At this moment,
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
A bridge arched over the flowing water, connecting to the pavilion at the center of the pond.
A bespectacled, cane-holding middle-aged man with a refined and scholarly appearance stood quietly by the railing, silently watching the vibrant, beautiful red carp in the water, occasionally sprinkling a handful of fish food.
In his wise eyes, a gleam flickered with the ripples on the water's surface.
Even an outsider here,
upon seeing this man's dignified bearing and composure, would surely be able to guess his identity.
Indeed,
he was the current sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—Ning Fengzhi! One of the two strongest Support-type Soul Masters in the current Soul Master Realm.
As for the other,
it was the senior Ye Renxin, head of the Ye family of the Nine-Hearted Begonia, who was also at the Soul Saint realm!
The other party rarely moved about in the Soul Master Realm, so most Soul Masters of lower cultivation were unaware of such a powerful Support-type Soul Saint.
As a fellow Support-type, Ning Fengzhi understood Ye Renxin's supportive abilities best.
If one encountered a Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Master who possessed the Martial Soul True Form and became their teammate, they could fight recklessly without regard for injuries! As long as it wasn't a fatal blow and they could overcome the interference of pain within a certain time, they would undoubtedly gain a temporary state of near-immortality!
However, Ning Fengzhi was also well aware of the flaw of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul.
In the same era,
only two Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Masters could exist!
For the inheritance of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, that senior's time was running short...
Splash!
Ning Fengzhi scattered a handful of fish food into the pond, a look of regret flashing in his eyes.
Immediately after, his brows furrowed slightly,
the calm on his face shattered by the sound of loud chewing.
Ning Fengzhi turned back helplessly.
Right in the center of the pavilion,
stood an Eight Immortals table carved from a single slab of marble.
A woman with long pink hair tied in a ponytail, large eyes, and a high nose bridge was feasting heartily on the delicacies spread across the table.
Her face appeared somewhat slender, yet her figure was extraordinary.
Her tall stature, accentuated by her protruding belly and increasingly ample bosom, had taken on the rounded softness of a young matron, though her face remained as fair and delicate as a maiden's.
Her attire was exquisite and elegant,
yet the woman's every movement clashed starkly with her refined appearance.
Holding a chicken leg in her left hand and a pork knuckle in her right, she swallowed large mouthfuls, showing no trace of the demeanor expected of a lady from a noble family.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze held both affection and a hint of helplessness as he looked at her.
"Rong'er, slow down. No one is competing with you."
"Hmph! I'd like to slow down. If it weren't for fear of starving the little ancestor in my belly, do you think I'd be willing to eat like a fattened pig every day?"
Zhao Rong'er retorted crisply, then couldn't help but glance at her belly and complain.
"Who knows if feeding it like this every day and making it grow so big will end up splitting me open when it comes out..."
"Rong'er, watch your words!"
Ning Fengzhi's expression shifted slightly as he cautioned her.
"If the servants heard such talk, what would they think?"
"Who else is here besides us?"
Zhao Rong'er pouted, unconcerned.
Casually picking up a nearby dish, she swept the fish food inside directly into the pond.
Splash!
Water sprayed up in the pond.
Immediately, the water surface began to ripple as fish scrambled to snatch the food.
Just then,
a dark figure swooped down from the distant horizon.
"Hmm?"
Atop the pavilion,
a middle-aged man with silver hair, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes sat cross-legged on the bluish-purple glazed tiles, dressed in a blue-and-white robe.
Sensing an unusual presence in the surroundings,
the man immediately opened his eyes and looked toward the direction from which the dark figure descended.
A glint of sword light flickered in his sharp gaze.
Soon,
the dark figure arrived nearby.
Withdrawing its black wings and causing the six Spirit Rings beneath its feet—two yellow, two purple, and two black—to vanish, it landed outside the waterside pavilion.
At that moment,
Ning Fengzhi also noticed him.
Whoosh!
Without Ning Fengzhi needing to say a word, the swordsman on the eaves instantly disappeared from his spot.
When he reappeared,
he was already standing on the bridge pier by the water, watching the approaching figure in black.
The newcomer immediately knelt on one knee and performed a formal salute:
"Your subordinate greets Elder Chen Xin!"
Indeed, the silver-haired man before him was none other than one of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's "Pillars of Heaven and Beams of the Sea," renowned as the most powerful attacker—the Sword Douluo, Chen Xin!
In response to the black-clad figure's salute, Chen Xin merely nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
"Reporting, Elder, a secret letter has arrived from the Spirit Hall!"
