Chapter 485: Saint-tier Cultivation Art Obtained!
The darkness illusion in front of Sun Mo was a bald monk with burned marks on its forehead. It was also wearing a kasaya [1], so the original monk might be one of a minor Elder ranking.
“He should be a martial monk!”
Sun Mo guessed. It was because this guy was too strong. He was two meters tall and was filled with bulging muscles. It was apparent from his figure that his body was filled with explosive strength.
In Sun Mo’s heart, there were two types of monks. One was those who had lost themselves to wine and meat, being fat with big ears. The other type was prestigious monks who were all skin and bones but carried a spiritual disposition.
This martial monk wasn’t using any weapons. However, he was holding onto a big chain of Buddhist prayer beads, each the size of a walnut. They looked like they were made from some kind of metal.
If one was smashed by it, their brain juice would splatter everywhere!
Sun Mo performed the Wind King Divine Steps when the Buddhist prayer beads smashed into the ground.
Bang!
Slight cracks appeared on the floor and some fragmented rock pieces that were the size of sunflower seeds splattered out. It hurt a little when they hit Sun Mo’s face.
“Shouldn’t votaries be benevolent? Why did he use such a dangerous weapon?”
Sun Mo retaliated with a blade attack.
Eighteen Words Order!
Pa pa pa!
The wooden blade tapped consecutively, finally hitting the chest of the martial monk’s illusion after 13 taps. A series of golden pages immediately bounced out from its head.
“What the?”
Sun Mo felt excited and attacked even faster!
An Xinhui stood in front of Li Ziqi, protecting her. After all, this was the first time they were using the darkness illusions. It’d be over if any mishaps were to happen.
However, An Xinhui’s worries were clearly excessive.
“These illusions look really real! It’s as if they are alive!”
Li Ziqi exclaimed. That martial monk really didn’t have any flaws, other than not having any expressions. Even though it was just an illusion, it emitted a powerful and majestic disposition, as if it was enveloped in Buddha’s aura.
Sun Mo was very enthusiastic about the fight, but his hit rate was very low. Moreover, his damaging prowess against the martial monk’s illusion was close to none. This guy was too tough.
The sandalwood blade didn’t even leave a scar when it hit. It was just like scratching an itch.
Thankfully, the pages kept on flying out.
The martial monk didn’t have any consciousness and only had battle instincts left in it. At the sight of this scene, it suddenly performed its greatest technique. As a result, the Buddhist prayer beads scattered away with a slap, shooting out toward Sun Mo like missiles.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The prayer beads splattered out.
Sun Mo immediately backed off, wanting to draw his distance away. However, the prayer beads had already appeared in front of him. Because of it, Sun Mo swung his blade to block them, but these prayer beads could somehow move and avoid the wooden blade.
“Huh?”
Li Ziqi gasped.
An Xinhui’s countenance also changed. With a flash, she appeared next to Sun Mo and swung her hand.
“I’m fine, there’s no need for you to interfere!”
Sun Mo bellowed.
Invulnerable Golden Body!
Pa pa pa!
Half of the prayer beads hit Sun Mo while the remaining ones suddenly disappeared. When they appeared again, their directions had changed and they were hitting the martial monk’s illusion.
“I’m sorry!”
An Xinhui apologized.
(Damn it, I should have trusted Sun Mo. Wouldn’t making a move so recklessly make him feel that I was belittling him?)
“Little Momo, I’m just con... concerned about you!”
An Xinhui explained.
“I know.”
Sun Mo smiled. If it was another guy with overwhelming pride, they’d definitely get angry to be protected by a woman. However, Sun Mo didn’t care about that. His pride was unharmed.
An Xinhui smiled, heaving a strong sigh of relief in her heart. She then assessed Sun Mo, feeling very surprised.
“Why does this move look like The Skyraise Academy’s Grand Universe Formless Divine Art? No, that can’t be. How could Sun Mo learn their school’s ultimate divine art?”
An Xinhui was bewildered.
“Move away first. We’ll talk after I take care of this illusion!”
Sun Mo made a move once again, this time being a lot more careful.
The cultivation arts in Middle-Earth Nine Provinces were segregated into saint, heaven, and earth-tier. Each tier was then further segregated into inferior-grade, average-grade, superior-grade, and peerless-grade!
This Putuo Heart Sutra was clearly the greatest treasure of the monastery that the martial monk came from. Its prowess was extremely powerful and this martial monk was also very skilled in its practice.
This was definitely a top-notch sparring opponent.
15 minutes later, the martial monk’s illusion disappeared.
“Teacher, are you alright?”
The little sunny egg immediately went over and looked at Sun Mo with concern in her eyes, checking to see if he was injured.
“I’m fine!”
Sun Mo watched as those golden pages came flying over, condensing into a book and floating in front of him.
Ding!
“Congratulations, you’ve obtained one-third of the saint-tier cultivation art, the Putuo Heart Sutra!”
An Xinhui’s gaze flickered, filled with excitement. “With such an expert as a sparring opponent, the battle prowess of our school’s teachers and students would improve rapidly.
