Chapter 544: Kang Hall Master

The Myriad Kingdom City Master Teacher Pavilion serves as the headquarters for the entire alliance, with all subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions, including those in Xuanyuan Kingdom and Tianwu Kingdom, subject to its oversight.

It wasn't far from the Alliance Leader's mansion, and they arrived in a short walk.

The building was grand and imposing, featuring a magnificent hall. Upon entering the main hall, they saw a massive statue holding a scroll and gazing forward, its eyes filled with profound compassion. A single glance was enough to quiet the mind and banish all distracting thoughts.

It was the Celestial Master Kong!

Looking up, Zhang Xuan saw many people in the hall wearing long robes; a quick scan revealed over a hundred of them.

"So many Master Teachers?" Zhang Xuan gasped in astonishment.

Anyone wearing a robe must have passed the Master Teacher examination and earned their badge. Regardless of their rank, such a large number of Master Teachers was truly astonishing.

After all, his native Tianxuan Kingdom didn't even have a single Master Teacher. Yet here, a casual glance revealed hundreds, including many two-star Master Teachers!

It truly lived up to its reputation as a gathering place for myriad kingdoms and a center of cultural exchange... frightening!

"In the square outside the Master Teacher Pavilion," Master Su explained, "a four-star Master Teacher gives a public lecture every month. Many Master Teachers travel here specifically to attend, and most of them are not from Myriad Kingdom City itself!"

The strength of cultivators in Myriad Kingdom City is partly due to its advantageous location. More importantly, it boasts higher-ranked Master Teachers.

These Master Teachers hold public lectures and sell jade tokens for their courses, allowing them to guide cultivation more precisely and help cultivators make better progress.

It's safe to say that without this Master Teacher Pavilion in Myriad Kingdom City, it would be impossible to have so many Transcendent Mortal realm experts.

Zhang Xuan nodded, looking around.

Not only were there many Master Teachers here, but also a considerable number of students attending lessons. The hall was surrounded by numerous private study rooms, where, for a fee, one could receive one-on-one guidance at any time.

Naturally, the higher the Master Teacher's rank, the higher the price, and the more difficult it was to arrange an appointment.

After all, even here, there were only so many four-star Master Teachers; they couldn't possibly be free every day to offer guidance to everyone.

Besides the private study rooms, there were also large classrooms. Many cultivators, limited by their wealth, had to join others in large group classes. While the effect was much less than one-on-one instruction, it saved a lot of money and was therefore a popular choice among cultivators.

"Two more slots needed for Master Teacher Huang Chen's two-star class, anyone interested in signing up?"

"Three more slots for Master Teacher Mu Bai's three-star lecture. Five low-grade spirit stones for a small class of ten..."

Walking through the hall, they saw many people holding signs displaying the Master Teacher's name and rank, as well as the lecture time and content, seeking other cultivators to join.

Many who shared similar cultivation problems would sign up upon seeing these notices and then form a group to attend the class.

While those who had attended a class could explain the content to others, without the Master Teacher's unique Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge and the convincing effect of their Heart of Trust, even using the same words would not achieve the same result.

Otherwise, if simply repeating a lecture could achieve the Master Teacher's effect, Master Teachers would not be so highly respected and irreplaceable.

"The higher the kingdom's rank, the higher the Master Teacher's status," Master Su said, stroking his beard and chuckling, his tone filled with pride. "In Myriad Kingdom City, a four-star Master Teacher is treated with respect even by the Alliance Leader, who would not dare offend them!"

Master Teachers are known as the world's foremost profession, revered by countless others. Reaching the four-star rank means one is considered a dragon among men, inspiring awe.

"Indeed," Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was well aware of the esteemed status of Master Teachers. If not for this identity supporting him, his numerous astonishing feats would have long since led to him being captured and dissected for study.

It was precisely because people knew he was a Master Teacher and had a super teacher of his own that many of his actions were considered natural.

If guided by a Master Teacher above six stars, many extraordinary things would not be surprising; in fact, it would be strange if they didn't happen.

"Master Teachers have high status, but also great responsibility," Master Su continued. "Back then, Master Kong set the rule that a teacher must be a role model and teach without discrimination... Over the years, as the Master Teacher Pavilion expanded into various kingdoms, the strength of the entire human race has indeed undergone a fundamental transformation!"

Though proud, he also knew this wasn't a reason for boasting, but a responsibility.

The ultimate goal of Master Teachers, who guide the world, is not personal status, but to help everyone reach their full potential.

Only when their students surpass them is it the greatest honor.

"That's true," Zhang Xuan agreed.

The deeper his understanding of Master Teachers became, the more he felt this way.

Sometimes, when his students made significant progress, he felt joy from the bottom of his heart, not jealousy.

This is what it means to be a 'Teacher'!

Unlike any other profession.

"Alright, enough about that," Master Su said. "The selection competition requires the approval of the Hall Master to proceed. We'll take you to meet Hall Master Kang now!"

Master Su shook his head, saying no more. With a solemn expression, he instructed: "Hall Master Kang is considered one of the most formidable geniuses our Master Teacher Pavilion has seen in a hundred years. He is a peak four-star Master Teacher, upright and meticulous in his work! He appreciates practical and humble juniors. When you meet him shortly, listen to his teachings respectfully and don't speak carelessly. Otherwise, if you anger him, you might lose your spot!"

