Chapter 777: Cangyue Association

"Today, all the teachers from the ten major academies who are recruiting students will be giving an open lecture on the Lecture Stage. We were hoping Master Zhang could come with us to watch. Your perspective is quite broad, and if you help us choose, we'll likely make a more suitable selection..." Young Master Ruohuan said, feeling a little awkward.

He was accustomed to being overshadowed by Master Zhang and knew his capabilities and discernment.

If Master Zhang helped them choose, the selection would certainly be better than what they could manage themselves.

They only had three days to find a teacher at the academy. If they couldn't find a suitable one, their future achievements would be limited. After much consideration, they decided it was best to bother Zhang Xuan.

After all, they were from the same place and knew each other.

When it came to discernment, Master Zhang was far superior to Master Hong and the others.

"The Lecture Stage? Open lectures?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned.

Since arriving at the academy, he had been focused solely on the Six-star Artifact Forger examination and was unaware of this event.

The Lecture Stage was the most central location in the Master Teacher Academy, used for major competitions and other events. It also served as a venue for many students to resolve disputes, similar to dueling platforms in other places.

As for open lectures, he had heard of them when he was a teacher at Hongtian Academy.

An open lecture was a class anyone could attend and observe, allowing teachers to showcase their teaching abilities.

Previously, open lectures were mainly for teachers to observe and learn from each other. However, this academy actually allowed teachers to give lectures directly, with students observing first and then choosing their teachers...

This sounded quite good.

This way, good teachers would attract more and more students, while less capable teachers might not be able to recruit anyone.

It was a form of healthy competition.

"Yes, Master Zhang, will you come?" The others looked at him expectantly.

Seeing their expressions, he knew they wanted him to come and help them decide. After all, with so many master teachers lecturing simultaneously, anyone would be overwhelmed and find it difficult to discern.

"Alright, let's go together. It'll also be a good opportunity to see the teaching standards of the Master Teacher Academy..."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since almost all the teachers were out giving open lectures, there likely wouldn't be many people at the Startling Flight Court or the Demonic Tune Court. Finding books there would probably be difficult anyway. It would be better to see how the other teachers conducted their lessons and make a comparison.

Once the decision was made, there was nothing to deliberate. The group left the courtyard and headed towards the Lecture Stage.

The Lecture Stage was some distance from the Elite Zone, but since everyone present was quite strong, they arrived quickly without spending too much time.

From a distance, a massive crowd surged, like a mountain of people.

All thirty thousand new students would be there today to attend lectures and choose teachers. Many senior students also came to join the excitement. The vast Lecture Stage, as far as the eye could see, was completely filled with a dense crowd. For first-timers, it would be difficult to find their way.

"To allow new students to better hear the teachers' lectures, the academy has specifically divided the Lecture Stage into a long, narrow passage. By walking along this path, you can see all the teachers and hear all the lecture content!"

Young Master Ruohuan had already inquired about this in advance and began explaining it to the group before they even arrived.

Following his words, Zhang Xuan looked and indeed saw a large stream of people moving slowly forward along a certain passage in the distance.

On the high platforms to either side, teachers were giving lectures. From a distance, the content couldn't be heard, but one could see the audience below listening intently, completely engrossed.

Almost all the teachers at the Master Teacher Academy were Six-star Master Teachers. How could someone weak become a master teacher of such a high level? Even if their lectures weren't particularly lively, their understanding of cultivation must be profound. Every word they spoke seemed to carry an inherent rule, making listeners unable to help but be deeply moved and greatly benefit.

"Junior brothers, would you like a copy of the 'Faculty Detailed Guide'?"

Just as they were about to follow the crowd inside, a young man approached and blocked their path.

He was around thirty years old, dressed in a Five-star Master Teacher's attire. Tall and slender like a bamboo pole, his shifty eyes and ingratiating smile immediately marked him as an old hand.

"'Faculty Detailed Guide'?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"That's right, it's compiled by our Azure Moon Society. It contains detailed information about all the teachers in our academy: their teaching styles, hobbies, and past teaching achievements... If you buy a copy, you can make better comparisons and choices after listening to the open lectures..."

The young man glanced around, and only when he confirmed no one was paying attention did he pull a book from his embrace, hand it over, and whisper.

"There's such a thing?"

Filled with curiosity, Zhang Xuan reached out and took the book. Just as he was about to open it, the young man placed a hand on it, stopping him. "Everyone here is a master teacher, with photographic memory. If you just flip through it once, who will I sell it to? In short, if you want to see it, you'll have to buy it..."

Master teachers who reached the Half-step Five-star or Five-star level generally possessed photographic memory. The value of this 'Faculty Detailed Guide' lay in the rarity of its information. If someone could just glance at it and memorize it, they certainly wouldn't buy it.

"How much?"

Young Master Ruohuan couldn't help but ask.

