Tian Dou Royal Academy.
In the luxurious academy team lounge, eleven people were scattered about, some standing, some sitting.
These people all appeared to be quite young, all students of the academy.
They were the members of the Tian Dou Royal Academy's first team.
This included both official members and substitutes; everyone except Su Cheng was present.
"Where's Su Cheng?" Yu Tianheng glanced at the members in the room and asked in a deep voice.
"He's with my grandfather; he should be back today," Dugu Yan said from the side.
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng felt a pang of envy.
He couldn't understand how Su Cheng, at such a young age, could get along so well with someone like Dugu Bo.
He knew that every time he saw Dugu Bo's expression, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"He won't train with us even when he gets back,"
said a handsome young man with lively eyes and a slightly flippant tone.
This person, named Yu Feng, is an agility-type Soul Master with the Wind Chime Bird Martial Soul, and a formal member of the team.
He is not tall, with short blond hair, and is currently leaning against the large crystal window on the south side of the room, looking quite relaxed.
"It's normal not to come. If you had Su Cheng's strength and age, you naturally wouldn't have to come."
Opposite Yu Feng, on the other side of the crystal window, leans a young man dressed entirely in black, with features as beautiful as a woman.
This man also has blond hair, and his tone is slightly mocking.
"Osro, are you saying I'm weak? Why don't we go outside and have a match?"
"Tch." The black-clad youth called Osro scoffed, "You, a flying Soul Master, want to fight a ground Soul Master like me? You have the nerve to say that. If you're so capable, go find Su Cheng and fight him. What are you yelling at me for here?"
The black-clad youth, Osro, possesses a Ghost Leopard Martial Soul. As an agility-type Soul Master, he is directly countered by Yu Feng.
"Alright, then I'll have a match with him. I want to see what this so-called genius is capable of, with such a big ego." Yu Feng said with a sneer, instantly leaping down from the window and straightening up.
Clearly, Qin Ming, the team leader, wasn't the only one dissatisfied with Su Cheng's frequent absences.
Yu Feng wasn't present when Su Cheng fought Ji Yuan either.
He believed that with his flying ability, even if he couldn't win, he would still be invincible.
Hearing his words, Oslo smiled smugly.
This guy with wings on his martial soul always acted arrogantly, which had annoyed him for a long time.
"See if you don't get all your feathers plucked later."
The others in the room also had different expressions.
Most of the substitute members kept a low profile and didn't want to participate in this discussion.
The two Shi brothers, with straight noses and square mouths, strong physiques, and a deep, steady aura,
were sitting cross-legged on the ground under the wall, meditating, oblivious to the outside world.
Standing alone in the corner, Ye Lingling glanced at Yu Feng indifferently before lowering her eyes again, remaining silent.
Dugu Yan frowned. Su Cheng had been kind to her, and she didn't want this unnecessary conflict to occur, so she prepared to mediate.
At this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out, its tone full of gunpowder.
"You dare to challenge me?"
The speaker was Ning Rongrong.
She was currently a substitute member of the team, but no official member dared to underestimate her.
With her current soul power level, becoming an official member in the future would be effortless.
After advancing to Soul Master, the effects of the Qiluo Tulip had become even more pronounced, and her soul power had been increasing rapidly recently.
Moreover, support-type soul masters were the cornerstone of a team, a rare species, and no one wanted to offend them.
However, she had been focusing on cultivation these days and had always kept a low profile.
After hearing Yu Feng's remarks, she couldn't hold back any longer and immediately rebuked him.
Yu Feng, knowing Ning Rongrong's identity, frowned, about to retort.
"Alright, let's all keep quiet," Yu Tianheng interjected. "Teacher Qin will be here soon; there's no point in arguing."
He wasn't actually unhappy that Su Cheng didn't attend training regularly.
They had sparred recently; although he was a higher level and his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was strong, he was no match for Su Cheng.
Not to mention Su Cheng's rapid advancement in cultivation, almost surpassing him and not far from becoming a Soul Master.
Yu Tianheng wasn't stubborn, nor did he possess the arrogance often associated with disciples of powerful families.
He even secretly envied Su Cheng's free and easy lifestyle.
This was largely due to his upbringing.