“It’s such a pity. If only we can learn these illusions’ cultivation arts.”
An Xinhui felt very regretful about this.
“Be satisfied with what we have!”
Sun Mo consoled her but felt an elated feeling as if he had picked up a treasure. His Immemorial Vairocana was really amazing. To think that it could even hit out the cultivation arts of the darkness illusions. How amazing would he become if he managed to learn all of them?
“You’re right. I was too greedy.”
An Xinhui smiled in self-mockery then looked toward Sun Mo. “Little Momo, I really have to thank you this time. This darkness illusion dojo will become the greatest asset of our Central Province Academy.”
“That’s right!”
Jin Mujie walked over. However, she was panting vigorously, her chest undulating and her face flushing. People who didn’t know better might think she had just done an unspeakable act.
Sun Mo swore that he’d definitely not lend his blood to this woman again in the future.
“Immediately call up the outstanding students and start a special training. My goal for this year’s league tournament test was initially to remain in ‘C’ grade, but now, I think we can strive for the ‘B’ grade.”
Jin Mujie swung her fist then teased Sun Mo. “I won’t be saying thanks. You’re half the owner of the school anyway!”
An Xinhui lowered her head, her face flushed up. However, she didn’t retort.
“Are there anything else up there?”
Jin Mujie was curious.
“They are still in the midst of construction!”
Sun Mo shrugged. “I’ll spar with that martial monk again.”
Sun Mo wanted to hit out the entire set of the Putuo Heart Sutra.
Jin Mujie wanted to borrow Sun Mo’s blood but felt too embarrassed to ask. (Sigh! This is so vexing. If only Sun Mo was my man, I’d be able to get his blood any time I want. I can just let him sleep with me a few times in exchange! Wait a minute, if he was my husband, then I’d be able to admire his bones every day. It wouldn’t be overboard to ask for a pinky finger bone for my collection, right?)
Of course, Jin Mujie only thought about this. After all, she wasn’t really a full-blown pervert... yet.
Sun Mo kept having the feeling that Jin Mujie’s gaze wasn’t right. It was as if she was looking at a sumptuous meal.
“Then we’ll be heading down first!”
An Xinhui was very busy. After all, the student recruitment season was coming again.
“Oh right, have you guys heard of the place called Greenhaze Forest?”
Sun Mo recalled this. “It should be somewhere in the Darkness Continent!”
“No!”
Jin Mujie shook her head resolutely.
“I haven’t either. Do you need help to find out about it?”
An Xinhui asked.
“Just try to find out from some trustworthy friends.”
Sun Mo was worried that the secret would be leaked.
An Xinhui and Jin Mujie quickly left. Sun Mo called out the martial monk’s illusion once again. This time around, he changed his battle tactic. He dragged out the battle, finding chances to attack and hit out the cultivation art.
Two hours later, the system’s notification rang out.
Ding!
“Congratulations, you’ve obtained inferior-grade saint-tier Putuo Heart Sutra. Would you like to learn it?”
“Learn!”
After Sun Mo said that, the skill book shattered, turning into light and gushing into his forehead. Then, countless sutra lines appeared in his mind, and the sound of chantings rang in his ears as well.
Sun Mo instantly felt abstemious as if he had attained enlightenment!
Ding!
“Congratulations, you’ve learned the Putuo Heart Sutra. Elementary-grade!”
Sun Mo wanted to smash in a few time emblems, raising it to the expert-grade. However, he decided to give up on this thought after some hesitation. After all, he still had to return 190,000 favorable impression points this year.
...
Guan Shan ended his work for the day and went home. He saw his wife was hosting Sun Mo and this made his countenance turn grim.
“Teacher Sun, you aren’t welcomed here!”
Guan Shan’s tone was filled with hostility.
“Is your wife not welcomed as well?”
Sun Mo teased.
Guan Shan’s eyes squinted. “What do you mean by that?”
“Let’s have a talk, shall we?”
Sun Mo smiled. “I’ll have to trouble you, Elder Sister!”
“I’m already in my forties. You should be calling me Aunty!”
Guan Shan’s wife felt very happy inside. This young man had a glib tongue and was An Xinhui’s fiancé. If they could get into a good relationship with him, then her husband’s life in the school would be better in the future, right?
“Elder sister sounds better!”
Sun Mo said politely.
“You should go out first!”
Guan Shan asked his wife to leave then sat down. “If you’re here to persuade me to betray Zhang Hanfu, then it’s best for you to give up!”
“Aren’t you going to listen to my plan?”
Sun Mo smiled and asked. Before Guan Shan could refuse, he said, “The reason you guys are going on strike and having a demonstration isn’t just because of Zhang Hanfu’s words, but more of because you guys are afraid. The Central Province Academy has advanced in grade, and a lot of you won’t be able to keep up with the school’s pace. You’re worried that your contract won’t be renewed and you might even be fired. Therefore, you guys got together to ask for a raise in salary, wanting to sign a new contract.”
