Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

"Hey, we meet again. I didn't expect us to be in the same class. What a coincidence," said a girl with golden short hair and freckles on her face, smiling warmly.

It was none other than Ning Tian, the young master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who had spoken to Wang Rui earlier.

Another girl stood behind Ning Tian like a guard. She had neat, short red hair and a pair of crimson eyes. Her expression was cold and distant.

She was tall, with a well-developed figure that seemed a bit precocious for her age, making her stand out among the first-year students like a senior mistakenly placed in the wrong class.

"I'm Ning Tian, and this is my friend, Wu Feng," Ning Tian said with a cheerful smile.

"Your surname is Ning?" Wang Rui raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"

"That's right," Ning Tian admitted openly.

"I'm Wang Rui, and this is Huo Yuhao," he said, gesturing to the girl beside him who was reading a book. She smiled politely and nodded at Ning Tian. "We're from the Dou Ling Empire… though I suspect Miss Ning already knows that."

Ning Tian froze momentarily.

"The influence of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is not small," Wang Rui remarked with raised eyebrows. "Based on the time I registered, we should've been placed in Class 10. But instead, we've been assigned to Class 9. After thinking about it, I can only assume this is Ning's doing."

Ning Tian hadn't expected Wang Rui's question to be so direct. However, she quickly regained her composure and admitted calmly, "Yes, the sect did communicate with the teachers to have you placed in my class."

"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has its peculiarities and requires collaboration with powerful battle-type soul masters. This is no secret. The sect naturally pays close attention to young talents and obtained your information from Shrek Academy, conducting some preliminary research. If this has offended you, I apologize on behalf of the sect," she said sincerely, her expression apologetic.

"But I also hope you can understand. A Soul Elder under the age of twelve is an extraordinary talent rarely seen in this world. Any sect would be tempted to investigate. Moreover, with your top-tier martial soul, your potential is limitless," she complimented him skillfully.

"No matter if you're from a reclusive family or a free soul master, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would very much like to forge a friendship with you and your companion."

Ning Tian's tone was free of the arrogance typical of top-tier sects, and her attitude was exceptionally sincere. She even included Huo Yuhua, who was currently inconspicuous, in her overture. Though her words weren't flawless, they were quite comprehensive.

"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect both hail from the Heavenly Soul Empire and share a friendly relationship. If there's an opportunity in the future, our sect could help introduce your friend to the Body Sect."

Wang Rui scrutinized her expression and nodded inwardly. This was the demeanor a well-trained heir of a major sect should have.

Ning Tian's speech, while not without flaws, was quite impressive for someone her age. Emotional intelligence and social intuition could be developed through training, but they were also largely dependent on innate talent.

Judging by Ning Tian's social skills, she could easily overshadow a thousand Tang Ya's.

Wang Rui: time to throw some shade.jpg.

And so, Wang Rui began chatting with Ning Tian.

Their conversation shifted from sect matters to national topics. Wang Rui subtly probed for information about the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's current stance and situation, while Ning Tian skillfully evaded his traps and countered by subtly seeking information from him.

This left the Emperor Beast, who lacked internal administrative talent, quite satisfied.

Ning Tian wanted to recruit Wang Rui into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. But the Emperor Beast sitting across from her had an even bolder idea: Wang Rui wanted to bring the entire Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into the Beast Sect.

From Ning Tian's tone, it was clear she lacked reverence for the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's ancestors. Over the millennia, Ning Rongrong seemed to have little connection to the sect, unlike the ties between Shrek Academy, the Clear Sky Sect, and Tang San.

Previously, Wang Rui hadn't paid much attention to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The Beast Sect and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did have some commercial interactions, but these were limited. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, being gem-like and highly specialized, had difficulty resonating with soul beasts to form contracts.

Without destiny-bound contracts with soul beasts, Wang Rui couldn't trust a human sect, let alone consider recruiting them.

However, if he could devise a way to merge magical contracts with his own destiny contracts, allowing the sect's soul masters to form protector bonds with soul beasts, he could tie this purely auxiliary sect firmly to the Beast Sect.

Thus, the two began a cordial exchange of words and strategies.

Standing behind Ning Tian, Wu Feng clenched her teeth, barely maintaining a polite smile. But deep inside, an inexplicable sourness gnawed at her heart, like a saw cutting back and forth.

She didn't let it show. Her hands, hidden behind her back, were tightly clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms.

In the original story, Wu Feng had directly provoked Huo Yuhao, but that was when they were already enemies. Now that both Ning Tian and the sect sought to win over Wang Rui, no matter how bitter and jealous she felt inside, she couldn't sabotage her young master's plans.

Wu Feng had grown up alongside Ning Tian and always considered herself her protector. However, the sect's plan to recruit Wang Rui and potentially tie him to Ning Tian through marriage left her feeling pained and resentful.

She didn't want this but couldn't understand why. Clearly, the sect's decision was in the best interest of both the sect and her young master. So why did she feel so unwilling?

Wu Feng felt she needed to distract herself. If she continued watching, she might lose control and challenge Wang Rui outright.

Her gaze shifted to Huo Yuhao, who was sitting nearby reading a book.