Library of Heaven’s Path

Usually in the four-hour timeframe in the Ocean of Weapons, one would only be able to raise one’s rank up by a single star. Yet, in a single seating, six emblems had been distributed by the Ocean of Weapons!

This meant that… in a single breath, he cleared the examination from 1-star all the way to 6-star, and it was all a success!

For a freshman with a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation to actually clear the 6-star blacksmith examination…

Everyone couldn’t help but tremble out of sheer agitation and shock.

This was especially so for the female receptionist, Li Xuan. Her eyes rolled up, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

Through her conversation with him, she could tell that he possessed minimal knowledge of the Blacksmith School at best. And yet, such a person actually cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination…

She actually got impatient with a person who possessed the capability of a 6-star blacksmith! As such a thought flashed through her mind, she began shaking in fear. If there was a hole in the ground at this moment, she would dive in without any hesitation.

On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the other vice school heads also nearly blacked out.

To forge six weapons within four hours to progress from a mere apprentice to a 6-star blacksmith… Was he still a human?

”School head, do you think that… you would be able to do it as well?” Yuan Hong couldn’t help but ask with his quivering lips.

School Head Zhao boasted the greatest capability in smithing among them, and it was by a wide margin at that.

If there was any one of them who could match that achievement, it would only be School Head Zhao.

”I…” After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu eventually shook his head, ”I couldn’t do it either!”

Despite his superior smithing speed, it was impossible for him to complete six weapons within six hours.

In truth, the smithing of lower grade weapons didn’t necessarily take less time than higher quality weapons.

It was true that lower quality materials were easier to process, making the synthesis phase much easier. However, the forging phase was still likely to be extremely time-consuming. While the material would be easier to shape, special care had to be taken in order to ensure that the weapon didn’t snap or deform. As such, the forging of the weapon still had to be done step by step.

In such a case, his incredible strength as a Saint didn’t provide him much of an advantage.

If he were to start from 1-star, 3-star would probably be his limit. Yet, that fellow actually reached 6-star in a single breath…

Was this feat still humanly possible?

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yuan Hong asked hesitantly, ”Then… the matter regarding accepting him as your disciple…”

”That…” A crimson tinge swiftly enveloped Zhao Bingxu’s face as he found himself at a loss for words.

He was still thinking a moment ago that he would accept the other party as his student and impart the essence of his comprehension of smithing to him, thus creating a beautiful legend for the Blacksmith School.

But… if that fellow was able to accomplish what he wasn’t able to, he would only be humiliating himself if he were to ask the other party to be his student!

Ji ya!

While the both of them were stuck in a dilemma and the others were frozen in shock, the Ocean of Weapons’ doors abruptly opened, and the silhouette of a young man came into sight.

At this moment, fatigue was written all over Zhang Xuan’s face, and his movements were sluggish.

Even though he had recovered some of his strength inside through absorbing the spiritual energy in the high-tier spirit stone, he had still overexerted himself in the 6-star blacksmith examination.

Ultimately, his current cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Even with the enhancement from Heaven’s Path zhenqi and Heaven’s Path Golden Body, he was still pushed to his very limits. Thus, after clearing the examination, he had to rest for a moment before he could muster the strength to stand up and leave.

Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had cleared the examination!

At the current moment, he was already a quasi 6-star blacksmith!

(In the Upper Nine Paths occupations, unless special exceptions are given from the headquarters, as long as one’s cultivation has yet to reach the required level, it could only be considered as a quasi-rank.)

”Zhang shi…” Yuan Hong walked over with admiration evident on his face.

If he was still a little conflicted a moment ago due to the destruction of the various amenities, at this moment, he finally realized how wise the school head’s decision was.

To be able to pass the 6-star blacksmith examination with just a cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm, such talent had never been seen in the Blacksmith School’s thousands of years of history!

Given sufficient time, he would surely become yet another Wu Yangzi of Hongyuan Empire!

With such a figure in the Blacksmith School, the reputation of the school would soar, and more talents would opt to join their ranks as well.