In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, although he was the eldest direct descendant of the patriarch, he received limited attention.
Moreover, there was internal discord and severe factional infighting within the family, so even the patriarch's words didn't carry much weight.
While Yu Tianheng possessed considerable talent, there were others within the family whose talent was no less than his.
His privileged status didn't bring him more confidence; instead, it placed immense pressure on him.
Just then, the door to the team's rest room suddenly opened, and someone walked in.
With this person's appearance, all the team members who had been sitting at various positions stood up and bowed to him.
"Teacher."
The person who entered was a middle-aged man, appearing to be around thirty years old, with ordinary features, black hair, and simple, plain clothing, except for his exceptionally bright eyes.
This man was none other than Qin Ming, the current instructor of the Tian Dou Royal Academy's first team.
After entering the room, Qin Ming nodded slightly to the group, then quickly scanned everyone present.
He frowned slightly and looked at Yu Tianheng.
"Su Cheng didn't come again today?"
Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a hint of worry.
Qin Ming was very strong, a peak Soul King in his early thirties, worthy of everyone's respect. It was an honor for them to have him as their instructor.
But Su Cheng was no weakling either; judging by his current progress, he would likely advance to Soul Grandmaster within a year, becoming a core member of the team.
If these two were to have a falling out, it would clearly be bad for the team.
However, their philosophies were obviously at odds, and this couldn't continue.
"Teacher Qin, my brother had something to do yesterday and might not have returned to the academy yet,"
Ning Rongrong spoke up in defense of Su Cheng amidst the silence.
Qin Ming glanced at her but remained silent.
Dugu Yan chimed in, "Yes, Teacher Qin, Su Cheng's absence won't affect our team's training, right? We can just use a substitute, can't we? As long as I control the game and Lingling provides support, that's enough."
Qin Ming's face darkened upon hearing this, and he reprimanded, "Yanzi, it's one thing for Ning Rongrong to say that. But as the vice-captain, how can you have this kind of mentality? Can you just arbitrarily substitute someone during future matches? If you don't take training seriously and cooperate well, you'll face even greater setbacks sooner or later!"
Seeing this, Yu Tianheng quickly interjected, "Teacher Qin, the thing is, Su Cheng's cultivation speed is faster on his own. Compared to being with us, he can achieve greater improvement. Actually, from this perspective, it might be more beneficial for the overall improvement of our team's combat strength in the future."
Qin Ming gave everyone a deep look and sighed.
His voice became low, and deep emotions were revealed in his dark eyes.
"When I was in school, my teachers always taught me the importance of teamwork and sharing both joy and sorrow with my partners. Even if they were punished, I would willingly bear it with them. I'm pleased that you're willing to speak up for Su Cheng today. However, Su Cheng's behavior displeases me greatly."
"Your previous academy?"
Hearing Qin Ming's words, the students present couldn't help but feel curious.
They really didn't know which academy this highly talented teacher, Qin Ming, came from.
"That's right, my previous academy was also the place that taught me to become a talent—"
Qin Ming was about to elaborate when suddenly a door opened.
Everyone present turned to look.
They saw Su Cheng step into the room.
Seeing so many people here, he seemed somewhat surprised.
After a slight pause, he bowed to Qin Ming and said, "Teacher Qin."
Qin Ming didn't accept the greeting but instead snorted coldly.
The next moment, the members of the Royal Fighting Team in the room simultaneously felt their hearts contract instantly, and the strong shock made everyone's faces show a hint of horror.
Only Su Cheng, facing Qin Ming directly, felt a layer of sword intent, carrying a thin layer of sword energy, spontaneously emerge around him.
It rippled faintly before vanishing instantly, as if nothing had happened.
Su Cheng calmly looked at Qin Ming and softly asked, "What's wrong, Teacher Qin?"
Qin Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, giving him a deep look.
He hadn't intended to harm Su Cheng; that cold snort was merely meant to intimidate.
Although the sound wave wasn't powerful, its speed was extremely fast and its penetrating force was incredibly strong. A Soul Master with insufficient cultivation would have no way to defend against it, and their aura should have fluctuated.
However, the protective layer on the young man's body seemed to have appeared passively, instantly neutralizing his invisible attack.
There wasn't even the slightest fluctuation in his aura during that time, which greatly surprised him.
