Chapter 208: Visit to the Yuan Su Xue Yuan

Inside the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Yang Xiong, Ning Fengzhi and others sat together; besides Ning Fengzhi, Sword Bone Douluo, Lin Gong and Ning Rongrong were present.

However, at this moment Ning Fengzhi seemed unusually calm; compared to after the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect war, he appeared even more composed.

Ning Fengzhi looked a bit puzzled: "Xiao Xiong, you want Gu Shu to covertly protect the Xue Ye Emperor; I'm afraid Gu Shu would be a bit overwhelmed, and this would be a misuse of his talents; you should be aware of Gu Shu's importance to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."

Yang Xiong said helplessly: "Sect Leader, I'm not thinking of only Gu Douluo; I intend for Gu Douluo and senior Yang Wudi together to infiltrate the Tian Dou Imperial Palace to protect the Xue Ye Emperor."

"Gu Douluo is proficient in defense and is mysterious and unpredictable, definitely able to safeguard the Xue Ye Emperor's safety; senior Yang Wudi excels at toxin refinement and can also prevent the Xue Ye Emperor from being plotted against."

Ning Fengzhi was a bit perplexed: "Xiao Xiong, are you exaggerating the situation? Although Tian Dou City has been somewhat chaotic lately, no one should be able to harm the Xue Ye Emperor; after all, the palace guards are still very stringent."

Yang Xiong remained silent for a while before speaking: "Sect Leader, do you still refuse to suspect that Xue Qinghe has a problem?"

Ning Fengzhi showed a hint of helplessness: "Xiao Xiong, it's no longer a question of whether Qinghe has a problem. Xue Qinghe is now the Xue Ye Emperor's only son and the sole heir of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family; even if he truly made a misstep, the larger pattern can no longer be altered."

Yang Xiong's face showed a hint of conflict: "Sect Leader, you should know that I have taken the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum; because its martial soul matches that of Ju Douluo, I have a special feeling toward Ju Douluo, especially after our meeting in the Star Dou Great Forest, I sensed Ju Douluo's difference even more."

"When I traded the Hanhai Universe Cover with Xue Qinghe, I clearly felt an abnormal aura on the spot, likely coming from the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, and its martial soul is unique in the entire Soul Master World, so I suspect Ju Douluo was also present."

"If that is indeed the case, I fear Xue Qinghe is secretly colluding with the Spirit Hall, and the impact would not only affect our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect but could even affect the entire Heaven Dou Empire."

Ning Fengzhi thought carefully before speaking: "Xiao Xiong, you mean that the Spirit Hall is deliberately releasing various rumors this time to create chaos in Tian Dou City, thereby assisting Xue Qinghe in ascending the throne."

"But have you considered that the Xue Ye Emperor is, after all, a Soul Douluo‑level master; both his body and soul power are at their peak, and maintaining that for several decades would pose no problem."

Yang Xiong's face showed a hint of depth: "Sect Leader, precisely because the Xue Ye Emperor is strong, he may overlook hidden dangers around him."

"After the last Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect war, the Xue Ye Emperor investigated for a full month but never uncovered the high‑ranking members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family who had hidden the information, showing how deeply they were concealed; that is why I suspect Xue Qinghe."

"In any case, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family cannot afford any slip, and besides, Gu Douluo and senior Yang Wudi are only covertly protecting the Xue Ye Emperor and will not interfere with the Imperial Family's affairs; I believe the Xue Ye Emperor would agree."

Ning Fengzhi said helplessly: "Very well, I'll go to the palace myself to see what attitude the Xue Ye Emperor himself has."

Yang Xiong finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you for your trust, Sect Leader; our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect must also stay ready at all times—perhaps the crisis is right before us."

Ning Fengzhi laughed: "Xiao Xiong, you sometimes think a bit too much; I really wonder how your brain is put together, but fortunately the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has you."

Yang Xiong laughed: "Sect Leader, what news is there about the Clear Sky Sect now? Are they still unwilling to come out?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head: "The Spirit Hall's news of convening a sect assembly has already reached the Clear Sky Sect; there are various opinions within the Clear Sky Sect. Although it's not yet confirmed when they will come out, given the current situation, Tang Xiao also seems unable to suppress those elders' intentions."

"Moreover, once this sect assembly is held, the status of both the Clear Sky Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will plummet sharply; even if they do come out, they likely won't be able to restore their former glory."

Yang Xiong showed a hint of doubt: "Sect Leader, aren't you afraid that the Spirit Hall's sect assembly will also affect the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's standing?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled: "Xiao Xiong, let me tell you a principle: in this world, strength is supreme."

"Our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has already reached its peak; although this war caused some losses, over the years we have accumulated wealth and resources from generations of cultivation, so even without the fame of the top three sects, it will not affect the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's strength."

"Moreover, the Spirit Hall is clearly ill‑intentioned, especially after it has crippled so many masters at our hands; rather than now going to Spirit City to fret over this, it would be better to learn from the Clear Sky Sect's approach."

Yang Xiong, upon hearing this, felt a surge of admiration; Ning Fengzhi indeed has a broader perspective than Yang imagined, at least being more aware of when to advance or retreat.

……

Sure enough, after Yang Xiong's suggestion, Ning Fengzhi personally went to see the Xue Ye Emperor.

The Xue Ye Emperor had originally been extremely worried about the situation in Tian Dou City; the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family seemed to have a looming storm.

