Nan Shuishui, as the sect master of the Earth Dragon Sect, possessed considerable combat power, not inferior to an average Titled Douluo.However, she was not yet a true Titled Douluo, while the current Heavenly Dragon Douluo of the Heavenly Dragon Sect was an immensely powerful Super Douluo.
The gap between them was quite evident. Nevertheless, it was already incredibly difficult for Nan Shuishui, as a woman, to develop the Earth Dragon Sect to its current scale, second only to the Heavenly Dragon Sect, relying solely on her wisdom and strength.
Most of the Earth Dragon Sect's martial souls were sub-dragon types, inherently suppressed in quality and power by the True Dragon martial souls of the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Within the entire Earth Dragon Sect, only the Rouge Dragon martial soul could rival the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul; other martial souls were far inferior to it.
Although the Earth Dragon Sect and Heavenly Dragon Sect had always been secretly competing, their rivalry was actually a healthy one. The two great sects also shared a thousand years of deep friendship. Otherwise, how could the Heavenly Dragon Sect, which always held an absolute advantage, tolerate the Earth Dragon Sect jointly operating Dragon City with them?
Currently, the Heavenly Dragon Sect occupied the North City, while the Earth Dragon Sect occupied the South City. The two sects faced each other north and south, each governing its own affairs, not interfering with each other, maintaining a balance.
With Nan Shuishui, the Earth Dragon Sect Master, personally leading the way, the guards of Dragon City didn't even ask extra questions. They simply took a brief look and respectfully allowed Lu Jingming and his unfamiliar companions into the city.
The group walked towards the South City, and before long, they saw a magnificent, enormous courtyard. At the entrance of the courtyard, an ancient, heavy plaque boldly bore the three characters "Earth Dragon Sect." The calligraphy was vigorous and strong, revealing a profound heritage. As a large soul master sect, the Earth Dragon Sect occupied an extremely vast area. Even the soul masters guarding the entrance were genuine Soul King powerhouses. This showed that the Earth Dragon Sect was indeed a thousand-year-old sect, with power not to be underestimated.
Upon returning to the Earth Dragon Sect, Nan Qiuqiu instantly became more lively and cheerful. She eagerly approached Lu Jingming, excitedly introducing him to every detail of the Earth Dragon Sect. Watching Nan Qiuqiu become so patient and meticulous, vividly explaining the history and various features of the Earth Dragon Sect to Lu Jingming, Xu Shenshu and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise. They couldn't help but wonder when their usually mischievous, hot-tempered "little devil boss" had become so gentle, dignified, and understanding.
Nan Shuishui saw this scene and helplessly covered her forehead. Although she knew her daughter had a slight preference for good looks, inherited from her mother, it had never been so obvious before. But who would have thought that the old trope of "hero saving the beauty" would have such a miraculous effect on Nan Qiuqiu? Coupled with Lu Jingming's exceptionally high charisma, this combination of factors completely captivated Nan Qiuqiu.
Seeing her daughter so eager to tell Lu Jingming all the secrets of the Earth Dragon Sect, Nan Shuishui felt a splitting headache. She even suspected that if she really handed the Earth Dragon Sect over to Nan Qiuqiu, this girl might turn around and run off with the entire sect to follow Lu Jingming!
Within the Earth Dragon Sect, besides Sect Master Nan Shuishui, there were also two powerful Soul Douluo-level elders, and nearly ten Soul Saint elders. These elders were the pillars of the Earth Dragon Sect, safeguarding its stability and heritage.
When they heard that Nan Shuishui and the others had been ambushed by Evil Soul Masters while out, the many elders were immediately shocked, their faces filled with worry and lingering fear. Upon learning that Lu Jingming and his group had come to their aid and successfully rescued Nan Shuishui and the others, a strong sense of gratitude surged within them towards Lu Jingming's group.
One must know that Nan Shuishui had contributed greatly to the Earth Dragon Sect's current scale and status. She had led the Earth Dragon Sect steadily forward with her excellent leadership and powerful strength. And Nan Qiuqiu and the other young disciples were all outstanding younger generations carefully nurtured by the Earth Dragon Sect.
They possessed exceptional talent, carrying the future hopes of the Earth Dragon Sect, and were even the direct bloodline of many elders. If the Evil Soul Masters had truly succeeded this time, it would have undoubtedly been a devastating catastrophe for the Earth Dragon Sect. Even if it didn't lead to complete annihilation, it would surely severely weaken them, making them unable to recover and difficult to establish a foothold on the Douluo Continent again.
When they heard that the Evil Soul Masters had inside collaborators in Dragon City, the elders' eyes instantly showed killing intent. They said nothing, but their glances exchanged a silent consensus. Then, they quickly led the elite disciples of the Earth Dragon Sect out of their stronghold.
They were determined to pay any price to ferret out the hidden Evil Soul Master collaborators in Dragon City and make them pay for their actions. The pillars and future hopes of the Earth Dragon Sect were almost wiped out in one swoop. This hatred and anger made every Earth Dragon Sect disciple seethe with murderous intent.
