The next morning, before the morning dew had dried.
Inside the council hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi sat on a rosewood chair, holding an intelligence booklet in his hand. Seeing Gu Tian enter, he put down the booklet, a relieved smile appearing on his gentle face.
" Xiao Tian, did you sleep well last night? Did Rongrong cause you any trouble?"
Gu Tian chuckled and sat down in the guest seat, getting straight to the point. " Uncle Ning, Rongrong and I were talking about her studies last night, and I'm curious why the sect hasn't sent her to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? With Rongrong's talent, plus the resources there, it should be a perfect match."
After hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's smile gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and a profound sigh.
"Sigh, Xiao Tian, Heaven Dou Royal Academy... is far more complex than you kids think."
Ning Fengzhi stood up, walked to the window of the hall, and gazed at the majestic outline of the palace in the distance. His tone revealed an indescribable weariness:
"On the surface, it is indeed the best academy in the Heaven Dou Empire, possessing the most advanced Simulation training grounds and environments in the entire empire. But internally, it has long been rotten to the core. It is not a sacred place for teaching and nurturing people, but an arena filled with dirty money and power transactions and aristocratic factional struggles."
Ning Fengzhi turned around and looked at Gu Tian, his eyes flashing with a complex light:
"In the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy these days, as long as your family background is strong enough and you offer enough sponsorship, even a pig that only knows how to eat grass can get in and obtain a high-level Soul Master title through connections. The students inside don't discuss how to improve their Soul Power every day, but rather whose territory is larger and whose title is higher. Comparing oneself to the powerful, oppressing the common people, and forming cliques are commonplace there, and have even become a kind of unspoken rule."
He shook his head with a wry smile, " Rongrong's personality is already a bit spoiled. If she were to fall into that kind of corrupting influence at such a young age, I'm afraid she wouldn't even learn how to protect the sect before learning those so-called aristocratic manners, completely ruining her character. Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu saw through the hypocrisy and decay there, which is why they would rather suffer themselves than let her be affected by such a place."
After listening, Gu Tian understood. This perfectly matched his memory of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where apart from a few geniuses in the Imperial Fighting Team, the rest were all spoiled brats.
"It seems there really is some influence within that so-called highest institution of learning in the empire."
As the Spring Festival gradually fades away, the snow in Heaven Dou City begins to melt, but a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere quietly grows in the corners of the city.
During this peaceful period, Gu Tian completely settled down in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School. During the day, he would either guide Ning Rongrong's cultivation in the training ground or exchange the mysteries of the origin of life with Bi Ji in the Emerald Pavilion; at night, it was his unwavering time for close personal instruction. Nourished by both immortal Immortal Herb and the Dragon God Bloodline, Ning Rongrong's Soul Power increased at a terrifying speed, even showing a faint trend of touching level twenty-four.
However, on the other side of the city, inside the Shrek Academy, the atmosphere was far less cheerful.
Inside the classroom, Tang San sat cross-legged, trying to suppress the faint, chaotic energy within his body under Yu Xiaogang's guidance. Ever since absorbing that foxtail grass, he always felt that his Mysterious Heaven Skill would inexplicably become sluggish halfway through its circulation.
"Bang--!"
Just then, the thick ironwood door of the classroom was shattered into dust by a violent surge of Soul Power!
A ghastly green figure swept into the room like a gust of cold wind. It was none other than Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo. At this moment, where was the slightest trace of the composure of a Title Douluo?
His already greenish, zombie-like face had now turned a chilling dark purple. On his neck, veins like centipedes bulged and writhed. With each step he took, the floor turned black and corroded, a sign that the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison within him was leaking out uncontrollably.
" Tang San! Yu Xiaogang! Get out here for me!" Dugu Bo roared like a viper spitting its tongue, his eyes bloodshot.
Seeing this, Flender and Zhao Wuji quickly stepped in front of the students. Liu Erlong also rushed out, her face full of anger. " Dugu Bo, what's wrong with you now?"
"Am I going mad?" Dugu Bo pointed to his chest, where a vortex of greenish-black energy was throbbing wildly. "I followed that little beast's advice and tried to cure the poison with herbs, and what happened? Not only did the poison not subside, it combined with that damned medicinal properties and is now backfiring on my internal organs! If I don't get an explanation today, I'll make this entire academy pay with its life!"
Under immense pressure, Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye to its limit. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as his mind raced. He knew perfectly well that the foxtail grass itself wasn't poisonous; the problem lay with Gu Tian! Gu Tian must have tampered with the Immortal Herb when it was being harvested!
" Senior Dugu, please calm down!" Tang San shouted, enduring the oppressive aura. "We really didn't steal your immortal Immortal Herb! I swear on the name of the Clear Sky Hammer and on the name of my deceased mother that if we stole from your herb garden, we will be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
Seeing Tang San's earnest words, which even carried a hint of saintly radiance, Dugu Bo was slightly taken aback. In the Soul Master World, swearing an oath with one's Martial Soul and ancestors is an extremely important promise.
"If it's not you, then who else could it be?" Dugu Bo gritted his teeth, the excruciating pain in his body almost making him unable to maintain his posture.
A sinister glint flashed in Tang San's eyes as he pointed in the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect:
"Senior, think about it carefully. Besides us, who else has the strength to move the entire spring without anyone noticing? It's Gu Tian! He's the prospective son-in-law of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and he has two killing gods, Sword and Bone, behind him. Only he has the resources and means to deal with those Immortal Herb! His Soul Power is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the girls around him are all undergoing a complete transformation. Haven't you ever had any doubts?"
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted. Gu Tian... that young man with the Nine-Colored Martial Soul, who instinctively made him feel suppressed.
" Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..." Dugu Bo snorted coldly. Although it was Upper Three Sects, at this point, robbery was better than dying from poisoning. He had to find the culprit and take back those Immortal Herb!
"If I ever find out you've lied to me, I'll be the first to tear you apart!"
Dugu Bo casually grabbed a hideous black mask that he had somehow acquired and put it on his face. Then, his nine Soul Ring pulsed wildly, and he transformed into a giant, pale green snake shadow, charging directly towards the center of Heaven Dou City — the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Report! Sect Master, a powerful enemy has launched a surprise attack!"
The sharp whistle shattered the tranquility of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Inside the council hall, Ning Fengzhi was enjoying tea with Gu Tian. Upon hearing the announcement, Ning Fengzhi's eyes narrowed, and a flash of light appeared in his palm; the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was already ready.
Gu Tian put down his teacup, a mocking smile playing on his lips. What was bound to happen, Tang San had finally brought.
"This rotten, foul smell... it's that old bastard Dugu Bo." Gu Rong, who was sitting in a corner, suddenly stood up. His blue robe fluttered without wind, and a dark green light burst forth from his deep eyes.
boom--!
Outside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's mountain gate, a massive, ghastly green pillar of light shot into the sky. Dugu Bo was wearing a ferocious mask that covered half his face. Although his aura was somewhat disordered, the pressure of Titled Douluo was undeniable.
" Gu Tian! Spit out what's mine!"