When Ning Tian and Wu Feng received the message from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,
they had barely spent a few days in the dormitory.
The former sat on the edge of her bed, holding the urgently delivered letter, her brows faintly furrowed.
Wu Feng leaned over to take a look and immediately cried out,
"What? They want us to go back?"
She slapped the table, her face full of confusion.
"We've only just been assigned to our classes and started learning. Why are they suddenly calling us back?"
Ning Tian said nothing. She simply folded the letter again, tucked it into her clothes, then stood and began packing.
Her movements were crisp and decisive.
Seeing her like that, Wu Feng pushed out her lower lip.
"Ning Tian, don't you think this is strange?"
As she folded their clothes and put them into her Storage Soul Guidance Device, Ning Tian answered without looking up.
"Feng, if the sect says so, there must be a reason."
"They're in such a hurry, so something major must have happened."
"We should hurry back."
Hearing this, Wu Feng dropped back onto the bed, swinging her legs. Her expression of discontent hadn't faded one bit.
"Fine, fine."
She sighed, her voice full of complaints.
"Who knows what Grandpa and the sect master are up to? And what's this about something major?"
"What could possibly have happened?"
Listening to Wu Feng mutter away, Ning Tian's forehead creased with lines of exasperation.
Although she was used to Wu Feng's personality, hearing her go on like this still left her feeling helpless.
Wu Feng really could talk without stopping for even a moment.
Only after Ning Tian had packed both their things did she stand up and sling the bundles over her back.
"Come on. Let's tell Teacher Mu Jin."
The two of them went to their homeroom teacher Mu Jin's office.
When Mu Jin saw them come in, she asked curiously,
"What can I do for you?"
Ning Tian briefly explained that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had sent for them.
After listening, Mu Jin wore a helpless expression.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wanted them back. There was little a lowly homeroom teacher like her could do to stop it.
She looked at the two of them helplessly and reminded them,
"All right, but you need to come back as soon as possible."
"The freshman assessment is about to begin. Missing it won't be good for you."
Ning Tian nodded.
"Don't worry, Teacher. We'll come back as soon as we've dealt with the sect's business."
Wu Feng nodded along beside her.
Mu Jin waved them off.
"Go on, then."
The two bowed, turned, and left the office with their bundles on their backs.
Mu Jin watched them through the window as they grew smaller in the distance, then shook her head.
"What in the world is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect up to?"
She muttered to herself, then thought no more of it.
They would be back sooner or later.
As for the possibility that the two might leave for good and never return to Shrek Academy,
Mu Jin hadn't even considered it.
This was Shrek Academy, the number one academy on the continent.
If they didn't stay here, where else could they go?
What academy could possibly compare to Shrek?
A few days later.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng stood in the middle of the hall, looking at Ning Qingyun seated in the place of honor and Wu Yunshan standing at her side.
Ning Qingyun lifted her teacup, took a sip, and spoke in an even tone.
"Starting today, you will withdraw from Shrek Academy."
Ning Tian and Wu Feng rose to their feet at the same time.
"What!"
"Drop out!"
"Why?!"
Their eyes widened as they stared at Ning Qingyun in disbelief.
It had been the sect master herself who decided to send them to Shrek Academy.
She'd said it was the number one academy on the continent and that studying there would be best for their futures.
It had only been a few days. How had she suddenly changed her mind?
Even a quick change of heart wasn't usually this quick.
Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan saw their shocked expressions, but neither of them looked particularly surprised.
They had expected this.
She spoke unhurriedly.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has become an affiliated sect of Spirit Transmission Academy."
"We've reached an agreement with Spirit Transmission Academy to work together in establishing it."
"And naturally, you two will be joining Spirit Transmission Academy as well."
At this, the shock on Ning Tian and Wu Feng's faces doubled.
Ning Tian blurted out,
"Sect Master! How can the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect become an affiliated sect of another power?"
Wu Feng chimed in,
"Exactly! And how can some newly built academy compare to Shrek Academy?"
Ning Qingyun opened her mouth, about to explain Soul Spirits and the ten-thousand-year first ring.
But Wu Yunshan spoke first.
He gave a cold snort, his face full of frustration at their failure to live up to expectations. "We're informing you."
"We're not asking for your opinion."
Wu Feng shrank her neck at her grandfather's snort.
Wu Yunshan looked at her sternly.
"Can you stop a Limit Douluo, or make Shrek send people to help?"
"Do you know that joining Spirit Transmission Academy is a privilege? We went out of our way to request a place for you."
"You don't need to know anything else."
"Spirit Transmission Academy can give support-type Soul Masters Soul Spirits, allowing them to fight."
"Why, even your First Soul Ring can be ten thousand years old."
When Ning Tian heard the words "your First Soul Ring can be ten thousand years old," her pupils suddenly contracted.
She fell silent.
A ten-thousand-year first ring.
Soul Spirits that let support-type Soul Masters fight on their own.
If all of this was true,
then she completely understood why her mother and Grandpa Wu had made this choice.
If she were in their place, she would have made the same choice.
Unfortunately, Wu Feng's mind clearly wasn't as sharp as Ning Tian's.
She stepped forward and loudly objected.
"That's impossible!"
"You two must have been tricked!"
"How could someone possibly have a ten-thousand-year first ring?"
"And this Soul Spirit thing—I've never even heard of it."
"It must be some kind of illusion-type Soul Skill."
"I want to see them for myself. I'll expose their trick!"
Ning Qingyun nearly laughed in exasperation when she heard that.
Wu Yunshan's mouth twitched as well.
One of them was a seventy-ninth-level Soul Sage, the other an eighty-eighth-level Soul Douluo.
If even they couldn't tell whether it was real, could Wu Feng, a Soul Grandmaster barely above level twenty, possibly figure it out?
Had that Red Dragon Martial Soul burned her brain?
But then Ning Qingyun reconsidered.
Wu Feng had always been like this: impulsive, quick with her words, and unable to think as fast as she spoke.
Even if they explained it, she wouldn't listen.
Besides, Ning Qingyun had a thought of her own.
She wanted to see for herself just how strong that Gu An was—the boy whose First Soul Ring was ten thousand years old.
She suppressed her anger and looked at Wu Feng.
"I can give you that chance."
Wu Feng's eyes lit up.
Ning Qingyun changed tack.
"But if you lose, you'll behave yourself and do as you're told."
"Xiao An is also a One-Ring Soul Master, just like you. The only difference is that his First Soul Ring is the ten-thousand-year one I mentioned."
At the words "One-Ring Soul Master," Wu Feng's confidence soared.
She thumped her chest and said boldly,
"Just a One-Ring Soul Master."
"I can definitely beat him and expose their scheme."
Seeing his granddaughter act so recklessly, Wu Yunshan shook his head.
"Come on."
"We'll take you to meet them."
"And you can take a look at the academy where you'll be staying."
Ning Qingyun stood, straightened her skirt, and led the way out of the meeting hall.
Ning Tian followed behind her, deep in thought.
Wu Feng brought up the rear, head held high, her face practically declaring, "I'm going to expose the fraud!"
Her fists were clenched tight.
"Hmph! I want to see what kind of swindlers they are, daring to trick the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"