Douro Continent

Chapter 374 Liu Erlong, the Schemed One (Part 2)

The five barracks were in a separate courtyard. Tang San had just put down his luggage and came out to stretch his body when he saw the arrival of these two people.

"Hello Uncle Ning, Your Highness, what brings you here?"

The person who came with Ning Fengzhi was none other than Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire.

Xue Qinghe was dressed in ordinary aristocratic clothing, without any particularly luxurious attire. He looked like an ordinary nobleman, especially standing next to the elegant Ning Fengzhi, where he seemed more like an accessory than an eye-catcher.

If Tang San hadn't met him before, he would never have thought he had such a noble status.

Xue Qinghe smiled gently, "Brother Tang, isn't it you who's here? I'm honored to come with my father to watch the qualifying matches, and I thought I'd drop by to see you. How are you? Are you comfortable here? If you're not, I'll have someone move you to another place."

Tang San quickly shook his head and said, "No need to trouble yourself, this place is already very fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Xue Qinghe frowned slightly and said, "Brother Tang, please don't address me as 'Crown Prince.' I'm a few years older than you, so if you don't mind, just call me Brother Xue. How about I just call you by your name?"

Tang San had a rather favorable impression of Xue Qinghe, who was worlds apart from his younger brother Xue Beng. Although Xue Qinghe was young, he was very shrewd. However, on the surface, he gave off a very comfortable feeling.

He not only lacked any airs of a prince, but his approachable demeanor made him easy to accept. Although he clearly intended to recruit Tang San, he did not force him.

"Alright, Brother Xue. I'll call you that from now on. Please, come inside and have a seat." Tang San quickly invited Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi to the barracks.

Ning Fengzhi smiled and shook his head, saying, "We won't sit down, we just came to visit. Where's Rongrong? I've missed her quite a while now."

"Dad." Ning Rongrong's voice rang out at the right time, and her pretty figure ran out of the barracks. "Why are you here?" She rushed straight into Ning Fengzhi's arms, looking excited.

At this moment, everyone else also came out of the room. Xue Qinghe gestured for Tang San to be quiet, and Tang San immediately understood, realizing that he didn't want to reveal his identity. Naturally, it wasn't convenient to introduce himself.

Flanders and the master came forward, "Sect Master Ning, greetings."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Dean Flander, we were just passing by and heard that you had already checked in, so we thought we'd drop by to see you. We also have a favor to ask."

"Oh? Sect Leader Ning, please speak." Flander looked at this influential figure from one of the seven major sects with some surprise. He didn't understand why he would come to him for help.

Ning Fengzhi said, "Rongrong has benefited greatly from the care and guidance of the Dean and teachers at your esteemed academy, and her strength has improved by leaps and bounds, far surpassing what she was like back in the sect. It seems that the education system within my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School still has significant problems. Therefore, I would like to send some of our sect's young disciples to Shrek Academy when your academy starts next semester. I wonder if that would be convenient?"

"What?" Flander thought he had misheard. Compared to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Shrek Academy's status was far inferior. He never expected Ning Fengzhi to make such a request. "Sect Master Ning, isn't this inappropriate? How can our academy compare to your sect's education?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "There's nothing inappropriate about it. Isn't Rongrong the best example? I'll just say it directly: my decision to send my sect's disciples to your academy is mainly because of Master. I believe that Master's ability to teach disciples is second to none on the entire continent, and I myself am humbled by his knowledge."

Flander then realized that, indeed, although the master was known for his theories, his reputation in the Soul Master world mainly came from the trinity of their Golden Iron Triangle.

However, as Tang San began to distinguish himself, Ning Fengzhi, being a discerning person, naturally understood that this was inextricably linked to the teachings of the Grandmaster. Since the Grandmaster could cultivate one genius, he could naturally cultivate a second, a third, or even more. Ning Fengzhi truly lived up to his reputation as one of the three sect leaders; his far-sightedness earned him secret admiration from Flander.

The master's expression shifted, and he was about to say something when he saw Flander's pleading gaze, and his words were immediately swallowed back. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could cooperate with Shrek Academy, it would be of great significance to the future development of Shrek Academy.

