Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Chapter 76: Zhang Xuan Was Completely Stumped

Chapter 76: Zhang Xuan Was Completely Stumped

Each of the two girls had their own thoughts, so neither of them paid much attention during the lesson. On the other hand, Hong Yi, who was encountering this material for the first time, listened intently with glowing eyes, absorbing Zhang Xuan’s every word and slowly digesting the information.

"Alright, that’s all for now. How much have you remembered? And how much have you learned?" Zhang Xuan asked with a smile as he looked at Hong Yi.

Among the three students, Hong Yi had the least exposure to cultivation and the worst talent, almost like a rural child encountering advanced mathematics for the first time—completely overwhelmed.

"Teacher Zhang!" Hong Yi replied with an embarrassed and ashamed expression. "I... I only remember about thirty percent!"

"Thirty percent?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback, but then his eyes lit up. "Your talent may not be great, but your memory is impressive. Thirty percent is more than enough. Do you want to try cultivating?"

Even though he had only taught the basics, the content was distilled from the Library of Heaven’s Path and contained profound principles. Most people would be lucky to remember ten percent on their first hearing. Even back when Zhao Ya and Wang Ying were learning, they didn’t retain more than that. For Hong Yi to remember thirty percent was quite remarkable. Initially, Zhang Xuan thought this student might not achieve much in the future, but now it seemed there was potential after all. A strong memory was a talent in itself, much like his own ability to remember everything he read and grasp concepts instantly.

"And what about you two?" Zhang Xuan asked the two girls after considering Hong Yi's progress.

"I... I didn’t understand a single word, and I don’t know anything!" Liu Mingyue responded, feigning a confused expression.

"Didn’t understand a single word?" Zhang Xuan’s joy from a moment ago faded.

‘Even the student with the worst talent, Hong Yi, had managed to retain thirty percent, but you claim you didn’t understand a single word? And yet, you were able to absorb 24 streams of Heaven’s Fate Source Energy, becoming the third-ranked student in the entire academy? How is that possible?’

"Yes, I really didn’t understand anything. Teacher Zhang, could you explain it to me again?" Liu Mingyue said, pretending to be anxious, though she was inwardly sneering. Let’s see how frustrated I can make you!

"And you?" Zhang Xuan asked, deciding not to waste time on Liu Mingyue, whose poor performance had made him reconsider giving her a personalized cultivation technique. Instead, he turned to Yu Xiaoyu.

"Teacher, I understood everything and have fully grasped it," Yu Xiaoyu replied confidently, her expression resolute.

"Understood everything? Fully grasped it?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

He had only taken on three students, yet they were all so different. He was starting to feel out of his depth.

"Yes!" Yu Xiaoyu nodded firmly. Her father had told her to show respect and comprehension for everything Teacher Zhang taught, so she spoke with absolute conviction, without any hesitation.

‘Besides, it’s just basic cultivation. When I learn the Five Directions Accumulation Technique from my father, it will far surpass anything Teacher Zhang taught. He can take the credit for it later and be happy!’

"Not bad, not bad!" Zhang Xuan was pleased with her response. He saw her understanding as a sign of excellent aptitude, almost approaching one-tenth of his own. If she continued to diligently cultivate, combining her talent of 27 streams of Heaven’s Fate Source Energy with her peak-grade furnace, she could quickly break through to the Energy Storing Realm and even the higher realms, becoming the undisputed top freshman.

"Since you’ve understood everything, start cultivating over there. I’ll check your progress later and see if you can temper a few more meridians today," Zhang Xuan instructed, waving her to the side.

"Yes, Teacher!" Yu Xiaoyu obediently moved to the side and sat cross-legged.

‘Cultivate? No thanks. I can’t just cultivate any random technique. What if it conflicts with the Five Directions Accumulation Technique my father will teach me? That would be a huge loss!’ She thought to herself. ‘As for the inspection, it’s not like one class will result in significant progress anyway. Even if I only temper one meridian, it won’t be enough to make a noticeable difference. I can just say whatever I want when the time comes—there’s no way he can check!’

Seeing how cooperative she was, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Liu Mingyue. "As for you, I’ll explain the lesson again. Try to grasp as much as you can. If you still can’t understand, then perhaps you’re not suited to be my student."

"Really?" Liu Mingyue’s eyes lit up with excitement, her fists clenched in anticipation. ‘I didn’t even have to ask, and he’s already suggesting it... This is perfect!’

Zhang Xuan frowned. "What’s with that reaction? Are you happy about not being my student?"

"Uh... no, Teacher, please start the lesson. I’ll work hard this time!" Liu Mingyue quickly deflected, trying to cover her tracks.

"Hmm!" Zhang Xuan nodded, preparing to repeat the lesson when a loud voice suddenly came from outside the classroom.

"Teacher Zhang Xuan, we students also want to hear your explanation on the Energy Storing Realm. May we join?"

Before the voice had even finished, the tightly shut door creaked open, and Chen Hao entered with dozens of students in tow. Zhou Qingkai and Wang Yuxing were not with him, likely still waiting outside for the arrival of Chen Xiao and Liu Tianzheng.

"Join the class?" Zhang Xuan frowned and waved them off. "This isn’t a public lecture. The content is only for my students. Please leave!"

This was a small, private class, not a large lecture, so he naturally didn’t allow other students to join. Allowing them to stay would violate his privacy and potentially cause more problems. What if these students listened and then decided to leave their original teachers? That could create unnecessary conflicts.

Most importantly, as a teacher, he had the right to decide who he taught and when. Chen Hao had been causing trouble for him since yesterday, even publicly challenging him. Although Chen Hao had knelt and apologized, his defiant attitude had clearly not been resolved.

"Leave? Hmph! I bet Teacher Zhang is afraid of making mistakes and getting exposed, right?" Chen Hao sneered.

Zhang Xuan’s expression darkened. "Mistakes? Exposed?"

Chen Hao looked around the room. "You all may not know this, but yesterday, it was the dean who ignited Hong Yi’s peak-grade furnace, not Teacher Zhang. He just happened to be standing there and took the credit!"

"Now that you mention it, that seems likely!"

"Yeah, who ignites a furnace without pressing on the stomach?"

"So, we’ve been deceived all along. This guy isn’t fit to be a teacher!"

Hearing this, the students who had followed Chen Hao began to gossip among themselves.

Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed. "Do you have any proof? If you make such accusations without evidence, you know the consequences, right?"

"Proof? That’s easy... You’ve been teaching for a while now, right? Let’s ask them if they’ve learned anything," Chen Hao scoffed, turning to Liu Mingyue with a smile. "Mingyue, did you learn anything from Teacher Zhang’s lesson just now? Can you explain it to us? The truth will be clear once you speak!"

Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed further.

Liu Mingyue hadn’t understood a thing. Asking her to explain would likely confirm Chen Hao’s accusation. Considering this, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Yu Xiaoyu, who had claimed to have understood everything.

While Zhang Xuan preferred to keep a low profile, he couldn’t allow his students to be embarrassed in public. Chen Hao was clearly here to cause trouble, and if Zhang Xuan didn’t handle this well, more students might try to undermine him in the future.

Low profile and weakness are not the same.

Of course, Zhang Xuan knew Chen Hao was a senior student but was unaware that he was also the son of the Chen family patriarch. If he had known, Zhang Xuan might have handled the situation differently, possibly using his status as a guest elder to command respect.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan looked at Chen Hao coldly. "You’ve been trying to cause trouble for me because of Liu Mingyue, right? Do you like her?"

Zhang Xuan could easily see through the young man's infatuation without needing the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Exposed in front of everyone, Chen Hao’s face turned red. "I just don’t want someone as talented as Mingyue to be held back by an incompetent teacher! And besides, what does my personal feelings have to do with asking her to explain what she learned?"

"What do you think?" Zhang Xuan replied coldly.

In truth, Zhang Xuan could have simply thrown Chen Hao out of the classroom, and no one would have dared to object. However, doing so wouldn’t clear his name and might even cause further misunderstandings. Since that was the case, it was better to settle everything now.

Chen Hao looked around and then at Yu Xiaoyu. "Then let’s ask Miss Yu to explain. As the City Lord’s daughter, she wouldn’t lie or cover for anyone."

Seeing that Chen Hao had chosen Yu Xiaoyu, Zhang Xuan relaxed. It seemed this situation was under control.

"Me?" Yu Xiaoyu felt her heart skip a beat.

During the lesson, she had been preoccupied with thoughts of the technique her father would teach her later, so she hadn’t paid much attention. Besides, the Heaven’s Path techniques were hard to understand, and she hadn’t grasped even one percent of the material.

"Yes!" Chen Hao nodded.

Seeing Yu Xiaoyu hesitate, Zhang Xuan looked over at her. "I know you’ve fully understood and grasped the lesson, so don’t be nervous. Just explain a few points."

"Yes..." Yu Xiaoyu felt all eyes on her, and her previous confidence vanished. She bit her lip and stammered, trying to recall what little she could remember. "The Energy Storing Realm is... is the process of accumulating strength, using the furnace to refine pure Source Energy to temper the meridians... The method is to refine or not to refine..."

"???" Zhang Xuan was stunned. His head felt like it was about to explode.

What was going on? Just a moment ago, she confidently claimed to have understood everything, but now her explanation was completely disjointed and nonsensical.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Realizing she couldn’t continue, Yu Xiaoyu lowered her head in shame, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. "Teacher, I’m sorry. I... I can’t explain it..."

