Chapter 294: Persuasion

If one can win the championship, for Tianshui Academy, it is undoubtedly a supreme honor.

At the very least, Ning Feiliu can find that the champion academies of the current Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, counting backwards, are basically the Spirit Hall, the two great imperial academies, and the Leiting Academy Academy Academy, which has the backing of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. (Author's note)

Other soul academies have arguably never won the championship of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

Leiting Academy Academy Academy once won the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, mainly because at that time, just like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the strongest direct-line disciples of the generation did not join the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, but instead joined Leiting Academy Academy Academy.

The power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's direct-line disciples is truly not an undeserved reputation.

Plus, at that time, it seemed that neither the Spirit Hall nor the two great imperial academies had any particularly outstanding or overpowered participating members, so the championship was snatched away by Leiting Academy Academy Academy.

From this, one can also see what it takes to win the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

Besides the fact that the forces backing the soul academy must be very strong, one also needs good luck.

Just as some champions are called lucky champions, it is not without reason; it is indeed possible that they were just luckier that year, and the other opponents were not that strong.

Furthermore, the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament has not been held for many editions.

This competition is merely a tournament proposed and held by the Spirit Hall within the last hundred years; it does not date back to ancient times with dozens or hundreds of editions.

At the beginning, it was probably just like the international sports games of Ning Feiliu's past life, a way to decide the dignity and strength of great nations in an era of peace.

Therefore, the previous championships were naturally monopolized by the so-called "wealthy and powerful" major forces, because only they would fight to such an extent for the sake of face.

However, as the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament has been held more times, it has truly become a grand event for the entire continent.

Young generation Spirit Masters want to stand out, make a name for themselves, and gain countless attention and practical support by participating in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

The academy's teachers and deans also take pride in this, using it as a talking point, and even obtaining more support and help from the Heaven Dou Empire to develop and strengthen their own academies.

The major forces behind the academies use this to showcase the strength and capital of their own sects; forces like the Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire can even use this to attract more neutral Spirit Masters on the continent to join their camps.

In a sense, why the Spirit Hall has been so obsessed with winning the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament year after year, and why geniuses like Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan have emerged, is unprecedented.

It is precisely because the strength they displayed at the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament makes many Spirit Masters feel that joining the Spirit Hall can quickly improve soul power and receive the best cultivation.

At the very least, Hu Liena and Xie Yue were adopted by the Spirit Hall from a young age; as for Yan, from the situation where he only has a name and no surname, as well as his unique Flame Lord martial soul, which does not match the martial souls of any of the Spirit Hall's Title Douluo, one can probably also tell that his own background is not particularly noble.

He might even be a genius Spirit Master from a grassroots background.

This is the benefit of winning the championship at the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament; the more they win, the higher the quality of the Spirit Hall's "student source."

In the original plot, Shrek Academy was the same; after winning the championship, it immediately became a "key" soul academy of the Heaven Dou Empire, attracting a large number of Spirit Masters with excellent talent to join.

Ning Feiliu thinks... if Tianshui Academy had a championship, the effect might be slightly worse than Shrek Academy's victory—after all, Tianshui Academy has a few more restrictive conditions.

But Leng Hanxue and the others would still be very happy, right?

However, he did not intend to put forward this request so hastily, but instead chatted amiably with the teachers he knew at Tianshui Academy and with Shui Bing'er and the others.

"Feiliu, thanks to you before, our Bing'er, Yue'er, and Xue Wu and the others have become so strong now," Leng Hanxue said to Ning Feiliu with some gratitude.

Ning Feiliu did not humbly decline, but smiled slightly and said, "This is also fate between us, and Bing'er, Yue'er, and the others were already very excellent to begin with."

"Regardless, my Tianshui Academy will remember this favor; in the future, Tianshui Academy will always be your friend," Leng Hanxue said with a smile.

"Many thanks, Dean," Ning Feiliu smiled slightly; this was exactly what he wanted.

"By the way, this time you came out... are you still going to continue your training outside?" Leng Hanxue asked again.

She also curiously glanced at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, who were not far from Ning Feiliu, but quickly pretended to be normal.

