Third Place: Bibi Dong

Liu Erlong had done it on purpose, naturally to vent Yu Xiaogang's anger for him.

Yu Xiaogang said nothing, simply enjoying the way Liu Erlong stood up for him.

"Liu Erlong, don't push your luck!"

"This academy is mine. I won't move, and that's final! Prince Xue Xing, you'd better leave!"

Liu Erlong refused to budge. In the eyes of the Shrek crowd, she was practically a hero.

"Uncle, you were asked to find a site for the Akademiya, but it doesn't seem to be going very smoothly."

At the sound of Xue Qinghe's voice, Prince Xue Xing's expression darkened even further.

"Qinghe, what brings you here? Oh, the Akademiya's representatives are here too."

Prince Xue Xing turned toward Sethos. His attitude changed at once as he addressed Sethos, Tighnari, and Nefer.

"This is the site I chose for the Akademiya. What do you think?"

"It's quite nice, if you ignore the fact that someone's spying on us."

Nefer's gaze swept toward a certain direction.

"Did he run off? He sure is quick!"

The person Nefer had spotted was naturally Tang Hao. Once he realized he'd been discovered, he'd promptly decided to leave.

Liu Erlong couldn't make heads or tails of what Nefer meant. Even knowing that Nefer and the others were powerful, and that the Akademiya was a force she couldn't contend with, she still said firmly, "This academy is mine. I don't agree, so even the Akademiya can't take it away from me."

"I don't really mind!"

Nefer suddenly leaned close to Liu Erlong's ear and whispered, "If you want to get the people around you killed, by all means, keep insisting."

"You, you..."

"Don't get so worked up. I'm just giving you a friendly warning. Whether you understand it is up to you."

Nefer looked at the Sky Screen again and smiled.

"The Sky Screen has updated. Let's see what it has to say about that Scribe."

[He is an absolute rationalist and an individualist, but he isn't selfish. He isn't easy to get along with, and Kaveh can speak to that better than anyone.]

[He has great strength and extraordinary intelligence. Thinking and reading are his hobbies, but he also likes to say, "Reading won't make you smarter. Just look at some of the people in the Akademiya." (Alhaitham's voice)]

[He is the Scribe. He took the position because it involves little work and pays well, and for that, he gave up the chance to become a Sage.]

[He doesn't care that he took part in saving a god. He believes that both underestimating and revering gods too much are mistaken. Gods need worshippers, and they are also part of the ecosystem. He hopes Lesser Lord Kusanali won't take it to heart.]

[If you want to get to know Alhaitham better, you should ask Kaveh for advice. Of course, Kaveh will very likely end up pouring his heart out to you instead.]

[Of course, if you dare to hurt his friends, you'd better be ready to be swallowed by his fury. The more rational someone is, the more terrifying they become when they lose their composure. Though this has never happened to him before.]

As Kaveh hurried toward Heaven Dou City with Ouyang Kong and Nahida, he watched the Sky Screen's assessment of Alhaitham and remarked, "Lose his composure? That'll never happen to that guy in a million years."

If Alhaitham had been here, he would have agreed with Kaveh. He didn't think he would ever lose his composure. If it really did happen...

Alhaitham didn't pursue the thought. His rationality would never let something like that happen.

Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Bo Saixi were all especially sensitive to matters concerning gods, so their attention naturally focused on the words about saving a god.

Why would a god need saving? How had he taken part in saving one? Did the god who was saved still possess divine power?

They had no way of knowing. All they could do was hope to glean some answers from what the Sky Screen revealed next.

"Saving a god? I wonder if I count as having been saved, after ascending to godhood myself."

A boy wearing a large hat was on his way to Spirit City.

Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi certainly wouldn't agree with the claim that "both underestimating and revering gods too much are mistaken." As the gods' envoys, they held them in absolute reverence.

In their eyes, Alhaitham's way of thinking was already heretical.

At Blue Tyrant Academy, Sethos turned to Tighnari and asked, "Is Alhaitham really that hard to get along with?"

"Well, how should I put it? Once you understand him, he's actually fine. Just remember to keep some distance when you're around him. Otherwise, you might end up like Kaveh."

"Got it. I'll be sure to keep myself in check if I meet him."

Just then, Sethos, Tighnari, and the others all furrowed their brows.

"The god worshipped by the Akademiya actually needed saving? That sounds like a fake god to me."

It was Liu Erlong who said it. She'd spoken without thinking, and regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth, but there was no taking them back.

Though Sethos, Tighnari, and the others hadn't shown any particularly devout faith in Nahida, deep down they still held her in great respect.

They weren't going to let Liu Erlong's slander of Nahida go unchallenged.

Even Dori and Collei fixed Liu Erlong with cold stares, while Korianba and Genie of the Lamp appeared as well.

"Apologize to Lesser Lord Kusanali, or don't blame us for what happens next."

Tighnari's voice was icy.

Liu Erlong didn't dare argue any further. She obediently lowered her head and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong!"

After Liu Erlong apologized, Tighnari and the others didn't press her any further.

But Qian Renxue and Prince Xue Xing weren't about to let this opportunity slip by. They put Liu Erlong under pressure again.

At last, Yu Xiaogang stepped forward. The moment he did, he shamelessly started laying down conditions.

"We can hand over this academy, but the Akademiya must provide these students with the best possible training conditions, and it must not interfere with how we teach them."

Simply put, Yu Xiaogang wanted Tang San and the others to freeload on the Akademiya's training resources.

Ning Fengzhi's eyes twitched at Yu Xiaogang's demands.

How had he trained that thick skin? He could make demands like that without even turning red. Ning Fengzhi had to hand it to him.

"Heh. Even in Nod-Krai, that lawless place where no one keeps an eye on things, you don't see people this shameless very often!"

Nefer mocked him without holding back. At the same time, the Sky Screen issued a reward to Alhaitham.

[Congratulations, Alhaitham. Reward: Soul Power Level increased by one; one copy of Compendium of Douluo Continent Languages.]

Feeling his strength rise, Alhaitham murmured, "I hope the Grand Sage doesn't drag me out to do work! This book looks interesting. I'll get to learn a few more languages."

After the Sky Screen handed out Alhaitham's reward, it immediately updated with the next entry.

[Third Place: Bibi Dong]

At Pope's Palace in Spirit City, Bibi Dong saw that she had only placed third, and her expression instantly turned dark.