Chapter 1137: Zhang Xuan’s True Aptitude
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Noticing Zhang Xuan’s confused look, Guild Leader Ruan explained, “Elder Wei happens to be in the vicinity of Qingyuan City, so she was dispatched here.”
Just like most other guilds, the headquarters of the Spirit Awakener Guild were located far away from the Qingyuan Empire. Even Saint 5-dan aerial beasts would have to fly for many days before they reached Qingyuan City. It was only due to Elder Wei being in the vicinity that she was able to make it there within three days.
After explaining the situation to Zhang Xuan, Guild Leader Ruan turned to Elder Wei and said, “Elder Wei, this is the genius whom I told you about earlier, Principal Zhang. The talent he possesses in spirit enchantment is unlike any I have ever seen or heard of!”
“Un.” Elder Wei nodded. Turning to Zhang Xuan, she said, “Guild Leader Ruan has already told me about you. Within just a few hours, from knowing nothing at all about spirit enchantment, you successfully enchanted the guild building just by browsing through books. Your aptitude for spirit enchantment is truly frightening!”
“You’re too polite.” Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hand before asking with a perplexed frown, “May I know the reason behind Elder Wei’s visit?”
“Principal Zhang is indeed a candid person. I am not the type that likes to beat around the bush either, so I’ll get straight to the point. Our Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters regard you extremely highly, and we wish to extend our invitation to you to train at our headquarters,” Elder Wei said.
For a person of her cultivation realm, there was no need for her to dawdle with pleasantries.
“Train at your headquarters?” Zhang Xuan was slightly startled for a moment before shaking his head. “I believe that Guild Leader Ruan must have told you that I am a master teacher as well. For me, spirit awakener is more of a side occupation, so I don’t think I will be devoting too much to furthering my skills in it.”
If he did not manage to become a 9-star master teacher before he reached thirty, his life would be forfeited. Spirit awakener was a wonderful occupation, but he could not afford to allow his attention to wander at this moment.
Furthermore, while it was true that he could advance his cultivation swiftly by tapping into the resources in the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was a catch to it. If he received benefits from the Spirit Awakener Guild, he would have a responsibility to it as well. Give and take, this was how the world worked. The Spirit Awakener Guild would never allow him to shirk off his responsibilities to it after investing resources in him.
It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan had chosen to slowly advance with his own strength. He didn’t want to owe too big of a favor to anyone and end up slowing his advancement as a master teacher and a cultivator.
“You can resign from being a master teacher.” Elder Wei looked at Zhang Xuan intently. Her face was impassive, but the sharp glint in her eyes revealed the deep confidence that she had. “With the heritage and resources available at our headquarters, as long as someone of your aptitude works diligently, I am confident that you will one day gain control of the Spirit Awakener Mountain and become the Spirit Awakener Sovereign! At such a level, even 9-star master teachers will have to treat you with the utmost respect. Isn’t that much better than slowly fumbling your way up as a master teacher?”
As spirit awakening was a support-based occupation, it was inevitable that its fighting prowess was beneath that of the other guilds. However, if one could reach the very top, the potential it wielded was immense.
If the young man before her could gain control over their sacred lands and become the Spirit Awakener Sovereign, what was there to be feared of 9-star master teachers?
“I won’t resign as a master teacher,” Zhang Xuan replied resolutely. “That is the primary pursuit of my life. I am interested in learning spirit enchantment as well, but ultimately, it’s only a supporting occupation to me.”
He might have only chosen to become a master teacher out of convenience at the start, but at this point, it had become a lot more than that. Even without his Innate Fetal Poison, he would not have been willing to abandon his identity as a master teacher to become a spirit awakener.
Elder Wei frowned. “There’s no need to answer me so quickly; I’ll give you a few days to think your decision through. This is a rare opportunity for you to soar to the top. Such a chance won’t come again.”
If it had been anyone else in the young man’s stead, he would have surely leaped at her offer. After all, the Spirit Awakener Guild was still one of the more influential powers in the Master Teacher Continent.
It might not be up to par with behemoths like the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Combat Master Hall, but ordinary guilds couldn’t hope to compare to it.
