Library of Heaven's Path

The Silver Armored General often followed the military for campaigns, and it just so happened that he had received a short break for the last few days. Thanks to that, he had noticed his son’s issue and saved him. If he was outside, it would already have been too late by the time he heard the news.

How much self-blame would he feel if that had been the case?

Just thinking about it left him deeply frightened. That was why he had lost his temper and barged in.

“From young,” Zhang Xuan said, “Zhuo Yan has been instilled with the notion that he has to become a Celestial God like you. Despite his lacking talent, he has been enduring all kinds of stress, diligently going through supplementary lesson after supplementary lesson, all in the hope of not lagging behind his peers. He might not even have had a single day of rest from cultivation over the years!”

At the back, Zhuo Yan lowered his head silently.

On the other hand, the Silver Armored General spoke up. “A cultivator should push himself to the limits when he’s young. What’s the use if he only pushes himself when he reaches my age? I’m doing this with his future in mind! Furthermore, if he doesn’t become a Celestial God, given the lifespan of an average god, it will difficult for him to live past a hundred. My lifespan is a thousand years. Am I to watch helplessly as my young son ages and passes away earlier than me?”

“I am not saying that the plans you have in mind for your son aren’t justified, but cultivation is not about unending diligence,” Zhang Xuan replied. “A balance must be struck in order for one to go further. More than just raising his cultivation, a cultivator must temper his will and his state of mind. If he trudges on without having any time to rest and reflect, it will be hard for him to go beyond a certain point.”

He could understand the feelings of a parent wanting his child to do well in life. He felt the same way for his direct disciples. However, that was simply infeasible.

Doing well in life’ was often viewed as a relative term, so it was impossible for everyone to do well together.

“He has been working hard to meet your expectations, such that he anxiously attempted to make a breakthrough before he could reinforce his cultivation. The overwhelming stress pinned on him weakened his will, preventing him from gathering his focus to overcome the hurdle ahead of him. Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, Fan Zhe laoshi seems to have said something to him during the supplementary lessons that worsened his stress.”

Fan Zhe was slightly confused for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

“He has been attending your supplementary lessons for some time now, but he hasn’t managed to become a middle- tier God to date,” Zhang Xuan said. “My guess is that you issued an ultimatum to him, telling him that he has to make a breakthrough by tonight!

“His will was already worn down from all of the stress around him, and your words were the final straw that crushed him. He lost to his own impatience, causing his inner demons to get the better of him. This resulted in the current situation that we see.”

The Silver Armored General was silent for a moment before looking at Zhuo Yan with a complicated expression on his face. “Is what Brother Zhang said true?”

He wanted his son to fare well in life, but what was the use if something happened to his son in the process of doing so?

Yes…” Zhuo Yan meekly looked at his father as he fidgeted a little uncomfortably.

He had never seen such a look on his stern father’s face before, and he was afraid that he would be reprimanded for his weakness.

As the person in question, he knew very well how he ended up in his current state. It was exactly as Zhang Xuan had said.

The Silver Armored General sighed deeply before speaking in resignation. “I won’t push you anymore, so don’t force yourself to take on more than what you can bear. No matter where you find yourself in the future, so be it.”

If that was the fate for his son, there was no point forcing it.

He was tempted to criticize Fan Zhe for pushing his son so hard, but he realized that he was equally guilty. This made him feel deeply conflicted within. He wondered if what he had been doing all this while was really wrong.

Shaking his head, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, “Brother Zhang, you have saved my son and given him a new life. I, Zhuo Feng, owe you a favor. No matter what you ask of me in the future, even if it costs me my life, I’ll do my best to fulfill what you need without a word of complaint!”

“General Zhuo, you are too courteous… I didn’t help your son with the intention of obtaining any compensation. I just hope that the reputation of master teachers won’t be sullied by the fiasco here. I can’t say that master teachers are selfless individuals, but they are people who prioritize the welfare of their students above everything. I would be grateful if you don’t look at master teachers in a negative light over this isolated incident,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

He had been a teacher ever since he transcended over to this world, and he had come to view the occupation that Kong shi had created with pride. Naturally, he felt uncomfortable when he saw someone undermining it.

“Could it be that…Brother Zhang, are you a master teacher as well?” Fan Zhe asked.

The others also turned their gazes over curiously.

They had never seen Zhang Xuan before, but the fact that he could cure Zhuo Yan easily showed that his medicinal skills were above those of Physician Yu Feng. Could he actually be a formidable master teacher?

