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Hu Liena's explanation was met with agreement from Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong.
Regardless of whether Tang Chen could return, even if he did, so what?
The talent Ning Tianchen had displayed would surpass Chen Xin within a decade.
By then, even if Tang Chen returned, would he be a match for Ning Tianchen? As for the remnants of the Hao Tian Sect, none among them possessed talent surpassing Ning Tianchen's.
Given this, why shouldn't they agree?
Not long after, the elder battles between the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Snow Mountain Sect began.
Following Tian Ruyang's defeat at Chen Xin's hands, the Snow Mountain Sect had completely lost its chance to compete for the title of the continent's number one sect.
However, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect didn't send Gu Rong out in the first round, giving the Snow Mountain Sect some face.
In the first elder battle, Tian Guozhen faced off against Han Yu.
If Ning Tianchen was considered the top figure among the younger generation on the continent, Tian Guozhen was undoubtedly second.
Although Han Yu had considerable combat experience and indeed caused some trouble for his opponent during the fight, Tian Guozhen quickly demonstrated his overwhelming strength and ended the match swiftly.
In the second battle, Ke Jie faced Tian Huaqiang.
Tian Huaqiang, the Snow Mountain Sect's second elder, possessed a strength level of ninety-three—far beyond what Ke Jie, the "gatekeeper" Title Douluo, could handle.
After half an hour of fierce combat, Ke Jie ultimately lost the match.
In the final battle, Gu Rong faced Tian Chenxing.
Ninety-six versus ninety-five—the outcome was without suspense.
In the end, Gu Rong unleashed his ninth soul skill, successfully defeating Tian Chenxing. With a total score of six to four, it was now safe to congratulate the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect on securing the position of the continent's number one sect.
---
The third day's matches concluded, and Ning Tianchen and the others returned to their hotel to discuss tactics once again.
"The upcoming match against the Holy Dragon Sect is crucial for us," Ning Tianchen said gravely.
There was no doubt about the top two spots among the upper three sects. For the Sky Sword Sect to secure the third seat, they had to defeat the other sects.
They had already defeated the Elephant Armor Sect. The only remaining obstacle before them was the Holy Dragon Sect.
Tuoba Xi's ascension to Title Douluo status was no longer a secret after the conference began.
But the trump cards the Elephant Armor Sect revealed today made them wary of underestimating their opponents.
"Little one, what happened yesterday must not happen again. Tuoba Xi is not Huyan Zhen—a Title Douluo has a qualitative advantage over a peak Soul Douluo. If he resorts to underhanded tactics behind your back, you'll be in grave danger."
According to Dugu Bo's plan, tomorrow's match must begin with the elder battles. By sending out the three elders first, they could probe the Holy Dragon Sect's capabilities. When Ning Tianchen eventually took the stage, he'd have better awareness and could prepare accordingly.
Ning Tianchen didn't insist on being reckless and agreed with his suggestion.
The night passed quietly.
The next day, the match between the Holy Dragon Sect and the Sky Sword Sect was scheduled as the first bout.
Ning Tianchen and the others arrived at the venue early.
Today was the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's rest day, but unexpectedly, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong also arrived early.
Ning Fengzhi approached with a worried expression and asked, "Tianchen, have you seen Uncle Sword?"
Ning Tianchen's expression faltered.
When Chen Xin left the venue yesterday, he informed them that he was going into seclusion.
Based on Chen Xin's condition yesterday, the seclusion wouldn't last long—one night should have been enough.
Yet, surprisingly, Chen Xin still hadn't returned.
Gu Rong expressed his concern, saying, "Old Sword has broken through to the ninety-eighth level—a strength sufficient to vie for the pinnacle of the continent. I'm worried someone might harm him."
Though he didn't explicitly say it, his words clearly hinted at the Spirit Hall.
Among those in the Spirit Hall capable of defeating Chen Xin were Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo, First Worship Qian Daoliu, and Pope Bibi Dong.
Chen Xin was well aware of his own abilities and most likely wouldn't challenge Qian Daoliu.
Not to mention, since Qian Renxue's return to the Spirit Hall, she had begun her godly trials, with Qian Daoliu never leaving her side.
As for Golden Crocodile Douluo, he didn't take orders from Bibi Dong.
And Bibi Dong, as the Pope, couldn't possibly leave Spirit City during the conference.
Thus, Ning Tianchen wasn't worried about Chen Xin's safety.
"I don't know where Grandpa has gone, but I believe his safety isn't threatened."
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's main opponent was the Snow Mountain Sect. Even if Chen Xin wasn't present for the subsequent matches, Gu Rong could still secure victory in the sect leader battle.
Listening to Ning Tianchen's analysis, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong gradually calmed down.
Soon after, with Bibi Dong's arrival, the match officially began.
This time, there was no heckling from the audience, nor could the Spirit Hall replicate yesterday's forced prioritization of the sect leader battle.
After the referee inquired, Tuoba Xi turned toward the Sky Sword Sect's rest area and smiled. "The Sky Sword Sect's leader is a rising star in the world of soul masters. As a senior, I can't impose demands. The choice is yours."
