Chapter 54: He Became Unreliable Again
Chapter 54: He Became Unreliable Again
At Mo Yanxue's residence.
Watching her friend continuously absorb Source Energy, growing stronger by the minute, Yu Xiaoyu's eyes were filled with envy. She had been there when Dean Lu Mingrong helped ignite Mo Yanxue's furnace. Unfortunately, since she was no longer his student, she wasn't eligible for his help. Otherwise, she would have reached the early stage of the Energy Storing Realm just like her best friend!
She couldn't understand her father's decision to have her apprentice under a mere groom... And he was the City Lord! Such poor judgment.
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Yu Xiaoyu asked, "Xiaoxue, tell me, how much Source Energy can your supreme-grade furnace absorb in a day?"
Mo Yanxue stopped absorbing and smiled slightly. "Based on the current rate, about 140 strands per day."
"140?" Yu Xiaoyu's eyes widened. "When my father first reached the Energy Storing Realm, he could only absorb 137 strands a day, which was already a record. You're even better than him?"
"It's because Dean Lu helped me ignite my furnace... As you know, with the same ignition material, the igniter's strength and techniques can greatly affect the outcome," Mo Yanxue nodded.
"That's true..." Yu Xiaoyu's face fell. For the furnace, every step was crucial: the cultivator's talent, the ignition material, the ignition method, and the igniter's skills. The last step was particularly important and could be decisive. Her best friend had Dean Lu's personal help, while she could only rely on that groom... The more she thought about it, the more depressed she became.
"Your father must have his reasons for making you apprentice under Zhang Xuan. He wouldn't want someone as talented as you to have a poor start. Don't worry!" Mo Yanxue comforted her, noticing her friend's thoughts."Hopefully..." Yu Xiaoyu sighed. She bid farewell to her friend and returned to her place, only to find Adviser Liao waiting at the door.
"Miss!" Adviser Liao bowed and cupped his fists. "The City Lord asked me to bring you the ignition material: the blood of the Heaven's Fate Source Beast, Qingguang Beast!"
Yu Xiaoyu's eyes widened in shock. "Qingguang Beast blood? Isn't that even more expensive than Lingyun Beast blood, costing over 100,000 Source Coins?"
Adviser Liao nodded. "This bottle costs 300,000 Source Coins!"
Yu Xiaoyu was speechless with shock. Considering the dean had offered Zhang Xuan a salary of 5,000 Source Coins and was blocked by the elders even that, 300,000 Source Coins for a drop of blood was an astronomical price.
"Since Dad prepared such precious blood, why does he insist on having me apprentice under that groom?" Yu Xiaoyu pouted, looking very unhappy.
"The City Lord has his reasons for doing this. He asked me to tell you that you must maintain a good relationship with the groom and never look down on him," Adviser Liao carefully conveyed City Lord's instructions.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Xiaoyu said, "I won't look down on him since he helped Father tame the Cangback Eagle... Liu Mingyue told me that he's giving his first class tomorrow and will ignite the furnace for me. I'm afraid... he's just starting out and doesn't know how to properly ignite it, failing to bring out the Qingguang Beast blood's power..."
A good chef can make a delicious meal from top-quality ingredients, but a poor one will waste them. If his skills are lacking, the precious blood might be wasted.
Seeing her concern, Adviser Liao took out another jade bottle from his robe. "Miss, don't worry. The City Lord has already considered this. This is the blood of a 'Luozhi Bird.' It's somewhat similar to the Qingguang Beast's blood but is very ordinary and can't ignite a furnace at all. Tomorrow, you only need to give this blood to Teacher Zhang, follow his instructions for cultivation, and pretend that the furnace is ignited."
"Why?" Yu Xiaoyu was stunned, completely puzzled.
Pretend? That was an unusual word for the daughter of the City Lord.
Adviser Liao explained, "The first class of a new teacher is always a public lecture, demonstrating their abilities in front of many teachers and students... This is to save face for Teacher Zhang and prevent him from being embarrassed. Don't worry, the City Lord will come personally in the evening to ignite your furnace with the Qingguang Beast's blood, allowing you to truly reach the Energy Storing Realm. This is just to maintain appearances."
"Alright then!" Yu Xiaoyu nodded in satisfaction upon hearing that her father would personally come. With her father's strength surpassing even that of Dean Lu, she might surpass her best friend in absorbing Source Energy and become the top freshman.
"Also, make sure to give Teacher Zhang plenty of face. The more exaggerated your praise, the better the impression you'll leave!" Adviser Liao instructed.
"Don't worry, I understand!" Yu Xiaoyu waved her hand dismissively. Although she didn't fully understand her father's motives, she had grown up in the City Lord's mansion and had seen plenty of schemes and intrigues. Handling this situation would be a piece of cake.
"What did you say? My sister apprenticed under a auxiliary teacher who used to be a groom?" Yu Feng's eyes widened in disbelief inside his dorm room at White Rock Academy. He had been in seclusion for cultivation and missed his sister's assessment yesterday. He couldn't believe that such a major event had happened in just one day.
"Yes, that groom must have used some trick to deceive the City Lord into making this decision... As her brother, you can't let Xiaoyu suffer!" The angry voice belonged to Chen Hao, the most vocal among the students. He was the young master of the Chen family, one of the three major families.
"What exactly happened?" Yu Feng asked for a detailed account. After understanding the situation thoroughly, his eyes narrowed. "The groom you're talking about, I think I saw him yesterday. He didn't even know where the Source Pool was. He knew nothing, yet today he dares to take my sister as his apprentice. Such audacity..."
Yesterday, Yu Feng had been somewhat impressed with Zhang Xuan for standing up for his sister. Now, that impression had plummeted to rock bottom. An ignorant servant as his sister's teacher... Even if their father demanded it, how could Zhang Xuan agree?
What nerve!
"Isn't he giving a public lecture tomorrow? I'll make him understand the consequences of being a teacher without the necessary skills!" Yu Feng clenched his fists, a cold snort escaping his lips.
Chen Hao's eyes lit up. "I'll organize as many classmates as possible to attend tomorrow and embarrass him!"
"Great!" Yu Feng nodded in agreement.
In a small courtyard, Zhang Xuan sneezed. Who was thinking about him now...?
Oh well, never mind!
Remembering something, Zhang Xuan's eyes fixed straight ahead. "I only learned how to ignite a furnace for myself. I don't quite know how to do it for others. As a teacher, I can't be careless! To ensure I don't make mistakes in tomorrow's class... How about I practice on you? I'll ignite a furnace for you too."
Though not a Source Beast, the thousand-mile horse was quite close. If he could help it absorb Source Energy, it might undergo a direct transformation.
"???" Dao Li froze. Helping a horse ignite a furnace for cultivation? This was starting to seem unreliable again…