Chapter 896: Fight Among Students
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"Saving his life?"
The succeeding principal had used the Impartation of Heaven’s Will to make Pavilion Master Liao Cong embarrass himself publicly, but not only was the latter not angry at all, the latter had even thanked him for saving his life...
This sight left the crowd confounded.
They hadn’t expected the situation to develop in such an unexpected manner.
Noticing the doubt in everyone’s eyes, Pavilion Maser Liao Cong shook his head and explained, "In my hastiness to accomplish, I erred in my cultivation, resulting in my flow of zhenqi becoming disrupted, an aching pain in my Huyang acupoint, and a slight deterioration of my organs. I thought it was nothing much, and I only had to take note of it in the future to prevent any further deterioration!
"But after Principal Zhang’s guidance, I realized that the foundation of my cultivation has actually been damaged. The two slaps to my face were actually to open my Longxi and Chiyang acupoints, which allowed my zhenqi to clear the blockage in my meridians. After which, the handstand served to circulate my zhenqi, thus solving the hidden trauma within my body!
"Despite my provocation and attempt to humiliate Principal Zhang, he was still willing to overlook the matter and treat my trauma... This is the magnanimity of a true master teacher! From this day forth, I declare that our Hongchi Empire Master Teacher Pavilion will support him as the principal, and this decision shall stand as long as I live!" Pavilion Master Liao Cong vowed as he raised his hand.
"This is possible too?"
"A hidden trauma is solved with just two slaps and a handstand?"
A commotion broke out beneath the stage. Everyone stared at one another, unable to believe their eyes. Had they not seen how Pavilion Master Liao Cong provoked Zhang Xuan earlier, they might have really thought that those two were just putting on an act!
"This Principal Zhang..."
In the area where the emperors sat, Zhu Yi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and muttered, "It seems like he does possess some capability after all!"
Just like the pavilion masters, he had harbored doubts regarding Zhang Xuan’s capability due to his young age, and he had thought that the reason the latter had become the principal was due to pulling some strings behind the curtains. However, after witnessing how the latter dealt with the challenge of two of the pavilion masters decisively and promptly, his opinion of the latter was starting change.
Another emperor beside him shook his head and remarked, "Let’s watch on first. I still think that he’s a little too young for such an important position."
While age wasn’t a determining factor to gauge a master teacher’s capability, it wasn’t without reason that most were concerned about it. Time often tempered one’s character and granted one collectedness, which allowed one to remain rational regardless of the situation. In comparison, the young were more prone to reckless outbursts, and in times of crisis, that could prove to be a fatal flaw. Given the importance of the Master Teacher Academy, this was a risk they couldn’t afford to take.
"It seems like Zhang shi’s Soul Depth is above Pavilion Master Liao’s. I am truly impressed."
While the two emperors were chatting, yet another elder stood up amid the crowd and spoke. "However, to become the principal, one’s ability to impart and guide others is still extremely important. Despite my incompetence, I have taken in a few students and taught them, and they happen to be present for the ceremony today. If Principal Zhang doesn’t mind, could you allow them to spar with your students so as to gauge your ability to impart?"
"A spar between students?"
"That sure is a vicious move!"
The crowd flew into an uproar after hearing those words.
The core responsibility of a teacher was to impart knowledge, and the most direct way to determine one’s capability to impart knowledge was through assessing the students one taught. The more capable one’s students were, the more capable the teacher would be perceived to be.
If the principal of the Master Teacher Academy was lacking in the ability to impart knowledge, that would mean that he had failed as a teacher!
From this aspect, it could be said that this elder was even more vicious than the previous two.
If Wu Weitian and Liao Cong had only intended to humiliate Zhang Xuan, this fellow was attempting to force Zhang Xuan off a cliff!
Zhang shi was a talented individual, and he possessed astounding capability far beyond his peers, but ultimately, he was only twenty years old, and his cultivation was only at Chrysalis realm... Given such, how powerful could his students be?
Huala!
Shortly after the elder said those words, a middle-aged man stood up, and a powerful aura burst from him.
A Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage expert!
With such strength, he was already on par with the elders of the Master Teacher Academy!"
