Everyone was quite surprised to hear Zhu Zhuqing's words.
After all, although Lin Mo had the idea of trying to recruit the Four Elements Academy, they hadn't even set off yet, so why were the people from the Four Elements Academy visiting first?
Ye Lingling asked softly, "Who are these people? Are they high-ranking members of the Four Elements Academy?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, denying Ye Lingling's guess, "They're all acquaintances, people we met at the Soul Master Tournament."
Immediately, she started counting on her fingers, " Feng Xiaotian from the Godwind Academy, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang from the Blazing Fire Academy, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er from the Skywater Academy, and finally Yu Tianxin from the Thunder Academy."
Upon hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, a look of surprise flashed across Dugu Yan's face. " Yu Tianxin? Isn't he a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"Weren't all the members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan dead? How come there are still some alive?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing shook her head; she was unaware of the reason behind it.
Seeing this, Ye Lingling looked at Lin Mo and asked softly, " A-Mo, do you want to see them?"
Lin Mo nodded, "Then let's meet them! They're already here..."
He had originally planned to recruit the Four Elements Academy to join him, but their early arrival saved him some trouble.
Lin Mo looked at Zhu Zhuqing and instructed, "You take them to the conference room first, the rest of us will be there shortly."
Zhu Zhuqing bowed respectfully, then turned and quickly left the backyard.
Meeting room.
The group from the Four Elements Academy sat in the guest seats, the aroma of tea wafting before them, but none of them had the heart to touch it.
Huo Wu gave Shui Bing'er a high five, her voice brimming with undisguised joy:
"See? I won again. Lin Mo is still the same Lin Mo. He hasn't distanced himself from us just because he's become stronger!"
The usually quiet Shui Bing'er simply smiled, withdrew her hand, and said nothing more.
Over the past few years, her relationship with Huo Wu has grown much closer.
However, due to their attributes and personality, they have reached their limit at this point.
Shui Bing'er's gaze then fell on the conference room door as she quietly awaited Lin Mo's arrival, her thoughts drifting away involuntarily.
She remembered what her aunt, who was also the dean of their Skywater Academy, had said to her before she left.
Those words still leave her with mixed feelings.
The reason why the Four Elements Academy came to Heaven Dou City to visit the Dugu Manor was simple: they wanted to see if they could seek the protection of Lin Mo and the two Titled Douluo.
The situation on the mainland is constantly changing, and even with their alliance, the four families still feel no sense of security.
With the examples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan right before their eyes, no one wants to repeat their mistakes.
It's not just the major and minor sects that are seeking protection; even Soul Master forces that exist in the form of academies are being targeted by others, who see them as highly desirable.
This is also the main reason why the four companies chose to form an alliance.
People are already eyeing them, especially since Thunder Academy, which has suffered a significant loss of strength, is now being targeted.
Thunder Academy was originally backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but now that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been destroyed, Thunder Academy has suffered an unprecedented blow.
Their strength suddenly made them the weakest among the Four Elements Academy.
Even more tragically, many teachers and students at the Thunder Academy who weren't deeply connected to the various academies also chose to leave.
They were terrified that because of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they would be implicated by the Thunder Academy and suffer the wrath of the Spirit Hall for no reason.
For this reason, Thunder Academy has become a coveted prize in the eyes of many Soul Master factions, who would love to take a piece of it to strengthen their own foundation.
Not only Thunder Academy, but also the other three academies were no different in the eyes of others, except that the pieces of meat varied in size.
This is the real reason they came to seek refuge, and it is also the choice made after joint discussions among the senior leaders of the four academies.
They had two choices: the Heaven Dou Empire Imperial Family, or Lin Mo, the Heaven Dou One -One-Character Prince Equal to the Emperor who had recently become incredibly famous on the continent, and the two Titled Douluo behind him.
After much deliberation, they decided to join the latter.
Compared to the royal family, Lin Mo was clearly a better candidate to serve, especially since they already had some connections with Lin Mo.
This led them to make this choice.
Shui Bing'er snapped out of her thoughts and her gaze fell once again on the conference room door.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
The meeting room door was pushed open.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lin Mo and his two companions slowly walked in.
Lin Mo walked at the front, with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling following half a step behind him on either side.
Upon seeing the visitor, everyone from the Four Elements Academy in the meeting room stood up.
Lin Mo smiled and spoke first, "Long time no see, everyone."
He stepped forward and shook hands with Feng Xiaotian, then Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and finally Yu Tianxin.
Feng Xiaotian's strength was considerable, and a strange light flickered in his eyes.
Huo Wu shook hands with him generously, her gaze lingering on Lin Mo for a long time, a hint of longing still remaining in her eyes.
