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Night fell at Jianmu Douluo's residence.
A small bronze bell was mounted on the redwood door. Ling Bai rhythmically tapped the bell, and after a moment, he heard Jianmu Douluo's voice from inside the door:
"Come in, Little Bai."
The door was unlocked, and Ling Bai easily pushed it open. Jianmu Douluo had converted the entire second floor into a spacious room. The spiral staircase led up to the vaulted ceiling, where antique bookshelves lined the walls, filled with a vast collection of books, reminiscent of a city library. Jianmu Douluo was passionate about reading ancient texts, and Ling Bai, influenced by his teacher, had also learned to read for tranquility, often spending entire mornings with his senior sister Han Ruoru in the Shrek Academy library.
"Sit."
Jianmu Douluo was holding a massive, ancient tome, nearly as tall as a person. Ling Bai sneakily glanced at the cover, which read 'Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Soul Beasts (Light Chapter).'
"Why are you visiting me so late at night?" Jianmu Douluo asked, still engrossed in his reading, without even lifting his head.
"After visiting the Treasure House of the World's secret technique area tomorrow morning, I will set off for the Ultimate North to complete the surveillance mission for Shrek Academy. I won't have time to return to the sect, so I'm saying goodbye in advance."
"So soon…"
Jianmu Douluo finally looked up, tracing a few symbols on the table with his finger. A green wooden figure sprang to life, walking with tiny steps to a corner where it opened a redwood cabinet. Instantly, a hundred varieties of tea jars were revealed, their fragrances mingling to create a magical aroma.
"Have a cup of tea with me before you go."
The little wooden figure examined the tea jars, then put one back unsatisfied. Jianmu Douluo asked, "Do you want Heart-Burning from the Flame Volcano, Life Jade from the Star Dou Forest, or Heart of the Ocean from the deep sea? Oh, since you're heading to the Ultimate North, you might as well experience the cold. How about some Northern Cold Green Tea?"
"Sure."
Ling Bai didn't inherit Jianmu Douluo's love for tea; to him, all tea tasted the same.
The little wooden figure retrieved a blue and white cold jade tea jar, walked to the table, and measured two scoops of Northern Cold Green Tea into a bone china cup. Pouring in boiling water, the tea's fragrance instantly filled the room. Jianmu Douluo nodded in satisfaction:
"Specially sourced from the Ultimate North, the quality and aroma are top-notch. When I'm gone, don't you dare waste the tea I've collected with such effort. Keep it well. A hundred years from now, when you're older, you'll also enjoy sipping tea; it's a human instinct engraved in our blood."
Ling Bai watched the little wooden figure put the tea jar back into the cabinet and said helplessly, "Always talking about life and death is inauspicious. Maybe you can heal your old injuries and live another hundred years."
"Birth, aging, illness, and death are the norms of life. What's wrong with talking about them?"
Jianmu Douluo, with the demeanor of an old man, waited for the tea to cool, smiling faintly: "Time flies like a galloping horse, and days pass like falling flowers. Even without injuries, I am already old…"
Ling Bai remained silent, looking thoughtfully at his reflection in the teacup. As the saying goes, the older one gets, the more one reminisces about the past. Jianmu Douluo recalled his bygone days and slowly said:
"I remember when I was six, the village had a unified awakening of soul powers. I awakened a sapling, bare and leafless, with no direction for cultivation. What could a bare sapling do? Attack? Defend? Control? Support?
Back then, with a narrow perspective, my parents and I decided not to waste money on a basic soul master academy. We decided to be honest farmers; at least with soul power, we could plow the fields faster. A few days later, my great-grandfather Fengya passed through the village and stayed at our house for a night. He discovered my ability and promised to sponsor me to become a soul master.
Grateful to Great-Grandfather Fengya, I attended the Tianhun Empire Royal Soul Master Academy. The bare sapling absorbed its first soul technique and grew leaves, but still lacked any offensive capability. I said this wouldn't do, as paying the fees and being eliminated would be a huge loss. So, I studied day and night to create my own soul techniques, and eventually, I succeeded.
At eighteen, my soul power broke through to level sixty-eight, and I participated in the soul master tournament with my classmates. We advanced through the rounds, winning one after another, and made it to the semi-finals. That year, the team captains in the semi-finals were me, Mu En, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui. In the semi-finals, I faced Mu En's Shrek Academy, which was far stronger than Tianhun. We fought our hardest and lost without regret.
Black and White Twin Dragons, Puppet Master, Jianmu reaching the heavens.