Yet, to flatly reject the offer like that…
“I am thankful for your offer, but my mind is set. There’s no need for me to contemplate any further,” Zhang Xuan replied with a polite smile.
He could take spirit awakener as his supporting occupation, but there was no way he was going to abandon his main occupation for it.
However, it would be disrespectful to the Spirit Awakener Guild, and there was no way Elder Wei was going to accept that for an answer.
After all, that would effectively mean that they were devoting their resources to groom a master teacher for the Master Teacher Pavilion!
“Even though master teachers are the number one occupation of the continent, the resources to go around are severely limited, and rivalry over them is strife. Reaching 9-star is no easy feat at all. However, as long as you come to the Spirit Awakener Guild, all kinds of valuable resources will be at your disposal.
“Furthermore, our Spirit Awakener Guild is filled with all kinds of beauties. If you wish for it, you will be able to pick any of them. In fact, if you desire so, you can even enchant any building or weapon that takes your fancy and regard them as your closest mate. Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself?” Elder Wei asked with a frown.
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I have no interest in such shallow pursuits. Back then, the Glacier Plain Court also offered me similar terms, but I rejected them nonetheless.”
It seemed like the Glacier Plain Court and the Spirit Awakener Guild really had a low opinion of men. It was if they thought that men were all lecherous individuals who were only interested in their lower body!
What a joke!
Hu Yaoyao, Zhao Feiwu, and the others were top-notch beauties, and it was not as if he was oblivious to the feelings they had for him. If he truly wanted it, he could have easily kept them by his side.
“Glacier Plain Court?” Elder Wei was taken aback.
There were many beauties in the Spirit Awakener Guild, but they were still far from matching the Glacier Plain Court.
Most female cultivators in the Glacier Plain Court practiced yin attribute cultivation techniques, which further accentuated their feminine charms.
It was for this reason that most powers in the Master Teacher Continent viewed marrying a disciple of the Glacier Plain Court as a huge honor.
Upon learning that the Glacier Plain Court had attempted to recruit the young man before her only to fail, Elder Wei hesitated for a moment before flicking her wrist. A grayish stone appeared on her palm.
“This Spirit Gauging Stone over here is able to assess one’s aptitude as a spirit awakener. If your aptitude has reached the tenth level, I can help you apply for more favorable terms with the headquarters. Perhaps, it might even be possible for you to not resign as a master teacher!”
“Assess one’s aptitude as a spirit awakener?” Zhang Xuan asked.
Elder Wei hesitated for a moment before switching to zhenqi telepathy. “That’s right. To be honest with you, only one whose aptitude in spirit enchantment has reached the tenth level will stand a chance in successfully enchanting the Spirit Awakener Mountain. However, it’s a pity that it has been five thousand years since such an individual has emerged in our guild.”
This was a secret of their guild. Considering that it was her first time meeting with the other party, she should not have revealed such deep secrets. However, according to Guild Leader Ruan, the young man was likely to possess an aptitude of the tenth level. If that truly was the case, she would have to bring him back to the headquarters regardless of the cost.
Otherwise, the Spirit Awakener Guild would only continue down its declining spiral and eventually end up being absorbed into the other powers.
Even though the Spirit Awakener Guild had many allies to rely upon, they still needed to possess some strength of their own. Otherwise, if they were to grow too reliant on others, the others could use it as leverage against them and gradually control them.
“Spirit Awakener Mountain…”
“The Spirit Awakener Mountain is an artifact formed naturally by the forces of nature, and it is the greatest trump card of our guild. It’s rumored that the mountain is actually a rock mined from a world above ours. Once successfully enchanted, the spirit awakener will attain strength on par with 9-star master teachers. With that, there will be nothing in the world that could stop them!” Elder Wei said with a hint of pride in her voice.
“It’s so formidable?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.
To attain strength on par with 9-star master teachers just by successfully enchanting it… that was as good as soaring to the heavens in a single step!
On top of that, he would even be able to keep master teacher as his main occupation. It would be a lie if he said that he was not moved by this deal.
Not to mention, with the vast resources of the Spirit Awakener Guild, he would no longer have to worry about a lack of concentrated high-tier spirit stones and pinnacle spirit stones. Everything would be within his reach.