”Here is your emblem!” Yuan Hong stepped forward and passed Zhang Xuan his quasi 6-star emblem.

”Thank you!” Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan nodded.

At this moment, another elder with a bright smile on his face stepped forward.

”Zhang shi, I am Zhao Bingxu!”

”Zhao Bingxu?” Zhang Xuan glanced at Yuan Hong doubtfully.

This name sounded extremely foreign to him. He didn’t know anyone who went by such a name.

Looking at the puzzled expression on Zhang Xuan’s face, the master teachers in the area staggered.

’You came to the Blacksmith School to challenge its examinations, but you don’t know who the school head is? That’s really enough of you!’

Li Xuan could also feel tears pouring down her face.

She’d thought that Zhang Xuan was only ignorant of the rules of the academy, but it turned out that… he was ignorant of everything!

Yet, it was such an ignorant person who cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination, bringing the school head and vice school heads here just to meet him personally. On the other hand, she could only serve as a humble receptionist in the Blacksmith School…

Truly, how could the difference between two humans be so great?

Knowing that the young man before him truly didn’t know of the Zhao Bingxu’s identity, Yuan Hong hurriedly explained, ”Zhao shi is the head of the Blacksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers…”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted him.

”Zhang Xuan pays respect to School Head Zhao!”

While he had successfully cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination, there was still a huge gap between him and the head of the Blacksmith School and a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers.

”It’s okay, there’s no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi. It is heartening to see a man as young as you clear the 6-star blacksmith examination!” Seeing the young man retaining his humility despite his astounding achievement, Zhao Bingxu nodded in commendation.

”Thank you for your polite words, I was just lucky…” Zhang Xuan quickly replied.

With his current cultivation, it was extremely difficult for him to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon. If not for a fair bit of luck here and there, he would still be a 5-star blacksmith at this moment.

”Luck favors the diligent and capable. It is rare to see a person who can still remain level-headed in the face of success. I can see why Luo Qiqi and the others are in awe of you,” Zhao Bingxu said as he stroked his beard. He was getting more and more fond of the young man before him.

Too many times he had seen young geniuses with their heads in the skies due to just a few accomplishments here and there. On the other hand, the young man didn’t allow his success to go to his head. It seemed like his smithing ability wasn’t just the only aspect of him that was admirable; his mental fortitude was incredible as well.

If he could accept such a genius as his disciple, his reputation would surely soar!

However… considering that the other party’s skills were not beneath his, it would be unlikely for the other party to accept it.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu smiled and said, ”Zhang shi, your talent in smithing is unmatched by any in the younger generation! However, if you wish to reach greater heights, you must have someone to guide and correct you… With my shallow grasp of smithing, I dare not ask you to become my student. However, if you wish, in the stead of my teacher, I hope to accept you as his student!”

”Accept me as your teacher’s student?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

”That’s right. My teacher is a 7-star master teacher in Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and he possesses great prestige there. I’m sure he would be more than glad to have a talented blacksmith like you as his student!” Zhao Bingxu replied.

”School Head Zhao will accept that fellow as his teacher’s student in place of his teacher?”

”If that were to happen, does that mean that Zhang shi would be School Head Zhao’s junior?”

”This…”

”To become the junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, the student of a 7-star blacksmith… Regardless of which title it is, there will be no one who will dare to stand in his way in the academy!”

”This is amazing…”

…

Hearing the conversation between the duo, an uproar broke out amidst the master teachers in the area.

Even Yuan Hong had nearly fell to the ground from shock.

He already found it shocking to hear of School Head Zhao’s intentions to take Zhang shi in as his student, but for him to become his junior instead… This was madness!

If Zhang shi were to accept that offer, wouldn’t that mean that he would be a peer to them?

For a Grade 1 student who hadn’t even received his student token yet to become the school head’s junior…

Yuan Hong, Xiong Bing, and the others glanced at one another with bulging eyes.

But as insane as this matter sounded, Zhang shi had already shown that he was qualified for that.

