Chapter 548: I Am That Fool

After following the young man for a while, they arrived at a huge, spacious room: the Master Teacher Hall. This was the place where all Master Teachers in Myriad Kingdom City held their meetings and conferences. Even before they reached the entrance, they could see it was overflowing with people, a bustling crowd moving like a tide.

"Teacher Zhang, please put on your robe and emblem," the young man said as they approached.

"Alright," he responded. As this was a Master Teacher gathering, it was only natural to wear the attire that signified his identity; otherwise, he would seem out of place. With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved his robe, put it on, and then pinned the emblem to his chest. He had never worn this attire since acquiring it after passing the Master Teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. It wasn't that he disliked it, but having been accustomed to the tight-fitting clothes of his previous life, the robe felt quite inconvenient when cinched around him.

After adjusting his attire, he followed the crowd inside. He had known there were many Master Teachers from his time in the main hall, but seeing them all gathered now, he realized the sheer number was astonishing. There were at least five hundred, densely packed! Five hundred Master Teachers... the sight was almost intimidating. However, the realization that this was the headquarters of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance quickly brought understanding.

The Master Teacher Tournament had attracted countless powerful individuals to observe. Almost every Master Teacher with a modicum of strength had arrived; while some remained at their posts, they were a distinct minority. Even if every single Master Teacher in the alliance were accounted for, their total number wouldn't exceed one thousand. Within the alliance, there were countless titled kingdoms, first-tier kingdoms, second-tier kingdoms, and even unranked kingdoms. Their combined population easily surpassed ten billion. For such an enormous number of cultivators to have so few Master Teachers, the proportion was shockingly low.

Since the young man was not yet a Master Teacher, he didn't follow. Zhang Xuan, instead, flowed with the crowd into the room.

Inside, numerous rows of tables and chairs were densely arranged. Glancing ahead, he noticed the front rows were sparse, with only about twenty seats, while the rows further back held around seventy to eighty, with the numbers increasing progressively.

"It appears seating is arranged by status…" He glanced around and understood the system. While Master Teachers espoused the ideal of everyone achieving greatness, their division into nine stars naturally implied a hierarchy. The very front seats were reserved exclusively for four-star Master Teachers, followed by three-star, then two-star, and so on. As he was currently only a two-star Master Teacher, he naturally had to sit in the back. However, it made no difference to him; a selection was imminent, and he likely wouldn't be seated for long anyway.

After scanning the room, he located the section designated for two-star Master Teachers and took a seat.

"Why were we summoned so urgently?""I'm not sure, but I heard a few days ago that they plan to select participants for the Grand Competition ahead of schedule. Perhaps they're holding a public selection?""That's possible! I wonder who will be chosen!""Is that even a question? It's bound to be Teacher Fu Xiaochen!""Not necessarily. I have more faith in Young Master Ruohuan, Jun Ruohuan; he's my idol!"

No sooner had he settled into his seat than he heard the murmur of discussions all around him. Ten days prior, when the Hall Master announced the selection, rumors about potential candidates had proliferated, with various theories circulating and many places even taking bets on the outcome. Many Master Teachers knew one another and each had their preferred candidates. Zhang Xuan listened for a while and discovered that, just as Teacher Su and Teacher Ling had mentioned, Young Master Ruohuan and Fu Xiaochen were the most frequently discussed individuals. It appeared these two held extremely high regard among the attendees.

Following their gazes, he spotted several distinguished figures. The first individual had strikingly red lips and white teeth, carried a folding fan, and exuded an air of elegant refinement, giving the impression of a peerless young nobleman. His eyes gleamed with a brilliant light, immediately revealing his impressive cultivation.

"So this must be Young Master Ruohuan, Jun Ruohuan!" He had always wondered why other Master Teachers referred to him as 'Young Master Ruohuan' instead of 'Teacher Jun.' Now he understood: his distinct demeanor was so refined that, if not for his Master Teacher robe, one would assume he was a scion of a noble family rather than an unparalleled four-star genius.

Not far from Young Master Ruohuan, another young man stood beside him. Although the emblem on his chest displayed only three stars, his aura was equally imposing. His appearance wasn't particularly striking; he even had a slightly chubby face and a somewhat plump build. Yet, his gaze was like lightning, and his aura was incredibly potent. His cultivation seemed to be on par with, if not superior to, Jun Ruohuan's, likely having reached around Transcendent Mortal 4-dan.

This, then, must be the other highly renowned figure, Fu Xiaochen.

He was about to observe the remaining three individuals when he heard a chuckle beside him. "You look quite unfamiliar, my friend; I haven't seen you before. May I ask which kingdom you hail from?"

He turned to see a young man settling into the adjacent seat. The man appeared to be in his thirties, with two stars gleaming on his chest.

"Tianxuan Kingdom," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Tianxuan? What tier of kingdom?" The young man scratched his head, appearing unfamiliar with the name.

"It's unranked, I suppose," Zhang Xuan admitted.

"An unranked kingdom?" The young man paused, then offered an awkward smile. "For such a place to produce a two-star Master Teacher so young, that is indeed remarkable!"

Understanding that the young man's words were merely polite, Zhang Xuan simply smiled without elaborating. Although he had traveled through Tianwu and Xuanyuan, his true origin was still Tianxuan.

"The Master Teacher Tournament is truly a grand event," the young man continued, seeing Zhang Xuan's silence, "For us Master Teachers, it's more important than anything else. We must come to witness it, no matter the cost!"

