"Rongrong, who were you nodding to? Did you run into a friend?" Ning Fengzhi had noticed Ning Rongrong's behavior and looked puzzled.
This was Ning Rongrong's first time leaving the sect. Did she have friends outside it?
"That really handsome boy in white."
Ning Rongrong answered honestly.
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo instinctively followed Ning Rongrong's gaze and spotted Beiming Yuan at once.
"What a handsome young man!" Ning Fengzhi could not help feeling a little surprised.
"This boy's strength..." Sword Douluo Chen Xin studied him for a moment and was somewhat surprised as well. "I can't see through him."
"Qinghe, is that young man also a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" Ning Fengzhi asked Xue Qinghe quietly.
Xue Qinghe looked at Beiming Yuan. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, followed by confusion. He shook his head. "Teacher, I don't know either."
"I'll ask the three education committee members."
With that, Xue Qinghe walked inconspicuously over to Meng Shenji and the other two committee members nearby and asked them something in a low voice.
Soon, Meng Shenji and the other two noticed Beiming Yuan in the distance. They all looked at him, bewilderment appearing in their eyes.
As far as they could remember, there was no such student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"Who is he?" Xue Qinghe narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Beiming Yuan again before returning to Ning Fengzhi's side to explain quietly.
"An outsider?"
Ning Fengzhi was a little surprised.
By rights, today was an "important occasion" for Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and its reputation was at stake. It was unlikely that an outsider would have been allowed in so easily.
Of course, unlikely did not mean impossible.
Meanwhile, almost as if passing the inquiry down the chain, Meng Shenji, not wanting to cause too much of a stir, motioned a teacher over and told him to go question Beiming Yuan.
The teacher nodded, but just as he walked over, the two teams in the square reached a decision.
"The Blazing Fire Team wins the team match!" Qin Ming, who was serving as referee, stepped onto the field and announced.
Friendship came first and the match second. Neither side had gotten carried away; they had stopped short of going too far and held back against each other.
Although Yu Tianheng could suppress Huo Wushuang's Martial Soul, a Soul Ancestor was still a Soul Ancestor, and his strength was nothing to scoff at. Besides, Huo Wushuang's teammates were no slouches either.
The Blazing Fire Team had won, and the teacher leading them was all smiles.
"They still lost. What a pity."
"Yu Tianheng was already really strong. He suppressed Huo Wushuang on his own for so long; he only started running short of Soul Power at the end."
"That Huo Wu was strong too. She actually went back and forth with Dugu Yan, though neither of them seemed to be giving it her all."
The spectators chattered among themselves, and the crowd stirred.
Just as the commotion was growing, a rather mild voice rang out.
"Excuse me. I apologize for intruding upon your academy." Beiming Yuan slowly stepped out of the crowd. His voice was not loud, but it drew everyone's attention.
"Hm?"
Prince Xue Xing frowned and looked at Meng Shenji and the other two. "Who is this boy?" he asked displeasedly. "Doesn't he know what kind of occasion this is?"
Today's events concerned not only the academy's reputation, but his reputation as a prince as well.
Beiming Yuan's actions were undoubtedly a disruption, a provocation!
"Your Highness, he isn't..."
Before Meng Shenji could finish, Beiming Yuan's voice rang out again.
"I was passing by your academy when I heard that Soul Masters would be sparring here today. I was somewhat interested, so I took the liberty of slipping in to watch. I apologize for my presumption and any offense caused."
"However, there is something even more offensive I must do next."
"I wonder if the seven geniuses of the Heaven Dou Royal Team would be interested in a friendly spar with me?"
Beiming Yuan wore a mild smile, but his words were infuriating. In the end, he openly challenged the Heaven Dou Royal Team in front of everyone.
As expected, when he said this, the people from Heaven Dou Royal Academy looked displeased, while those from Blazing Fire Academy and Ning Fengzhi's group of three watched with great interest.
A young man had come to their doorstep to issue a challenge, and in full view of everyone. Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been put on the fire to roast.
It was no longer a question of whether to accept. They had to, unless Heaven Dou Royal Academy was willing to lose face.
Bang!
Prince Xue Xing slammed his hand on the armrest and shot to his feet, flying into a rage. "Where did this arrogant brat come from? How dare you run wild at Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
Seeing this,
everyone grew even more curious about how Beiming Yuan would respond.
Under the gazes fixed on him, the smile at the corner of Beiming Yuan's mouth remained unchanged, but his eyes changed drastically, and his bearing was completely different.
"Old man, I'm running wild. What can you do about it?"
Beiming Yuan looked at Prince Xue Xing, his expression indifferent.
Holy shit!
Quite a few people were startled and deeply admired Beiming Yuan's response.
Ning Fengzhi was startled as well. This young man really is bold. I wonder which family or sect he belongs to?
"So cool..." Unlike Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong stared fixedly at Beiming Yuan, finding his "provocation" very cool.
When Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo heard that, they did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Bastard!"
Prince Xue Xing was thoroughly enraged. "Guards, seize him and-"
"Uncle."
Xue Qinghe suddenly spoke.
"What is it?" Prince Xue Xing shot him a cold look, his face showing scarcely any warmth, only outright displeasure.
Xue Qinghe paid it no mind. Instead, he looked at Beiming Yuan and said in a clear voice, "Since this young master wishes to challenge our Heaven Dou Royal Team, we will certainly oblige."
Seeing Xue Qinghe ignore him, Prince Xue Xing lost his composure once again. "Xue Qinghe, you..."
"Your Highness, please calm down," Meng Shenji hurriedly said by voice transmission. "Heaven Dou Royal Academy's reputation is more important right now. Once the spar is over, we can settle accounts with this boy at any time."
If no outsiders had been present, it would not have mattered.
But there were outsiders present today. If a young man came to Heaven Dou Royal Academy's doorstep with a challenge and the academy did not dare accept, it would surely face considerable criticism from the outside world afterward.
"Is my reputation less important than the academy's?" Prince Xue Xing glanced at Meng Shenji.
Meng Shenji could only smile bitterly, at a loss.
The other two committee members were frowning as well. They increasingly felt that Prince Xue Xing was unsuited to be the academy's dean; he had no sense of the bigger picture at all.
They could settle accounts afterward. Right now, the academy's reputation was what mattered!
By comparison, Xue Qinghe, the eldest prince, was much more mature and knew what mattered most.
"May I ask your name, young master, and where you come from?" Xue Qinghe continued, as though he already regarded himself as the "dean" here.
Prince Xue Xing was furious, but he held it in.
"Boy, who are you?" Prince Xue Xing asked, forcibly suppressing his anger and giving Xue Qinghe a look as he did so.
Xue Qinghe naturally understood that the prince wanted to take back control.
"Old man, you talk too much. Just answer me: are you fighting or not?" Beiming Yuan's gaze was indifferent, and he still showed Prince Xue Xing no courtesy.
"You!"
Prince Xue Xing's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox.
"We'll fight." Xue Qinghe seized the opening and immediately replied, "Heaven Dou Royal Academy won't gang up on you, either. Yu Tianheng will spar with you. How does that sound?"