Three Teachers?

Shen Ming finished speaking with a cough. His face wore a look of feigned helplessness, but the smile at the corners of his mouth was becoming impossible to suppress.

No matter how one looked at it, his disciple was superior to the disciple of his boss.

What was so impressive about Innate Full Soul Power? Not only did his disciple possess Innate Full Soul Power, but he also wielded a terrifying physical strength of nearly one ton.

Under these circumstances, even a three-ring master might not be able to defeat his disciple in a fight, let alone a little girl like her who was only at the first ring.

These were Shen Ming's inner thoughts. Although he didn't say them aloud, that speech—ostensibly self-deprecating but actually a boast—was heard clearly by Leng Yaozhu.

Leng Yaozhu looked at him, but instead of getting angry, a faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips.

"This child's talent is indeed remarkable, and I can sense that he possesses a strong mastery over elements. Ever since he entered, the surrounding Rock Element has been continuously condensing around him; it has even begun to influence my own Fire Element."

Leng Yaozhu's voice was calm. Her gaze remained fixed on Li Ang, and as she slightly raised her palm, a faint spark of fire coalesced.

Yet, as this spark appeared, the surrounding fire elements did not manifest in any significant quantity.

Normally, given her strength, she wouldn't need to consume her own soul power to summon flames, as the world itself was filled with elemental energy.

But in this room, every element other than the Rock Element was either being forcibly erased, stripped away, or even forcibly converted.

This sensation was nothing short of terrifying.

In a vast environment, this might not be noticeable, but in such a confined space, the surrounding elements were being destroyed at every moment, then converted into the Rock Element—or rather, into a type of element she had never felt before.

It seemed stronger than the Rock Element, yet it shared the same origin.

Feeling this, Leng Yaozhu looked at Li Ang with eyes full of curiosity.

Beside them, Na'er was also watching Li Ang, her beautiful, large eyes filled with wonder.

She didn't perceive those things; if the Silver Dragon King were here, she would have sensed it clearly, but as it stood, she had completely lost her memories.

Under these circumstances, Na'er knew nothing.

Moreover, because she had mastered other elements, she didn't feel particularly uncomfortable, even though the Rock Element and the earth element were not exactly the same category.

She could even barely utilize these rock elements, though she couldn't match Li Ang's level of control.

Hearing Leng Yaozhu's praise, Shen Ming's face showed a rare flash of excitement. However, before he could figure out what to say, Leng Yaozhu's next sentence blocked all his words.

"Not bad, little Shen. I like this child very much; let him be my disciple. As it happens, I am preparing to return to the Spirit Pagoda to resume my duties. Let this child return to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters with me!"

Leng Yaozhu's voice was calm and her tone casual, but as soon as Shen Ming opened his mouth to object, he felt a towering pressure wash over him.

Feeling this terrifying pressure, the corners of Shen Ming's mouth twitched slightly.

"Boss, Li Ang has high talent, and he... he has already taken the Level 8 Blacksmith and president of the Blacksmith Association, Mu Chen, as his teacher to learn forging. Mu Chen values him highly."

As Shen Ming spoke, he looked at his direct superior with a sense of helplessness, but Leng Yaozhu remained expressionless upon hearing this.

"There are also Level 8 Blacksmiths in Shrek City. If this child's talent is truly that outstanding, he can take other Level 8 Blacksmiths as his teachers there."

Leng Yaozhu's tone remained calm, and she even looked at Shen Ming with a half-smile.

Shen Ming opened his mouth several times. Facing Leng Yaozhu's expression, his own look became uncharacteristically complex.

Under normal circumstances, he would have conceded; after all, he hadn't spent much time with Li Ang, and their bond wasn't that deep.

But the thought of such a promising talent being taken to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters made Shen Ming's heart ache.

He knew exactly what kind of environment the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was.

After all, before coming to the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda, he had been a Spirit Master at the headquarters.

The environment there was so oppressive that, aside from the descendants of the Qiangu Family, others had almost no human rights.

While it wasn't exactly a life of misery, compared to the Qiangu Family, one was suppressed at every turn.

For someone mediocre like him, it was manageable, but for a true genius, there were few options other than joining the Spirit Pagoda or becoming a dog for the Qiangu Family. Even if Leng Yaozhu took Li Ang as her disciple, once his shocking talents were revealed and caught the attention of the Qiangu Family, the result would either be total subjugation and domestication, or complete erasure. This was something Shen Ming did not want to see.

Thinking of this, Shen Ming's eyes flickered with hesitation, but he took a small step forward, placing himself directly between Leng Yaozhu and Li Ang.

"Boss, I cannot let you take this child. His talent is immense, and he is better suited to cultivate here. This place can provide him with a stable environment to help him complete his early accumulation."

"Once he has the strength, I will send him to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, but definitely not now."

Shen Ming's tone was tense, yet his body remained firmly blocking the two.

Li Ang glanced at Leng Yaozhu, then at Shen Ming, his lips twitching slightly.

He felt no nervousness or fear toward Leng Yaozhu, so he observed her micro-expressions with great detail.

The other party's purpose in coming here was not to take him away, but likely to keep both him and Na'er in Eastsea City.

After all, Eastsea City was not only under Leng Yaozhu's complete control, but it was also free from so much interference and drama.

Sure enough, facing Shen Ming's resolute gaze, Leng Yaozhu merely smiled lightly, then stood up and brushed the non-existent dust from her clothes.

"You've got some backbone, kid. This child is still my student, but I do intend to keep him here at the Spirit Pagoda. Besides, my other student will also remain at the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda."

"Do you really take me for a fool? If you can see it, how could I not? These two children have monstrous talent; they will surely be the pillars of my Spirit Pagoda in the future."

"But if they go to the headquarters now, they will be influenced by the Qiangu Family, and the outcome will be unpredictable. 'The tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind'—do you really think I need you to teach me that?"

After saying this, Leng Yaozhu glared at Shen Ming.

With a gentle flick of her palm, two wooden boxes appeared on the table, and her figure transformed into a streak of light, rapidly speeding away from the Spirit Pagoda.