Chapter 746: Zhang Xuan's Shortcomings

"Uh..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

It seemed the person before him had not given up on taking him as a junior fellow apprentice.

However, he really couldn't become his junior fellow apprentice. Not to mention other things, even if he agreed, wasn't Elder Mi still waiting in line over there?

"Since Teacher Yang is also a renowned teacher, a fellow traveler, there's no harm in meeting him, right?" Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard.

He truly wanted to meet this Yang Xuan, to see just how formidable a person could be to teach such an outstanding student.

"Well... my teacher has no fixed abode, and I don't know where he is. How about this: next time I see him, I will definitely convey the dean's intentions..."

After hesitating for a while, Zhang Xuan said.

What kind of trouble is this!

I just wanted to read books in peace, take the assessment, and then leave without taking a single cloud with me. But as it turns out... everywhere I go, people want to take me as a student or a junior fellow apprentice...

Is it that hard for me?

It seemed I still needed to have Teacher Yang make an appearance to assert some authority. Otherwise, if this kept up, with everyone running over to take me as a disciple or junior fellow apprentice, how could I focus on reading?

How could I keep a low profile?

"Alright, it's settled then!"

Zhao Bingxu smiled.

"Well, Dean Zhao, everyone, today I took the Six-Star Artifact Master assessment, which was very draining. I'd like to head back early to rest. I'll take my leave now!" Fearing that the other party would continue asking about Teacher Yang, leaving him unable to explain, Zhang Xuan bowed with clasped hands.

"That's right, you must be very tired! Go back and rest quickly!"

"Yes, forging six weapons in two hours must have been exhausting. Let's discuss anything else tomorrow!"

...

Hearing his words, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others suddenly remembered that this man had just forged six weapons consecutively and was physically and mentally exhausted. They all looked apologetic.

He was already this tired, and they were still pestering him about taking him as a disciple or meeting his teacher—it was truly impolite.

"Thank you!"

Seeing them agree, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Zhao Bingxu's voice sounded again: "Since you've just passed the assessment, you should be staying in the collective dormitory. Here, this is my personal token. Take it to the elite district and claim a courtyard. That way, it'll be more convenient for us to visit you in the future!"

Looking up, he saw Dean Zhao holding a token identical to the one Elder Mi had given him earlier.

In the dean's office, Yuan Hong had only mentioned that this guy had collapsed the record channel and such, but hadn't said anything about him having Elder Mi's token.

Even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. Zhao Bingxu was clearly trying to curry favor and win over this genius. If his token weren't less prestigious than those of the ten great elders, he would have given it out long ago.

"This..." Zhang Xuan blinked.

"Take it. My token is still somewhat useful. Go on, find a place in the elite district to stay!"

Zhao Bingxu nodded.

"Thank you, Dean Zhao!"

Seeing the other party insist, Zhang Xuan understood his intentions and had no choice but to accept it.

He had already refused to become his junior fellow apprentice; refusing again would be too rude.

The surrounding crowd, seeing him reluctantly accept the dean's token, all twitched their mouths, almost in tears.

For them, even meeting the dean was a rare privilege.

He came to see you in person, offered to take you as a junior fellow apprentice—you refused, and you didn't even want the token... What kind of freak is this?

Do you know how many people want to beat you to death with that reluctant expression of yours?

"Farewell!"

Taking the token, afraid the other party might make further unreasonable requests, Zhang Xuan turned and left without stopping. Before long, he disappeared from everyone's sight.

"What a pity..."

Watching him leave, Zhao Bingxu couldn't help but shake his head.

"What's a pity?" Yuan Hong looked puzzled.

"This Master Zhang is a true genius. Although he appears polite on the surface, he actually thinks highly of himself. Mundane things cannot win him over. It will be difficult to make such a person stay in the Artificer Academy wholeheartedly."

Zhao Bingxu sighed.

"Indeed."

Thinking about how he had even refused to become Dean Zhao's junior fellow apprentice... what could their academy offer to win him over?

There really was nothing that could tempt him!

"Alright, treat him well from now on. Don't offend him."

After giving his instructions, Zhao Bingxu waved his hand: "Yuan Hong, Xiong Bing, a few of you, come in with me. I'm very curious to see how he managed to forge six weapons in two hours!"

Forging six weapons in two hours, going from a One-Star Artificer to a Six-Star—even he couldn't do that. How did someone at the Bridge Heaven realm accomplish it?

"Yes!" Yuan Hong and the others all nodded.

They were also very curious.

The group pushed open the door and entered the Artifact Sea Passage.

As the dean, he had special privileges and could enter here even without using credits.

"View the forging footage from just now!"

Entering the passage, Zhao Bingxu smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Hum!

The Artifact Sea shook, and the scene of Zhang Xuan forging earlier appeared before them.

There was a special device here that could record previous scenes and replay them for study and learning.

Whoosh!

Under the gaze of the crowd, Zhang Xuan's image arrived at the first level. He lightly grabbed, took many ores and metals, and threw them all into the furnace fire. Then they melted together, and he quenched them.