"Indeed," Zhang Xuan nodded. Gathering so many Master Teachers was, without a doubt, an unprecedented event. Such a congregation of Master Teachers, engaging in discussion and mutual learning, would undoubtedly have a profound impact on their future development. This, perhaps, was the original intention of the tournament's organizers.

"By the way, who do you think will win this selection competition?" The young man asked, looking over with excitement.

"Win? I'm not very familiar with the candidates," Zhang Xuan replied, shaking his head.

"Right, you've just arrived, so it's understandable you're not familiar," the young man conceded. "You must have noticed the discussions earlier; Young Master Ruohuan and Fu Xiaochen have the strongest support. Young Master Ruohuan hails from the Jun family, the foremost of Myriad Kingdom City's four major families, boasting a privileged background. He's also one of the Four Young Masters of Myriad Kingdom City, even overshadowing Zhao Hui, the Crown Prince and son of Alliance Leader Zhao. Teacher Fu Xiaochen, on the other hand, is Elder Hai's direct disciple. If two candidates are selected, their chances of victory are indeed very high."

The young man continued, "However, I'm personally more optimistic about Elder Feng's student, Feng Mosheng."

"Feng Mosheng?"

"That's right. I once met Teacher Feng; he's humble and unassuming, but his strength is formidable! Three years ago, I received his guidance, and even then, he was already a peak three-star Master Teacher." As he spoke of Teacher Feng, the young man's eyes shone with admiration.

"As for the other two," he continued, "I heard they're from different kingdoms: one is Luo Xi, a beautiful Master Teacher, and the other is Du Hu. I don't know much about their abilities, but to be selected from other kingdoms, they must certainly be formidable!"

At this point, the young man suddenly lowered his voice, appearing somewhat conspiratorial. "By the way, I heard there aren't five participants in the selection, but six! The Hall Master announced the selection ten days ago, but it hasn't started yet because they're apparently waiting for this particular individual!"

"Oh? You know who this person is?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking at him.

"My teacher is also one of the elders and attended that meeting. Apparently, this person was strongly recommended by Teacher Su and Teacher Ling. His name is… Zhang Xuan!"

The young man snorted. "If it weren't for this guy, the selection competition would have started ages ago! Keeping everyone waiting for so long, and he still hasn't shown up—what an imbecile!"

"Cough, cough, an imbecile?" Zhang Xuan lightly coughed.

"For an event as crucial as the Master Teacher Tournament, this guy has the audacity to be late and keep so many Master Teachers waiting… If he were truly powerful, it might be forgivable, but I heard he's only a two-star Master Teacher and not very old. Disrespecting his seniors and acting so brazenly—what else could he be but an imbecile? They say if Teachers Su and Ling hadn't desperately vouched for him, his spot would have been forfeited long ago!" The young man's face was etched with disdain.

"Right," Zhang Xuan muttered, scratching his head. Being called an imbecile to his face was, he mused, quite an experience. However, when Teacher Su had originally informed him, he had simply been told to arrive in Myriad Kingdom City within three months. Who could have anticipated an early selection competition?

"It's not just me who thinks so; everyone else agrees!" the young man declared fiercely. "I really wonder what that kid looks like. If I ever meet him, I'll give him a good beating! If I weren't waiting for this selection competition, I would have entered seclusion long ago to break through to a higher realm. But now, I'm just held back..."

Zhang Xuan's face was etched with a bitter smile, realizing his tardiness had earned him the resentment of many. Just as he was about to speak, the entire hall fell silent. He looked up to see Hall Master Kang and Teacher Su entering, making their way to the front of the gathered crowd.

"By ringing the emergency assembly bell, I trust you have all deduced the reason!" Hall Master Kang announced, sweeping a hand through the air. "Indeed, today we are holding the pre-Master Teacher Tournament selection. We have gathered everyone here to witness it together."

"It truly is a selection!""Yes, it seems we guessed correctly! So, that Master Teacher named Zhang Xuan has arrived?""Arrived? Where?"

Upon hearing the Hall Master's confirmation, the crowd began to whisper and glance around.

"The Master Teacher Tournament is the most significant event for the various branches under the Phantom Feather Empire's Master Teacher Hall. I need not elaborate on our past performances, as I'm sure you are all well aware of them," Hall Master Kang declared, surveying the room. "This time, Myriad Kingdom City is the host, and I hope we can achieve a breakthrough and display the true spirit of our branch!"

Hall Master Kang surveyed the assembled Master Teachers.

"Yes!" they chorused. Though knowing they weren't qualified to participate, many Master Teachers in the audience grew red-faced with excitement, clenching their fists. As Master Teachers of the Myriad Kingdom City branch, their frustration was palpable, having consistently witnessed their Master Teacher Hall finish last in every competition. This time, as hosts, they were determined to achieve a different outcome; otherwise, how could they face their numerous predecessors enshrined in the Hall of Enshrined Teachers!

"Alright, the rest of you, come forward!" With that, Hall Master Kang beckoned, and Young Master Ruohuan, Fu Xiaochen, and others stepped forward in unison. There were five individuals in total.

"Hmm, where is Teacher Zhang?" Hall Master Kang frowned, noticing Zhang Xuan was not among them.

"Heh heh, look," the young man sneered, "the selection has already begun, and that imbecile Zhang Xuan still hasn't shown up. I hope the Hall Master, in his anger, cancels his spot…" As he watched Hall Master Kang look around for Teacher Zhang, the young man snorted, shook his head, and then turned to the newly acquainted person beside him. "By the way, brother, I've been talking for a while, and I still don't know your name!"

"Me?" Zhang Xuan asked, standing up with a bitter smile. "It seems… I am the imbecile you've been speaking of… Zhang Xuan!"