Let's rewind time just a little.
The seven members of Team Glazed stood on the competition stage opposite Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team.
Ye Lingling was quite familiar with Heaven Dou Royal Academy's teams. Before joining Glazed Academy, she had been a member of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team.
Compared to the privileged first team, the second team's members were somewhat... less impressive.
This was partly because the second team mainly consisted of children of bureaucrats, but more so due to Heaven Dou Royal Academy's own institutional issues.
The first team existed to uphold Heaven Dou's prestige—they had to possess real strength, otherwise the entire nobility would lose face. The second team? Mostly just for noble students to gild their resumes.
Even after Xue Qinghe ascended the throne, changing such deeply entrenched systems couldn't happen overnight.
Ye Lingling had nothing to say to these people. She wasn't one for words anyway.
But just because Ye Lingling remained silent didn't mean Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team would hold back.
The Nine Heart Begonia soul master Ye Lingling was relatively famous at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Particularly among the second team's ostentatiously dressed female soul masters.
Ever since Ye Lingling joined the academy, these girls had despised her aloof, unearthly demeanor.
Yes, it was simple jealousy.
"Well well, if it isn't Ye Lingling? Got yourself expelled from Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
A garishly dressed girl spoke in a mocking tone, looking Ye Lingling up and down.
"Let me guess—after getting kicked out, you clung desperately to some other academy?"
As a noble, this girl couldn't possibly be unaware of the Nine Heart Begonia's significance.
The chances of Heaven Dou Royal Academy expelling such a soul master were minuscule—but that didn't stop her from trying to provoke Ye Lingling.
"Pathetic provocation," Ye Lingling said coolly.
"Hmph, you're as detestable as ever." The girl's face twisted in disgust. "But you betrayed the academy, didn't you?"
"Betrayal?" Just as Ye Lingling was about to respond, Ning Tian stepped forward.
"So transferring academies constitutes betrayal now?"
"By that logic, since Ye Lingling has joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, does that mean the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has betrayed the Heaven Dou Empire?"
The garish girl froze.
She was a noble, but not stupid.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was at the height of its power—and the emperor's teacher at that. This wasn't a topic to casually broach. One wrong word could mean execution.
"I—I never said that," the girl stammered nervously.
"And who might you be?" The second team's captain finally intervened before things escalated further.
"Let's not make reckless accusations. Retreat one step and the world becomes wider."
In the original story, they'd looked down on Shrek Academy because it was truly beneath noble aesthetics. But Glazed Academy was different—no ordinary institution.
"Hmph, your side started with the accusations first." Ning Tian gave the presumed captain a dismissive glance.
"My name is Ning Tian. Coincidentally, I hail from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
"Oh, and my father is Ning Fengzhi."
Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team: "..."
An awkward silence descended—not for Glazed Academy, but leaving Heaven Dou's second team utterly flustered.
Well damn. Name-dropping much?
Accusing us of slander while you pull the "my dad's the sect leader" card?
Ahem. The referee stepped forward. "The match may begin. Save irrelevant matters for later."
"Yes, let the match begin!" The second team captain seized this lifeline eagerly.
"What use is empty boasting? Soul masters compete through combat prowess!"
"Heh." Ning Tian smirked.
Just as Rongrong said—the words "my father is Ning Fengzhi" worked like magic.
Both teams exchanged formal bows before retreating to their starting positions.
At the referee's signal, the match officially commenced.
"Release martial souls! Let Glazed Academy witness Heaven Dou Royal Academy's might!"
Battle cries echoed across the arena as the seven Heaven Dou students activated their martial souls.
Their century soul rings drew gasps; their millennium soul rings evoked awe.
Two yellow, one purple—the optimal configuration.
"Wooooah! As expected of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the empire's premier institution! Even their second team has optimal soul rings!" Excited cheers erupted from the stands.
"Absolutely! Look at that captain—even from this distance, I feel suffocated by his aura! Must be at least rank 37—truly terrifying!"
The chattering from the audience behind Ning Rongrong grew increasingly ridiculous.
From the competitors' rest area beside the stage, Ning Rongrong's expression turned deadpan.
Rank 37—terrifying?
Suffocating aura?
More like you've got a stuffy nose from shouting too loudly and can't breathe properly!
"Rongrong, did you hear that? Terrifying!" Dugu Yan whispered teasingly.
"Pfft—" Ning Rongrong couldn't hold back her laughter. "Well, objectively speaking, any team qualifying for this tournament ranks among the elite for their age group."
While many teams participated, reaching three rings at this age indicated decent innate spirit power—typically rank 4-6, already surpassing most untalented individuals. Heaven Dou's nobles likely had even higher innate spirit power than average.
"True." Dugu Yan didn't disagree. "Looking back, I used to feel smug about my innate spirit power. Seems laughable now."
She shook her head ruefully.
"Compared to you—and her—it feels almost delusional."
"Why compare upwards?" Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes. "Compare downwards—that's where the sense of achievement lies. Comparing upwards is just asking for frustration."
Dugu Yan: "..."
Your logic is impeccable. Please stop talking.
Nearby, Shui Bing'er—also not participating—munched popcorn loudly while eavesdropping intently on Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan's conversation.
Her expression grew subtly complex as she recalled Dugu Yan's resentful demeanor before Ning Rongrong's return.
Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong...
Their relationship was rather... unclear. Hard to grasp.
Though listening to their hushed conversation, Shui Bing'er remained concerned about the ongoing match. After all, her elder sister was competing—who else would she worry about?
"Why didn't she choose an offensive skill for her fourth soul ring?"
Thinking of her sister Shui Yue'er's fourth soul ring choice, Shui Bing'er sighed inwardly.
Her sister understood everything, yet...
Setting aside her popcorn, Shui Bing'er folded her hands on her knees and focused intently on the match.
The battle had begun—or more accurately, was already nearing its end.