Soul Land: Full Body Martial Soul

Just as the family was discussing their plans, a sudden knock came from outside their door. A servant announced that Sect Master Ning Fengzhi wished to see Yang Xiong immediately.

Yang Xiong felt surprised by this unexpected summons. Ning Fengzhi was always busy handling important sect matters, so why would he suddenly want to meet with someone as insignificant as himself? Could it be that the Sect Master had discovered something unusual about him?

Ever since returning home from his training in the Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong had carefully sorted and hidden all the immortal herbs he had collected. He kept only some ordinary medicinal herbs in his soul tool, along with a few precious immortal herbs that might prove useful for his own cultivation.

The remaining immortal herbs were stored separately in a smaller soul tool, which he had hidden inside a beam in his room. He had even carved out a small cavity in the wooden beam and disguised it so skillfully that no one would ever think to look there.

With doubt written across his face, Yang Xiong followed the servant toward the core area of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. To his surprise, he was being led to Ning Fengzhi's private residence rather than the usual meeting hall. When they arrived, he noticed that even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, who typically accompanied the Sect Master, were nowhere to be seen.

Upon entering the room, Yang Xiong immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Sect Master. I wonder why you have summoned me at such a late hour."

Ning Fengzhi gestured casually with his hand. "Little Xiong, you've arrived. Please don't be so formal with me. Come, sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Yang Xiong sat down beside Ning Fengzhi, though his expression remained puzzled and somewhat awkward. He couldn't understand why the Sect Master would call for him personally.

Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly. "Little Xiong, you are now a core disciple of our sect. You should think of me as your elder rather than maintaining such distance. The reason I've called you here so late is because I have a small matter that requires your assistance."

Yang Xiong felt even more confused. If Ning Fengzhi truly had important business to handle, how could it possibly fall to him, a mere Spirit Grand Master, to deal with it?

Noticing Yang Xiong's bewildered expression, Ning Fengzhi's face showed a trace of embarrassment. "Little Xiong, as you know, I have only one daughter, Rongrong. However, in recent years, she has become somewhat spoiled within the sect. This is especially true because of how Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu dote on her. I find it difficult to discipline her strictly, which has led to her causing quite a bit of trouble around the sect."

Yang Xiong quickly interjected, "Sect Master, you worry too much. Miss Rongrong may be a little mischievous, but she still understands what truly matters. Besides, her talent is exceptional, and her spirit power level is far ahead of everyone else in our class. It's only natural for her to feel some pride."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head slowly. "Little Xiong, you don't need to comfort me. I understand Rongrong's shortcomings better than anyone. She has indeed lacked proper training and discipline in recent years. Earlier today, I deliberately provoked her into leaving the sect alone, without Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu's knowledge. She should have departed by now."

Yang Xiong felt even more puzzled. What did any of this have to do with him? Even if someone needed to be sent to secretly protect her, surely it wouldn't be his responsibility as a mere Spirit Grand Master.

"Sect Master," Yang Xiong said carefully, "Miss Rongrong is your heir and successor. Not only is her status noble, but her safety is also of the utmost importance. We must be extremely cautious. I would still suggest that she continue her studies within the sect. If that's not possible, perhaps she could attend Tiandou Royal Academy, where her safety could at least be guaranteed."

Ning Fengzhi smiled mysteriously. "I have already arranged for someone to secretly protect Rongrong's safety, so there shouldn't be any major problems. However, I am concerned about her being out there alone. Since you and Rongrong are classmates and friends who have grown up together, I want to arrange for you to go out and study alongside her."

Yang Xiong felt shocked when he heard this proposal. It seemed likely that Ning Rongrong had been provoked by her father's words and had run off to Shrek Academy. Yang Xiong didn't have a particularly good impression of the people at Shrek, and he doubted he would learn anything truly useful there.

Moreover, the greatest opportunity that Shrek Academy had to offer - the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well - had already been claimed by him during his training in the Sunset Forest. Without those precious resources, it was unlikely that Shrek Academy would have any chance of winning the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. Rather than going out to make a spectacle of himself, it would be better to study peacefully at home.

"Sect Master," Yang Xiong replied, "I had planned to attend Zixing Academy for my advanced studies. My elder brother and I could take care of each other there, and we should be able to help promote each other's growth."

Ning Fengzhi's smile widened. "That works out perfectly. I can see that you're planning to attend an Advanced Spirit Master Academy for your studies. I happen to know of an excellent Spirit Master Academy in Soto City, within the Barak Kingdom. The teachers there are particularly outstanding, which would definitely be very suitable for your future development."

