After settling things, Ning Rongrong chatted with the three elders about her life at Shrek Academy and shared stories about Su Ming. The more they heard, the more curious they became about Su Ming. A genius spirit master from a small village? It seemed unbelievable! Not to mention that Su Ming's spirit rings exceeded the best age limits, shattering Master's theories.
Of course, the sect leaders knew well enough that Master's theories weren't always absolute.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the last day of the break. Ning Rongrong prepared to return to the academy, but she couldn't help but wonder if Su Ming had mastered his Sage Mode yet. Moreover, he hadn't written in his diary for several days—what was he up to? It couldn't be that he was spending all his time with Xiao Wu, right? She shook her head, dismissing the idea. It was more likely that Su Ming had been in seclusion.
As they prepared to depart, Ning Rongrong hesitantly asked, "Dad, do all of you really need to come with me to the academy? One of you is enough."
She was worried. If her father and her two grandfathers went, it might put too much pressure on Su Ming. Or worse, it could lead to conflict.
Ning Fengzhi saw through his daughter's concerns and reassured her with a smile. He patted her head, "Don't worry. We're only going to see Su Ming, that's all. When we arrive, your grandfathers won't show themselves—just you and I will go inside. You don't need to worry about me either. I'm genuinely interested in recruiting such a talented individual, unlike your more… hot-headed grandfathers."
Chen Xin: ... Gu Rong: ...
The two elders remained silent. Ning Fengzhi wasn't wrong; compared to him, they could be considered to have rather fiery tempers.
Ning Rongrong was resigned to the situation, thinking, Everyone knows the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect always travels with at least one Titled Douluo for protection. She could only hope that her grandfathers would keep their promise and not cause any trouble at the academy.
"Alright, let's go!" she said.
At Shrek Academy around noon, Tang San strode confidently into the dining hall. That morning, he had finally completed a full set of hidden weapons, including the Zhuge Crossbow. If he had more time, he could have made a few more sets, but this would suffice for now. He was eager to show the power of his hidden weapons to Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu.
However, upon entering, he noticed that only Dai Mubai and a few others were present. Su Ming, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and even Rongrong were all absent.
The last few days had been quite busy for Tang San. Between managing the blacksmith shop and assembling the hidden weapons, it had been more convenient for him to stay in a nearby hotel rather than travel back and forth between the city and the academy.
After asking around, Tang San learned that Su Ming had been in seclusion, and Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing had been diligently training as well. Even Dai Mubai and the others, feeling the pressure, planned to train more after lunch. Especially Dai Mubai, who, despite being three years older than Zhu Zhuqing, was close to being overtaken in rank.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun, having overcome his need to suppress his evil fire, had increased his cultivation speed, having just reached level 27. He was still the lowest-ranked in the group, but it was progress worth celebrating.
Tang San furrowed his brow upon hearing that Su Ming had been training so hard. Something doesn't feel right, he thought, a sense of unease creeping in.
Just then, the doors opened again, and Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing entered. They were surprised to see Tang San back, guessing he must have finished making his hidden weapons. They wondered when Su Ming would finally emerge from his seclusion.
An hour later, Yu Xiaogang and Flender gathered everyone in the training field to discuss the upcoming Soul Duel matches. But when Yu Xiaogang noticed both Ning Rongrong and Su Ming were absent, he sighed in frustration. Su Ming had entered seclusion right after the break started, and Ning Rongrong had abruptly returned to her sect.
"Oscar, you share a room with Su Ming. Any idea if he's come out yet?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Oscar shook his head. He had knocked on Su Ming's door a few times but had received no response. He, too, was curious about what Su Ming and Ning Rongrong were up to. He had already given up on learning Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and was hoping to focus on Lingbo Weibu, but with both of them absent, he had no idea what was going on.
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to continue speaking, Ning Rongrong and Ning Fengzhi walked in.
Flender leaned over to Yu Xiaogang and whispered, "Hold on, Xiaogang. Look who just arrived—Rongrong's father!"
Rongrong ran over to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, hugging them tightly. "I'm back!"
After greeting her friends, she returned to her father's side and introduced him to the group, "Everyone, this is my father, Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Ning Fengzhi scanned the group before settling his gaze on Yu Xiaogang. "You must be Master. It's an honor to finally meet you."
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank. Oh no, he thought. Did Rongrong really go back to complain to her father?
Ning Fengzhi's eyes shifted to Flender next. "And you must be the renowned flying master of the Golden Iron Triangle, Flender, the three-eyed cat eagle."
Flender forced a stiff smile, "Welcome, Sect Master Ning. What brings you here today with Rongrong?"
Both Flender and Yu Xiaogang were nervous, thinking the same thing—that Ning Fengzhi had come to settle a score on behalf of his daughter.
One thing they both noticed was the absence of Ning Fengzhi's usual Titled Douluo escort. As the sect master, Ning Fengzhi was typically accompanied by at least one Titled Douluo for protection. The fact that no one else had shown up made them even more uneasy. What was Ning Fengzhi planning?
Ning Fengzhi, fully aware of their concerns, recalled what Rongrong had told him: how Yu Xiaogang and Flender had interrupted Su Ming's lesson on Lingbo Weibu, which could have caused serious setbacks in her cultivation. Though he wasn't sure if learning Lingbo Weibu was truly so risky, Rongrong had asked him to make his presence known and intimidate them a little. As a father, Ning Fengzhi was happy to oblige.