Unbeknownst to everyone, Bone Douluo had secretly sent a message to Ning Fengzhi, informing him that Su Ming wasn't present. This prompted Ning Fengzhi to decide to scare Yu Xiaogang and Flender a bit first. Moreover, as Bone Douluo had previously described, Shrek Academy really was as dilapidated as it appeared—just a few wooden buildings made up the whole academy. Ning Fengzhi found it hard to believe that Flender, a level 78 Spirit Sage, had allowed the academy to fall into such a state.
How could any real talents emerge from this place? he thought, noticing the lack of even basic cultivation environments. Compared to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, this was pitiful.
As Ning Fengzhi observed the students, he saw they were all quite young. Yet according to Rongrong, they were quite capable. Although his daughter's strength ranked somewhere in the middle of the group, he didn't feel that made her any less impressive—being an auxiliary-type spirit master meant slower cultivation progress.
He recalled something else Rongrong had mentioned—how one of the students, a fallen prince of the Star Luo Empire, had bullied her. But Su Ming had stepped in and stopped it. This act had raised Ning Fengzhi's opinion of Su Ming. If anything had happened to Rongrong, not even a prince of Star Luo would have been safe from his wrath.
Though Dai Mubai was a fallen prince, Ning Fengzhi knew that Star Luo Empire wouldn't risk an international incident over someone who no longer had a claim to the throne. Killing him would have been an option if things had escalated, Ning Fengzhi mused.
He was also cautious about the timing. Any disruption in the Star Luo Empire could give the Heaven Dou Empire an excuse to invade, especially with Spirit Hall potentially stirring up trouble. Ning Fengzhi, ever the strategist, had to consider all angles to protect his sect.
Turning his attention to Yu Xiaogang and Flender, Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened. The air around him seemed to grow heavy as the pressure of a true leader weighed down on them. Flender and Yu Xiaogang's faces paled. It was clear—they had guessed right: Ning Rongrong had gone back to complain.
Even though Ning Fengzhi himself had no combat ability, the aura of a sect master was undeniable. Neither Flender nor Yu Xiaogang dared to make a move, convinced that at least one Titled Douluo was hiding nearby, ready to intervene if necessary. While they could handle Ning Fengzhi alone, facing a Titled Douluo was a different story.
Ning Fengzhi's voice was calm, yet sharp as a blade: "I hear you two ignored my daughter's warnings and insisted on watching her train. If something had gone wrong, it could've caused irreparable damage to her cultivation."
Then, turning his gaze to a young man with distinctive eyes, Ning Fengzhi asked coldly, "You must be Dai Mubai? I heard you threatened to kill my daughter."
A terrifying pressure immediately crashed down on Dai Mubai, who found himself pinned to the ground. The sheer difference in their power levels made it impossible for Dai Mubai to resist, even though Ning Fengzhi didn't attack. The overwhelming soul power was enough to completely subdue him, forcing him to his knees, his face contorted in humiliation.
Seeing this, the rest of the group—especially those close to Dai Mubai—was alarmed. Even Yu Xiaogang and Flender were horrified.
Flender quickly stepped forward to plead, "Sect Master Ning, Dai Mubai already knows he was wrong. He has since apologized to Rongrong, and I've given him a strict lesson. Can you let this pass?"
Dai Mubai, still pinned to the ground by the oppressive force, burned with shame. To be humiliated by an auxiliary-type spirit master—this was intolerable! He raged internally, Without his protectors, who is Ning Fengzhi? He's nothing! Yet despite his internal defiance, he dared not voice these thoughts. He was acutely aware of the power and influence that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wielded, and he knew better than to challenge them, especially in his current position as a disgraced prince.
Struggling to speak through the pressure, Dai Mubai stammered, "Sect Master Ning, I apologize. It was indeed my fault. I've been working to change."
Ning Fengzhi's voice remained gentle, yet his words cut deep. "Very well. If you truly regret your actions, slap yourself twenty times. Then I'll forgive you. And don't think of using your spirit power to protect yourself. It must be real punishment."
The pressure on Dai Mubai was lifted, allowing him to shakily stand up. He knew there was no escape from this. Flender had considered stepping in to defend him again, but one sharp look from Ning Fengzhi had shut him up. The message was clear: how dare you try to defend someone who wanted to harm my daughter?
Even Ning Rongrong hadn't expected this. She hadn't asked her father to punish Dai Mubai—she considered the issue settled after Su Ming had dealt with him. Still, seeing her father stand up for her made her feel a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps this was part of the reason her father had insisted on coming personally.
Dai Mubai, resigned to his fate, took a deep breath and raised his hand. He began slapping himself hard across the face.
"Slap!"
His face quickly reddened, and as he alternated between his left and right hand, the sound of each slap echoed across the field.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Everyone present, especially Yu Xiaogang and Flender, could barely stand to watch. By the time he was done, Dai Mubai's face was swollen and bloodied, resembling that of a pig. Through gritted teeth and bloodied lips, he gasped, "Sect Master Ning, is this enough for you?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded, his face impassive. "Good. Let's consider this matter settled. I hope you remember this and behave yourself in the future."