Normal master teachers were nothing much in the Firmament, but the direct disciples of the Heaven Subjugation Monarch were known to be masters of multiple occupations. Even though the person standing before them looked young, could he possibly be related to them in one way or another?

You can say so,” Zhang Xuan replied frankly.

Back on the Master Teacher Continent, he had been known to be the strongest master teacher, and just like Kong shi, he had been dubbed the World’s Teacher. That being said, the Master Teacher Pavilion in the Firmament probably had its own set of tests in order to assess a person’s qualifications as a master teacher, but he had never been through those formal procedures.

“I see, that’s a huge relief.” Fan Zhe heaved a sigh of relief.

He had caved in to his greed, but he still felt a great attachment to the occupation. He remembered the days where he had devoted his all to teaching his students, and he viewed those days as his greatest pride.

He was glad that Zhang Xuan was around, or else his misdeeds would have left a stain on the reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Fan Zhe laoshi, may I offer you a suggestion?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Please feel free to speak.” Fan Zhe clasped his fist.

Despite being weaker than him, the young man’s knowledge was far greater than his. Furthermore, the young man had saved him from the dire situation earlier. So, he was willing to heed any advice that the young man had to offer him.

“Indolence is a natural trait of most cultivators, and that is even more so for youths. Putting the rationale of your actions aside, I don’t think that it’s a bad idea for you to set up supplementary classes so that your students have more time to learn, but rote learning will only grind down their motivation and induce impatience. Eventually, they could walk down the same path as Zhuo Yan, rendering your efforts futile.”

Fan Zhe was silent for a moment as he reflected upon those words. Then, he raised his gaze and asked, “Is there any other way to go about doing it then?”

There were cases where students had benefited greatly from his supplementary classes, but he had also noticed that there was a lack of substantial improvement in most students.

He had tried investigating the reason behind it, and the conclusion that he had come to was that they had grown tired of cultivating.

But he could think of no way to resolve this issue. Cultivation was meant to be a dull and boring process, and there was no way to circumvent it.

“As a teacher, you should take the individual traits of each student into consideration and nurture them accordingly. There is no one fixed formula that works when it comes to teaching; you need to purposefully adapt to the needs of each of your students. Use their unique traits to encourage good learning habits in them and encourage them to overcome their indolence. Once those good habits have been instilled in them, they will be able to find their own way forward,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Use their unique traits to encourage good learning habits…” Fan Zhe repeated while nodding slowly. “But that’s easier said than done!”

It was no easy feat to get close to a person and understand him, not to mention that he had to take care of dozens of students at once. Even if he wanted to do it, he did not have that much time and energy to spare for everyone.

“There are limitations to what you can feasibly do, but every small step you take makes a huge difference to the outcome. Take Zhuo Yan for example. He has faced great pressure from a young age, and his inability to meet the expectations of those around him shattered his confidence. If you gave him some encouragement, it would help him greatly.”

At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Zhuo Yan and said, “You have also heard what I have just said. While I was checking your body earlier, I found that you aren’t lacking in talent, unlike what you have heard from those around you. On the contrary, your talents far surpass those of most of your peers. It’s just that you haven’t been able to utilize them well.”

“My talents surpass those of most of my peers?” Zhuo Yan looked at Zhang Xuan skeptically before shaking his head.

However, in the depths of his eyes, there was an unmistakable glimmer of hope.

Ever since he was young, he had been described as a wastrel. Any resources that were put into him would just go to waste. Even ordinary academies had turned him away.

The views of those around him had shaped his internal perception of himself. As such, he found it hard to accept the compliments of others.

“I don’t speak empty words, so there’s no need for you to doubt me. It’s the stress that you have been mounting on yourself that fills you with fear, preventing you from making a breakthrough. Listen to my words and open yo Use the method that Fan Zhe laoshi imparted to you and try to make a breakthrough again…”

Zhang Xuan had infused the Impartation of Heaven’s Will in his speech, causing Zhuo Yan’s emotions to sway along with his words. The young man subconsciously heeded his words and sat down on the floor.

His eyes were initially filled with confusion and incomprehension, but they gradually grew firm and determined under Zhang Xuan’s encouragement. Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and began driving his divine energy around his body.

Gugugugugu!

