Chapter 79: The Change of Pace
After the Snow Mountain Prince was scared away, Ning Rongrong spoke in confusion, "Xiongzi, how did this guy go from being so arrogant to running off just like that? What exactly did you say to him?"
Yang Xiong smiled, "Rongrong, haven't you seen him before? This Snow Mountain Prince is the son of the Snow Night Emperor. I just told him that if he dares to provoke us, I'll have your Grandpa Jian chop him down."
Ning Rongrong spat in disgust, "No wonder he looks familiar. He's the Snow Mountain Prince. My elder brother, the Crown Prince, has introduced me to him before. But someone like him doesn't leave a good impression. I heard he's not only weak, but also useless, and even the Crown Prince can't be bothered to discipline him."
Yang Xiong smiled slightly, "Rongrong, are you close with the Crown Prince?"
Ning Rongrong replied, "The Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, is my father's student. He's polite and graceful. My father holds him in high regard."
Yang Xiong pinched Ning Rongrong's small face, "Looks like you think highly of the Crown Prince. I'm feeling a bit jealous. Since he's the sect master's disciple, haven't the sect master and the Snow Night Emperor ever considered matchmaking the two of you?"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes, "I treat him like an older brother, and he sees me as his little sister. It's not as nasty as you think. Besides, he's the heir of the Tiandou Empire, and I'm the heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Our statuses make it impossible for us to be together."
Yang Xiong seemed to relax a little, "Good, otherwise I'd have no chance. But there's an old saying: you may know someone's face, but not their heart. The palace is not a good place, and these people are probably not as simple as they appear."
Ning Rongrong pinched Yang Xiong, "Look at you. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a playboy."
Yang Xiong squinted slightly. It seemed that both Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong trusted this Xue Qinghe quite a bit. He would have to work a little harder in the future, or he might get tricked by him.
In the original "Soul Hunting Operation," neither the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect nor the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus family had received any advance notice. To move tens of thousands of Soul Masters was no small feat, especially within the Tiandou Empire. It was likely that this imposter Xue Qinghe had covered it up.
...
Under the guidance of Teacher Sun, everyone quickly arrived at the Tiandou Royal Academy's academic building.
Compared to Shrek Academy, Tiandou Royal Academy felt like heaven. The buildings, students, and environment were all of a very high standard.
Dai Mubai looked a little confused. "The Royal Battle Squad wasn't bad before, so why do those people who provoked us just now seem so spoiled?"
The others were also puzzled, and Yang Xiong couldn't help but laugh, "They're just nobles. What else do you expect? I bet Star Luo Royal Academy is about the same. After all, they're not a sect; they're more about the imperial family pulling people in."
Dai Mubai pondered for a moment after hearing this, while the others didn't really care, as everyone wanted to learn in a luxurious and comfortable environment.
Along the way, Qin Ming joined the group, looking like he had just finished his business and rushed over.
Qin Ming gave an introduction to Tiandou Royal Academy, including how students and teachers were treated there.
According to Qin Ming, once they entered Tiandou Royal Academy, all Shrek Academy members would be educated by their original teachers and would not join the current classes.
Upon joining Tiandou Royal Academy, students would receive the highest level of treatment, being directly trained according to battle team standards. Even the teachers would be treated as Tiandou-level class instructors. The academy would take care of their living expenses, and each month, they would receive three thousand gold soul coins as compensation.
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. The tuition, living expenses, and educational resources were all provided, including medicinal baths and various simulation environments that could be used for free. It really felt like heaven compared to Shrek Academy.
Even the teachers were moved. They never expected that Tiandou Royal Academy would offer such generous conditions. It was much better than their previous solitary struggles.
Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong, at the end of the group, appeared indifferent to Qin Ming's words. This kind of system resembled a sect, but the lack of strict restrictions was a problem. The teachers could leave at any time, and ultimately, Tiandou Royal Academy might just be doing this for others' benefit.
Upon arriving at the academic building, it was clear that Tiandou Royal Academy took Shrek Academy's group very seriously. They were directly greeted by the three main members of the academic committee, all of whom were standing at the entrance of the building.
At the entrance of the academic building stood three elderly men, each wearing a specially-made black robe with gold embroidery. Only Soul Douluo could wear such attire, and normally only on important occasions.
Flender seemed to be taken aback by the formal nature of these people and quickly stepped forward to bow in respect, showing proper manners to his elders.
"Shrek Academy's Flender greets the three esteemed elders."
The elder in the center laughed heartily, "Ah, Flender, no need to be so formal. The legendary Golden Iron Triangle's Four-Eyed Cat Eagle, we've long admired your name. It's our honor to have you join Tiandou Royal Academy."
