Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Gu Rong's Invitation, Ning Rongrong's Intervention
Faced with Gu Rong's invitation, Su Ming wasn't too surprised. He was well aware of his own strength, and he knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan lacked talented soul masters outside of the auxiliary category.
This was the reason why Ning Fengzhi, in the original story, had been eager to recruit talented soul masters, particularly Tang San. However, after learning of Tang San's ties to the Clear Sky Sect, he could only choose to befriend him.
Unfortunately, despite siding with Tang San, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was nearly wiped out by the Spirit Hall. In the end, their two Titled Douluo were killed, and Ning Fengzhi's investment was a massive failure.
Sensing Su Ming's hesitation, Ning Rongrong tugged at Gu Rong's arm and said, "Come on, Grandpa Gu, why don't you head back to the clan for now? You being a Titled Douluo here makes everyone nervous. Su Ming's still young, he won't want to join a clan so soon—he'd probably prefer a few years of freedom first!"
Gu Rong sighed in resignation. He worried that if he didn't recruit Su Ming now, he might not get another chance. But he also realized he was being a bit hasty, so he said, "Su Ming, our clan will always welcome you. If you decide to join, just let Rongrong know. I hope by the next time we meet, you'll have made up your mind. If you do join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, all our resources will be at your disposal."
Su Ming responded politely, "Thank you, Bone Douluo. I'll give it careful thought."
Inwardly, Su Ming was relieved that Ning Rongrong had helped him out. It would have been awkward to reject Gu Rong outright, especially since Titled Douluo have their pride.
Su Ming had no intention of joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Though they had many resources, they couldn't compare to the Spirit Hall. Plus, with the system's help, Su Ming didn't need external resources—most ordinary resources were of no use to him.
He planned to join the Spirit Hall in the future, mainly because of its far-reaching influence over both soul masters and commoners across the continent. The Spirit Hall, in many ways, represented the common people, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, despite recruiting talents and addressing injustices, ultimately represented the nobility. Su Ming, being a commoner himself, didn't find that appealing.
With the system backing him, Su Ming felt it was his duty to not only grow strong but to help those suffering across the continent. His goal was to use his power to better the lives of the commoners.
Seeing that Su Ming wasn't ready to join, Gu Rong didn't push the matter further. After all, Su Ming had helped Rongrong, and she clearly had feelings for him. Gu Rong couldn't act too forcefully.
However, he was still determined to recruit Su Ming. From what he had seen, Su Ming's talent was exceptional, and his mastery of soul power was precise beyond his years. He would need to return to discuss with Ning Fengzhi and Dustheart how to win Su Ming over. They couldn't afford to let the Spirit Hall snatch him up. With Rongrong around, Gu Rong felt more confident that Su Ming wouldn't join the Spirit Hall, at least for now.
After bidding farewell to Rongrong, Gu Rong swiftly returned to the clan.
The rest of the group breathed a sigh of relief—having a Titled Douluo around was incredibly intimidating.
Oscar, having been warned by Gu Rong, felt a wave of disappointment. His chances of pursuing Ning Rongrong were gone, while Su Ming had gained Gu Rong's favor and even received an invitation.
But Oscar knew deep down that his hopes had always been slim. As a food-type soul master, his chances with Ning Rongrong were never great. He reflected on the previous night when he and Tang San had sided with Dai Mubai in an effort to persuade Su Ming. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, thinking they were simply classmates helping each other. But in Ning Rongrong's eyes, it must have looked like he was taking Dai Mubai's side. This likely sealed his fate with her.
Ning Rongrong had likely told Gu Rong everything that happened, leading to Gu Rong's stern warning earlier.
Zhao Wuji then spoke up, "For the next few days, you'll be practicing on your own. Once Oscar reaches level thirty, we'll head to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for soul rings for Tang San and Oscar."
Before leaving, Zhao Wuji glanced meaningfully at Tang San. He hadn't expected Tang San to be the son of that person, and it had caused him a lot of trouble.
If Zhao Wuji had known that Tang Hao had been nearby during the entrance test, he would never have bullied the students so arrogantly. Now, not only had he been embarrassed in front of the students, but he had also been beaten by Tang Hao later that same night.
A few days later, early in the morning, Oscar excitedly ran to the training grounds and announced to Flender, "Dean, I've reached level thirty!"
Flender laughed heartily, "Well done, Oscar! For a food-type soul master to reach level thirty at your age is no small feat—there are very few like you on the entire continent."
He then addressed everyone, "Since Oscar has reached level thirty, get ready today. Tomorrow morning, Zhao Wuji will lead you to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for soul beasts."
"Let me be clear—hunting soul beasts is dangerous. You'll need to work together to kill the beasts you need for your rings. Your teacher, Zhao Wuji, will only intervene if you're in uncontrollable danger or if your lives are at risk. Understood?"
Everyone responded, "Understood, Dean!"
Tang San could hardly contain his excitement. He was finally about to acquire his third soul ring. Once he absorbed it, his strength would skyrocket!
Meanwhile, Su Ming privately scoffed. The students of Shrek Academy were all geniuses, yet Flender insisted on this self-reliance nonsense. By the time they're in real danger, would Zhao Wuji even be able to get there in time? His martial spirit wasn't exactly known for speed.
Of all the Shrek graduates, only Qin Ming had become somewhat famous. Most of the others either died or achieved very little.
Flender was all talk. When the academy opened, he had bragged about producing the youngest elder in the Spirit Hall, but no such elder ever appeared. Su Ming guessed the so-called elder was probably Yu Xiaogang, who had once been in the Spirit Hall. Given his connection with Bibi Dong, he might have received an honorary elder title, though it was likely devoid of real power. Even if he didn't hold such a title, Bibi Dong wouldn't have contradicted the claim.
Weekly Power Status
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