"Yes! Nana will not disappoint you, Teacher." Hu Liena knelt on one knee, her eyes filled with adoration.
Heaven Dou Empire, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
As the sect with the fullest granaries and greatest wealth under heaven, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's grounds resembled a luxurious city.
Three imposing figures stood on a raised platform outside the sect's main hall.
The man in the middle had a face as fine as polished jade and wore spotless, moon-white robes. His every movement exuded scholarly refinement and an easy grace.
He was Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
An elderly man stood on either side of him.
The one with snow-white hair and beard, who resembled an unsheathed sword, was Chen Xin of the sword path, the Sword Douluo.
The elder on the right was as thin as kindling, like a skeleton. He was the Bone Douluo, Gu Rong.
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, you are both widely experienced and possess heaven-reaching cultivation. Can you tell what mighty being created this heavenly screen? Is it real or false?"
Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly and waved the folding fan in his hand.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin shook his head, his gaze grave:
"I cannot see through it. I tried probing that golden light with my Seven Kill Sword Intent just now, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea. It did not stir even a single ripple."
"Such tremendous power is beyond human reach. I fear... it truly is a miracle."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong agreed:
"Even my spatial power is child's play before it. Fengzhi, since we cannot see through it, we might as well treat it as real. If this ranking is genuine, it may be a heaven-sent opportunity for our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"Oh? What do you mean, Uncle Gu?" Ning Fengzhi turned to ask.
The Bone Douluo chuckled, squeezing an ugly smile onto his skeletal face:
"Fengzhi, you are the wealthiest man under heaven, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! And your disciple is Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Of you master and disciple, one commands the world's wealth and the strongest support abilities, while the other will one day rule the Heaven Dou Empire's vast lands."
"In terms of identity, status, and influence, if the two of you cannot make this master-disciple ranking, who else under heaven would dare claim they could?"
For once, the Sword Douluo agreed with his old partner. "Indeed. Qinghe is a modest child who has truly inherited your teachings. You master and disciple will surely make the ranking."
Hearing the reassurance of the two Titled Douluos, Ning Fengzhi's refined face also broke into an expectant smile.
"If the heavenly screen is real, and Qinghe and I truly make the ranking..." Ning Fengzhi tightened his grip on his folding fan.
"Perhaps I can use this reward from the Heavenly Dao to break the shackles that prevent my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul from ever reaching rank eighty, the Soul Douluo realm. I could turn seven treasures into eight, or even nine!"
This was the greatest anguish of every successive sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Ning Fengzhi's obsession as well.
At this thought, Ning Fengzhi's mind wandered to his mischievous, quick-witted darling daughter, who had run away from home.
"Right, that girl Rongrong went to that... Shrek Academy in the Balak Kingdom."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, his eyes filled with a doting father's affection and worry. "I wonder how she is getting along there."
"Since this heavenly screen is ranking masters and disciples, how wonderful it would be if Rongrong could find a good master at that academy, someone with genuine talent and ability..."
"Master, this heavenly screen is ranking masters and disciples across the entire continent. You must be the best master in the world." Shui Bing'er turned to look at the tall, straight figure beside her.
Ye Wuchen shook his head and said modestly, "Bing'er, do not be blindly arrogant. The Douluo Continent is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. We must not underestimate the people of this world."
"I am not yet a true Titled Douluo. There is still a gap between me and the continent's strongest."
"You, on the other hand, reached rank fifty-two, the Soul King realm, at fifteen. Even across the entire continent, a supreme genius like you is a rare sight."
At his words, a blush rose on Shui Bing'er's exquisitely beautiful cheeks.
She stepped forward and affectionately linked her arm through Ye Wuchen's, saying with playful petulance:
"But I still cannot compare to you, Master. You are the youngest Soul Saint in the continent's history. And before long, you will become its youngest Titled Douluo."
Shui Bing'er suddenly paused, her gaze burning as she looked at Ye Wuchen.
"Besides, even if you are not the strongest on the continent, in my heart, you will always be the best master I could have. Without you, I would not be who I am today."
Ye Wuchen fondly ruffled her hair. "Such a sweet tongue. You are so sweet and sensible that your grandmaster will like you very much when you meet."
[Heavenly Screen Chat Platform established. All intelligent beings on the Douluo Continent may communicate.]
Before everyone could recover from the wonder of the miraculous communication platform, a line of enormous golden text appeared in the center of the heavenly screen.
[Heavenly Screen Master-Disciple Ranking, first entry-Master: Yu Xiaogang!]
The moment the final name appeared, the continent seemed to fall deathly silent. Countless people were shocked beyond measure.
"Yu Xiaogang? Which Yu Xiaogang? That trash from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan I know of?"
"That joke who calls himself 'Grandmaster,' who is still stuck at rank twenty-nine, the Soul Grandmaster realm, in his fifties?"
"Did the heavenly screen make a mistake? He is actually the first one being ranked? Could that trash really possess some genuine knowledge and ability unknown to others?"
"Impossible! How does a piece of trash who cannot even break through rank thirty deserve a place on this Heavenly Dao master-disciple ranking?"
Doubts, ridicule, shock-all kinds of comments scrolled wildly across the screen of light.
At Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang trembled all over with excitement at the enormous name "Yu Xiaogang" on the heavenly screen.
He threw his head back and laughed, his stiff face twisting out of shape with wild joy.
He could not wait to direct his thoughts into the chat platform, leaving an exceedingly arrogant scrolling comment on the screen of light.
[Yu Xiaogang]: Hahaha! How could I, the great Grandmaster, be someone with an empty reputation? The "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul" I spent half my life painstakingly researching are truths unprecedented in the Soul Master World! Who but me deserves the throne of the number one master in this master-disciple ranking!
The moment this comment appeared, the screen of light fell silent.
Immediately afterward, a comment carrying the force of thunder appeared before everyone's eyes in striking purple text.
[Yu Yuanzhen]: Xiaogang... is it really you? I wronged you as your father. I should not have expelled you from the sect back then. Are you willing to come back? As long as you return and train disciples for our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the sect's doors will always be open to you!
Yu Yuanzhen!
The current clan master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, and a genuine Titled Douluo powerhouse.
Such a lofty Titled Douluo had publicly apologized to his useless rank-twenty-nine son before every living being on the continent, even humbling himself to plead for his return to the sect?
Yu Xiaogang's vanity was satisfied as never before.
He felt as though he stood at the summit of the world, trampling beneath his feet everyone who had once looked down on him and mocked him.
[Yu Xiaogang]: Father, I told you long ago that my theories were unrivaled under heaven! Back then, you had eyes but could not see. Now, the heavenly screen has finally given me justice! As for returning to the sect... that will depend on your sincerity.
Before you continue