Returning to the main hall, Kong Deming slowly leaned down and gently set his obedient disciple down.
Xu Tianhao steadied himself and walked obediently toward the tea table at the side of the hall, his movements practiced.
Kong Deming had always been fond of Far North Crystal Tea. With a "distinguished guest" arriving, brewing and serving tea was his duty as a disciple.
Kong Deming walked slowly to the main seat and sat down, watching his obedient disciple busy at the tea table with a gentle gaze, a hint of imperceptible indulgence hidden in his eyes.
Xu Tianhao retrieved the treasured crystal tea canister. With a light touch of his fingertips, the tea leaves inside rolled out like tiny shards of ice, translucent throughout and shimmering with a unique, cold, icy light.
This tea originated from an ice-fire Spirit vein atop the Far North Ice Plains. On one side was the eternal, unmelting icy gale, and on the other, the surging warm currents of subterranean flames; the growth conditions were extremely harsh.
It could only be harvested once every ten years, with a yield so sparse that it was considered a rare treasure.
To transport such a precious item from the Far North across ten thousand miles of territory to this Bright Capital, one could only imagine the resources consumed.
Xu Tianhao boiled mountain Spirit spring water over a gentle fire and dropped the Crystal Tea into a mutton-fat jade tea cup.
As the boiling water entered the cup, the tea leaves instantly unfurled, their icy blue and crimson auras weaving and Binding together, creating ripples.
The tea's aroma was crisp yet not pungent, carrying a hint of icy chill and the warmth of the Spirit spring, slowly diffusing throughout the main hall.
Holding the brewed tea cup with both hands, he walked up to Kong Deming, bowed, and offered it: "Teacher, please have some tea."
Kong Deming reached out to take it. As his fingertips touched the warmth of the jade cup and he felt the ice-fire aura circulating within the tea, a faint smile played on his lips.
He lowered his eyes slightly and took a light sip. The moment the tea entered his throat, the extreme icy aura and the scorching Spirit aura instantly collided, surging through his limbs and bones, creating an exquisite sensation of ice and fire coexisting.
This impact was just right; not only would it not damage his meridians, but it could also soothe his spirit power and cleanse his mind.
After the pleasure faded, the long-lasting, mellow tea fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth, leaving a clear, sweet aftertaste that permeated his very being.
Kong Deming couldn't help but narrow his eyes in comfort, his aura becoming increasingly peaceful.
The master and disciple sat and stood, one drinking tea and the other waiting quietly. The main hall was silent, save for the curling tea aroma, creating a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.
Before long, steady footsteps, deliberately softened, came from outside the hall.
Immediately after, the figure of Jing Hongchen appeared.
Following closely behind him was a middle-aged man dressed in a pure white robe with a sharp, imposing demeanor.
This person was none other than the Dean of the Spirit Department of Shrek Academy, a level 95 attack system Super Douluo, the Bright Phoenix Douluo, Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe's gaze was like a torch. The moment he stepped into the Mingde Hall, his eyes first fell on Kong Deming in the main seat, then shifted to Xu Tianhao, who was standing to the side.
His eyes held a hint of scrutiny, a hint of inquiry, and even a trace of imperceptible wariness.
This was Yan Shaozhe's first time seeing Kong Deming.
But he had already learned of his terrifying strength and status within the Sun Moon Empire from Xuan Zi.
Seeing him in person now, that unfathomable sense of oppression was far greater than the rumors suggested.
The originally relaxed atmosphere of the main hall suddenly became subtle with Yan Shaozhe's entry.
An invisible string seemed to tighten in the air; the tea aroma remained, but there was a hint of tension, as if swords were drawn.
Xu Tianhao sensed the sharpness in Yan Shaozhe's gaze but remained completely unflustered.
A perfectly appropriate, gentle smile hung on his face as he met the other's gaze with neither servility nor arrogance.
He neither fawned over the other's status as a Shrek Academy Dean nor retreated from his sharp aura, fully displaying the demeanor of a disciple from a prestigious family.
After entering the hall, Jing Hongchen immediately stepped aside to the lower position and stood with his hands down, showing absolutely no airs of being the Hall Master of Mingde Hall.
Yan Shaozhe naturally took in this scene as well.
He was unfamiliar with Kong Deming, but Yan Shaozhe knew Jing Hongchen.
The two belonged to the same era and were of similar age; in their youth, they had competed against each other in tournaments.
In Yan Shaozhe's eyes, the arrogance of that old fellow Jing Hongchen was rare in this world—looking at people with his nostrils turned up was already showing respect.
Yet, in front of Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen acted like a little brother.
From this, Kong Deming's status and strength could be confirmed once again.
Kong Deming observed Yan Shaozhe's expression, continuing to savor the Crystal Tea in his hand in a leisurely manner.
A gentle yet dignified smile appeared on Kong Deming's face. His voice was deep and steady, carrying a weight accumulated over the years: "Dean Yan, you have traveled a long way. Thank you for your efforts."