With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School supporting it, Shrek Academy will undoubtedly rise to the level of a famous academy on the continent immediately.

Although the master was unwilling to be entangled in worldly affairs, he couldn't bear to refuse again when he thought of everything Flander had done for him and Liu Erlong over the years. He could only acquiesce.

Ning Fengzhi seemed oblivious to the difficulty on Grandmaster's face, and smiled at Flander, saying, "I'll discuss the specific details of the cooperation with the Dean after the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament concludes. The qualifying tournament is a stage to showcase individual strength and the best opportunity to train these children. Here, I wish Shrek Academy the best of luck in achieving great results."

Flanders quickly thanked him.

At this moment, Xue Qinghe said, "Teacher, it's getting late, we should go."

Flander turned his gaze to Xue Qinghe, "May I ask who this gentleman is?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "He is my disciple, named Xue Qinghe."

Xue Qinghe bowed to Flander and said, "Hello, Dean Flander."

Flander was a worldly-wise man. Although Xue Qinghe's clothes were not particularly outstanding, his demeanor was something that ordinary nobles could not possess. But he naturally wouldn't expose anything, and simply returned the greeting with a smile and a nod to Xue Qinghe.

Ning Rongrong said somewhat discontentedly, "Dad, you're leaving so soon after you just arrived! It's a pity I'm a support class, so I can't play in the promotion matches. Otherwise, I would definitely show you my current strength."

Ning Fengzhi chuckled and said, "No need to look. How could I not trust you with Dean Flander and the others? Keep up the good work; you are the future hope of the sect. I've discussed it with the elders, and once you graduate from Shrek Academy, we will officially announce you as the next sect leader."

Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue, clearly not very interested in the position of sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Ning Fengzhi's face hardened. "This is your inescapable responsibility. You're my only daughter. If the sect doesn't entrust you with the responsibility, who else will? You don't need to be dissatisfied. With my current health, I can easily last for several more decades. Isn't that enough for you to enjoy?"

Ning Rongrong's face flushed red when her father saw through her thoughts, but she felt no joy. Subconsciously, her gaze drifted to the side and landed on Oscar not far away, a feeling of unease rising within her.

Although she had decided to tell Oscar about the sect's rules after this competition, for some reason, as time went on, she found that her courage was dwindling.

Since she agreed to give Oscar a chance, he has been training relentlessly every day for nearly six months. His talent has gradually become apparent. He's been less playful and carefree, but his skills have truly improved.

The speed of his advancement surprised even the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster had said that Oscar would be the second person after Tang San to reach level forty-two.

As a food-type Soul Master, his improvement speed is even faster than Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun, which can only mean that he works harder than others.

Ning Fengzhi bid farewell to Flanders and the master once again.

"Goodbye, Tang San. I'll be waiting to see you in the promotion tournament." Xue Qinghe also greeted Tang San, and the two of them walked out of the courtyard accompanied by the others.

Back at the camp, Flandre pulled Tang San aside and asked, "San, who was that person next to Ning Fengzhi just now? Was he a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?"

Tang San was startled, thinking to himself, "Old foxes are indeed cunning." He thought, "He is the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. I've met him once before."

Flander's eyes flickered slightly, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "It seems that with your emergence, Shrek Academy is really going to benefit greatly."

Unlike the preliminary rounds, which have multiple arenas running simultaneously, the qualifying rounds are held in a single venue: the Royal Knights' Grand Training Ground.

A total of fifteen teams will participate in the qualifying rounds, playing fourteen rounds of a round-robin tournament, one round per day, with one team having a bye each day and playing seven matches. All matches will be held in the same venue.

The training ground has been renovated, with a 100-meter-diameter area in the center designated as the competition arena. Compared to the preliminary rounds, this space is much larger, making it easier to showcase one's abilities.

On the north side of the training ground, a temporary VIP seating area, which also served as the referee's table, was set up facing south. This time, there weren't as many VIPs as last time.

There were far fewer nobles. Looking around, apart from Emperor Xueye, Ning Fengzhi, and Platinum Bishop Salas in the first row, the seats in the back were occupied by people dressed as military officers and some high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall and the Spirit Temple of the Heaven Dou City.

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(End of this chapter)