"I am Meng Shenji, Martial Soul: Black Demon, Control System, 86th-level, 8-ring Battle Soul Douluo. To my left is Bai Baoshan, Vice Chair of the Academic Committee, Martial Soul: Heavenly Star Furnace, Defense System, 85th-level, 8-ring Battle Soul Douluo. To my right is Zhi Lin, the third member of the committee, Martial Soul: Heavenly Green Vine, Control System, 83rd-level, 8-ring Weapon Soul Douluo."
Meng Shenji was of average height and quite thin, looking almost frail. Bai Baoshan, on the other hand, was short but very stout, his body clearly strong. Zhi Lin had an ordinary appearance.
Despite their impressive looks, all three of them seemed very approachable, especially Meng Shenji, who appeared energetic and spoke with a certain warmth that reflected his years in the education field.
Flender quickly introduced the Shrek teachers and students to the three, and it was clear that Meng Shenji and the others were more interested in the students than the teachers.
It was obvious that Meng Shenji had already reviewed everyone's files and was familiar with the martial souls, soul power, and backgrounds of all the students.
In particular, Meng Shenji seemed more interested in the commoner-born Soul Masters like Tang San and his group. He also showed exceptional respect toward Ning Rongrong, Yang Xiong, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing. His words did not reflect the typical condescending attitude of a Soul Douluo speaking to ordinary students.
At that moment, Shrek's eight members suddenly felt an invisible pressure. This force was coming from Bai Baoshan, a Soul Douluo.
Compared to the original story, Tang San didn't stand out as much in his battle against the Royal Battle Squad, and there was no heroic moment of saving everyone. Thus, Bai Baoshan was exerting pressure to see how much of the fame of these students was truly deserved. This was likely a simple enrollment test to gauge their actual performance.
Flender seemed to understand what was happening. He smiled from the side, clearly confident in Shrek's students and hoping for their recognition.
As the pressure increased, Ning Rongrong and Oscar were the first to struggle. After all, they were support-type Soul Masters. Just as they were about to fall, the pressure instantly disappeared.
As the pressure intensified, Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing also began to collapse, but Yang Xiong, Tang San, and Dai Mubai remained standing.
Bai Baoshan looked particularly surprised, not just because of Dai Mubai and Tang San, but because of Yang Xiong's calmness. He was giving them a pressure equivalent to a 34th-level Soul Master, yet Yang Xiong, at only level 28, appeared completely at ease.
When the pressure reached near 39th level, Dai Mubai and Tang San began to show signs of struggle, beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads. Yet, Yang Xiong seemed unfazed, his expression completely calm.
Normally, beast martial soul Soul Masters were physically stronger than weapon Soul Masters, but Tang San and Dai Mubai had very similar physiques, which reflected Tang San's excellent control of his body, considering he was six levels lower than Dai Mubai.
But Yang Xiong's resilience was extraordinary, as it was rare to see a Soul Master bear a pressure ten levels higher than their physical level.
As Bai Baoshan saw Dai Mubai and Tang San nearing their limits, all the pressure suddenly vanished. Even Yang Xiong's pressure was lifted.
Bai Baoshan nodded in approval, saying, "Impressive, indeed. They all have extraordinary talent, and their foundations are solid. No wonder they are students of Shrek Academy."
Flender sighed in appreciation, "Thank you, esteemed elders. These students are outstanding, and I came to Tiandou Royal Academy for their future development. I hope they will have a better training environment and might even surpass me in the future, perhaps even reaching the Title Douluo level. Of course, they are also the last batch of students from Shrek Academy."
Meng Shenji comforted him, "Dean Flender, rest assured. As long as they're here at Tiandou Royal Academy, I can guarantee they will receive the best education, with the best facilities for cultivation. When they reach the pinnacle of their Soul Master abilities, their achievements will speak for themselves."
Flender bowed again, "Thank you, esteemed elders."
...
With no disruption from Snow Mountain Prince or Dugu Bo, and after some communication, the Shrek group quickly joined Tiandou Royal Academy.
As Meng Shenji had said, the students were assigned the best villas, and the environment was excellent. It was peaceful and elegant, located in a secluded area by the mountains and near a water source.
Unexpectedly, the Royal Battle Squad was also in the same villa area, suggesting that the area was prepared for both teams.
Once they entered Tiandou Royal Academy, everyone truly realized how excellent the students' treatment was.
There were multiple cafeterias with abundant and luxurious meals, including soul beast meat. Every dish seemed expensive, and even the teachers, including the three members of the academic committee, ate there.
Shrek Academy's group had their own separate teaching area, a vast square with complete facilities.
Of course, Tiandou Royal Academy occupied an entire mountain, which housed numerous simulated environments suitable for all types of Soul Master cultivation. Even Yang Xiong was surprised when he looked at the map.
It seemed that the storyline had changed due to Yang Xiong's interference, as Dugu Bo never appeared and didn't come to find Tang San.
(END CHAPTER)
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