On the roof of the teaching building.
The gentle breeze stirred their robes. Gu Rong looked down at the fierce battle below with great interest.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly, and he let out a sound of surprise. "How has Dugu Bo's strength increased so much? His soul power is almost on par with mine!"
Ning Fengzhi turned slightly, looking at Gu Rong with the same confusion in his eyes, and asked softly, "Oh? Is that so?"
In his impression, Dugu Bo had been stuck at the level 91 bottleneck for more than a decade.
"It's true."
Gu Rong's expression turned grave. "If my senses aren't mistaken, he should be at level 94 soul power right now, just a thread away from becoming a Super Douluo."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi looked at Dugu Bo's massive Serpent Emperor True Body, his mind sinking into thought.
At this moment, Gu Rong seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "Fengzhi, I advise you to save your efforts. This old fellow has a strange personality and does things entirely on a whim. If you recruit him into the clan, who knows how much trouble he'll cause."
Ning Fengzhi sighed. His original plan was to have the Bone Douluo stop Tai Tan, and then he would step in to smooth things over. That way, he could both appease the Strength Clan and make Lu Feng owe him a favor. It would have been killing two birds with one stone.
Looking at the two who had unleashed their Martial Soul True Bodies below, a bitter smile appeared on Ning Fengzhi's face. What a bunch of brutes.
The situation had already spiraled out of his control. He could only watch and wait for another opportunity.
Down on the field, the battle between Dugu Bo and Tai Tan grew increasingly fierce. Their Martial Soul True Bodies clashed back and forth, and every collision caused the ground to shake.
Liu Erlong looked at her academy, which had been turned into a complete wreck, and her eyes looked as if they would spit fire.
"Damn it, are they ignoring my presence! Flender, Xiaogang, Sun Moon Brilliance Golden Triangle!"
Liu Erlong's brows stood on end as she shouted.
In an instant, intense soul power suddenly erupted from her body, transforming into a dazzling pillar of light that shot into the sky.
Hearing her call, Flender dared not delay and quickly summoned his Owl Martial Soul.
Instantly, brilliant golden light covered his entire body. A pair of huge wings unfurled from his back, his soul power resonating with Liu Erlong's.
However, Yu Xiaogang did not summon Luo San Pao.
His expression was grave. He stepped forward, grabbed Liu Erlong's wrist, and said with a firm gaze, "Erlong, don't be impulsive. The two seniors are in a fit of rage right now. If we rashly intervene, it will be like adding fuel to the fire and will only make the situation more out of control."
When Liu Erlong heard this, she glared fiercely at Yu Xiaogang and loudly questioned, "Xiaogang, they're causing trouble on my territory, and you're siding with outsiders?"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned cold, his usual gentleness completely gone. He sternly reprimanded, "Erlong, how are you still so impetuous, just like before. Stand down!"
Hearing this, Liu Erlong snorted coldly, her face full of grievance and unwillingness.
She turned her head and said to Flender, "Flender, I don't care anymore. The academy is yours now anyway."
With that, she flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
Flender watched her retreating back, scratched his head helplessly, and turned to Yu Xiaogang, asking with a perplexed look, "Xiaogang, what are you doing?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head slightly, his hands clasped behind his back. He gazed profoundly at the field and said, "We are in Heaven Dou City. Neither Tai Tan nor Dugu Bo will truly fight to the death. Otherwise, it would be a provocation to the Imperial Family."
"I suspect the imperial retainers are already on their way. We just need to wait and see."
His tone was firm, as if he had anticipated all of this.
Flender sighed a long sigh upon hearing this.
How could he not understand this reasoning.
It's just that the enemy had already come knocking. If the academy's master didn't even show his face, how could he establish himself in Heaven Dou City in the future?
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts and the situation was at a stalemate, seven splendid streams of light descended from the sky.
In an instant, light and shadow flickered, and Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong appeared on the field.
"Old poison freak, old gorilla, long time no see. Watching you two fight so enthusiastically, my hands are starting to itch. Why don't the three of us have a go," Gu Rong said with a smile on his face.
Seeing these two appear, Tai Tan's pupils instantly contracted, and his heart cried out that this was bad.
Although he usually feared nothing, when facing these two, he had to rein in his temper.
"Bone Douluo, Clan Master Ning." Tai Tan slightly cupped his fists.
Gu Rong strode in front of the two, his expression proud, and got straight to the point. "You two, give me some face. Let's call this bet off. Besides, fighting in Heaven Dou City is a great disrespect to the Imperial Family."
Gu Rong was backed by immense strength, so his words naturally didn't need to be roundabout.
Moreover, although the two's clans were not small, they were still far from matching the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"Hmph." Tai Tan snorted heavily.
Although he was full of unwillingness, he could only suppress his anger and slowly retract his aura.
Besides, he had suffered a huge loss in this contest today.
All along, Dugu Bo had been called the weakest among the Titled Douluo. But who would have thought that in this fight, the opponent's Martial Soul strength was actually on par with his.
Strength was the Power Gorilla's specialty. But in this battle, Tai Tan had been beaten so badly he couldn't even fight back.
Gu Rong took in Tai Tan's expression and revealed a confident smile.
He then turned his gaze to Dugu Bo.
But to Gu Rong's complete surprise, Dugu Bo, far from showing any sign of backing down, threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha, old bone. If it were any other matter, this old man would give you face. But this old beast Tai Tan dared to bully my grandson-in-law. This matter absolutely cannot be settled so easily."
Dugu Bo's laughter stopped abruptly. He stared coldly at Tai Tan and said in a frigid voice, "We can let this matter go today. But tonight, this old man will definitely charge into his Strength Clan, unleash my ninth soul skill, and annihilate his entire clan!"
"You!" Tai Tan's eyes widened in fury, and he roared.