Regarding this old man whose status in the Sun Moon Empire was comparable to Mu En's status in Shrek.
Yan Shaozhe dared not show the slightest negligence. He immediately reined in all scrutiny, stepped forward, and bowed in the manner of a junior: "Junior Yan Shaozhe greets His Excellency Silver Moon."
Kong Deming laughed, raised his hand in a gentle gesture of support, and a soft yet irresistible force propped up Yan Shaozhe's figure: "No need for such formalities. A guest from afar is welcome; please sit."
"Thank you, Senior." Yan Shaozhe bowed again in return before rising and slowly taking a seat in the guest spot beside Jing Hongchen, sitting upright and maintaining complete respect.
Once Yan Shaozhe was seated, Kong Deming slightly raised his gaze and gently waved his right hand.
Without the slightest leakage of spirit power fluctuation, he used an extremely exquisite method of spirit power control to manipulate the jade teapot in Xu Tianhao's hand from across the room.
The spout tilted, and the scalding tea fell precisely into the empty tea cups in front of Yan Shaozhe and Jing Hongchen, neither more nor less, just seven-tenths full.
As the tea entered the cups, the red and blue auras swirled once more, and the tea aroma grew stronger.
The entire set of movements was fluid and natural, revealing no trace of effort, fully displaying absolute control over spirit power, which shocked Yan Shaozhe once again.
Kong Deming said in a relaxed tone: "This tea is harvested from the Spirit veins of the Far North Ice Plains. I enjoy it most during my leisure time. Dean Yan, why not taste it and see if it suits your palate?"
Yan Shaozhe hurriedly received the tea cup with both hands. When his fingertips touched the temperature of the cup, he felt a cold and hot alternation, which was extremely marvelous.
He lowered his head slightly and took a light sip of the tea, instantly feeling that extreme pleasure of ice and fire intertwined.
The Spirit tea entered his mouth, warm and comfortable, with a lingering sweet aftertaste that was incomparable to ordinary items.
Carefully sensing the peculiar Spirit aura contained within the tea, Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but nod sincerely in praise: "Good tea, truly a masterpiece among teas!"
"I never expected such a precious item to be nurtured in such a bitter, cold, and dangerous place as the Far North. I have been at Shrek for many years and have never heard of it; I have truly been ignorant."
Jing Hongchen picked up his tea cup, took a shallow sip, and then set it down gently.
His words hid an ulterior meaning. He spoke slowly, his tone flat but pointed: "Precious items are naturally hard to come by. In this world, everything goes to the highest bidder."
"The Crystal Tea is produced in the Far North and transported ten thousand miles to the Bright Capital; even if it were sold at an exorbitant price, it would not be excessive."
He was speaking of the Crystal Tea before him, but to Yan Shaozhe's ears, he instantly understood the underlying meaning.
Although the Crystal Tea was precious and rare, as long as one was willing to pay a sufficient price, it could be transported from the Far North to the Bright Capital of the Sun Moon Empire.
The implication was that all treasures, resources, and even talents originally belonging to the Douluo Continent, no matter how precious, could be acquired by the Sun Moon Empire if they offered a high enough price.
This was Jing Hongchen's veiled provocation, and also a display of the Sun Moon Empire's growing confidence toward Shrek and the rest of the Douluo Continent.
A trace of anger surged in Yan Shaozhe's heart. As the number one academy on the continent, Shrek had always guarded the order of the original Douluo Continent.
How could they tolerate such blatant covetousness from the Sun Moon Empire?
He suppressed the anger in his heart, remained calm on the surface, and just smiled faintly, hitting back with a neither soft nor hard tone: "Hall Master Hongchen is right, but this Crystal Tea is ultimately just a beverage. Even if it is precious, it has a traceable price and a market value."
The implication of his words could not be more obvious.
Items with a price, even if the Sun Moon Empire is wealthy, can still be bought.
But Shrek's heritage, the continent's order, and the bottom line of Spirit Masters are all priceless treasures.
They are things that no matter how much wealth and resources the Sun Moon Empire spends, they cannot buy or seize.
Jing Hongchen was shrewd; naturally, he heard the subtext in Yan Shaozhe's words.
But he just smiled meaningfully and did not continue the verbal dispute.
In front of the senior Kong Deming, there was no need for pointless arguments; true confidence is never won through words.
And since Yan Shaozhe had come this time, there must be serious business to discuss. Entangling himself in tea-talk disputes would only be beneath them.
Seeing that the two had paused their verbal sparring, Kong Deming spoke at the right moment, breaking the slightly stagnant atmosphere.
Kong Deming's tone remained peaceful: "Dean Yan, the tea has been tasted, and the flavor of the rare treasure has been experienced."
"Tell me, what is the reason for your personal visit to Mingde Hall? So that I may have an idea."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe immediately reined in all his thoughts and no longer dwelled on the previous verbal dispute.
He immediately rose from his seat, his expression becoming incomparably solemn: "Junior has come to visit presumptuously this time because there is indeed a matter of utmost importance that I wish to discuss with you, Senior."