This classroom that could fit 300 pax was now so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was staring at Zhou Wenbin, and some participants whose hearts were overcast with shadows wanted nothing more than for him to embarrass himself.
Sadly, they were destined to be disappointed.
The erudite Zhou Wenbin performed excellently.
When he got up the stage, he casually revealed three great teacher halos, casting them on the five examiners. His carefree and relaxed attitude indicated that he was proficient with their usages, and casting them was as simple as eating a meal to him.
“The range of this Encyclopedic Knowledge could actually envelop the entire classroom. Impressive!”
“His Model Teacher isn’t bad as well. It is clear that he would pay very close attention to his morality and conduct!”
“Also, Lingering Sound…Even many great teachers who had taught for a few years haven’t comprehended it.”
“Yeah, he might have started to give lectures and teach students secretly. If not, it should be impossible for him to comprehend this.”
The few examiners discussed in a low voice.
Firstly, it was because Zhou Wenbin truly had performed remarkably. He was the most outstanding one out of the 128 people who had taken this segment of the exam.
Secondly, it was his identity as the great grandson of Secondary Saint Zhou.
The examiners praised him with a few sentences publicly, helping him to boost his fame.
In any case, praise didn’t cost money, so why not?
Yet, Liu Fan had different thoughts when he heard these words.
Encyclopedic Knowledge was the symbol of a high-ranking great teacher, and this young man had grasped it so early. This was still considered quite normal. One must know that every high-ranking great teacher loved and excelled at learning. If not, how could they rise from the common crowd?
As for the second halo, Model Teacher, it could be considered a difficult-to-comprehend halo because the vast majority of great teachers didn’t have deep origins with ancestral teachings. They mostly originated from common families and would naturally be somewhat lacking in their bearing.
Regardless of people willing to admit it or not, the descendants from powerful clans had a very huge advantage in this aspect.
This Zhou Wenbin was the beloved great grandson of Secondary Saint Zhou and would frequently follow him around and listen to his lectures. Zhou Wenbin could also feel his great grandfather’s glory and would naturally have some gains.
To say this unpleasantly, the lectures conducted by truly impressive great teachers wouldn’t be affected regardless if they had the effect of the Model Teacher halo or not.
On the contrary, seeing that Zhou Wenbin had comprehended this halo at such a young age, it indicated that he loved face very much and his character was marked by vanity.
But then again, it was very normal for young people to have some minor problems!
As for the third halo, Lingering Sound, it could only be said to be barely satisfactory. It had no qualitative improvement with regard to giving lectures and was like adding flowers to a brocade.
Bluntly speaking, Liu Fan felt that these three halos weren’t applicable and they were very commonly seen.
Maybe these halos were impressive if great teachers from common backgrounds comprehended them.
However, if the beloved great grandson of a secondary saint only comprehended these three, it was honestly considered very lacking. In fact, if the main examiner was someone stricter, they wouldn’t pass him.
According to the rules, this segment for Zhou Wenbin should have ended. However, the 4-star great teacher at the side spoke out.
“Your name is Zhou Wenbin, correct? Are you the great grandson of Secondary Saint Zhou?”
The 4-star examiner smiled and looked at Zhou Wenbin with a doting manner. “I’m sure that your clan’s teaching is deep and profound. You shouldn’t have just comprehended three halos, right?”
“Why don’t you broaden everyone’s horizons? It can be considered a form of encouragement so everyone will know that there’s always someone better out there. Hence, they can aspire to work even harder to rise later.” A 3-star examiner smiled and added.
This was an opportunity to let Zhou Wenbin perform.
“How would I dare to defy the wishes of the teachers?”
Zhou Wenbin spoke politely and bowed to the two examiners. After that, he cast another great teacher halo.
Swish~
Firstly, a golden ball of light shot out from Zhou Wenbin, and when it flew to the center of the classroom, it floated toward the ceiling. After that, it transformed into the shape of a golden arrow that was preparing to fire.
“My heavens, it is actually Sudden Insight!”
“This is really impressive.”
“Calm down, he has a secondary saint teaching him personally. Do you have one? So, it’s best not to compare yourself with such a genius.”
The examinees discussed among themselves. Some students were very disappointed because Zhou Wenbin’s performance was too dazzling. But after they thought of his identity, they grew more at ease.
It was like an ordinary person comparing themselves to a person with a very wealthy father, or an ordinary person comparing their network with a popular online persona. Wasn’t it seeking suffering for themselves?
There was no way to win.
The 4-star great teacher was waiting for Zhou Wenbin to display another halo. But seeing that Zhou Wenbin had stopped, he understood that this was his limit. Hence, he hurriedly started praising.
“Excellent!”
This time around, even Liu Fan involuntarily nodded because Sudden Insight was a relatively practical halo.
It would aid people to have sudden flashes of insight after it was activated.
It was like when one was trying to solve a problem and couldn’t do so no matter how hard one contemplated, but a casual remark from someone at the side suddenly sparked a flash of insight. Or when playing chess, a single move abruptly reversed the game.
