Chapter 900: Won"t You Allow Me to Pummel You?
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Every single generation of princ.i.p.al had left behind a sliver of their will in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the princ.i.p.al of the previous generation had gone missing abruptly, considering that this was part of the heritage of the Master Teacher Academy, he should have entrusted a sliver of his will with the Master Teacher Academy as well.
Why wasn"t the old princ.i.p.al anywhere to be seen then?
Noticing Zhang Xuan"s doubts, Zhao Bingxu explained to him through zhenqi telepathy, "The old princ.i.p.al… He went missing before he could accrue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als, so he couldn"t leave his will behind…"
"Contribution?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the term.
"The Master Teacher Pavilion has a record of each master teacher"s accomplishments, and these accomplishments are then quantified in the form of "contributions". Each generation of princ.i.p.al has to achieve a certain level of contributions before they are given the permission to enter the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als!
"Basically, anything that is beneficial to mankind can be considered a contribution. Imparting knowledge so as to allow more cultivators to grow stronger is a contribution; killing Otherworldly Demons and ridding mankind of the underlying threat is a contribution; creating new cultivation techniques and battle techniques and spreading them far and wide so that mankind can reach greater heights is a contribution as well," Zhao Bingxu clarified with a smile.
"Princ.i.p.al Zhang, your act of taming the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge has spared mankind from a possible disaster in the future, and the Master Teacher Pavilion considers it a huge contribution as well. Just that in itself should qualify you to enter the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als!"
The Cloudmist Ridge had always been a huge threat to the Master Teacher Academy, and despite going through over a hundred princ.i.p.als, the problem had still continued to persist. Facing such a problem, not only did Princ.i.p.al Zhang manage to resolve the problem once and for all, he even effectively turned the forces of the Cloudmist Ridge into the forces of the Master Teacher Academy. With such an accomplishment, even if his contribution was still beneath that of the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, it was definitely sufficient to go down in history for countless years to come.
"I have made sufficient contributions?" Zhang Xuan was stunned by the abrupt news.
"Of course!" Zhao Bingxu nodded with an indescribable expression.
Other princ.i.p.als had to toil laboriously day after day, doing whatever they could do that was beneficial to mankind in order to accrue sufficient contributions to enter the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als.
The current princ.i.p.al was probably the only one in the many generations of princ.i.p.als to achieve sufficient contributions despite not knowing what it was.
If the previous princ.i.p.als were to learn about this matter, would they spurt a mouthful of blood and start cursing furiously?
Sometimes, it was the difference between fellow men that was the most frustrating.
Oblivious to School Head Zhao"s thoughts, Zhang Xuan continued asking, "What is the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als?"
"The Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als is where the wills of the princ.i.p.als are nurtured, as well as where their bodies are kept after their deaths. Thus, it can be said to be the resting place of the previous princ.i.p.als of the Master Teacher Academy."
"So, it is like a tomb for the princ.i.p.als." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.
Judging from School Head Zhao"s words, it seemed like not every princ.i.p.al was qualified to be buried in there. Only those who had made sufficient contributions were allowed to rest there after their deaths.
Most likely, there is something special about the tomb… Zhang Xuan thought doubtfully.
If it was just an ordinary tomb, there was no need to restrict even the princ.i.p.als themselves from entering. Since there was such a strict restriction imposed on it, there was probably more to it than meets the eye.
Just as Zhang Xuan was contemplating this matter, the wills of the princ.i.p.als suddenly turned their eyes over to him.
"You are the princ.i.p.al of this generation?" An authoritative voice echoed through the air.
The one who had spoken was the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai.
Mu Kai had a very gentle and elegant air around him, and his eyes carried no hint of underestimation or disdain for Zhang Xuan just because of the latter"s young age. On the contrary, he nodded in commendation, expressing his approval for Zhang Xuan instead.
"For one of your age to receive the recognition of so many students and elders, it seems like you are a person of exceptional capability."
Naturally, the eye of discernment of the man who had founded the Master Teacher Academy was anything but ordinary.
When others only noticed Zhang Xuan"s young age and inexperience, the founder of the Master Teacher Academy saw his potential.
For a person of his age to be chosen as the princ.i.p.al of the Master Teacher Academy, that could only mean that he possessed certain capabilities that surpa.s.sed all other compet.i.tors.
