Ning Rongrong, Bo Saixi, and Zhu Zhuqing walked out of the Sea God Hall together. The others, Tianlin included—already returned—had been waiting there for a long time.
Tianlin stepped up, took Ning Rongrong's hand, and smiled. "Congratulations, Rongrong. You've completed the most crucial step of the assessment. From now on, you are the true heir to the Sea God."
"Mhm. It's all thanks to you, Sword Brother," Ning Rongrong said, moved. She knew full well how much effort Tianlin had put in to bring her to this step.
He had anticipated her every danger—down to the last detail.
"Jun Tianlin," Bo Saixi said, coming up to him and casually turning over her hand. "These are what Tang Chen promised you. In his life, he never went back on his word. Before he passed, he admonished me again and again to make sure I delivered these to you."
What she produced were Tang Chen's six soul bones. Back then, the three apex Douluos of sky, sea, and land were all people of character: when they promised, they delivered.
Tianlin didn't actually dislike Tang Chen. If not for the matter of Tang Hao and Tang San, they might have become friends.
A pity. An enemy is an enemy. Just like Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong—even though they are Qian Renxue's grandfather and mother, when it was time to strike, he never hesitated. Still less so for Tang Chen.
Tianlin accepted the soul bones. As for distribution, they would discuss it at home. At that moment, Yu Tianheng stepped forward. "Xiao Tian, Rongrong, does this mean we can leave Sea God Island now? We've been away from home for years. I'd like to go back and take a look."
The two nodded. Ning Rongrong missed home as well. Normally, even if outsiders pass the trials, they still aren't allowed to leave the island. But with the Sea God's heir present, it's an exception. Now that Ning Rongrong held the trident's recognition, she could ignore that rule.
"Then we'll take our leave, Grand Priestess, seniors," Ning Rongrong said to Bo Saixi and the seven Sea Douluos who had come to see them off.
"We respectfully see you off, my lady!" The seven Sea Douluos were now exceedingly deferential to Ning Rongrong. Since she had gained the Sea God's Trident's recognition, her status on Sea God Island was at this point even higher than Bo Saixi's.
Once she became the Sea God, she would be the new master of Sea God Island.
The seven Sacred Pillar Douluos escorted everyone to the shore. Xiao Bai then appeared, leading the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan to carry them away. Unfortunately, there was no spot for Tianlin. He hadn't undergone any Sea God trial and wasn't a member of Sea God Island; Xiao Bai's kin didn't want outsiders stepping on them.
Tianlin felt quite wronged. He'd wanted to try riding a shark, but not only the islanders—even the guardian soul beasts were this xenophobic. He was the husband of the island's next master, and they gave him no face at all.
Annoyed, he didn't even bother with sword-flight. He used a Starshift Talisman to return home ahead. In any case, Rongrong wasn't in any danger for the time being. At Xiao Bai's speed, they would reach the continent in a few days.
"Xiao Tian's throwing a tantrum with Xiao Bai," Oslo laughed. "Hey, Xiao Bai, you're giving him no face—aren't you afraid he'll turn you into Steamed Little White Shark one day? He's your future master's husband, you know."
"I'm not afraid," Xiao Bai said breezily. "Rongrong will protect me. I've already seen through that man—powerful and smart, but a bit childish. In their family, he'll decide big matters and Rongrong the small ones. And this one is clearly small."
"Worthy of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. You've lived long and see things clearly. Xiao Tian's only been here a few days and you've already read him through—impressive!" Dugu Yan said admiringly.
Laughing and chatting, their figures disappeared over the horizon.
…
Elsewhere, Tianlin used the Starshift Talisman to go straight home and told Ning Fengzhi about Sea God Island. Ning Fengzhi was overjoyed.
He hadn't expected that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would suddenly gain two more divine inheritors. Counting Chen Xin and Tianlin, and possibly Ma Hongjun, that made five.
Once all five became gods, would there even be a need to fight a continental war?
