Tianlin had been staying at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for several days, not going anywhere else. Instead, he spent this time accompanying his parents. Over the past few years, his focus on cultivation had caused him to neglect them, a fact that made him feel unfilial as a son.
Since they had come to the sect, Tianlin decided to set everything aside for now and spend quality time with them. Chen Xin, being understanding, even granted him three days off, recognizing the importance of balancing hard work with rest.
One day, Tianlin was summoned to the Great Hall of the Seven Treasures because Yin Yang had suddenly returned. Accompanying him were Ning Rongrong, Gu Ran, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, the legendary Dragon and Snake couple, and their granddaughter, Meng Yiran.
Following Qin Ming's suggestion, the Shrek group traveled to Heaven Dou City to find a suitable advanced Soul Master Academy to affiliate with. Just like in the original story, they happened to come across a notice posted by Blue Tyrant Academy at the city gates, leading them to join that academy.
Tianlin marveled at the astonishing corrective force of the storyline. However, there were some key differences: Shrek had not been humiliated at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, so there was no incident of Qin Ming leaving in anger. He remained the captain of the Emperor Team. Additionally, Tang San had not been captured by Dugu Bo and was safely cultivating at the academy, meaning the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was completely out of his reach.
Since Heaven Dou City was close to Seven Treasure Mountain, the group's return today had two purposes. First, Ning Rongrong had broken through to the Soul Elder rank and could now take the Heaven Mending Pill. Second, they wanted to discuss with Ning Fengzhi the potential inclusion of the Dragon and Snake couple, as well as Ma Hongjun, into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi warmly welcomed the Dragon and Snake couple's addition to the sect. After all, together, they were comparable to some ordinary Rank 91 or 92 Titled Douluos. Such immediate combat power was something no sect would refuse.
As for Oscar, he could now be considered part of the Dragon and Snake family. At this point, he had only just met Ning Rongrong, and their feelings were still shallow. It didn't take long for him to move on, especially since Meng Yiran was so beautiful. Having recently suffered heartbreak, Oscar quickly fell for her.
Meng Yiran had already completed her withdrawal from the Exotic Beast Academy and joined the current Shrek Academy. While her talent didn't match that of the Shrek Seven Devils, it was still comparable to the original backup members, making her just barely qualified.
For Oscar's sake, Flender made an exception and accepted Meng Yiran as a transfer student. However, Grandmaster was less accommodating. He claimed that Meng Yiran's talent was insufficient and unworthy of his guidance, nearly angering the Dragon and Snake couple to the point of explosion. If not for Yu Yuanzhen's intervention, the Grandmaster might have been in serious trouble.
"This Grandmaster," Tianlin scoffed, shaking his head, "a mere Soul Grandmaster expelled from his clan—where does he get the audacity to mock a sixteen-year-old who has already reached the three-ring level? Anywhere else, Meng Yiran would be considered a genius."
"You're right, Sword Brother! Let me tell you, ever since he joined the academy, all he's done is make me run laps. He hasn't taught me anything useful, let alone the Martial Soul Fusion Theories you were interested in." Ning Rongrong held Tianlin's hand and complained indignantly. "I even brought the theory myself and humbly asked for his guidance, but he said I wasn't ready for such advanced concepts and told me to start with the basics. Hmph! He only cares about Tang San."
Hearing this, Tianlin couldn't help but say, "If that's the case, Rongrong, don't return to the academy. With me here, the sect's strength will only grow stronger. We don't need that theory."
"Exactly!" Meng Yiran chimed in, full of resentment. "If he had kept the theory as a clan secret, we wouldn't have coveted it. But since he published it for everyone to study and learn, and he's now a teacher, isn't it his job to guide his students? What kind of teacher is this?"
Even Ma Hongjun and Oscar were losing respect for Grandmaster. After all, Grandmaster had taught them nothing. Ma Hongjun's meditation technique came from Flender, while Oscar's was learned from Shao Xin, the Bean Soul Sage. If Grandmaster had at least improved their meditation techniques with his theoretical knowledge, they might have been more convinced.
"The Martial Soul Fusion Theory, huh? If it's real, it could indeed greatly benefit our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," Ning Fengzhi said, always pragmatic. "Among our direct disciples, quite a few possess the innate ability to Ring Fusion, besides Rongrong. This theory could certainly enhance the sect's strength."
However, Ning Fengzhi was also a doting father. His tone suddenly shifted as he slammed his scepter on the ground. "But a mere theory is not worth my precious daughter being mistreated! If I weren't busy with other matters right now, I'd research the theory myself. Who needs Shrek anyway?"
Recently, Ning Fengzhi had been locking himself in the archive room to study something, leaving the sect's affairs to Gu Rong and Chen Xin.
Ning Rongrong felt deeply touched by Tianlin and Ning Fengzhi's concern. She shook her head and said, "It's okay. I'll stay at Shrek, not for him, but out of responsibility. Since I joined, I should see it through until graduation. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on Hongjun. Sword Brother, you don't know—once you left, his laziness returned. Without supervision, he's hopeless."
Hearing this, Tianlin turned a stern gaze toward Ma Hongjun, who broke out in a cold sweat and quickly defended himself. "Boss, I might've started lazy, but Big Sister Rongrong's been keeping a close eye on me! I've been working hard recently, and my soul power has already reached almost Rank 30."
Yin Yang nodded. "I can vouch for that. Under Rongrong's supervision, this fatty has been reasonably diligent. But don't get cocky—compared to Tianlin and Gu Ran, you still have a long way to go."
"Well, at least that's barely passing," Tianlin said, letting it slide.
"Fatty, your name is Ma Hongjun, right? Your Martial Soul is the Fire Phoenix?" Ning Fengzhi approached warmly.
"Yes, Sect Master," Ma Hongjun replied nervously. Though a bit scared, he found Ning Fengzhi's gentle demeanor reassuring.
"No need to be so formal. Since you're now friends with Tianlin and Rongrong, you can call me Uncle Ning," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Hongjun, your Fire Phoenix Martial Soul is an extremely rare and powerful beast-type Martial Soul. Although its flames are impure now, its power already rivals the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. If you can purify your phoenix flames, your Martial Soul might even evolve into a god-level Martial Soul. The heavens have blessed you with such talent, so you must cherish it and work harder than others."
"If you trust me, I, Uncle Ning, promise to do everything in my power to help your Martial Soul achieve its ultimate evolution. But remember, the key lies with you. If your strength doesn't keep up, you won't be able to handle the breakthrough, even if I find a way."
If Tianlin was the stern bad cop, Ning Fengzhi played the gentle good cop. Ma Hongjun was deeply moved. With such an incredible sect leader, his sense of belonging to the sect began to grow stronger.
As for Ning Fengzhi's promise, it was no empty boast. He genuinely intended to help Ma Hongjun evolve his Martial Soul. After all, who wouldn't want another god-level Martial Soul in their sect?