Flender quickly led everyone to a well-decorated and luxuriously furnished banquet hall on the second floor. The crystal chandelier illuminated the room, and the soft carpet absorbed the sound of footsteps, making the atmosphere exceptionally formal.
After everyone was seated, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, with a perfectly measured look of confusion on his face, smiled and looked at Ning Fengzhi, saying, "Teacher, may I ask who this young friend is...?"
Ning Fengzhi, being a man of great stature, immediately saw through Xue Qinghe's probing and sensed Tang Feng's reluctance to attract attention. He calmly took over the conversation, introducing, "Young friend Tang, this is our Heaven Dou Empire's Crown Prince, His Highness Xue Qinghe."
Tang Feng felt a slight chill run down his spine. Although he had caught a glimpse of this person's extraordinary bearing when he entered, he had assumed he was a high-ranking member of the academy or a nobleman's son. He never expected him to be the "fake prince." What a coincidence!
Tang Feng showed no change in expression. He immediately stood up and, facing the direction of Xue Qinghe, gave a respectful greeting. "So it's Your Highness, the Crown Prince. I was blind and rude earlier. Please forgive me."
Xue Qinghe's smile was warm and gentle, like a spring breeze. She quickly offered a gesture of support, saying, "Brother Tang, there's no need for such formality. A young talent so admired by my teacher must be a rare genius. It is my honor to meet you today."
Xue Qinghe spoke humbly, but perhaps out of habit, his tone always carried a consistent air of trying to win him over.
Tang Feng politely declined this "honor," having no intention of getting entangled with this scheming "true saintess, fake crown prince," and replied with polite but distant manner, "Your Highness is too kind. I am but an ordinary Soul Master; it is truly an honor to have the chance to meet you."
Ning Fengzhi sensed that Tang Feng didn't want to delve deeper into the conversation and had no intention of revealing his identity as a member of the Clear Sky Sect at this moment, so he naturally smoothed things over, smiling as he said to Xue Qinghe, "Young friend Tang, you gave Rongrong some guidance on her cultivation during your travels, which is how we met. It's just a casual encounter between young people."
Ning Fengzhi's words explained why the two knew each other while obscuring Tang Feng's specific background, leaving no room for error.
Tang Feng nodded in agreement with Ning Fengzhi's words and said no more.
At this moment, Flender, as the host, adjusted his glasses and took over the conversation. "Brother Tang Feng, I'm truly sorry. Right now, the academy and its students are all preparing for the Soul Master Tournament. The academy bears full responsibility for the students' safety, so we have to be extra strict in our management. If there has been any inadequacy in our hospitality or any inconvenience, please forgive us."
"I understand. The competition is the priority, and this is only right," Tang Feng said, expressing his understanding.
Seeing that the other party was reasonable, Flender continued tactfully, "Moreover, Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing have just broken through to level 40, and obtaining their Fourth Soul Ring is the most urgent matter right now. The academy has already made a plan, and they will be setting off soon. So..."
Flender didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: the academy had important matters to attend to and couldn't keep guests, especially those who didn't know the situation, for long.
Tang Feng understood the implied dismissal in Flender's words, but also heard that Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing had just broken through and needed Soul Ring. A thought struck him, and as if ignoring the polite refusal, he said directly, "Oh? What a coincidence! I also recently broke through and am currently searching for suitable Soul Ring. Since Little Ao and Zhu Zhuqing are my friends, why don't I take them along? They can look after each other on the way."
Flender frowned slightly, his displeasure becoming more apparent. "This... I'm afraid it's not convenient. Hunting for Soul Ring is no small matter; we need to absolutely guarantee the safety of our students."
Just as Tang Feng was about to further explain or demonstrate his strength to gain people's trust, a cold, hard voice, clearly impatient, interrupted:
"The acquisition of Soul Ring by students of the Shrek Academy is a matter for the academy to handle, and outsiders are not required to interfere. Young man, please do not arbitrarily interfere with our academy's teaching affairs."
The speaker was Yu Xiaogang. Yu Xiaogang's face was serious, his gaze was fixed on Tang Feng, and his tone was full of the authority of a theoretical Grandmaster, as well as his rejection of an "outsider" intruding into his teaching field.