However, these matters had nothing to do with Lu Jingming and his group; they were merely some lingering Evil Soul Masters. As one of the two major forces in Dragon City, the Earth Dragon Sect had profound heritage and extensive connections, naturally possessing sufficient means and abilities to find the hidden Evil Soul Masters.
As their saviors, Lu Jingming and his group received the highest level of reception from the Earth Dragon Sect, being directly led to the core area of the Earth Dragon Sect's stronghold. This was a serene and secluded garden. Normally, even ordinary disciples of the Earth Dragon Sect were not qualified to step foot in it. This was Nan Shuishui, the Sect Master's, private residence. The garden exuded elegance and tranquility everywhere, showcasing Nan Shuishui's personal taste.
Everyone took their seats in the garden, and Nan Qiuqiu obediently brewed a cup of fragrant tea for Lu Jingming. Lu Jingming took the teacup and offered Nan Qiuqiu a gentle smile, then directly stated, "Sect Master Nan, I won't beat around the bush. We've come here primarily for the Earth Dragon Sect's underground cold spring."
Nan Shuishui narrowed her eyes, discreetly observing Nan Qiuqiu's initiative in brewing tea. One should know that even she, as her mother, rarely enjoyed such considerate service from Nan Qiuqiu on a daily basis. This girl was usually mischievous and willful; she would only be this well-behaved when she had made a mistake and wanted to please her.
When she heard Lu Jingming mention the underground cold spring, Nan Shuishui was startled, looking at him in astonishment. The Earth Dragon Sect's underground cold spring was an absolute secret of the sect. Normally, only she and the two Soul Douluo elders knew about it. Even other highly respected elders were completely unaware. She had never revealed a single piece of information, not even to her own daughter, Nan Qiuqiu, the young sect master. How did Lu Jingming know this secret?
Countless questions arose in Nan Shuishui's mind, but she quickly dismissed her suspicions about the two elders. Those two elders were over seventy, much more senior than her, belonging to the previous generation. They had dedicated their lives to the Earth Dragon Sect, valuing the sect's interests more than their own lives. They would never leak such a core secret. After all, they clearly understood that such a secret, once leaked, could easily bring great trouble to the Earth Dragon Sect.
However, Nan Shuishui quickly set these doubts aside for now. Since the secret of the cold spring was already known to Lu Jingming, dwelling on the source of the information was pointless. Facing her saviors, she sighed helplessly and said, "I won't ask how you learned this news. My Earth Dragon Sect does indeed have an underground cold spring, but although this spring has some miraculous effects, it shouldn't warrant you honorable benefactors traveling all this way, should it?"
Hǎiyuān City in the Star Luo Empire was not close to Dragon City; it spanned almost the entire Heaven Dou Empire. The Earth Dragon Sect's cold spring had always been used by them to train young disciples. It could help soul masters temper their bodies, enhance their physique, and also had significant effects on soul power cultivation and consolidation, especially suitable for disciples in the basic stages of cultivation.
The younger generation of the Earth Dragon Sect, without their knowledge, had all benefited more or less from this cold spring. But in Nan Shuishui's view, with only these effects, it didn't seem worth a super-powerful individual personally coming to investigate. Her gaze unconsciously fell on Snow Empress. Would this super-powerful individual, capable of instantly killing two Titled Douluo Evil Soul Masters, be interested in that cold spring water? One must know that, let alone for Snow Empress, those cold springs had minimal effect on soul masters above the Soul King level.
After much thought, Nan Shuishui could only guess that Lu Jingming and his group were after the minerals beneath the cold spring? The Earth Dragon Sect's ancestors once, by chance, discovered a mineral vein beneath the cold spring and brought out a piece of ore. After identification, it was found to be a top-grade metal containing a large amount of ice-elemental energy. Perhaps, this was the true purpose of Lu Jingming and his group's visit?
"Sect Master Nan, there's no need to be so polite. You are an elder; you can call me by my name or Jingming. To be frank, we have indeed come for what is beneath that cold spring," Lu Jingming said with a slight smile and a calm tone.
He knew well that while this cold spring was an extremely important heritage site for the Earth Dragon Sect, the Earth Dragon Sect members actually didn't know what treasures were truly hidden beneath the cold spring. They didn't even recognize the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal that was once brought up.
"Alright, then I won't be polite, Jingming. Although this cold spring is very significant to my Earth Dragon Sect, compared to your life-saving grace, these things are insignificant. Besides, I myself know very little about what's hidden beneath that cold spring!" Nan Shuishui shook her head helplessly, a wry smile on her face.
She had once tried to delve into the depths of the cold spring to explore, but the extreme cold emanating from the depths of the spring was too terrifying. She hadn't even dived very deep before she was forcibly driven back by the cold. Within the cold spring, there was a cave established by their Earth Dragon Sect ancestors that led directly to that ice-attribute mineral vein. With her cultivation, she dared not linger for too long even inside the cave, let alone mine for ore.