Heaven Dou City.
Inside a hotel operated by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"You encountered the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian?"
Having just returned from handling a day's worth of troublesome royal affairs, Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo were startled.
At the mention of Di Tian, Ning Fengzhi nearly choked on his breath.
"Probably!" Ning Rongrong shrugged, supporting the flustered Ning Fengzhi as she guided him to a nearby chair to sit.
"Well, I did sense someone watching us, but it wasn't me who confirmed the observer's identity as Di Tian's subordinate it was Kurumi."
"Kurumi?" The Sword Douluo froze for a moment before reflexively turning his gaze toward Tokisaki Kurumi, who was teasing a small cat she had somehow caught from some corner of the hotel.
"So, you're the Dark Devilgod Tiger?" Tokisaki Kurumi looked entirely like a young girl, appearing extremely kawaii.
It was impossible to connect the girl before them with the ferocious and menacing Dark Devilgod Tiger.
Tokisaki Kurumi set the trembling black cat in her arms down on the floor, letting it escape, then casually brushed off the cat fur from her hands.
Her uncovered eye lifted to gaze at the towering Sword Douluo.
"Why do you all keep forgetting my name? I'm called Tokisaki Kurumi now. 'Dark Devilgod Tiger' is just my species name, just like how you're a human."
Tokisaki Kurumi sighed helplessly. "Whatever. In any case, I'm now the spirit artifact of Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda."
"Dark Devilgod Tiger, no matter what you call yourself, if you dare harm Rongrong in any way "
"I'll let you test just how sharp my Seven Kill Sword is."
"Hah?"
Tokisaki Kurumi scoffed, lightly leaping from her chair and landing barefoot on the floor. A faint black energy surged around her, and in the blink of an eye, she completed an instant outfit change.
Now clad in gothic lolita attire, her spiritual dress gave off a faintly sinister aura.
"Though I'm not exactly popular among soul beasts, I don't particularly like humans either."
"If it weren't for Ning Rongrong's special technique, do you really think you lot could threaten me?"
"Sure, a 98th-ranked Title Douluo is indeed strong, but if I wanted to leave, you wouldn't be able to stop me."
"Alright, Kurumi, give me some face and stop arguing!" Ning Rongrong said helplessly.
As expected, even with her appearance changed, she was still just as unruly. Taming her into a proper Tokisaki Kurumi would be a long and arduous task.
Wait
Why was I even trying to mold the Dark Devilgod Tiger into Tokisaki Kurumi in the first place?
Was I out of my mind?
"Fine~ Since my master says so, I'll give you some face."
Tokisaki Kurumi dispelled her spiritual dress and sat back down on the chair. With a casual grab at the empty air, the black kitten that had just escaped was once again in her hands.
The kitten wore an expression of utter resignation.
With the tension diffused, the Sword Douluo's expression darkened slightly.
Though he didn't know exactly how Ning Rongrong had subdued such a wild and untamable soul beast, he could only hope there were no issues.
He had some knowledge of the Dark Devilgod Tiger's history it was a creature neither soul beasts nor Soul Masters wanted anything to do with, a name that inspired fear in both worlds.
Yes, they couldn't afford to be fooled by this big brainless tiger's current appearance.
"Tokisaki Kurumi, was it? Tell us about the information you gathered on Di Tian," the Sword Douluo pressed.
"Tch." Tokisaki Kurumi sighed. "Let me advise you don't provoke that black dragon. Like me, he wields the power of darkness."
"According to my inherited memories, my control over dark energy surpasses his, but that's just theoretical data."
"In reality, if he hadn't been unable to break through to godhood, I probably wouldn't have even had a chance to escape."
The Evil God was only a second-tier deity, while Di Tian had once been a first-tier god.
If not for the gifts left behind by the fallen Evil God, and the fact that Di Tian, after his rebirth, had been unable to reclaim his divine power, she wouldn't have been able to escape multiple times.
Of course, the information about Di Tian being a reborn first-tier god had been relayed to her earlier via Ning Rongrong's voice transmission.
"Where is Di Tian now?" Ning Fengzhi pressed.
"In a hotel not too far from Shrek Academy. But…" Ning Rongrong paused, thinking for a moment. "If it's really Di Tian, then he probably didn't come alone. There's likely another hundred-thousand-year soul beast with him."
"And that other one might have already noticed us."
Tokisaki Kurumi had indeed used her ability to manipulate the five senses to distort everyone's perception. As long as they didn't use soul power, even Di Tian hadn't noticed anything amiss.
But one presence seemed to have detected it.
Just like in a certain Shinigami world, where no one could perceive the hypnosis of Aizen Sōsuke's Kyōka Suigetsu, the captain of the Fourth Division had still noticed irregularities in the surroundings.
The being accompanying Di Tian was likely highly attuned to or even specialized in powers related to the soul or life essence, allowing them to detect anomalies within the distorted fluctuations.
However, whether they had informed Di Tian or whether Di Tian had known but simply allowed them to leave remained unclear.
BOOM
At that moment, a deafening explosion shook the room, drawing everyone's attention.
When Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo sensed the soul power fluctuations, their expressions shifted in shock.
"That's Tang Xiao and Yu Yuanzhen's soul power! Are the two of them fighting?"
The Sword Douluo muttered instinctively.
Earlier, while handling matters at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, they had encountered Tang Xiao, the current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, who had come to the capital. During their conversation, they had learned that his soul power was at the 97th rank the same as the Sword Douluo and the Bone Douluo.
Could it be that Yu Yuanzhen, still unable to let go of Yu Tianheng's death, had recklessly charged at Tang Xiao to vent his anger?
That… couldn't possibly be the case, right?
"Uncle Sword, let's go see what's happening." If not for the impending funeral of Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't have bothered interfering. It'd be best if the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect beat each other senseless.
The Sword Douluo nodded, wrapping Ning Fengzhi in his soul power as they flew out the window.
"Grandpa, should we go too?" Dugu Yan looked at Dugu Bo.
"Not sure. There's danger in spectating." Dugu Bo hesitated. The stronger one became, the more one realized the vast differences between Title Douluo, especially in the later ranks.
With both combatants above the 96th rank, what was a measly 94th-ranked Title Douluo like him supposed to do there?
"Rongrong, what do you think?"
"I…" Ning Rongrong fell silent. She didn't want to go, but with Di Tian in Heaven Dou City, if something happened to Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo, her days as a young mistress would be over.
"No need. Those two have already left." A sudden voice cut in. The trio turned to see Tokisaki Kurumi still seated in her chair, idly playing with the cat.
"Left?"
"Mm. Neither of them had much intention to fight." Tokisaki Kurumi stroked the cat as she spoke. "Di Tian didn't make a move. The one who acted was another being incredibly strong…"
"Her soul power fluctuations carried an intense life aura."
Ning Rongrong frowned. "Can you guess her identity?"
"Master, as a bearer of the Evil God's power, I have zero affinity for life-attributed soul beasts."
"I'd stay as far away as possible. Back then, if not for trying to kill you all, I wouldn't have risked absorbing the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor."
"Uh…"
Ning Rongrong didn't know how to respond to that.
"I also find it strange. A soul beast that powerful I should've heard of her before."
Tokisaki Kurumi's tone carried a trace of confusion.