I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1731 - 169: Meeting the King

Chapter 1731: Chapter 169: Meeting the King

Faction disciples soliciting knowledge from a civilian academy is as absurd as billionaires begging disaster victims for money.

The trembling Du Ting, after persuading and arranging for Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong at the Unparalleled Courtyard, rushed to the dean’s office at the top of the academy like his tail was on fire.

"Dean, it’s a big trouble, a big trouble, Dean!"

Like a hurricane that swung open the dean’s office door, Du Ting cried out anxiously.

"Calm down."

Sitting behind the desk, Tang Luo raised his head and said to the flustered Du Ting, "With me here, the sky won’t fall. Take your time, what’s the matter?"

Infected by Tang Luo’s composure, Du Ting caught his breath and relayed the requests of Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong, then took out two sets of Yellow Rank magical techniques from his arms and placed them on the desk in front of him.

After listening to Du Ting’s vivid story, and picking up the books titled Thunder Curse and Sacrificial Rite to browse for a while, Tang Luo’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Observing Tang Luo’s expression closely, Du Ting hurriedly asked, "Dean, did you find anything inappropriate?"

"Nothing inappropriate."

With the two volumes softly laid down, Tang Luo said indifferently, "It’s just Thunder Spells and Invocation Rites with key parts omitted. Take them to Master Shentu, and let him select a few who are skilled in these spells to set up a research team."

Du Ting looked shocked: "Dean, both Qiyao Temple and Wushen Mountain clearly have ill intentions, why should we accept this commission?"

"Weren’t you worried earlier about the faction’s reputation damaging the academy, causing our influence to wane."

Tang Luo said with a smile, "Why refuse now when someone is offering us fame right before our eyes?"

"This is different."

Du Ting explained, "Currently, the top-ranking Wind Media organizations in Longzhou are all attending ceremonies on Red Cloud Mountain. If we accept this commission and issues are pinpointed later, the reputation of the Unparalleled Management Department would be completely ruined. We have to be cautious."

"Since we are prepared for it, whatever we can think of, others have already considered. If you are worried about the academy’s reputation, accepting the commission is the best choice for now."

Tang Luo gently pushed the two stacked books, and the thumb-thick tomes floated lightly into Du Ting’s hands like sheets of paper.

Knowing that the dean had made up his mind, Du Ting helplessly put the volumes into his arms and said despondently, "I will execute the commission to improve the magical techniques, but, Dean, how should we refuse Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong?"

"They won’t give you the chance to refuse. The commission to improve the techniques is just a feint; Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong are the real threats. This is a good opportunity to see what kind of talents the disciples from the Superior Heavenly Sect really possess."

Tang Luo said with a smile, "Tell them both that the academy accepts their request to study, but note that the true teachings of a sect have a different price from independent warriors; ask them to prepare their tuition fees. Also, have someone from the Wind Media Department send their basic information to me."

"Yes, Dean, I will handle it immediately."

That evening, the Wind Media Department placed the information of the two faction representatives on the desk in the dean’s office.

Zhu Huolong, hailing from the Zhu family lineage of Wushen Mountain in Zhongzhou, rose to prominence by awakening a Fire Spirit bloodline during a transcendental revelation, completing the ancestral Fire Deity Visualizing Mirrors at the age of thirty-two, quickly advancing from beyond the top hundred true inheritors to rank forty-eight within a few years.

After his progress slowed, Zhu Huolong began to travel across Zhongzhou, seeking knowledge from various sects, successively making a name through the Eclipse Sect trial, the Zhongzhou Champions Platform, and the Immortal Sealing Platform Convention; later, he emerged in the Battle of Tang, becoming a highly sought-after young elite of Zhongzhou factions.

Rumors say Zhu Huolong is on good terms with An Yuheng, the current Saint Child of the Divine Court, and might be taken into the Divine Court in the future, possibly becoming a close confidant like a Divine Official or commander of the Celestial Guards.

