Not long after, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe of Heaven Dou, and School Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, arrived together.
Without much fanfare, Xue Qinghe was accompanied by only a few guards, and Ning Fengzhi had only one person with him. However, this person was extremely tall, definitely over two meters forty or two meters fifty, and despite such a towering height, he seemed to be supported by bones, with no muscles. His cheeks and eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his hair was sparse, making him look like a bad person.
Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin immediately stepped forward and bowed:
"Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince, School Master Ning, Your Grace!"
Xue Qinghe was a very young man, around twenty years old, with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor. He was indeed as Meng Shenji described him: refined and amiable, which naturally made people feel favorably towards him.
In this regard, he was very much like Ning Fengzhi. Although their stature and appearance were different, their refined and amiable temperament was exactly the same, truly worthy of being master and disciple.
At this moment, Xue Qinghe spoke gently:
"Three Teachers, there's no need for such formality. My Teacher and I arrived suddenly and intruded without prior notice, please forgive us. It's just that I heard the genius from our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, who had forty levels of spirit power at twelve years old, has returned from the Star Dou Great Forest and has already become a Spirit Ancestor. The three Teachers have taught him well. On behalf of my Imperial Father and the Heaven Dou Empire, I thank the three Teachers!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin all smiled bitterly. Finally, Meng Shenji said:
"Your Royal Highness, the three of us truly dare not take credit. This was cultivated by Your Grace, Bi Lin. Wang Li left for three years, and when he returned, he already had forty levels of spirit power."
As soon as this was said, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi hadn't spoken yet, but Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who was also a Titled Douluo, couldn't help but say:
"That Old Poison, who only knows how to play with poison, can cultivate such an excellent junior?!"
Then, his domineering scrutinizing gaze bypassed the three Teachers and landed on Wang Li.
Wang Li only felt immense pressure coming from all directions, but his expression remained unchanged. His waist didn't bend, and his legs didn't buckle. He stood upright and unyielding, like a Blue Silver Grass facing the sun, wind, frost, and rain.
But at this moment, a majestic voice came from afar:
"What? Old Bone, are you not convinced?! Why can't this old man cultivate an excellent junior? If you have the ability, you cultivate one too."
As the voice faded, Dugu Bo, in a gray robe, had already descended from the sky with Dugu Yan into this campus area.
Originally, Dugu Bo was not going to appear if it was just Xue Qinghe, but with Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, the situation was completely different.
Ning Fengzhi's public image had always been refined and amiable, treating people with sincerity, but Dugu Bo knew that these were all superficial.
Ning Fengzhi could definitely be called a good Sect Master to the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, but to outsiders, when it came to being ruthless, he would not have the slightest hesitation.
And when Dugu Bo appeared, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi, regardless of what they thought inwardly, both showed sufficient respect:
"Your Grace, Bi Lin!"
The three Teachers also addressed him as "Your Grace, Bi Lin." Only Gu Rong remained the same, even directly mocking him:
"You Old Poison, why are you willing to come out and bask in the sun today?!"
Dugu Bo glanced at him and said proudly:
"This old man brought his granddaughter to see her future husband, is it any of your business?!"
As his voice fell, everyone indeed saw Dugu Yan go to Wang Li's side, and the two of them were intimate. Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi both had a few more intriguing expressions on their faces.
At this moment, Xue Qinghe stepped forward, chuckled, and regained the initiative:
"Two Your Graces, we are here today to meet the genius student of our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Wang Li, who became a Spirit Ancestor at twelve years old. It's time for him to come out so we can get to know him."
As Xue Qinghe spoke, everyone's gaze fell on Wang Li. Under the encouraging gazes of the three Teachers, Wang Li stepped forward and bowed in turn:
"Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince!"
"School Master Ning!"
"Your Grace!"
"Grandpa..."
Dugu Bo was stunned for a moment. He called him senior yesterday, and grandpa today. This kid is truly clever all over.
He had already acknowledged it in his heart before, and now he acknowledged it verbally, so this title was settled.
Only now, after Xue Qinghe formally scrutinized Wang Li, his eyes showed appreciation, and he spoke as if reciting a family treasure:
"Wang Li, from Fasinuo Province, Nuoding City, Wang Family Village, in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire. His humble origins are as ordinary as can be. Yet, with a Mutated Blue Silver Grass of only three levels of spirit power, you successively entered Notting Junior Soul Master Academy, Liejia Intermediate Soul Master Academy, and Heaven Dou Advanced Soul Master Academy for study. Three years ago, you gained the favor of Your Grace, Bi Lin, and now, three years later, at twelve years old, you are a forty-one level Spirit Ancestor."
"Remarkable, truly remarkable!"
Wang Li's expression remained unchanged. As the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou and the future master of the Heaven Dou Empire, it was naturally very easy for Xue Qinghe to investigate his information.
There was nothing about him that couldn't be investigated, but a three-level Mutated Blue Silver Grass and a forty-one level Spirit Ancestor at twelve years old, put together, were indeed incongruous. Wang Li said calmly:
"Your Royal Highness exaggerates. I actually never expected to have what I have today. Back then, I just thought that I must make something of myself."
"When I was young, I lost my mother. At three years old, I lost my father. At that time, I carried farm tools taller than myself to work in the fields, just to have a meal the next day."
"I thought I would live like that my whole life, but at six years old, my Spirit awakened. I had three levels of spirit power, and even though it was just a Mutated Blue Silver Grass Spirit, I felt incredibly excited."
"I had a chance to turn my life around, a chance to make a name for myself. Naturally, I would desperately seize it. You were born into wealth, you don't have experiences like mine. You think I'm a genius, but I never think that way. I've simply shed enough sweat and bled enough. A forty-one level Spirit Ancestor at twelve years old, actually anyone can achieve it. It just depends on whether they have the determination to spare no effort, whether they have the drive to not even care about their life!"
As his voice fell, Wang Li's story, told by Wang Li himself, indeed had an extreme sense of shock.
Xue Qinghe seemed to think of something, and an apologetic expression appeared on his face, then he said gently:
"Wang Li, I did not intentionally investigate your past. For Wang Family Village, where you are from, the Empire has issued an order that no taxes are required for ten years."
"The local City Lord must also personally bring food, vegetables, clothes... to visit the villagers in the village every year and a half."
"The surrounding security officers will also strengthen patrols around the village, eliminating any bandits, rogues, wild beasts, or Spirit Beasts that might endanger the villagers."
"Even Notting Junior Soul Master Academy and Liejia Intermediate Soul Master Academy, the Empire has sent commendations, affirming their cultivation of an excellent Spirit Master like you."