Chapter 741: Elder Mi Wants to Accept Disciples

Most importantly...

Other master teachers said that Master Zhang, in order to save people, used a secret technique, forcibly elevating his cultivation from the early Qiaotian Realm to its peak! If it were anyone else, such power would undoubtedly lead to arrogance and a desire to show off. Yet, he deliberately suppressed his cultivation, making himself appear similar to someone in the Heling Realm. If Yu Cheng hadn't revealed his name, none of them would have recognized him! This calm mindset and attitude are something countless master teachers can't emulate! And you... you want to compare yourself to him? What do you have to compare with? Just your mouth?

With a snort, many senior students cast contemptuous glances at Yu Cheng. In the past, if someone scored over two thousand points, they would certainly be highly respected, considered to have a promising future. But compared to Master Zhang, the difference was simply too vast. It wasn't just about strength, but also character. Master Zhang could willingly dedicate himself for other master teachers, expecting nothing in return. What about you? You saw someone else's spirit pet capture a spirit beast, deliberately chased it away, then shamelessly manipulated points, displaying all sorts of despicable behavior. Both are geniuses, yet why is the difference so immense!

Seeing the contemptuous gazes of the senior students, Yu Cheng's body swayed. He turned to look at the others, only to find that the other master teachers also showed disdain. His vision went dark, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. "Damn it... wasn't it just a bet?" He was stripped naked by a spirit beast, lost all his treasures, and on top of that, received such disdain, becoming the target of ridicule and sarcasm from thousands. What kind of situation was this?! Yu Cheng and Feng Yu looked at each other and both burst into tears.

"Uh... Master Bai, may I know why Elder Mi is looking for me?" At this moment, Zhang Xuan was still bewildered, completely clueless about what was happening. Back then, in his haste to pursue the Thousand Ant Queen Bee, he hadn't paid attention to those spirit beasts, nor did he know that the many master teachers he had saved had put all the spirit beast points under his name. Because of this, he still thought his points couldn't surpass Yu Cheng's.

"You don't know?" Seeing his expression and hearing such a question, Master Bai was momentarily stunned, then filled with admiration. "See that? This is the true magnanimity of a great master! Others doing good deeds without expecting reward is already commendable. He, however, not only doesn't seek reward but completely forgets about it. His breadth of mind and generosity are simply unparalleled. Among everyone I have met, no one could compare, except for the old headmaster."

"How would I know?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He had only met Elder Mi once, and that was from an unknown distance away. How could he know why Elder Mi was looking for him?

"Don't worry, it's good news. You'll know in a moment!" With a wry smile, Master Bai shook his head, offered no explanation, and led the way.

After walking for a while, a thatched hut appeared before them. Though called a thatched hut, it was actually a pavilion, seemingly erected recently. Two old men were seated inside, apparently conversing. "Hall Master Mo?" With a glance, Zhang Xuan recognized one as Elder Mi, and the other as an old acquaintance: Hall Master Mo Gaoyuan, who had awarded him the high-grade spirit stone as a prize.

"Teacher, Master Zhang is here!" Unaware of Zhang Xuan's internal thoughts, Master Bai stepped forward.

"Oh? So you are Zhang Xuan?" Elder Mi stood up and looked at Zhang Xuan, feeling increasingly satisfied the more he observed him. His aura was restrained, and he appeared unadorned and unassuming, immediately suggesting high cultivation and refinement.

"Zhang Xuan greets Elder Mi and Hall Master Mo!" Zhang Xuan cupped his fists.

"Oh? Master Zhang, it seems we're meeting for the first time, aren't we?" Mo Gaoyuan looked over. "Uh... yes, that's right!" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then remembered that "Master Yang" was the one who had met Hall Master Mo last time, and he himself had no prior interactions with him. Strictly speaking, this was indeed their first meeting. "Hall Master, your reputation precedes you. I've also heard detailed introductions from Master Hong, so upon seeing you now, I naturally recognized you!" Zhang Xuan said, without a blush or a racing heart. "Indeed, to recognize me solely based on an introduction, you truly live up to your reputation as a genius!" Mo Gaoyuan nodded, harboring no suspicion. He himself was a well-known figure, and he had even offered a high-grade spirit stone as a prize. If the other party still couldn't recognize him, then they wouldn't deserve the title of genius.

"Oh? Hall Master Mo, what do you mean? Do you two already know each other?" Hearing his tone, Elder Mi looked over, puzzled. Isn't this young man a new student who arrived this year? Why does Hall Master Mo seem to have some prior acquaintance with him?

"It's not exactly an old acquaintance; I've merely heard Master Zhang's name before! As you can see, this is actually our first meeting," Mo Gaoyuan said. Without Master Yang's permission, he dared not disclose the matter privately, so he could only speak vaguely.

"Heard his name?" Elder Mi grew even more curious. Who was this man before him? A peak six-star master teacher, the head of a Master Teacher Hall, and a top-tier renowned figure in the Illusory Feather Empire. The Master Zhang opposite him, even if he was an exceptional genius, was still just a minor figure from the Illusory Feather Empire. How could they have any connection, let alone him having heard Zhang Xuan's name?

"Hall Master Mo has a past acquaintance with my teacher, which is why he knows my name!" Seeing Mo Gaoyuan's difficulty in explaining, Zhang Xuan spoke up.