With a resounding burst, the bottleneck that had restrained him as a low-tier God was blasted apart, causing his cultivation to surge all the way up to middle-tier God.

In actuality, the perception that others had of Zhuo Yan was not wrong. Zhuo Yan was indeed severely lacking in talent, such that it was no exaggeration to say that he was unsuited to become a cultivator.

It had probably taken the Silver Armored General Zhuo Feng a lot of resources in order to raise his son’s cultivation to low-tier God.

There was a good chance that Zhuo Yan might never become a middle-tier God in his entire life.

However, while Zhang Xuan was healing his injuries earlier, he had nourished the young man’s body with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, altering his constitution.

As a result, while Zhuo Yan’s talents still could not be described as top-notch, he would probably be able to stand his ground against most of his peers.

What he was lacking now was confidence. As long as he could regain his confidence, he should be able to reach considerable heights in the future.

“Zhang shi, I really don’t know how to thank you for your help…” The Silver Armored General Zhuo Feng lowered his head in agitation.

“It’s what I should do,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile before falling silent.

At this moment, he could not help but think about how humble and low profile he had become ever since severing his clone from himself. This thought left him feeling deeply assured.

Hu!

A while later, Zhuo Yan opened his eyes to perceive the raging energy coursing through his body. With reddened eyes, he struggled on the inside for a while before kneeling before Zhang Xuan. “Zhang laoshi, please take me in as your student!”

He had been following Fan Zhe for several years now, but the improvement in his cultivation had not been substantial. On the other hand, he had met Zhang Xuan a moment ago, and all of a sudden, he had already made a breakthrough in his cultivation.

He realized that this might be the opportunity of a lifetime for him. If he could have such a man as his teacher, his achievements in the future would be boundless.

Y-yes, that’s right. Zhang shi, I ask of you to take my son as your student!” Zhuo Feng hurriedly nodded in agreement. All this while, he had thought that his son was a little slow on the uptake, but it turned out that he was quite sharp-witted when it came to this matter.

At the same time, he also switched from using Brother Zhang to Zhang shi as a sign of respect.

“If you really wish to take me as your teacher, I don’t mind taking you in as my student either,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Given that the other party had not built his foundation up well, it was unlikely that he would take the other party as his direct disciple. However, he did not mind taking the other party in as an ordinary student and imparting some knowledge to him.

“Student Zhuo Yan pays respect to Zhang laoshi!” Zhuo Yan kneeled to the floor and kowtowed deeply.

There was also a distinction between a student and a direct disciple in the Firmament.

Even though Zhang Xuan did not take him in as his direct disciple, Zhuo Yan was already glad that he had been able to become the student of such a great teacher.

“Since you address me as your teacher, it’s only right for me to impart something to you.” Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Zhuo Yan. “I’ll give you a cultivation technique that’s suited for your constitution, and as long as you cultivate it diligently, there’s a chance that you might be able to become a Celestial God in the future.”

He was extremely familiar with the cultivation techniques beneath the Celestial God realm, and while he was checking on Zhuo Yan’s condition through the Library of Heaven’s Path earlier, he had already gotten some ideas.

It did not take him long to impart a set of cultivation techniques over to Zhuo Yan.

After going through the details of the cultivation technique, Zhuo Yan’s eyes lit up in delight. He quickly bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan once more as a show of gratitude.

His cultivation might be lacking, but that did not hinder the fact that he had come from a relatively prestigious family. He had the opportunity to come into contact with many formidable cultivation techniques, but in terms of ingenuity, none of them came close to what his teacher had just imparted to him!

As long as he cultivated it diligently, he should be able to make a breakthrough to high-tier God and reach for higher realms in the near future!

The value of such a precious cultivation technique was priceless!

To actually bestow such a thing upon him without asking for any compensation…

So, this was a true teacher!

For the longest of time, he had been viewed as a wastrel in the eyes of others. This was the first time that someone had regarded him so highly, and it left him with mixed feelings.

Zhang Xuan walked forward to help the young man up.

Weng!

At that moment, the Library of Heaven’s Path suddenly jolted, and a golden page materialized.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

It seemed like his trip to the Master Teacher Pavilion had not been wasted. This golden page would allow him to protect himself against most experts in the Firmament.

Not only so, coming into contact with the academies of the Firmament’s Master Teacher Pavilions and the teaching style of other master teachers had given him a newfound understanding toward the education and the relationship between a teacher and a student.

