"Hmph! So many years have passed, and the Spirit Transmission Tower hasn't changed one bit! Just looking at it irritates me. How can you hope to properly educate geniuses in an environment like this?"
"No need for you to worry about that. We've never lagged behind in talent cultivation. Otherwise, we wouldn't have Four-Word Battle Armor Masters, would we?"
The Spirit Transmission Tower's headquarters was a place once filled with prosperity—a towering structure rich in a sense of technological advancement. Under normal circumstances, anyone who laid eyes on it would be full of praise for its grandeur.
But today, the Spirit Transmission Tower received an uninvited guest…
Light-Dark Douluo, Long Yeyue!
From the moment this elderly woman saw the tower, her eyes were filled with displeasure and impatience—as if this place were something filthy and loathsome.
Seated across from her was the Spirit Transmission Tower's Deputy Master, Sky Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaoshu. But right now, she wasn't here in that capacity…
She was Heita's teacher.
Leng Yaoshu didn't know too much about Long Yeyue, but she certainly knew about the deep-seated grudge between the latter and the Spirit Transmission Tower—which made this visit a massive headache.
"No need for idle chatter. I only have one purpose in coming here today—to inform you of something!"
Long Yeyue's tone was sharp and domineering, showing not a hint of respect toward Leng Yaoshu. As one of the oldest living beings on the continent, her seniority was unmatched. If not for Heita, Leng Yaoshu wouldn't even be qualified to meet her face-to-face.
Her willingness to meet this "former teacher" was already a great show of respect from Long Yeyue's perspective.
"Heita is now a student of our Shrek Academy and will also be a member of the Sea God's Pavilion. She has nothing to do with your Spirit Transmission Tower anymore. So stop targeting her."
What?
The words that came out of Long Yeyue's mouth left Leng Yaoshu's mind in a state of shutdown. She had already suspected this visit from Long Yeyue wouldn't bring anything good—but she never expected such boldness. Announcing that Heita belonged to Shrek… right in front of her?
How was this not blatant robbery?
"Your Majesty Light-Dark, Heita has been my personal disciple for three years now. She's also a prospective Spirit Transmitter of the Spirit Transmission Tower. How could she possibly join the Sea God's Pavilion?"
In any world, being part of two powers is an absolute taboo—it can cause extremely severe consequences.
If it were only about joining Shrek Academy, there wouldn't be much of a problem. After all, it's just a school. Although there's always suspicion of it planting spies into other factions, most people usually turn a blind eye.
But the Sea God's Pavilion was different. Though everyone knew it was part of Shrek Academy's leadership, it had long become a force of its own. Joining it meant one could no longer be a part of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
But Heita was already part of the Tower!
"Not to mention, Heita's parents agreed to this arrangement back then. That's why we've maintained close ties with the Forging Association!"
Mu Chen is an eight-star Divine Craftsman of the Forging Association—an immensely influential figure across the Douluo Continent. The Spirit Transmission Tower didn't want to offend him, so they always approached matters with a respectful, negotiating attitude.
But Shrek Academy seemed to play by different rules?
"There's no need for you to worry about that. Shrek Academy has never forced anyone to do anything. Everything is based on personal will."
"Since Heita is now with Shrek, we'll act according to her own wishes…"
What a load of crap!
Ever since Heita entered Shrek Academy, Leng Yaoshu hadn't been able to get in contact with her even once. There was clearly something fishy going on!
Having spent so many years navigating top-level power struggles, how could Leng Yaoshu not understand the shady undercurrents here? It was obvious—Shrek Academy had detained her!
"Your Majesty Light-Dark, don't you think this approach is… inappropriate?" Leng Yaoshu forced down the anger boiling inside her, offering a strained smile. This was, after all, Yun Ming's teacher—and she didn't want to sour the relationship completely.
However, just because she didn't want that… didn't mean Long Yeyue cared.
"What's inappropriate? Heita agreed, Shrek agreed, and Mu Chen's side agreed too—what's the problem? Why make things so complicated?"
What about us? What about the Spirit Transmission Tower?
As the conversation dragged on, Leng Yaoshu's rage flared hotter and hotter. She nearly wished she could burn this old woman to ash with her Phoenix Flames. But Long Yeyue's next words snuffed that flame out instantly…
"Even Yun Ming thinks this way."
"He also believes your Spirit Transmission Tower is incapable of guiding a genius like Heita. That's why he asked me to handle this personally. Do you understand now?"
Yun Ming!
That name instantly made Leng Yaoshu's pupils contract. She was clearly stunned by Long Yeyue's statement, though she quickly returned to composure.
"This… that's impossible. Yun Ming wouldn't do something like that!"
But in Long Yeyue's eyes, all of Leng Yaoshu's subtle emotional changes were laid bare. She immediately went in for the kill.
"Yet the facts remain. Yun Ming's strength is at the pinnacle of the continent—he can even create his own divine position. Even he had to admit: a talent like Heita would only have her potential wasted under any other teacher. Only Yun Ming is qualified to teach her."
As she spoke, Long Yeyue pulled out a letter from her robes—given to her by Yun Ming before she left Shrek Academy.
> "Since you've made up your mind, Sister Yue, I won't say much more.
But I also understand what kind of person Leng Yaoshu is. Asking her—or rather, asking the Spirit Transmission Tower—to give up is nearly impossible. So please give her this letter. Once she reads it, she'll understand…"
Those were Yun Ming's exact words. So at this critical moment, Long Yeyue played her trump card—the letter meant to bring Leng Yaoshu to heel.
It was like someone set your house on fire and then used an extinguisher to put it out—leaving nothing but ruins and ashes…
That was exactly what Leng Yaoshu looked like now. After reading the contents of the letter, she collapsed onto the couch, visibly aged compared to just one minute earlier.
There weren't many words in the letter. Yun Ming simply acknowledged Heita's extraordinary talent… and then gently advised her to let go.
There was no hint of coercion in his words, but Leng Yaoshu—who knew Yun Ming well—understood one thing clearly:
> He had taken a side—and it wasn't hers!
Once, they could still interact as friends and equals. But now… Yun Ming had fully treated her as part of a rival faction.
Why?
Back then, Yali took you away, forcing me and Yulai to part ways. And now…
You're planning to steal my disciple too?
---
> (Author's Note):
Long Yeyue's martial soul is the Holy Dragon of Light and Darkness, while Leng Yaoshu's martial soul is the Heavenly Phoenix.
These two really are Crouching Dragon and Hidden Phoenix!