On the surface, it seemed like a friendly exchange, but Tuoba Xi's tone carried an air of superiority.
He seemed confident that Ning Tianchen, as a young man, would fall for his provocation.
Unexpectedly, Ning Tianchen smiled and told the referee, "Since Sect Leader Tuoba has given us the choice, let's start with the elder battles."
Tuoba Xi's expression froze, his heart filled with dissatisfaction.
Words spoken were like water spilled—it was too late to take them back. If he retracted now, the Holy Dragon Sect's reputation would be ruined.
"Sect Leader, what do we do?"
One of the Holy Dragon Sect's elders couldn't help but ask.
Tuoba Xi said gravely, "You three must win at least one match. As long as we can reach the sect leader battle, victory will belong to us!"
Due to yesterday's defeat and being outmaneuvered by both the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Sky Sword Sect, the Spirit Hall had suffered a major blow to its reputation.
Last night, Bibi Dong had intended to invest more effort into the Holy Dragon Sect, but the Worship Hall intervened.
Still, Tuoba Xi's strength far surpassed Huyan Zhen's. Secretly, Bibi Dong had provided Tuoba Xi with some assistance.
But Ning Tianchen didn't take the bait, choosing to proceed with the elder battles first, completely disrupting their plans.
On the main platform, Bibi Dong closed her eyes to rest, seemingly uninterested in watching the elder battles.
Clearly, Tuoba Xi's foolish actions had infuriated her.
Within the Sky Sword Sect's rest area, everyone's expressions relaxed somewhat.
Dugu Bo said gravely, "We must carefully arrange the order of appearance for the elder battles. Ideally, we win all three matches to avoid the sect leader battle altogether."
Ning Rongrong chimed in, "I'll arrange the order. Elder Dugu, you can't go first."
After finalizing their plans, Huo Lie and Tuoba Yan simultaneously stepped onto the stage.
Both Tuoba Yan and Huo Lie were the "weaker horses" of their respective teams. Ning Rongrong's gamble had paid off.
Tuoba Xi frowned deeply.
In previous elder battles, either Dugu Bo or Yang Wudi had always gone first, and Huo Lie had never appeared. Sending out Tuoba Yan, a "weaker horse," was meant to deplete the Sky Sword Sect's strength—but now, the situation was entirely different.
Even though Huo Lie's strength was inferior to Yang Wudi's, he was still a Soul Douluo. Tuoba Yan, on the other hand, was merely a peak Soul Sage—this match was without suspense.
"The lower four sects have limited resources. Moreover, the Holy Dragon Sect has been extremely low-key in the past. It seems they poured all their resources into Tuoba Xi breaking through to Title Douluo status, leaving the other elders without adequate cultivation resources," Dugu Bo remarked with a smile.
Tuoba Yan, the Holy Dragon Sect's third elder, hadn't even broken through to Soul Douluo status—an astonishing revelation.
After all, even the Wind Sword Sect, which was at the bottom of the rankings, could field three elders at the Soul Douluo level.
How could a peak Soul Sage stand a chance against a Soul Douluo? Within just two minutes, Huo Lie secured victory.
Upon returning to the rest area, everyone congratulated him. "Elder Huo, congratulations!"
Huo Lie laughed heartily. "Let's celebrate together. Now it's up to you all."
---
With the first elder battle underway, the Holy Dragon Sect had already fallen behind tactically.
Their loss in the match placed immense pressure on them.
"Sect Leader, let me go in the next match," the Holy Dragon Sect's second elder volunteered. "If the second match features Dugu Bo, I'll concede directly. But if Elder Yang faces Elder Yang Wudi, we still have a chance."
The elder shook his head. "What if their second contestant is Yang Wudi? In my opinion, it's most appropriate for me to go second."
Tuoba Xi furrowed his brows.
Though the choice was between two candidates, if their strongest contender couldn't face the Sky Sword Sect's mid-tier fighter, the Holy Dragon Sect would lose all three elder battles, with no chance to even reach the sect leader battle.
After a while, following repeated prompts from the referee, the Holy Dragon Sect finally confirmed their final lineup.
This time, it seemed they had guessed correctly.
The Sky Sword Sect sent out Yang Wudi, and the Holy Dragon Sect dispatched their elder.
A strong horse versus a mid-tier horse—the scales of victory seemed to tilt toward the Holy Dragon Sect.
Below the stage, Ning Rongrong said with frustration, "This match should have been handled by Elder Dugu. I…"
The Holy Dragon Sect's elder possessed eighty-six levels of soul power, while Yang Wudi only had eighty-two. On paper, Yang Wudi had no chance of winning.
Ning Tianchen placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Elder Yang's strength can't be judged by ordinary standards."
With the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul exiting the stage of history and the Seven Kill Sword reclaiming its position as the continent's number one weapon martial soul, the title of the continent's strongest offensive weapon martial soul now belonged to the Soul-Breaking Spear.