2149 Becoming a Celestial God (2)

Zhao Ya is proud, so it’s best to impart knowledge to her in a concise manner. Zheng Yang has a candid and fearless personality, so it works best to get straight to the point with him. Wang Ying is meticulous, so the details are very important to her when it comes to learning new things. Yuan Tao is broad-minded and doesn’t like the nitty-gritty details, so it’s better to focus on the larger picture when it comes to him. As for Liu Yang, he doesn’t have any particular strengths or flaws, but he has an unyielding heart, similar to that of Zhuo Yan…

The personalities of the students he had taken in so far flowed through his head, and a smile crept onto Zhang Xuan’s lips.

Lu Chong is resilient and obstinate. Once he decides on something, nothing will be able to shake his determination.

Wei Ruyan is cold-natured, and she would only reveal her true feelings to those whom she deems dear to her. The life and death of those outside her circle are not within her consideration at all.

Zhang Jiuxiao is a little too eager for success, but he has matured greatly after becoming my student.

Kong Shiyao comes from a major clan, and that allows her to be able to view things from a higher point of view.

Dan Xiaotian is innocent and optimistic. Even in the face of adversity, he is able to persevere on without losing himself. His purity and kindness is a rare gem in the world.

Bai Ruanqing is rather similar to Lu Chong in the sense that she has a one-track mind, but unlike him, she does not inhibit her emotions. Instead, she is extremely verbal with her feelings. As a result of that, she rarely holds grudges against others, choosing to embrace hope instead.

Every single one of Zhang Xuan’s students was unique and had their own personality. In view of that, he had created training plans and cultivation techniques tailored to their needs, tutoring them one by one. The time that he had spent with them was limited, but the amount of effort he had spent was them was undeniable.

He did not teach them with the intention of getting something back from them in the future. If anything, the bonds that were forged through that was the greatest repayment of all.

All he hoped was that they would achieve great things in the future with the knowledge he had imparted to them.

This was the true meaning of what it was to be a teacher, as well as the purest form of the relationship between a teacher and a student.

“A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers,” Zhang Xuan muttered.

Boom!

Spiritual energy began surging toward Zhang Xuan at a furious rate, and before anyone knew it, he had already overcome the final bottleneck of a Celestial God.

“He has become a Celestial God?”

“But he was doing nothing earlier!”

“I went through hell in order to become a Celestial God, but why does it seem to be so easy to him?”

“I wonder what epiphany struck him for him to suddenly make a breakthrough on the spot…”

Everyone was rendered flabbergasted by the sight before them.

Becoming a Celestial God was a goal that most cultivators had set their eyes upon and devoted their whole life to pursuing. The difficulty of making the breakthrough was no joke at all. Most cultivators needed years of preparation and a mountain of resources in order to attempt a breakthrough, and even so, the process was still fraught with danger.

But the young man in front of them had actually made a breakthrough while chatting with them!

This must have been the easiest and most anticlimactic breakthrough in the world!

Hu!

Divine energy flowed through Zhang Xuan’s meridians like water flowing through a gentle stream, producing a sound reminiscent of a crisp bell.

Zhang Xuan was currently in a state of complex emotions.

The purest relationship between a teacher and a student required both parties to selflessly give their all to each other. Only a bond untouched by greed and other temptations would be able to remain strong and unyielding.

At the very beginning, he had only taken Wang Ying and the others as his students to avoid being expelled from the Hongtian Academy. But as he got to know them better, the sentiments he had for them had grown deeper and deeper, and before he knew it, he had already fallen deep into the abyss.

For them, he was willing to give his all. But at the same time, his students were willing to sacrifice themselves for his sake as well.

This was a bond created by their intertwining sentiments for one another. They did not share blood bonds with one another, but their relationship had already transcended that.

A flower does not drop from the tree because it is heartless. It morphs into spring soil and nourishes the next generation of flowers.

As spiritual energy flowed through Zhang Xuan’s body, his soul, physical body, and zhenqi were being swiftly refined. He quickly swallowed the remaining middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had as well to ensure that he had sufficient energy for the breakthrough.

As his cultivation grew, his disposition went through a transformative change.

Young Master is still as fierce as before,” Sun Qiang remarked proudly.

Be it on the Master Teacher Continent, the Azure, or the Firmament, his Young Master was always the brightest star of them all!

Like a firefly, he emanated a natural glow that made him the center of attention no matter where he went. There was nothing in this world that could cover his brilliance.