Being able to comprehend Sudden Insight proved that Zhou Wenbin had talent and was intelligent. He would also frequently help people and wanted to be successful, meaning that he possessed a better aptitude than his peers.
Zhou Wenbin bowed and acted with great politeness.
But in his heart, he felt somewhat complacent.
(I really want to look at Li Ziqi’s expression. She must have been stunned by my talent, right? Hmph, wanting to break the record? What a foolish fantasy!)
Actually, when Secondary Saint Zhou had heard that Sun Mo’s eldest disciple—the Great Tang Princess Li Ziqi whom he had rejected before—wanted to participate in the 1-star examination, he had only smiled calmly and wasn’t bothered by it.
But Zhou Wenbin who heard this was unhappy.
What could this count for?
Did they want to use this chance to smack the face of his great grandfather and prove that his great grandfather’s judgment was erroneous?
Secondary Saint Zhou might not care about this, but Zhou Wenbin cared.
From his point of view, someone despicable like them ought to be punished. Hence, he had hidden this from his family members and secretly registered to participate in the 1-star examination.
He wanted to win the championship and prove to the world how impressive he and his great grandfather were.
After all, he was taught by his great grandfather.
Naturally, if he could ‘snipe’ Li Ziqi or even defeat her personally, things would be even more perfect.
“Maybe Li Ziqi is innocent and has no intention of smacking my great grandfather’s face. She might have been purely forced by Sun Mo to do this to boost his fame. However, it doesn’t matter. As long as I feel you guys have a problem, you guys should just take the punishment.”
This was Zhou Wenbin’s way of doing things.
The lips of Huang Meibo, who was in her seat, curled with disdain. (Is that all? The beloved great grandson of a secondary saint is merely this!)
On the other side, Li Ziqi’s expression was calm, but joy filled her heart.
(Just this? I will win for sure then!)
All adults wanted face, let alone a young girl like Li Ziqi. If she didn’t value her self-esteem highly, she wouldn’t have tried to commit suicide at a lake back then.
After that, her complacent feeling vanished and became a deep sense of gratitude and worship.
Her teacher’s smile appeared in her mind.
(Without him, there wouldn’t be the current me! Wrong. I should feel fortunate that Secondary Saint Zhou didn’t accept me back then. If not, no matter how impressive I am, I wouldn’t have reached my current standard.)
“Next, Li Ziqi!”
Liu Fan called out. But after that, he furrowed his brows.
Someone in the upper-echelons must dislike Sun Mo, right? If not, why would they arrange Li Ziqi to be right after Zhou Wenbin?
They clearly wanted to display the disparity in their talent.
(Sun Mo, are you not very impressive? You allowed your student to participate in the 1-star exam? In that case, let’s get an even more impressive person to suppress your student!)
Usually speaking, in an examination, if the one before you was a genius with the best performance, you would surely feel immense pressure that might lead to you not being able to perform your best.
Zhou Wenbin, who originally was about to leave, stopped at the door when he heard this name.
A 3-star great teacher glanced at him.
(Should I chase him away or not?)
According to the rules of the exam venue, examinees should leave immediately once they had their turns. However, there would surely be some exceptions made because Zhou Wenbin was the beloved great grandson of a secondary saint. Besides, just observing the other examinees was fine. There was no way he could disturb them.
Hence, this examiner decided to pretend that he didn’t see this.
“What a beautiful girl!”
After looking at Li Ziqi’s appearance and sensing the aura of nobility she exuded, many young males on the scene immediately felt ashamed of their own inferiority.
(I won’t be able to get such a girl in my entire life.)
Once Li Ziqi stood on the stage, she lifted her hand and cast Retentive Memory!
A golden light illuminated the classroom, and everyone at the scene felt extremely refreshed and clear-minded. Their thinking seemed to be more lively as well.
“This…”
The examinees weren’t able to understand how fearsome this halo was, but the five examiners were all shocked.
(It’s actually Retentive Memory? And the proficiency level is so high at that?)
The few 3-star involuntarily glanced at Zhou Wenbin.
Retentive Memory was three levels higher compared to Encyclopedic Knowledge. It was publicly acknowledged to be the strongest halo that could aid in learning.
Zhou Wenbin’s eyes violently widened.
(So impressive? It’s fine! It’s fine! Don’t panic, don’t panic!)
When examinees went up, they would surely cast their strongest and most impressive halo. So, her next few halos wouldn’t be that outstanding anymore.
The second one…Gushing Thoughts!
Zhou Wenbin laughed. (As expected, my guess was not wrong.)
The examiners also heaved a sigh of relief. They were really afraid that this young girl might cast another halo on the same level as the first one. That would be too terrifying then.
Li Ziqi had a calm expression and lifted her hand to cast her third halo.
Swish~
Unrealized Dream enveloped the five examiners.
“Oh no, damn!”
Liu Fan was after all a 5-star great teacher. The moment Li Ziqi acted, his instincts told him that he wasn’t going to like it. And as expected, he lost consciousness at the next instant.
