Chapter 943: The Frustrated War Masters Hall

His lectures, though they could make people improve quickly and surge in strength,

also depended on the cultivator's talent. Some were naturally slow at comprehending martial techniques; no matter how much was taught, it was futile.

Moreover... to help these hundred students rapidly increase their true qi and physical strength, he had spent a full five hundred high-grade spirit stones. The entire academy had a hundred thousand students... he couldn't produce five hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, nor could he set up such a massive spirit-gathering array.

Thus, no matter how much he taught, it was unrealistic to make all students in the academy war masters.

Besides, the War Masters Hall had annual recruitment quotas. Even if one's strength was sufficient, whether they could become a member wasn't up to him, but to this person not far away...

Thinking this, he couldn't help turning to look, wanting to hear Zhuo Qingfeng's opinion, only to see his face twitching wildly, full of resentment.

To be honest, at this moment, Zhuo Qingfeng felt he was about to die.

If this Dean Zhang really did this, it wouldn't be long before the entire War Masters Hall became a branch of Hongyuan Academy...

"Ahem, Dean Zhang, for our War Masters Hall, the more geniuses the better... but renowned masters are even more important. If all renowned masters became war masters, wouldn't Hongyuan Academy cease to exist in name?"

Suppressing the madness in his heart, Zhuo Qingfeng said through gritted teeth.

For the War Masters Hall, though more people were better... too many would strain resources, which was actually not a good thing.

For example, a country must have an army to guard it; more soldiers make the country more stable... but if the numbers are too large, the cost is too great to bear.

Everything has a balance; going too far is as bad as falling short.

Because of this, every time the War Masters Hall recruited, there was a quota.

If everyone became a war master, who would teach and educate? Who would impart knowledge?

If everyone only focused on killing and fighting, wouldn't the world fall into chaos?

"That's true..."

Zhang Xuan nodded, giving up the idea of making everyone a war master.

Having just taken over the Academy of Renowned Masters, to directly cause the students to disappear... indeed, it wasn't good.

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke: "How about this: later, I will give a lecture at the Xuanxuan Society, only for formal members. However, after the lecture, no one is allowed to take the war master assessment!"

He couldn't improve all the students in the academy, but he could help the Xuanxuan Society members progress.

After all, these people had followed him early on and were among the most loyal.

Reward must follow effort; balancing reward and punishment gives people motivation.

"Great!"

Hearing that the dean would truly lecture, the many members of the Xuanxuan Society nodded excitedly.

Even if they couldn't take the war master assessment, as long as their strength skyrocketed, it would be a huge gain.

"Alright, this War Masters Hall selection is over!"

Zhuo Qingfeng waved his hand: "Three days later, a few cultivators who are not renowned masters wish to take the war master assessment. It will be held here, and I hope you all can come to watch!"

"Non-renowned master cultivators taking the assessment?"

"Who?"

"I don't know either..."

Everyone found it strange.

Zhang Xuan was also curious and couldn't help asking: "What kind of genius, not even a renowned master, wants to take the war master assessment?"

"Ahem!" Hearing his question, Zhuo Qingfeng choked on saliva: "It's... Dean Zhang's direct disciple!"

"My direct disciple? You mean Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others? How do you know them?" Zhang Xuan was startled.

Zheng Yang had come yesterday to challenge the war masters, but Zhang Xuan was lecturing and didn't know.

"It's... yesterday, your student named Zheng Yang came to challenge us... none of us at the same level were a match, even I lost..."

Zhuo Qingfeng was very embarrassed.

"That kid... what a troublemaker!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

No wonder this morning, the war masters all seemed listless and dispirited. Coming over to crush people like that would naturally make them feel overwhelmed.

This Zheng Yang was indeed quite the troublemaker.

"You don't need to be troubled. Zheng Yang is my direct disciple; I've taught him for almost a year. He started at the Gathering Qi stage and has gone through a lot along the way... It's normal that you couldn't beat him!"

Seeing them dejected, Zhang Xuan couldn't help comforting them.

But the comfort only made everyone's faces darken further.

Taught for less than a year, from Gathering Qi to Silkworm Seal realm, crossing over a dozen major levels... and capable of fighting above his level...

How did it feel that not comforting was better, and after comfort, their hearts were even more stifled?

Besides, what did he mean by 'normal that you couldn't beat him'?

We are war masters... the strongest combatants among renowned masters...

"Enough talk, I need to take them for training!"

Feeling suffocated, Zhuo Qingfeng knew that continuing to talk with this guy would eventually choke him to death. He stood up and took his leave.

There is a kind of genius that leaves you speechless. Though not intentional, every word stabs at the heart... This guy was probably that kind.

His eyes were sincere, his words honest, but... why did they sound like constant slaps in the face?

We are geniuses too...

Seeing him leave, the war masters followed, and soon they were all gone.