"Hahaha! I knew it!" Unlike Zhang Xuan, who was dumbfounded, and Yu Xiaoyu, who was flustered, Chen Hao burst into laughter.

He had thought Yu Xiaoyu might cover for Zhang Xuan by repeating something she had learned before. But to his surprise, she couldn’t explain anything at all. This clearly showed that Zhang Xuan was incompetent and had taught nothing of value. Even the City Lord’s daughter couldn’t save him.

Feeling triumphant, Chen Hao looked around at the other students. "Everyone, you can see for yourselves! This so-called teacher can’t even teach a basic cultivation technique. How could he be qualified to instruct anyone? He’s nothing but a fraud!"

"That’s right! The Returning Energy Accumulation Technique is straightforward. If the teacher had properly taught it, even a brief lesson would allow the student to explain the basics. But this girl, who’s the second-best talent in White Roc City, can’t even form a complete sentence..."

"It’s clear this teacher didn’t teach anything of substance!"

"Chen Hao, you’re amazing! You saw through his ruse right away!"

The dozens of students who had followed Chen Hao began voicing their agreement, their disdain for Zhang Xuan evident.

He had been exposed as a fraud, and now everyone knew it.

"Cui Xu, go fetch the dean and explain the situation in detail," Chen Hao ordered, sensing victory.

To have Zhang Xuan dismissed and get revenge for yesterday’s humiliation, he needed the dean to witness this firsthand. Only then could he ensure Zhang Xuan would be expelled.

"Yes!" A student hurried out of the room.

Ignoring this, Zhang Xuan turned back to Yu Xiaoyu. "What happened? Didn’t you say you understood everything?"

"I... I can’t explain it..." Yu Xiaoyu wished she could disappear into the ground.

If she had known things would turn out like this, she would have paid more attention during the lesson. Now, not only had she failed to learn anything, but she had also embarrassed her teacher.

"Forget it..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Different people have different strengths. Some are good at explaining, while others are better at practicing. Yu Xiaoyu seemed to be the latter. As long as she could cultivate effectively, the accusations would naturally fall apart.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to say this, the classroom door opened again, and Dean Lu Mingrong, along with several elders, entered.

"Chen Hao, as a student, who gave you the right to barge into an ongoing lesson?" Dean Lu reprimanded.

Lu Mingrong and the elders had hoped for a day off, thinking that Zhang Xuan’s private lesson wouldn’t require their help. But now, they had been summoned because of an accusation that Zhang Xuan lacked the ability to teach... How absurd! Zhang Xuan had ignited a peak-grade furnace using the blood of a worthless bird and a turtle. How could anyone think he was incapable of teaching?

"Dean, elders... I’ve found evidence proving that Teacher Zhang is misleading his students. I ask for your judgment!" Chen Hao boldly stepped forward, knowing his father would arrive soon. He was confident in his accusation and wasn’t afraid of the consequences.

Dean Lu’s eyes narrowed. "What evidence? If you don’t have any, you know the consequences, right?"

Chen Hao nodded. "Of course! Just now, Teacher Zhang taught a lesson on the Energy Storing Realm. But when I asked Miss Yu to explain what she learned, she couldn’t say anything! This clearly shows that Teacher Zhang doesn’t even know the basics of the Returning Energy Accumulation Technique! If you don’t believe me, you can ask them yourselves."

Dean Lu turned to the two girls. "Is this true? Were you really unable to explain what you learned? I hope you’ll be honest. If I find out anyone lied, they’ll be expelled immediately, no matter who they are."

His words were backed by a powerful mental force, which made the girls feel as if they were being scrutinized under a spotlight. Although Dean Lu hadn’t reached the Divine Soul Realm, his spiritual power was strong enough to detect any lies.

"Well..." Yu Xiaoyu hadn’t even responded when Liu Mingyue, despite her reluctance, couldn’t help but speak up. "Teacher Zhang did teach us about refining or not refining in the Energy Storing Realm."

"The first method is to control the energy as a thread, penetrating the obstacles in the meridians."

"The second method..."

"The third method..."

"What technique is this?"

"It sounds interesting..."

The elders frowned in thought.

Liu Mingyue had only remembered about one-fifth of what was taught, so the elders couldn’t fully grasp the depth of the technique. They could tell it was different from the academy’s Returning Energy Accumulation Technique, but they couldn’t gauge its effectiveness or complexity based on the limited explanation.

"???" Zhang Xuan was just as surprised.

‘Didn’t you say you didn’t understand a single word and couldn’t explain anything? How come you’re now reciting the lesson perfectly, almost word for word?’

One student claimed to understand but couldn’t explain anything. Another claimed not to understand but could recite almost everything...

‘What’s going on with you two?’