“After all, if a new contract is signed, there’d be no way to fire you without having to pay a penalty fee. Moreover, there is power in numbers. You guys are putting the bet on An Xinhui not daring to fire all of you. After all, the school wouldn’t have sufficient teachers, and the operations would be suspended then.”
Sun Mo took a sip of tea.
“Hmph!”
Guan Shan let out a cold snort. (A member of the management with a normal level of intelligence would be able to guess this reason. However, you won’t be able to resolve it because this is an open scheme.)
“I want to say that you guys really have a strong sense of awareness. After I’m done resolving the problems in the logistics department, I’m planning to deal with the teachers next. It was just delayed because I had to participate in the examinations.”
Sun Mo’s words caused Guan Shan’s heart to skip a beat. This meant that Sun Mo was prepared for this.
“I’ve obtained the name list of the great teachers that were going on strike. Half of them are people related to you guys, people who are old and are just dawdling their life away, as well as people without good teaching capabilities. I don’t want all of them. As for the remaining half, there are some people that I want and some that I’ll be eliminating gradually. However, they’ll be an interim measure before new teachers are recruited!”
Sun Mo said.
“That’s so brutal!”
Guan Shan stared at Sun Mo. “Aren’t you scared of spoiling the Central Province Academy’s reputation by doing this?”
“Hehe, reputation is earned with strength and not the mouth. As long as the Central Province Academy continues to advance, do you think people will care about you guys?”
Sun Mo sneered, “Don’t go thinking that just because An Xinhui is soft-hearted and cares about old ties so you can make use of her without any restraint. I’m a cold-blooded guy.
“Oh right, after firing you guys, I’ll be able to save a large sum of money. This money will be used on the existing teachers, pushing a wave of promotions and salary raises. Teacher Guan, do you wish to get a ten-year contract and become one of them?”
Sun Mo offered him a choice.
Guan Shan fell silent. Sun Mo’s intention was very clear. He’d either scram or become his supporter, helping him to take care of Zhang Hanfu.
After all, Guan Shan was the one who had contacted a large portion of teachers going on strike.
“Teacher Guan, to tell you the truth, given your capabilities, you won’t be able to establish a standing in the Central Province Academy. The reason I’m giving you a ten-year contract is because I want to see your performance this time around. Once you’re fired, I can also resolve this crisis. It’d just take a little more time and effort!”
Sun Mo leaned against the chair and sipped on the tea slowly.
“You’re a smart guy. You should know that if these people aren’t gotten rid of, the Central Province Academy will never be competitive. On the contrary, if they are gone, we’ll have hopes of striving for the ‘B’ grade or even ‘A’ grade.
“Oh right, pardon me for being blunt, but after you’re fired by the school, you won’t be able to get such a good contract for your next job.”
Guan Shan’s lips twitched. Sun Mo’s words might sound very harsh, making him out to be very useless. However, he had to admit that what Sun Mo said was true.
A large part of the great teachers who took part in this strike felt a sense of crisis. After all, the school’s quota for great teachers was limited. If they wished to recruit good teachers, then they’d have to fire the mediocre ones.
“Do you know what’s Zhang Hanfu’s greatest shortcoming?”
Sun Mo asked.
Guan Shan couldn’t help but sigh. He knew that Sun Mo had grabbed onto Zhang Hanfu’s greatest weakness.
“His level is too low. Do you know this? When we were taking part in the league tournament in White Dew City, the other headmasters couldn’t be bothered to talk to him. If a person like him were to take charge of the Central Province Academy, what future do you think the school would have? The school would definitely have its grade lowered and its title removed within two years. Even if you guys got to stay in the school, what meaning would there be to it?”
Sun Mo put down the teacup and got up. “Think about it carefully. Why did the old headmaster choose Zhang Hanfu to support An Xinhui? Isn’t it because he has capabilities, but his star level is low?
“An Xinhui is very naive. She wants to rely on her own capabilities to protect this school. If she puts her face aside and looks for the old headmaster’s friends to get their help, how do you think things will turn out?”
Sun Mo let out a heavy sigh, picked up his teacup, then emptied it in one go.
“Teacher Guan, I’ve met your son before. His aptitude isn’t bad!”
Sun Mo left. However, Guan Shan was shocked speechless.
As a smart person, Guan Shan understood what Sun Mo’s words meant. If he didn’t listen to Sun Mo, Sun Mo would get his wife to go to the Saint Gate to create a ruckus.
To an ordinary person, having a concubine or a mistress wasn’t anything serious. However, to a great teacher, it’d spoil their reputation.
If that were to happen, it’d be very difficult for him to find work in another school. The better the school, the more they wouldn’t allow their reputations to be tainted.
...
The morning sun shone down. A new day had arrived.
Lian Zheng’s voice rang throughout the entire school using the sound amplification stone.
“All teachers and students, please head to the auditorium. There’ll be an announcement of a great piece of news!”
Zhang Hanfu, who was seated at his office desk, looked up and couldn’t help but sneer. (Great news? I’ll make sure that you guys won’t be able to smile later!)
[1] The robes of fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns, named after a brown or saffron dye.