To advance from an apprentice to 6-star in a single breath… This had never ever been done before, and this record would likely remain unbroken for ages to come!

Perhaps the unfathomable Sage Clans in the Conferred Empires might be capable of such a feat, but one thing was for sure, this feat was beyond everyone in the Master Teacher Academy.

”This…” Not expecting that there would be another person who would attempt to take him in as his student once more in the same day, this time in the stead of his teacher, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply for a moment before shaking his head. ”I am truly apologetic, but I already have a teacher named Yang Xuan. For the time being, I don’t intend to acknowledge any teachers.”

If Zhang Xuan were to accept the other party’s offer, he might find several restrictions imposed on him. At the same time, he could easily accumulate any required knowledge by reading through books. There was no need for him to learn from another.

”He rejected the offer?”

”That was an opportunity to become School Head Zhao’s junior!”

”The world has gone mad, truly mad! An opportunity to become the student of the school head is something that countless have dreamed of, and yet he rejected an offer to become his junior… Slap me, I want to see if I am dreaming!”

”Rejecting an offer to become a student of a 7-star master teacher, what else does he want?”

…

Everyone became petrified upon hearing that rejection.

Countless here had laughed heartily when granted the opportunity of becoming School Head Zhao’s student, only to wake up and realize in dejection that it was just a dream.

Yet, that fellow wasn’t even willing to become School Head Zhao’s junior…

’Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens?!’

At this moment, Luo Yan’s body was trembling in agitation, and he nearly fell to the ground weakly.

He had sneaked out from his quarters, and it was only after seeing this scene that he realized why his teacher’s attitude would change so abruptly.

A junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers… Just this title itself was deserving of Yuan Hong’s respect.

But what that left him tugging his hair in frenzy was that… that fellow rejected that offer!

Screw that!

’Big brother, let’s negotiate about this matter. Why don’t we switch places… or rather, it’s fine if I can become your disciple too!’

”You… aren’t willing?” Zhao Bingxu was stupefied as well.

He had already gone this far, accepting that fellow as his teacher’s disciple out of fear that he wouldn’t be willing to become his student, but who could have known that he would be disagreeable to that as well!

’Don’t you know that a formidable teacher means strong backing as well? Do you understand the kind of privileges and authority you will gain the academy due to that?’

”School Head Zhao, thank you for your high appraisal of me!” Zhang Xuan bowed. He had an indifferent expression on his face, but the truth was that his heart was bleeding at this moment.

He had already crafted Yang shi as an unparalleled expert of the world. After all that had been said and done, he had little choice but to go on with his lie.

If he were to take another as his teacher so easily, what would that say about Yang shi?

How could he convince others that Yang shi was at least an 8-star master teacher when his direct disciple would take even a 7-star master teacher as his teacher?

Argh, he would have no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit he had sowed!

”I guess I was being a little too hasty…” Seeing the other party’s determined attitude, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply. ”Pardon me for my ignorance, but may I know who Yang shi is?”

Since Zhang shi could even reject the opportunity to become a student of a 7-star master teacher, it could only mean to say that Yang shi was a formidable master teacher himself… But if that was the case, why hadn’t he heard of the other party before?

”My teacher seeks a carefree life wandering the lands, not wanting to be tied down by fame. As such, there are very few who know of his name!” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

After a moment of pondering, Zhao Bingxu clasped his fist.

”I am interested in paying respect to the master teacher who is capable of grooming such an outstanding student. May I trouble Zhang shi to extend my regards to him?”

”You wish to meet my teacher?” Zhang Xuan froze.

”Indeed. You are an incredible genius, and I think that it’s a pity if we simply leave your talent for smithing be. It’s normal for a master teacher to have several teachers in his lifetime, and even Kong shi himself acknowledged quite a few people as his teacher—Tan shi, Li shi… Thus, I wish to meet Yang shi and discuss this matter with him. If we just impart the art of smithing to you, there shouldn’t be a conflict of interest!” Zhao Bingxu said.