When Yang Xiong heard this, he couldn't help but complain silently. The Spirit Master Academy you're talking about is probably Shrek Academy, isn't it? Could it be that you, the dignified Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, have also been deceived by Shrek Academy's false advertising? If so, the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School seems worrying indeed.

Yang Xiong suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "Sect Master, as you know, my elder brother and I share a very deep bond. I still prefer to attend Zixing Academy."

Ning Fengzhi's expression became somewhat peculiar. "Little Xiong, don't you know? Because your elder brother has performed so well recently, I have already planned to recall him to the sect. I intend to focus on training him here, and perhaps he can become an elder of our sect in the future."

Yang Xiong's face darkened. This Ning Fengzhi was far too cunning and meticulous in his planning. His elder brother was only at the thirty-second level of spirit power at eighteen years old, which couldn't be considered genius-level talent by any measure. How could he possibly become an elder of the sect?

Ning Fengzhi seemed to understand Yang Xiong's thoughts perfectly. "Little Xiong, there's one more thing I need to tell you. I informed Rongrong that you couldn't stand the fact that her spirit power level was higher than yours, and that you insisted on going to Soto City to study, hoping that you might be able to surpass her in spirit power in the future. That's precisely why Rongrong decided she wanted to study there as well. If you don't go, I'm afraid Rongrong will cause a tremendous commotion throughout the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."

"You also know that I have only one precious daughter, and Rongrong is especially beloved by Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu. I'm afraid there are some things I simply cannot prevent."

Yang Xiong remained speechless for a long moment.

At this point, Yang Xiong felt extremely frustrated. This Ning Fengzhi was far too crafty and manipulative. He must have investigated exactly what kind of place Shrek Academy was long ago, yet he still encouraged Ning Rongrong to go there, and now he was trying to trick Yang Xiong into going as well. It was clear that he wanted to use the people at Shrek Academy to help temper Ning Rongrong's spoiled temperament, but what did any of this have to do with him?

After thinking for a long time, Yang Xiong reluctantly replied, "Since this is the Sect Master's arrangement, then I will certainly do my best to encourage Miss Rongrong to study diligently. I will definitely not disappoint your expectations."

Originally, according to Yang Xiong's plans, he had simply wanted to find a quiet place to hide away and cultivate for several years. Then, when his strength had increased dramatically, he could return with a reasonable explanation for his improvement. However, going to Shrek Academy would prove quite troublesome for his plans.

Ning Fengzhi's expression suddenly became serious. "Little Xiong, what do you think of how the sect has treated you over the past few years? I know that you have made significant contributions to the sect, but the sect's investment in you goes far beyond what you might imagine. Otherwise, if you had truly won thirteen consecutive victories in the Tiandou City Great Spirit Arena purely through your own efforts, it would have long ago attracted the attention of major forces, especially the Tiandou Empire. They are extremely eager to recruit geniuses, yet has anyone actually approached you directly?"

"Not to mention your training period in the Sunset Forest over the past two to three months. Do you really think that you could roam freely through the Sunset Forest without encountering any real danger, despite having only the cultivation level of a mere Spirit Grand Master? The only reason for this is that someone has been silently working behind the scenes to ensure your safety."

Yang Xiong felt genuinely shocked by this revelation. His training in the Sunset Forest had indeed gone much more smoothly than he had originally anticipated. While there had been certain dangers, there had been virtually no life-threatening situations, and he had managed to avoid encountering those truly terrifying spirit beasts that were known to inhabit the deeper regions.

He had already suspected that something seemed unusual about his experiences, but now that he thought about it more carefully, he realized that his every move in the Sunset Forest had likely been monitored. Wouldn't that mean that all of his secretive actions had been completely exposed to the sect's surveillance?

Yang Xiong could understand Ning Fengzhi's reasoning. If the sect was going to invest heavily in cultivating a particular individual, they would also need to ensure that person's loyalty to the future Sect Master and the sect as a whole.

The weight of this realization settled heavily on Yang Xiong's shoulders. He had thought himself clever and independent, but it seemed that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had been watching over him far more carefully than he had ever imagined. Now, faced with this carefully orchestrated situation, he found himself with little choice but to comply with Ning Fengzhi's arrangements, regardless of his personal preferences or concerns about what awaited him at Shrek Academy.

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