Honestly, Leng Hanxue was not surprised that Ning Feiliu was followed by beautiful girls.

Ning Feiliu could be said to be top-tier in terms of family background, talent, appearance, cultivation, ability, and personality; how could such a man not be liked by women? Even if Ning Feiliu treated women with the same coldness he treated men like Yu Tianxin, there would still be women rushing to follow him.

To put it bluntly, the current Douluo Continent is full of people with "love brains," and their level of love still remains at the level of "simping and deep affection" and "love is giving everything" from the early web novels of Ning Feiliu's past life.

It is not like the era of love awakening in his past life, where, not to say everyone, at least most people had woken up.

When they cannot feel love, they decisively withdraw and retreat.

If spending money on the other party yields no return, then spend all the money on oneself.

Someone like Feng Xiaotian, who is always dashing and gallant towards Huo Wu but receives no feedback, would be scolded as a "simp" and a "cuckold" in Ning Feiliu's past life.

But on the Douluo Continent, this is not being a simp or a cuckold; this is deep affection! So when Leng Hanxue saw Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, she also somewhat did not understand... why Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er still seemed to like Ning Feiliu.

But she could only sigh that Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were truly too infatuated.

"Yes, we plan to travel to the southeast of the empire this time," Ning Feiliu said with a smile.

He was not foolish enough to directly disclose that he was going to explore an ancient ruin; he just told Leng Hanxue that he was going for a tour.

This was also very reasonable.

After all, he had always been like this, giving people the feeling of traveling around.

In reality... if Ning Feiliu could choose, he would rather choose the kind of mission where he could stay in one place and still have his cultivation and strength advance by leaps and bounds.

But unfortunately, one cannot have both fish and bear's paw.

As a homebody, he can only run around.

Hearing his words, Leng Hanxue just smiled and nodded.

"Traveling within the southeast territory?" But Shui Bing'er asked curiously at this moment.

Ning Feiliu looked at her and Shui Yue'er with a smile and said, "Actually, I came this time to ask you, Bing'er and Yue'er, if you are willing to come with us and travel for a while?"

"This... of course I am willing," at this moment, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both said excitedly in unison.

Then they saw the playful looks from their teammates Xue Wu, Shen Liuyu, and others on the side.

Leng Hanxue also had some helplessness in her eyes, seeing... the two of them had both fallen for Ning Feiliu and could not extricate themselves...

But she could not say anything.

And... last time the entire Tianshui Academy team followed Ning Feiliu out to travel for a year, and when they returned, everyone had improved their cultivation by a large margin.

This definitely had benefits.

So she did not think there was anything wrong with this.

"Alright then, this time I approve for you to go out and train for another year," Leng Hanxue said to Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er with a smile.

"Many thanks, Dean," Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er clasped their hands together, looked at each other, and then said excitedly.

"By the way, Dean, I also have some matters I'd like to discuss with you tomorrow," Ning Feiliu said with a calm smile, addressing Leng Hanxue. Naturally, it was better to discuss the matter of joining Tianshui Academy with Leng Hanxue in private first.

When they were alone, Leng Hanxue was less influenced by the outside world.

The rules of Tianshui Academy were known to all teachers and students, so if he spoke directly in front of them, it was inevitable that they would express their firm Resolve to oppose it.

If that happened and influenced Leng Hanxue's thoughts, Ning Feiliu would find it difficult to persuade her.

Therefore, he planned to appeal to her emotions and reason tomorrow, making an effort to persuade Leng Hanxue.

"Alright, just come find me tomorrow morning." Although Leng Hanxue did not know what Ning Feiliu meant by this, she had absolutely no reason to refuse, so she nodded and said.

"Thank you, Dean..." Ning Feiliu smiled and said, "Let's eat first, everyone, have some food."

Then, everyone began to feast together.

But outside the restaurant...

Two figures slowly appeared there.

"Xiao Wu, why are we here?" the slightly taller figure beside her couldn't help but ask.

It was none other than Feng Xiaotian.

And beside him was Huo Wu.

"I didn't ask you to come," Huo Wu snorted, speaking to Feng Xiaotian without any courtesy at all.