Furthermore, he would be able to access their cultivation technique manuals and compile Heaven’s Path Divine Art all the way to Saint 9-dan. Even if he took his time and advanced only a single realm a day, he would still be able to reach the very top of the Master Teacher Continent within just a single week, becoming an existence on par with Kong shi!
“Alright!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan was hooked, Elder Wei nodded as she passed the Spirit Gauging Stone over.
“The test is very simple. Just grasp the stone lightly and silence your mind, and it’ll automatically assess your aptitude.”
Zhang Xuan replied with a nod as he took the stone.
Placing his hands around it tightly, he closed his eyes.
To be honest, he was also interested to find out what his aptitude in spirit enchantment was.
As long as he could reach the mark and the other party did not insist on him resigning as a master teacher… he would seriously consider heading to the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters.
Weng!
In an instant, he entered the state of Heart of Tranquil Water. A brilliant light burst from the stone clasped in his hands.
“Alright, it’s done!”
A moment later, the light dissipated, and Zhang Xuan opened his palm.
Elder Wei and Guild Leader Ruan quickly rushed forward to take a look at the stone, and at a single glance, their eyebrows shot up in astonishment. They couldn’t help but rub their eyes in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing the duo reacting in such an exaggerated manner, the bewildered Zhang Xuan lowered his gaze to look at the stone as well, and his mouth fell open. “How is this possible?”
On the stone, there was a single number—3!
“3… Does this number mean that my aptitude has only reached the third level?” Zhang Xuan asked hurriedly.
A moment ago, Elder Wei had said that the highest level of aptitude was 10, and given that he possessed capabilities on par with 7-star pinnacle spirit awakeners, even if he wasn’t at the tenth level, he should at least be at seventh or eighth. For 3 to appear… what the heck?
“That’s right. It means that your aptitude has only reached the third level,” Elder Wei said with twitching lips.
After hearing the report, she had personally dropped by the Qingyuan Empire Spirit Awakener Guild to take a look at the guild building. Based on her deductions, the other party’s aptitude should, at the very minimum, be at the ninth level. Yet… third level?
Wasn’t that a little too low?
“What does this represent? Does it mean that… I’m very weak?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“This…” With a conflicted expression, Elder Wei had no idea how she should speak of this matter to the other party. She paused for a brief moment before pointing to the Spirit Gauging Stone in her hand. “This stone possesses spirit of the fourth level.”
“…” Zhang Xuan.
“Why don’t I give it another try then?” Fearing that something might have gone wrong, Zhang Xuan tried it a few more times. However, the result still remained fixed at 3.
Seeing the number that kept appearing relentlessly on the Spirit Gauging Stone, Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration.
He had thought that his talent in spirit enchantment would at least be decent, if not perfect, but to think that he was even worse than a stone.
How frustrating!
It seemed that the reason he was able to become a spirit awakener so easily, even successfully enchanting the entire guild building, wasn’t due to his ‘astounding’ aptitude in spirit enchantment. Rather, it only meant to say that the Heaven’s Path Spirit Enchantment Art was simply too formidable!
Elder Wei shook her head bitterly as she stood up. “I have imposed myself on Principal Zhang today. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
It might still have been a mistake the first time, but with the same result appearing so many times, she could no longer deceive herself.
Not only did Principal Zhang not possess exceptional talent in spirit enchantment, his aptitude was atrociously horrendous! It was most likely due to sheer luck that he had been able to successfully enchant the guild building.
She had thought that the Spirit Awakener Guild had finally found its savior, but from the looks of it… how could it be that simple?
If a genius with an aptitude of the tenth level could appear that easily, the seat of the guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild wouldn’t have been empty for the past five thousand years, leaving them with no choice but to be subordinated to the other powers.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony,” Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly.
He had been bargaining with the other party a moment ago, but in the end, he was worse than a mere stone.
Just recalling what had happened left his face reddening in shame.
“I will have to ask of Principal Zhang to keep the matters concerning our guild a secret.” Sending a telepathic message over, Elder Wei beckoned to Guild Leader Ruan and said, “Let’s go.”
Right when the both of them were about to leave the manor, a crisp voice sounded.
“Teacher, can I give the Spirit Gauging Stone a try, too?”