Qin Ming had only heard a few members of the Education Committee boast about Su Cheng's talent before, and hadn't seen him fight in person, so he hadn't taken him seriously.
Today, he realized he had completely underestimated him.
This was hardly the kind of skill a Soul Master should possess.
Even an ordinary Soul Sect member couldn't do this, let alone a Soul Master, at least not with such effortless ease.
"Your strength is indeed impressive, but that's no excuse for not training with the team,"
Qin Ming said, staring at Su Cheng.
Coming from Shrek Academy, he always believed in the importance of teamwork. "
I will raise the standards; ordinary people won't even meet my expectations, and I might even raise the bar to a level that ordinary people can't reach.
But once you cross that threshold, regardless of your talent or strength, you must act as a unit, without any special treatment."
"You're right." Su Cheng looked at Qin Ming and nodded. "I'm also very sorry about this. It did delay the team's training progress."
Hearing Su Cheng admit his mistake, Qin Ming's expression softened, and he pointed towards the others in the room.
"In that case, come over here first. Don't act alone again in the future."
Qin Ming's tone softened, but the others were all surprised.
Those who didn't know Su Cheng well were fine, but Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and others who had had a lot of contact with him before were astonished.
Especially Ning Rongrong, whose face was full of disbelief.
She knew what kind of person Su Cheng was.
How could he change his plans because of a few words from a mentor?
At this moment, they heard Su Cheng's voice again.
"Teacher Qin, I won't go over there now."
Qin Ming turned back after turning away.
Su Cheng smiled apologetically at him.
"I'm sorry for delaying the team's training. But it's never too late to mend things. The team has only been established for a month, and there's still a long training period ahead. I've decided to transfer to the Royal Fighting Second Team, so I won't take up a spot on the First Team anymore."
"What?"
"Junior, think it through."
"Su Cheng, don't be impulsive."
"..."
Before Qin Ming could say anything, Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others panicked. Oh
no, their star player is leaving!
The worst has happened.
Qin Ming was stunned for a moment.
He found himself at a loss for words.
The other person wasn't planning to stay on the First Team anymore, so what right did he have to lecture him?
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "...Changing teams isn't just a matter of personal preference. Now that the First Team has been established, the Teaching Committee also needs to consider it."
Su Cheng smiled and said, "It's okay. In fact, I just came from the Teaching Committee. I just came to let you know. You can continue your normal training."
Before coming to the team's rest room today, Su Cheng had already gone to the Teaching Committee in advance.
With the royal guest Dugu Bo vouching for him, and with his promise to stay and participate in the next competition if he didn't make it to the finals this year, plus the fact that it would only take up a relatively unimportant spot on the second team and wouldn't affect the Royal Fighting Team's guaranteed admission, how could the members of the Education Committee possibly disagree?
They immediately approved Su Cheng's idea.
In Su Cheng's view, the matter was also simple.
Since he had already made his decision, there was no need to delay any longer.
Whatever coach Qin Ming wanted to do with the team, that was his plan.
Staying here would only exacerbate the conflict and internal strife, and ultimately one of them would have to leave.
He was going to the second team anyway, so leaving sooner rather than later would give him more freedom.
Regardless of Qin Ming's future thoughts about the Shrek Academy team, at least for now, his strength and talent were undeniable, and he would definitely have a good effect on these team members.
However, although Su Cheng didn't intend to stay, Qin Ming was clearly very unhappy.
"Su Cheng, I advise you to think this through carefully. Team One has a guaranteed spot, which means you can directly enter the finals of the Soul Master Competition. If you go to Team Two, you'll be wasting your talent. Do you really expect to rely on your teammates from Team Two to make it to the finals?"
Su Cheng looked at him with some surprise.
"Teacher Qin, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to say that? Although every Soul Master knows the importance of talent, it can always be made up for later. Besides, if a Soul Master's future achievements depend solely on talent, then I'd like to ask you, what is the purpose of a teacher?"
Seeing Qin Ming's furrowed brows, Su Cheng continued, "Teacher Qin, did you achieve what you have today because your teachers possessed extraordinary teaching abilities, or because your own talent was exceptional?"
Qin Ming was taken aback.
"Teacher Qin, there's no point in telling me this. I've already decided to go to Team Two."
