Dragon-Snake Couple Arrive to Pay Respects

It was merely a consideration, after all; the students only needed to offer suggestions, while Chen An had much more to weigh.

"Do none of the students have any objections?"

He knew well that the people of Douluo thought very differently from him.

Yet, following conventional logic, they should view Soul Masters as noble; why would they want to go to a place that felt like watching monkeys perform?

None of his disciples should have wanted this.

Zhu Zhuqing could barely be explained away by the pressure from Star Luo, wanting to overcome that hurdle on her own; Luo Xiaoshi could be explained by his simple love for battle and itchy hands.

But how could Ning Rongrong agree? Firstly, the pressure of actual combat wasn't high, and secondly, she held a prestigious status outside.

"They are basically in agreement with this matter."

In truth, the students at the academy were currently feeling restless, and some wanted to earn a little money during their studies.

Furthermore, those who practiced martial arts were full of vitality; after training so much, they naturally wanted to trade blows, but it was difficult to strike at fellow disciples, as no one wanted to break school rules.

"Ning Rongrong, what about you? Tell me the truth."

Clearly, Ning Rongrong had guessed that Chen An would ask this before she arrived, and when she was actually asked, her tone became firm instead.

"Master, I agree with this proposal. My father once said that a Soul Master who has not experienced real combat is nothing but a vase."

Ning Fengzhi didn't seem like the type to say such things, but since Ning Rongrong said it, he couldn't exactly call her wrong.

Besides, the determination in her eyes could not be faked.

"Very well, then it shall be as you say. I approve of this matter, but there is no need to rush. I will announce it once I have made the proper arrangements."

Chen An took a breath. Everyone felt this way, and the matter was indeed beneficial to the students, so there was no need to force it down.

He just needed to arrange things properly; it seemed he would need to make a trip to the Soto Great Soul Arena.

"Thank you, Master (Teacher)."

After reporting, the three teachers left the dean's office, and the remaining three little ones spoke in unison.

Chen An shook his head, though a smile surfaced on his face.

"You lot, always causing me trouble."

The three of them giggled foolishly.

Chen An grew serious and said.

"Since you have taken the initiative to propose going to the Soul Fighting Arena, I must set some requirements for you."

Hearing this, the three disciples immediately straightened up. This was how things were between them and their teacher; they were serious when it was time to be serious, and didn't keep long faces during ordinary times.

No one crossed the line, which was why Chen An was very fond of his three disciples.

"First, you must form a seven-person team, but the core must be my direct disciples."

He said this because, after breaking through to level 90, his senses in certain areas had sharpened, and he felt a sense of being acknowledged.

He had sensed it before the report; it was possible he would take on another disciple soon.

But this intuition only served to inform him, without any signs of it controlling him as some rumors suggested.

"Second, you must obtain a Gold Badge within two months of participating."

He explained the badge system—Copper, Silver, Gold, and so on.

The reason he stopped at Gold was that there was little meaning in going any higher.

He limited it to two months because he felt they could win consecutively; he had even considered one month.

After thinking it over carefully, that seemed a bit unreasonable, so he set it at two months—that was fair.

"That is all. Of course, you do not have the option to disagree."

As he spoke, the three felt a wave of pressure. Based on what Chen An had described about the situation inside the Soul Fighting Arena, consecutive victories were clearly difficult.

Yet, thinking of their status, their little gazes sharpened.

Who were they? They were Chen An's direct disciples, the outstanding student representatives of Phantom Star Academy, and the face of the academy itself.

Zhu Zhuqing and Luo Xiaoshi thought about how Chen An had been teaching them martial arts for over a year, and they felt they couldn't ruin their master's reputation.

Ning Rongrong felt that she should bite the bullet and walk the path she had chosen, especially since she possessed peerless cultivation techniques; it wasn't impossible to achieve.

"Yes, Master (Teacher)."

After the three children left, he pondered a question: how would they group themselves for the competition?

Forget it, it's better to leave such things for the students to decide themselves, so as not to interfere too much.

Another day passed, and the academy remained as usual, save for the fact that the training grounds were nearly repaired.

"Dean! Two Soul Douluo have arrived at the gate; it is the Dragon-Snake Couple."

Chen An's expression remained calm, as he had long expected this.

Just as he had anticipated Ning Fengzhi earlier, he had sensed them the moment they stepped onto the territory of Phantom Star.

"Please show them in."

Chen An was too lazy to move his backside, so he simply told them to come to his office.

Feng Qingyang trembled as he walked over. Everyone in the academy trusted Dean Chen, but he was only a Soul Douluo; facing the continent-renowned Dragon-Snake Couple, two Soul Douluos, he could not help but shiver.

On the way, he worried that the couple would surely be angry, praying only that they would not vent their frustration on him or the children.

"Very well, thank you for leading the way."

Dragon Duke Meng Shu said this without a ripple of emotion, which, in Feng Qingyang's eyes, meant they had already reined in their aura and temper.

He muttered to himself that the Dean was truly a legend, then obediently led the way.

"Knock, knock."

The office door was rapped, and Chen An, who had been resting his eyes, opened them and sat back up.

"Enter."

The two who entered were an elderly couple: the Dragon Duke Meng Shu and the Snake Matriarch Chao Tianxiang.

Behind them followed a reserved young girl with short hair, looking quite heroic. Her restrained demeanor suggested that the Dragon-Snake Couple had given her a warning.

"What business do you two seniors have?"

Calling them seniors was not an issue, as they had been roaming the world long before he arrived; in terms of age, they far exceeded Chen An.

Yet, while the two were respectful, they looked more like parents from his past life bringing their child to seek an education.

But upon hearing Chen An call them seniors, they were filled with trepidation and quickly spoke up.

"We dare not, we dare not."

That title of "senior" made them want to break into a cold sweat, as it was a weight they could not bear.

"We have only come to escort our granddaughter, Meng Yiran, to seek apprenticeship."

Seeing their humble appearance, he had some guesses, but they still needed to be verified.

"Where did you hear news of me or Phantom Star Academy?"

Before the Dragon Duke could answer, Meng Yiran spoke up first, seemingly having gathered all her courage to do so. She felt that if she hid entirely behind her grandparents, she would leave an impression of cowardice.

"Sir, a few days ago in the Star Dou Great Forest, I was defeated by someone. Wanting to become stronger, I begged my grandparents for help, and after receiving some information, we came directly here."

As Meng Yiran spoke, the figure of a woman appeared in Chen An's mind—naturally, that was Bibi Dong of Martial Soul Hall.

Yet, recalling the plot, the sage books taught within the academy, and the new ideologies of the future, Chen An felt it was not impossible to teach her; Meng Yiran did not appear as rigid and rule-bound as Tang San.

Thus, on the surface, Chen An remained very calm and composed, as if he were appraising Meng Yiran. This made all three people present nervous.

"I have three questions. If you can pass them, this matter can be considered."