"Soul Saint?!" Liu Erlong's face changed slightly.
Not only Qian Renxue but also Su Cheng had advanced to the level of Soul Saint?
It's only been a little over a year.
As for Su Cheng's strength, she hadn't asked in detail, but she knew it wouldn't be weaker than hers. From the words of Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang, it seemed he might even be excessively strong.
This was not entirely unexpected.
When Su Cheng was at the Soul King level, he could reportedly hold his own against Qian Renxue, who was at the Soul Saint level. Now that their cultivation levels were equal, he was certainly not weaker.
"Did you meet him?"
Tang Hao and the others didn't answer her question and showed no interest in continuing the discussion.
They clearly didn't want to talk more about what happened that day.
"Fourth Prince, when you visited the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan a couple of days ago, what was Ning Fengzhi's attitude?"
Xue Beng smiled bitterly, "He never directly answered my questions. Whenever I asked about Su Cheng, he was evasive, giving no clear answers."
Yu Xiaogang frowned upon hearing this. "With Ning Fengzhi's usual behavior, he shouldn't immediately defect to the Spirit Hall. But we should still be cautious and have Emperor Xue Ye apply more pressure."
"My father thinks the same. He plans to find an opportunity to talk to Sect Master Ning. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has come this far with the support of the royal family. Their businesses within the empire also rely heavily on royal channels. I believe if my father speaks, they will still show some consideration."
"Hmm. Little San is still in training, and what we lack most is time. As long as Little San completes his cultivation, and the other students also grow stronger, we might have a chance to fight back."
At this moment, Flender's expression changed slightly, and he interjected, "There's also Mubai. His special status could help us connect with the Star Luo royal family, which would be ideal. The Spirit Hall has great ambitions and extreme power. The best course of action for the two great empires now is to put aside past grievances and join forces. But I don't know where he is now, nor do I know how Zhuqing is doing."
"Dean Flender, are you referring to Zhu Zhuqing?"
"Yes, that's correct. Do you have any information about her, Prince Xue Beng?"
Xue Beng hesitated before saying, "Speaking of her, she seems to have a close relationship with Su Cheng."
Seeing the others' disbelief, he continued, "When Su Cheng came to Heaven Dou City, the first place he visited was Moon Pavilion. The person accompanying him at the time appeared to be Zhu Zhuqing. There were many witnesses who can testify to this."
"Moon Pavilion? They went to Moon Pavilion?!"
Hearing the word "Moon Pavilion," Tang Hao, who had been silent since the beginning, suddenly widened his eyes and asked loudly, "What did they do there?"
Xue Beng was startled by his reaction and quickly said, "They seemed to just have a few cups of tea there, and then they went alone to the top floor with the master of Moon Pavilion. They left around evening. I found out Su Cheng was in Heaven Dou City because they were recognized at Moon Pavilion."
Tang Hao's expression became unpleasant.
Others might not know who founded Moon Pavilion, but he knew very well.
As for the top floor, it was a restricted area that no one could enter, yet Su Cheng and his group had gone in. This seemed very suspicious.
Fortunately, Tang Yuehua's background was quite secretive, and she didn't exhibit any traits of the Clear Sky Clan, which alleviated his worries a bit.
No matter what, Tang San's development was their primary concern.
Everything else could be put aside for now.
Thinking of this, he suddenly said in a deep voice, "I will leave Shrek Academy in a few days."
"Your Majesty…"
Hearing this, Xue Beng's expression changed, and Flender and the others also hesitated to speak.
Tang Hao scanned them with a stern look and said, "Don't worry. I need to check on Xiao San. The Slaughter City is too dangerous, and I can't be at ease with the King of Slaughter there. Since Bibi Dong and her group have been there, who knows what other impacts it might have caused. I have to keep a close eye on it."
Tang San was his only remaining hope.
If it hadn't been for the unexpected encounter with Bibi Dong and others, Tang Hao would have returned to the Slaughter City much earlier to secretly protect him.
As one of the existing Slaughter Gods, he could enter and leave the Slaughter City freely.
Even the Hell Road posed no obstacle to him, though he couldn't bring anyone else along.
Yu Xiaogang glanced at him and then spoke, "The rest of us should split into three groups. Flender, try to recall some of our former students. I'll personally train them with a special regimen."
He was now preparing to cultivate his own faction.
"That's great! Xiaogang, you've finally come around." Flender was instantly overjoyed and patted Yu Xiaogang's shoulder, temporarily putting aside his curiosity about Zhu Zhuqing's situation.
