Spirit Transmission Academy! The Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's Financial Strength!

North of Seven Treasures City.

This was the place with the beautiful scenery that Ning Qingyun had mentioned.

Originally, this area had been a series of rolling hills and forests, dense with trees and wide-open terrain.

But now, a city had appeared here out of thin air.

Calling it a city might not be entirely accurate, as its scale was a full circle larger than Seven Treasures City itself.

Gray-white high walls rose from the ground, their surfaces smooth and level, showing not a single trace of masonry joints.

Atop the city walls, a tower stood every hundred meters.

Embedded at the peak of each tower was a fist-sized soul-guiding crystal, refracting colorful specks of light under the sun.

The city walls extended to both sides, stretching beyond the reach of sight.

The city gate stood twenty meters high, its surface carved with intricate patterns; looking closely, one could discern that these patterns faintly formed a spreading phoenix and a coiling dragon.

Above the gate, four large characters were carved into the wall.

Spirit Transmission Academy.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng stood outside the gate, exchanging glances, both of them tilting their heads to look up at the complex of buildings, their eyes slightly widened.

To the two of them, this academy had simply appeared out of nowhere.

When they were children, they had often played in this forest north of the city.

Back then, there had been no such city here.

Absolutely none.

Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan stood before them, pointing toward the complex of buildings.

"This is Spirit Transmission Academy."

"From now on, this will be your academy."

Ning Tian did not speak, her gaze sweeping over the academy.

Even though she and Wu Feng had spent time at Shrek Academy and had witnessed the grandeur of the continent's premier institution, she could not find a single fault with the academy before her.

In fact, the same thought occurred to both of them.

At least on the surface, this Spirit Transmission Academy was even more luxurious than Shrek Academy.

Shrek Academy's architectural style leaned toward the archaic and substantial, emphasizing heritage and legacy.

The architectural style of Spirit Transmission Academy, however, was more flamboyant and refined, with every detail exuding an air of "I am not short on money."

One didn't need to think twice to know how many gold soul coins it had cost to build such an academy.

It must have been countless.

Ning Tian turned her head to look at Ning Qingyun and asked.

"Mother, what percentage did our Seven Treasure Glazed Sect pay?"

Ning Qingyun glanced at her, her tone indifferent.

"All of it."

Ning Tian's body stiffened slightly, while Wu Feng cried out.

"All of it?!"

The two of them looked at each other, their faces twisted in expressions of extreme heartache.

If they remembered correctly, back in the council hall, the Sect Master had clearly said that the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect and Spirit Transmission Academy had reached a partnership.

Even though Ning Tian already understood in her heart that the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect held the status of a subordinate force, she had never expected that the funding for this academy had been provided entirely by the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

They hadn't let anyone else pay a single gold soul coin.

Wu Feng's face was crumpled, her voice tinged with a sob.

"Sect Master! That is our Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's money!"

Ning Tian looked at Ning Qingyun, her tone carrying a hint of suppressed distress.

"Mother, is it really worth it?"

"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Sect is not a fool to be taken advantage of."

Wu Yunshan snorted impatiently from the side.

"What do you two little girls know?"

"You will understand once you meet the Young Master and the Crowned One."

Ning Tian and Wu Feng exchanged another look and sighed in unison.

The former put away the look of heartache on her face, though her brows remained tightly furrowed, and she said nothing more.

The latter, meanwhile, had secretly made up her mind.

Once she saw that brat named Gu An, she would make sure to show him the true power of Wu Feng.

To dare swindle money from the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

She would beat every single one of those gold soul coins back out of him.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Sect would not be slaughtered like lambs!

At this moment, Wu Feng truly saw herself as the savior of the sect.

It couldn't be helped; her brain really wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

She only felt that her family had suffered a massive loss and that she had to find a way to earn it back.

The four of them passed through the city gates and entered the Spirit Transmission Academy.

The scene inside the academy unfolded before their eyes.

Well-arranged and orderly, the soul fighting arenas, teaching buildings, dormitory areas, and soul beast zones were clearly divided by function.

Occasionally, disciples wearing the attire of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect could be seen walking along the paths.

Ning Tian had observed everything along the way.

Her thoughts were nothing but pure, agonizing heartache.

What kind of nonsense Spirit Transmission Academy was this?

It was staffed entirely by people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

And it was funded entirely by the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's money.

Those three people.

The three people her mother had spoken of.

One Title Douluo, one woman, and one child.

They hadn't contributed a single thing of substance.

No, wait.

They had contributed something.

They had contributed a few brain cells to paint a grand, empty picture.

And then her mother and Elder Wu had willingly emptied out the entire treasury of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

Thinking of this, Ning Tian felt a tightness in her chest.

Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan did not share such heavy emotions.

The two walked in front with light steps, their faces even showing a hint of anticipation.

There was only one thing on their minds now.

Between the upcoming battle of Wu Feng and Gu An, who would actually win?

Very quickly, indeed.

The four of them traveled unimpeded through more than half of the academy, arriving at an area in the deepest part of the grounds.

It was an independent courtyard with a quiet, secluded environment, featuring a few ancient trees and stone tables and stools set beneath them.

Then, Ning Tian and Wu Feng saw the three of them.

Gu An sat on a stone stool, holding the pearlescent Dragon Phoenix Soul Sound Flute, playing a melody.

Mother Gu sat beside him, also holding a flute, matching her son's rhythm—one high, one low, one lead, one accompaniment.

The flute music was clear and melodious, flowing slowly through the courtyard.

Leng Yaozhu stood to the side with her arms crossed, her head tilted slightly, her fiery red hair cascading over one shoulder as she listened with her eyes closed.

A faint, subtle smile played on her lips.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, the three of them stopped simultaneously.

Gu An moved the flute away from his lips and looked up.

His gaze swept past Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan, landing directly on the two unfamiliar faces who were not much older than himself.

He gave it a little thought and guessed their identities.

There was no need to overthink the one with red hair; that was Wu Feng.

The one who was missing a few screws in her head.

In the early stages of the original work, if one adopted the perspective of the main cast, this girl was indeed a very annoying character.

Impulsive, foul-mouthed, and acting without thinking.

And the one with yellow hair.

Gu An's gaze lingered on Ning Tian for a moment, and then he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

It was the manga version of Ning Tian, not the anime version.

Although the manga version of Ning Tian also dressed in men's clothing, her features were delicate and soft, and one could still discern the feminine foundation in her brows and eyes.

Moreover, the Ning Tian before him looked even more beautiful than she did in the manga.

As for the anime version of Ning Tian.

One could only say it was an eyesore.

Wasn't that just a pure man?

Ugly as sin.

"Little An."

A gorgeous smile bloomed on Ning Qingyun's face.

She covered the distance to Gu An in a few quick strides, bent down, and pulled Gu An into her arms.

Then, she rubbed her cheek against his several times.

She rubbed the left side, then the right.

Gu An's face was squashed out of shape, and he froze in place.

His tone was filled with helplessness.

"Sister Qingyun, can we please be mindful of your image?"

"You still haven't introduced who those two are."