Conversation with a Major Client, Ning Tian

After easily advancing to the final sixty-four with a perfect record, You Jie and the Lan Sisters set their sights on the championship with even greater momentum.

Perhaps it was because Zhang Lexuan's behind-the-scenes interference was so effective that, throughout the final elimination rounds leading up to the top eight, there were no truly significant clashes between the strongest teams.

Although dozens of teams had entered the top sixty-four with perfect records, there were few truly elite squads, and the four teams possessing a Soul Elder did not encounter one another even in the round of eight.

However, once the competition reached the final four, the situation shifted.

The Wang Dong team from the Freshman Class One had struggled their way up from the edge of the top sixty-four. In the round of eight, they sacrificed Chun Sanxiang to defeat the team led by the Soul Elder Xie Huanyue, securing their spot in the semifinals as the only team remaining without a Soul Elder.

Yet, it seemed their luck had run out, as they were now forced to challenge a team led by a Soul Elder while missing a member.

The good news: the opposing Soul Elder was of the support type, lacking the raw power of a Battle Soul Master.

The bad news: that support-type Soul Master's martial soul was the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Although a Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda master possessed little combat power on their own, they could use their buffs to grant both of their Soul Grand Master teammates the combat strength of a Soul Elder.

Even in a three-on-three match, one could theoretically employ a sacrifice tactic to force a win by taking out the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda master first, but that was an incredibly risky maneuver.

Moreover, the current Wang Dong team was left with only Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao; they had no choice but to fight to the death against two Soul Grand Masters empowered by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Back at the Shrek Academy outer courtyard cafeteria early in the morning, Ning Tian, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Elder from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, sat face-to-face with You Jie at a small dining table he had brought out himself.

As for why You Jie had brought his own table...

It was because the Shrek Academy outer courtyard cafeteria had no tables!

"Give me a recommendation. What new soul tools have you had the Shrek Soul Tool Department research lately?"

"In terms of variety, there aren't any brand-new soul tools, but because we've adopted new techniques to increase the structural integrity of our metal materials, the existing models show a massive boost in performance when using these new components."

You Jie explained to Ning Tian while eating a steamed bun and drinking soy milk, casting a glance at Wu Feng, who was standing guard at the cafeteria entrance.

It was still early; only people like Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who practiced the Purple Demon Eye, were awake. Most others were likely still meditating or asleep.

The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was arguably the sect that respected soul tools the most among the three nations of the Douluo Continent. If not for certain political stances, they would likely have been the perfect partner for Mingde Hall.

Currently, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was the largest client of the Shrek Academy Soul Tool Department. It was only natural that Ning Tian knew You Jie, the core figure who had increased the overall strength of Shrek's Soul Tool Department by more than threefold.

"Oh? Simply by increasing material strength, the efficiency of soul tools can be significantly improved? That is truly interesting... I wonder how many Gold Soul Coins it would take to purchase this technology?"

"Let's not waste time on things neither of us can decide. That depends on the relationship between Old Qian, Dean Xian, and your people."

"However, I do hope to have you join the ranks of those working to further improve material strength. Also, regarding the Strength Clan—once vassals of the Clear Sky Sect, later swindled by the Tang Sect, and now with their status unknown—does your Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect have any information?"

Although the Strength Clan had once been fiercely loyal to Tang Hao and Tang San, ten thousand years had passed. The Tang Sect was nearing its end, and the Strength Clan had never emerged to die for their masters. Furthermore, the original records showed no connection between the Strength Clan and the Clear Sky Sect.

Considering the Strength Clan's talent for forging, if the influence of the Tang God King's brainwashing could be removed, they would likely become excellent blacksmiths, allowing Qian Duoduo more time and energy to research Spirit Forging.

But...

"What an ancient name... Our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has always wanted to recruit them. In fact, we considered recruiting all of the Four Single-Attribute Clans back in the day."

"It's just that they have been missing for a long time, much like those people on Sea God Island. Perhaps they are even more reclusive than our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, or perhaps they have changed significantly with the passage of time..."

You Jie looked at Ning Tian's earnest expression and judged that she was not lying, so he sighed.

Still, that was for the best; it saved him the time and energy of detoxifying them.

"By the way, you seem quite dissatisfied with that Wang Dong from the Clear Sky Sect. You even dealt heavy blows to them during the group stages. Could it be just to spite their homeroom teacher?"

Noticing You Jie's sigh, Ning Tian inexplicably recalled the giant red warrior that had appeared on the third day of the freshman assessment, followed by the memory of Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Zhou Yi being sent flying.

Ning Tian had once heard from an elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect responsible for liaising with Shrek Academy that You Jie possessed the potential of a Great Emperor, and that he had the ability to summon entities equivalent to high-level Soul Masters and soul beasts.

Furthermore, both that elder and her father, the Sect Master, had offered some highly suggestive remarks when giving her instructions.

She had been skeptical at first, but after seeing the Junk Berserker, she became completely convinced of the rumors' truth.

As for those hints... Ning Tian felt helpless, but she later discovered that if they were just friends, You Jie was actually a pretty good guy.

As for the deeper relationship the elders hinted at...

I, fight Zhang Lexuan? Is that for real?

Additionally, because You Jie had struck twice, causing Zhou Yi to be elbowed by her own students into a wall, Mu Jin, the homeroom teacher of Ning Tian's class, was so happy she was practically floating.

Upon learning who their semifinal opponents were, Mu Jin had urgently hoped that Ning Tian and her team would elbow Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao into elimination, denying them any chance of reaching the top three.

Knowing the grudge between Mu Jin and Zhou Yi, Ning Tian naturally wouldn't let Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao off the hook, so she intended to use this conversation to extract more detailed intelligence from You Jie.

"That's not it, but Wang Dong is dangerous. When you fight them, do not let your guard down until the very last second. There is something sinister inside that girl; if you aren't careful, she might turn into a monster that is invincible as long as she has a single breath left."

"Also, I look forward to facing you in the finals. Rest assured, I won't go too hard on a major client."

You Jie set down the soy milk he had just finished, tidied his appearance, and gave Ning Tian a very serious and earnest warning.

Heaven knows if Tang San's brainwashing will force Wang Dong to win the freshman assessment. It's always better to keep an ace up my sleeve.