Chapter 911: Teaching Zhang Xuan?

He was being assessed as a Master Teacher, a role completely unrelated to the Empire. Previous Master Teacher assessments always focused on teaching, nurturing, and guiding cultivation — entirely different concepts from a power structure like the Empire.

Seeing his confusion, Elder Mi smiled. "Dean, having traveled from a kingdom, do you know the biggest difference between countries?"

"Difference?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned. After a brief recollection, he replied, "The biggest difference between countries is the rank of their Master Teacher Pavilions!"

Titled Empires, First-Tier Empires, Second-Tier Empires, Titled Kingdoms, First-Tier Kingdoms, Second-Tier Kingdoms… the primary distinction among these nations lies in their overall national power. The fundamental cause of this disparity in national power is the Master Teacher Pavilion. Master Teachers educate and guide; the higher a Master Teacher's rank, the more powerful their disciples become, leading to a greater ripple effect. For instance, if his former Tianxuan Kingdom had a Master Teacher Pavilion boasting a 6-star Master Teacher, the entire nation would undoubtedly experience monumental changes, and becoming a First-Tier Empire would merely be a matter of time.

The Master Teacher Pavilion's influence is immense; it not only cultivates students but, more importantly, attracts numerous powerful cultivators. A location with a Master Teacher Pavilion also draws various other professions — the Beast Hall, the Alchemist Guild, the Artifact Forger Guild, and many more. With such a complete range of professions and an abundance of experts, it would be difficult for a nation not to prosper. The Tianxuan Kingdom, originally an unremarkable kingdom, could easily have been promoted to a Second-Tier Kingdom if it had possessed a Master Teacher Pavilion.

"Precisely, it's the rank of the Master Teacher Pavilion!" Elder Mi nodded. "The higher the rank of a Master Teacher Pavilion, the stronger the nation becomes. This is already an unwritten rule across the continent. Many kingdoms and empires establish their capitals around their Master Teacher Pavilions! For example, Hongyuan City remains strong primarily because it hosts a Master Teacher Academy."

Zhang Xuan acknowledged this. While the Master Teacher Pavilion does not directly govern the rise and fall of nations, any place with one is bound to be filled with powerful experts, making it difficult for outsiders to invade.

"A standard Master Teacher assessment merely scrutinizes an individual's words, actions, and conduct. You, however, are different. As the Academy Dean, your assessment isn't solely about you; it involves the entire Academy." Seeing that he understood, Elder Mi continued, "The so-called 'promotion to an Empire' means you must choose a Titled Kingdom, and through your personal efforts, reorganize its Master Teacher Pavilion, enabling it to successfully ascend to an Empire! This assessment not only tests your individual capabilities but also your comprehensive grasp and control of the larger picture, making it extremely challenging!"

"I see..." Zhang Xuan's lips twitched, and his facial muscles tightened. He couldn't help but look over and ask, "Is it... is it too late to not be this Dean anymore?"

Elder Mi was speechless.

"If I'd known being Dean would be such a hassle, I never would have agreed. What a mess..." Zhang Xuan grumbled, his face full of resentment. He had assumed being Dean meant being free from responsibilities and having unlimited access to the library, which was why he had accepted the position. Who knew that not only was the succession ceremony so complicated, but even his 6-star Master Teacher assessment would become more difficult? If he'd known this, why would he have bothered becoming this troublesome Dean? He would have been better off simply taking a straightforward 6-star Master Teacher assessment, advancing his cultivation to the Saint realm, and then leaving... Now he was stuck, bound to this rickety academy cart! It was truly a case of one misstep leading to eternal regret!

Zhang Xuan was filled with boundless melancholy.

"Cough, cough!" Nearly choking on his own saliva, Elder Mi looked at him, utterly speechless. "While the difficulty of the 6-star Master Teacher assessment increases, passing it will solidify your foundation, making it considerably easier to assess for higher-ranked Master Teachers! This is precisely why many highly talented Master Teachers voluntarily undertake more challenging assessments to hone their skills."

Other people would be ecstatic to become Dean, but Master Zhang, here, was instead filled with resentment... If Lu Feng were to see that expression on your face, he might just spit up blood and die from sheer exasperation. He sacrificed so much for this deanship, only for it to be a wasted effort, while you received it effortlessly and yet remain unwilling...

"Easier to assess for higher-ranked Master Teachers?"

"Yes. If the Dean successfully passes the 'promotion to Empire' trial, then in the future, when assessing for a 7-star Master Teacher, you'll only need to meet three basic requirements to apply directly! There will be no need for further assessments like... teaching, nurturing, or guiding cultivation!" Elder Mi explained, "In other words, successfully completing this trial grants you a direct path to becoming a 7-star Master Teacher. Afterward, you simply need to continue cultivating, honing your state of mind, and mastering your auxiliary professions!"

"Such a good deal exists?" Hearing this, Zhang Xuan's previously gloomy eyes instantly brightened. Every Master Teacher assessment involves numerous complicated rules. If passing this trial meant directly becoming a 7-star Master Teacher afterward, it would save an immense amount of trouble and be absolutely worthwhile.

"Indeed!" Elder Mi nodded. While it appeared to bypass the 7-star Master Teacher assessment steps, elevating an empire required not only capability, foresight, and guidance, but critically, also time! Elevating a Titled Kingdom to an Empire, even an unremarkable one, wasn't something one or two experts could achieve; it demanded profound foundational strength! Enhancing that foundation would undoubtedly be time-consuming. Dean Mo Liuzhen, for instance, chose this very assessment, and despite his prodigious talent, it still took him a full three years to elevate an empire!

