Chapter 527: Pavilion Master Kang
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion is the headquarter of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the vassal kingdoms under the alliance.
It was located at a distance not too far from the Alliance Head Residence, and the group didn't take long to reach their destination.
It was a grand building with a majestic hall. As soon as they stepped into the lounge, they immediately saw a massive statue of a person holding onto a scroll and looking into the distance. In his eyes was compassion for all living beings in the world.
The sight of the statue removed all negative emotions from one, putting one into a state of calmness.
Empyrean Kong shi!
Taking a brief scan of the hall, there were at least a hundred people dressed in long robe here.
"So many master teachers…" Zhang Xuan was shocked.
Those who were qualified to wear the long robe were master teachers who had obtained their emblems. Putting aside the ranks of the master teachers here, just the number of them was already astonishing in itself.
One must know that Tianxuan Kingdom didn't even have a single master teacher. And yet, there were over a hundred of them here, and many of them were 2-star as well.
As expected of the center of the alliance, the cultural hub for the kingdoms... Fearsome!
"Actually, most of those master teachers aren't from Myriad Kingdom City. Every month, a 4-star master teacher conducts a lecture at the square outside the Master Teacher Pavilion, and many master teachers visit the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion just for this event," Su shi explained.
While the huge amount of resources flowing through Myriad Kingdom City was a reason why the cultivators here were strong, what that played a larger part to that was the presence of high ranked master teachers.
The lessons of such master teachers tended to be more insightful, and if one managed to obtain one of their Tutelage Jade Token, one's could receive tailored guidance on their cultivation, thus inducing swift improvements.
In fact, it could be said that if Myriad Kingdom City didn't have this Master Teacher Pavilion, it would be impossible for so many Transcendent Mortal experts to appear here.
Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement as he scanned the surroundings.
Not only were there many master teachers here, there were also some who came here to study. There were many chambers in the surroundings of the hall, and as long as one was willing to pay a suitable price, one could be given a one-to-one guidance session any time they wished.
But of course, the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more expensive the payment would be and the more difficult it would be to make an appointment with them.
After all, there were a limited number of 4-star master teachers here, and they couldn't possibly be spending all of their time on teaching others.
On top of the chambers, there were also some huge auditoriums within the compound. The poorer cultivators would often attend lectures conducted in the auditoriums instead. Even though the results would be far poorer than a one-to-one guidance session, one could save quite a bit of money through opting for this instead. Thus, it is quite a popular alternative.
"2-star Master Teacher Huang Chen's 'Zongshi Realm Introduction Lecture' still has two slots. Is there anyone interested in signing up?"
"3-star Master Teacher Bai Mu's 'How a Zhizun Advanced Realm Should Battle' still has three slots! It's a small classroom of just ten people, and it'll only cost 5 low-tier spirit stones..."
Walking through the hall, Zhang Xuan could see quite a lot of people raising a board as they rallied for participants. Written on the board was the name of the master teacher, their master teacher rank, the content, and the timing of their lecture.
There were many common problems that cultivators would meet with in their cultivation, and based on their needs, they would sign up for the lesson they deemed most appropriate for their condition.
While those who attended the lesson could copy down and repeat the content of the lecture to another, without the Impartation of Heaven's Will, a skill exclusive to only master teachers, the same words would result in very different effects.
Otherwise, if one could play the role of a master teacher just by repeating the content of a lecture, master teachers wouldn't be such a prestigious and irreplaceable occupation.
"The higher the tier of a kingdom, the greater the standing of a master teacher. In Myriad Kingdom City, even the alliance head would have to treat a 4-star master teacher with utmost respect!" Su shi said as he stroked his beard, his tone carrying a tinge of pride.
Being a master teacher was known as the number one occupation in the world, and at 4-star, one was already an existence that countless people could only look up to throughout their life.
"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head.
He knew about the prestigious standing of master teachers as well. If not for the immense standing of this occupation shielding him, his astonishing accomplishments would surely have caused him to be kidnapped, dissected, and experimented on for research.
It was precisely because everyone knew that he was a master teacher and that he had a powerful teacher backing him that they thought it was natural for him to achieve such results.
After all, a 6-star master teacher was an existence unimaginable to them. It wouldn't be surprising if a 6-star master teacher was involved in they deemed impossible.
"While master teachers enjoy tremendous prestige, they carry a burden equaling it as well. Back then, Kong shi ruled that master teachers have to be a role model to the world and bring enlightenment to everyone, regardless of their background... Over the years, the Master Teacher Pavilion has expanded into all kingdoms, and the strength of the human race has indeed been brought to new heights as well!" Su shi said.
While he felt proud, he knew that this was nothing for him to brag about. Rather, tied along together with it was a heavy responsibility to shoulder.
What a master teacher seeks to achieve is not personal glory, but the greatness of the entire human race.
The greatest honor that a master teacher could receive was to have his own students surpass him.
"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.
The more he came to know about the responsibilities of a master teacher, the more he shared some thoughts.
When he saw the rapid growth of his student, what he felt was no longer envy but delight.
This was the essence of a 'teacher'!
There was no other occupation that was the same as this!
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I'll take you to meet Pavilion Master Kang first before we continue on with the selection round!"
Shaking his head, Su shi accounted grimly, "Pavilion Master Kang is the most talented genius of our Master Teacher Pavilion for the past hundred years. He's a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and he has a straightforward and earnest personality! He values humility and so, when you meet him later, make sure to listen to his teachings earnestly. If you were to anger him, you might be stripped of your candidacy so take note of what you say!"
