Chapter 396: Recognition of the Forebears

This was Master Kong!

The founder of the Hall of Masters, the extraordinary figure who established the ranking system for masters.

Becoming his disciple would not only reveal the solution to the congenital fetal poison but, more importantly, provide a powerful backing.

For such an eminent person taking on a student, he would surely give at least eight or ten thousand spirit stones as a meeting gift; otherwise, wouldn't that be beneath his status as the teacher of the world?

If I had known you were Master Kong, why pretend? I would have agreed immediately without a second word...

Zhang Xuan felt his intestines twist with regret.

Master Kong wanted to take him as a disciple, and he refused—was there anyone in the world more foolish than him?

Had he known in advance, he would have flipped through books to see the portrait, to recognize who this old man was, and not made such a stupid decision...

Master Zhang, Master Kong has been dead for who knows how many years. This is just his statue, without consciousness...

Seeing the man acting as if mad, Master Su hurried forward.

Master Kong disappeared from the continent ages ago. What remains on the statue is merely a trace of residual will. Even if you wail and cry here, or smash the statue to pieces, it's useless!

And 'take you as a disciple'? Take what?

Do you think it's so easy to enter Master Kong's school?

Then it wasn't him?

Unlike Master Su, Hall Master Jiang and Elder Zhu exchanged glances, also full of doubt.

That morning, the Heavenly Recognition of a master and Master Kong taking a disciple—they had all witnessed it.

And now, that disciple had refused on the spot...

Earlier they wondered if it was this Master Zhang Xuan, but now it didn't seem so!

Look at his face full of longing and anticipation—how could he have refused such a good opportunity?

Of course, if Zhang Xuan knew what they were thinking, he would surely weep: You think I wanted to? I simply didn't recognize the guy, alright...

No consciousness? Fine!

Looking up at the statue before him, indeed motionless, with no more fluctuation of will, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head helplessly.

He stealthily reached out a finger.

Whoosh!

A book appeared in his mind: "Statue produced in Luohai City, left by a Nine-Stroke Artisan, made from deep-sea clay fired for forty-nine days, indestructible for a millennium; flaws: ..."

Pfft!

His body swayed.

No need to think further—it was indeed a sculpture.

What a pity to waste the chance to enter Master Kong's school...

Just like that!

Let's begin!

Seeing that the genius Master Zhang had finally returned to normal, Master Su waved his hand.

Mm!

Hall Master Jiang stepped forward: "Although you have passed the assessment and been awarded the master emblem, to gain recognition from other masters, you must still receive the approval of the Seal Master Hall!"

"Once successful, you will be rewarded with a special aura. Even without wearing the emblem, releasing this aura will allow outsiders to recognize your identity."

Master Su and Master Ling had not shown their emblems earlier, merely stating their names, yet Hall Master Jiang believed them without doubt—precisely because they possessed this special aura, allowing other masters to recognize them at a glance.

Successful? Does that mean some people fail to gain recognition? Zhang Xuan looked over.

Of course! The so-called recognition refers to acknowledgment by the forebears. Here are the spirit tablets of countless forebears, each bearing a trace of will they left behind. Though unable to take form or possess self-awareness, they can discern whether one truly has the aptitude to become a master!

Hall Master Jiang pointed ahead with a smile: "You only need to kneel here. If someone acknowledges you, their tablet will fall, granting you recognition and a strand of aura. The more recognition you receive, the more aura you gain, indicating boundless future prospects and the ability to reach higher realms."

I see!

Zhang Xuan understood.

He had directly taken the assessment for a two-star master and had never been here before, so he was unaware of many things. In contrast, Mo Hongyi knew a great deal and showed little surprise.

Then, what about those who aren't recognized? Will their master qualification be revoked?

If there are those who are recognized, there must be those who aren't. What happens to them?

Surely they wouldn't revoke someone's qualification just because some spirit tablets don't acknowledge them, after all the hard work they put into passing the assessment?

No! Hall Master Jiang shook his head: "In fact, failing to gain recognition is quite normal. The owners of these tablets were all great figures in their lifetimes; only those who catch their eye will be acknowledged. Typically, for one-star masters, the success rate is less than one percent. For two-star masters, it's only about ten percent!"

Ten percent? The crowd gasped.

To be honest, this probability was extremely low.

"For three-star masters, it's twenty percent; four-star, forty percent; five-star, seventy percent. Only six-star masters can achieve a hundred percent recognition rate, though how many tablets fall varies."

Hall Master Jiang nodded.

Although their guild had no masters above two-star, these were basic knowledge. As hall master, he knew them well and could speak without needing to consult others.

This... Zhang Xuan now understood the difficulty.

A six-star master, no matter where, was undoubtedly a super powerhouse, renowned across the land. Such a person could, with a stomp of their foot, cause the Ten Nations Alliance to collapse.

Only at such a level could one guarantee a hundred percent recognition, illustrating the difficulty.

