Chapter 758: Meritorious Official

Upon hearing Vice Dean Yuan’s sudden words, Luo Qiqi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "My teacher is indeed only in his twenties and looks a bit fair-skinned..."

Teacher Zhang cultivated the Five Luminaries Golden Body, making his skin flawless, like a baby's. To outsiders, he did appear quite fair-skinned.

"Just arrived at the academy, named Zhang Xuan, in his twenties..." Yuan Hong felt exasperated.

It seemed the person he had sent guards to watch and intended to compensate handsomely also had this name, and everything matched up perfectly.

"Vice Dean Yuan, what's wrong?"

Seeing his vice dean become absent-minded after asking the question, Zhao Bingxu couldn't help but look over, slightly confused. "Do you know this Teacher Zhang Xuan?"

"I..." Yuan Hong didn't know how to answer. He looked at Luo Qiqi again and asked disbelievingly, "I heard that this Teacher Zhang Xuan has a powerful lineage. His teacher seems to be a master teacher beyond six stars!"

"Oh, my grandteacher is Yang Xuan. I don't know his exact rank, but he should be above six stars!" Luo Qiqi nodded.

"Yang Xuan..."

Yuan Hong swayed.

There was no need to ask further; he could confirm it now.

That guy had once identified himself, saying he was a student of Yang Xuan. Both had the same name, similar ages, and were new students. If he still couldn't confirm it, he might as well not live.

What kind of situation was this!

As soon as that guy arrived at the academy, he ruined the Earth Flame Passage, then destroyed the Record Passage, leaving the entire Master Teacher Academy Branch in a terrible, unspeakable state!

He had thought it was someone deliberately sent by another academy to cause trouble, never dreaming that he had such a background!

Risking his life to save people, single-handedly fighting the Otherworldly Demons, willingly offering the Wu Yangzi legacy... Each of these deeds was immeasurably meritorious and admirable.

A destructive king who knew nothing and overestimated himself, and a selfless master teacher willing to face death for humanity...

How could they be the same person!

This... his personality must be too split!

"What exactly is going on?" Seeing Yuan Hong not answer him, but instead look like he was about to cry, Zhao Bingxu couldn't hold back anymore and continued to ask.

No matter what, they were all six-star master teachers, who should have reached a level where their emotions were unreadable. Why was he still making such an expression, as if mourning a parent?

"It's like this, I just... didn't I say I had something to report to you?"

Hearing the Dean's words, Yuan Hong finally reacted and quickly clasped his fists.

"Yes!" Zhao Bingxu nodded. "What is it?"

Indeed, when Vice Dean Xiong spoke earlier, Yuan Hong had mentioned having something to report.

"It's... the Record Passage has collapsed, and half of the Branch Hall has also collapsed..." Yuan Hong's face turned red.

As the Vice Dean of the Artificer Academy, in charge of the Branch Hall, his "den" had been half-destroyed by someone. If he told others, the other vice deans would probably laugh him to death.

"The Record Passage and the Branch Hall both collapsed? Did the Otherworldly Demons attack?"

Zhao Bingxu raised an eyebrow.

They had been discussing matters here just now, cutting off communication with the outside, so they were unaware of this incident.

However, these passages were incredibly sturdy, having stood for a thousand years. For them to suddenly collapse, unless the Otherworldly Demons invaded, how else could it happen?

"No... not Otherworldly Demons!"

He hadn't expected the Dean to think of that. Yuan Hong was full of embarrassment and quickly waved his hand. "Someone came to challenge the Earth Flame Passage..."

He then recounted in detail everything that had happened.

"You said... someone stayed in the Earth Flame Passage for over an hour? And when he came out, the passage collapsed, the core magma was completely absorbed, and it became useless?"

"He even used the core flames to form a new passage... but as soon as you entered... it exploded?"

After hearing his account, the other vice deans also looked at him with expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

Staying in the Earth Flame Passage for over an hour, and even creating a new passage using the core flames... Was this real or fake?

Could a four-star master teacher really do this?

Even they couldn't do that!

"Yes..." Yuan Hong nodded. "The person who caused such a commotion is also named... Zhang Xuan, and he's also a new student who just passed the assessment!"

"Also named Zhang Xuan? Could it be the same person?"

"To be able to rescue people from Otherworldly Demon puppets and incidentally ruin the underground palace... such great wisdom and courage... Perhaps, only this legendary figure would have such ability!"

The other vice deans were all stunned and couldn't help but exclaim.

If someone had told them before that someone stayed in the Earth Flame Passage for an hour and caused such a huge commotion throughout the Artificer Guild's Master Teacher Academy Branch, they absolutely wouldn't have believed it.

But now, after hearing about Teacher Zhang's legendary experiences, these things were no longer shocking; they could only be considered minor incidents.

"The Earth Flame Passage tests the strength of one's physical body. The stronger one is, the longer they can stay. If this Teacher Zhang is truly the person they're talking about, who received the legacy of Senior Wu Yangzi and cultivated the Five Luminaries Golden Body, then enduring for an hour is indeed not difficult!"

Zhao Bingxu nodded.

Hearing about staying for an hour, he also found it hard to believe. However, upon remembering that he received Wu Yangzi's legacy and cultivated the Five Luminaries Golden Body, he couldn't help but nod.

This body cultivation technique, although he had never cultivated or even seen it, was definitely one of the most peak body cultivation techniques within the entire Hongyuan Empire.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed Wu Yangzi to reach such heights.