Hall Master Kang was younger than both Master Su and Master Ling, and he was the previous Hall Master's direct disciple. They had paid a considerable price for this spot, so no mistakes could be afforded.

"Don't worry! I'm always humble!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"You? Humble?"

Master Su and Master Ling were speechless.

The Master Teacher Pavilion could easily investigate the things Zhang Xuan had done... During the Master Teacher examination, he nearly demolished the Master Teacher Pavilion; at the Physician Guild, he broke into the prescription wall room and forced their guild master to abdicate...

Not long ago, in Honghai City, he disrupted the Flowing Cup Garden and nearly caused the Appraisal Hall to go bankrupt. Then, at the Formation Master Guild, he tore down their wall...

Which of these deeds was ever trouble-free?

And he still had the nerve to tell them he was humble?

If he was humble, then everyone else in the world would be buried underground in humility!

"Ahem," Master Ling couldn't help but add, "when you meet Hall Master Kang, we'll do most of the talking for you, try to say as little as possible. Your current goal is to adjust your condition well for the selection competition that will happen soon!"

"Understood," Zhang Xuan nodded.

If they didn't want him to speak, he was happy to remain idle.

The three chatted as they walked and soon arrived outside a room.

"Elder Su, Elder Ling!" a young man guarding the door said, bowing with clasped fists.

"Is Hall Master Kang in?" Master Su asked.

"The Hall Master is inside, please come this way!"

Knowing they were elders and four-star Master Teachers, the young man did not obstruct them and led the way.

The room was extremely spacious, unlike the areas where other Master Teachers resided. Numerous bookshelves lined the walls, filled with a wide variety of books. A serious-looking middle-aged man stood beside a bookshelf, casually flipping through a book.

"Hall Master, Elder Su and Elder Ling request an audience!" The young man stepped forward.

"Hmm! You're here, make yourselves comfortable!" The middle-aged man looked up and offered a faint smile.

Zhang Xuan looked up.

Although this middle-aged man appeared younger than Master Su and Master Ling, he exuded a powerful aura of authority, similar to or even surpassing that of Alliance Leader Zhao.

His eyes, especially, were dark and piercing, shining with the light of wisdom, giving the impression that they could see through any disguise.

'His Heart of Trust is probably no lower than 14.0!'

Zhang Xuan's heart tensed.

The higher a Master Teacher's rank, the higher their Heart of Trust. Generally, three points correspond to one rank; a four-star Master Teacher's Heart of Trust reaches 12.0, and a five-star Master Teacher's reaches 15.0.

Normally, a four-star Master Teacher's Heart of Trust would be between 12.0 and 15.0. However, the Heart of Trust is extremely difficult to cultivate, so most Master Teachers, even at four stars, hover around 12.0.

Just like Song Chao, whom he had met before, whose Heart of Trust was only 12.0, he was easily swayed by Zhang Xuan's Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge, unable to resist.

Even powerful figures like Master Su and Master Ling, who had long achieved four-star Master Teacher status, only had a Heart of Trust around 13.0.

This Hall Master, however, had a Heart of Trust directly above 14.0. With such a Heart of Trust and his age, as long as he didn't fall, achieving five-star Master Teacher status was a certainty.

'It's probably even higher than mine...'

After two Heaven's Path Manuals, two Heavenly Impartations, and one Teacher's Calligraphy tempering of his heart, Zhang Xuan's Heart of Trust had already reached 14.1, surpassing the 14.0 mark. However, compared to the person before him, it still seemed a bit lower.

'I wonder if I can use the Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge to sway him...'

Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind.

Before going to the Witchcraft Soul Tomb, his Heart of Trust was only 12.1, about 0.1 higher than Song Chao's, yet he could still sway him.

This meant that with the identity of a Heavenly Impartation Master Teacher as a backing, it was easier to gain trust and easier to employ the Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge.

Now that he had experienced two Heavenly Impartations, even if his Heart of Trust was slightly lower than the opponent's, the difference wasn't significant. Could he use the same method to sway them?

'However, to use the Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge, one must first speak with a solid foundation, presenting an impeccable argument,' he mused. 'If the opponent doesn't use martial arts and reveals no flaws, it's very difficult to succeed in swaying them!'

Although the thought emerged, Zhang Xuan didn't believe he could succeed.

The Heaven's Path Impartation of Knowledge means that the explained content directly points to the true essence of cultivation, without any errors. Without knowing the opponent's cultivation state or flaws, offering guidance is almost impossible.

With the opponent's strength at the peak of the Transcendent Mortal Fourth Layer, Zhang Xuan's current discernment couldn't see through them at all. Without them demonstrating martial arts, he couldn't apply his technique, making it almost impossible to discern their flaws.

These thoughts flashed through his mind. Immediately after, he saw Master Su step forward and introduce him: "Hall Master, this is Master Zhang, whom we mentioned to you!"

"Is this the two-star Master Teacher you spoke of," Hall Master Kang asked, casually placing the book on the table and sitting in the main seat. He looked up and turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan. "The one who broke several records in Tianwu Kingdom, a supreme genius whom you were willing to vouch for with your lives?"

"Yes!" Master Su and Master Ling nodded simultaneously.

"Transcendent Mortal First Layer peak, unrefined demeanor, clearly hasn't cultivated any martial arts..." Hall Master Kang frowned. "Is this the super genius you spoke of?"