As they talked, Yun Ming and Yali couldn't help but admire Anping and Gu Yuena's appearance. They were the most beautiful people they had ever seen, regardless of their level and talent. Gu Yuena, in particular, with her long silver hair and purple eyes, made Yali feel inferior.
They also sensed the energy fluctuations from the two of them. They were over fifty and almost sixty. Such talents were rare and impressive.
After a brief survey of the surroundings, Yun Ming and Yali sat down across from Anping and Gu Yuena, who followed suit.
Anping picked up the tea set and began to brew some tea. He said, "I'm curious why Your Majesty said that. Yesterday, Dean Hongchen told us that you wanted to see us, but we only met today. Where did this difficulty come from?"
He knew very well what Yun Ming meant. Every time he visited the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, Anping and Gu Yuena had conveniently missed him. But he would never admit that.
He thought back to the times when Yun Ming had not announced his visits in advance. He had nothing to say in his defense. Yun Ming snorted and changed the subject. "Isn't Xu Xiaoyan the one you lured into quitting the Tang Clan and leaving Shrek Academy?"
Anping was taken aback by Yun Ming's question. He had no idea that Xu Xiaoyan's situation was perceived that way by others. He didn't bother to explain himself to Yun Ming. He said indifferently, "Your Majesty, that's what I did. And I don't care."
He meant it. He didn't care much about what other people thought of him. And Xu Xiaoyan's departure from the Tang Clan and Shrek Academy did have something to do with him.
Anping answered two questions in a row with a bland expression and without pausing his movements. Yun Ming felt like he was hitting a wall. He felt that Anping was being dismissive.
But he was the one who had requested the meeting, so Yali could sense his frustration. She gently tapped his arm, signaling him to stop. She said in a soft voice, "I heard that you have graduated from Sun Moon Academy. Do you have any interest in joining Shrek for further studies?"
She didn't wait for Anping and Gu Yuena to reject her offer. She continued, "Don't say no right away. Let me tell you more about it. First of all, in terms of education in making Battle Armour, our Shrek Academy is the best. And, as far as I know, you haven't started building your own battle armor yet, have you?"
"Secondly, when it comes to martial soul training, our Shrek Academy has the most comprehensive resources. I'm not exaggerating. No other academy on the entire Douluo Planet can match us in this aspect."
"Thirdly, in terms of improving your strength, Shrek Academy gathers the most geniuses in the world. You can compete with them and learn from them."
"Lastly, the energy concentration of Shrek Academy is the highest on the continent. You can practice more efficiently and effectively at Shrek Academy."
Anping and Gu Yuena listened politely to Yali's introduction of Shrek Academy. Then Gu Yuena asked, "Since Your Majesty the Holy Spirit knows that we haven't built a battle armor yet, you must also know our reasons. Did we apply to graduate from Sun Moon Academy?"
Yali was stunned for a moment. She didn't know about that. Anping and Gu Yuena had gone directly to Ling Hongchen to apply for graduation. Considering the relationship between Sun Moon Academy and Shrek Academy, Ling Hongchen wouldn't have told them anything.
Yun Ming and Yali had discussed it and concluded that Anping and Gu Yuena had applied for graduation because Sun Moon Academy couldn't satisfy their training needs.
They believed that Shrek Academy could offer them what they wanted, so they decided to invite them again.
Besides, if the vision in the east sea of Skysea City was really the inheritance of a god, then having Anping, who had received it, join Shrek Academy would be a great boon.
In this era where the gods had gone missing, if a god were to appear in Shrek Academy, he would surely protect it for a long time.
But when they heard Gu Yuena's answer, Yali felt uncertain and asked, "I don't know anything about this. Can you tell me more?"
Gu Yuena smiled and said, "It's not a secret. The reason we applied for graduation is that we want to see the world. It's so vast and diverse."
"So, don't waste your time on us. There's not much difference between Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Academy for us. Neither of them appeals to us."
She didn't mention that many of their plans involved helping the soul beast clan survive. But she wasn't lying. Their initial reason for graduating was indeed to travel across the continent.
Yun Ming and Yali were both shocked by Gu Yuena's words. They hadn't expected this reason. Yun Ming said, "You're at a prime age for cultivation. With your talents, you should spend more time on it."
"I'm not saying this to make you give up your dream of traveling. But in my opinion, it's better to wait until you reach a higher level of cultivation before you explore the world."
"Also, even though your current strength is outstanding among your peers, if you neglect your talents, others will catch up with you sooner or later."
"If you're willing to come to Shrek Academy for further studies, you'll get better guidance, whether it's in battle armor making or martial soul cultivation."
To Anping, what Yun Ming and Yali said amounted to this: with your talents, you should work hard now, and the best place to do that is our Shrek Academy.
Anping shook his head slightly and brought the tea he had brewed to Yun Ming and Yali. He said, "Everyone has their own choice, just like some people prefer black tea and some prefer green tea. The world is wonderful because everyone is different. I don't think we made a mistake."
"I can understand your desire to recruit talents for Shrek. Maybe joining Shrek Academy is the best choice for most people, but not for us."
Seeing Anping's simple rejection, Yali looked at Gu Yuena, who was stunningly beautiful, and said softly, "Since you have no interest in this, we won't pressure you. Shrek is always open to you."
They had invited Anping and Gu Yuena to join Shrek Academy with a try-it-and-see attitude. It would be great if they agreed, but it wouldn't be a loss if they declined.