But they could not find any internal treachery within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family; after hearing Ning Fengzhi's suggestion, they were instantly delighted and immediately agreed to Gu Douluo and Yang Wudi's covert concealment in the Tian Dou Imperial Palace.

However, just as Yang Xiong was preparing to go to Tian Dou City for final preparations, a message came from Cloud Mist Mountain, forcing him to first go to Cloud Mist Mountain.

All along in Cloud Mist Mountain, Long Gong Meng Shu and Lin Gong have been in charge of education at the Body Academy; on one hand, both have abundant teaching experience, and on the other, the Body Academy originally stemmed from the Beast Academy.

Upon arriving at the Body Academy, what greeted the eyes were Feng Xiaotian and others.

These people include Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, Lei Dong and others, all captains of the Four Element Academies.

Looking at their current state after five years of change, they have basically reached Soul King level; their talents are fairly good, especially Feng Xiaotian, who surprisingly reached Soul Emperor level within these five years.

Yang Xiong's face showed a hint of puzzlement: "Brother Feng, Brother Huo, how do you have time to come to this Body Academy?"

Feng Xiaotian likewise showed a trace of incomprehension: "Brother Yang, do you also have a connection with this Body Academy?"

Yang Xiong said helplessly: "Brother Feng may have misunderstood; this Body Academy was established with my backing behind the scenes."

Feng Xiaotian and the others' expressions changed slightly: "Brother Yang, could it be that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is behind this Body Academy?"

Yang Xiong shook his head: "It's not exactly the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; the Body Academy itself has no major ties to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, it's just something I founded privately."

Feng Xiaotian finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Yang, do you know the various major events that have occurred recently in the Soul Master World? Lately our Yuan Su Xue Yuan has not been doing well."

Yang Xiong's eyes showed a hint of confusion: "I only know that the Thunder Academy has been having a hard time lately; I'm not clear about the others. Brother Lei Dong, how is the Thunder Academy now?"

Lei Dong's face showed a trace of dejection: "Since the extinction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, every teacher and student in the Thunder Academy associated with that clan has been attacked, Captain Yu Tianxin has also disappeared, and the Thunder Academy's overall strength has at least lost sixty percent."

Yang Xiong, upon hearing this, also felt helpless: "My condolences; I believe that under your leadership, Brother Lei Dong, the Thunder Academy will surely regain its brilliance."

Regarding matters in the Soul Master World, Yang Xiong still has some understanding; after the Spirit Hall launched the Soul Hunting Operation, it intensified its recruitment of forces within the Soul Master World, and all resistors were subjected to ruthless suppression.

The Five Element Academies constitute a fairly strong force; each academy alone has hundreds of teachers and students, and their respective heads are all capable masters, at least top‑tier Soul Saints, and some even are Soul Douluo‑level experts.

Whether it's the geniuses of the Element Academies or their own Soul Master strength, they are key targets for the Spirit Hall's recruitment.

Feng Xiaotian said helplessly: "Brother Yang, excuse my rudeness; lately our Yuan Su Xue Yuan has not been doing well, constantly being marginalized by the Spirit Hall. If we don't join the Spirit Hall, we may face total ruin."

Therefore, the heads of our Four Element Academies arranged for us to go to Tian Dou City to investigate the situation, hoping to relocate the entire academy to the vicinity of Tian Dou City, where the Spirit Hall cannot currently intervene, which is relatively calmer and perhaps more suitable for our Yuan Su Xue Yuan's teaching.

Yang Xiong's face showed a hint of surprise: "Then why did you come to the Body Academy? Tian Dou City should still have many academies; at the very least you could go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I think the three teaching officials of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy would be very welcoming, and they also have sufficient strength to assist you."

Feng Xiaotian's face showed a hint of disdain: "What kind of teaching is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Although its faculty and facilities are decent, the student environment is terrible; it's just a bunch of nobles playing around."

As for the other academies in Tian Dou City, their land area and various aspects are simply too small; they cannot possibly accommodate our Four Element Academies.

After some observation, we found that your Body Academy not only has a spacious area but also excels in all teaching aspects, and with senior Long Gong personally presiding, could we temporarily relocate our academy here?

Yang Xiong, upon hearing this, fell into silence; he had no particular covetousness toward the Element Academies—on one hand, although the Four Element Academies claim to have over a thousand Soul Masters, most are students, and they live in family units, making it difficult for outsiders to get involved.

On the other hand, his Body Academy primarily trains disciples and students within the Body Sect; even though many commoners are admitted, the focus remains on those dozens of students with Body martial souls.

Moreover, there's another point: Yang Xiong never intended to root the Body Academy in this Cloud Mist Mountain; he only temporarily chose this location to train students and set up a cultivation environment, and that was thanks to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's wealth.

Feng Xiaotian saw Yang Xiong's hesitation and quickly spoke: "Brother Yang, we are only borrowing the territory; we won't affect the internal teaching and cultivation of your Body Academy. You should know that our Element Academies focus on teaching and do not wish to partake in the Soul Master World's conflicts."

Yang Xiong, looking at Feng Xiaotian and the others, showed a hint of helplessness: "Brother Feng, to be frank, the Body Academy will likely move away in a while; we won't stay in Cloud Mist Mountain any longer."

Feng Xiaotian was also shocked: "How is that possible? With senior Long Gong presiding, even the Spirit Hall wouldn't dare to provoke you lightly; are you also being pressured by the Spirit Hall to move to Tian Dou City?"

(End of Chapter)