He was a Half-Grandmaster realm expert, and his physical body was incredibly strong, reaching 9,999 ding. Even if the falling Kong Shi statue was incredibly sturdy, it was still just a sculpture. How could it withstand him? With a loud 'boom,' it exploded into pieces.

With a loud crash! The moment the Kong Shi statue shattered, the numerous spirit tablets piled in the room simultaneously fell with a clattering sound, like beans being stir-fried. Immediately after, the Hall of Enfeoffment also creaked and groaned, beginning to sway.

“Quick, retreat…”

Hall Master Jiang's face went pale, and he shouted, leading the master teachers as they scrambled backward. Zhang Xuan didn't dare hesitate either, rushing out right behind them. The moment they exited the room, the great hall before them collapsed with a thunderous 'boom!' Dust billowed and smoke rose, resembling a rolling wave.

“What on earth… is going on?!”

Hall Master Jiang and the other master teachers were all dumbfounded. They all stared at the dumbfounded young man not far away, wishing they could strangle him.

When others performed obeisance, they either received recognition or not. But he, after bowing once, dismantled Kong Shi's statue, and that wasn't even the end of it; he collapsed the entire Hall of Enfeoffment… Are you kidding me?!

Kong Shi, the World Teacher, an existence revered by all. If his statue was falling, even if it was about to hit you, surely you'd try to support it, right? To directly punch it, what kind of situation is that? Attacking Kong Shi… This is simply too much!

The master teachers were all dizzy. They saw the young man nearby, staring at the ruins and scratching his head, asking, “So… does this mean I’ve been recognized?”

Recognized? Recognized, my foot! Everyone felt like crying. You shattered his statue, demolished the ancestral hall, and you still expect recognition?

While everyone was going crazy, Zhang Xuan was also inwardly collapsing. Either acknowledge or don't acknowledge, but what's the meaning of such a large statue falling down? Guaranteed to last a thousand years, this statue, even if not as hard as stone, was close. If he hadn't blocked it, and it had truly struck his head, even with his unparalleled physical defense, he would likely have been severely injured.

“It must be that old man seeking revenge…” He was speechless. Earlier, Kong Shi wanted to take him as a disciple, but he refused. Now, it must be deliberate revenge. Otherwise, how could such a large statue suddenly fall? And even the Hall of Enfeoffment would collapse? Now, it was completely ruined; he couldn't explain it even if he wanted to…

“No one is to speak of what happened today!”

After a moment of silence, Master Su looked around and instructed. The shattering of Kong Shi’s statue and the collapse of the Hall of Enfeoffment were like someone digging up their ancestors' graves… If word got out, people would surely laugh their heads off, and the prestige of their Master Teacher Pavilion would be gone. The only thing they could do was issue a gag order. Fortunately, there were only a few people present, and all held respected positions, so presumably, they wouldn't publicize such a disgraceful incident.

“Yes!” Everyone quickly nodded.

“Alright, not being recognized isn't a big deal. Now that you two are master teachers, I will introduce you to the responsibilities and duties of a master teacher!” Knowing that discussing the previous incident further would be pointless, Hall Master Jiang looked over.

“A teacher's role is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts! As master teachers, you should embody this even more. When Kong Shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion and standardized the profession, he had only one goal: to make… everyone like a dragon!”

“Everyone like a dragon?”

Mo Hongyi and Zhang Xuan both furrowed their brows.

“Indeed. The world you see now, calm and peaceful, with various professions shining brightly, is not actually as it seems.” Hall Master Jiang’s expression grew solemn. “In Kong Shi’s era, humanity was not the sole overlord of the continent. There was another powerful race… the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!”

“The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?”

“Yes, they are an extremely formidable race. From birth, they possess power beyond that of a Grandmaster, incredibly mighty! At that time, if humans were captured, they could only live as dependents, enslaved by them!” Hall Master Jiang slowly explained, “Kong Shi led humanity to eventually suppress them. To make humanity stronger, he founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, teaching without discrimination and passing down knowledge throughout the world. His goal was for us to become more powerful and possess enough strength to protect ourselves.”

“This…”

Zhang Xuan was utterly shocked. Although he had collected many books, none of them documented these ancient secrets, nor had he ever heard of them. He couldn't have imagined that such a powerful race existed in the world, one that possessed strength beyond a Grandmaster from birth.

“Do you know why Poison Masters are despised and not recognized among the Nine Paths of Professions?” Hall Master Jiang continued, looking at them.

Both shook their heads.

“Normally, Poison Masters, while terrifying for their ability to kill invisibly, actually have significant benefits and shouldn't be entirely dismissed. However, Poison Masters are detested by countless professions… not out of fear or worry for them, but because, in that era, they once sided with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, assisting them in their evil deeds and harming fellow humans!” Hall Master Jiang explained.

The two understood. Previously, Zhang Xuan had also wondered why Poison Masters, despite being terrifying, didn't poison everyone they met. There seemed no need for such extreme precautions, driving them out of the capital city to reside in the Red Lotus Mountains! Only now did he realize that it was because the various professions had never forgiven them for their past actions. Over time, although the hatred might have been forgotten, the habits remained, leading to the current situation. Within the normal professional world, Poison Masters were like rats crossing the street – no one wanted to provoke them, but they also had no good reputation.

“Alright, you are only two-star master teachers, and these matters are ancient history now. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has long disappeared into the river of history, so there’s no need to dwell on it!” Hall Master Jiang smiled, not lingering on the topic. “Although the crisis of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe is gone, the legacy of master teachers has remained. Once you become a part of it, you must fulfill your duties as a teacher, strictly adhere to the rules, and educate people!”

“It is by educating the world that the world bestows master teachers with their noble and supreme status, not that becoming a master teacher automatically grants you a high and mighty position!” Hall Master Jiang’s expression grew serious. “If I ever learn that either of you commits wrongdoing or disregards the rules, even if I don’t act, other Master Teacher Pavilions will automatically cleanse and expel you!”

“Yes!” Zhang Xuan and the other person nodded simultaneously.

“Remember, becoming a master teacher is not just an honor and status, but a responsibility and duty. Only by truly caring for your students, genuinely educating them, and spreading knowledge throughout the world can you become a truly good teacher and gain renown across all kingdoms!”

After giving his instructions, Hall Master Jiang waved his hand. “Alright, everything that needed to be said has been said. Let’s go to the reception hall. I can introduce you to Master Su and Master Ling there as well!”

“Understood!” Everyone responded and walked towards the Master Teacher Pavilion’s reception hall.

As they left, no one noticed subtle, special auras slowly emerging from countless spirit tablets and the Kong Shi statue, gathering to form a massive torrent. Because no one received it, it slowly dissipated after a short time, as if it had never appeared.