Tang San smiled and nodded. "Any Soul Master can practice Teacher's Six Styles. Back when Teacher wasn't as strong as he is today, he created the Six Styles to make up for his own shortcomings."
As Ning Rongrong listened, she silently weighed things up.
If everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could practice the Six Styles, wouldn't all the weaknesses of Support System Soul Masters disappear in one stroke?
But she immediately suppressed that thought. She remembered Teacher's rules clearly. These were secret teachings of their lineage and absolutely could not be leaked.
She had no intention of teaching them to anyone else.
"Rongrong, come on. Try again."
Tang San beckoned. "Plant your feet a little more firmly. Concentrate your soul power in your ankles..."
Ning Rongrong gathered her thoughts and exerted herself again, following Tang San's instructions.
Bang!
"Not bad! You're improving!"
Xiao Wu clapped and cheered beside them.
Dai Mubai stood to one side with his arms folded, watching. "If only I'd learned the Six Styles a few years earlier..."
The more he learned about Yu Xiaogang, the more impressive he found him.
The next day, Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong finally returned to Blue Tyrant Academy.
Without taking much time to rest, Yu Xiaogang immediately arranged a training plan for Ning Rongrong.
Apart from the Six Styles, Ning Rongrong also had to undergo specialized training in "Distraction." Similar to Oscar's earlier training, she had to circulate her soul power to maintain her support martial soul's enhancements while carrying out other precise tasks.
That day, on a training ground set aside on the academy's Back Mountain, everyone held a half-squat with their arms extended level before them. Their posture was textbook: the horse stance.
Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, and Flender sat in the shade of a tree up ahead, with a small, low table before them.
Liu Erlong brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for Yu Xiaogang, and handed another to Flender.
There was also a board on the table. The two men played, occasionally looking up to check on the training ground.
Flender stared at the board with a deep frown for ages, unable to place a single piece.
"Hiss..."
Flender scratched his head.
Making him play against Yu Xiaogang was practically asking for his life!
Their skill was on completely different levels. He was getting thrashed from start to finish.
"I'm done, I'm done. I surrender, I surrender. I can't beat you."
Yu Xiaogang raised his teacup and took a sip, his expression unchanged. "You're too impatient."
"Heh..."
Nearby, Zhao Wuji stood in the middle of the training ground with his arms folded across his chest. Soul power surged around him, and a gravity field invisible to the naked eye enveloped all the students.
Nothing was more effective for tempering the body than gravity training. Its effects were comprehensive-even the internal organs were compressed and tempered.
During this period, Yu Xiaogang had Zhao Wuji put everyone through gravity training every day. Ning Rongrong and Oscar had to participate too, though their sessions were shorter. After all, Support System Soul Masters were physically weaker, and growth could not be achieved in a single leap.
After finishing their gravity training and other Six Styles exercises, everyone soaked in medicinal baths in the evening to ease their physical fatigue, then went off to rest.
As the days passed, Ning Rongrong's personality gradually began to change as well.
Although she could still be a little spoiled and willful at times, Yu Xiaogang thought this was perfectly normal. After all, it was only natural for a princess to have a bit of a princess complex. In fact, that was part of what made Rongrong herself.
As long as everyone got along, that was enough.
One day, a few special guests arrived at the academy.
Outside Blue Tyrant Academy's main gate, a pitch-black vortex appeared out of thin air, and two figures slowly stepped out.
The man in front wore a white suit and had a gentle, refined bearing, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting on his nose. Behind him followed a tall old man with an amiable face, who looked around with a smile.
"Fengzhi, couldn't we just go straight in? Is there any need to be so cautious?"
Gu Rong spoke with a chuckle.
Ning Fengzhi adjusted his glasses, his tone gentle. "We're visiting a benefactor of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, after all. Naturally, we mustn't be discourteous."
He walked up to the gatehouse and spoke politely. "Hello. Please announce our arrival. Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is here to visit."
The gatekeeper froze, then shuddered.
Ning Fengzhi? The sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Hiss... Someone that important actually came to visit our academy, and he's so polite, too.
He hurriedly nodded. "Y-yes... of course! Please wait a moment. I'll report your arrival right away!"
Then he darted into the academy.
Soon, Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, Flender, and the others came out together to welcome them.
Spotting Ning Fengzhi from afar, Yu Xiaogang cupped his hands and smiled. "Sect Master Ning, your personal visit truly brings splendor to our humble Blue Tyrant Academy."
Ning Fengzhi returned the cupped-hand salute, his manner modest. "I've long heard of your name, Grandmaster. Meeting you today, I see your reputation is well deserved. Sorry for troubling you with this visit."
"Hehe, you're too kind. Please, come in."
"Please."
They went to one of the academy's meeting rooms and took their seats as hosts and guests.
Like a virtuous wife and loving mother, Liu Erlong personally brewed the tea and poured a cup each for Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong.
Ning Fengzhi accepted his cup. "Thank you, Dean Liu."
Liu Erlong smiled, then took her place behind Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang raised his teacup and went straight to the point. "Sect Master Ning, I assume you've come today about Rongrong?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded gently, then solemnly rose and bowed to Yu Xiaogang. "What you have done for our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a kindness as weighty as a mountain. I have come today specifically to express my thanks."
Yu Xiaogang stood and gestured for him to rise. "There's no need for this, Sect Master Ning. Since Rongrong is my disciple, I will naturally do everything I can to teach her."
Ning Fengzhi straightened. "As her teacher, Grandmaster, you have given your all and spared no effort in teaching my daughter. You even bestowed an immortal herb upon her to help her undergo Martial Soul Evolution. I will keep this kindness engraved in my heart. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has no way to repay you..."
As he spoke, he took a gold-edged card from inside his clothes and offered it with both hands. "This card holds fifty million gold soul coins. Please accept it as a small token of our sect's gratitude."
"If you ever need the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's assistance, Grandmaster, you need only ask. Our entire sect will spare no effort to help, without a word of objection."
Yu Xiaogang looked at the gold card and smiled, making no attempt to refuse. "Since you've put it that way, Sect Master Ning, it would be rather discourteous for me to refuse. Then I'll accept this gold card."
Only after Ning Fengzhi saw him accept it did he sit down again.
He raised his teacup and took a sip. After considering for a moment, he finally asked the question he most wanted answered. "Grandmaster, might you still have any Aromatic Silk Beauty left? If so, would you be willing to sell it to me? You can rest assured regarding the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Whatever your conditions, our sect can agree to them."
Yu Xiaogang had known he would ask this, but he shook his head. "Sect Master Ning, an immortal herb like that can only be encountered by chance, not sought out. When I obtained it, there was only a single plant."
Ning Fengzhi was not overly disappointed to hear this. He had only been asking and had already expected as much. "Hehe, that's true. For something so heaven-defying, even a single plant is a marvel of nature's handiwork. How could I dare covet more?"
Before you continue