Lu Mingfei starts from Douluo

"Young people these days are so impetuous. You've only been here a short time, how come you've already been led astray..."

In the Academic Affairs Office, Lu Mingfei and Li Lan sat on chairs with bitter faces, while Director Lin, sitting in front of the desk, clasped his hands and rested his chin on his hand, earnestly advising them.

The corridor is right outside the window of the Academic Affairs Office. Behind the blinds, you can vaguely see the college teachers walking by. They can't help but shake their heads and sigh when they see two dejected students in the director's office, but they don't stop to watch as if it's commonplace. They just carry their lesson plans and walk away slowly.

In their academy, there are no students who can be called easy to deal with. If you randomly pick one and reprimand them, you will never be wronged.

While Director Lin was nagging, Lu Mingfei would often drift off into his own thoughts. Back in Shilan, he would often be called to the office by his teachers and scolded. He would always try to distract himself and not let those words get to him or make him feel uncomfortable.

"What a lovely day," Lu Mingfei thought. Sunlight streamed into the room, and the air was filled with golden dust, as if something heavy had been pulled away. The warm atmosphere made him feel drowsy.

The entire campus seemed to be in a dreamlike state of afternoon nap. The sound of cicadas could be heard, but it wasn't noisy; it just made people feel even more drowsy.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Go back now, and don't let me see you in a place like that again, especially you, Li Lan. Don't think I don't know it was your idea!"

"Understood... Thank you, Director." Li Lan sighed with relief, opened the door to let Lu Mingfei out first, and then smiled and nodded at the old man behind the desk as if begging for forgiveness before closing the door completely.

After slinking out of the academic affairs office, the two finally straightened their heads and puffed out their chests a little.

As the old saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet," let alone in this noble academy where almost everyone is lawless. Lu Mingfei only went to the Great Soul Arena twice and it became a hot news story.

Moreover, what spread was not Lu Mingfei's heroic figure in defeating a powerful enemy, but the news that Li Lan, an inconspicuous figure in the academy, had made a fortune with a few friends.

Lu Mingfei then learned the truth. No wonder Li Lan, a minor nobleman from the countryside, was able to put up a thousand gold soul coins on the first night. It turned out that she had raised funds from her friends.

So a few days ago, one of his friends got carried away after drinking and revealed the truth. When the news reached Director Lin's ears, his heart felt like it had been set on fire, burning with pain.

According to him, Li Lan was one of the few honest and good students in the academy, while Lu Mingfei was an outstanding student with exceptional talent. How come the two of them suddenly became accomplices after they got together?

Here, Lu Mingfei is specifically criticized. He's only been here a short time, how come he's already picked up the bad habits of the nobility and gone astray?

When Lu Mingfei heard this, he really wanted to refute it. Li Lan may look like she has thick eyebrows and big eyes, but her honesty is all an act. In fact, she is full of tricks.

I was only temporarily blinded by the allure of the world, but I have made up my mind to mend my ways.

However, although he didn't know the whole story, he had taken the lion's share, so he had no choice but to admit his mistake.

"I have to say, you're incredibly audacious. Borrowing money to gamble, aren't you afraid of losing everything?" Lu Mingfei said, still shaken, after walking a bit further away.

"What do you mean I'm bold? I mean I have unwavering faith in you, Boss." Li Lan nudged Lu Mingfei's shoulder, clearly knowing his mistake but not admitting it. Then, as if remembering something, he scratched his head and said, "But we really shouldn't go anytime soon. I bet several people in the academy are eyeing you, Boss. If you take advantage of them a few more times, the Great Soul Arena will take notice."

The odds in the Grand Arena are adjusted based on the win rate. If he wins a few more matches, the odds will only decrease. Unless he throws the matches, he will only earn less and less in the future.

Lu Mingfei nodded. He had the same idea. Anyway, he wasn't short of money. As for practical experience, the Great Soul Arena couldn't satisfy him. He should just focus on cultivating for a while and calm his mind.

-

Days passed, and Lu Mingfei returned to his previous life of only cultivating and studying. Except for going out to pick up the suit he had ordered, he never stepped out of the academy gates again.

Until the day of the celebration two months later.

Early in the morning, Lu Mingfei put on his custom-made suit and rushed to the school gate. The royal guard's convoy was already waiting there, along with carriages from other families, who also seemed to be heading to the palace for a banquet.

The avalanche arrived late, and its expression upon seeing Lu Mingfei clearly made it very uncomfortable.

"Oh, I heard you're doing quite well at the academy." Looking at Lu Mingfei's cheap suit, he chuckled contemptuously and stepped onto the carriage.

It was common knowledge that Lu Mingfei had participated in the Great Soul Arena battles. In the upper-class noble circles, this was actually a despised behavior. Most nobles valued their reputation the most, and going to the Great Soul Arena to show their faces and fight in the arena was something that only people from the lower class would do.

"Your Highness is joking." Lu Mingfei chuckled awkwardly, not caring at all. It would be strange if someone like Xue Beng, with his playboy persona, could speak properly.

Once seated in the carriage, Xue Beng closed his eyes to rest, no longer provoking Lu Mingfei, who was naturally happy to have some peace and quiet.

Having not left the school for two months, he was actually feeling a bit restless and kept looking out the window.

Soon the carriage entered Tiandou City, and Xue Beng opened his eyes upon hearing the sound.

"Stay close to me after we enter the palace, and don't wander off," Xue Beng said.

"Of course." Lu Mingfei nodded. This was the imperial palace. He hadn't even had a chance to visit the Forbidden City before he was going to visit the imperial palace of another world.

The main road of Tiandou City is extremely wide, and it is more than enough to accommodate ten eight-wheeled carriages traveling side by side. After another half hour, the outline of the Tiandou Imperial Palace was already in sight.

Just as they were about to reach the palace gate, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Avalanche asked, pulling back the curtain.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's carriage has stopped ahead," the captain of the guards announced.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? Lu Mingfei's eyes widened. This was currently the number one sect on the continent, and it had close ties with the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The person who came today must be the Crown Prince's teacher, Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the number one support soul master on the continent.

No wonder even the Royal Guard had to give way to the other carriage.

Upon hearing that they were from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Xue Beng quickly dismounted from the carriage, and Lu Mingfei followed suit.

However, as soon as Lu Mingfei got off the carriage, he saw a familiar, thin, bamboo-like figure.

"Wow." Lu Mingfei was shocked. This coincidence was a bit too much, wasn't it?

Three figures alighted from the carriage of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

"Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo, are you well? And Rongrong, how are you?" Xue Beng bowed to the three of them with a smile on his face.

"Prince Avalanche, it's been a long time." Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly.

Sword Douluo nodded slightly, while Ning Rongrong lifted her skirt and gave Xue Beng a ladylike curtsy: "Greetings, Your Highness Xue Beng."

"Sister Rongrong, there's no need for that." Xue Beng quickly interjected, "My second brother has already become Sect Master Ning's disciple. We're all family. Rongrong, you're my sister."

"Prince Xue Beng, judging from your appearance, you just came from the academy." Ning Fengzhi interrupted Xue Beng's attempt to claim kinship, then looked meaningfully at Lu Mingfei's figure behind Xue Beng.

Xue Beng's smile tightened, but he immediately introduced Ning Fengzhi: "By the way, let me introduce you. This is Lu, a classmate from the same academy as me, who recently joined our academy."

"So you're the legendary Lu Mingfei, who supposedly possesses innate full soul power. We met once at the Great Soul Arena last time. What a coincidence!" Ning Fengzhi said with a kind smile.

"What a load of rubbish!" Lu Mingfei thought to himself.

"Sect Leader Ning... Sect Leader Ning, Sword Douluo, and Miss Ning Rongrong, hello." Lu Mingfei stammered. He never imagined that the family of three he had unexpectedly encountered in the Great Soul Arena was actually the Sect Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

"So it was you." Ning Rongrong clearly still remembered Lu Mingfei.

Sword Douluo also turned his gaze to Lu Mingfei at this moment.

Being stared at by a titled Douluo who claims to be the best attacker in the world is not a pleasant experience for Lu Mingfei.

Xue Beng's expression was a little off; clearly, he, the fourth prince of the Heavenly Dou Empire, had become a mere foil here.

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Alright, let's not block the palace gate anymore, shall we go into the palace first?"

Ning Fengzhi noticed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Sect Leader Ning is right." Xue Beng nodded, and the group walked towards the palace.

Lu Mingfei breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was walking at the back of the group, but the little girl named Ning Rongrong kept turning around to look at him from time to time, which made him feel a little confused.

The interior layout of the Tiandou Imperial Palace is extremely complex, with three consecutive layers of barbicans and city walls nearly thirty meters high, making the entire palace resemble a military stronghold.

Lu Mingfei thought this was probably because the Heaven Dou royal family was extremely insecure. Unlike the White Tiger Martial Soul inherited by the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire's inherited Martial Soul was just the Swan Martial Soul, which had little combat power and was of average quality. Members of the royal family generally found it difficult to even break through to the Soul Emperor level.

In a world where individual superhuman strength reigns supreme, the Heavenly Dou Royal Family, with its meager combat power of only five, should rightfully be destined to be overthrown.