The air in the banquet hall seemed to freeze instantly.
Tang Feng's brows furrowed slowly as he turned to Flender, his tone calm yet carrying a distinct chill. "Dean Flender, forgive my poor eyesight, but I don't know who this is...?"
Tang Feng's question directly threw Yu Xiaogang's indifferent remarks back to Flender, the dean.
Flender quickly smoothed things over, introducing the child with a slightly embarrassed tone. "This is our Shrek Academy team leader and the children's theory teacher, Teacher Yu Xiaogang, whom everyone calls Grandmaster."
Tang Feng raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Yu Xiaogang's serious and arrogant face, thinking to himself, "It really is him."
"So you're Grandmaster," Tang Feng said calmly, his tone revealing no emotion, simply offering a casual cupped-hand salute. "I've long admired you. I didn't mean to interfere with your academy's teaching, but Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing are very important friends of mine. I've already considered their choice of Soul Ring, and perhaps a more suitable option is for them than the conventional one. Furthermore,"
Tang Feng's tone shifted slightly, remaining calm yet carrying a hint of sharpness, "The academy imparts knowledge and guides cultivation, but ultimately, the choice and absorption of Soul Ring are related to the Soul Master's own future path. There doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule that students must completely follow the academy's plan, does there?"
"You... you're just a kid, what do you know about choosing Soul Ring?" Yu Xiaogang's eyes held the stubbornness inherent in theoretical authority, along with a hint of displeasure at being offended. His tone was disdainful. " Soul Ring pairing is a rigorous theory; how dare you presume to comment on it?"
" Grandmaster, we believe in Brother Feng!" Oscar couldn't help but step forward, his tone urgent. Although Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, her furrowed brows and disapproving gaze towards Yu Xiaogang already showed her attitude.
"Nonsense!" Yu Xiaogang retorted sternly, his voice rising several decibels. "All matters concerning the students' cultivation must be arranged by the academy! That's the rule!"
"Hahaha..." Tang Feng laughed instead of getting angry, but his laughter was clearly sarcastic. " Grandmaster is really domineering. Since Grandmaster is so sure that the academy's arrangements are foolproof, and I insist that my friend needs a better choice, how about we make a bet?"
Tang Feng looked directly at Yu Xiaogang and said clearly, "I have a question for Grandmaster, about Soul Ring absorption. If Grandmaster answer correctly, I will leave immediately and never mention helping them acquire Soul Ring again. If Grandmaster answer incorrectly, or cannot answer, then please do not stop me and my friends from traveling together. Grandmaster, do you dare to agree?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's disdain deepened. He put his hands behind his back and straightened his back. Yu Xiaogang had absolute confidence in the Soul Master theories he had studied throughout his life, so why would he be afraid of a young man's question?
"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of? Just ask."
All eyes in the banquet hall were focused on the two of them. Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed with deep thought, while Xue Qinghe's gaze was purely one of amusement and observation.
Tang Feng slowly spoke, posing a question that seemed almost common knowledge to the assembled experts, yet might very well have struck a nerve with some theoretical researchers. " Grandmaster, what is the most unique difference between Soul Master absorbing Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring and absorbing a hundred-year or Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
Yu Xiaogang answered almost without hesitation, in his usual teaching tone, "What's so difficult about that? Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring naturally contains far greater energy, requiring higher physical qualities from the Soul Master, and the absorption process is far more difficult and dangerous. Isn't that common sense?"
Yu Xiaogang's answer remained at the level of energy, filled with self-righteousness.
Upon hearing this, Flender immediately sensed something was wrong, while Zhao Wuji looked on with disdain. Ning Fengzhi gently shook his head, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong, let out a barely audible sneer from the side.
This answer overlooks a crucial point that even those with a modicum of knowledge in the Soul Master World know: the mental impact of the lingering resentment of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's soul! For Soul Master absorbing Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, this is often a more deadly and demanding test than the energy impact itself.
After listening, Tang Feng showed no surprise or smugness. He simply shrugged and turned to Flender, whose face had become somewhat stiff. "Dean Flender, it seems this Grandmaster's theory... needs some supplementation. As agreed, can I take Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing with me now?"