…
“Little Fan, let’s go and play together!”
A few fellows carrying bamboo poles and a net made from weaving willow branches called for the 6-year-old Liu Fan to play together.
“I’m not going, I want to study. My dream is to become the strongest great teacher in the world!”
When the little kids were busy catching fishes, Liu Fan had finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics!
When the little kids were catching fireflies and flying kites, Liu Fan had already cultivated to the Spirit Refinement Realm.
Time flowed by, but Liu Fan didn’t waste any time at all.
…
“You are already the best in your year, why do you still have to work so hard? Can’t you just take a walk in the streets with me?”
On the campus, his girlfriend questioned him.
“Just wait a little more. After I become the top of my school, I will accompany you!”
Liu Fan replied. This happened again and again and finally, one afternoon, he managed to create an excellent-grade alchemy pill according to an ancient recipe. But just when he wanted to share his joy with his girlfriend, he saw her leaning against another guy underneath a willow tree while exchanging words of love.
“I don’t need my husband to become famous throughout the world. I only want him to accompany me.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Fan was very anguished. He felt pain because of the departure of his girlfriend and also pain because she didn’t understand him. After that, he worked even harder in learning.
With no girlfriend anymore, if he couldn’t even become the top of the school, what meaning would there be in this life of his?
…
He got his wish and entered the Skyraise Academy, but because there were simply too many geniuses in his batch, he eventually decided to leave after working for three years there.
He came to the Golden Cherry Academy that headhunted him over.
In this place, the competition was much weaker. He just had to work slightly harder and he could become an important personnel in the school. Even when the headmaster spoke to him, the headmaster’s tone and attitude were always polite.
A life with safety, wine, and beauties.
It could be said that this was the life the vast majority of guys wanted. Liu Fan naturally got used to it too. (But…why does my heart feel so painful?)
(Eh? There seems to be someone crying?)
(Ah! So it’s me from my childhood.)
(I didn’t enjoy time with my friends, choosing to do my best in learning. Wasn’t all these because I wanted to become a saint? But what am I doing now?)
(Eh? There seemed to be someone else crying as well?)
(This voice… It’s my ex-girlfriend!)
…
(You gave up on our relationship because you wanted to be the best version of yourself. But what are you doing now? You are trash and indeed, my decision to leave you was the correct one!)
…
(I also didn’t want to be like this, but I truly cannot accomplish it. You have not seen how terrifying those true geniuses are. Ordinary people like us simply cannot compare to them. I initially thought I was very outstanding, but before them, even if I use all my life to chase, I won’t be able to catch up! This is a competition that I’m destined to lose. Since that’s the case, why do I have to suffer so much?)
Liu Fan roared.
His time as an intern teacher in the Skyraise Academy was the most painful memory in his entire life. He wanted to forget it even when he was dreaming.
(But why do I still have reluctance in my heart?!)
The childhood Liu Fan was roaring. The youth Liu Fan was roaring; even the intern Liu Fan was also roaring.
“Everything you are doing now is negating our dreams!”
“You are a coward that doesn’t dare to face up to things!”
“Who said before that he would die if he didn’t become a saint?”
“Was your vow eaten by the dogs?”
…
“No, never!”
Liu Fan howled and punched out with his fist. “All of you, scram for me. I’m only resting for a while. That’s right, I’m just resting for a little while. Tomorrow, no, right now, I will continue with my journey.”
(Yes, I still wish to fight. If I give up now, what’s the difference between this and death?)
Upon thinking of this, Liu Fan’s thoughts were clear. (No wonder… Although my days were relaxed for so many years, I wasn’t happy at all. So, the reason is this! My heart hasn’t died yet!)
BOOM!
When Liu Fan realized this, he regained his consciousness and saw the spirit qi in the surroundings frenziedly gushing toward him, gathering at his location.
(What’s going on?)
Liu Fan started, but soon after, he understood he was breaking through.
He lifted his head and as expected, he saw a huge spirit qi tornado that was currently infusing vast amounts of spirit qi into his body.
This was an examination. Logically speaking, he shouldn’t be breaking through, but Liu Fan was unable to suppress it. If he suppressed it, other than causing damage to his body, he wouldn’t know when his next opportunity to breakthrough would be.
After Liu Fan thought clearly about things, he cast a deep glance at Li Ziqi. He then focused his all and started to break through.
The other four examinees completely had no reaction because they were still mired in Unrealized Dream. The expressions on their faces alternated between sorrow and happiness unceasingly.
Zhou Wenbin, who was waiting by the door, had his mouth wide open as he was completely dumbstruck.
(T…this is Unrealized Dream, right? But how old is Li Ziqi merely? She actually comprehended such a rare great teacher halo?)
He didn’t want to believe this because this indicated that her talent was more outstanding than his. But this was the truth.
Zhou Wenbin’s knowledge told him that this was Unrealized Dream for sure!
Even his father didn’t know this!