"Principal Zhang, that man is Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun from Baituo Empire. If I am not mistaken, the middle-aged man is his direct disciple, Hong Lin. The latter has been learning from Pavilion Master Xue for over a hundred years, and 35 years ago, he reached Saint realm 1-dan..." Zhao Bingxu hurriedly filled Zhang Xuan in on the details through zhenqi telepathy.
"That middle-aged man has been his disciple for over a hundred years?" Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.
That Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun sure was ruthless. Putting aside the fact his direct disciple’s cultivation was at Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage, just the fact that Hong Lin had studied under a pavilion master of a Tier-1 Empire for over a hundred years meant that it was likely that he possessed exceptional capability among his peers, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was invincible among cultivators of the same power level.
If it had been any other challenge, Zhang Xuan might still have been able to turn it down through finding an excuse somehow. However, a duel between students involved his dignity as a teacher and his fundamental capability as a master teacher; turning it down would be a huge blow to his credibility and reputation.
In other words, whether he liked it or not, as a master teacher and the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, he had no choice but to accept the duel.
As expected of the most powerful figure within a regional Master Teacher Pavilion, he sure wasn’t an easy person to deal with.
Just as Zhang Xuan was still busy contemplating over how he should deal with this matter, the middle-aged man Hong Lin turned to him and clasped his fist. "I wish to challenge Principal Zhang’s students to a duel. May I know who my opponent is?"
"We are here!" As soon as Hong Lin uttered those words, a few voices sounded clearly across the training grounds.
Everyone turned their gazes over and saw Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang rising from their seats.
They were the guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, they couldn’t be absent for the inauguration ceremony either.
At this very moment, the strongest of them, Wang Ying, had achieved a breakthrough recently, reaching the Cosmos Bridge realm.
To reach the Cosmos Bridge realm at sixteen, she would definitely be considered an incredible genius regardless of where she was. However, she was still far from a match for the Saint realm 1-dan advanced stage Hong Lin.
"There’s no hope to victory whatsoever..." The head of the Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing, shook his head and sighed deeply.
He was the one who had invited Wang Ying and the others to become guest elders of the Master Teacher Academy, so he had a clear understanding of their capability.
They had an extremely solid foundation, which allowed them to stand toe to toe even against cultivators with a higher cultivation than them. However, there was simply too huge a gap between them and Hong Lin. Even if Hong Lin were to lower his cultivation realm, given the disparity in their experience and reaction speed, he would still be able to defeat them easily!
A gap of six realms wasn’t something that could be overcome by just a strong foundation or a deep understanding of battle techniques.
"You are the students of Principal Zhang? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!" Upon seeing that even the strongest among Zhang Xuan’s students was only at the Cosmos Bridge realm, Hong Lin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
He could easily kill cultivators of that tier with just a puff of his breath. There was no doubt whatsoever; he would be the victor of this duel!
"Come at me then!" With a furious roar, Wang Ying leaped onto the stage. Hong Lin chuckled softly before following suit as well.
A tense atmosphere drifted between the two as they faced one another squarely. Zhang Xuan was just about to step forward to offer some guidance to Wang Ying ahead of the duel when another voice abruptly sounded.
"Senior Wang Ying, you are teacher’s direct disciple. It would be making a mountain out of a molehill to have you face this lad, allow me to fight in your place instead!"
Hu!
Following which, an old man descended onto the stage and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan with a clasped fist. "Student Jiang Qingqin pays respect to teacher!"
"Un." Upon seeing the other party, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten that he still had another student here?
The old man was none other than the head of the Demonic Tunist School, Jiang Qingqin!
The other party had acknowledged him as his teacher through a formal ceremony, so he could totally take Wang Ying’s place!
"Isn’t that School Head Jiang?"
"One of the Ten Great Master Teachers, School Head Jiang, is actually Zhang shi’s student?"
"You must be joking! How could that be possible?"
"But since School Head Jiang has already said it, there is no doubt about its authenticity. All master teachers view lineage with grave importance, let alone a 6-star pinnacle master teacher like School Head Jiang, so how could he simply acknowledge another as his teacher easily? Even if he intended to help Zhang shi, he wouldn’t go to such an extent just for that!"
