Cooking Up a Championship

"Tha—" Just as Ning Tian opened her mouth to thank Lu Yuan for the information, Lu Yuan continued.

"During the freshman assessment, once our team takes first place, I can choose not to take that soul bone. I only need you, Ning Tian, to convert my share into Gold Soul Coins."

Huh? Hearing this, Ning Tian's eyes lit up.

"Boasting!"

Before Ning Tian could say anything, Wu Feng had already launched into one of her characteristically low-EQ remarks.

"Lu Yuan, I know you were born a commoner. Reaching Soul Elder cultivation at your age truly makes you exceptionally talented," Wu Feng said, with no intention of belittling Lu Yuan. As someone born into a sect, she understood better than anyone that without sufficient resources, reaching Soul Elder cultivation at such an age through talent and hard work alone truly counted as extraordinary talent.

"But," Wu Feng abruptly changed her tone, "aside from you and the young mistress, there is more than one Soul Elder in this year's class, as far as I know."

"Yes, Lu Yuan, Feng is right." Ning Tian shot Wu Feng a discreet glare. Familiar with Wu Feng's personality, Ning Tian knew Wu Feng meant to praise Lu Yuan's talent, but to outsiders, it could easily sound like she was putting down his background. Ning Tian explained, "Besides us from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, there is also Dai Huabin, a freshman from Class Five. He is the second son of the current White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire's White Tiger Duke's Mansion, and his Martial Soul is the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, a top-tier assault-type Martial Soul. He is also a Soul Elder."

"Besides him, Xie Huanyue from Freshman Class Two possesses the Rubber Elephant, a top-tier defense-type Martial Soul. He is also a Soul Elder, though his exact strength is unknown."

"Not only that," Wu Feng said coldly, crossing her arms over her chest, "the White Tiger Duke's Mansion of the Star Luo Empire has always shared close ties with the Nether Duke's Mansion. Their two bloodlines possess the famed Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger. Besides Dai Huabin, Class Five also has his fiancée, Zhu Lu, who possesses the Hell Spirit Cat and is a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. Those two are the current wielders of the Hell White Tiger Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

"Just Dai Huabin alone is someone I'm not confident I could defeat even with the young mistress's support, much less the Hell White Tiger after their Martial Soul Fusion Skill! Martial Soul Fusion Skills have always been capable of fighting above one's rank. In other words, in that state, Dai Huabin can contend with a Soul Ancestor!"

Looking at Lu Yuan, who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth and kept spouting wild claims, Wu Feng's tone was cold, but her words were meant to kindly explain the situation to him.

"Hahaha!" Rather than being alarmed by Ning Tian and Wu Feng's words, Lu Yuan laughed. He declared loudly, "You two need not worry so much. Dai Huabin of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion has an eccentric temperament, courage but no strategy; he is not champion material. That Xie Huanyue has high defense but low offense and can only take hits; he is not champion material either. In my view, among the current outer academy freshmen, only Ning Tian, young sect mistress, and I can be called champions!"

As he spoke, Lu Yuan could not help picking up a bowl of meat soup from the table. Holding it up, he clinked it against Ning Tian's teacup, which she was holding as she digested her meal. Under Ning Tian's dumbfounded gaze, he gulped it down noisily.

"They claim they can contend with Soul Ancestors, but in the end, they are merely insignificant Soul Elder Soul Masters. Lu Yuan can still cut them down!"

Lu Yuan himself had always preferred using higher cultivation to challenge those of lower cultivation across realms. Still, occasionally fighting Soul Masters of his own generation for a change of pace was not bad either. Leaving everything else aside, with the God Clan bloodline in his body, taking on a Soul Ancestor would be easy for him, much less a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that merely claimed to rival one!

Then let me ask you this: you say you can contend with a Soul Ancestor, but when Soul Ancestors hold meetings, do they invite you, Hell White Tiger?

Well? Was that impressive enough for you? Lu Yuan raised his brows at the two as Ning Tian stared blankly.

