Chapter 543: Selection Competition

Upon entering the living room, he indeed saw Elder Su and Elder Ling seated in the guest seats. Seeing him arrive, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

If it weren't for the commotion at the Medicinal Herb Garden over the past few days, they wouldn't have known that Master Zhang had already arrived.

After they were all seated, Elder Su looked over, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Might Master Yang have also arrived in Myriad Kingdom City?"

Back in Tianwu Kingdom, Master Yang had guided him in breaking through the seventh stage of the Minor Pure Yang Art, significantly increasing his strength. He remained deeply grateful to this day. The reason they had eagerly come to find Zhang Xuan to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament was only one part of it. More importantly, they wished to pay their respects to their benefactor. This was a super master teacher who might very well surpass even six stars! Otherwise, there would be no need for both of them to personally come just to meet a two-star master teacher.

"My teacher... is like a divine dragon, appearing and disappearing without a trace. I also don't know where he has gone!" Zhang Xuan replied. "My teacher" was, in fact, himself. Deceiving people in a small kingdom had already caused so much trouble. If his disguise were to fail here and he were exposed, he would be ruined! Relying on the reputation of being a disciple of a renowned master teacher, others would show some apprehension. But if they knew he had no such teacher, trouble would surely follow.

Hearing that "Master Yang" was not present, Elder Su shook his head, a little disappointed. However, he quickly composed himself. "Today, Elder Ling and I have come to you with a request!"

"Please, Elder Su," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"It's like this: we previously invited you to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament... I wonder if Master Yang mentioned it?" Elder Su said. They had mentioned it once back in Tianwu Kingdom, but Zhang Xuan's reply had been ambiguous. It was Master Yang who had accepted on his behalf. Although they believed Master Yang would surely have informed him, it was best to clarify it beforehand.

"My teacher mentioned it to me! As long as I win the championship, there will be a reward of mid-tier spirit stones. Don't worry, I accept!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Cough, cough..."

Simultaneously, they choked on their saliva. Elder Su and Elder Ling were speechless.

Champion? You really dare to dream!

Twenty-eight major powers, countless formidable experts. Each one was a super genius of astounding talent. Although your innate talent is excellent, your cultivation level and age are simply too far behind. Their purpose in seeking him was merely to secure a slightly better ranking than before. They hadn't even considered the top ten, let alone the champion... That could only be a pipe dream.

"It's like this: the Master Teacher Tournament is a competition among the most exceptional geniuses from twenty-eight different powers. Our Myriad Kingdom Alliance is fortunate enough to be the host this year! Hall Master Kang hopes to achieve a good ranking, so... he has gathered several top geniuses from various regions to hold an internal competition beforehand and select two participants..."

After a moment of hesitation, Elder Su Fan revealed their purpose.

"An internal competition?"

"Yes, all the elders collectively recommended six candidates..." Elder Su replied. As the host of this Master Teacher Tournament, the newly appointed Hall Master Kang attached great importance to it. He hoped to surpass their previous rankings, and thus issued an order for various elders to scout for talent. This was precisely why Elder Su and Elder Ling had eagerly rushed to Tianwu Kingdom to extend an invitation. However, throughout the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, there were more elders than just the two of them. Others also made their own recommendations, resulting in a total of six candidates. Zhang Xuan's spot was only secured after the two of them had expended great effort in persuasion. Otherwise, with only his two-star master teacher identity, how could he have a chance to compete with other geniuses?

"You mean to say... you want me to first participate in an internal selection process within the Alliance's Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan understood.

"Yes, for the Master Teacher Tournament, each power can only send a maximum of two participants. With six candidates, naturally, a selection must be made so we can focus on nurturing them and strive to elevate their understanding of master teachers even further within less than two months!" Elder Su said.

To achieve a good ranking, intensive training was necessary. Even if it was last-minute preparation, two months could still yield some results.

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan understood. The Master Teacher Tournament was the largest grand event for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and the twenty-seven other similar powers. Even with Elder Su and Elder Ling's strong recommendation, it would be impossible to so easily hand him a spot representing the Alliance. After all, he came from a small kingdom, and from his rise to prominence until now, only about three months had passed. It was perfectly normal for people to have doubts.

Knowing the situation, Zhang Xuan wasn't particularly bothered. He also wanted to participate and see just how formidable the geniuses of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance truly were. With Lu Chong's matter resolved, he needed to accelerate his cultivation and quickly break through to higher master teacher realms. Otherwise, if he couldn't reach the Nine-Star Master Teacher realm before thirty, and the innate fetal poison flared up, all his efforts would be in vain.

Having read countless books, he knew that a master teacher not only needed the strength and skill of a "teacher," but "reputation" was also crucial. Without "reputation," how could one be worthy of the title "Master Teacher"? And if he wanted to quickly increase his reputation, participating in the tournament was the best way. Furthermore, to enhance his strength now, he not only needed the Heaven's Path Divine Art formed from countless secret manuals, but more importantly, sufficient mid-tier spirit stones. What he could gain by simply tricking people would surely be limited. If he could create a sensation in the Master Teacher Tournament, it would definitely be much easier to collect spirit stones afterwards.

Having thought all this through, there was nothing to hesitate about. Zhang Xuan asked, "When does this selection you mentioned begin?"

"According to Hall Master Kang's wishes, it was supposed to start a few days ago, but you hadn't appeared, so the two of us found ways to delay it. Now that you're here, it can begin at any time!"