"Even so, I just find this matter hard to believe!"
"Indeed. For Zhang shi to have tamed the old principal’s tamed beast and even take School Head Jiang as his student... it really feels like I am in a dream!"
The news that Zhang Xuan had accepted Jiang Qingqin as his student had never been made public, so no one other than the Ten Great Master Teachers were aware of the matter. Hearing of this matter for the first time, the crowd beneath the stage widened their eyes in disbelief.
A 6-star pinnacle master teacher had acknowledged a 4-star master teacher as his teacher? Even though School Head Jiang had admitted to it himself, the crowd still found it hard to accept.
"School Head Jiang..."
Beneath the stage, Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun staggered weakly and nearly keeled over.
He had thought that given Zhang Xuan’s low cultivation and young age, the other party’s student would only, at best, be at the Cosmos Bridge realm. Yet, all of a sudden, a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers who was even stronger than him appeared, how was this battle supposed to go on?
While he was feeling stifled, on the stage, Jiang Qingqin chuckled softly and said, "You are the student of Pavilion Master Yun? Haha, I can suppress my cultivation to be equal to yours when we fight!"
Hearing those words, Hong Lin’s eyelids began twitching.
Those were the exact words that he had said to Zhang Xuan’s students just a moment ago, and Jiang Qingqin had returned them to him word for word.
"You..."
Knowing that it was too late to back down, Hong Lin gritted his teeth and said, "Come!"
Following which, he swiftly flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword.
Tzz la!
The cold glint of a sword flashed through the air as it shot for Jiang Qingqin.
It must be said that Hong Lin’s comprehension of swordsmanship had reached a profound realm, achieving the level of Sword-Man Union. Of course, he was still no match for Zhang Xuan, but he was at least on par with Wang Ying and the others in terms of proficiency of battle techniques.
If Wang Ying and the others were to fight him in a battle, they would stand no chance whatsoever.
Putting aside the other party’s superior eye of discernment and reaction speed, just the battle experience he had accumulated over the past hundreds of years of his life would make him more than a match for Wang Ying and the others, who had never faced a life-and-death battle in their life.
However, just this bit of prowess meant nothing to School Head Jiang. With a light chuckle, he took out a zither and stroked it gently, and a crisp note immediately rang out.
Triiiinggg!
A sound reminiscent of a vase breaking echoed resoundingly in the air.
Before Hong Lin could react, his sword had already shattered completely, and, ’hu!’, with a huge burst of wind, his figure was sent flying from the stage as if a cockroach. His silhouette swiftly grew smaller and smaller in the distance before eventually disappearing from sight with a twinkle.
Judging from the distance he flew, even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would be bedridden from the next few days.
"7-star demonic tunist?" Pavilion Master Xue Cangyun abruptly stood up from his seat.
Under normal circumstances, even though there was some disparity between School Head Jiang and Hong Lin’s strength, it would still have been difficult for the former to defeat the latter in just a single move... unless the former’s comprehension of demonic tunes had reached 7-star!
In the face of a demonic tunist of this tier, even he could only flee as far as he could, not daring to face the other party head on.
To acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his teacher despite possessing such strength...
Was there a screw loose in his head?
While Xue Cangyun was baffled by the situation before him, he suddenly heard the displeased mumblings of Wei Ranxue, another member of the Ten Great Master Teachers, not too far away from him.
"Damn it, I let that fellow get ahead of me! Since Zhang Xuan is a half-teacher of mine, I can be considered a partial student of his too... Against such a fellow, sending in a full-fledged student is such a waste. A half-student like me is more than sufficient..."
"School Head Wei is his student as well?" Pavilion Master Xue suddenly felt the sight before him darken.
"..."
The students and teachers of the academy staggered as they turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more, this time with twitching lips.
Brother... We can accept the fact that you have tamed the tamed beast of the old principal, turned half of the student populace into members of your Xuanxuan Faction, becoming the half-teacher of the tens of thousands of Apothecary School students...
But to make at least two of the Ten Great Master Teachers your students... How are we supposed to accept that?
When did the Master Teacher Academy become your possession?