Leaving the moon pavilion and its meticulously maintained gardens, the oppressive air seemed to loosen slightly. Yet the turmoil in the hearts of the Sword and Bone Douluo was even heavier than when they'd arrived.
Gu Rong looked back at the blurred outline of the moon pavilion, unconsciously rubbing his withered fingers, voice low and solemn.
"Fengzhi, are you just going to leave them alone?"
Proud as always, Gu Rong had never tasted such defeat—manipulated like a fool, used like a puppet. If not for the greater good, his temperament would have seen the moon pavilion destroyed, the Clear Sky sect wiped out entirely.
Chen Xin said nothing, but his arm—gripping the Seven Kill Sword—was clearly tense; his calm was nothing but a façade. Still, he was calmer than Gu Rong, understanding Ning Fengzhi's helplessness more deeply.
Ning Fengzhi stopped, gazing at the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City. All traces of composure vanished, exhaustion written all over his face.
Releasing a slow breath, he sighed bitterly,
"What else could we do, Uncle Bone?"
Though his voice was soft, it was filled with helplessness.
"As shown by the Douluo Heaven Rankings, the Body Sect and Spirit Hall have already joined hands. Where will they strike next?"
"The likeliest outcome: the balance among the top three sects collapses, and our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will surely be the first to suffer."
Ning Fengzhi turned, meeting the eyes of the two elders who had devoted their lives to the sect, analyzing the current crisis.
"Our sect, due to its role as a support sect, always held an advantageous position, able to maneuver among mighty powers. Even if we had to choose a side and turn against the Body Sect, in the worst case, we could have sought refuge with Spirit Hall."
"To fight the Body Sect, Spirit Hall would certainly accept and favor us."
"This, in fact, has always been our fallback plan—our confidence in negotiations with rival factions."
But his voice chilled, tinged with self-mockery.
"But now? Spirit Hall and the Body Sect are united! Our escape route is cut off—if not by ourselves, then by the foolishness of the Clear Sky Sect!"
"Go to Spirit Hall now? That's nothing but sheep walking into a tiger's den. If we turn on the Clear Sky Sect simply to please someone else, would anyone trust us again?"
He unconsciously caressed the jewel atop his scepter, its chill sinking into his fingertips.
"Uncle Bone, Uncle Sword—there is no other choice. We're tethered to the Clear Sky Sect, bound on a broken ship, forced to keep drifting on this dark road."
"At least for now, on the surface, the three top sects' honor isn't fully destroyed. If that happens, we'll stand alone, and decline swiftly."
This is the cruelest truth. Betrayed by your own side, a stronger enemy lurks beyond, forcing you to cooperate with traitors and even shield them.
After a long silence, Chen Xin finally spoke,
"Fengzhi, can Tang Xiao really produce five ten-thousand-year soul bones? The five elders who just became Title Douluo must have already depleted the sect's stores."
"And even if they have some resources left, five spirit bones of over twenty thousand years… can it really be done so easily?"
Chen Xin's doubt was clear—he feared the Clear Sky Sect couldn't deliver, leading to desperation and total collapse of their alliance.
Ning Fengzhi's lips curved in a cold, calculating smile—a look that bespoke only ruthless understanding of the world's ways.
"He'll produce them. He has no choice."
He spoke with certainty.
"Don't you see, Uncle Sword? With the release of the Douluo Heaven Rankings, all the secrets that Clear Sky Sect had hidden are now exposed. How do you think Spirit Hall feels? And Qian Daoliu?"
"Back then, it was some deal between Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen that allowed Clear Sky's retreat and survival."
"But now, not only have they broken their 'retirement' pact, they've secretly hoarded such power, and their elders have obtained top-tier soul rings by suspicious means…"
"That's a slap to Qian Daoliu's face, a challenge to Spirit Hall's interests."
"Qian Daoliu will definitely demand an explanation—a price high enough to calm his anger.
Compared to that, our demand for five soul bones—yes, it will cripple the Clear Sky Sect, but at least it's clear, direct, and will stabilize our camp for now.
For Clear Sky, this is the price they must pay."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes deepened.
"That's why Tang Xiao is even more desperate than us. He must stabilize our sect and keep the alliance of the top three from splitting, so that, together, we can withstand the combined pressure from Spirit Hall and the Body Sect.
If we turn our backs on him now, he'll be totally isolated."
"Therefore, even if he has to dig up his ancestors' graves, he'll manage to gather the five soul bones."
"As for the source…" Ning Fengzhi's laugh was openly mocking.
What supreme authority did Clear Sky possess before Tang Chen? How many of those spirit bones were even truly inherited? Many were seized by force or cunning during and after Tang Chen's era.
"What I'm doing is simply making them give up what was never fully theirs, to bolster our defense. That's only fair."
This, then, was Ning Fengzhi's real plan. With no hope from the Clear Sky Sect, he would squeeze all possible benefits, hone his sword and bones, and prepare for the eventual decisive battle.
As long as Sword and Bone Douluo kept progressing, Seven Treasure need not fear Clear Sky anymore, no matter how powerful the Six Douluos were.
Hearing this, Chen Xin and Gu Rong nodded slowly. These five soul bones were the price Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had wrung from the war.
"That is the only way," Chen Xin admitted at last, sighing at this optimal—but exasperating—solution.
Ning Fengzhi looked toward the palace, his expression softening slightly.
"Fortunately, our relations with Qinghe are undamaged for now. That's one of our few pieces of good news."
Gu Rong's eyes flashed. "Fengzhi, do you plan to use the power of the Heaven Dou royal family? But Xue Ye and I have already…"
"Not use, but build deeper ties," Ning Fengzhi corrected, regaining the decisiveness due a sect master.
"Since the split with Clear Sky, and the fact we can't fully rely on them, it's inevitable we must strengthen our alliance with the Heaven Dou Empire.
As long as Qinghe sits the throne, our alliance will continue and deepen."
He stopped, looking back at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Academy, and after a moment's silence, spoke to Gu Rong,
"Uncle Bone, after you return to the sect, ease up on crushing dissent.
I acted unilaterally and forcibly these past events, but now the battle with Clear Sky is here, not yet a total breach but a deep rift. It's time to adjust our course for the future."
Gu Rong nodded slightly in understanding.
Abruptly, Ning Fengzhi's gaze grew thoughtful, a half smile on his lips as if recalling something interesting.
"Actually, I'm very curious—
With all these schemes, with Tang Chen's own descendants tricked, what will Qian Daoliu, the invincible Angel Douluo, do?"