Not long after returning to the academy, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu came rushing over, having heard the news.
The moment she saw Meng Bei, Ning Rongrong threw herself into his arms without hesitation.
"You're finally back! I was so worried about you. I thought something bad might have happened!"
Meng Bei held her delicate legs and comforted her softly.
Not far away, Xiao Wu and Liu Erlong exchanged sideways glances at the scene, their expressions tinged with obvious jealousy.
That night, their reunion was as passionate as if it were their first time together.
Ning Rongrong, bursting with youthful energy, used every ounce of her strength. In the end, she fell asleep like an exhausted kitten in Meng Bei's arms.
Outside the window, a faintly resentful hum could be heard.
Meng Bei went out to check and found that it was Aunt Erlong.
Before long, Aunt Erlong was also conquered on the spot.
Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy, the team was still on their way. To showcase his training methods, the master had ordered the Shrek students to run on foot from Soto City to Heaven Dou City.
For soul masters with enhanced endurance due to their spirit power, this wasn't overly difficult, but it was time-consuming. The master was, of course, unaware of what Meng Bei had been up to; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken his time along the way.
The next day, Meng Bei prepared a gift and, hand in hand with Ning Rongrong, went to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's castle.
Meng Bei had anticipated that the sect would treat him with respect, but he hadn't expected this level of importance.
As soon as they arrived at the gates, someone came out to meet them.
Clad in a black robe, with grayish-white hair and a burly frame, the man emanated an imposing aura.
"Grandpa Bone!"
Ning Rongrong waved happily in greeting.
Meng Bei was stunned.
It was Bone Douluo himself who had come to greet them.
He hurriedly bowed and greeted respectfully, "Junior Meng Bei pays his respects to Bone Douluo."
Bone Douluo, who had been smiling warmly at Ning Rongrong, immediately turned stern when his gaze landed on Meng Bei, his expression betraying clear displeasure.
"This..."
Meng Bei glanced at Ning Rongrong, realizing that Bone Douluo seemed dissatisfied with him.
After some thought, he wondered if the issue was how he addressed him.
Tentatively, Meng Bei softened his tone and tried to mimic Ning Rongrong: "Uh... Grandpa Bone?"
The atmosphere grew visibly tense, as if the very air were weighed down by the soul power emanating from Bone Douluo.
Bone Douluo unconsciously clenched his fists before releasing them a moment later.
"Hmph. Follow me."
Under Bone Douluo's lead, Meng Bei was escorted inside the castle.
Halfway there, Ning Rongrong leaned close to Meng Bei and whispered excitedly, "This is great! It seems my father doesn't want to make things difficult for you."
"Why?" Meng Bei asked, puzzled.
Ning Rongrong explained, "This path leads to my father's study, not the main hall or reception room. It's clear he doesn't see you as an outsider!"
Understanding dawned on Meng Bei, and his nerves eased considerably.
Soon, they arrived at the study door.
Bone Douluo pushed the door open, and Meng Bei followed him inside.
The study held only two people.
One, dressed in white with silver hair, leaned casually against a bookshelf, reading an ancient tome—this was clearly Sword Douluo.
The other, seated at the desk, was younger and more lavishly dressed—undoubtedly Ning Fengzhi, the current sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Rongrong's next words confirmed Meng Bei's guesses.
"Father!"
Ning Rongrong pulled Meng Bei along excitedly, introducing him with a bright smile.
"Father, this is Meng Bei, the one I told you about."
"Brother Bei, this is my father."
Meng Bei politely bowed. "Greetings, Uncle Ning."
Ning Rongrong then introduced Sword Douluo, and Meng Bei repeated the gesture.
"Greetings, Grandpa Sword."
Sword Douluo's expression stiffened noticeably, his grip on the book tightening.
"Please, have a seat," Ning Fengzhi said warmly, leading Meng Bei to a chair. His demeanor was exceptionally kind, making it clear that he wasn't inclined to make things difficult for Meng Bei.
This openness wasn't surprising. If Ning Fengzhi could accept Oscar as a future son-in-law in the original story, then Meng Bei, who met every requirement of an ideal soul master, was naturally even more acceptable.
The conversation shifted to small talk, with Ning Fengzhi asking most of the questions, especially about Meng Bei's background.
Meng Bei was candid, revealing that he hailed from Snow Rabbit City, one of the three cities in the extreme north.
The three cities—Snow Wolf, Snow Fox, and Snow Rabbit—were bastions of humanity in the harsh northern region, protecting against soul beasts.
Meng Bei explained that his family belonged to the vast Meng clan of Snow Rabbit City. The clan's size meant it wasn't particularly prestigious, and Meng Bei had lived a modest life before awakening his spirit, the Snow Rabbit, with an innate soul power of level nine.
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi nodded. He had already investigated Meng Bei's background, and this conversation merely confirmed what he knew.
Though the northern cities didn't hold much weight in Ning Fengzhi's eyes, he respected Meng Bei's honesty.
Then, Ning Fengzhi brought up Meng Bei's recent experience with spirit hunting.
"I heard from Rongrong that your recent spirit hunting trip didn't go smoothly?"
Meng Bei smiled wryly. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Ning. In the end, it was a blessing in disguise."
As he spoke, Meng Bei activated his spirit rings.
Yellow, yellow, purple, black—four rings rose from his feet, radiating power.
Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo, and Sword Douluo all widened their eyes in shock.
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