"All right, I've decided. I'll take the 'promotion to Empire' assessment for my 6-star Master Teacher rank!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Elder Mi was, once again, speechless. Why did it feel like his Dean treated such serious matters so casually? This was the most challenging 6-star Master Teacher assessment, one that many people actively avoided. Yet, he would refuse it one moment and accept it the next, without a moment's hesitation. Could he not take a little more time to consider? Even if he truly agreed, couldn't he at least frown or show a troubled expression, just for appearance's sake? But you, on the other hand, simply nodded in agreement, your expression unchanging. Did you not realize the difficulty of this assessment?

Just as he was about to offer a reminder, he shook his head. This new Dean always managed to do astonishing things and create incredible miracles. Just like with Cloud Mist Ridge earlier, Elder Mi had thought he was going to negotiate, but Zhang Xuan had ended up raiding their stronghold! What seemed like the most challenging 'promotion to Empire' task in his eyes might be trivial in Zhang Xuan's.

He glanced at the time, knowing that the succession ceremony required advance preparation, and decided not to dwell on the matter. "Dean, let's head to the Academy. Elder Zhao Bingxu and the Heavenly Crafts Institute have already custom-made an outfit for you. It would be best if you tried it on now to ensure it fits!"

"They made clothes too?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily surprised but said nothing further. The Dean's succession ceremony was a grand and splendid affair; naturally, wearing a standard Master Teacher's robe would be unsuitable.

Leaving the residence, they headed towards the Academy. At this moment, the Master Teacher Academy was teeming with people. Numerous powerful figures from various families in Hongyuan City and major empires in the surrounding regions had gathered, making it an unprecedented grand occasion in a century. To avoid being noticed and causing unnecessary commotion, the two rode a Saint Beast directly into the Elder's Courtyard.

Within the Master Teacher Academy, crowds shuffled about, and figures were visible everywhere.

"Ruohuan, you're usually well-informed. Do you know who the new Dean is?" On the wide street, a young man couldn't help but ask. Ahead of him stood a young man dressed in white, holding a folding fan. He cut a refined and elegant figure, clearly a young master from a prominent family. It was none other than Young Master Ruohuan, who had accompanied Zhang Xuan from the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance. And the person asking him was also an old friend of Zhang Xuan's, one of the founders of the Xuanxuan Society — Song Chao!

"How would I know that?" Young Master Ruohuan shook his head. "The identity of the new Dean is the Academy's best-kept secret. I suppose we'll only find out when the succession ceremony officially begins!"

Although the Xuanxuan Society boasted a large membership, comprising nearly half of the Academy's students, even they hadn't managed to uncover the new Dean's identity.

"Anyone but Elder Lu Feng will do... He has a conflict with the President. If he becomes Dean, our Xuanxuan Society will almost certainly be disbanded!" Song Chao's face was filled with worry.

"Indeed, we can only hope it isn't him!" Shaking his head, Young Master Ruohuan was about to continue speaking when a young man hastily rushed over. "Ruohuan, do you know where the President is right now?" He was a third-year student and a member of the Xuanxuan Society.

"Why are you looking for the President so urgently?" Young Master Ruohuan frowned. To be honest, their President was truly a hands-off manager. Ruohuan himself hadn't seen him for days; he was always appearing and disappearing mysteriously. He genuinely had no idea where the President had gone.

"Well, I was just heading to the training grounds to get a seat for the Dean's succession ceremony, when... before I even got there, I overheard a few suspicious-looking individuals asking around for the President's whereabouts. They looked like they had malicious intentions..." Glancing around, the young man lowered his voice.

"Asking about the President's whereabouts?" Young Master Ruohuan's brow furrowed.

"Yes!" The young man nodded swiftly. Nearly half of the Academy's faculty and students belonged to the Xuanxuan Society, so these individuals inquiring about "Zhang Xuan" naturally drew attention.

"Lead the way!" Young Master Ruohuan instructed, then paused. "But first, go get Ying Qin and the others!"

"Understood!" The young man rushed off. Before long, Ying Qin, Baimian, and others followed him back.

"Let's go investigate!" Seeing that everyone had arrived, Young Master Ruohuan smiled and told the young man to lead the way.

Soon enough, they indeed spotted seven or eight oddly dressed individuals cautiously moving through the courtyard, asking everyone they encountered about Zhang Xuan's whereabouts. However, since even he couldn't locate Master Zhang at the moment, these individuals naturally stood no chance of finding him.

They slowly approached, pricked up their ears, and soon overheard the other party's deliberately hushed conversation.

"Young Master Liu told us to teach this Zhang Xuan a lesson. What if we can't find him? Could it be that he got wind of our arrival and hid in fear?" A scar-faced man in the group looked vexed. They had asked many people, all of whom recognized Zhang Xuan, but none knew his current location, leaving them with a massive headache.

"Teach him a lesson? It seems they're enemies!" Upon hearing this, Young Master Ruohuan, Song Chao, and the others exchanged glances and nodded in unison. Daring to "teach a lesson" to their President — weren't they just seeking death? If that was the case, then they would show them... the power of their Xuanxuan Society! Did they really think they wouldn't scare them half to death?