Su Cheng glanced at the other team members and nodded slightly to them, "Good luck, everyone."
After saying that, he turned and left the team's rest room.
After he left, Yu Tianheng and the others exchanged glances, then fell silent.
"He's gone, so be it."
Seeing the students' morale somewhat low, Qin Ming coughed lightly, his soul power surging, instantly waking everyone up.
"I can tell you frankly, even the strongest person has limited power. With Su Cheng's mentality, he can't possibly achieve anything in the competition. Cheer up, all of you."
Before he finished speaking, another figure also left the team's rest room.
"Huh?" Qin Ming was immediately taken aback.
"It's Rongrong." Dugu Yan mouthed to Yu Tianheng.
Yu Tianheng smiled bitterly. Two had left at once; facing the Star Luo Royal Team now seemed difficult.
As for the Spirit Hall Academy Team, he had never considered taking the championship from them.
Su Cheng hadn't gone far when he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning around, he saw Ning Rongrong's figure.
"Why are you here? Did Teacher Qin say something?"
"No, it wasn't Teacher Qin." Ning Rongrong approached Su Cheng, calmed her breathing, and looked at him, saying, "I'm going to the second team with you."
Su Cheng was taken aback at first, then pondered for a moment.
He knew the members of the second team were all weak; none of them might even reach the Soul Master level during the competition.
Now, after consuming the Qiluo Tulip, Ning Rongrong's strength was indeed considerable, and she was about to experience a period of rapid improvement.
In the Soul Master Competition, this would not only help her in terms of combat power but also be a good training opportunity for her.
Thinking of this, he looked at Ning Rongrong's fair face.
"You want to join the second team? At least you won't have to play as a substitute, and you'll definitely be able to fight continuously. However, you can't be guaranteed a spot in the finals, and the process might not be easy; it depends on what level we've reached by then."
"It doesn't matter. I didn't want a guaranteed spot anyway. Even if I were, I still wouldn't be able to beat the Spirit Hall Academy team," Ning Rongrong said with a smile.
Su Cheng nodded.
"This is a good experience for you. Now that your martial soul is evolving, you should work even harder to cultivate and not waste your talent. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to advance to Soul Master in less than half a year. If I have a chance to advance further before the competition, reaching the finals will be a piece of cake."
The so-called "chance" he mentioned was the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone.
Ning Rongrong, however, was unaware of Su Cheng's intentions. After hearing these words, she opened her mouth in surprise and stared at him blankly.
"No need for that expression," Su Cheng said, amused by her expression.
"Don't think that coming to the second team is just about slacking off. Since I'm so determined to participate, I'm definitely aiming for the championship. Coming to the second team is a valuable experience for both of us. Since we can't go to the Five Elements Academy, we can still gain experience on the competition field. There are less than three years until the competition starts, so let's work hard."
Ning Rongrong calmed herself down and nodded emphatically. "Yes, no matter what, we have to beat the first team so that the coach in charge can see what's what. He was just spouting nonsense in the lounge, saying you definitely wouldn't achieve anything."
"What he thinks is his business, it has nothing to do with us. Besides, we don't even know if he'll still be leading the Royal Fighting Team by then." Su Cheng smiled, his expression turning serious.
"They're not the key. The Royal Fighting Team isn't strong; they can't even beat the Star Luo Royal Team. The real challenge is the Spirit Hall Academy."
As he spoke, Qian Renxue's face involuntarily flashed through Su Cheng's mind.
The age limit for this year's All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition is that participants must be under twenty-five years old.
After Qian Renxue returned to the Spirit Hall, she was old enough to participate in this competition.
If she did participate, he should be able to restrain her, but he certainly couldn't handle multiple opponents alone.
The other members of the Spirit Hall Academy team would still need other help to deal with them.
Of course, if Qian Renxue disdained participating in such a small competition, things would become much simpler.
However, Su Cheng instinctively felt that she might personally take to the field. Qian Renxue
in her normal state might not.
But…
Su Cheng recalled the way Qian Renxue's black-clad personality called him "Little Brother Su Cheng," and couldn't help but feel a chill.
That guy had a vile personality and his actions were completely unpredictable; it was hard to say what he might do. (
...
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