Chapter 341: The Entire Academy Boils Over, Explosive Popularity!

The Suppression Card could immobilize animals within a certain radius for about a minute.

In that time, the yacht had already followed Ning Fei's coordinates and arrived.

Because of this, Ning Fei was able to climb aboard the yacht without the shark attacking him.

Only after Ning Fei was seated on the yacht and pulling away did the shark regain its mobility.

The creature was completely bewildered, having no idea why it had suddenly been unable to move.

However, fish were never known for their brains, and sharks were no exception. Without giving it another thought, it turned around, dove into the deep sea, and slowly swam away.

On the yacht, Ning Fei stripped off his diving gear.

"Daoist Priest, you are truly amazing. I've seen plenty of divers, but this is my first time seeing someone dare to go into the deep sea with zero protection," praised the young man driving the yacht. His name was Li Cong, and he wore sunglasses and a short-sleeved shirt.

Ning Fei smiled. "I'm just a fairly good swimmer."

"Everyone who lives by the sea is a good swimmer, but no matter how good you are, you can't outswim a fish," Li Cong said comfortably, enjoying the ocean breeze.

"Fair point." Ning Fei found the young man rather interesting.

"Have you ever gone down?" Ning Fei asked. "I mean deep-sea diving, not just swimming."

Li Cong shook his head. "Never. It's way too dangerous. Only rich people with too much free time play around down there."

Then, remembering something, he let out a chuckle.

"I do know a few girls who have 'gone down' before, though. Interested?"

"For a handsome guy like you, they might not even charge. Hell, they might even pay you!"

Ning Fei just shook his head at Li Cong's words and said nothing.

The 'going down' Li Cong mentioned carried a completely different meaning.

For someone like him who piloted yachts for a living, his daily routine consisted of ferrying wealthy big shots to offshore parties. Over time, he had picked up quite a few debauched habits.

Back at the villa, Ning Fei prepared to pay Li Cong for his services. However, Li Cong waved him off, explaining that Lin Chuan had already covered the bill. Waving goodbye, the young man piloted the yacht away into the distance.

For Ning Fei, his quest was now complete. All that was left was to find a secluded spot to claim his reward.

He asked the System about it and learned that claiming this reward wasn't entirely straightforward. He couldn't just spawn it in. A cruise ship had to be officially registered, much like a car needing a license plate.

If the System simply materialized a cruise ship out of thin air without any paper trail or registration, it would immediately draw the suspicion of the police.

Because of this, the System informed him that an order had already been placed with a military shipyard and all the legal paperwork had been handled. The only thing left was the interior renovation before the vessel could officially set sail for the open ocean.

The entire process would take about fifteen days.

Fifteen days wasn't too long, and it gave him just enough time to make his own preparations.

When Ning Fei walked back into the seaside villa, he said to Bai Yi, "I'm taking you back to school. You're a freshman now; focusing on your studies is what's most important."

Bai Yi argued with him for a bit, but she couldn't win against her brother's stubbornness. In the end, she had no choice but to obediently agree to go back.

As it turned out, the new semester at the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts was starting in two days. Ning Fei promised Bai Yi that he would personally drop her off at the campus.

Two days later, at the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts.

It was one of Huaxia's most prestigious art institutions. The kids who managed to enroll here were either brimming with artistic talent, certified wealthy heirs, or wealthy heirs brimming with artistic talent.

Today was the start of the semester. Freshmen and returning students alike hauled their luggage through the gates. Some stepped out of luxury cars, while others walked onto the campus in small groups, chatting cheerfully.

The young men and women laughed and joked, overflowing with youthful energy.

A group of guys were hanging out and chatting when one of them suddenly spoke up.

"Check out that black off-road vehicle. Looks badass."

"Why does that car look so familiar?" another chimed in.

"Yeah, it really does!"

"Isn't that the exact same car Temple Master Ning drives?"

"Holy shit! Look at the license plate—it really is Temple Master Ning!"

"Temple Master Ning! It's him!"

After that first shout of discovery, the crowd erupted like a boiling pot of water as everyone around began to clamor.

"It's Temple Master Ning's car!"

"My husband! Oh my god, it's my husband!"

"Temple Master Ning! Where is he?"

The entire vicinity descended into a frenzy.

Young demographics, particularly college students, were the primary audience for live streams.

A huge portion of Ning Fei's most die-hard fans were university students.

Amidst the screaming and shouting, Ning Fei pulled the off-road vehicle into a nearby parking spot and stepped out.

The car's soundproofing was excellent, so at first, he hadn't noticed the explosive cheers.