It can only be said that the Heaven Dou royal family has survived to this day thanks to the Spirit Hall's dominance over the continent, which deterred various forces from making any rash moves.

"I estimate that once the main storyline progresses, the Heavenly Dou Royal Family will definitely become a plot point. However, Xue Qinghe seems to have the victory in the bag. Could it be that Xue Beng could turn the tide later?" Lu Mingfei silently began to deduce in his mind.

They always pick on the weakest link. If he were the villain causing trouble, he would definitely target the Heavenly Dou royal family first. He wouldn't feel right if he didn't take advantage of such a big weakness.

"Rongrong, you two go to the Crown Prince's bedchamber with Prince Xue Beng first. Uncle Jian and I will go pay our respects to His Majesty first, and then we'll come find you later," Ning Fengzhi said. The Great Court Hall was currently where the nobles of Tian Dou were gathered, and he was worried that the children might get restless and cause trouble. "Prince Xue Beng, thank you for your trouble."

"No trouble at all. I was going to deliver a congratulatory gift to my second brother's palace anyway," Xue Beng said.

"Okay, Daddy." Ning Rongrong nodded obediently.

Although Lu Mingfei was curious about what the Heavenly Dou Emperor looked like, he could only follow the two of them for the time being.

As soon as Ning Fengzhi left, Xue Beng immediately became as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and immediately began to try to please Ning Rongrong.

Lu Mingfei, walking behind, was utterly dumbfounded. Although he knew that people of this social class often maintained their relationships through marriage, Ning Rongrong was only six years old, yet Xue Beng dared to have such thoughts? Wasn't he afraid that Sword Douluo would cut him into eight pieces?

"Your name is Lu Mingfei, right?" Ning Rongrong completely ignored Xue Beng's solicitousness and turned to Lu Mingfei's side.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing coming over here?" Lu Mingfei thought to himself. He looked at Ning Rongrong's seemingly innocent smiling face and felt a headache coming on. He wasn't a lolicon like Xue Beng.

"I saw your match at the Soul Arena before. Your swordsmanship is quite impressive. Grandpa Sword was even thinking of taking you as his apprentice," Ning Rongrong said playfully.

"???"

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat. The main plot was still unclear, and he hadn't decided which side to take.

"Miss Ning Rongrong, please don't make such jokes." Lu Mingfei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"However, Grandpa Jian later said that you didn't have a sword heart, so he gave up on you," Ning Rongrong continued.

"Big sister, don't speak so slowly!" Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief, then mentally complained.

"It seems I still don't meet Sword Douluo's standards," Lu Mingfei said, feigning regret.

Although Xue Beng didn't speak, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The significance of becoming a disciple of Sword Douluo was too extraordinary, almost equivalent to the future core layer of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. In that case, he really had no chance at all.

"We've arrived," Ning Rongrong whispered. In the time it took for them to talk, they had already reached the Crown Prince's palace.

Ning Rongrong had been here several times and knew the way well. As for the guards at the gate, seeing the avalanche, they naturally let them in immediately.

"Brother Qinghe," Ning Rongrong called softly as soon as she entered the palace gate.

Xue Qinghe also came out of the palace and smiled when he saw the people who came: "Fourth brother, Rongrong, and Brother Lu, you've all come together."

"Second Brother," Xue Beng greeted.

"Your Highness," Lu Mingfei bowed.

"Brother Qinghe, today is your birthday. This is my gift to you." Ning Rongrong obediently took out the gift she had prepared from her soul tool.

Seeing this, Lu Mingfei and Xue Beng each took a gift box.

"Thank you for your kind gesture." Xue Qinghe patted Ning Rongrong's head, and a palace maid put away the gifts and took them into the bedroom.

Lu Mingfei sat quietly to the side. One of these two people was Xue Qinghe's younger brother, and the other was her god-sister. As an outsider, it was better for him to stand aside.

However, Xue Qinghe was obviously very busy. Today was not only a birthday banquet but also a coming-of-age ceremony. As the protagonist, he obviously didn't have time to chat with the children. After having the palace maids serve tea and snacks, he went back to his bedroom to prepare.

Before long, Ning Fengzhi arrived with Sword Douluo. As Xue Qinghe's teacher and mentor, he was also the master of ceremonies for today's ceremony. Soon, he and Xue Qinghe began rehearsing the upcoming proceedings in the courtyard.

Sword Douluo stood to the side, feigning sleep with his eyes closed, but Lu Mingfei could feel a faint gaze. He had already tried to minimize his presence, but he still had a feeling that the old man would cause trouble at any moment!