Pavilion Master Kang was younger than Su shi and Ling shi, and he was the direct disciple of the previous pavilion master. Even so, he was the one who had the final say regarding the candidacy for the Master Teacher Tournament. The two of them had paid a heavy price for Zhang Xuan's slot, so they couldn't allow anything to go wrong now.
"Don't worry! I've always been a humble person!" Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly.
"You? Humble?"
Su shi and Ling shi fell speechless.
Do you think that the Master Teacher Pavilion is incapable of digging all that you've done... Destroying the Master Teacher Pavilion when taking the master teacher examination; barging into the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild, forcing the previous guild leader to step down...
And not too long ago, you challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets in Honghai City and nearly caused the Appraiser Hall to close down; at the Formation Master Guild, you tore down the other party's wall...
Look at your own records... Which part of it doesn't show that you're a troublemaker?
And you still dare to tell us that you're... humble?
If you are humble, there would be no arrogant people in the world anymore!
"Cough cough! Try to cut down on your words when you meet Pavilion Master Kang, we'll speak for you instead. What you should focus on now is to condition yourself and prepare for the selection round later on," Ling shi instructed.
"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head.
He was delighted to be spared the hassle of talking as well.
Amidst the conversation of the trio, they soon arrived outside a room.
"Elder Su, Elder Ling!" The young man guarding outside the room clasped his fist and bowed.
"Is Pavilion Master Kang in?" Su shi asked.
"The pavilion master is inside, this way please!"
Given the other party's standing as an elder and a 4-star master teacher, the young man immediately led them in without any hesitation.
Unlike the rooms allocated to the other master teacher, this one was much more spacious. Many bookshelves filled with all kinds of books were placed against the wall. A stern-looking middle-aged man was currently standing by the side of the bookshelf, browsing through a book in his hand.
The young man stepped forward and bowed.
"Pavilion master, Elder Su and Elder Ling are here!"
"Un! You're here, take a seat wherever you want!" Lifting his gaze, the middle-aged man smiled.
Zhang Xuan turned to look at the middle-aged man.
Even though the middle-aged man wasn't as advanced in age as Su shi and Ling shi, he exuded an incredible aura of authority. It was similar to the sensation he felt when facing Alliance Head Zhao, just that it was even more intense.
This was especially so for his eyes. His dark irises were deep, and they gleamed with wisdom, seemingly capable of seeing through all facade.
'His Soul Depth is probably no lower than 14.0,' Zhang Xuan thought.
Every 3.0 Soul Depth was a demarcation point. A 4-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 12.0 whereas a 5-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 15.0.
A normal 4-star master teacher's Soul Depth would vary between 12.0 to 15.0, but due to the difficulty in raising one's Soul Depth, most 4-star master teachers only had a Soul Depth of around 12.0.
Taking Song Chao for example, his Soul Depth was only 12.0. This was also why he was completely helpless against Zhang Xuan's Impartation of Heaven's Will.
Even well-established 4-star master teachers like Su shi and Ling shi only had a Soul Depth of 13.0.
Yet, Pavilion Master Kang's Soul Depth was actually above 14.0. Considering his current age, as long as he didn't fall, it was just a matter of time before he becomes a 5-star master teacher.
'It seems like his Soul Depth is slightly higher than mine...'
After the consumption of two golden pages, two acknowledgements as a Celestial Master Teacher, and a Soul Tempering of Mentor's Calligraphy, Zhang Xuan's current Soul Depth had reached 14.1. However, based on his estimation, the other party's Soul Depth seemed to be slightly higher than his.
Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.
'I wonder if my Impartation of Heaven's Will will work on him...'
Before heading to the soul oracle tomb, Zhang Xuan's Soul Depth was only 12.1, 0.1 higher than Song Chao's. Even so, he still managed to beguile the other party.
In other words... as a Celestial Master Teacher, it was easier for him to convince others through his Impartation of Heaven's Will.
Having gone through two acknowledgements, even though his Soul Depth was lower than the other party's, could his Impartation of Heaven's Will possibly work on the other party?
'However, one of the requirements of using the Impartation of Heaven's Will is to be on the side of reason. Only when one's logic is impeccable will it work. If I can't find any flaws on him, it'll be difficult for me to beguile him!'
Zhang Xuan didn't think that he could succeed easily even though he had thought of giving it a try.
The Impartation of Heaven's Will was centered around trust and credibility... Without knowing the other party's flaws to exploit to win trust and credibility, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to succeed.
His Eye of Insight was ineffective given the other party's cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. Under the condition that the other party didn't execute a battle technique, it was impossible for him to uncover the flaws of the other party.
These thoughts floated in Zhang Xuan's mind for a moment before disappearing. Following which, Su shi stepped forward and introduced, "Pavilion master, this is Zhang shi whom we told you about previously!"
"He's the 2-star master teacher who broke the records of the Tianwu Kingdom master teacher examination, and you staked your all on recommending?"
Placing the book back onto the table, Pavilion Master Kang walked over and sat on the main seat before raising his head to assess Zhang Xuan.
"Yes!" Su shi and Ling shi nodded their heads.
"Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle and a lack of discipline in his movements. With a look, it's clear that he has never practiced any battle techniques... This is the genius you two spoke of?"
Looking at Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Kang frowned.