That tournament was our first time making a name for ourselves. The world believed we would become the leaders of the continent in the future, and indeed, among the four of us, the one with the lowest soul power was me, at level ninety-eight…
I graduated smoothly from the royal academy and traveled the continent to hone my skills. I successfully achieved the title of Jianmu and was invited to join the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower by Great-Grandfather Fengya. Listening to those two and Ye Xishui bicker every day was like listening to gossip. I made a bet with someone, wondering if the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons, being evenly matched, could win the heart of the goddess and prove their superiority in love…"
Hearing this, a ripple of emotion passed through Ling Bai's eyes. Death Douluo Ye Xishui, the lifelong nemesis of the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons. If a winner had to be chosen, it would undoubtedly be Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao, as Ye Xishui had passed on her lineage to him and had become the dean of the Soul Power Department at Shrek Academy.
"Little Bai, before setting off fireworks at the sect, your teacher wants to spend the last ten years in peace. If I can see you break through to the封号斗罗 rank, marry your beloved, and have children, then my life can be considered complete."
"Teacher, don't rush into planning…"
Ling Bai took out the purified Life Gold, feeling the overwhelming life force emanating from it. Jianmu Douluo was momentarily stunned.
"This is a divine life attribute treasure. I'm not very smart, so I'll have to trouble you for another hundred years, Teacher."
"Not… I… That… Ah?"
Jianmu Douluo stammered, his face turning from white to red, then black, purple, blue, green, and pink…
It was hard to imagine seeing gratitude, surprise, shock, embarrassment, and regret all on one face at the same time.
Well, the old artist has a rich range of expressions!
Jianmu Douluo regained his composure and sighed, "Little Bai, I won't ask where you got this divine treasure. With it, I have a 100% chance of healing the hidden injuries from the poison a hundred years ago and advancing my soul power to become a Limit Douluo.
I'll protect you and the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower for another hundred years, willingly. But there's one very awkward thing…
It's rather funny, I already said my goodbyes to that old Mu En, and now I'm living another hundred years. When I meet him in the underworld, I can only imagine how harshly he'll scold me."
Jianmu Douluo chuckled self-deprecatingly, imagining Mu En grabbing him by the neck and shaking him furiously, tears in his eyes: "You old scoundrel, I waited a hundred years for you!"
A hundred years!
"Hahaha."
Ling Bai couldn't help but laugh. He wouldn't get involved in this; the two old comrades could sort it out privately. However, Jianmu Douluo mentioning Mu En made Ling Bai share a thought he had been keeping to himself.
"Teacher, to be honest, I have a target for Ten-thousand-year Ultimate Fire. I only need extreme light. Do you think a drop of Life Gold could exchange for ten-thousand-year Golden Tree's light power? If Mu Laoye's life can be extended, we will have no worries, and both we and Shrek Academy will benefit."
Jianmu Douluo shook his head and sighed, "You're clever, but it's impossible. When you returned to the sect, Mu En also came. I saw his current condition; his life force is like a flickering candle in the wind, and his death aura is obvious, even the gods can't save him.
I have a chance to be saved for two reasons. First, the Jianmu Sacred Tree and the Life Gold's attributes are perfectly compatible, allowing me to maximize the use of this divine life energy to rejuvenate myself. Mu En's Light Holy Dragon cannot do this.
Second, Mu En's injuries are much more severe than mine. After planting means in each other's bodies, I and Duobusi called it quits. Mu En and Dubusi fought to the death. Dubusi's internal organs were shattered, and his spirit sea was severely damaged by the Overlord of the World. He lived as a living dead for five years before his soul and body perished.
Mu En was hit by the sect's secret technique, his spine broken, and his body decayed. His body is like a rag doll sewn together with needles and threads. Even more Life Gold would be a drop in the bucket. It's a miracle he's still alive, and when the time comes, there will be only one outcome: death."
"I see…"
Ling Bai sighed regretfully. With Mu Laoye's death, the old fossils at Shrek Academy would never agree to the exchange, and he would need to find another way.
"Teacher, please focus on healing and breaking through. I'll say goodbye to Xiaotian."
"Go ahead, be careful on your mission."
The creak of the closing door echoed, and Jianmu Douluo instantly clenched the Life Gold in his hand, closing the soul beast encyclopedia. A faint outline of a towering tree appeared behind him, and he murmured:
"Little Bai, a person needs a face, and a tree needs bark. If the situation truly becomes severe and uncontrollable, your teacher will risk his reputation to help you seize Shrek Academy's Golden Tree!"
…
In the basement of the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower.
In the vast, dark basement of the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower, Ling Bai stood shoulder to shoulder with Ning Fengya. After collecting the secret techniques from the Treasure House of the World, he would immediately set off for the Ultimate North.
Narrowing his eyes, Ling Bai scanned the dark corners, knowing that many eyes were fixed on him, and every move he made was observed by the hidden Nine Treasures Crystal Tower guards.
