"It seems I had set my expectations for the Hao Tian Clan too high,"
Qin Xiao sighed privately and slowly spoke.
However, Ning Fengzhi was right; the Hao Tian Clan had been hiding in the mountains for over a decade, and the consumption must have been substantial.
In other words, the fact that so many from the Hao Tian Clan survived indicates deep reserves in the clan.
"Sect Master Ning, matters here are nearly concluded, I still have some things to deal with...."
Qin Xiao wasn't making up a story; he truly had other matters to attend to.
The person from the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace had once again invited him to a banquet at the palace.
Qin Xiao was curious about what Xue Qinghe was up to this time.
"Brother Qin, if you have urgent matters to attend to, then go ahead. Once I've finished tallying the Hao Tian Clan's wealth, I will personally deliver your share to you,"
Ning Fengzhi's mind was extremely astute; he understood Qin Xiao's words in an instant.
Hehe, dealing with a smart person really is easy... Qin Xiao chuckled inwardly.
Nonetheless, he didn't play false modesty with Ning Fengzhi and gave him a fist salute. "In that case, I will have to trouble Sect Master Ning to take care of this."
"Not at all," Ning Fengzhi replied with a smile, shaking his head, "Brother Qin, there's no need to be overly courteous."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiao nodded and then turned his gaze to the young girl beside him, "Yiran, let's go."
Meng Yiran gave a soft hum, following Qin Xiao's steps.
Gradually, Qin Xiao and Meng Yiran left the sight of Ning Fengzhi and the others.
It was then that Ning Fengzhi spoke again, "Uncle Bone, please take some people and continue to eradicate the remnants of the Hao Tian Clan."
"Try your best not to let a single one escape."
He knew some disciples of the Hao Tian Clan had escaped.
Qin Xiao might not care, but could he afford not to?
He had to be thorough in eradicating them.
...
Elsewhere.
In front of Blue Tyrant Academy, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, ordinary appearance, and a face full of deep resentment was incessantly peering into the academy.
Without a doubt, he was Yu Xiaogang, who had hurriedly come from Notting City, covered in dust.
"Is this the academy that Er Long established?"
"It's far more bustling than Notting Academy...."
Unwittingly, a hint of inferiority crept into his heart.
Not to mention, as one of the Golden Iron Triangle, Flander established Shrek Academy, Liu Erlong established Blue Tyrant Academy, and he could only rely on some connections to get a sinecure at Notting Academy, barely making ends meet.
His life had been very strained.
On the journey from Notting City to Tiandou City, he had to penny-pinch, not daring to eat or live well.
"Soon, these days will be over. The letter from Flander said there were people in Blue Tyrant Academy who could help me break through. Once I become a Soul Elder, or even a Soul Ancestor, Soul King, everything will be different."
As Yu Xiaogang thought to himself, he clenched his fists tightly.
He believed the hard days would soon be over and the good times were approaching.
He was eager to use his strength to slap the faces of those in the Soul Master world who looked down on and mocked him.
"Who are you, lurking around here? What are you up to?"
Suddenly, just then, a voice sounded from behind Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang turned around and saw a burly man with an armband approaching him.
Undoubtedly, this man was a gatekeeper of the academy.
"Hello, I am a friend of Liu Erlong, and she invited me here,"
Yu Xiaogang forced a smile on his face.
"The headmaster's friend?"
The gatekeeper paused, then suddenly laughed, "How can you prove it?"
"How can I prove it?"
Yu Xiaogang was taken aback by the question.
Did he really need to prove it?
"Heh, looks like another one trying to cozy up to the headmaster..."
The corner of the gatekeeper's mouth curled into a sneer, as if he had seen too many like Yu Xiaogang before.
"I won't make it difficult for you, just show me that you're above the Soul Ancestor in cultivation level, and I'll go to pass the message for you right away."
To him, the headmaster was a respected Soul Sage; anyone hoping to be friends with her should at least be at the level of a Soul Ancestor, right?
After all, Soul Ancestors had a certain status within the Empire.
"Soul Ancestor..."
After hearing the gatekeeper's words, Yu Xiaogang's complexion turned pale, "I'm not a Soul Ancestor... but, I really am your headmaster's friend."
He was completely flustered.
Just as he was on the verge of achieving his goal, he encountered this barrier.
"Fine, I'll give you another chance. See that spot on the roadside? Go there and squat. When the headmaster comes out, you can meet then,"
After speaking, the gatekeeper pointed across the street.
"You, that's too much!"
Anger flared on Yu Xiaogang's face.
He felt Soul Power surging within him.
"Getting aggressive, huh?"
The gatekeeper showed no signs of surprise; he had seen his fair share of people like this.
If the person wasn't strong, he had never backed down.
"Fellow Soul Masters of the academy, someone is trying to cause trouble here!"
He suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
What, after all, was most abundant in a Soul Master Academy?
The answer was certainly Soul Masters.
As his voice fell, immediately about a dozen figures emerged from within the academy to his side.
"Who is stirring up trouble?"
"Let's see who's got a death wish!"
"Hehe, I do enjoy dealing with the tough ones!"
The dozen or so people were shouting excitedly.
Gulp...
Seeing their eager looks, Yu Xiaogang swallowed hard.
He suddenly realized he had been careless; this wasn't some Notting Academy where most of the students were youngsters just awakening their Martial Souls. Blue Tyrant Academy was a higher learning institution, and you needed to be at least a Grand Soul Master to qualify for admission.