Hearing the command, the Byzantium Helios Beast began descending to the ground, and before long, the group was already standing outside the square in front of the Alliance Head Residence.
In that very square, he had clashed with geniuses from over twenty other empires in the Master Teacher Tournament to vie for the right to enter the Master Teacher Academy. Even though it had only been a short few months since then, everything felt very nostalgic, as if it had happened a lifetime ago.
Young and reckless then, he had defeated all of his opponents with overwhelming might, creating a legend in his wake… But now, he was much more composed and mature.
Taking a look at the massive square before her, Luo Qiqi asked in curiously, "Did Teacher come from here?"
In her view, her teacher was an incredibly talented person. Even among the younger generation of the Sage Clans, there were very few who could compete with him.
It was truly hard to believe that such an outstanding figure came not from a prestigious clan but from such a humble place.
This square was large, yes, but compared to the sacred mountains and blessed lands that Sage Clans dominated, it was nothing at all.
Putting aside everything, even the spiritual energy in the air was extremely thin. A month of cultivation at the Master Teacher Academy could easily equal several years of cultivation here.
Seemingly seeing through the thoughts Luo Qiqi harbored, Zhang Xuan simply replied with a silent smile.
If he hadn't gained possession of the Library of Heaven's Path, he would probably have idled his life away in the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, too.
In life, however, there were no ifs. From the moment he gained possession of the Library of Heaven's Path, his life had already changed.
Leaving the Byzantium Helios Beast to wait in the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others began making their way through the street and toward the square.
At this very moment, the square was bustling with a crowd. Many cultivators were staring intently at a massive statue erected at the center of the square with fervent gazes.
"What are they doing?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.
The square was in proximity to the Alliance Head Residence and the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it had always been quiet. Why would a crowd suddenly gather here all of the sudden? Was there a riot going on?
"Look, look! That's Zhang shi!"
"He is indeed dashing and handsome, just like how I dreamed he would be!"
"Of course, Zhang shi is my idol, you know. The greatest wish in my life is to achieve a ten thousandth of his greatness!"
"Hah, your idol? More like everyone's idol! There is no one in this square who doesn't respect and admire Zhang shi!"
"Indeed! I heard that Zhang shi has gone to the Master Teacher Academy. Ah, how I wish for him to return and conduct a lecture for us…"
"Hearing Zhang shi's lecture is the dream of countless in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance… Well, who asked you to be absent the previous time he held a lecture?"
"Am I talking to you? … Wait, I remember that you weren't around for the lecture either, isn't that so?"
Before even arriving at the square, Zhang Xuan could already hear the discussions of countless young men and women as they gazed toward the center of the square with eyes sparkling in admiration and fists clenched in agitation.
Hearing the discussions of the crowd and noting the key phrase 'Master Teacher Academy', Luo Qiqi couldn't help but step forward and ask a young man, "Excuse me… May I ask, who is the Zhang shi you spoke of?"
"You don't even know Zhang shi? Aren't you too behind the times…"
Shocked to hear that there was actually someone who hadn't heard of Zhang shi's name, the young man turned around to reprimand the person who had asked the question. However, the moment he saw Luo Qiqi's face, he abruptly froze, and his face flushed crimson in nervousness. "Ah… You were the one who asked the question? Zhang shi's name goes by a single character, 'Xuan'. He is the greatest master teacher to have walked out from our Myriad Kingdom Alliance in its entire history…"
Luo Qiqi's beauty was sufficient to make any man fall at her feet. To be able to speak coherently without stuttering in her presence, the young man's self-control was not bad.
"Xuan[1], as in the character synonymous with hanging?"
Hearing that he was actually the man the crowd was talking about, a bizarre expression surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face. After receiving the other party's confirmation, he couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Xuan, he… when did he become your idol?"
It had already been several months since he had left, so any hype regarding him should have died down by now. Why would they still be talking about him?
On top of that, idol? Greatest master teacher? What was going on?
But as soon as Zhang Xuan asked that question, a loud bellow sounded from the distance.
"Audacious! How dare you address Zhang shi's name directly and speak such disrespectful words? Where did you find the guts to do so?"
Following which, a young man strutted over proudly.
With an appearance of sixteen or seventeen, the young man was dressed in extravagant clothes, and he commanded a powerful presence. With just a look, it was clear that he was a person of high standing.
Due to his loud exclamation, he immediately caught the notice of the crowd, and gazes swiftly turned to him to see what was going on. Their eyes only lingered on Zhang Xuan for an instant before turning to the four beautiful ladies beside him.
Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi, Hu Yaoyao, and Dong Xin… They were top-notch beauties; any man would smile even in his dreams if he could bring one of them home. For four to appear simultaneously and with a young man beside at that, it was no wonder they would spark the curiosity of the crowd.
"The Eighth Prince is a well-known playboy. He must be trying to show off before those beautiful ladies so as to win their fancy!"
"But that young man was also asking for it. If he hadn't done anything, the Eighth Prince would have had no reason to start anything either. Yet, he was actually so brazen as to call Zhang shi by his name in public… I truly wonder where he found the guts to do so!"
"Zhang shi is the idol of countless youths in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. This is especially so for the Eighth Prince; he views Zhang shi as a goal to strive for. Yet, that fellow actually dared to ask if the 'Xuan' character referred to the one synonymous with hanging… Hanging your head! He sure doesn't know to watch his tongue; he deserves it!"
"Who can he blame when he is the one who is seeking death?"
After learning what had happened, cold sneers emerged on the lips of the crowd as they watched the commotion intently.
The young man was the eighth son of Alliance Head Zhao, Zhao Feiwu's younger brother, and he was only sixteen this year.