Time—they still needed time. Ning Fengzhi's life seemed devoted to buying time for Tianlin and the others.
He had already guessed that the Evil Sword Immortal meant to use the Grandmaster to stir up the hatred in Bibi Dong's heart to speed her toward godhood—but that it wouldn't be as simple as killing him. At present, Bibi Dong might still hold the Grandmaster in her heart, but not as she once did, when he filled it entirely.
Because of the Grandmaster's deception back then—trying to obtain cultivation methods for twin martial souls—together with Hu Liena's and Qian Renxue's tireless efforts, those two daughters now held a place in Bibi Dong's heart above the Grandmaster.
If one were to kill to provoke her, killing them might blacken Bibi Dong more, but they weren't easy targets. Hu Liena now stood just below one and above ten thousand, traveling with two Elders as escorts. The Evil Sword Immortal was gravely wounded, unable to create Fallen Angels. The Slaughter City's forces had been eradicated by Tianlin, leaving only Chrysanthemum Douluo available.
But for Chrysanthemum Douluo to kill Hu Liena under the protection of two Elders was simply impossible.
As for Qian Renxue, even less so. Using her divine trial to cultivate, her strength had skyrocketed. Her soul power had reached level 95; even typical level 96–97 Title Douluos might not be her match. A lone Chrysanthemum Douluo would only be strung up and beaten.
Thus, only the Grandmaster remained as a target. If Ning Fengzhi was right, the Evil Sword Immortal's ploy still revolved around the Qian Xunji affair: let the Grandmaster learn the truth, then control him and send him out to broadcast it.
Indeed, because of Tianlin's moves back then, the matter had become a trivial piece of fake gossip. But whether others believed it was irrelevant—so long as Bibi Dong did.
Having Yu Xiaogang tell it, and then confront Bibi Dong face-to-face, would be the greatest possible shock to her.
Unless she were at the point of death, only then might she let go. So long as she lived, the one she least wished to know of that humiliating past was the Grandmaster.
The Grandmaster was Bibi Dong's white moonlight. To be despised and humiliated by one's white moonlight would certainly blacken Bibi Dong again.
Since the Evil Sword Immortal intended to use the Grandmaster, and Ning Fengzhi couldn't think of a way to stop it, he decided to yank the firewood from under the cauldron—flip the table and remove the Grandmaster entirely, so no one could play this game.
Bibi Dong would indeed rage, explode, and hate. The Rakshasa progress might rise a bit, but it would still be far from godhood.
At present, Bibi Dong's Rakshasa affinity was 70%, reduced significantly because of Qian Renxue. The Evil Sword Immortal hoped to use the Grandmaster to slowly make up the remaining 30%. Ning Fengzhi planned to deliver 10% in one blow—and then leave it at that.
With the Grandmaster dead, how would the remaining 20% rise? Let the Evil Sword Immortal fret over that.
But the how was the crux. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect absolutely could not act directly; Ning Fengzhi could not allow Bibi Dong's hatred to land on them. Tianlin had proposed controlling the Grandmaster and forcing him to commit suicide, but Ning Fengzhi vetoed it.
The Grandmaster was not someone who would easily take his own life. Bibi Dong would definitely suspect he'd been controlled. There are soul skills that control people; Tianlin had once demonstrated mind control in front of Bibi Dong, making him an easy suspect.
If she then ignored the two empires and struck directly at them, it would be troublesome. Therefore, he and Tianlin decided to use Tang San's and Tang Hao's deaths to drag the Clear Sky Sect into the water—let them shoulder the blame.
Moreover, the Grandmaster's life or death had significant strategic value for the continental situation. If he died inexplicably, it would be less than ideal. So they decided to set a despicable trap.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had not formally entered the continental war, with unification as their goal, they were already as if on the battlefield. And on the battlefield, all's fair. So long as the objective could be achieved, aside from city-sacking that offends heaven and reason, Ning Fengzhi was prepared to use any vile means.