The three deans also felt stifled, knowing that staying would only bring more embarrassment. They made excuses and hurried away. If not for watching the selection three days later, they would probably have immediately set off on the Cloud Cliff Flying Boat and disappeared from everyone's sight.

After everyone left, Zhang Xuan shook his head and headed toward the Xuanxuan Society headquarters.

When he arrived, it was already packed; almost all Xuanxuan Society members were present.

The lecture was similar to what he had given others, but without using Teacher's Word of Heaven's Gift, the effect was much poorer, and no one could break through on the spot.

Even so, the effect was still good. All members greatly increased their understanding of martial techniques and combat skills, and learned new methods for body refinement and true qi tempering. They were all excited.

He lectured for a full five hours. When it got dark again, he rested a while, then found Elder Mi and gave instructions.

"Prepare; take me to the Dean's Mausoleum!"

Since the three deans and the War Masters Hall people were all avoiding him, he didn't need to entertain them, saving a lot of trouble.

So it was a good time to visit the Dean's Mausoleum. Inside, a Thunder Sound Stone left by Patriarch Mu Kai could help him break through from Half-Saint to Saint.

Now that he had reached the peak of Half-Saint, it was time to find this item and break through.

"I anticipated that the dean would go, so as soon as news of your passing the six-star renowned master assessment came, I applied to headquarters for a soul-splitting treasure. It arrived a few days ago..."

Elder Mi nodded with a smile.

Previously, he couldn't enter because he wasn't a six-star renowned master and couldn't apply for a soul-splitting treasure. Entering would require leaving a thought, which would greatly damage the soul.

Now that he had passed the six-star renowned master assessment and the treasure was applied for, naturally he would take him to see it.

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The two headed toward the Dean's Mausoleum. As they arrived, Zhao Bingxu came over and handed over the soul-splitting treasure applied from headquarters.

"It's a Green Soul Bell. Holding it in your palm, it will automatically nourish the soul, allowing it to split off a thought that can be preserved."

Zhao Bingxu explained.

Zhang Xuan looked. It was a small round bell, not much bigger than his fist. As he held it in his palm, a warm current flowed into his sea of consciousness, continuously strengthening his soul.

"Indeed a good item..."

His eyes lit up.

For someone cultivating the witch soul, splitting the soul was not difficult, but for ordinary people it was troublesome. He had wondered before how so many deans of the academy had left their thoughts; it turned out there was such a treasure.

Nourish the soul, then separate a part, using this item as a carrier, it could last for tens of thousands of years without dissipating.

After all, it was only preservation, not survival, so the effects of the Five Declines of the Soul would not be great.

"Dean, just hold the Dean's Token to open the gate and enter directly. We don't have the qualifications to accompany you inside..."

Elder Mi and the other smiled.

"Mm." Nodding, Zhang Xuan looked at the Dean's Mausoleum before him.

It was still within the Elder's Courtyard, built against the mountain, with various massive concealment arrays covering the entire tomb, even making the mountain peak seem to disappear. If the two elders hadn't brought him, he wouldn't have noticed it.

It seemed that this resting place of successive deans was even more important than the library in the Academy of Renowned Masters.

With a flick of his wrist, he took the Dean's Token in hand and gently shone it forward. A crack immediately appeared in the array, and he stepped inside.

Whoosh!

The next moment, with a shake, he found himself in a lush green forest.

The mountain was not high, more like a hill, completely different from the outside. Walking along a path paved with bluestone, Zhang Xuan took a few steps and saw a huge stone tablet blocking the way.

It was seventy or eighty meters tall and over twenty meters wide, carved from some unknown material, exuding a majestic and ancient aura, giving a sense of traversing history.

"Could this be the mausoleum stele?" Zhang Xuan wondered.

Earlier, Elder Mi had said that entering the Dean's Mausoleum required leaving a thought on the mausoleum stele. Now that such a huge stele appeared, it should be this thing.

Walking around the stele, he indeed felt a strong soul force within, as if countless thoughts were coiled inside, giving a feeling of heaviness like a mountain pressing down on the earth.

"It seems this is indeed the mausoleum stele..."

Zhang Xuan nodded: "First, I'll find Patriarch Mu Kai's tomb, get the Thunder Sound Stone, and then split my soul into it."

The purpose of coming here was to find the Thunder Sound Stone; splitting the soul could be done when leaving, since he had just refined the Green Soul Bell and couldn't yet split his soul.

Bypassing the stele, he slowly walked inward along the stone path.

The entire Dean's Mausoleum was quiet and solemn, giving a sense of oppression. Knowing this was the academy's forbidden ground, Zhang Xuan didn't linger and quickened his pace.

Before long, a tomb appeared not far away, with a line of text coming into view—Tomb of the 103rd Dean of the Academy of Renowned Masters!

"The 103rd, isn't that the old dean? He went missing and never came here, right? How is his tomb here?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned.