While strength isn't the primary criterion for becoming a teacher at Canaan Academy, lacking any real ability clearly disqualifies one from teaching so many talented young people. Canaan Academy's admission rules are extremely strict, with its own set of evaluation standards. Those who don't meet the standards, no matter how powerful their background, are not qualified to study there.
Canaan Academy's fame throughout the Dou Qi Continent stems from this; most of its graduates become powerful figures. Unlike other sects, Canaan Academy doesn't impose any restrictions on its students, allowing them complete freedom of movement—a truly peculiar practice across the Dou Qi Continent.
Investing so much resources and resources in cultivating students without binding them to the academy or restricting their freedom is akin to running a charity.
However, it is precisely because of this that Canaan Academy enjoys a good reputation throughout the Dou Qi Continent, attracting the attention of many imperial clans.
Upon hearing the gun-wielding youth's question, Yao Yan pondered for a moment before softly replying, "Strength? Currently a five-star Dou Wang. Presumably, that's enough to be a teacher at Canaan Academy."
A five-star Dou Wang?!
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as Yao Yan spoke. Many passersby looked on in astonishment, clearly not expecting this seemingly young man to be a Dou Wang-level expert. To them, a Dou Wang was already a significant figure.
Even in the Black Corner Region, a Dou Wang held considerable influence, not a lamb to the slaughter.
The gun-wielding youth's expression also turned serious. Looking at the composed Yao Yan, he solemnly stated, "I am Mu Yun, the captain of the Canaan Academy's enforcement team. I cannot answer your request. Whether to recruit a new teacher requires the decision of the inner and outer deans."
He paused.
He looked at Yao Yan and continued, "However, since you are a Dou Wang, you must be familiar with the rules of Canaan Academy. I hope you can explain your name, background, etc., so that I can inform the Dean."
Mu Yun showed a certain respect to this unfamiliar young Dou Wang.
Respecting the strong is never a shameful thing.
Yao Yan nodded slightly and said softly, "My name is Yao Yan, from Zhongzhou. I have heard about Canaan Academy since I was a child and am quite interested in it. Now that I am passing by Canaan Academy, I have come to take a look. If it is suitable, I would like to stay here for a while."
"Zhongzhou?!"
As a member of the Canaan Academy's enforcement team, one is naturally familiar with Zhongzhou. In fact, many of them have decided to go to Zhongzhou in the future. After all, the prosperous Zhongzhou is where Dou Qi cultivators should stay. Whether it is resources or other aspects, it is incomparable to other places.
Since childhood?!
Upon hearing this, the young man with the gun looked Yao Yan up and down and couldn't help but ask, "How old are you?"
"Almost eighteen~"
Yao Yan calculated the days and said.
As the words fell, silence fell. This time, no one gasped; everyone was stunned, instinctively feeling that Yao Yan was lying. How could there be such a young Dou Wang powerhouse?
Fortunately, the members of the Canaan Academy's enforcement team were no ordinary people. Many of them knew the situation in Zhongzhou. It wasn't surprising that geniuses and prodigies appeared in such a place; after all, Canaan Academy occasionally produced some freaks who reached the Dou Wang level before the age of twenty.
"...I will send someone to inform the outer academy dean. Whether or not your request is granted depends on the dean's decision,"
Mu Yun said sullenly after a moment of silence.
Facing this Dou Wang powerhouse who was even younger than himself, he felt somewhat powerless. He was several years older than the other, yet the difference in their strength was so vast. There was a Dou Ling level between a Great Dou Shi and a Dou Wang, plus the minor level difference, resulting in a difference of more than ten star levels.
This gap was insurmountable even with the help of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.
The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower could accelerate the condensation of Dou Qi, but it couldn't change a person's innate talent.
He once considered himself a genius, but after entering Canaan Academy, Mu Yun realized he was nothing special, gradually fading into obscurity. This was why he became the captain of the Enforcer Squad. Even after reaching the Great Dou Master level, his cultivation speed slowed further, and cultivation bottlenecks he once thought nonexistent gradually appeared.
Like a water tank, everyone's capacity is different; some can hold mountains and oceans, while others can't even hold a single bucket of water.
It must be admitted that people are different.
Yao Yan, of course, was unaware of the thoughts in the mind of the young man with the gun. He nodded slightly and smiled gently, "Alright, I'll wait for his reply."
As Yao Yan and Mu Yun entered Peace Town, the surrounding crowd began to whisper among themselves,
including the members of the Enforcer Squad.
"Really? A five-star Dou Wang under eighteen? Could he be aiming to break through to Dou Huang before he turns twenty? If true, all the cultivation records in the inner academy will be shattered... Wait, he's from Zhongzhou and has never used the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower for cultivation!"
One person gossiped for a bit, then suddenly realized something, their expression changing slightly.
"Don't make a fuss. Maybe he has similar methods in Zhongzhou. It's not like Canaan Academy is the only one with methods to help people cultivate. Compared to this, I'm more curious about the two deans' attitudes. If they really hire him as a teacher, will he be a Yellow Rank or a Profound Rank teacher?"
"Yao Yan? I don't remember there being a large family with the surname Yao in Zhongzhou..."
"Alright, alright, stop muttering. Get to work. A bunch of people are waiting here!"
...
Peace Town, in a courtyard.
Yao Yan followed the gun-wielding youth to Hord, the Yellow-Rank Instructor in charge of Peace Town. Hord, a man in his early thirties with a strength of around five or six stars in the Dou Ling realm, looked shocked after hearing Mu Yun's words. He sized Yao Yan up and down and couldn't help but ask, "Are you really eighteen this year?!"
Yao Yan nodded, too lazy to argue about the few months he'd been aged. Age never mattered. He hadn't come to Canaan Academy to be a teacher; his main purpose was to deal with the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade and, incidentally, devour the Fallen Heart Flame.
"...I understand your request. I'll arrange for someone to inform the Dean. You'll stay here for a while; the Dean should arrive shortly after."
Hord swallowed, calming himself, and said with feigned composure.
"It's alright, a little time won't make a difference." Yao Yan's tone was quite gentle and friendly; he always treated strangers with kindness.
Huo De personally brewed tea for Yao Yan, saying with a smile, "Since you're waiting anyway, have some tea~"
"Thank you,"
Yao Yan said politely.
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Looking at the unassuming young Dou Wang before him, Huo De could
n't help but think to himself: "As expected of a genius nurtured by a major family, his demeanor is extraordinary." As for whether the other party might be a person... that thought never even crossed Huo De's mind. Without nurturing, no matter how outstanding one's talent, it's impossible to reach the Dou Wang level at the age of eighteen. The resources required are enormous.
As a tutor at Canaan Academy, Huo De was well aware of this. If Canaan Academy didn't possess unique 'cultivation resources' like the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, it wouldn't be able to continuously train students for free.
After thinking for a moment,
Huo De asked with some curiosity, "May I ask, young friend, which family in Zhongzhou are you from?"
"It's a bit inconvenient, I'm sorry."
Yao Yan shook his head slightly, shutting down all of Huo De's curiosity with a single sentence.
Some things can't be discussed, nor can too many people know, otherwise it will only harm the other party. Because the power of the entire Dou Qi Continent on the surface is no match for the major imperial clans. To put it bluntly, whether the Dou Qi Continent is chaotic or not is entirely determined by the major imperial clans. As for the forces on the surface, they are merely more famous, like the Black List of the Black Corner Region.
Huo De wasn't angry. He nodded slightly and silently sat to one side, waiting with Yao Yan for the arrival of the Dean of Canaan Academy.
About half an hour later,
Hu Qian appeared in the courtyard. However, he came alone. As soon as he landed from the sky, his gaze curiously fixed on Yao Yan. Yao Yan was the only stranger in the room, clearly the Dou Wang genius who was not yet eighteen.
"Greetings, Dean! Yao Yan, this is the Dean of the Outer Court of Canaan Academy. Whether you can become a tutor at Canaan Academy also requires his approval."
"Alright, this is none of your business. Go out. I'll talk to him alone."
Hu Qian waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
He then stared intently at Yao Yan, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said, "Yao Yan? I've never heard of a clan or power with the surname Yao in Zhongzhou."
"Is it possible that your level isn't high enough?"
Yao Yan looked at the somewhat hot-tempered old man before him and softly stated a fact. Su Qian, the Dean of the Inner Court of Canaan Academy, should be familiar with the major imperial clans. In the original story, he had contact with the ancient clans, clearly having some understanding of them.
Of course, this understanding was probably not extensive, otherwise Su Qian's tone wouldn't have been so assertive.
Not everyone in this world has the courage to face a Dou Sheng.
It's like starting a business, only to discover that your biggest competitor is Tencent—you'd probably be dumbfounded.
"...Kid, you sure know how to talk!"
Hu Qian smirked, squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth. He'd been feeling down lately, and now he was being provoked by a kid. What did he mean by not being high enough? He was a peak nine-star Dou Huang, only one step away from Dou Zong. Even in Zhongzhou, he wasn't considered weak.
Yao Yan smiled, not bothering to argue with this 'ignorant' old man. It was pointless; he hadn't come to Canaan Academy to quarrel.
Hu Qian didn't press the issue. He looked at Yao Yan, pointed to his eyes, and said, "Kid, take off your mask. If you want to become a tutor at Canaan Academy, this kind of hiding isn't enough. Is there something you're hiding?"
"No, I'm just afraid of causing trouble."
Yao Yan shook his head slightly, reaching out to remove his mask, revealing an exceptionally handsome young face.
Hu Qian glanced at Yao Yan and fell silent, then agreed with his words, gesturing, "...Put it on. If those female students see your face, it'll probably cause a lot of trouble."
Yao Yan put the mask back on. He wasn't wearing it to hide from the Yao Clan or the Soul Palace; it was simply because his face was too beautiful, easily attracting unwanted attention, both from men and women. He actually preferred snake women like Hua She'er and Yue Mei to attract those women.
"With your strength, being a tutor at Canaan Academy wouldn't be a problem, but do you have any prior teaching experience?"
Hu Qian asked a crucial question.
"I'm a fifth-grade alchemist,"
Yao Yan said modestly. He didn't reveal his seventh-grade alchemist identity, because that was too explosive and could easily cause turmoil throughout Canaan Academy and the Black Corner Region. If things didn't go smoothly and instead attracted the Soul Palace and Hun Xuzi, the trouble would be immense; even Yao Lao might end up serving time at the Soul Palace.
Hu Qian was stunned upon hearing this, then rushed towards Yao Yan, exclaiming in shock, "You said you're a fifth-grade alchemist?!"
"Pfft~"
Yao Yan didn't argue, raising his hand to summon the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. The azure flame, tinged with a faint golden halo, flickered in his palm. Because of his control, it emitted almost no heat, appearing almost like an illusion. Only the constantly distorting space around him proved the flame's reality.
"This is..." Hu Qian stared intently at the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in Yao Yan's palm, somewhat uncertain.
"The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Strange Flame Ranking,"
Yao Yan explained. There was no need to hide this; partly because he would definitely be refining pills in the future, and partly to lower Hu Qian's guard. As everyone knew, an alchemist couldn't possess two strange flames simultaneously. Compared to the students of Canaan Academy, he was ultimately an outsider, and an alchemist at that, easily arousing the academy's suspicion.
"A real strange fire..."
Hu Qian murmured to himself. This was only the second time he had seen a strange fire. Rumor had it that Han Feng had obtained the Sea Heart Flame, but he had never interacted with Han Feng and naturally had never seen what the so-called Sea Heart Flame looked like.
"With my skill level, teaching alchemy shouldn't be a problem,"
Yao Yan said softly.
"Alright, I agree. You will come with me to the inner courtyard of Canaan Academy. Let's first meet the Grand Elder of the inner courtyard. If he agrees, this matter can be settled!"
Hu Qian took a deep breath, then nodded, agreeing. He had no reason to refuse.
(End of Chapter)