Since this item was prepared by senior students, it was undoubtedly accurate. If they could buy a copy, they would have a reliable reference when choosing a teacher, making the process much easier and preventing them from "feeling the elephant to guess its shape."

"This information was obtained by our Azure Moon Society at great cost. The content isn't expensive, but the cost of acquiring it is. One hundred mid-grade spirit stones per copy! No bargaining!"

The young man stated.

"One hundred mid-grade spirit stones?" Everyone was startled.

Young Master Ruohuan, from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, had barely seen a few mid-grade spirit stones in his life. Luo Xuan, from a sect, was slightly better off but could only manage a few dozen at best; one hundred was absolutely impossible.

As for Song Chao, it was difficult for him to produce even one mid-grade spirit stone when Zhang Xuan "conned" him earlier, let alone a hundred in one go.

In other words, only Zhang Xuan could afford the price; no one else could pay.

What a rip-off!

"Too expensive? This guide contains detailed information about all the teachers. As long as you find the right teacher and successfully break through to Five-star Master Teacher, won't you have as many spirit stones as you wish?"

Seeing their expressions, the young man quickly added.

The difference between master teacher ranks was significant. A Four-star Master Teacher might still find it difficult to earn mid-grade spirit stones, but reaching Five-star would make earning money much easier.

"Thank you, but we don't need this!"

Seeing him continue to push the sale, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

One hundred spirit stones for this... he truly didn't need it!

More importantly... his hand had just brushed against it, and he already had a copy in his mind, even more detailed than this one, allowing him to discern which information was correct and which was wrong.

"Don't need it? How can you not need it? Finding a suitable teacher upon entering the academy is extremely important. If you don't, you might not be able to make any further progress, get stuck in first year forever, and eventually be expelled from the academy..."

The young man was taken aback that these new students directly refused, and he quickly spoke up.

Students who had just entered the academy didn't know the teachers well, so it was easy to choose the wrong one. Once that happened, it would be impossible to change later.

"We really don't need it. We already bought a copy just now, there's no need for a second one!" Zhang Xuan said.

"You bought one?"

The young man froze for a moment, then seemed to recall something and couldn't help but say, "Did you buy one from the True Yang Society? Their information is incomplete; it can't compare to ours..."

"What exactly are these 'True Yang Society' and 'Azure Moon Society' you're talking about?"

Zhang Xuan looked at him, puzzled.

"You don't know?"

The young man hesitated, then nodded. "That's right, it's normal for you not to know, having just arrived at the academy. There are many student organizations formed spontaneously within the academy, all established by the most formidable senior students. For example, our Azure Moon Society was founded by Senior Long Cangyue himself. And the True Yang Society reveres Senior Xue Zhenyang!"

"Long Cangyue? Xue Zhenyang?"

"Yes, both are fifth-year senior students at the academy, and each possesses formidable strength. If you join their organization, you'll have the chance to receive extracurricular guidance from these seniors!" the young man said, a proud look on his face.

"Extracurricular guidance?" Zhang Xuan paused, then understood.

As fifth-year students, their master teacher rank had likely reached Six-star low-tier.

Academy teachers usually taught large classes, and with so many students, it was inevitable that some wouldn't receive enough individual attention. Getting extracurricular guidance from a Six-star low-tier master teacher would indeed be very helpful for one's cultivation advancement.

"Exactly. The academy is full of geniuses and master teachers. If you don't stand out, you'll fall behind and miss out on trial opportunities and resources... Only by joining these organizations can you truly make better progress!" the young man said.

Young Master Ruohuan, Luo Xuan, and the others were all awestruck upon hearing this.

They lacked Master Zhang's talent and abilities; it would be impossible for them to stand out in a class full of geniuses.

Without standing out, they wouldn't get better resources or opportunities, and might even waste their entire lives.

Therefore, joining these student organizations seemed to be their only option.

"Alright, you'll all find out about these things eventually. The 'Faculty Detailed Guide' from the True Yang Society has incomplete information. You should really buy ours, from the Azure Moon Society. Our Senior Long Cangyue ranked significantly higher than Senior Xue Zhenyang in the fifth-year grand competition, you know..."

Shaking his head, the young man stopped dwelling on that topic and continued to promote his manual.

"Thanks, but we truly don't need it anymore..."

If the guide cost one or two mid-grade spirit stones, he might have bought it. But one hundred? That was clearly extortion; how could he agree?

After a moment's thought, he decided against it.

"Not buying it? That won't do! Since you've bought from the True Yang Society, you must buy from our Azure Moon Society. Otherwise, you'll be offending us, and you'll likely face a lot of trouble in the academy later!"

Seeing that, despite his extensive explanations, the group still refused to buy, the young man's face darkened. His earlier warmth vanished, replaced by a clear threat.

"Threat? It's not exactly a threat, just a friendly reminder. Although the Master Teacher Academy is full of master teachers, things aren't always smooth sailing here. It's not as peaceful as you might imagine!"