Chapter 620: Teaching (Part 1)

The teacher taught his students that no matter how long it took, the day would come when they would graduate.

As his cultivation grew, Zhang Xuan knew that sooner or later, he would part ways with his students. He had been mentally prepared for this since the incident with Zhao Ya, but facing it now, he still felt a sense of reluctance.

"This is a strand of my True Qi. Keep it within your body; it can be used in an emergency if you encounter danger!"

Taking Lu Chong to a room, Zhang Xuan gave him careful instructions.

His departure with Mo Hunsheng was different from Zhao Ya's. Zhao Ya was carefully looked after by the Glacier Palace, so she faced no danger. However, they were crossing the continent to search for the ancestral land of the Wu Soul, which might not even exist anymore, and the journey would be fraught with danger. Having a strand of Heaven's Path True Qi for protection could save them a lot of trouble.

"Yaochen, you will follow Lu Chong from now on..."

With everything prepared, Zhang Xuan then called the Yaochen Beast over.

Although they had the protection of Mo Hunsheng, a super expert at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, safety would certainly not be an issue. However, they would still need the help of a flying spirit beast to travel quickly. With the Yaochen Beast's Transcendent Mortal 5-dan strength, it would be sufficient for a while.

After arranging everything he could think of, he then had Lu Chong bid farewell to Wang Ying and the others.

With two of the six students now gone, everyone felt a wave of sadness.

After making arrangements for Lu Chong, he then made arrangements for Xue Yuan, who addressed him as Senior Brother.

Xue Yuan had no immediate plans to go to a higher kingdom, so Zhang Xuan did not take her with him.

With everything handled properly, it was already late morning, and the time agreed upon with Hong Shi and the others was approaching.

"Let's go!"

Having given all instructions, he led Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others towards the plaza outside the Alliance Leader's manor.

He had promised to give a lecture and had to fulfill this before he left.

Walking along the corridor and out of the manor, they hadn't even reached the plaza when they saw a dense sea of countless people.

"Sect Leader Hu, you're here too? Are you also here to listen to Master Zhang's lecture?"

"He's the undisputed first champion of the Master Teacher Tournament; he's giving a public lecture, so I simply had to come and listen!"

"Indeed, the Master Teacher Tournament has been going on for hundreds of years, and Master Zhang is the first person to be declared first place even before entering the challenger rounds. Look, it's not just me; Sect Leader Luo and Sect Leader Liu are also here..."

"That's true. Even if Master Hong himself were lecturing, he wouldn't have such immense appeal, would he?"

"I don't know if Master Hong has such immense appeal, but I know that we, quasi 5-star master teachers, certainly don't..."

"Indeed, I'm envious of the sheer number of people. But then again, Master Zhang's performance in the Master Teacher Tournament—I put myself in his shoes and realized I couldn't have done it at all! A 4-star master teacher who just passed his examination did something that even quasi 5-star master teachers couldn't do... It's normal for him to have such popularity!"

A clamor rose from the surroundings.

"Are all these people here to listen to my lecture?"

Zhang Xuan blinked.

In his opinion, a thousand people attending a basic lecture would have been a good turnout. He never dreamed so many would come. At this moment, he was bewildered and even wondered if there was going to be another Master Teacher Tournament.

"How many people are there?"

"One hundred thousand? A million?"

"And what on earth are those things on the walls and trees?"

"And what's with those flying savage beasts in the sky?"

"Upon hearing that you were giving a lecture, those who couldn't secure a spot went to the Beast Hall and rented savage beasts..." Hall Master Kang explained, full of awkwardness.

"I can understand renting savage beasts if they can fly into the sky, but what about that pile of land-based savage beasts?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

A pile of flying savage beasts in the air was one thing; he could understand that. But there was also a pile of non-flying savage beasts lying on the edge of the plaza, things like saber-toothed tigers, broken-arm wind wolves, and black-haired long apes...

"What are they doing here?"

"It's Hall Master Han Chong of the Beast Hall. He heard you were giving a lecture and brought all the savage beasts and spirit beasts from the Beast Hall overnight... to cheer you on..." Hall Master Kang said.

"..." Zhang Xuan.

"Is this how one 'cheers on'?"

"The beast tamers should have just come. What kind of cheer can a bunch of savage beasts provide?"

"Actually, Master Zhang, your reputation is simply too great now. When people know you're giving a public lecture, no one can refuse!" Hall Master Kang said.

It wasn't that these people came to cause trouble. It was just that... after the Master Teacher Tournament, Master Zhang's reputation became too immense. Everyone wanted to listen to his lecture... Even intelligent savage beasts and spirit beasts wanted to listen...

Therefore, this situation arose.

The plaza outside the Alliance Leader's manor was vast; theoretically, it could accommodate over a million people. But now, it was almost impossibly packed. Even he, at first, couldn't believe it.

He had previously conducted large-scale lectures like this. At that time, over fifty thousand people attended, which already changed the history of the Myriad Kingdom City Master Teacher Pavilion. He never dreamed that Master Zhang's lecture would attract so many...

There really is a difference between people...

"Never mind. No matter how many people there are, I'll just teach properly!"

Shaking his head and not thinking too much, Zhang Xuan lifted his foot and walked towards the central platform, which had been set up at some unknown time.

Li Hanbing was sixteen years old this year and a beggar. He had been an orphan since childhood, suffering endless mockery and humiliation from others.

