Dugu Bo's Deterrent Power
Upon hearing this, Wang Li spoke with gratitude:
"Thank you, Your Highness. The villagers in my hometown often supported my daily life, and both Noding Academy and Liega Academy gave me excellent guidance. Being able to repay them in some way is my greatest joy."
Xue Qinghe smiled even more warmly and said:
"If anyone should be thanked, it should be His Majesty, the current emperor, and the Tian Dou Empire. The emperor and the empire never fail to treat any citizen fairly."
Wang Li immediately corrected himself:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you to the empire."
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi praised him:
"You are neither arrogant nor servile, and you remember the kindness of others. Your talent may not be the absolute best, but you have already surpassed your peers among soul masters. Wang Li, if only you were a disciple of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, how wonderful that would be."
"Any parent would want a son like Wang Li. My daughter, although she has excellent talent, I have spoiled her, and even now she has not yet reached Soul Lord level. Sigh…"
Hearing this, Wang Li's heart tightened. Ning Fengzhi's words carried a hint of ill intent, and he quickly said:
"Sect Master Ning, you shouldn't say that. I actually envy your daughter. She must be the jewel of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, like a bright moon in the sky."
"She does not have a tragic past like mine. I envy her happy childhood. With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as her support, her future will be dazzling. There is no need to compete for it now."
"When she grows up, her memories will be filled with warmth and comfort, not anger, scolding, or harsh reprimands."
These words were immediately approved by Gu Rong:
"Sect Master, this young man speaks well. Rong Rong's talent is already sufficient. Letting her have a happy childhood is most important. Her soul power can increase gradually over time."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly. In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the ones who spoiled Ning Rongrong the most were him, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong. Although her childhood had been happy, at eleven or twelve years old she was still only a Great Soul Master. Compared to Wang Li, it was frustrating.
He then turned to Dugu Bo:
"Your Highness Bi Lin, I wonder if you have any techniques for training the younger generation. We could exchange ideas. It's all for the children. Fengzhi must be shameless enough to ask."
Dugu Bo glanced at Wang Li and scoffed. Techniques? There were none. It was the young man's mutated martial soul that was abnormal. He needed to be beaten half to death for his full potential to emerge. With his head held high, he said:
"There's nothing special. In a few days, I'll take this boy out and beat him up. Give him enough pressure, and his soul power will rise quickly. Sometimes you have to be ruthless; otherwise, he won't become capable."
These words stunned everyone present. It was far too simple and brutal, almost unbelievable.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Wang Li, shocked:
"Wang Li, so His Highness Bi Lin trains you like this regularly? And you endure it all?"
Wang Li spoke sincerely:
"That's right. People need sufficient pressure to grow. My life is cheap, like Blue Silver Grass by the roadside. As long as I can become stronger, I can endure anything."
This method only worked for Wang Li. Anyone else, being beaten half to death every few days by a Titled Douluo, would not survive long.
If others want to learn it, fine—but if they die, don't blame him.
Ning Fengzhi frowned. Who would dare beat Ning Rongrong? It would be him, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, or Bone Douluo Gu Rong. This method was completely inapplicable.
Xue Qinghe was also surprised. If Wang Li's strength had grown in this way, there was nothing to envy. He then returned to the main topic:
"Back to business. Wang Li, you are already a level-41 Soul Lord and will no longer receive subsidies from the Spirit Hall. You don't need to interact much with the Spirit Hall anymore. Guards…"
As he finished speaking, a guard brought a tray covered with red cloth. Xue Qinghe lifted the cloth and picked up a golden soul coin storage card. He said:
"This card can be exchanged for ten thousand gold soul coins at any bank in the continent. It is a one-time reward and subsidy from the empire to outstanding students at the Tian Dou Royal Academy. Additionally, when you graduate, you may choose to become either a guest official of the empire or a royal attendant."
"If you choose to be a guest official, your annual income ranges from three thousand to thirty thousand gold soul coins depending on your soul power. If you choose to be a royal attendant, your income ranges from ten thousand to one hundred thousand gold soul coins, depending on your soul power."
Generally, guest officials are freer but earn less, while royal attendants must obey the royal family but earn more.
After hearing this, Wang Li realized that Qian Renxue, or rather Xue Qinghe, was trying to win him over from the perspective of the Tian Dou Empire.
Wang Li accepted the ten thousand gold soul coins with a smile. Sometimes, when given, you just take it. If you refuse, they worry. As for graduation, the choice would be theirs.
He accepted the card and said:
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Highness."
After receiving the card, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi kindly invited Wang Li to the Crown Prince's residence and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Wang Li politely declined, citing cultivation as his excuse. He could only do so because Dugu Bo was nearby, giving him the room to refuse.
In the end, although Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi did not bring Wang Li under their wing, they left fairly satisfied.
After leaving the Tian Dou Royal Academy, Ning Fengzhi looked at Xue Qinghe and spoke gently:
"Qinghe, what do you think?"
Xue Qinghe replied:
"Wang Li, though born humbly, has lofty ambitions, reasonable talent, and a resolute will. He has the potential to become a powerful soul master. With the protection of His Highness Bi Lin, he can surely become a strong figure in his region. He is not tied to any sect or family, making him a good target for influence."
Ning Fengzhi nodded approvingly:
"Exactly. Such a person is the ideal candidate for influence. Unfortunately, his mutated Blue Silver Grass martial soul is still a bit lacking. Level 29 is a threshold. He has passed it. Level 69 is another. After breaking level 70, absorbing his seventh soul ring, and reaching Soul Saint level, only then can he truly be considered strong."
Xue Qinghe responded respectfully:
"Teacher, the student has learned."
After Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi parted ways, Ning Fengzhi calmly said:
"Bone Uncle, when Rongrong returns this time, you must not spoil her as before. She has had a happy childhood, but she must eventually support the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. When necessary, she should be given pressure."
Gu Rong still felt a bit sympathetic but nodded:
"Understood. What about this boy?"
Ning Fengzhi looked up:
"Qinghe is right. He has reasonable talent, a resolute will, and the potential to become a Soul Saint. Perhaps he can even challenge Douluo level. But a Titled Douluo with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul? That has never been heard of."
"This will not affect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's status in the soul master world, but he can be considered for influence. If we can get His Highness Bi Lin to lean toward us, all the effort will be worthwhile."
Gu Rong nodded. He was not afraid of Dugu Bo, but he had a weakness—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Dugu Bo was independent. Though he mocked Dugu Bo, he did not want to make a mortal enemy without a foolproof plan to kill him outside the sect.
"Very well. But I really want to capture this boy to study his Blue Silver Grass. How has it mutated? Twelve years old, level 41 Soul Lord…"
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has two Titled Douluos: Bone Douluo Gu Rong, level 95 soul power, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin, level 96 soul power.
Either of them is stronger than Dugu Bo. With Ning Fengzhi's enhancement, they could not only defeat but possibly kill Dugu Bo.
Yet Dugu Bo's deterrent power does not lie in his strength, but in the fact that if he were killed outside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sect could be expelled from the soul master world.
His terrifying poison could kill any soul master under level 90, and even the sect's gates could become a deadly wasteland for a hundred years.
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