"Recognition by the Seal Master Hall is merely an honor. The more people recognize you, the greater your future achievements and talent. The most famous genius in the Ten Nations Alliance, Jiang Zijie, passed the four-star master assessment before the age of thirty, becoming a legend. When he was a two-star master, he gained recognition from seven tablets!"

Master Su looked over and smiled.

The top genius of Tianwu Kingdom was Mo Hongyi, while this Jiang Zijie was the foremost in the Ten Nations Alliance.

Passed the four-star master assessment before thirty? Zhang Xuan was astonished.

Most masters he knew were in their seventies or eighties, quite old. To achieve four-star before thirty was indeed terrifying talent.

The so-called genius Mo Hongyi paled in comparison.

After all, the higher the master rank, the harder the assessment, and the greater the requirement for mental calibration. Many seemingly talented masters found three-star a major hurdle, insurmountable for a lifetime.

According to the guild headquarters' major classification, one to three stars were junior masters; four to six stars, intermediate masters; seven to nine stars, senior masters.

Between three-star and four-star lay a vast gap, akin to the difference between Tongxuan and Grandmaster, not something ordinary people could overcome.

"Don't feel pressured. It's best to gain recognition, but if not, it's not a big deal. Our Hall of Masters hasn't seen anyone succeed in three hundred years. I just hope that during my tenure as hall master, we can have one case, so I'll have something to boast about when I go to other halls!"

Hall Master Jiang said with a bitter smile.

Mm! Zhang Xuan nodded.

So it wasn't mandatory to gain recognition; it was optional.

Indeed, masters have different tastes. Sometimes you admire them, but they may not admire you. Besides, the owners of these tablets have long passed away; they're just a wisp of will. Not being recognized is no big deal.

Master Mo, you go first!

After explaining, Hall Master Jiang waved his hand.

Alright!

Mo Hongyi nodded, his expression solemn.

When he was a one-star master, he hadn't gained recognition. Now that he had passed the two-star assessment, he wanted to see if he had a chance.

If successful, he would immediately become renowned and leave a legacy.

At least, he wouldn't be overshadowed by Zhang Xuan.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward to the central cushion and knelt down.

"Junior Mo Hongyi pays respects to all forebears, beseeching recognition!"

His voice clear, he finished speaking and pressed his body to the ground.

How is it?

Zhang Xuan quickly looked over, and the other masters, even Master Su and Master Ling, couldn't help but watch.

Mo Hongyi, the most famous genius in Tianwu Kingdom in a millennium, had passed the two-star assessment at a young age.

If not for the freak Zhang Xuan, he would be renowned even in Xuanxuan Kingdom. If someone like him couldn't gain recognition, then the Seal Master Hall's approval was indeed too difficult.

No one dared speak; the entire room was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Crack!

After an unknown time, just as everyone thought there might be no hope, a spirit tablet wobbled and fell.

Rumble!

Immediately, a faint green aura flew straight out from the hall and enveloped Mo Hongyi.

This is... the special aura from Heavenly Recognition?

Seeing this aura, Zhang Xuan was startled.

During his Heavenly Recognition, he had been wrapped in a special aura, which rapidly improved his mental calibration.

Unexpectedly, the Seal Master Hall's recognition had the same effect.

No wonder it was said that after Heavenly Recognition, even without the emblem, other masters would acknowledge you—the so-called recognition aura was exactly this.

So thin...

Confirming this, Zhang Xuan couldn't help shaking his head.

During his Heavenly Recognition, the aura was like a pillar of smoke, thick and massive, while this one was only a finger-thin strand, pitifully slight.

A river compared to a stream—they were not on the same level.

Whoosh!

After a few breaths, the aura was absorbed, and Mo Hongyi's face lit up with joy as he stood up.

He could hardly contain his excitement.

Although only one tablet had fallen, it meant he had gained recognition from a forebear, breaking Tianwu Kingdom's centuries-long record of no success!

Impressive!

Truly worthy of being our kingdom's former top genius!

The first to gain recognition in over three hundred years—good, good! That old Zhao Xiao won't be able to boast anymore...

Seeing this, Hall Master Jiang, Elder Zhu, and the others couldn't help shouting with excitement.

The kingdom had assessed many masters, but this was the first time they had witnessed someone succeed in person. Their excitement was understandable.

Not bad. To gain recognition from a forebear as a two-star master shows limitless talent. Even I only gained recognition as a three-star master! Master Su nodded approvingly.

Indeed, you gaining recognition as a three-star master was already good. I only had a tablet fall when I became a four-star master... It seems this Master Mo's talent is truly extraordinary!

Master Ling also smiled.

Neither Master Su nor Master Ling had gained recognition as two-star masters, showing the difficulty.

Alright, Master Mo has gained recognition. Master Zhang, it's your turn!

After the shock, Hall Master Jiang spoke.

Everyone's gaze converged on him.