Ning Fengzhi: I'm entrusting my daughter to Qin Ming for her education!

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

In the distance beyond the square, Zhi Lin took everything in.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man wearing the Seven Treasure Purple Gold Crown.

"I never expected him to have such insight," the middle-aged man sighed.

Zhi Lin stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps that is why His Highness the Crown Prince values him so highly."

"But... Sect Master Ning, what wind has blown you to our academy today?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly. "I have never seen that disciple of mine place such importance on anyone before, so I could not help wanting to observe him for myself."

"Does Education Committee Member Zhi not welcome my visit?"

"Not at all." Zhi Lin turned to look at Ning Fengzhi. "It is just that, after all, this is a talent His Highness the Crown Prince has recruited."

"Though Sect Master Ning holds the esteemed position of the Crown Prince's teacher, it would still be best to mind certain boundaries."

Ning Fengzhi paid no mind to the small probe in Zhi Lin's words. Instead, he pondered for a moment before asking, "Now that this matter has occurred, how does your esteemed academy intend to handle it?"

"I do not know," Zhi Lin said very simply.

"Although Teacher Qin is not yet a Heaven-Dou Tier teacher, his status in our academy is still quite high."

"Besides, this was only a momentary theoretical conflict. Whether he is suited for this position still needs to be judged over the long term."

"Also, I have an idea."

Ning Fengzhi said, "I would be glad to hear it."

"Xia Yuan is a child with strong opinions of his own, and what he said is not without reason. There are still several years until the next Spirit Master Tournament."

"We had already formed the team in advance to prepare early. Setting aside one year for trial and error would not be troublesome."

Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow. "Education Committee Member Zhi means?"

Zhi Lin stroked his beard. "Separate instruction!"

Ning Fengzhi understood Zhi Lin's meaning at once.

"But in that case, would the team not fall apart?"

"It is not that serious." Zhi Lin waved a hand. "I have already said the term will be one year. When the time comes, we will reorganize the team, and there should be no problem."

"That is true." Ning Fengzhi lowered his gaze slightly.

After a while, he asked again, "I wonder if, during this year, my daughter might be allowed to train with the team as well. It would count as some tempering for her."

Zhi Lin: ?

Seeing Zhi Lin's strange look, Ning Fengzhi was not surprised.

Generally speaking, direct-bloodline members of a sect, or even its heirs, would not choose to study at a Spirit Master Academy.

After all, most sects followed the path of inherited martial souls and had their own special teaching methods suited to their family's martial soul.

Someone like Yu Tianheng was already an exception.

"I will not hide it from Education Committee Member Zhi."

"My daughter has been spoiled since childhood and was born with a mischievous temperament. If she continues staying in the sect, I fear my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be turned completely upside down by her."

"I see that Teacher Qin Ming is quite good at lecturing people. Perhaps he can help change this unruly temperament of my daughter's."

Zhi Lin: ?

He was somewhat confused.

Had Ning Fengzhi not just praised Xia Yuan for having insight?

How had he turned around in the blink of an eye and decided to entrust his own daughter to Qin Ming's instruction?

Could it be that he still had not seen clearly what had just happened?

Even Zhi Lin himself had begun to waver over Qin Ming's teaching, which was why he planned to set a one-year term and see just what Xia Yuan could accomplish.

Ning Fengzhi was the master of a sect, so his mind should not be lacking. How had his thinking taken such a strange turn?

Even if he truly wanted to send Ning Rongrong here to enroll, should he not wait until a year later, after seeing the real results of the separated instruction, before deciding?

Ning Fengzhi seemed to have seen Zhi Lin's confusion, or perhaps he had not yet finished speaking, and continued to add, "I do know a little about the academy that this Teacher Qin Ming came from."

"Oh?" Zhi Lin grew curious.

When Qin Ming had come to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to apply for a position, he had in fact never mentioned the academy he had previously graduated from.

He had not expected Ning Fengzhi to know.

Ning Fengzhi said, "What an academy should teach most is not how to cultivate a martial soul, but how to use one."

"I once heard those words from someone who had made a bit of a name for himself in the spirit master world."

"If my guess is correct, this Teacher Qin Ming should be that person's student."

"And besides, Teacher Qin keeps talking about monsters. That fits that man's philosophy very well too."

"What philosophy?" Zhi Lin asked.

"His academy doesn't accept ordinary people. It only accepts monsters!"

It didn't accept ordinary people. It only accepted monsters!

That one sentence shook Zhi Lin to the core.

He could not help blurting out, "This dean's philosophy is indeed very forward-thinking."

"It seems his academy must be like our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with excellent facilities and outstanding teachers."

"Only then could it recruit students worthy of being called monsters."

"Its teaching methods should also be quite..." Zhi Lin had just been about to say its teaching methods were quite good, but then he remembered Qin Ming's appearance just now and could not help choking on the words.

Ning Fengzhi revealed a thoughtful look. "Ever since we parted back then, I haven't heard anything more about him."

"But I imagine his academy shouldn't be bad either."

Zhi Lin did not continue delving into the topic. Instead, he cupped his hands toward Ning Fengzhi and said:

"Sect Master Ning, forgive me for being unable to keep you company any longer. Given the current situation, I should step forward and handle it."

"Very well." Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly.

Zhi Lin turned and left, striding onto the square.

On the square.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling covered their mouths as they snickered. The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo, along with Yu Feng, were also keeping their faces taut.

Yu Tianheng's brows were tightly furrowed as he glanced toward Xia Yuan without leaving a trace.

Ever since blurting out in anger, "You can't outrun me, believe it or not," Qin Ming had been standing in place for a while.

If others saw him, they would probably think Qin Ming's soul had left his body and had yet to return.

Xia Yuan, meanwhile, was thinking about how to drive Qin Ming out completely.

He did not mind playing the bad guy, but the best outcome would naturally be for Qin Ming to expose the flaws in his teaching in front of the three education committee members himself.

Of course, there was another path: he could simply withdraw from the Imperial Fighting Team. When the time came, he naturally would not need to bother with this mess anymore.

As for Yu Tianheng, it was not as though Xia Yuan had not taken him into consideration.

If Yu Tianheng really could stop hissing at Xia Yuan, Xia Yuan would not mind letting bygones be bygones with a smile upon meeting. In any case, he had never been the one at a disadvantage.

Though judging by Yu Tianheng's current state, it would be very hard for him not to turn into a decrepit old man.

"Teacher Qin." Zhi Lin had arrived beside the team at this moment.

"I've already seen everything that just happened."

Light flared in Qin Ming's eyes.

Could it be!

Education Committee Member Zhi was going to help him establish his authority as the Imperial Fighting Team's instructor?

Zhi Lin said, "I think perhaps the Imperial Fighting Team can try separate instruction."

Qin Ming asked in confusion, "Separate instruction? What do you mean?"

"I can see that Xia Yuan's theoretical knowledge isn't poor either. On top of that, after cultivating outside for a year, he may have gained quite a lot as well."

"So let us set the term at one year for now."

"Let them choose for themselves whether to accept your guidance or train together with Xia Yuan."