Chapter 51: Lessons and Examinations

As Jin Rui and his six companions from the Sancai Academy arrived, the crowd instinctively cleared a path about a meter wide. Whispers rippled through the onlookers as they speculated about the identity of this mysterious Xuan Island Foundation Chamber of Commerce. It was not just the various political dignitaries of Dongkou City who had come; even the three founders of the Sancai Academy had made an appearance. Moreover, they had not sent just one representative—all three had come in person, accompanied by four other high-ranking members of the academy, who were more familiar faces to the public.

"Island Master Tang, congratulations!" Jin Rui stepped forward and said to Tang Yi, "Please accept this modest gift as a token of my sincerity." He then produced a small brocade box from his robes and presented it to Tang Yi. The other six followed suit, each offering a small box to congratulate him on the store's opening. Afterward, they exchanged pleasantries with the government officials who had also come to celebrate. Originally, these officials had attended primarily out of obligation, having accepted gifts from Liu Mingde and his associates—after all, it is hard to be critical when you have taken someone's hand in profit. However, seeing the three great founders of the Sancai Academy present shifted their perspective. They realized that the Xuan Island Chamber of Commerce was far more than just a business; anyone capable of drawing all three founders at once must possess formidable martial strength. One by one, they set aside their initial condescension.

Before long, all the expected guests had arrived. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and fireworks display were quite lively. The opening ritual was vastly different from the traditions of Menglan Star, which struck the locals as highly novel. In particular, the spacious store layout, modeled after a self-service supermarket, allowed customers to browse freely—a stark contrast to the traditional sales models of the region. Furthermore, the promotional tactics introduced by Tang Yi had the onlookers scrambling, each desperate not to miss out on such a rare opportunity to snag a bargain.

The main store was stocked with various specialties from the other six nations of the Central Continent, as well as unique goods from other lands. Naturally, items of significant value were protected by array formations for display purposes; they could not be stolen through conventional means unless one resorted to brute force. When a customer wished to purchase a high-value item, they simply needed to provide the name at the counter.

Because Tang Yi’s promotional methods were unprecedented on Menglan Star, the response was exceptionally enthusiastic. Even the noble houses, which had originally dismissed the store as an unheard-of newcomer, became intrigued upon hearing that the Sancai Academy founders were present. The allure of the new promotional schemes—especially the lucky draw for purchases exceeding a certain amount—was irresistible. The grand prize was a top-tier set of equipment commissioned by the Xuan Island Foundation, known as the "Sancai Set," designed to be suitable for warriors, mages, and Taoists alike. While this set was only truly peak-tier for those below the advanced levels of their respective professions, it remained highly attractive.

By the way, the professional ranking system on Menglan is as follows: Mages are divided into Mage Apprentice, Junior Mage, Intermediate Mage, Senior Mage, Grand Mage, Magus, Grand Magus, Mage Mentor, Grand Mage Mentor, Mage Grandmaster, and Saint Mage. Similarly, Warriors are divided into Warrior Apprentice, Junior Warrior, Intermediate Warrior, Senior Warrior, Grand Warrior, War-Magus, Grand War-Magus, Warrior Mentor, Grand Warrior Mentor, Warrior Grandmaster, and Saint Warrior. Taoists are divided into Taoist Apprentice, Junior Taoist, Intermediate Taoist, Senior Taoist, Grand Taoist, Taoist Mentor, Grand Taoist Mentor, Taoist Master, Grand Taoist Master, Taoist Grandmaster, and Saint Taoist. Each rank is further subdivided into three levels. If ranked numerically, apprentices are levels one to three, juniors are four to six, and so on, with Saint-level ranks spanning levels thirty-one to thirty-three.

The three founders of Sancai Academy had all reached the Grandmaster level. The highest among them was Du Licheng, who had focused on deep cultivation and had only just reached the third level of Taoist Grandmaster ten years prior. The other two were still hovering at the second level of the Grandmaster rank.

After the ceremony, Tang Yi invited the guests to the backyard hall for a meal. As soon as Du Licheng entered, his eyes lit up. He had spotted two people: Zhang Sanfeng and his disciple. Zhang Cuishan appeared young—by Menglan Star standards, he was about three hundred years old—yet he had already reached the Mentor level, which was level twenty-two; he was truly a genius. As for Zhang Sanfeng, Du Licheng could not discern his level, but he was certain it was far higher than his own. Could he be a Saint-level two? Both men were dressed similarly to Du Licheng. Seeing Du Licheng’s gaze, Zhang Sanfeng walked over to meet him.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Du Licheng. If you have time, perhaps you could visit my residence so I may play the proper host?" Du Licheng invited him directly.

"Haha, of course, that would be no problem. I have heard of you from Island Master Tang. You may call me Zhang Sanfeng. I will certainly find time to visit your Sancai Academy. Please!" As Zhang Sanfeng spoke, the banquet began. Originally, Zhang Sanfeng had been in seclusion, but Tang Yi had insisted on dragging him out, knowing that a grand opening ceremony was all the better for having more guests.

Three days later, the Sancai Comprehensive Academy opened its doors. Tang Yi donned his new Sancai uniform and, following the classroom signs, headed to the first-level Mage class. Upon entering, he was stunned to find the room filled entirely with eight- or nine-year-old children.

"Good grief..." Feeling helpless, Tang Yi went straight to find Yi Wu. Arriving at the dean's office, he saw Yi Wu fiddling with something on his desk. Tang Yi chuckled; Yi Wu was examining the base of a small anti-theft array formation he had insisted on taking from Tang Yi’s shop the day before. It seemed Yi Wu was quite interested in array formations.

"Dean Yi, Tang Yi has a report to make!" Tang Yi suddenly announced loudly.

"Whoa! You scared the life out of me. Student Tang, it is class time. Why are you here instead of in your lesson?" Yi Wu asked, sounding annoyed.

"I have a grievance. Why have you placed me in a class with a bunch of ten-year-old brats?" Tang Yi asked, his expression showing his displeasure.

"Eh, well, you have never been exposed to these things, so you must start from the beginning. Besides, you were the one who said you didn't want any special treatment, so I had to arrange for you to start in the first-level class."

"According to what you said, does that mean if I pass the first-level examination, I can move directly to the second-level class?"

"You could say that."

"Very well. I want to take the first-level examinations for all three professions. Please make the arrangements, Dean Yi!"

"What? You want to take the exams right now?" Yi Wu stood up abruptly from his chair.