"I... I didn't know. I thought he did it on purpose and made him compensate..."

Yuan Hong's face flushed.

If he had known earlier that Zhang Xuan genuinely endured for so long and didn't cheat, he wouldn't have demanded compensation!

Since it was called a challenge, various damages were expected. The challenger endured, but the passage didn't, meaning it was a quality issue. In such a case, demanding compensation from the challenger would be too embarrassing to even mention!

If he hadn't demanded compensation, the subsequent events naturally wouldn't have occurred, and there wouldn't be this current awkward situation.

"Given this situation, we can't blame the other party. We can only say that this Earth Flame Passage still has significant flaws; it simply can't handle a true master..."

Zhao Bingxu nodded.

"Indeed!" Yuan Hong nodded. "Then... it's no longer just the Earth Flame Passage that's the problem now. What about the loss of the entire Record Passage and half of the Branch Hall?"

If it were just the Earth Flame Passage breaking due to inability to endure, that would be one thing. But now the entire Record Passage was useless.

"Losses... Let's drop this matter!" Zhao Bingxu paused, then waved his hand.

"Drop it? How can we do that..."

Yuan Hong was startled and couldn't help but look over.

If they really dropped it, it would mean the entire Artificer Academy would lose thousands of high-grade spirit stones for nothing. Even with their immense wealth, they might find that a bit too much to bear!

"Losses? The contribution of handing over the 'Fingering the Lute Art of Artificing' to the academy already far exceeds thousands of high-grade spirit stones!" Zhao Bingxu shook his head.

The Wu Yangzi legacy could greatly enhance the understanding of artificing for countless artificers. Its contribution to the Artificer Academy was continuous, and absolutely incomparable to a few thousand high-grade spirit stones.

In fact, not just a few thousand spirit stones, even tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands couldn't compare.

The "Fingering the Lute Art of Artificing" crafted weapons as if plucking lute strings. It not only provided aesthetic beauty but also elevated artificing into an art form, allowing more people to become immersed and unconsciously deepen their understanding of artificing!

It was foreseeable that with this secret manual, the Artificer Academy would surpass the Pill Debate Academy within ten years, becoming the undisputed top academy!

Such a contribution was something even he, as Dean, couldn't achieve. How could it be compared to a few thousand high-grade spirit stones?

They weren't even on the same level.

To make such a huge contribution to the academy and then still demand trivial compensation from him, wouldn't that discourage true geniuses?

"Exactly. Not only can't we make him compensate, we must reward him!"

"Yes, such a genius must be properly rewarded and encouraged to stay in the Artificer Academy!"

The other vice deans couldn't help but nod.

Master teachers often had multiple auxiliary professions. Such a genius must be kept in the Artificer Academy, making artificing his primary auxiliary study. Once he became famous throughout the world, their academy would share in the glory!

Yuan Hong's mouth twitched.

That guy had practically ruined the entire branch. No compensation, but rewards instead... Would anyone still listen to him as a vice dean in the future?

However, he also knew that the Dean was speaking the truth.

The contribution of submitting the "Fingering the Lute Art of Artificing" was simply too great. Not to mention just one Artificer Guild Master Teacher Academy Branch, even if the entire Artificer Academy was turned upside down, as long as no students were harmed, it would be insignificant.

In a Master Teacher Academy, the most important things were the people, the master teachers. As for buildings and treasures, even if destroyed, they could be rebuilt; it was not surprising.

Let alone an academy, even the Master Teacher Pavilion in higher kingdoms had suffered countless sneak attacks from Otherworldly Demons. Various buildings and ancient texts had been destroyed numerous times. Yet, the lineage of master teachers continued unbroken, their popularity remained strong, and it was a sacred place yearned for by countless people.

"Alright, it's settled then. Oh, didn't you say he plans to assess for a five-star artificer? Let him take the test. If he passes, tell him I'm willing to take him as my student..."

Zhao Bingxu smiled.

If such a genius could be taken as a student, it would certainly be a great story.

"Yes!"

Yuan Hong nodded.

"As for you all, you also have great merit. I will go to the Pill Debate Academy and get some pills for you, and personally help you cleanse your meridians and marrow!"

After instructing Vice Dean Yuan, Zhao Bingxu smiled as he looked at Luo Qiqi and the others.

"Cleansing meridians and marrow? Thank you, Dean Zhao!"

Hearing this, Luo Qiqi, Xing Yuan, and the others all flushed with excitement.

Zhao Bingxu, one of the Ten Great Elders, personally cleansing their meridians and marrow... if successful, it meant their path from now until the Half-Saint realm would be smooth and worry-free!

Cleansing meridians and marrow consumed a huge amount of resources. Even Saint realm experts wouldn't undertake it lightly. For them, this was definitely the greatest reward!

Much better than academic credits!

"Alright, Yuan Hong, go and arrange Teacher Zhang's assessment. And make sure to have a good attitude. Don't let him think that our Artificer Academy wrongs those who have contributed!"

Zhao Bingxu instructed solemnly.

"Yes!" Lowering his head, he withdrew. Yuan Hong walked out of the Dean's office, unable to suppress a wry smile.

When he first arrived, Yuan Hong had wished he could kill that kid and feed him to the dogs. And he had vowed to report him to the Dean for proper handling... Yet, this complete reversal occurred!

What kind of situation was this!

Just thinking about it filled him with frustration.