"Not only does he keep his thoughts hidden, but his words and actions are also very steady," Ning Fengzhi said with a slight smile. He looked toward the distance where the young man had just been. "He truly lives up to his reputation as a once-in-a-million genius. This child's excellence is entirely due to his own hard work and natural talent. To be honest, even I cannot see his future clearly."
Ning Fengzhi paused for a moment, his expression turning more serious. "At such a young age, he has already surpassed level forty. Not only that, but the strength he has shown is no less than that of a level forty Spirit Master with a top-tier Spirit. If he can continue to grow steadily, this child will surely become a figure who can change the fate of the entire continent."
Xue Qinghe nodded in deep agreement. "I will try my best to maintain a good relationship with him. Although he is outstanding, he is still quite young right now. There is plenty of time to build a bond."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head and spoke sternly, "Qinghe, there is one thing I must remind you. Based on my time with this child, I have learned something important. If you truly wish to gain his help in the future, then you must never try to recruit him like a subordinate. Instead, you must become true friends with him. He is not the type to be bought or commanded."
Xue Qinghe was stunned for a moment. He met Ning Fengzhi's steady gaze and thought about those words. After a long silence, he slowly nodded. "Teacher, I understand. Thank you for your guidance. I will keep that in mind."
Soon after, Huo Feng returned to Shrek Academy. The air was calm, and the sun was beginning to set.
"Huo Feng, you're back," Flender called out. The Dean had been waiting near the entrance and waved him over.
"Dean, were you looking for me?" Huo Feng asked as he walked closer.
Flender shook his head and looked toward a young girl standing nearby. "I need to train Ning Rongrong alone, and I want you to come too. What I am going to say will benefit you as well. Besides, training her will require your help and cooperation."
"Oh?" Huo Feng looked at Ning Rongrong. She looked just as confused as he was.
At this moment, the other students were spread out across the campus. Some were sitting cross-legged, meditating to cultivate their spirit power, while others sat together in small groups, chatting about their recent victory. Only Ning Rongrong stood apart, waiting beside Flender.
"Follow me, both of you," Flender said. He turned and led them deeper into a quiet patch of woods away from the main buildings.
Seeing the three of them leave together, the other students couldn't help but feel curious. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing watched them walk away, their eyes filled with wonder. The Dean was taking Huo Feng and Ning Rongrong away so secretly. What exactly was he going to say to them? Was it some secret tactic for the next round of the tournament? They could only wonder as the three figures disappeared into the trees.
After walking about several hundred meters, Flender stopped in a relatively open area where the leaves muffled the sounds of the academy.
Ning Rongrong looked around nervously. She asked with some fear in her voice, "Dean, what kind of special training are you going to put me through?" She still remembered Flender's past "devilish" training sessions, and the thought of another one made her feel a bit uneasy.
Flender didn't look angry. Instead, he showed a small smile. "Rongrong, if I remember correctly, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has a special skill called Heart Separation Control. To what level have you cultivated it now?"
Ning Rongrong was surprised for a moment. She didn't expect him to ask about her family's secret techniques. "I have just reached the Three Aperture Governing Heart level. I can barely use it in a real fight."
Flender frowned slightly. "So, you are still only at the initial stage. That is a bit lower than I hoped. The special training I'm going to give you focuses on this area. Today, defeating your opponents was easy, but you must remember that they do not represent the true strength of the top academies. Now that Huo Feng and Mubai have shown their power, your future enemies will be much stronger."
He looked at her with a serious gaze. "Your Spirit has evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. That gives you a huge advantage. In fact, whether our team can win the final championship depends largely on your abilities. You are the key to the team's survival."
Ning Rongrong giggled, her mood brightening. "Dean, are you actually praising me?"
Flender laughed. "Of course I am. I am also praising the Spirit of your family. However, with your current skill level, it is very hard for you to fully unleash the power of your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Right now, the role you play in the team's combat is not as big as it could be."
Ning Rongrong pouted, feeling a bit insulted. "Dean, I'm already level forty! My support abilities are quite good. I can give a fifty percent boost to four different attributes for all my teammates at the same time. That kind of power can make the whole team much stronger in an instant!"
Flender remained calm. "You're right. You can provide a fifty percent boost. But let me ask you this: if all seven of Shrek's starters were in a hard fight, how long could you keep that boost active for the other six people?"
Ning Rongrong's face went pale. Her confident expression vanished instantly. "Dean... how do you know about that?"
Flender looked at her with a helpless expression. "The secrets of your school are famous. Many powerful Spirit Masters know about the limits of your Spirit. Even so, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is still known as the number one support family. Do you know why?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head blankly. She knew the rules of her school, but she had never thought about it from this perspective.
Flender explained, "The reason your Spirit is the best is not just because of the Spirit itself. It is because of the Heart Separation Control. Improving your spirit power is important, but for your family, mastering this control technique is even more vital. If I'm not mistaken, your father, Ning Fengzhi, has reached the level of the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart. Am I right?"
Ning Rongrong nodded slowly. She turned to Huo Feng, who was standing nearby looking curious, and explained the secret. "The main problem with our Spirit is how much spirit power it uses. The higher our level and the more Spirit Rings we have, the faster our energy drains. It is a heavy burden."
She lowered her head slightly and whispered, "In my current state, if I tried to give all six of you all four of my fifty percent boosts at once... I could only keep it up for a maximum of three seconds."
"Three seconds?" Huo Feng blurted out. He was genuinely shocked. Even a common warrior could fight for minutes, but the most powerful support Spirit in the world only lasted three seconds? It would be over before the fight even really started!
Flender spoke in a deep, serious voice. "I brought you out here so the others wouldn't hear this. The world is a fair place. Although your support is incredibly powerful, it has a massive cost. Spirit power is limited. No matter how good your Spirit is, you cannot win if you run out of energy immediately."
He looked at Huo Feng and then back to Rongrong. "Think about it. A level forty Spirit Master increasing everyone's stats by fifty percent is terrifying. If you could do that forever, you would be invincible. But since you can't, we have to find a way to make those three seconds count—or find a way to make you last longer. If we don't fix this, your Spirit won't be able to help the team when things get truly difficult."
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse