Chapter 308: Invitation ?

...

"Hahaha, so this is the genius disciple of your esteemed sect, Zeng Yi, right? I have also heard about you in the Imperial capital, and the Crown Prince has mentioned you several times. I have always wanted to see with my own eyes the talented youth praised by the Crown Prince. And now, seeing you in person, it is just as the Crown Prince described: extraordinary temperament, unruly character, what a heroic youth, hahaha~"

A hearty laughter echoed as Zeng Yi couldn't help but turn around and see a tall but thin old man smiling while sizing him up.

Although Zeng Yi didn't know who he was, his intuition told him that this old man was very strong. Sitting on the opposite seat, he wore a friendly smile on his face, giving off a sense of warmth. However, facing him, Zeng Yi also felt an inexplicable pressure, as if everything around revolved around him, and every move he made seemed natural and calm.

With such a friendly attitude from the other party, Zeng Yi naturally wouldn't be disrespectful and bowed to him, saying "Thank you for your praise, Senior. May I know who you are?"

Accepting the old man's praise as a matter of course, Zeng Yi's gaze shifted towards the three old men beside him. In terms of physical appearance, one was tall and thin, one was short and fat, and the other was average build, making it easy to tell them apart.

As for the identity of these three people, Zeng Yi guessed that they must have been brought by Xue Qinghe.

The tall and thin old man who had just spoken introduced himself kindly "Haha, the three of us are members of the teaching committee of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. I am the Head of Administration at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Meng Shenji, a Spirit Douluo of the 86th Rank, specializing in Control System."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yi was somewhat surprised. Although he had guessed the strength of this old man, he couldn't help but be amazed when he heard that he was an Spirit Douluo.

In the world of Spirit Masters, there were not many Titled Douluo-level experts, and they rarely made a move. An Spirit Douluo was already a top combat power.

Among the major sect forces on the continent, the top few were called the Upper Three and Lower Four. Apart from the presence of Titled Douluo-level experts within the Three Upper Sects. The other sects, even the Lower Four, had only a few Titled Douluo-level experts.

Meng Shenji laughed "I heard that the young friend has visited our Heaven Dou Imperial Academy before. Unfortunately, we three old folks weren't present at that time. Otherwise, we would have entertained you properly."

Meng Shenji was very enthusiastic towards Zeng Yi. Who was Zeng Yi? Setting aside his talent and strength, he was the strongest disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Sword Douluo's disciple. With these two identities, it was a bit difficult for him not to show some enthusiasm.

Moreover, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Imperial family were allies. These three were also people of the Heaven Dou Imperial family. Naturally, they wanted to establish a good relationship with Zeng Yi, the future genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so that they could become acquainted with each other and have an easier time seeking help in the future.

Considering their close relationship with the Crown Prince, their friendship should be very good.

Meng Shenji couldn't help but recall the purpose of their visit to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. His gaze inadvertently toured the teammates beside him and suddenly realized that they were all looking towards this side.

The gazes of the three met and in an instant, they read the meaning behind each other's eyes, unable to hold back their smiles.

Meng Shenji smiled again and introduced "Young friend, this is the Elder of the Board of Education at our academy, Bai Baoshan, a Spirit Douluo of the 85th Rank specializing in Defense System."

Following his introduction, Zeng Yi shifted his gaze towards the short and fat old man. His eyes were small, making it hard to tell if he had them open, but he always wore a gentle smile on his face, giving off a friendly and honest vibe.

"Greetings, Senior." Zeng Yi also greeted Bai Baoshan. Bai Baoshan nodded back with a smile.

Meng Shenji continued "And this is the Elder of the Board of Education at our academy, Zhi Lin, a Spirit Douluo of the 83rd Rank specializing in Control System."

Zeng Yi did not expect that all three of them were Spirit Douluo-level experts. It seemed that the teaching strength of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was indeed formidable. With such foundation, it could probably compare to the lower sect forces.

Upon closer thought, it should be even more powerful. After all, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had the support of the Heaven Dou Imperial family.

With the introductions done, Ning Fengzhi, who was seated at the main seat, spoke.

"I wonder what brings the three of you to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect today?" Ning Fengzhi's gaze, filled with pressure, looked at the three Spirit Douluo below, revealing the aura of a sect leader.

Even though Ning Fengzhi was only an auxiliary Spirit Master at the Spirit Saint level, the three individuals from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy couldn't help but feel the pressure.

Ning Fengzhi's gaze inadvertently shifted towards Xue Qinghe. Although Xue Qinghe was the Crown Prince's mentor in the Heaven Dou Empire, he surely wouldn't bring three Spirit Douluo-level experts to visit his own teacher, right?

Wouldn't it be too insecure? The distance from the Heaven Dou City to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wasn't far. Did he really need three Spirit Douluo-level experts to protect him on this journey?

The three Spirit Douluo didn't speak but instead Xue Qinghe stood up.

Xue Qinghe raised his head to look at Ning Fengzhi, wearing a calm smile as he spoke "I am here for two reasons. First, it has been a while since the students last saw their teacher, so I came here to pay a visit."

Looking at Xue Qinghe, the dignity on Ning Fengzhi's face also dissipated, revealing a gentle smile. Although he initially took Xue Qinghe as his student due to the alliance between the sect and the Heaven Dou Imperial family, as the sect leader and the teacher of the Empire's Crown Prince, it was also a form of alliance.

However, after becoming Xue Qinghe's teacher, Ning Fengzhi came to know him better. He was friendly, humble in character, and had a good personal character, unlike other noble disciples who were spoiled. Moreover, his thinking was not conservative, and some of his views surprised Ning Fengzhi with their novelty.

In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, if Xue Qinghe ascended the throne in the future, he would definitely be a wise and formidable ruler, perhaps bringing about a different change to the entire continent.

Therefore, Ning Fengzhi liked Xue Qinghe very much and was very satisfied with him.

Ning Fengzhi smiled "Hahaha, you always know how to talk, Qinghe." After speaking, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but glance at Zeng Yi beside him.

"All right, there are no outsiders here. Qinghe, just tell me what you need."

Xue Qinghe smiled "There are two things I came here for. First, in a few days, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament will begin across the continent. My father specially asked me to invite you as a guest to represent our Heaven Dou Empire."

"A guest?" Ning Fengzhi pondered for a moment and then said "I thought it was something serious. Hahaha, you don't have to say it, how could our sect miss such a grand event? Of course, we will participate."

The so-called Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was naturally a battle among spirit masters. Nearly the entire continent's attention would be focused on this event.

Because the Spirit Masters participating in this tournament were all exceptional talents, one could say that those who stood out from the many exceptional Spirit Masters would definitely become the top powerhouses in the future.

Almost all forces would have their eyes on this event and would try to recruit those who performed astonishingly well, hoping to bring them into their fold. Many participating Spirit Masters also sought to showcase their strength and attract the attention of major forces, choosing a favored force to join.

Ning Fengzhi wouldn't miss such a large-scale talent market. The Academy and the Sect were different. Spirit Masters who cultivated in the Academy would cease to be its students after graduating. On the other hand, once someone joined a sect, they would remain part of the sect forever.

Ning Fengzhi had to participate in this Spirit Masters Tournament and carefully observe the outstanding Spirit Masters present, then extend invitations to them. He believed that with the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, few would refuse.

After all, the Three Upper Sects held great influence.

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's agreement, the three Spirit Douluo from the Heaven Dou Academy showed joy on their faces.

Meng Shenji couldn't help but look towards Zeng Yi and wore an amiable smile, saying "Young friend, with your outstanding talent and strength within the tournament's age limit, why not participate and showcase your unparalleled strength to the world? Young people should be passionate, full of ambition, fearlessness, and courage to move forward. That's what youth is all about!"

Zeng Yi turned his head, looking at him as he spoke these words, and couldn't help but roll his eyes before calmly saying "Nope. Not going to."

Meng Shenji chuckled "Young friend, how about joining our Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's team? Our academy's team is strong, and the members are well-rounded. Moreover, you will secure a spot in the elimination rounds."

...

[[Notes: Apologies for the erratic schedule from past couple of weeks. Will be back to usual timings now.]]