She just wanted to come over and see what Ning Feiliu and the others were gathering for; she hadn't expected Feng Xiaotian to follow her.

After that misunderstanding took root in her heart, she was no longer polite to Feng Xiaotian at all.

However, Feng Xiaotian just gave an awkward chuckle, but he did not flick his sleeves and leave.

"I'm just worried about you and protecting you, aren't I?" he said shamelessly.

So, sometimes, a sycophant is also getting what they deserve; it is truly hateful.

Even when someone clearly doesn't like you, or even rejects you directly, or is obviously stringing you along as a backup, you still shamelessly continue to pursue them.

One can only say that pitiful people sometimes really do have hateful aspects.

Huo Wu couldn't be bothered with him anymore; she just watched Ning Feiliu inside the restaurant, with his charming, gentle, and overflowing demeanor.

At the same time, she truly felt... there was a unique charm about Ning Feiliu that was attracting her.

She even had a vague feeling... if she could be with Ning Feiliu, her martial soul Fire Shadow might be able to become stronger! To go a step further, from a first-class martial soul to a top-tier martial soul! This temptation of pursuing power made Huo Wu believe even more that she had truly fallen in love at first sight with this man named Ning Feiliu.

But Feng Xiaotian didn't notice this; he just looked at the banquet Ning Feiliu had booked in the restaurant and clicked his tongue in wonder, saying, "As expected of the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, this display... is truly wealthy. Booking an entire restaurant must cost at least several thousand Gold Soul Coins, right?"

Huo Wu did not reply to him, but instead thought about... how to get to know Ning Feiliu.

She was naturally proud and hot-tempered, and possessed a true nature; in the original story, she even dared to directly kiss Tang San when facing him.

This was enough to prove that she was a girl who dared to love and hate.

Once she determined her thoughts, she would put them into action without hesitation.

Now she had set her sights on Ning Feiliu, and no matter what, she would try... to express her feelings!

Ning Feiliu naturally did not know this; he didn't even notice Huo Wu at all right now.

So even though Huo Wu was watching him from outside at this moment, he didn't know.

It was mainly because Huo Wu's own strength wasn't high, and she wasn't a character worth Ning Feiliu's attention like Tang San or Xiao Wu.

Therefore, her peeping would naturally be ignored by Ning Feiliu.

Even Xue Di, who resided within Ning Feiliu's body, didn't care at all; after all, Ning Feiliu himself was truly too dazzling.

There were plenty of people paying attention to him, and as long as they weren't very strong—like a powerhouse such as Tang Hao suddenly focusing on Ning Feiliu—Xue Di always ignored them directly.

The banquet proceeded in full swing, and everyone was enjoying the gourmet meal that Ning Feiliu was treating them to.

However, on that side, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were chatting with Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.

They were actually sitting the closest; only Dugu Yan sat on Ning Feiliu's right side, and then the four girls were lined up in a row to the right.

Ning Feiliu could faintly hear what they were discussing, but most of the time, Dugu Yan deliberately used her soul power to isolate the sound.

Although with his cultivation, it wouldn't be difficult for him to forcefully break through Dugu Yan's soul power isolation and hear their conversation.

But he certainly wouldn't do that.

Since Dugu Yan naturally wanted to isolate the sound, he wouldn't go out of his way to eavesdrop.

Therefore, Ning Feiliu only heard some fragments of their conversation—

"Don't worry... Feiliu told us about your situation..."

"It's fine... it just so happens you can help us..."

"Let me tell you... Feiliu is really energetic..."

"Last time he almost wore us out..."

"It just so happens you can..."

"We won't mind... you'll know when the time comes, you won't mind..."

Just like that, as the girls talked, their pretty faces flushed red, making them look even more beautiful.

Especially Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er; they glanced at Ning Feiliu, and upon hearing Dugu Yan's words, their earlobes turned completely red.

Ning Feiliu expressed his helplessness and winked at them.

Then the banquet slowly came to an end, and Ning Feiliu personally saw off Leng Hanxue and the others from Tianshui Academy, but... Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er stayed behind.

"You guys chat, Lingling and I are going for a walk." Dugu Yan laughed, grabbed Ye Lingling's hand, and ran off.

(End of chapter)