Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

Chapter 454: Chapter 198: Cheating

In the Secret Realm of the All Halls Competition at the Da Chen National Taoist School, all the middle and high-level officials had already assembled.

The National Master Cheng Yue Xiao sat in the primary seat, with the Left Libationer Meng Yanhui, the Right Libationer Song Bing, and the Supervisor Chen Liao seated to the left and right, while the Four Great Academicians and twelve Vice Academicians all sat across from them below.

Because this time, these sixteen Academicians were the ones being evaluated.

Even though the students were competing, the true subjects of evaluation were them.

This served as an assessment of the work performed by these sixteen Academicians over the past six months.

The style of the National Taoist Institute was simple and direct, including all the Academicians, whose rankings were determined based on the results of the Spring All Halls Competition.

Seated at the head of the table was Academician Fang Shihan, who, with a smile on his face, was leisurely chatting with a few other Academicians.

As a teacher, this was likely his proudest moment.

The top four seats were naturally occupied by the Four Great Academicians, with Kou Jing ranking second, the Imperial Family’s Gao Xuan as the third-rank Academician Gao, and Pan Hong as Academician Pan in fourth place, the last among the Four Great Academicians.

Among the twelve Vice Academicians, the most dazzling was surely Song Ziyue, the leader of the twelve Vice Academicians.

Counted up, Song Ziyue had already ranked fifth twice in a row, the top among the Vice Academicians.

Song Ziyue had gradually become the hot favorite to be the next Great Academician of the National Taoist Institute.

If a place among the Four Great Academians were to open up and Song Ziyue’s cultivation level broke through to the Sixth Tier, then the likelihood of Song Ziyue’s promotion to Academician would be immense.

Seated in the sixth place was Vice Academician Tang Hui, and the other Vice Academicians sat according to their rankings.

At this moment, upon seeing Liu Qingzhu arriving late, Academician Fang Shihan suddenly said in a stern voice, ”Vice Academician Liu, arriving late to an important meeting is not the way of a teacher.”

That was a reprimand!

Whether in terms of seniority, age, cultivation level, or ranking, Academician Fang had the right to reprimand Liu Qingzhu.

But regardless, considering their status, they were both colleagues, and to directly call out Liu Qingzhu in such a public setting was somewhat akin to stepping on him.

As soon as Academician Fang spoke up, all the eyes of the middle and high-level officials of the National Taoist Institute shifted to Liu Qingzhu.

Yet Liu Qingzhu acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, unheedingly taking his seat.

Next to Liu Qingzhu, Vice Academician Shen Wei even nudged him with an elbow, ”Academician Fang is talking to you.”

And in that instant, Liu Qingzhu suddenly sat upright, the listlessness vanishing in a flash, he flicked his fingertips and a point of starlight shone out, making the high hanging timekeeping clepsydra in the Secret Realm glitter brilliantly, ”Academician Fang, it’s still a few dozen breaths away from the meeting time.

Are you having trouble seeing?

I heard that the Ten Thousand Treasure Pavilion has recently made a new type of reading glasses for those with aging and blurry vision, would you like me to gift a pair to Academician Fang?”

This retort instantly energized everyone present.

One by one, eager to watch the show, they gleefully turned their attention to Academician Fang.

Academician Fang had this one flaw; he was always using his seniority to lord over others, and more than sixty percent of the Vice Academicians, instructors, and drillmasters at the National Taoist Institute had been publicly criticized by him.

In most cases, most people would swallow their anger.

Being pushovers meant smoother sailing ahead; after all, the other had greater strength, status, accomplishments, and was older, wasn’t it?

But unexpectedly, Liu Qingzhu actually talked back.

And so satisfyingly at that!

Academician Fang was also stunned by the retort!

Could it be said he was deliberately targeting Liu Qingzhu?

Actually, not at all.

He just saw that Liu Qingzhu arrived late and habitually made a critical remark; the leader of the Four Great Academicians commenting on a junior wasn’t that normal?

But, to his surprise, he had been countered.

And for the first time, publicly retorted by a junior.

Academician Fang wanted to erupt, but he had no prepared statement; he had only made an offhand comment, but Liu Qingzhu hit back calling him ”old and blurry-eyed,” and unfortunately, the time for the meeting truly was a few dozen breaths away, he did not know how to respond at the moment.

His expression darkened, eyes flashing with a sharp glint, as he rapidly considered how to deal with this disrespectful junior, Liu Qingzhu.

But to the others, it seemed that Academician Fang had been rendered speechless by Liu Qingzhu!

Who could blame him when the time was indeed a little short?

And just as the crowd was enjoying the spectacle, the on-duty Academician Kou, Academician Kou Jing, suddenly chuckled, ”I really hadn’t paid attention to the time, but since everyone is here, National Master, let us begin.”

”Very well.”

With the National Master’s slight nod, the Chief Instructor Yu Da immediately announced.

”The Autumn All Halls Competition begins; let all the disciples from the academic halls enter!”

As the Chief Instructor, Yu Da immediately notified the disciples waiting in each hall to enter the Secret Realm, and almost simultaneously, at least two thousand disciples surged into the All Halls Competition Secret Realm.

The moment these disciples started to flood into the Secret Realm, the Chief Instructor Yu Da bowed and said, ”I ask the National Master to seal off the National Taoist Institute.”

Upon hearing this, the National Master nodded slightly, his fingers flicking lightly as the Nine Bright Chime flew out from between them and disappeared.

The next moment, outside the Secret Realm, the Nine Bright Chime instantly hung high above the National Taoist Institute, rotating slowly, and the sixth bell resonated slightly, emitting a vast light shield that enveloped the entire Institute.

In an instant, the whole Da Chen National Taoist Institute was sealed off inside and out.

Simultaneously, the Chief Instructor Yu Da began to announce the next procedure.

Academician Fang was left speechless.

He was also quick-witted; in a breath or two, he thought of how to counter Liu Qingzhu and reprimand him while still having the moral high ground, but the problem was, he no longer had the chance.

With a single sentence from Academician Kou, they moved straight into the proceedings of the All Halls Competition, and with thousands of disciples entering, if he were to retort against Liu Qingzhu at this moment, it would only make him lose face further.