Chapter 416: Above the Alliance

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

Master Su hesitated for a moment, then said, "Even if you don't fully know the status of our Myriad Kingdom Alliance on the continent, I'm sure you've heard a little about it!"

Having read many books, Zhang Xuan already knew that this continent, due to the existence of the Master Teacher profession, was called the Master Teacher Continent. It was vast and boundless. Countless kingdoms dotted its landscape, and various sects and independent powers were as numerous as grains of sand. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance, while being the most powerful entity among the kingdoms, was still considered insignificant when compared to the entire Master Teacher Continent.

Seeing many master teachers looking confused, Master Su shook his head. "Even if you know, it's likely only a partial understanding. Let me explain in detail."

"You should all be very familiar with the kingdom ranks, which include: Unranked, Second-Tier, First-Tier, and Conferred Kingdom!"

"Our Tianwu Kingdom is a First-Tier Kingdom, a vassal state within the domain of the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. Within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's jurisdiction, there are a total of one hundred and forty-two kingdoms of the Xuanyuan Kingdom's caliber!"

"That many?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

The regional maps he had seen only went up to the First-Tier Kingdom level; he wasn't clear on the exact number of Conferred Kingdoms. He had thought the "Myriad Kingdom Alliance" was just a vague term, but now he realized the number of states under its control was likely even greater. Over 140 Conferred Kingdoms, and the Xuanyuan Kingdom alone had more than twenty First-Tier Kingdoms like Tianwu under its jurisdiction, with further divisions below that... The sheer number was immense and hard to keep track of.

"Indeed. The formation of kingdoms involves history and the presence of Master Teacher Pavilions, but I won't elaborate on that today. Let's just talk about the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!"

"The Myriad Kingdom Alliance controls the scope of all kingdoms, which sounds vast, but in the grand scheme of the Master Teacher Continent, it's merely a drop in the ocean, quite insignificant. There are thousands of forces of similar caliber across the continent, such as the neighboring Mingxia Empire, the Huanhai Empire... And of course, some powerful third-rate sects like the Luosha Sect, the Hanqi Sect, and so on."

"There are other entities as vast as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?" Everyone was astonished.

They had known the Master Teacher Continent was immense, but they never imagined it was this immense. A gathering of tens of thousands of kingdoms seemed enormous in their eyes, yet they had no idea there were thousands of forces of comparable power! Terrifying!

"The Myriad Kingdom Alliance sounds formidable, but because the kingdoms govern themselves and lack cohesion, it's actually one of the weakest among forces of similar standing."

"For instance, the Mingxia Empire surpasses us significantly in both the number of experts and economic strength. The Flowing Cloud Sect and the Luosha Sect also produce a wealth of talent, far outnumbering ours."

"Naturally, these powers also have their own Master Teacher Pavilions, which are overseen by a central headquarters."

"To better select talent and make the Master Teacher profession even more brilliant, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, along with twenty-seven surrounding powers of the same rank, jointly organized a Master Teacher Tournament!"

"It's held every ten years, and only master teachers under the age of thirty can participate. Winners receive generous rewards."

"This competition has been held seventy-seven times consecutively, but unfortunately... the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Master Teacher Pavilion has always ranked last. Its best performance was merely twenty-third place..."

At this point, Master Su's face flushed. Among twenty-seven competing powers, their best ranking was twenty-third, meaning fifth from the bottom. The poor performance was evident. No wonder he felt ashamed.

"This time, the newly appointed Hall Master Kang has taken office, dedicating himself to governance and determined to turn the tide... He wants us to pay close attention to all kingdoms and select any outstanding talents we find for cultivation! This is in preparation for the grand competition three months from now..."

Master Su looked over, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Master Su, do you mean... you intend for Master Zhang to participate in this competition?" Hall Master Jiang understood.

"Precisely!" Master Su nodded. "Master Zhang, at such a young age, has achieved so much, continuously breaking numerous records at the Master Teacher Pavilion. His talent is truly unparalleled, even within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Therefore... I'd like to invite him to participate!"

"This..." Hall Master Jiang was surprised by the request and turned to look at Zhang Xuan. The other master teachers also focused their gaze on him. Competitions involve wins and losses, and participation is voluntary; no one can be forced.

"Well..." Zhang Xuan was also taken aback.

"Master Zhang, there's no need to rush your answer. I'll give you two days to consider it. You can also discuss it with your esteemed teacher; it won't be too late to respond once you have a definitive answer!" Master Su said.

"Alright, I'll think about it..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had never even heard of the Master Teacher Tournament, let alone how it was conducted, so it was better to be cautious and not agree blindly. His primary goal now was still to become a 9-star master teacher before turning thirty; other matters were of lesser importance.

"That's all for me; I have no other matters. Master Zhang, I might trouble you further to introduce us. Master Ling and I would like to meet your teacher, Master Yang!" Master Su chuckled.

A teacher capable of cultivating a heaven-defying genius like Zhang Xuan was likely more powerful than them, if not equally so. It would be rude not to pay respects upon their arrival.

"As soon as my teacher returns, I'll inform both of you immediately." Hearing that they hadn't forgotten this, Zhang Xuan felt a headache coming on. Seeing how serious these two 4-star master teachers were, there was no way to avoid it. If worst came to worst, he'd just have to brazenly keep up the pretense. However, pretending in front of 4-star master teachers... he truly had no confidence.