The moment he stepped out, he froze.

A massive crowd of students was surging toward him like a tidal wave.

He was probably the only person left who didn't realize just how insanely famous he was in Huaxia!

Ning Fei pulled Bai Yi's luggage from the trunk, looking a bit stunned by the spectacle.

Bai Yi, however, seemed to have anticipated this exactly. She stood by his side, laughing merrily.

Having a brother like him certainly gave her a lot of face.

"Temple Master Ning, I'm a huge fan! Please sign this!"

"Temple Master, you're a legend!"

"Temple Master Ning, I love you!"

"Let's take a selfie together!"

"Oh my god, he's so handsome in person! His looks are completely off the charts."

Dragging Bai Yi's suitcase, Ning Fei looked at the boiling crowd and called out, "Hello everyone, thank you for your support."

"I'm just here to drop my sister off for school. I won't be doing any autographs or photos today, so I hope you can all understand."

With that, Ning Fei pulled the suitcase and continued forward, with Bai Yi following closely on his heels.

The crowd formed a circle around them.

Since they were all university students, they were fairly well-mannered. They mostly just hovered nearby taking pictures, rather than rushing forward and crowding him too aggressively.

At the school gate, the security guard was completely dumbfounded.

He was on duty today to oversee the arrival of the freshmen. But now, looking off into the distance, he saw a massive, dense throng of people marching toward the gates like some grand parade.

The guard immediately picked up his phone and called the dean of academic affairs.

"What did you just say? A celebrity showed up, and the freshmen are all swarming him?"

"This is an art academy! We don't allow that toxic idol-worship fan culture to pollute this campus. If we let that slide, it'll ruin the students and teach them the worst habits of the entertainment industry!"

"Who is this celebrity anyway?"

The dean of academic affairs was absolutely furious. Hearing that the students were mobbing some random celebrity made his blood boil.

In the past, the academy had always maintained a highly disciplined, artistic atmosphere.

But with the modern rise of internet traffic culture and obsessive fan followings, many of the students had grown restless. They were constantly distracted, dreaming of going viral online and making a grand debut.

This toxic mindset was incredibly detrimental to genuine artistic development.

On the other end of the line, the guard replied meekly, "I... I think I heard the students calling him 'Temple Master Ning'."

"Who? Who did you say?" At the sound of that name, the dean's attitude underwent an instant one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

"Did you just say Temple Master Ning is visiting our campus? Are you serious?"

Unsure of what else to say, the guard just muttered, "That's what everyone is calling him."

"Alright, I understand. I'm on my way!" The dean slammed the phone down and sprinted straight for the front gates.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

The guard stood there holding the dead phone, completely at a loss.

It didn't take long for the dean of academic affairs to arrive at the gates. Spotting Ning Fei completely surrounded by the crowd, he shoved his way to the center and eagerly reached out for a handshake.

"Hello, Temple Master Ning! I am Li Hua, the dean of academic affairs here at the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts."

"Hello." Ning Fei gave him a polite handshake, even though he had no idea what this dean wanted.

Li Hua grabbed his hand and refused to let go. Instead, he turned toward the students and started shouting for everyone to hurry up and take a picture of them.

Ning Fei was utterly speechless.

The dean of academic affairs had literally run all the way here just to get a photo op?

Only after making sure several students had snapped a photo did Li Hua finally release Ning Fei's hand. Chuckling heartily, he rattled off a few pleasantries about how honored the academy was to welcome him.

Standing by the gates, the security guard was completely stupefied.

Good lord... just a moment ago the man was ranting about how toxic fan culture was ruining the youth, and in the blink of an eye, he was shamelessly fanboying himself.

This dean was truly on another level.

Ning Fei's appearance at the campus soon triggered a massive chain reaction.

First, the freshmen who had already moved into their dorms heard he was there. They dropped their luggage and abandoned unpacking altogether, sprinting outside just to get a glimpse of him.

Word spread quickly. Students from neighboring universities found out that Temple Master Ning was visiting the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts, and massive crowds began flooding in from all directions.

In less than twenty minutes, the streets surrounding the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts were locked in a total traffic jam. Fortunately, Jingdu City's roadways were extensive and well-connected, so drivers could easily detour without wasting too much time.

This kind of spectacle was completely beyond anything Ning Fei had ever anticipated.

He spent all his time exploring deep mountains, snowy peaks, and the Grassland. He simply had no idea just how terrifyingly massive his popularity in the city had become.

And now, merely by showing his face, he had caused the students of the Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts and every neighboring university to absolutely boil over in excitement.