After all, it seemed that Xue Beng didn't know much either, so they would have to inquire through other channels later.
He laughed, "I knew it! With your talent, you shouldn't just focus on training a few disciples. You should shine even more in the field of education."
"As long as they don't complain about the intensity, following my training plan will benefit them greatly." A hint of pride appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face.
Xue Beng chimed in, "Great, Master, Dean Flender, I'll do my best to persuade my father to fully support Shrek Academy!"
Having spent some time at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he knew what the atmosphere was like there.
In comparison, he had more faith in Shrek Academy.
Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction.
In fact, his previous words were intended for Xue Beng to hear, to elicit this very promise.
In his view, training strong individuals required not only his own talent but also various resources and better cultivation conditions.
He then turned to Liu Erlong, "Erlong, could you return to your family soon and try to mend your relationship with your father?"
"What?" Liu Erlong's eyes widened, and she immediately shook her head in refusal. "No way!"
"Erlong, don't be stubborn. Now isn't the time to dwell on past grievances!" Yu Xiaogang's tone became stern. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has deep foundations, and the Spirit Hall is our common enemy. We need to unite all the forces we can!"
"But... but what about our relationship?" Liu Erlong bit her lower lip, feeling a wave of resentment.
As an illegitimate child, her relationship with her father, Yu Luomian, was already strained. He not only opposed her relationship with Yu Xiaogang but also looked down on him, considering him a complete failure. The rift between father and daughter ran deep.
Now, being asked to go back and apologize was something she was utterly unwilling to do given her personality.
However, facing a serious Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong's fiery temper had always been subdued.
"Our priority is to get through the current crisis. Personal feelings should be set aside for now."
Seeing Liu Erlong's reluctance, Yu Xiaogang softened his tone, "Your uncle actually cares a lot about you. Although he's strong-willed, he can see the bigger picture. Once you return to the clan, his attitude will likely change."
"...I understand."
"Tianheng is also in Heaven Dou City. I'll contact him separately. That child has always had a good relationship with me and will be willing to help."
Yu Xiaogang himself didn't want to return to the clan or face his father and relatives; he couldn't overcome his own feelings.
But Yu Tianheng had a special status, and if he could be persuaded, it would be more effective than Yu Xiaogang showing up himself.
In the northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, in Jinhua Province, there was a large advanced soul master academy.
From the outside, it didn't look much different from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Although it wasn't as luxurious, it still had a grand and imposing atmosphere, exuding a rugged, ancient beauty that seemed even more impressive than the recently renovated Shrek Academy.
This was the renowned Godwind Academy, one of the Elemental Academies of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the most prestigious advanced soul master academy in the Jinhua Province.
However, unlike the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, this academy had a single type of mimicry training ground, suitable for the cultivation of various wind attribute martial souls. It only admitted freshmen with wind attribute martial souls.
Thus, despite its fame, it was somewhat limited in attracting local talents.
Fortunately, except for the Elephant Armor Academy and Thunderclap Academy, the other Elemental Academies had a good relationship with each other, exchanging resources as needed, effectively drawing soul master resources from three cities, mitigating any negative impact.
At this moment, Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, siblings from the Skyfire Academy, were visiting the Godwind Academy.
Accompanying them was Feng Xiaotian, a fervent admirer of Huo Wu, and the equally talented Feng Lingyu.
"To think Su Cheng has become an elder of the Spirit Hall. How did he manage that?" Huo Wu's sharp eyebrows raised in disbelief as she spoke.
As the conversation continued, they unknowingly started talking about Su Cheng.
As a young soul master of their generation who had competed with them, he was a frequent topic of discussion within their circle.
"If it was a soul master from the Spirit Hall Academy, it might be unusual but somewhat understandable. But how did an outsider like him become an elder in less than a year after joining? Even if they wanted to appoint a young elder, it should have been Qian Renxue, right?"
Seeing the goddess's doubt, Feng Xiaotian quickly explained, "The dean believes this is a strategic move by the Spirit Hall."
"A strategic move?"
"Yes. Since the former pope passed away and the current pope took over, the Spirit Hall has been quietly ambitious despite not making any major moves.
"Su Cheng's appointment as an elder at such a young age is likely to demonstrate the Spirit Hall's potential and send a message to soul masters everywhere.
"No matter their background, anyone joining the Spirit Hall will be treated equally and can rise based on ability, thus attracting more talented young soul masters to join."
Feng Xiaotian sighed again.