Hearing that the young man before them had not refused, Elder Su and Elder Ling both breathed a sigh of relief. They had gone to great lengths to postpone the selection for several days. If this person before them chose not to participate, it would truly be troublesome.

"Is it at the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Yes!" they both nodded.

"Then let's go take a look!" Zhang Xuan stood up. Since he intended to participate, there was no need to hesitate.

"Uh..."

Seeing that he was so quick to go, the two men smiled wryly again. "Master Zhang, please don't rush. Let me first tell you about the other participants in the selection, so you can be mentally prepared. It won't be too late to go then!"

"Among these five individuals, three are from the Myriad Kingdom City Master Teacher Pavilion. The most famous one is Young Master Ruohuan, Jun Ruohuan, the foremost of Myriad Kingdom City's Four Young Masters and Hall Master Kang's direct disciple. He is twenty-nine this year, and at the beginning of the year, he successfully passed the four-star master teacher assessment, making him a true four-star early-stage master teacher!"

Zhang Xuan nodded. He had also met a super genius at the early stage of four stars, precisely Song Chao. Although that fellow seemed a bit foolish in front of him, as a master teacher of that caliber, his insight and talent were actually astonishing. For this Jun Ruohuan to be comparable to him, it showed he was far from simple.

"The second is Elder Hai of the Master Teacher Pavilion's direct disciple, Fu Xiaochen, Master Fu. He was assessed as a three-star pinnacle master teacher two years ago but has not undergone further assessment, so no one knows his exact rank. However, from my observation, he is no less capable than Young Master Ruohuan!"

"These two are the most famous and also the most threatening in this selection. Of the remaining three, one is Elder Feng's student. The other two are like you, selected by other elders from subordinate kingdoms. All of them are under thirty and are three-star pinnacle master teachers!"

Elder Su quickly went over the details of the five individuals.

"The weakest are all three-star pinnacle?" Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in amazement. Master teachers under thirty who could reach two stars were considered good in Xuanyuan Kingdom. Yet here, five were found at once, with one even at four stars. It was truly worthy of being the gathering place of myriad kingdoms, the most prosperous and central hub for numerous kingdoms.

"Indeed, but you don't need to worry. While your master teacher rank might not be as high as theirs, your insight and knowledge are by no means inferior... you should have a chance to win!" Thinking he had lost confidence, Elder Su offered a word of comfort. If they hadn't witnessed his performance at the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, the two of them would never have risked their lives to recommend him. After all, a two-star master teacher was far too inferior compared to these individuals.

"What are the events in the Master Teacher Tournament?" Zhang Xuan looked over, full of confusion. He had only heard about this grand competition from the two elders, and knew nothing about the specific rules. The books he had read previously rarely mentioned such events.

"You don't know?" They both froze simultaneously, a little flustered. "Didn't Master Yang tell you?" Back in Tianwu Kingdom, they had already told Master Yang about participating in the Master Teacher Tournament. They had assumed that, as his teacher, he would provide guidance and instruction beforehand... If that were the case, with a master teacher exceeding six stars giving guidance, the chances of winning would greatly increase. Who knew... after all this time, Master Zhang didn't even know what the competition entailed? Was he serious?

The reason the two insisted on having Zhang Xuan participate in the competition was partly due to being amazed by his performance, but more importantly, it was their belief in Master Yang's capabilities. Since Master Yang had agreed, he surely wouldn't let his student embarrass him... But now, Master Zhang didn't even know this. What was going on?

"My teacher never mentioned it!" Zhang Xuan replied.

Hearing him confirm this, the two couldn't help but roll their eyes. Was Master Yang overly nonchalant, or did he have absolute confidence in his student?

Shaking his head, Elder Su could only speak with a hint of helplessness. "The Master Teacher Tournament assesses a master teacher's comprehensive abilities. While the specific contents differ each time... they generally stem from the fundamental requirements of a master teacher: cultivation of mind, cultivation strength, teaching and nurturing students, understanding of cultivation, and ability to point out flaws and deficiencies..."

"It's actually quite similar to a master teacher assessment, just much more rigorous! And the time requirements are also higher. For a master teacher assessment, one merely needs to complete a test within the set time limit. But in the Master Teacher Tournament, whoever completes it in the shortest time wins."

Zhang Xuan understood. Just like competitions in his previous life, it was a race against time. If both ran a hundred meters, and A finished in ten seconds while B took three days, A would naturally win. Under time constraints, pressure increased, making it difficult to maintain a perfect state of mind. Many master teachers who were originally very capable would fail to secure a good ranking.

After a few more explanations, Zhang Xuan finally gained some understanding of the so-called Master Teacher Tournament. In essence, the Master Teacher Tournament was a grand contest of master teacher abilities, designed to select the strongest individuals. As long as one's fundamentals were solid, there was no need to be overly afraid during the competition! This was precisely why Elder Su and Elder Ling had gone to such great lengths, rushing to Tianwu Kingdom specifically to find him.

"Let's go to the Master Teacher Pavilion! The selection competition, while unlikely to have the exact same content as the actual Master Teacher Tournament, shouldn't be too different. Hall Master Kang personally set the questions this time; going through it once will give you experience for the main tournament!" After explaining the tournament, Elder Su said.

"Okay!" Zhang Xuan nodded, instructed Sun Qiang, and followed the two men towards the Master Teacher Pavilion.