Inside the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and other high-ranking members of the sect were casually chatting in the main hall, as they often did.
"Fengzhi, has that Ye Zhiqiu from the Blue Sunshine Academy still not shown any signs of suspicion?" Chen Xin glanced at Ning Fengzhi, who was sitting opposite him, and asked in a deep voice.
"Mm, our people have been observing him for more than two years now, and indeed, there's nothing suspicious in his behavior. He hasn't been seen associating with any powerful figures from other forces either," Ning Fengzhi replied, though his expression didn't relax. "However, his cultivation speed is unnaturally fast. He's already advanced to the Soul Emperor level. Normally, if he had such talent, he shouldn't have been stuck at the Soul King level for so long."
"How strange. Who could the person who intervened back then have been?"
Seeing that Chen Xin was still troubled by this matter, Ning Fengzhi tried to console him. "Uncle Jian, I think you shouldn't dwell on it anymore. According to Rongrong, she didn't suffer much at the time; it was just a misunderstanding and an apology. Besides, Ye Zhiqiu was forced into it back then. The real issue lies with Shrek Academy's teaching methods."
Chen Xin frowned at this and scolded, "In that case, you shouldn't let her stay in that academy any longer. The dean is only a Soul Saint; can he truly teach Rongrong? She should return home as soon as possible!"
"This is about that Tang San..."
"In the end, you just want to use Rongrong to bring benefits to the sect. Is that how a father should behave? Can't you handle negotiations yourself?"
"Uncle Jian, that's not what I meant. Rongrong herself doesn't want to come back. The Shrek Academy's Zhu Zhuqing has helped her a lot. You can't forbid children from making friends, right?" Seeing that Chen Xin was a bit displeased, Ning Fengzhi hurried to explain.
Chen Xin sipped his tea, disinterested in continuing the argument, and shifted the topic. "Speaking of which, what progress has been made on the hidden weapons you've mentioned?"
As the guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Chen Xin placed great importance on the sect's interests, and he understood the immense value hidden weapons held for auxiliary-type Soul Masters.
"It's not looking good." Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened as he spoke. "Just like I told Rongrong, that boy has too many ideas and is difficult to sway. He's unwilling to share the production methods, only agreeing to sell us finished products."
This kind of cooperation was clearly unacceptable to him.
After all, the celestial herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had long been taken by Su Cheng. Without the celestial herbs to stimulate the evolution of their martial souls, Tang San owed the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect nothing.
Given this, Ning Fengzhi naturally couldn't accept such unequal terms.
"Besides, he's Tang Hao's son, so we can't use other methods. We'll have to proceed slowly."
"Mm..." Chen Xin nodded and fell silent.
"Oh, right, Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone. Rongrong mentioned that Zhu Zhuqing girl before, and we've seen her ourselves. Her talent is indeed excellent. What do you think of her?"
"Why are you asking us about this?"
Gu Rong, who had been silent, also looked at him.
"Ahem, from what I gather, that child might return to the Star Luo Empire in the future. It seems unlikely she'll join our sect. I was wondering if either of you would consider taking her as a disciple?"
"Let's discuss that later. By the way," Chen Xin's tone lowered as if he suddenly recalled something, "was Xue Beng's death orchestrated by Xue Qinghe?"
"Sigh, the royal family's issues should be left for them to handle. We don't need to get involved," Ning Fengzhi sighed and subtly hinted, unwilling to elaborate further.
In the spacious training room of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, several young figures, including Tang San, were practicing sparring drills and honing their coordination.
Without Xue Beng secretly sabotaging them, Shrek Academy had smoothly merged with Heaven Dou Royal Academy, entering the Soul Master Academy competition as the main force of the second team.
As for the original second team members, most of them had been relegated to substitutes.
However, Xiao Wu was not among those training.
It had to be said that Su Cheng's actions from two years ago had indeed had some impact.
Without the celestial herb "Yearning Heartbroken Red" to protect her, there was no effective way for Xiao Wu to continue hiding her identity as a Soul Beast. She had no choice but to temporarily leave the team under a pretense, and one of the former members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team had joined Shrek's ranks to fill the gap.
In the training arena, Dai Mubai's hand was encased in a set of iron-hard, bone-like claws. Meanwhile, a pair of fiery red wings sprouted from Ma Hongjun's back as they faced off in combat.
If Su Cheng were here to witness this scene, he would be utterly shocked.
The external organs on these two weren't the result of martial soul possession or any special soul skill. They were external soul bones!
Even without the help of celestial herbs, both Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun had obtained external soul bones that perfectly complemented their attributes.
This rare occurrence—three external soul bones simultaneously appearing among Shrek Academy's students—was nothing short of remarkable.
The teachers found it equally unbelievable.
Currently, Shrek Academy's team members were undoubtedly among the top of their peers in terms of strength.
With Zhu Zhuqing's fearsome Hell White Tiger martial soul, Tang San's twin martial souls, and the addition of external soul bones for both Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, not to mention the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, the most powerful support martial soul, and the innate full spirit power of Oscar, the food-type Soul Master, this lineup was formidable. Even without Xiao Wu, they were not at a disadvantage compared to the team that had once received celestial herbs.
As Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun fought fiercely, the core and substitute members of the former Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team stood scattered around, watching the match and occasionally discussing strategy.
Ning Rongrong, being a support-type Soul Master, didn't need to participate in the one-on-one duels. Zhu Zhuqing, with her overwhelming strength, rarely took part in such training either. The two stood somewhat apart from the others.
Watching the intense battle between the two on stage, Ning Rongrong pouted and muttered to Zhu Zhuqing beside her, "Those two sure are lucky, getting external soul bones like that. Why don't we ever get that kind of luck?"
Despite the years of training and fighting together, Shrek Academy's students had grown closer but still weren't exactly friends. They were "teammates," and nothing more.
Old grievances, combined with the trauma from the incident in the small town, had left indelible marks. Over time, the weight of those memories deepened rather than faded.
Those memories wouldn't disappear; they were simply buried as everyone silently agreed not to bring them up, allowing them to settle in their hearts.
Zhu Zhuqing smiled indifferently, unconcerned. "External soul bones aren't that impressive. With their talent limits, it's questionable whether they can even reach the rank of Title Douluo. Soul bones only add to their strength, but ultimately, Soul Masters are defined by their martial souls."
"True. Even with external soul bones, they're no match for you," Ning Rongrong nodded before sighing softly. "Sigh, I envy you guys. What good is it that I was born with a ninth-level innate soul power? My martial soul's limitations mean that the most I can hope for is to become a Soul Saint, like my father."
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent upon hearing this.
In her mind, she subconsciously recalled the methods used by the mysterious expert hidden in the shadows that day in the small town.
That person had added three extra spirit rings to Ye Zhiqiu, who was at the Spirit King level, instantly raising his power by three major ranks, elevating him directly from a Spirit King to the peak of a Spirit Douluo.
Perhaps, with that person's ability, they might really have the chance to help Ning Rongrong overcome the flaws of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit.
But at this moment, Zhu Zhuqing didn't think it was appropriate to say much.
On one hand, she had promised to keep the conversation from that day confidential. On the other hand, it would be cruel to give Ning Rongrong hope if it couldn't ultimately be fulfilled.
Beside her, Ning Rongrong quickly adjusted her mood.
The flaw of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had been known for a long time, and the disciples of the sect had long gotten used to it. She didn't have too many thoughts on the matter and had only complained casually.
Moreover, even if a spirit master with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could only reach the Spirit Saint level in their lifetime, they were still highly sought after as the best support-type companions, holding the title of the number one support spirit master in the world.
She glanced at the young man standing in another corner, watching the fight, and muttered under her breath, "But Tang San is really stingy. My dad offered him such good conditions, yet he still refuses to exchange the production methods of his hidden weapons."
"It's his own stuff. It's perfectly normal that he wouldn't want to share it."
Ning Rongrong pursed her lips, knowing that Zhu Zhuqing was right, then changed the topic, "So, who's stronger between you and Tang San now?"
"I don't know. In a regular fight, he's definitely not as strong as me, but he might be hiding some special tricks. Tang San is always so secretive."