"However, the Spirit Hall might have been a bit too hasty.
"Everyone knows Su Cheng's cultivation level at that time. Appointing such a soul master as an elder is hard to convince the public.
"Geniuses are still just geniuses. Without sufficient strength, holding the title of an elder only invites ridicule and devalues the title itself."
"Heh." At this moment, Feng Lingyu sneered, "The old man doesn't know anything and is just speculating. Has he even met Su Cheng?"
"Uh..." Feng Xiaotian looked at her awkwardly.
Although Feng Lingyu was young, she was exceptionally talented and the granddaughter of the dean, Feng Tianyang, making her quite respected in the academy.
If Feng Xiaotian was the leader of the current generation of young soul masters in the academy, then Feng Lingyu, with her innate full soul power, was undoubtedly the leader of the new generation.
Therefore, she never gave him face like other classmates and always spoke her mind.
Even the teachers in the academy were at a loss dealing with her lazy nature.
Feng Xiaotian felt helpless, "Lingyu, I know you have a good relationship with Su Cheng, but the dean's analysis makes sense. You're being a bit excessive."
"I have a good relationship with him? I don't even know that untrustworthy guy!"
Hearing Feng Xiaotian's words, Feng Lingyu became angry.
She had no ulterior motives; it was just that Su Cheng had promised to take her away from the boring academy but had not made any moves for over a year.
If she hadn't heard about his appointment as an elder, she would have thought he had died in the Spirit City.
"Untrustworthy?" Feng Xiaotian was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Just—"
"The elder from Spirit City, Elder Su, is here at our academy!"
Just as Feng Lingyu was about to respond, a voice came from outside.
"Which Elder Su?"
"Who else, of course it's Su Cheng!"
"Why is he here?"
"Not sure, but it seems he's here as the representative of the Spirit Hall Academy to discuss something with the dean."
"Oh right, he is indeed responsible for the Spirit Hall Academy's affairs."
"Let's go and have a look..."
As the voices faded, Huo Wu stood up in surprise.
Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wushuang exchanged a serious look, recalling their earlier conversation, "He probably didn't come with good intentions..."
"Stop talking and let's go see."
Ignoring their expressions, Feng Lingyu jumped off the sofa, looking excited.
After being bored for so long, she finally had something interesting to watch.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing, following Su Cheng into the Godwind Academy, glanced at the large plaza in front of the academy's Board of Education.
There, many high-ranking officials and teachers of the Godwind Academy were already lined up, waiting.
She didn't pay much attention, instead recalling what Su Cheng had told her earlier.
"...How do you think we should persuade the Godwind Academy to become a branch of the Spirit Hall Academy on the continent?"
"The Godwind Academy isn't that strong. The dean is only a Soul Douluo. With your strength and the backing of the Spirit Hall, you can easily crush them. Intimidate them and then lure them with benefits. It should be easy."
"You're wrong." Su Cheng had shaken his head, denying her suggestion.
"You're viewing the Godwind Academy as a sect or a family, which is the wrong starting point.
"The Godwind Academy has the support of the Feng family, and its high-ranking officials are mostly from the Feng faction. But fundamentally, it's still an academy.
"There is a fundamental difference between an academy and a family or sect.
"An academy is a place for imparting knowledge. Its members aren't bound by blood and don't have strong interest ties.
"The connection between students and the academy isn't that tight, so they're not easily threatened.
"They value reputation. As long as they have prestige, they can start over in a different location. After all, their students graduate and new ones come in."
"So, what do you mean?" Zhu Zhuqing didn't fully understand.
"So, we need to take it step by step. Just using force isn't enough; the key is your performance."
"My performance?"
"Yes. Showing strength is necessary. I'll suppress them all, making them fearful.
"But they can't judge my strength accurately, and as an elder, regardless of their thoughts, they've already acknowledged that my status is much higher.
"So even if I'm stronger, it's expected and won't bring much shock or persuasion.
"But everyone knows your strength from over a year ago.
"Showing them your growth is the best example."
"...You're really cunning, aren't you? Undermining them completely?" Only then did Zhu Zhuqing understand and couldn't help but feel sorry for the teachers at the Godwind Academy.
Clearly, Su Cheng wanted her to overthrow the high-ranking officials of the Godwind Academy as a student.
"Don't make it sound so bad." Su Cheng glared at her.
"If you weren't here, I might have to use the Innate Skill to convince them, even though it's not the best time.
"But with you here, there's no need to rush the skill.
"Just cooperate with me when the time comes."