Besides the vigilant gazes, Ling Bai could sense several subtle auras, at least at the Douluo level. These were just the simplest guards at the entrance to the Treasure House of the World; the true defenses of the Treasure House of the World required no human intervention.
A closer inspection of the underground space revealed faint wrinkles on the walls, forming a barrier that protected the Treasure House of the World.
Ning Fengya's silver-white hair cascaded to her waist, her figure graceful and elegant. She smiled and said:
"The Treasure House of the World, rich beyond measure.
The world knows that the Seven Treasures Crystal Tower's greatest ability, besides support, is the unparalleled treasure appraisal skill. This has allowed the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower to accumulate an enormous wealth.
This wealth, to put it bluntly, could easily support ten elite soul master battalions. Over ten thousand years, it has naturally attracted the covetous eyes of countless soul masters. Unfortunately, whether it's the imperial royal family or the ancient sects, including the Soul Temple that nearly destroyed the Seven Treasures Crystal Tower ten thousand years ago, none have ever set foot inside the Treasure House of the World.
Because the Treasure House of the World's unmatched wealth is protected by the world's most advanced security system. This security system was not built in a day but was gradually improved over tens of thousands of years by the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower, starting from the first generation sect master, with substantial investments and the help of Space-type Sealed Douluos and Limit Douluos who had touched the power of space.
Unless a deity descends, no one on the Douluo Continent has the strength to forcibly break through the space gate and enter the Treasure House of the World. Outsiders can only fantasize about the wealth inside."
With that, Ning Fengya extended her palms and slowly formed the secret hand seals passed down through the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower. These seals combined the soul power and bloodline power of the Seven Treasures Crystal Tower lineage, and simply learning the seals would be of no use.
As Ning Fengya formed the hand seals, Ling Bai clearly felt a powerful, intangible wave emanating from her palms, undulating and unceasing like waves.
The intangible wave gradually spread, interacting with the space wrinkles. The moment they touched, the space gate rippled like a water mirror. After a moment, the ripples stopped, and the space gate was torn open by a nine-colored hand, releasing an ancient and desolate aura.
"Little Bai, you have already entered the Treasure House of the World once before joining Shrek Academy, so I won't go into too much detail. I'll just say one thing, which is the sect's creed: don't be ashamed to choose inferior items out of concern for appearances. Be bold in enjoying your wealth and don't be ashamed of your noble origins. Always remember, your starting point may be high, but your destination is even higher!"
"I understand, Aunt Fengya."
Ling Bai smiled and nodded, accepting the gifts and favors of the Nine Treasures Crystal Tower, which essentially meant he promised to help in the future. Both sides had what they needed, all for the sake of this bond.
"It's good that you're open-minded. The Treasure House of the World will be open to you for an hour; you can choose any secret technique you like."
Crossing through the space gate into the Treasure House of the World, the walls were lined with lanterns every ten meters, gently glowing and illuminating the room like daylight.
Mermaid lamps, made from the oil of the mermaid clan, burn for a thousand years.
Ling Bai strolled into the secret technique area, which was a different world from the soul bone area, where each soul bone glowed brightly. The secret technique area consisted of corridors with crimson wooden doors on both sides, some of which emitted a faint red light.
Actually, Ling Bai didn't have a specific secret technique in mind, until Ilex gave him the entire necromantic demiplane.
The Seven-Killing Sword Technique, written by Sword Douluo Chen Xin, records the sword techniques refined by the Seven-Killing Sword clan over a thousand years.
Passing through the open wooden door, Ling Bai stopped at the room adjacent to the Seven-Killing Sword Technique.
Bone Dragon Transformation, written by Bone Douluo Gulong, records all the secrets of cultivating, controlling, and enhancing bone dragons.
Entering the room, the lighting was a bit brighter than in the corridor. The room was not spacious, and in the center, there was a stone platform. On the platform, a simple white scroll lay quietly.
The secret technique, Bone Dragon Transformation!
Flipping to the first page, Ling Bai saw Gulong's uneven handwriting.
Tomorrow is the final battle at Jialing Pass. The old swordsman is worried that the Seven-Killing Sword Technique might disappear if he falls, so he decided to write it down for future generations. He wrote it, but why did he drag me into it?
I had no one in life, and I have no one in death. If I die, so be it. My self-created Bone Dragon Transformation is only suitable for bone dragons. Who would like it?
It's so annoying, I can't resist him!
I'll write it!
Bone Dragon Transformation is the culmination of my life. Future generations must remember: if you encounter a descendant of the Seven-Killing Sword Technique, beat him up, hit him hard in the face!
Prove to everyone in the Douluo Continent that my Gulong's legacy is stronger than the old swordsman's!
(End of Chapter)