"A Soul Saint!"
Qin Ming answered without hesitation.
"Besides Dean Flender, Teacher Zhao Wuji and Teacher Shao Xin are also Soul Saints!"
"Every teacher at Shrek is at least a Soul Emperor."
Meng Shenji's eyes lit up at those words.
He had never imagined that such a small academy could gather so many Soul Saints and Soul Emperors. No wonder it could teach a genius like Qin Ming.
Xue Qinghe rubbed his fingers.
"Flender? The Flying Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle, Four-Eyed Cat Owl Flender?"
Qin Ming nodded emphatically.
"That's right!"
"Have you heard of him, Your Highness?"
Xue Qinghe gave a smile of understanding. "Of course. The Golden Iron Triangle is rumored to rival a Titled Douluo. Although I've never seen them myself, they defeated Soul Douluos with ease. I've long heard of those achievements on the continent."
"If he's the dean, then it makes sense that he could teach a student like Teacher Qin."
"Three Faculty Members."
"I intend to petition my imperial father to invite these teachers to bring all their students to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. You wouldn't blame me for that, would you?"
At Xue Qinghe's exceedingly courteous words,
the Three Faculty Members exchanged knowing smiles.
"You jest, Your Highness."
"It would be our good fortune to have these teachers and students join Heaven Dou Royal Academy. We're old now, too. Passing the chief position to Flender in the future would ensure an orderly succession."
Meng Shenji spoke. The three of them already belonged to the crown prince's faction.
Naturally, they could ask for nothing better than to recruit three Soul Saints and a group of Soul Emperors for his faction.
"Only..." The round-bodied Bai Baoshan raised a concern. "Heaven Dou Royal Academy is overseen by Prince Xue Xing, and Prince Xue Xing belongs to the fourth prince Xue Beng's faction."
"If Your Highness intervenes, I fear Prince Xue Xing will be displeased."
Xue Qinghe nodded lightly at that.
Xue Beng was a wastrel. Previously, he had not bothered fighting Xue Xing for control of Heaven Dou Royal Academy and had only recruited the faculty members into his faction.
Besides,
Heaven Dou Royal Academy had previously had more wastrels than there were stray dogs by the roadside.
It fell far short of Spirit Hall's own training grounds for talent.
There had been nothing worth fighting over.
But now...
If someone who knew how to teach and could teach really came, he would have to seize the Heaven Dou Empire's future in his own hands as well.
"Mm, there's no rush."
"You may also jointly petition my imperial father to keep this academy firmly in your own hands."
"As for Shrek Academy... it won't hurt to wait a little."
Xue Qinghe knew this matter could not be rushed, but the moment he finished, Qin Ming anxiously stepped forward and exclaimed, "Your Highness!"
"Please forgive my rudeness."
"In my view, we must act quickly regarding Shrek Academy!"
"I've told you about the teachers' strength, but I haven't yet mentioned the students' talent!"
"One of their students is astonishingly gifted. At only twelve years old, this student has already reached the Soul Ancestor realm and has limitless prospects!"
"If we don't nurture this student now, another major power may well poach them."
"As far as I know,"
"Shrek Academy has a complex web of connections. Even Yu Xiaogang of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and a prince of the Star Luo Empire are watching it-even the Clear Sky Sect!"
"If we want to recruit them, we cannot delay."
Xue Qinghe's breathing stopped for a moment when he heard the name Clear Sky Sect, and he nearly lost his composure. Looking at Qin Ming, he slowly steadied himself before speaking again. "You mean... apart from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the Upper Three Sects, plus the Clear Sky Sect, are all watching Shrek Academy?!"
Qin Ming nodded as he watched Xue Qinghe's reaction.
He had heard all this at the drinking table.
How could Yu Xiaogang not count as a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
Even if he had been expelled, he had still belonged to it once!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had even sent its little princess there. He had heard she had also been... ahem, that certainly counted. Sword Douluo had come in person. How could that not count as paying attention?
A Star Luo prince was already at Shrek Academy, and even someone from the noble Zhu Family was there. Did that still not count as paying attention?
As for the Clear Sky Sect... he wasn't certain. But according to Grandmaster, that youngster had no simple background, and it had something to do with a hammer. Whether it was true or not, he would borrow a tiger's hide for his banner first.
"Exactly."
"You could say that, apart from our Heaven Dou Imperial Family,"
"almost every power is paying some attention to this academy."
Qin Ming was clearly a little uneasy as he said this. Without realizing it, he had acquired a touch of Flender's flair.
"That does make sense." Meng Shenji stroked his beard. "Even setting that genius student aside, how could three Soul Saints gathered in one tiny academy fail to attract attention?"
"Besides,"
"that genius student cannot be set aside either."
Xue Qinghe nodded lightly.
Whether for public or private interests,
this matter did indeed need to be handled first.
Qin Ming was the continent's second-youngest Soul Emperor and would certainly become a Titled Douluo before sixty. He ought to do him this favor.
If he recruited these three Soul Saints now,
his chances of replacing Xue Ye would rise further.
And that student was certain to become a Titled Douluo in the future and would, at the very least, qualify to enter the Worship Hall. There was no reason not to recruit them.
"I understand."
"Please join me in signing the petition. We will ask His Majesty to extend his imperial grace and welcome worthy talent."
Just as Xue Qinghe finished speaking,
Dugu Yan, who stood outside the door, turned slightly and looked toward a figure approaching in the distance with an arrogant stride. Most of the gloom on her face vanished in that instant, but the figure still caught much of that fleeting dejection.
"Oh?"
"Who made our little Yanyan angry?"
The figure had jade-green hair, and his robes rustled in the wind. His handsome face was filled with aloof arrogance and teasing amusement, with a trace of joy as he approached Dugu Yan.
"Did these rotten old men offend you?"
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo swept his gaze across the Three Faculty Members.
Xue Qinghe rose.
Before a Titled Douluo, he dared not put on airs either, and respectfully addressed him as "Your Eminence Poison Douluo."
Although Dugu Bo ostensibly belonged to no faction at present,
the prestige of his title
far outshone that of a mere prince.
"Whatever do you mean, Poison Douluo?" Meng Shenji rose, stroking his white beard as he spoke, though his eyes held deep wariness toward this Poison Douluo. "Student Dugu Yan merely encountered an opponent while out gaining experience."
"She's been in somewhat poor spirits."
"She did not encounter any villain at the academy."
The other two faculty members nodded in agreement.
Only then did Dugu Bo's expression soften a little. Wearing a doting smile, he looked at Dugu Yan. "Who bullied our little Yanyan?"
"Tell me."
"Grandpa will go kill him."
At his words,
the dejection on Dugu Yan's face vanished, replaced by petulant anger. "What are you saying, Grandpa!"
"I..."
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