Chapter 25: The Investment of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School

It was not until dusk that Mo Hui, having finished a rough tour of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, finally stepped out of the grounds under the guidance of Ning Yuan.

Once outside, Ning Yuan turned to Mo Hui and asked, "Little brother Mo Hui, how did you find the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy today?"

"To be honest, it wasn't as good as I had imagined," Mo Hui replied truthfully.

Ning Yuan laughed heartily at this, and after a moment, he said, "You aren't wrong to feel that way. In essence, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is used by the Heaven Dou royal family as a place to settle the children of nobles, keeping them out of trouble. It is quite normal for the quality of students to be lacking; after all, you cannot expect that group of playboys to truly cultivate diligently."

"Actually, given the relationship between our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou royal family, it wouldn't be impossible for all of our disciples to attend the academy. However, in reality, only a portion of our branch disciples joins. Aside from the fact that the cultivation conditions within our own sect are in no way inferior to those of the academy, the primary reason is our fear that our disciples might be influenced by the atmosphere there."

"Of course," Ning Yuan shifted his tone, "there is no lack of excellent students within the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, but they represent a relatively small proportion."

"I see."

Mo Hui nodded and asked with curiosity, "Then how do the other advanced spirit master academies compare?"

"Other advanced spirit master academies..." Ning Yuan mused for a moment before answering. "That is a difficult question to answer. I can only say that each has its own strengths. The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is relatively balanced in all aspects, having a bit of everything, but it is weaker in specific areas compared to academies that specialize in those fields."

"For example, the Five Elements Academies are stronger in their respective elemental specializations. Then there is the Plant Academy, which excels with plant-type spirits, and the Exotic Beast Academy, which has more experience with peculiar beast-type spirits."

"Overall, no one can claim dominance in every aspect. If such an entity exists, it could only be one!"

"Spirit Hall?" Mo Hui surmised based on Ning Yuan's implication.

"Yes, Spirit Hall!" Ning Yuan said with a solemn expression. "Spirit Hall possesses the largest collection of books on the continent and the greatest number of spirit masters. If any academy could be strong in every aspect, it would have to be the one belonging to Spirit Hall."

Hearing this, Mo Hui understood. In the original story, Spirit Hall was indeed the most powerful force; had it not been for the sudden emergence of Tang San, a cheater, the unification of the continent by Spirit Hall would have been nearly inevitable.

Shortly after, Ning Yuan brought Mo Hui to an inn within Heaven Dou City to stay for the night.

Ning Yuan had originally intended to invite Mo Hui to stay at his home, but Mo Hui declined. Ning Yuan was an outer disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and his parents likely resided within the sect’s castle; it would be inconvenient for an outsider to enter.

Meanwhile, after parting ways with Mo Hui, Ning Yuan returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in high spirits.

"Xiao Yuan, why are you so happy?" his father asked with a smile upon seeing the joy on his son's face.

Ning Yuan's father, Ning Fengxu, was a man in his forties who carried himself with a touch of scholarly elegance.

Seeing his father, Ning Yuan could not wait to speak. "Father, listen to me! I met a genius while I was out this time..."

He proceeded to recount everything that had happened during their journey.

After listening, a thoughtful look appeared on Ning Fengxu's face. "If what you say is true, he really is a genius. By the way, what is the innate spirit power level of this child, Mo Hui?"

"Uh... I'm not actually sure about that."

Hearing this, Ning Yuan scratched his head in embarrassment, but quickly added, "However, since he was able to reach level 22 at the age of ten, his innate spirit power can't be low."

Ning Fengxu shook his head. "The level of innate spirit power is very important. From your description of this child, I suspect he reached his current level through hard work. His innate spirit power might not be as high as you imagine."

"That... I suppose that's true." Ning Yuan looked disappointed. "Should we still invest in him?"

"Of course we should. Why wouldn't we?" Ning Fengxu's eyes gleamed. "If his innate spirit power is high, it means he has exceptional talent and is worth the investment. If it is not high, it proves he has a tenacious character and can endure what others cannot; his future achievements will not be insignificant, and he is equally worth investing in!"

"However, while we will invest, there are levels to it. His level of innate spirit power will determine how much we choose to commit to him."

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthy and powerful, their resources were not infinite. If Mo Hui's innate spirit power was low, his potential would be capped, and the terms they were willing to offer would naturally be less generous.

The next morning, just as Mo Hui finished his meditation, a knock came at the door.

"Little brother Mo Hui, are you awake?"

Mo Hui opened the door to find that, besides Ning Yuan, there was also a middle-aged man with a refined appearance standing there.

"He bears a faint resemblance to Ning Yuan. Could this be one of his elders?" Mo Hui thought to himself after glancing at the man.

At the same time, Ning Fengxu was observing Mo Hui. Seeing that the boy was dressed simply but carried himself with a spirited demeanor, he nodded approvingly.

"Mo Hui, this is my father. You can just call him Uncle Ning," Ning Yuan introduced after Mo Hui opened the door.

"Hello, I am Ning Fengxu. If you don't mind, you can call me Uncle Ning," Ning Fengxu said with a smile.

"Uncle Ning."

After greeting him, Mo Hui invited them inside.

Once he had ordered a pot of tea from the waiter, Mo Hui asked, "Uncle Ning, what brings you here to see me so early?"

Mo Hui found it strange. He had learned from Ning Yuan a few days prior that his father was a level 50-something Spirit King whose spirit was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the world's premier support-type spirit. It stood to reason that a mere Great Spirit Master like himself should not be enough to warrant the attention of someone of Ning Fengxu's status.

Ning Fengxu took a small sip of tea and, without beating around the bush, spoke directly to Mo Hui: "Little brother Mo Hui, I wonder if you have any interest in joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"