"Even under the protection of the formation, the time that we can remain existent here is limited. Use three sentences to introduce yourself, your strengths, and capabilities. We will use it as a gauge to determine whether you are worthy of our approval or not!" Mu Kai said with a smile.
"Three sentences?" Not expecting to be given such a challenge, Zhang Xuan frowned.
He had thought that he would be kneeling to beseech the preceding princ.i.p.als for their acknowledgement, similar to how it was in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. However, from the looks it, it didn"t seem to be that simple.
He was given an opportunity to speak, but this only served to heighten the difficulty of the test.
This opportunity could also be considered a test from the preceding princ.i.p.als, so he would have to proceed with caution.
Just as Zhang Xuan was musing over his words, Zhao Bingxu suddenly sent a telepathic message to him. "Princ.i.p.al Zhang, you must think it through carefully! The number of acknowledgements you receive from the princ.i.p.als will determine the degree of authority you will wield in the academy!"
"Degree of authority?"
"Un. There are certain places in the Master Teacher Academy that even the princ.i.p.al won"t be able to enter without possessing a certain degree of authority in the academy."
"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.
In essence, the princ.i.p.al was not the true master of the Master Teacher Academy but a master teacher nominated by the Ten Great Master Teachers to manage the affairs of the Master Teacher Academy temporarily. Naturally, the princ.i.p.al wasn"t given free rein over everything in the academy.
The greater degree of authority one commanded, the greater one"s control over the academy would be.
"As long as you receive twenty percent of the predecessors" recognition, you will be deemed qualified to take over as the next princ.i.p.al of the Master Teacher Academy and receive the Elementary Jurisdiction. If you receive forty percent, you will be granted the Intermediate Jurisdiction. Sixty percent, you will be granted Advanced Jurisdiction, and eighty percent, Supreme Jurisdiction. If you receive Supreme Jurisdiction over the Master Teacher Academy, you will gain total control over all of the major formations, access the most confidential books in the academy, and even gain free access to the Mausoleum of Princ.i.p.als without needing the required contribution."
Access the most confidential books in the academy? Zhang Xuan"s eyes lit up.
The main reason he had agreed to be the princ.i.p.al in the first place was due to the princ.i.p.al"s privilege in accessing the books in the academy. However, judging from Zhao Bingxu"s words, it seemed that he would still be unable to access some books if he didn"t obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction.
If that was the case, he would just have to obtain the Supreme Jurisdiction.
But in order to achieve that, he would need to find the right words to convince over eighty percent of the preceding princ.i.p.als to recognize him within three sentences, and that was easier said than done.
While the founder of the Master Teacher Academy, Mu Kai, might have a positive view of him, not all of the princ.i.p.als shared the same opinion.
After all, there was simply nothing praiseworthy about Zhang Xuan"s age, cultivation, and master teacher rank.
To change their minds of him within just three sentences—difficult!
Zhang Xuan couldn"t help but ask Zhao Bingxu, "What percentage of recognition did the old princ.i.p.al receive?"
"The old princ.i.p.al was only a 6-star pinnacle master teacher when he took over as the princ.i.p.al, barely meeting the mark, so he only received 22% of the preceding princ.i.p.als" recognition," Zhao Bingxu replied.
"Most of the preceding princ.i.p.als received the Elementary Jurisdiction in this formality. Out of the 103 preceding princ.i.p.als, less than thirty has received the Intermediate Jurisdiction, less than ten for the Advanced Jurisdiction, and only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction, which was the founder, Mu s.h.i.+ himself!"
"Only one for the Supreme Jurisdiction?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.
It seemed like the test was far harder than he had thought.
Each of the preceding princ.i.p.als were top-notch experts in their era; receiving their earnest recognition and commendation was truly no easy task.
Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one views to be perfect might be worth nothing in the eyes of others.
There were master teachers in this world who specialized in more than a dozen supporting occupations, achieving an incredible mastery in each of them. Logically speaking, a person that capable should receive the respect and admiration of others.
However, there were also those who thought that a master teacher should focus their efforts on teaching others. The fact that a master teacher had achieved such deep mastery in every field only meant that they weren"t devoted in their primary responsibility, so they weren"t worthy of respect.