Everyone else in the room was also staring at Zhang Xuan with all sorts of expressions on their faces, be it shock, envy, or awe.

The person who was the gladdest of all in the room was none other than Zhuo Yan. He felt that it was his greatest fortune to have found such a person in his life, and he made up his mind to work hard and never embarrass his teacher in the future.

It was this conviction that drove him to climb higher and higher, and he eventually accomplished things that even his father had yet to. Even Zhang Xuan himself was slightly surprised when he finally met Zhuo Yan once more.

But of course, that was a story to be told for the future.

“So, this is what a Celestial God is,” Zhang Xuan murmured beneath his breath as realization struck him.

When he became a god, his zhenqi had adapted to the powers of the Firmament and become divine energy. When he surpassed his limits and became a Celestial God, his divine energy further evolved into celestial energy.

This transformation marked a huge difference in terms of power.

Celestial Gods were able to tap into a portion of the natural powers of the Firmament. While the amount of power they could call upon was limited, they were already able to hold some sway over their environment.

In comparison, gods could only rely on their own cultivation.

Zhang Xuan felt his own strength growing. While he would have faced difficulties against a more powerful middle-tier Celestial God in the past, with his current strength, he was confident that he would be able to hold his own ground even against most high-tier Celestial Gods!

More importantly, this marked a difference in his level of existence. His lifespan had increased from a hundred years to over a thousand years.

A thousand years in the Firmament was equivalent to a million years on the Master Teacher Continent. Not even the history of the Master Teacher Continent went that far back…

Looking at this from the perspective of someone on the Master Teacher Continent, he could indeed be considered as an immortal being.

With a thought, he converted his consciousness into Spiritual Perception and extended his senses beyond his body, allowing him to clearly perceive everything that was happening within a hundred-meter radius.

Having used up the last few middle-tier God Essence Pills that he had with him, he was unable to raise his cultivation any higher. So, he exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes.

Once again, he found himself lacking cultivation resources.

If he had sufficient God Essence Pills, and he could find a way to raise his physical body and soul cultivation, he would have been able to push his cultivation all the way to high-tier Celestial God and even attempt a breakthrough to God King!

While my self-created cultivation techniques allow me to be less reliant on the Library of Heaven’s Path, at the same time, it has also slowed down my progress. The rate at which I am able to raise my cultivation has decreased significantly, Zhang Xuan thought with a deep sigh.

A cultivation technique built around the emotions of life was completely unheard of in the world. He could not just rely on the wisdom of his predecessors anymore.

He would have to forge his own path forward if he wanted to rise to higher realms, but that was much easier said than done. For example, it took him two whole days in order for him to raise his cultivation to the Celestial God realm. In terms of the Master Teacher Continent, that was equivalent to two thousand days or five whole years!

He had never been so slow ever since he started cultivating!

I’ll have to look deeper into what my capabilities as a Celestial God are after I return to the residence, Zhang Xuan thought.

His main reason for going to the Master Teacher Pavilion was to browse through their collection of books in hopes of finding impetus for a breakthrough. Unexpectedly, just by intervening in a conflict, he had ended up inspiring himself, allowing him to make a breakthrough.

With this, there was no longer any need for him to look through the books.

Of course, if he accrued more knowledge, it would make it easier for him to offer pointers to others, and that was the key for him to earn more golden pages.

“Zhang shi…”

Watching as Zhang Xuan’s aura stabilized as a Celestial God, a commotion broke out amid the crowd. Fan Zhe nearly collapsed to the ground from shock.

It is still understandable if you achieved a breakthrough on a whim. You might have built up your foundation and raised your cultivation so much that you were already teetering on the verge of a breakthrough…

But it has only been several breaths since you made a breakthrough! How in the world were you able to reinforce your cultivation and sharpen your soul, spirit, and psyche within such a short period of time?

Is this even humanly possible?

Breaking Fan Zhe’s train of thought were the words of the very man who had left him so deeply shocked. “Fan Zhe laoshi, may I know if I can access the library of the Master Teacher Pavilion? I am interested in browsing the collection of books that you have here.”

“The library? Under normal circumstances, only the master teachers of Drifting Specter Royal City are allowed to access the library. However, since you have salvaged the reputation of all master teachers and saved a student from a tragic fate, Zhang shi, you are more than welcome to browse everything we have here!” Fan Zhe said with a smile.