Despite his young age, his reputation in Myriad Kingdom City was appalling.
Lustful, domineering, arrogant, short-tempered… He had committed many atrocities in Myriad Kingdom City, disappointing his father and sister time and time again.
A few months ago, however, after being reprimanded by his sister once more, he suddenly declared that he would take Zhang shi as his role model and cultivate diligently in hopes that he would become a powerful expert like the other party. Due to his great admiration for Zhang shi, he detested anyone speaking badly about the latter.
Yet, the fellow before him actually asked if the 'Xuan' character in Zhang shi's name was the one synonymous with hanging. This was blatant disrespect for Zhang shi! It was no wonder he flew to a rage. On top of that, the four beauties around Zhang Xuan reminded him of the playboy he used to be, and that further stoked his irritation.
All of a sudden, someone amid the crowd exclaimed in astonishment, "Wait a moment… Is it just me, or does that young man look… a little familiar?"
"I also think that he looks quite familiar, like I have seen him somewhere before. But I just can't put my finger on it."
As soon as someone uttered those words, a few voices of agreement echoed among the crowd, and frowns began emerging on the faces of many.
Rendered speechless by the explosive outburst of the young man before him, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head. "Disrespectful? How was I disrespectful? Is the name 'Zhang Xuan' not meant for anyone to speak of?"
He had never thought that a day would come when it would be a taboo for him to even say his own name. Faced with such a situation, he didn't know whether he should laugh, cry, or rage.
"Of course, it is not meant for anyone to speak of! It is one thing if you had been disrespectful on a normal occasion, but do you know what day it is today?" The young man's eyes narrowed in hostility.
"What day is it?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.
So, whether he was allowed to call his own name was dependent on the day too?
Hearing that the young man had no idea what day it was, the young man immediately erupted in fury. "Today is the day that Zhang shi's sculpture will be erected in this square! As a citizen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, you don't even know this? Have you been living under a rock?"
The crowd was also perplexed by the reaction of the young man before them. Even if he didn't know what day it was, he should have noticed the crowd in the square! It was such an important occasion for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet he actually said that he was unaware of it. Was he intentionally demeaning the alliance, or was this his way of expressing his dissatisfaction with it?
"The day that Zhang shi's sculpture was erected?" Stunned, Zhang Xuan immediately turned his gaze to the sculpture.
He had only shot it a passing glance earlier, not thinking much of it. Taking a closer look now, he noticed that the man depicted in the sculpture was dressed in a master teacher robe. A hand of his was placed behind his back while the other hand was holding onto a brush. His eyes were directed toward the sky, as if peering through the fabric of the world itself. He carried a powerful disposition, which left one not daring to look at him directly.
Beneath him, serving as his mount, was a phoenix with its wings spread, seemingly ready to soar into the sky and venture into the depths of heaven.
That's me? Zhang Xuan's eyelids and mouth began twitching uncontrollably. Isn't he a bit… different!
The sculpture in the square had a towering stature, and the material used was also extremely rare. It was an excellent work of art no matter which aspect of it one looked at it from, clearly having come from a master sculptor…
However, there were still some differences in his appearance, especially in his disposition. The sculpture felt too tall and majestic, which made it seem unlike him instead.
Furthermore… a phoenix? When did he ride on such a thing? He had no recollection of taming a spirit beast or saint beast of this sort before!
Of the savage beasts, spirit beasts, and saint beasts he had tamed, the only one that bore even the slightest resemblance to a phoenix would be Viridescent Eagle, but… how in the world did his Viridescent Eagle transform into a phoenix?
To be soaring into the heavens atop of a phoenix, was that dignified poser really him?
This was truly difficult to swallow.
If the other party hadn't said that it was him, he would not have thought that it was modelled after him even if he were to stare at it for an entire day.
When did he become so tall and dignified?
Did they sculpt it according to Kong shi's standards?
Otherwise, that compassionate look in the eyes that seemed as if it could embrace the entire world… What the hell was that?
Zhang Xuan wasn't the only one who was shocked by this. After seeing the sculpture, the eyelids of Luo Qiqi and the others also began jerking uncontrollably. This was even more so for Hu Yaoyao, who had experienced how 'formidable' Zhang shi was personally.
How could that shameless schemer have such a majestic and dignified sculpture in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance? This was unbelievable!
Suppressing the frustration he felt, Zhang Xuan asked, "Based on what I know, the Zhang shi you spoke of isn't dead yet, right? Why did you erect a sculpture of him all of a sudden?"
Erecting a sculpture and building an ancestral shrine were things one would do only after the person in question was dead. Given that he was still alive, why were they doing this?
"You dare to curse Zhang shi?"
As soon as the young man heard those words, his body trembled in anger. "Zhang shi's lecture has benefitted millions in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and all of us view him as our esteemed teacher… We have erected a sculpture of him so that we can pay respect to him. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Lecture?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.
It was at that moment that he suddenly recalled the lecture he had conducted right after the Master Teacher Tournament ended. At the very end, he even drew a phoenix and flew away on it…
Was this sculpture modelled after that scene?
If that was the case, that would explain the phoenix he was riding on. However, he only did it back then because he thought that it would look good and boost his reputation. Who could have known that the others would take it for real and sculpt him in such a manner?
Wasn't this taking it too seriously?
Zhang Xuan felt deeply distressed.
Was he to tell them that he wasn't as great as they thought him to be? But that would be as good as slapping his own face!
However, if he chose not to say anything, he would feel ashamed for holding onto this undeserving title.
Ah, what a dilemma!
[1] The character for Zhang Xuan's Xuan (悬) has quite a few meanings, one of them being 'suspended in midair'.