"Indeed! In this formality, the fewer preceding princ.i.p.als there are, the easier it is to receive a substantial percentage of their recognition. With more than a hundred preceding princ.i.p.als here, it will be extremely difficult to gain a sufficient proportion of their support to obtain higher degrees of authority!" Zhao Bingxu said.
Receiving the recognition of just one or two princ.i.p.als was relatively simpler with an outstanding performance and sufficient luck. However, to win the goodwill of over a hundred people at once, that was nigh impossible.
Thus, the three sentences he would speak were of grave importance.
What words could help him convince all of them?
Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.
…
The master teachers beneath the stage also swiftly came to realize the difficulty behind Founder Mu Kai"s request as well, and anxiety emerged in their eyes.
One of the students turned to his good friend beside him and asked, "What do you think Zhang s.h.i.+ will say?"
"Zhang s.h.i.+ is a man of great talent; it is beyond my means to fathom what he could possibly say. However, given his capability, I believe it shouldn"t be too difficult for him to win the recognition of most predecessors!" The good friend happened to be a diehard fan of Zhang Xuan, so he possessed unwavering confidence in the latter.
One of the master teachers who had a deep understanding of the history of the academy said, "I"m afraid that it won"t be that easy. Even the unbelievably talented Princ.i.p.al Mo Yanqing back then only managed to obtain a 71% recognition from the preceding princ.i.p.als. I believe that Princ.i.p.al Zhang"s talent is nowhere beneath Princ.i.p.al Mo"s, but his talent has yet to manifest itself fully yet. If Princ.i.p.al Zhang was given a few dozen more years, I have no doubt that he would be able to surpa.s.s the results of the preceding princ.i.p.als easily. However, in his current state… I fear that it won"t be that easy!"
"Indeed, it is unlikely for Zhang s.h.i.+ to do too well in this. I heard that our old princ.i.p.al didn"t do well in this formality either, achieving a recognition of only 22%," another student added.
Considering how the old princ.i.p.al had managed to tame the Byzantium Helios Beast and had been on the verge of a breakthrough to becoming a 7-star master teacher, there was little that had to be said about his talent and capability.
Yet, such an expert only received 22% of the preceding princ.i.p.al"s recognition. This went to show how difficult this formality was.
"Whether one would be able to receive the recognition of the preceding princ.i.p.als depended highly on one"s capability, character affinity, and luck. It will be difficult to display the full extent of one"s capability with just three sentences, but if Zhang s.h.i.+ pulls it off well, he might manage to achieve something unexpected. Otherwise, it will probably just be a close pa.s.s!" An elder shook his head upon hearing their conversation, when he suddenly pointed forward and said, "Look, Zhang s.h.i.+ is about to begin speaking!"
The crowd hurriedly turned their gazes to the stage and saw Zhang Xuan raising his gaze to face the wills of the 102 preceding princ.i.p.als!
It might seem as if the conversation with Zhao Bingxu and the conversation among the master teachers below the stage had occurred over a long period of time, but all in all, only ten breaths had pa.s.sed.
Seeing that the succeeding princ.i.p.al had prepared himself in such a short period of time, they couldn"t help but wait with bated breaths to hear what he had to say.
Zhao Bingxu also turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan as he stroked his beard.
He had already said all that had to be said. All that was left was to see how Zhang s.h.i.+ would create yet another miracle and overturn everyone"s view once more.
"My name is Zhang Xuan!" With a soft chuckle, Zhang Xuan first introduced himself.
Hearing those words, the wills of the preceding princ.i.p.als nodded in agreement.
It might seem as if he had wasted a sentence, but this was a display of his respect toward them and toward himself as well. It was polite and respectful, devoid of the usual arrogance that a complacent young man in his position would have.
On top of that, his composed disposition also highlighted the absolute confidence he had in himself. It seemed like the young princ.i.p.al was truly not simple!
Just as the wills of the preceding princ.i.p.als were still nodding in approval at Zhang Xuan"s first sentence, the latter suddenly scratched his head awkwardly and asked with his face reddened in embarra.s.sment, "That… As preceding princ.i.p.als of the Master Teacher Academy, I believe you are benevolent and magnanimous… Since that"s the case, won"t you allow me to pummel you?"
"He wants to pummel them?"
Everyone in the crowd, who had p.r.i.c.ked up their ears to listen intently to what that was being said, couldn"t help but fall into a state of disbelief.