A powerful martial soul in the hands of an unyielding wielder could unleash boundless energy.
Ning Tianchen wasn't worried about Yang Wudi losing at all; in fact, he was certain that this match would end in victory.
Dugu Bo chimed in, "Trust the young man's judgment!"
As they spoke, the Elephant Armor Sect's experts arrived at the venue.
Yesterday, Huyan Zhen had been severely injured by Ning Tianchen. Such wounds were beyond the capabilities of ordinary healing-type soul masters, and Huyan Zhen would need at least half a year of bed rest to recover.
However, today, not only had his external injuries healed completely, but his internal injuries had also been cured.
Such treatment could only have been performed by a healing-type soul master of at least Soul Sage level.
Among the factions on the continent capable of possessing such a healer were only the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall.
There was no need to guess—it was undoubtedly the Spirit Hall that had intervened.
However, after yesterday's battle, Huyan Zhen now avoided making eye contact with Ning Tianchen.
Whenever Ning Tianchen's gaze fell upon him, he would always turn away, pretending nothing was amiss.
"Hmph." Ning Tianchen sneered, not giving the other man a second thought.
Dugu Bo patted his shoulder earnestly and said, "Young man, you can underestimate your opponent strategically, but tactically, you must remain vigilant. The Elephant Armor Sect is the Spirit Hall's sharp blade. If we're restrained by the Spirit Hall, the Elephant Armor Sect will stab us right in the heart."
Ning Tianchen nodded seriously.
As the sect leader, he understood that he couldn't let emotions cloud his judgment.
No matter how incompetent Huyan Zhen might seem, the Elephant Armor Sect's sheer size made them a force to be reckoned with.
The battle on the stage dragged on for a long time.
At first, the Holy Dragon Sect's elder, relying on his superior soul power level, mercilessly suppressed Yang Wudi.
Not only did he fail to break Yang Wudi, but as time passed, Yang Wudi's demonstrated strength filled him with deep apprehension, exposing countless flaws in his attacks.
In the end, Yang Wudi seized the opportunity, striking the elder with a single spear thrust that sent him sprawling to the ground.
The match concluded. In the third elder battle, Dugu Bo took the stage, and the outcome was without suspense.
With all three elder battles won, the Sky Sword Sect emerged victorious outright.
Consecutively defeating both the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect, the Sky Sword Sect's position among the upper three sects was now firmly secured.
On the main platform, seeing Bibi Dong's gloomy expression, Hu Liena consoled her, saying, "Teacher, we haven't lost. Ning Tianchen has cooperative ties with the Spirit Hall. If he's willing to assist us, the new upper three sects will be under our control!"
Bibi Dong was well aware of this.
But Ning Tianchen's partner was Qian Renxue, representing the Worship Hall, not the Pope's Hall!
Qian Renxue was a member of the Spirit Hall and Bibi Dong's biological daughter. However, Bibi Dong had avoided resolving the conflict between mother and daughter, causing them to become estranged.
---
On the fifth day, the Sky Sword Sect had a rest day.
Notably, later that evening, Chen Xin emerged from seclusion and returned to the hotel where the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was staying.
Through this period of seclusion, Chen Xin had fully forged his own path in swordsmanship, and his strength had undergone a qualitative leap compared to just a few days prior.
On the sixth day of the conference, the Sky Sword Sect faced off against the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
This match held no suspense whatsoever, and the audience's interest was lukewarm at best.
After all, it was obvious to anyone with clear eyes that the Sky Sword Sect's ceiling was securing the third rank—there was no possibility of advancing further.
For this match, the Sky Sword Sect could simply concede without wasting any time.
The match between these two sects was scheduled as the third bout of the day.
Before the match, the two sides had ample time to communicate.
Before Ning Tianchen could even speak up, Chen Xin took the initiative to extend an invitation.
Grandfather and grandson were treating this conference as a training ground. Through this match, Chen Xin intended to guide Ning Tianchen into reaching the Sword Heart Realm.
"Grandpa has just walked his own path of swordsmanship, and his understanding of the Sword Heart is at its peak. If I can grasp even a fraction of it, I'll be able to easily forge my own path," Ning Tianchen silently clenched his fists.
At this point, he was just one step away from the Sword Heart Realm.
Yet, he had been unable to find a way to take that final step.
This battle was not about winning or losing—it would be a victory if he gained anything from it.
As the second match concluded and it was nearly time for Ning Tianchen and Chen Xin to take the stage, most of the audience began to leave the venue.
After all, there was little worth watching between these two sects, especially since the Sky Sword Sect was supported by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
By the time the staff finished cleaning the stage, eighty percent of the audience had already left, including Bibi Dong on the main platform, who was preparing to depart.
Even the referees assumed that the two sects wouldn't actually begin their match.
However, when the stage was cleaned and the referee routinely inquired with the two sects, the answer they received was unexpected: the two sects had decided to proceed with the match—and it would be a sect leader battle!
Caught off guard, the referees turned their gazes toward Bibi Dong, as if seeking permission.
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