"A past acquaintance?" Elder Mi was stunned, then looked over: "May I ask who your esteemed teacher is? I wonder if I know them?" He knew that Zhang Xuan had tamed over four hundred spirit beasts within an hour, which made him consider taking him as a disciple. In his view, since Zhang Xuan came from a small place like the Illusory Feather Empire, his teacher couldn't be particularly distinguished, so taking him as a disciple would be no big deal. But now, seeing that Mo Gaoyuan knew his teacher, and hearing their tone implied a significant connection, he couldn't help but ask. If the previous teacher was of a low rank, taking the student was fine, but if they were of the same rank, it would be somewhat inappropriate. Especially for a direct disciple, reputation and sect traditions are paramount. Rashly accepting a disciple without proper investigation, just like Cao Xiong's dispute over Liu Yang back then, would be a slap in the face and could very likely lead to an unpleasant outcome.

"My teacher is Yang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan quickly nodded. "Yang Xuan?" Elder Mi frowned, pondering for a long time, but couldn't recall the name. He couldn't help but look at Mo Gaoyuan nearby: "This Master Yang is..."

"This..." Mo Gaoyuan's face was filled with hesitation; he didn't know how to answer.

"My teacher is a reclusive figure with no great reputation, so it's perfectly normal that Elder Mi wouldn't know him!" Seeing Hall Master Mo's predicament, Zhang Xuan spoke.

"No great reputation?" Elder Mi's suspicions were immediately aroused. Mo Gaoyuan, as a Hall Master of the Master Teacher Hall, held a respected position. If Yang Xuan were merely an ordinary master teacher of the same rank, what would there be to hide?

"I'll be honest then, Master Yang... he has given me guidance..." Seeing that Elder Mi seemed unwilling to drop the matter, Mo Gaoyuan, fearing his old friend might offend someone not to be offended, couldn't help but say.

"Guidance? Could it be that..." Elder Mi's pupils contracted, and he quickly turned to look at the young man before him. Master teachers of the same rank usually used terms like 'correction,' 'discussion,' 'exchange,' or 'mutual learning.' Only higher-ranked master teachers would use the term 'guidance.' Mo Gaoyuan was so cautious; could it be that... Zhang Xuan's teacher was a master teacher superior to him? Both he and Hall Master Mo were already peak six-star master teachers. To surpass them... wouldn't that mean reaching seven stars, or even higher?

"Yes!" Knowing what he was thinking, Mo Gaoyuan quickly nodded. "This..." Elder Mi's face turned pale, and he felt somewhat awkward. He was only a peak six-star master teacher. To take the student of a seven-star master teacher as his disciple would clearly be overstepping his bounds.

"May I ask... whether Master Zhang's beast taming methods were taught by Master Yang?" Although awkward, he was still somewhat unwilling to give up. A student can have many teachers: for cultivation, beast taming, calligraphy and painting, medicine... If the beast taming wasn't taught by Master Yang, then taking the other party as a beast taming student wouldn't be rude. Just like Zhang Xuan taking Luo Qiqi as a pill refining student. The capable are teachers. Even if Yang Xuan was a seven-star master teacher, as long as he didn't teach beast taming, it wouldn't be considered an offense.

"Indeed, it was taught by my teacher!" At this moment, understanding the other party's intention, Zhang Xuan quickly explained. Although Elder Mi was powerful and one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, Zhang Xuan didn't want to become his disciple. Firstly, the identity of "Master Yang" would be difficult to explain. He had always portrayed "Master Yang" as immensely powerful and invincible, at least at the seven-star or eight-star level. If he were to abandon such a formidable master to apprentice under a six-star one, wouldn't that imply that even Elder Mi was inferior? Secondly, he hadn't even agreed to Confucius's discipleship. If he were to agree to this guy, would Confucius be so angered that he'd come back to life on the spot? Although the entire continent knew that Confucius had passed away, after the previous "discipleship" incident, he felt it wasn't so simple. Furthermore, he was a Heaven-Acknowledged Master Teacher, an existence recognized by the heavens themselves. Even if he wanted to take a master, this guy probably couldn't handle it!

"Then... what about artifact forging? Not only am I good at beast taming, but my artifact forging is also quite decent!" Seeing that beast taming was indeed taught by Master Yang, Elder Mi continued to press. Outsiders knew he was formidable at beast taming, but they didn't know he was also a top-tier expert in artifact forging.

"Artifact forging... was also taught by my teacher!" Zhang Xuan continued. "This... then, what about medicine?" Elder Mi was unwilling to give up.

"Cough, cough, alright, Master Yang's scholarship reaches divine levels, something neither you nor I can fathom..." Seeing his old friend unwilling to give up, moving from beast taming to artifact forging and medicine, Mo Gaoyuan couldn't help but interrupt.

"Sigh, you know, I haven't taken a true direct disciple for all these years. It's not that I didn't want to, but I hadn't found a true gem..." Knowing Hall Master Mo's good intentions, Elder Mi shook his head with a bitter smile. Over the years, he had met geniuses, but none had met his personal standards. His requirements for accepting a disciple weren't about talent. First and foremost, the disciple must have good character and, as a master teacher, possess the responsibility of serving the world. This Zhang Xuan, who forcibly increased his strength to save people and expected no reward in return, met the requirements for character and disposition based on these two points alone. He had gone to great lengths to ask the Violet Sun Beast to test many new students, all to find someone suitable for him. Now that he had finally found one, he naturally didn't want to give up.

"I know what you're thinking, but..." Mo Gaoyuan hesitated: "Master Yang's strength..." Just as he was debating whether to reveal a little more to make his old friend give up, he saw a senior student responsible for the assessment hurrying over.

"Reporting to Elder Mi, we have completed the review of all the new students' points!" "Finished the review?" Elder Mi's eyes lit up: "How many new students passed in total?" "Reporting, Elder, a total of six thousand four hundred and eighty-seven people!" "Six, six... only six thousand?" Elder Mi was stunned.