His greatest dream was to one day become a powerful cultivator. Unfortunately, his humble status meant he couldn't even obtain cultivation techniques. More importantly, he lacked cultivation resources.

As the saying went, scholars could be poor, but warriors needed wealth. Without enough resources accumulated and without guidance from a master teacher, even if he learned some ordinary cultivation techniques, it was difficult to make progress.

Therefore, at sixteen, he was still stuck at Fighter 1-dan Gathering Breath realm, unable to break through.

Without any unexpected turn of events, he would likely remain like this for the rest of his life.

He had thought he would never have the chance to hear a master teacher lecture in this lifetime. He never dreamed that Master Zhang would actually give a public lecture, explaining the basics of cultivation... Upon hearing this news, he rushed over overnight, found a corner, and waited patiently.

"It's starting..."

After an unknown period of waiting, he saw a figure stride towards the high platform.

"This Master Zhang doesn't seem much older than me..."

He had thought the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament would appear more mature. He never expected him to be so young, not much older than himself, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

He wondered if waiting for almost an entire day was worth it.

Would it be like before, where the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment?

Master teachers gave public lectures every month. However, the content they taught was quite profound. For someone like him, who hadn't received a formal education, it was simply incomprehensible, making it impossible to learn.

He had attended several times, but not only did he gain no inspiration, it even made him lose confidence in normal cultivation. Naturally, he lost interest.

Some master teachers were like pedantic scholars, fond of seeking fame. Public lectures were a time to display their knowledge... If they lectured too simply, how could they convince others?

Gradually, the trend completely changed. And so, for people like him who genuinely wanted to cultivate, listening to lectures had no effect at all.

This person before him, so young and a champion, was probably even more arrogant. It seemed this time... he would be disappointed again.

"The Way of Heaven is like the drawing of a bow! That which is high, it pulls down; that which is low, it raises up. It takes from those who have too much and gives to those who have too little. The Way of Heaven takes from those who have too much and gives to those who have too little..."

The voice entered his ears.

Although they were a thousand meters apart, Master Zhang's voice resonated in his heart. Every word was clear and striking, awakening the deaf.

"As expected, I don't understand..."

He listened carefully and found it no different from what other master teachers lectured. He still couldn't understand.

"It seems all master teachers lecture in the same manner. To show off their vast knowledge, they don't care if others can understand."

The people below were the same. If they didn't understand... they wouldn't say they lacked knowledge; instead, they would pretend to understand, praising the speaker.

"Otherwise, if everyone else understood and they didn't, how embarrassing would that be?"

"Such is human nature..."

Shaking his head, full of disappointment, Li Hanbing stood up, wanting to leave. Just as he took a step, he suddenly felt a strong throb in his Yingtu acupoint, followed by a tingling sensation in his Baihai acupoint. Endless spiritual energy poured down from the air, entering his body and circulating continuously.

*Crack! Crack!*

With a rumble, a pool, like a water tank, appeared in his lower abdomen.

"This is... a Dantian?"

Li Hanbing's eyes widened, and his body trembled.

Upon breaking through Fighter 1-dan Gathering Breath realm, a Dantian would appear in the lower abdomen, easily accommodating spiritual energy... He had been stuck in the Gathering Breath realm for many years, unable to break through. He never expected... that Master Zhang on the platform would make him break through with just one sentence...

"Didn't I not understand? How could I have broken through?"

He stood stunned.

He hadn't understood a single word Master Zhang said earlier, nor did he know what it meant. But... how did he manage to break through so smoothly?

"Logically, if you don't understand, you can't cultivate, right?"

He hastily looked up and gazed forward. He saw several beggars who used to cultivate with him now sitting cross-legged on the ground, their faces beaming with happy smiles, and their auras greatly increased.

"The Way of Heaven takes from those who have too much and gives to those who have too little... So this means understanding nature. In other words, cultivation requires following nature to progress faster..."

Seeing all his friends break through, a sudden enlightenment surged in his mind.

Although the speaker's words were incredibly profound and difficult to understand, for some reason, he clearly understood the concepts and ideas being conveyed!

"The Way of Heaven, nature!"

He hastily sat down cross-legged, and spiritual energy slowly circulated along his Dantian.

*Crack! Crack!*

Crisp sounds echoed within his body again, and his cultivation continued to increase.

Dantian realm early stage!

Dantian realm middle stage!

Dantian realm late stage...

His cultivation soared; he felt as if he were inflating.

Even though he still didn't understand the speaker's words, for some reason, he gained more enlightenment about cultivation... which aligned with his own understanding.

"This is what a true master teacher's lecture is like..."

As if he had drunk nectar, a smile appeared on Li Hanbing's face.

It wasn't because his cultivation continued to break through, but because he could understand the knowledge the speaker conveyed. It was as if Master Zhang on the platform was lecturing to him personally!

Listening to the speaker's words, and controlling the spiritual energy circulating within his body, his body gently trembled, and he reached Fighter 3-dan True Qi realm!

True Qi, the symbol of entering the realm of fighters! He, a beggar who had never attended a single lecture, was actually able to enter this realm...

"Master Zhang, from today onwards, you are my benefactor and teacher, without equal!"

Li Hanbing's knees went soft, and he knelt on the ground, secretly vowing in his heart.