"If there are no further instructions, I'll take my leave now!" Seeing no more arrangements, Zhang Xuan said no more and cupped his fist in farewell.

"Farewell!" Everyone nodded.

The master teacher examination was complete, the explanations were given, and the recognitions were done. It was time to return. He hadn't been in the royal city for long before he adopted a disguise. To be honest, he hadn't yet walked around as Zhang Xuan himself.

Stepping out of the council hall, he saw Mu Xueqing and Lu Chong approaching him.

"Teacher!" Their eyes were filled with adoration.

They had thought their teacher was just an ordinary instructor, never imagining he was Zhang Xuan, the super genius who had shaken the royal city! With such a teacher, they were bound to rise like carp leaping over the dragon gate, soaring to great heights.

"Teacher..." Zhao Ya and the others also came over, looking like defeated roosters, completely lacking their previous high spirits. Zheng Yang and his group, in particular, trembled like mice seeing a cat.

"You few, wait until we're back at the manor; I'll show you how I teach a lesson!" This was the Master Teacher Pavilion, and many people were watching. If outsiders knew his students tried to kill him daily, they'd undoubtedly laugh themselves silly. The prestige he had just gained from passing the 2-star master teacher examination would instantly crumble. Family disgraces should not be aired publicly. It was better to wait until they were home to properly discipline these overconfident rascals.

"You all come with me too!" Zhang Xuan glanced at Mu Xueqing, Lu Chong, and the others, then waved his hand.

His two identities had merged into one. It was time to conclude what needed to be concluded and reorganize what needed reorganizing among his two groups of students.

"Yes!" Everyone nodded and followed behind him.

Back at the manor, Master Liu, White Chad, and the others had already received the news, and naturally, they expressed their admiration once more. Upon entering the main hall, Zhang Xuan sat in the principal seat, his face ashen as he looked at Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others kneeling below. As soon as they arrived, the few explained the poisoning incident in detail.

"Regardless of who that Teacher Liu was or if it was me, as a teacher who imparts knowledge to all, respect is due. To intentionally administer poison because of a slight grievance—you truly have astounding audacity!" he roared.

These individuals were far too reckless. Poisoning him wasn't the main issue; what angered him was their blatant disregard for the dignity of a teacher and their complete lack of moral boundaries. Once a person loses their morality, no matter how strong they become, they are nothing but trash and waste! A teacher's role is not just to impart knowledge but also to cultivate character and conscience. It's like tending to a flower: you don't just water and fertilize it. You must also prune it regularly; otherwise, it will grow crookedly, losing its aesthetic appeal and even becoming unappealing.

"Teacher, we won't dare again..." It was the first time they had seen their teacher so furious, and Zheng Yang and the others turned pale with fright.

"Won't dare again? You dared to lay hands on your teacher; what else wouldn't you dare to do? I, Zhang Xuan, don't have students like that, nor can I afford to lose face for them!" Zhang Xuan snorted, flicking his sleeve.

"Teacher..." Zheng Yang and the others swayed simultaneously. Such words meant being expelled from his tutelage!

"Please, Teacher, reconsider your decision! Zheng Yang and the others truly didn't mean it..." Zhao Ya hurriedly stepped forward, her eyes pleading.

"No intercessions! Let them kneel. They can speak again when they've truly understood their mistake!"

After scolding Zheng Yang and the others, Zhang Xuan said no more and turned to look at Mu Xueqing and the others nearby.

"Our teacher-student relationship began because I was disguised as Liu Cheng. Now that my identity is restored, that connection is also effectively over. I will leave behind cultivation techniques that will ensure your advancement to Grandmaster. You may all return home now!"

His connection with these students was limited to Tianwu Academy. Now that his task was complete, there was no need to continue. Furthermore, the Tianwu Kingdom was still too small for him; he would eventually leave. Taking Zhao Ya and the others with him was already difficult; he couldn't possibly take everyone else as well!

"Teacher..." Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others all had reddened eyes. "Enough," Zhang Xuan said, "There are no banquets that don't eventually end. Even if you are no longer my students, you must cultivate diligently and not grow complacent!"

After giving his instructions, Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "All of you, return!"

"Yes..." Everyone knelt down and kowtowed simultaneously, their eyes slightly red.

"Teacher, I... I want to follow you! Wherever you go, I'll go!" Mu Xueqing gritted her teeth.

"You? Master Mu Dan has only one daughter. If you leave, how will you fulfill your filial duty? Go back!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"I..." Mu Xueqing was speechless. She had grown up without a mother, and her father had painstakingly raised her. If she truly left, how could she explain it to him?

"If you still wish to follow me in the future, you can arrange things with Master Mu Dan and here, then come find me. Don't worry, as a master teacher, it's not difficult for me to find your whereabouts!" Zhang Xuan smiled. If they wanted to follow him later, it would be simple: they just had to catch up.

"Yes, thank you, Teacher, for your diligent guidance these past few days!" Mu Xueqing understood, bowed deeply, and kowtowed several times.

Zhang Xuan nodded, just about to say a few more words, when his mind suddenly stirred. In the depths of the library, a golden book appeared again.