When faced with minor questions or small embarrassments that you don't know how to answer, changing the subject is often a useful tactic.
If the other person follows your lead and continues the conversation, it means they don't mind the previous awkwardness, and you can carry on with the new topic.
If they care deeply about the previous topic and refuse to follow your lead, then you'll need to think carefully about how to answer that question.
Jiang Jing was clearly the former; she didn't care much about the issue with her title, only making a casual remark when she heard it.
"It's truly strange. The quality of the contestants in this tournament is much higher than the last one. Every major academy has exceptionally talented people. Could it be just as School Master Ning said—that this is the Golden Generation?"
Sitting down, Jiang Jing pulled out a stack of papers resembling resumes, which were filled with the intelligence she had gathered during her trip. As she finished speaking, she looked at Yu Yan and Xiao Wu, then at the members of the Exotic Beast Team, feeling a sense of relief.
Based on the surface-level intelligence, the Exotic Beast Team was among the top tier in this talent-filled Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and picked up the profile of the Star Luo Royal Academy Team. Looking at the various words of praise for Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun on the seeded team list, she was filled with Battle Intent.
Dugu Yan picked up the introduction for Heaven Dou Royal Academy and began reading it seriously. As a former reserve for that team who had run away, she was still somewhat curious about what had happened to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Of course, this was also because she didn't recognize any of the other academies at all.
"Huh? Dean Jiang Jing, it says here that Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team lost to a team from Shrek Academy, and they were all heavily injured, missing out on the subsequent matches. Why haven't I heard of this academy before?"
Looking at the content in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy introduction, Dugu Yan stared at the words 'Shrek Academy,' her eyes filled with confusion.
The second team of Heaven Dou Royal Academy was indeed not strong, but they shouldn't have lost to an academy with absolutely no reputation.
Hearing Dugu Yan mention Shrek Academy, Yu Yan, who was looking at Heaven Water Academy's intelligence, Xiao Wu, who was brewing tea again, and the determined Zhu Zhuqing all shifted their attention. They had some history with this academy and wanted to know its current state.
"Oh, that academy. Its predecessor was Lanba Academy in Heaven Dou City. The Principal was Liu Erlong of the Golden Triangle. Later, because Flender and Yu Xiaogang joined, it was renamed Shrek Academy and registered for this tournament."
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Jing shared the intelligence she had gathered. When speaking about this academy, she also looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
The one with the White Tiger Martial Soul in Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai—if she wasn't mistaken, he should be the prince who fled from the Star Luo Empire and was engaged to Zhu Zhuqing.
Jiang Jing marveled at Zhu Zhuqing's good luck in gaining the protection of the Poison Douluo and Yu Yan. If she had followed the Rank 42 Dai Mubai, she would never have been able to defeat the long-famous Dai Weisi and Zhu Qiaoyun.
In the Star Luo Empire, the best outcome for failing the competition for the position of Crown Prince was having one's spirit power abolished and being imprisoned for life; the worst was being killed outright.
Through the intelligence handed over by Jiang Jing, Yu Yan saw the Ranks of Tang San and the others in a situation where they lacked the Opportunity of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Tang San was currently Rank 46, the highest spirit power in Shrek Academy. The Mysterious Heaven Skill was still far too overpowered for the Douluo Continent. His spirit ring configuration followed the perfect setup from Yu Xiaogang's Spirit Theory, without any eye-catching 10,000-year spirit rings.
Without Xiao Wu, there was no plot involving the Titan Giant Ape in the Star Dou Great Forest. Tang San didn't know he could absorb spirit rings that exceeded theoretical limits, so naturally, he didn't absorb any such rings.
Dai Mubai had already been mentioned, so there was no need to repeat anything.
Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others were all Three-Ring Soul Venerables, close to becoming a Spirit Ancestor but not yet having achieved a Breakthrough. Without the massive boost from the Immortal Herbs, they simply couldn't Cultivate to the Spirit Ancestor Realm before the tournament began.
"Looking at it this way, this academy does have some strength. But can Blue Silver Grass really be Cultivated to the Spirit Ancestor Rank at this age? And why does the Blue Silver Grass look like this?"
Dugu Yan, who had never seen such a young, high-ranked Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master, picked up Tang San's profile and questioned Vice Dean Jiang Jing.
Even without a 10,000-year spirit ring, a 14-year-old Blue Silver Grass Spirit Ancestor was exceptionally eye-catching, with a rarity comparable to Yu Yan's Twin Spirits.
"From the intelligence I bought, this Blue Silver Grass Spirit belonging to Tang San should have undergone a benign mutation. He possesses Innate Full Spirit Power."
"As for why the Blue Silver Grass is like this, do you know that Yu Xiaogang who proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Spirit Theory? Tang San is Yu Xiaogang's Disciple. His spirit rings are all from poison-attribute animal Spirit Beasts, allowing the Blue Silver Grass to possess decent attack power and control. That Yu Xiaogang actually has some skill."
Out of curiosity, Jiang Jing had specifically collected more information on Tang San, the Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master, while investigating, and now she shared it.
"Is it that 'Grandmaster' Yu Xiaogang, whose Spirit Theory is full of contradictions and who constantly refutes himself? I heard he's only Rank 29 and his Spirit Ability is just farting. To think someone would actually take such a person as their teacher."
"Wait, could it be that he's after the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him?"
Because there were too many points to criticize, Xiao Wu, not knowing where to start, asked about a few major ones.
Xiao Wu, who read novel books year-round, still had some understanding of this eccentric from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. After thinking for a long time, she finally came up with a plausible reason.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was very powerful. If he became a Disciple for that reason, then everything would make sense.
"Yes, yes, yes, that's him." After confirming the first half of Xiao Wu's statement, Jiang Jing replied, "There is no shadow of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind this. Tang San might truly have become a Disciple for Yu Xiaogang himself."
Xiao Wu's face was filled with incomprehension upon hearing this answer. She really couldn't understand why; it was completely illogical.
If he hadn't read the novel called Douluo Continent, Yu Yan wouldn't have understood why Tang San became a Disciple either; after all, it was truly bizarre.
"Stop focusing on this academy. Shrek Academy is not an obstacle on your path to winning the championship. Let me introduce a few powerful opponents to you."
"Feng Xiaotian of Divine Wind Academy, Martial Soul Double Headed Storm Wolf, a Genius with Innate Full Spirit Power and self-created Spirit Abilities."
"Shui Binger of Heaven Water Academy, Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. I don't need to elaborate on the power of a Phoenix Martial Soul."
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team, Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and..."
After finishing the intelligence on Shrek Academy, Yu Yan lost interest as Jiang Jing spoke about these famous geniuses. He found a random spot to sit down and continued to slack off.
After all, regarding this Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament, no one understood these little geniuses better than he did.