"True," Ning Rongrong nodded, looking thoughtful, "It's strange enough that someone with a Blue Silver Grass spirit can have innate full spirit power, but the fact that his cultivation speed is just as fast is even more suspicious."
"Hmm, I suspect his spirit isn't just an ordinary Blue Silver Grass."
Zhu Zhuqing replied absentmindedly, chatting with Ning Rongrong while her thoughts wandered to other matters.
It had almost been three years since the encounter outside the Star Dou Great Forest, in the small town of Fenghua.
She still vividly remembered the agreement made that day.
So, should she go to Spirit City to meet that mysterious expert?
As Zhu Zhuqing's strength had rapidly grown over the past few years, she had encountered more and more powerful individuals. Her knowledge and experience had also greatly expanded.
Yet, the stronger she became, the more she realized just how terrifying and powerful that mysterious person was.
According to Ning Rongrong, her father and Sword Douluo had personally visited Blue Sunshine Academy to confirm Ye Zhiqiu's strength, and he was just an ordinary Spirit King. Beyond that, they couldn't find any clues.
Even more astonishing was the fact that the students at the academy had no memory of the events that took place afterward, particularly the scenes where Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun knelt to admit their mistakes. They were completely unaware, without the slightest recollection.
There was no way they were lying.
Under the pressure of a peak Douluo-level aura from Sword Douluo, the students—who were at most Spirit Grandmasters—couldn't have resisted mentally.
Moreover, Zhu Zhuqing had gradually come to understand what that mysterious expert meant by "individuals with innate special traits."
Xiao Wu's recent departure was incredibly odd.
Her relationship with Tang San had been growing closer, and she had been eagerly anticipating the upcoming Spirit Master Tournament.
As far as Zhu Zhuqing knew, Xiao Wu was an orphan with no relatives. Yet, just before the critical moment of the tournament, she voluntarily left the team to handle her own affairs.
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't believe there wasn't a hidden reason behind it, but for now, she couldn't figure it out.
Besides Xiao Wu, the other unusual person was Tang San.
She discovered that Tang San harbored a deep-seated prejudice against the Spirit Hall.
Even though his spirit was Blue Silver Grass, he was, in fact, a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, the son of the renowned Clear Sky Douluo.
However, the strange thing was that his bias didn't seem to stem from the Clear Sky Sect or Tang Hao, but rather from his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
Regardless of where Tang San's strong stance came from, it seemed inevitable that he would eventually find himself in direct opposition to the Spirit Hall.
"Rongrong, what do you think of the Spirit Hall?"
"I don't have much of an opinion, but my dad has mentioned it a few times. He said the Spirit Hall has grand ambitions and is trying to recruit all the major sects. Also, the tense situation between the two empires is largely due to the Spirit Hall's secret manipulation. But their ultimate goal is still unclear."
"Is that so…"
Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment and then asked, "If you had the chance to become the disciple of a powerful expert you don't really know or have met only once, do you think you should accept?"
Ning Rongrong turned her head in surprise.
She knew that since Zhu Zhuqing had asked this question, it wasn't a casual inquiry. She must have encountered something similar.
"How strong?"
"Stronger than Sword Douluo—by a lot."
"…"
Ning Rongrong fell silent, finding it hard to believe. But she also knew that Zhu Zhuqing wasn't one to exaggerate.
After a long pause, her expression turned more serious, "I suggest you wait."
Afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly explained.
"I'm not saying this because of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I just think, if that person wants to take you as a disciple, it's because they see potential in you.
"Think about it. We have the strength to compete for the championship in the Spirit Master Tournament. Even those two weaklings, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, have gained external spirit bones, greatly enhancing their combat abilities.
"With the tournament about to start, why not prove yourself first and then consider it?"
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong suddenly recalled something.
Back in the small town, Ye Zhiqiu had specifically asked Zhu Zhuqing if she wanted to enroll in Blue Sunshine Academy.
But afterward, she learned from Chen Xin that the person who acted that day wasn't really Ye Zhiqiu—it was a mysterious expert hiding in the shadows.
So…
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened slightly, "Zhuqing, the person you're talking about, could it be the one from that day in Fenghua Town…?"