Lu Yuan was not actually showing off for its own sake. He merely wanted to establish a leading position within the team during the coming freshman assessment. His strength would certainly let him sweep through students of the same year, but with a simpleton like Wu Feng on the team, who would want some melodramatic internal conflict breaking out in the middle of a battle?

What the heck was he babbling about?

Though she had not caught everything Lu Yuan said, Wu Feng understood the general meaning. Simply put—it was: everyone here was trash!

So after I spent all that time explaining things to you, you didn't listen to a single word! Wu Feng raised her pretty brows and was about to flare up.

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't be in a hurry yet." Lu Yuan raised a hand, interrupting Wu Feng's attempt to cast. "I know words alone prove nothing. How about we settle this with our fists?"

Looking at Ning Tian, Lu Yuan added, "With your support, Ning Tian, I'll have a soul fight with Wu Feng to prove my strength. Of course, during the fight, I will not attack you, the support Soul Master. I will only fight Wu Feng after she receives your enhancements!"

Was he really that confident? Lu Yuan had left a fairly good impression on Ning Tian so far, but she did not believe he could definitely defeat a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. After all, for an early-stage Soul Elder to defeat a Soul Ancestor across ranks was simply too outrageous.

Still, she could agree to this match. With her Seven Treasure Glazed Tower's enhancements and the power of her Red Dragon Martial Soul, Feng was effectively a fairly strong Soul Elder as well. Letting her fight Lu Yuan would reveal his true strength.

"Feng, what do you think?"

"I have no problem, Young Mistress!" Wu Feng cracked her knuckles. Although Lu Yuan had not approached the young mistress with the disgusting methods and gazes used by some boys Ning Tian had encountered before, which had left Wu Feng with a decent impression of him, his nonstop nonsense had long made this hot-tempered lesbian girl want to teach him a lesson.

"A simple match would be boring. How about we add a wager?"

Seeing that the mistress and servant had taken the bait, Lu Yuan immediately activated Douluo Continent's Nine-Turn Betting Gu. On Douluo Continent, as long as you proposed a bet, even if the other party was in the middle of a life-or-death crisis, they would stop what they were doing, hear out the stakes, and agree to your request.

"How do we bet?" Wu Feng asked.

"If I win, Wu Feng will cover my meal expenses for one semester. If I lose—" Lu Yuan paused. Truthfully, he had not considered what would happen if he lost, because he felt it was simply impossible for him to lose.

"If you lose, then join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!" Wu Feng hurriedly added. She might have been impatient, but she was not stupid. She knew the young mistress had always wanted to recruit talented people into the sect, and Lu Yuan was one such prospect. Thinking of how she could win Ning Tian's affection through the merit of recruiting Lu Yuan, then become even closer to the young mistress, Wu Feng grew a little excited.

Looking at it this way, this guy wasn't completely useless after all! Wu Feng thought happily.

"As long as Lu Yuan is willing to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, forget one year—even his living expenses for an entire lifetime can be covered by the sect!" Taking up Wu Feng's words, Ning Tian smiled and said, half-jokingly and half-probingly.

"How about this?" Lu Yuan pondered for a moment. "To be honest, I currently have no plans to join any sect. However, if I lose, I can give Ning Tian a promise: if I ever decide to join a sect in the future, I will give priority to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Fine, I'll accept this wager on Feng's behalf! Even if she loses, I'll pay those meal expenses for her!" Ning Tian said decisively.

Ning Tian knew it was clearly unrealistic to make a genius like Lu Yuan join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect through a mere wager. But a promise also meant a good beginning. At the very least, there was some hope now compared to before, wasn't there?

Young Mistress! Seeing Ning Tian accept the wager for her and even offer to pay out of her own pocket, Wu Feng was deeply moved. Immediately afterward, blazing battle intent rose in her eyes—Even for the Young Mistress, I will not lose this battle!

No matter how one looked at it, it was a Soul Elder against a Soul Grandmaster—two against one—

The advantage is mine!!! *2