"This..."

"No forging of the weapon blank, directly quenching?"

The crowd was stunned.

"Without forging the weapon blank, it eliminates the most complex step of weapon refining. A good method, indeed a good method!"

Zhao Bingxu's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "Why didn't I think of that?"

Among the three steps of weapon refining, the most complex was forging the weapon blank. By omitting this step, the speed of weapon refining was indeed very fast.

But... could the thing produced still be called a weapon?

After watching the quenching, they indeed saw Zhang Xuan take out an iron cake and place it on the testing table, and then... he smoothly passed.

"Just fusing metals, without a single forging, yet making it reach the Ghost level—impressive!"

Xiong Bing couldn't help nodding.

Weapons are said to undergo a thousand hammerings and a hundred refinements. Only through constant forging can the fused metals become more perfect, and the grade higher. To casually smelt and fuse, without even swinging a hammer once, yet have its grade reach the standard for an examiner—even they... couldn't do it!

"This requires not only a clear understanding of the melting points of various metals and ores, but also a thorough knowledge of their properties, when to fuse, and what reactions occur after fusion!"

"Yes, and not only that, but using true qi to control the furnace fire, smelting these metals, and making them melt simultaneously... shows control over several forces and a powerful soul!"

"To be in such close contact with the flame, even grabbing the scorching metal with his palm... how strong must his physical body be?"

"His movements are smooth and fluid, without any hesitation, indicating confidence and an exceptionally stable mindset!"

...

Continuing to look down, the more they watched, the more horrified they became.

Fusing metals, quenching without forging the weapon blank—they could easily do that too, but... whether they could pass was another matter.

To handle it as effortlessly as he did—let alone them, even the legendary Grandmaster of weapon refining, Wu Yangzi, might not have been able to do it.

Could this guy really have only received Wu Yangzi's inferior inheritance, rather than being Wu Yangzi's teacher?

Soon, they saw the assessment for a six-star weapon refiner.

With a light flick of his fingers, the clashing of various metals sounded like music. Zhang Xuan's wrists flipped, and a huge iron hammer appeared before him.

"This..."

"Is this really the weapon blank forged by a weapon refiner?"

Seeing the young man finally use the skill of forging a weapon blank, they expected it to be stunning and remarkable, just like before, evoking admiration. But they never dreamed... it was too damn ugly!

Are you sure this forged thing is an iron hammer, not an iron lump?

The crowd exchanged glances.

"It seems... this Master Zhang is good at everything, except... forging the weapon blank is somewhat unsatisfactory!"

After watching the entire assessment, Zhao Bingxu could no longer hold back and spoke.

"It's far from satisfactory... it's as if he's never learned!"

Yuan Hong also shook his head.

The way the other party forged the weapon blank was, to be honest, worse than an apprentice.

It could be said that any random apprentice would do a better job than this guy.

Fire control, smelting, quenching, handling... all were flawless, even surpassing them, so why couldn't he forge the weapon blank?

And this was supposed to be the simplest part of weapon refining...

"It's best that he hasn't learned; that way, we can openly teach him and build a connection!"

Zhao Bingxu laughed.

He had been worrying about how to curry favor with the other party and tie him firmly to the Weapon Refining Academy. Since he couldn't forge the weapon blank, he could personally step in and teach the technique.

"Exactly!"

The other vice deans also nodded.

It wasn't that they feared you had exceptional talent, but that you had no weaknesses. If there was something you didn't know, they could seize the opportunity to befriend you and build a relationship.

Once you truly learned from them, wouldn't you be willingly tied to the Weapon Refining Academy's chariot?

...

Returning to his residence in the elite district, Zhang Xuan finally felt his whole body go limp.

In two hours, he had gone from an apprentice assessment to a six-star weapon refiner. Although there was some cleverness involved, the consumption was enormous.

Not only his true qi, but his essence, energy, and spirit were all exhausted.

If his soul hadn't just broken through ten meters, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on.

"Breaking through ten meters with the soul seems to have changed the essence of the soul. I didn't look closely before; now let's see what's going on!"

Taking out a high-grade spirit stone, he absorbed it for a while longer until he was fully recovered. Then Zhang Xuan remembered something.

Earlier, while absorbing the power of the earth's core lava in the underground fire channel, his soul had successfully broken through the ten-meter shackle. At that time, he felt as if his soul had undergone some change, but the channel had collapsed, leaving no time to observe.

Now that he was back, it was just the right time to see what had happened.

Soul, physical body, and true qi were the guarantees of his strength; he must master them in advance and allow no accidents.

Activating the surrounding formations to block any prying eyes, Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged on the cushion and focused his mind.

Whoosh!

The witch soul left his body.

At this moment, the witch soul was as tall as a giant, standing in the room with its head reaching the ceiling.

"Inner vision!"

The Eye of Insight wriggled, probing into the soul's interior.

"What is this? This, this can't be..."

After one look, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze, and an exclamation of surprise slipped out.