"What were they really here for?"
They came in such a hurry, making such a grand scene, yet it seemed like they left with nothing.
Were they just bored?
Looking at the tightly shut private room door, Dugu Yan couldn't help but feel speechless.
Ning Rongrong shrugged and said, "Their goal was to win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect. Even if they failed, it wouldn't be a loss for them."
"Mainly, they wanted to figure out the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect's stance through us."
"Stance?" Dugu Yan turned her head. "You mean our neutral stance?"
"I don't get it. Why didn't he go straight to Uncle Ning and instead came to ask you?"
"Also, like you said, there weren't just soldiers here—there were also two Soul Sages and several Soul Emperors lying in ambush. Was it really just to protect themselves, like Xue Beng claimed?"
"Protect themselves? That's a joke!" Ning Rongrong tapped her fingers on the table. "Those Soul Emperors and Soul Sages were probably here to capture us, then find a way to make our disappearance look like Xue Qinghe's doing."
"They only backed off because I called them out on it."
"Is that even possible?" Dugu Yan's eyelids twitched.
Did they think Ning Fengzhi was stupid?
If they disappeared in Balak City, how could they pin it on Xue Qinghe? Wouldn't that just be overcomplicating things?
"Divert attention, use stand-ins—there are plenty of ways. As long as we disappear, they could drag a couple of stand-ins into the Heaven Dou Empire, kill them, and then destroy the evidence. They might actually pull it off."
"Like he said, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect and Xue Qinghe already have friction, and Xue Qinghe has managed to win over the Spirit Hall."
"From the information I've gathered, many Spirit Hall soul masters have already infiltrated the military."
"Based on his thinking, it's not impossible for Xue Qinghe to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."
"If that happens, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect kills Xue Qinghe, then Xue Beng would have plenty of room to maneuver."
"For example, he could claim Xue Qinghe was an imposter. After all, most of the nobility are already on Xue Beng's side—they're just being suppressed by Xue Qinghe right now."
"Once Xue Qinghe dies, the Spirit Hall would have no reason to interfere further. The three upper sects share a common bond, so the Spirit Hall's encroachment into Heaven Dou would have to stop abruptly—otherwise, it could trigger a continent-wide war."
There was one more thing Ning Rongrong didn't say.
According to Xue Beng's plan, if Xue Qinghe died—especially if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect killed him—as long as he didn't expose himself, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect would have no choice but to side with Xue Beng.
"Such a long and convoluted plan—isn't he worried about mistakes or unforeseen complications?"
Ning Rongrong's explanation made Dugu Yan, whose mind was relatively simple, twitch at the corner of her mouth.
She never expected that Xue Beng, who seemed to have turned over a new leaf, was still full of schemes—and even wanted to kill both her and Ning Rongrong.
"Xue Beng doesn't have many cards left to play."
"He might even do as Xue Qinghe has been claiming—drag the Star Luo Empire into this mess."
"Just so he can fish in troubled waters."
Xue Qinghe used Ge Long's death to quietly spread the word that the Star Luo Empire had killed Heaven Dou's marshal and was also connected to the rebel leader, "Xue Beng."
But this incident only involved the death of a marshal. Since Star Luo hadn't mobilized its military on a large scale, many people still had doubts.
Xue Beng's foundation was the nobility. As long as he could get Xue Qinghe killed, he could rightfully inherit the throne. Who cared if the imperial decree didn't name him?
Xue Qinghe's policies affected the interests of many of Heaven Dou's original nobles.
As long as Xue Beng removed Xue Qinghe, those old nobles would have no problem vouching for him.
But there was one more condition—Xue Qinghe absolutely could not be allowed to fully control the military.
If the army revolted, things would get much more complicated. That was also why Xue Beng was in such a hurry.
"Rongrong, aren't you angry?" Dugu Yan asked curiously, seeing how calm Ning Rongrong was.
"Hah, why should I be angry?" Ning Rongrong shrugged. "What others think is none of my business. Besides, why should I bother with someone who's about to die?"
Xue Beng wouldn't last much longer. If Xue Qinghe hadn't killed him yet, it was only because the timing wasn't right.
Xue Qinghe still needed Qian Renxue and the Spirit Hall to fully integrate into Heaven Dou's power structure. The standoff with Xue Beng and the Star Luo Empire was the perfect opportunity.
Seeing the worry on Dugu Yan's face, Ning Rongrong smiled. "In the Douluo Continent, numbers mean nothing to powerful soul masters."
"For example, your grandfather, Senior Dugu. If he wanted to, he could wipe out hundreds of thousands of soldiers in a short time without much effort."
"And Sister Yan, when it comes to poison, you have even more potential than Senior Dugu."
"Rongrong, was that supposed to be a compliment? It sounds terrifying…"
Dugu Yan was speechless.
How could a child speak so calmly about poisoning hundreds of thousands of people to death?
Those were human lives!
Not hundreds of thousands of pigs.
Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan didn't linger in the troubled land of the Balak Kingdom and instead set off for the Four Elements City.
Several days later.
After a long and tiring journey, Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan arrived at the outskirts of Four Elements City. They first paid the entrance fee to the city guards.
"Such a vibrant city."
Once inside, they immediately noticed how different it was from other cities.
There was no lifeless atmosphere—instead, it was brimming with youthful energy.
But then again, it made sense. A city mostly inhabited by students was bound to be lively and full of vitality.
This was the home of the four major elemental academies—no, wait, five major academies.
Just like how the "Four Heavenly Kings" always had five members, this was perfectly normal.
That's right—the fifth academy was the later-added Elephant Armored Academy, not an affiliate of the elemental academies.
The admission requirement? You had to have a mammoth-like physique.
Being broad and heavy was a must. In terms of sheer size, even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's leader, Yu Yuanzhen, wouldn't qualify for admission—because he wasn't big enough.
"Hey, Rongrong, how much do you know about the Four Elements Academies?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter. None of them are on Qian Renxue's level anyway."
Dugu Yan: "..."
Comparing them to Qian Renxue, who started with innate level 20 spirit power—wasn't that just unfair?
"Let's find a place to stay first." Ning Rongrong looked at the map she had just bought, which marked the locations of the five elemental academies. But what caught her attention wasn't that—it was the fact that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect actually had a branch store here.
Well, thinking about it…
Who else would they sell pills to if not students?
Students were the biggest consumers.
So, the two of them smoothly made their way to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect's exclusive hotel.
This was the advantage of having money and connections!
No need to worry about anything else—when they arrived, they got the best treatment. Staying at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect's hotel felt just like coming home.
Dudu—dudududu—
Just as Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan finished settling in and were about to head out to explore the city, the jade pendant hanging around Ning Rongrong's neck emitted a faint glow.
"Huh? Did something happen to Shui Cangyue?" Ning Rongrong took off the pendant and probed it with her spiritual power to read the message.
"Oh no!" Ning Rongrong's expression changed drastically. "The worst-case scenario has happened."
Seeing Ning Rongrong's reaction, Dugu Yan quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"We need to set a space-time coordinate here so we can teleport back later."
"We have to return immediately." Ning Rongrong's murmuring voice carried a trace of worry. "It looks like the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect will have to mobilize this time."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared in her palm as Ning Rongrong tossed out Tokisaki Kurumi, who had been sleeping inside.
"Wake up, no more napping."
"Qian Daoliu is coming to steal the base."