Although Dugu Bo was called the weakest Titled Douluo, his poison skills were infamous.
This was what made him the most feared.
Although he might not be able to win against other Titled Douluo in a one-on-one fight, once he unleashed his ninth soul skill, any power, aside from a fellow Titled Douluo, would be completely slaughtered, leaving no one alive.
"Senior Dugu." Ning Fengzhi, seeing the atmosphere grow even more tense, quickly stepped forward and cupped his fists in salute.
He spoke earnestly, "Since Senior Tai Tan was in the wrong first, how about we have him pay some compensation?"
As he spoke, he shot Tai Tan a look. "Senior Tai Tan, what do you think?"
"Hmph!" Tai Tan snorted coldly, not answering directly.
But his slightly softened expression already showed his attitude. He was clearly willing to accept this proposal.
"Old poison freak, the Clan Master has spoken. What do you say?" Gu Rong asked in a low voice.
"Heh, fine. This old man will give the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan face today."
Dugu Bo crossed his arms over his chest, a cold smile on his lips. "Old gorilla, don't you always brag about how miraculous your Strength Clan's Black Jade Paste is? This old man isn't picky. Just give me five or ten kilograms, that'll be fine."
"Pah! You old poison freak, don't push your luck!" Tai Tan leaped up in anger.
"Five or ten kilograms? My clan's entire annual production is barely that much!"
Dugu Bo snorted coldly, his eyes full of mockery. "Hmph, this old man has stated his terms. If you can't produce it, then just wait for me to personally come and collect it tonight!"
"You!" Tai Tan was furious again, the veins on his forehead bulging.
At the same time, his heart was a mess of anxiety and deep regret.
If I had known this kid Lu Feng was Dugu Bo's man, and that Dugu Bo's strength was no longer what it used to be, I would never have come looking for this trouble.
Thinking of this, he turned and glared fiercely at Tai Long.
Tai Long immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He had a premonition that for the next three months, he would probably be confined to his bed.
At this, Ning Fengzhi stood up straight. His voice was loud and clear. "How about this, Senior Tai Tan. You provide half of the Black Jade Paste. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will compensate for the other half with other resources."
With that, he turned and cupped his fists toward Dugu Bo. "Senior Dugu, what do you think of this arrangement?"
His face held a smile like a spring breeze. He was clearly very confident in his proposal.
Dugu Bo laughed loudly. "I have long heard that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is wealthy and generous. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. Since Clan Master Ning has spoken, how could I not listen."
Dugu Bo also understood in his heart that it was not appropriate to let this matter escalate further.
Besides, Dugu Yan was still in Heaven Dou City. He couldn't actually go and annihilate an entire clan.
On the other side, Tai Tan spoke gratefully to Ning Fengzhi. "Clan Master Ning, thank you for today. If you have any requests in the future, the Strength Clan will go through fire and water for you."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi immediately burst into laughter.
Although he hadn't succeeded in recruiting Lu Feng on this trip, gaining the friendship of the Strength Clan was a worthy achievement.
As for paying some money?
Hmph. The one thing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan did not lack was money.
"Greetings, Clan Master Ning, and Seniors."
Just as the group was negotiating, a low voice drifted over.
Everyone turned to look and saw Yu Xiaogang walking over, neither too fast nor too slow.
"I am Yu Xiaogang, one of the deans of Shrek Academy." Yu Xiaogang cupped his fists slightly, his expression neither humble nor arrogant, as he calmly swept his gaze over the group.
Yu Xiaogang tilted his head up slightly, his gaze meeting Ning Fengzhi's.
A man should be like this! In that instant, a flash of envy crossed Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
Ning Fengzhi sized up the man with the buzz cut, frowning slightly, as if trying hard to search his memory for any information about Yu Xiaogang.
After a moment, he seemed to remember something and smiled. "Ah, so it is Grandmaster. I have long admired your name. My daughter caused a bit of trouble with your esteemed academy previously. I am here to enroll her now."
As he spoke, he turned and gestured lightly to his side, calling, "Rongrong, come here."
Ning Rongrong was standing to the side, her small mouth pouting, clearly very reluctant about enrolling.
Hearing her father's call, she first snorted coldly, then ran over quickly. But she didn't stop by her father's side, instead running straight to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Haha, my daughter is a bit willful. My apologies, Grandmaster." Ning Fengzhi smiled helplessly and said apologetically to Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang puffed out his chest slightly, his expression grave, and said in a low voice, "Clan Master Ning, Seniors, I have prepared some tea. Let us speak in another place."
Immediately, the group followed Yu Xiaogang and walked slowly into the academy.
Just as they entered a courtyard, Yu Xiaogang quietly called Tang San to his side.
"Teacher, what is it?" Tang San asked in a low voice, walking quickly to Yu Xiaogang's side, his face full of confusion.
"Little San, what are your thoughts after watching today's battles?" Yu Xiaogang's gaze was fixed tightly on Tang San as he asked seriously.
Tang San lowered his head slightly, recalling the battles he had seen today.
First was the battle between Lu Feng and Tai Tan, where the situation changed in an instant. Immediately after, even Titled Douluo had personally stepped in.
Tang San couldn't help but clench his fists, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. He said resolutely, "Teacher, I will definitely double my cultivation efforts in the future."
However, Yu Xiaogang slowly shook his head. He looked at Tang San with a profound gaze and said earnestly, "Little San, a Soul Master's strength is certainly important. But look at Clan Master Ning. He is only an auxiliary-type Soul Master. Why must everyone listen to him?"
Tang San pondered for a moment, then answered hesitantly, "Because of his status?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head again, his expression serious as he looked at Tang San.
"Little San, today, your teacher will teach you one more theory: On the path of a Soul Master, besides cultivation, the most important things are human connections and worldly wisdom."