When it was Shui Bing'er's turn, she simply touched the surface lightly and withdrew her hand, her expression serene.
Shui Yue'er held Lin Mo's hands tightly, shaking them reluctantly until her sister Shui Bing'er gave her a warning look, at which point she reluctantly let go.
However, the moment she let go, Shui Yue'er seemed to have discovered some earth-shattering secret and suddenly let out a cry of surprise.
"Ah!"
Her gaze swept back and forth between Lin Mo and Dugu Yan, her eyes filled with disbelief, before she finally let out a rather regretful sigh.
"What a pity, what a real pity..."
After a moment of disappointment, she quickly rallied, bolstered her spirits, and her eyes burned even brighter.
Shui Bing'er could no longer tolerate her infatuated younger sister's antics and gave her a sharp rap on the head.
"Ouch!"
Shui Yue'er covered her head and backed away, no longer daring to cause trouble, but her gaze still lingered between Lin Mo and Dugu Yan.
Something unspeakable definitely happened between these two.
For Shui Yue'er, who is extremely infatuated with men and has a keen sense of this aspect,
Whether someone has experienced that kind of thing is as obvious as whether there's a lipstick stain on a white shirt.
Lin Mo used to wear a clean white shirt, but not anymore.
What happened behind the scenes is self-evident.
However, after a brief period of mental preparation, Shui Yue'er quickly adjusted her mindset.
This doesn't change the fact that she's still a big fan of Lin Mo.
It was Lin Mo and Dugu Yan who were only now taking the final step across that dangerous line, which greatly surprised her.
How could this person endure it for so long?
That's incredible!
Everyone sat down again.
Lin Mo's gaze swept over the people present, finally landing on Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian sat upright, his face showing a solemn expression.
Before Lin Mo could even ask why they were there, Huo Wu, sitting next to Feng Xiaotian, whispered, " Feng Xiaotian, didn't you say you were the representative? Hurry up and say it!"
Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath and stood up.
He looked at Lin Mo, "Brother Lin, we've come here to seek your and the protection of the two Titled Douluo."
His voice was sincere and straightforward.
"You are aware of the current situation on the mainland. We have all witnessed the fate of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Although our Four Elements Academy is allied, we still feel insecure in the face of a behemoth like the Spirit Hall."
"Especially Thunder Academy..."
Feng Xiaotian glanced at Yu Tianxin, who was standing to the side with her Yu Tianxin down, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles white.
"The supporters behind the Thunder Academy are the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Now that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been destroyed and Thunder Academy has suffered heavy losses, its strength has suddenly become the weakest of the Four Elements Academy.
"What's more troublesome is that many teachers and students in the academy have chosen to leave, fearing that they will be implicated because of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and suffer the wrath of the Spirit Hall for no reason."
"After discussions among the senior management of our four colleges, we now only have two options left."
"One option is to seek refuge with the Heaven Dou Empire Imperial Family; the other is to seek refuge with you and the two Titled Douluo Excellencies."
"After much deliberation, we've decided to come and seek refuge with you..."
After he finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent.
Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, and the others all turned their attention to Lin Mo, awaiting his reply.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also looked at Lin Mo, their eyes filled with questions.
Lin Mo remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"I understand why you've come."
He didn't give an immediate answer, but instead looked at Feng Xiaotian, "Besides this matter, do you have any other purpose for coming?"
From the very beginning, he sensed that Feng Xiaotian's gaze towards him was strange.
Upon hearing this, a fighting spirit flashed in Feng Xiaotian's eyes, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
He looked at Lin Mo and asked earnestly, " Lin Mo, do you still remember what you promised me after the Soul Master Tournament?"
Lin Mo paused for a moment, then quickly recalled what had happened. He spoke slowly, his tone filled with realization:
"I do owe you a sparring match. However..."
At this point, Lin Mo paused, looked up at Feng Xiaotian, and asked with a playful expression, "Are you sure you want to keep this promise now?"
Feng Xiaotian nodded heavily.
"Sure."
Everyone present was quite surprised to hear Feng Xiaotian's words.
Huo Wu's eyes widened in shock, and she blurted out instinctively, " Feng Xiaotian, are you crazy? Lin Mo is Soul Saint now!"
Shui Bing'er also frowned slightly, her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian shook his head, his tone still unwavering. "I know. But it's precisely because I know that we must fight."
He looked at Lin Mo, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "I want to see just how big the gap is between myself and the strongest of the current generation of young people."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Guai Xiaotian is the strongest cultivator among the younger generation of the Four Elements Academy.
This dedication alone puts them far ahead of others.