With prominent strength and a wide network of connections, even without carefully reviewing this information, one can be sure that such a person is bound to become a major figure in Zhongzhou.

By comparison, Lei Dong’s qualifications seem rather mediocre. As a bloodline member of the Qiyao Temple Lei family, his mastery in Thunder Spells naturally far surpasses the average person, but within Qiyao Temple, where Thunder practitioners are commonplace, he is not considered exceptional.

Rushing to participate in the youth martial arts exchange held by Martial Saint Mountain at the end of his thirties, he encountered monsters like Tang Luo, Lu Liangliang, and Tong Senyu, who were all formidable beings in the Fierce Realm before the age of thirty, so much so that he didn’t even leave a name behind.

Still, martial arts is a long-term pursuit. Although he didn’t make much of a name for himself in his youth, with continual diligent practice, he gradually made a name for himself within Qiyao Temple. His ranking among the true disciples steadily rose, and he completed several tasks assigned by his sect quite well, earning a good reputation within Qiyao Temple.

In contrast to the vague information about Zhu Huolong, the intelligence on Lei Dong is much fuller. Wind Media seriously listed many achievements of this true disciple of Qiyao Temple and his reputation in Mubai.

...

The next day

To their surprise, under everyone’s gaze, Elder Du Ting led Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong into Unparalleled Academy to meet Tang Luo.

Covered in a black robe with a tall, lean figure, his facial features deep-set and his cheeks slightly sunken, unlike other experts whose divine light is dazzling, this man’s eyes look dim, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.

Is this the legendary, incredibly powerful, and mysteriously enigmatic head of Unparalleled Institute?

Lei Dong and Zhu Huolong exchanged a quiet glance, both somewhat in disbelief at the unimpressive appearance of this formidable individual...

In their astonishment, Du Ting greeted Tang Luo: "Headmaster, these are Zhu Huolong, a true disciple of Wushen Mountain, and Lei Dong, a senior disciple from Qiyao Temple."

"I see. Follow me."

Tang Luo nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the back mountain without even greeting them.

People have names, just like trees have shadows. Although he was far from what they had imagined, the two of them still followed closely behind him.

In the Red Crystal corridor, while Zhu Huolong and Lei Dong were fretting over how to start a conversation, Tang Luo, who was leading the way, spoke first.

"Wushen Mountain came to Longzhou to preach, who led the delegation, and how many true disciples were brought?"

"Reporting to the headmaster, this mission to Longzhou was led by Great Shaman and Zhu Jiang from the mountain, accompanied by twelve sects of true disciples."

Just like a routine inquiry from an elder of the sect, Zhu Huolong responded almost reflexively without much thought, only to catch Lei Dong’s surprised look afterward, realizing that he had been overly reverent in his response.

What sort of sorcery is this!?

As the true disciple of Wushen Mountain felt a nameless anger rising, he was about to challenge this but saw Tang Luo turning to ask Lei Dong: "And Qiyao Temple, how many disciples did they dispatch?"

"Reporting to the headmaster, the lower institute divided into seven groups. Sun, Moon, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth – each overseen by one true disciple, totaling seven people."

Listening to Lei Dong’s overly respectful reply, Zhu Huolong felt as if he had seen a ghost; just a moment ago, he clearly saw disdain in Lei Dong’s eyes, yet as soon as Unparalleled Institute’s head asked a question, it was as if he uncontrollably switched to the most reverent mode to answer, a switch as bizarre as a changed face.

After answering the question, Lei Dong also realized the oddity and immediately took distance from Tang Luo while activating his Spiritual Power defensively.

Zhu Huolong followed suit, stepping half a pace back, awakening his spirit from God’s Residence, and firmly locked onto the person in front of him.

Facing their sudden defense, the head of Unparalleled Institute remained in the leisurely mood of a post-dinner stroll, casually continuing as he walked forward: "Do you know why, out of nineteen true disciples from Wushen Mountain and Qiyao Temple combined, your mentors chose the two of you to undertake a task at Red Cloud Mountain?"