After speaking, the Flight Spirit Master respectfully presented the secret letter with both hands.
"I understand. You may leave."
Chen Xin nodded, using his sword-controlling technique to make the secret letter float in the air.
He then dismissed the Spirit Master with a wave.
"Your subordinate takes his leave!"
A gentle breeze swept by as the black-clad figure departed as swiftly as he had arrived.
"Fengzhi, it's a secret letter from the Spirit Hall."
Sword Douluo turned in mid-air and spoke to Ning Fengzhi beneath the pavilion.
"I heard, Uncle Sword."
Ning Fengzhi nodded, watching the floating secret letter approach with a smile.
"This should be an invitation from the Spirit Hall, right? It has been over half a month since Pope Qian Xunji passed away, and it is time to appoint a new pope. Spirit Hall Saintess Bi Bi Dong, as the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent, not only avenged her teacher to some extent during the campaign against the Clear Sky School but also achieved remarkable military feats. The position of pope has long been without suspense."
"Oh?"
Zhao Rong'er watched the slowly floating secret letter,
a hint of cunning gradually appearing in her crimson eyes.
Snap!
With just a snap of her fingers, a faint image of a lighthouse materialized behind her. A beam of intense light shone forth, reflecting off the water's surface and immediately striking Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
"!"
Suddenly assaulted by the bright light, Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes.
However, as a Soul Saint and a practitioner of divided-mind control, his senses were far beyond those of an ordinary person. Relying solely on his ears, he detected hurried footsteps approaching from behind, heading straight for the secret letter!
"Heh."
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but chuckle, closing his eyes as he slowly raised his hand.
Chen Xin shook his head,
turning his back for the moment to avoid witnessing the impropriety.
"Ah!"
A soft cry rang out
as Ning Fengzhi precisely caught Zhao Rong'er's wrist as she brushed past him. With a slight tug, Zhao Rong'er lost control of her balance and tumbled into Ning Fengzhi's embrace.
By now, Ning Fengzhi had opened his eyes and snatched the secret letter with his free hand.
At the same time, he pulled Zhao Rong'er firmly into his arms,
a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"Heh, Rong'er, although I'm just a support type, with your Soul Venerable cultivation, you still won't gain any advantage against me."
"Hmph!"
Zhao Rong'er snorted coldly.
"Now you're looking down on my low cultivation? If that's the case, why did you bring me back from the mountain stronghold in the first place?"
"Rong'er, I didn't mean it that way."
Ning Fengzhi smiled helplessly.
"Alright, I know you didn't mean it that way."
Zhao Rong'er stood up straight with a smile, turned to look at Ning Fengzhi, and praised, "Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School may be big and beautiful, but I'm just not used to living here. It's nowhere near as free as the mountains. Prepare some people for me, and in a few days, I'll go back to my hometown to visit. How about that?"
"Heh."
Ning Fengzhi's smile was somewhat forced as he finally realized Zhao Rong'er's true intention behind picking a fight.
Zhao Rong'er placed her hands on her hips and frowned.
"What? This is already the third time I've asked you! Is that so-called Soul Master Realm still fighting to the death out there?"
"Not at all."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head and spoke truthfully.
"After this battle, the Soul Master Realm should enter a relatively long period of peace."
"Then what's the problem? I'm not going back to the mountains to rob and plunder. Can't I just visit my friends and family back home?"
Zhao Rong'er said righteously.
"Rong'er, I'm mainly worried about the child in your belly."
As soon as Ning Fengzhi finished speaking,
Zhao Rong'er's face took on a sarcastic expression as she said in a delicate tone:
"Oh, I see~"
"So it's because you're worried about the little one in my belly!"
As she spoke,
Zhao Rong'er gritted her silver teeth and angrily thumped her own belly,
causing Ning Fengzhi's eyelids to twitch.
Left with no choice, he had to let her go.
"Fine, I'll agree to it, alright?"
"But you have to promise me that you absolutely cannot return to your old ways, and you must not act impulsively when faced with trouble."
Ning Fengzhi repeatedly urged.
"Haha~ Don't worry, my dear husband from the stronghold!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Rong'er was so overjoyed she nearly jumped up, wrapping her arms around Ning Fengzhi's neck. She vowed earnestly, "After living in luxury at your place for so long, I've long since kicked the habit of wanting to rob every rich person I see. Only now do I realize that what I hated wasn't the rich—it was that I wasn't rich myself! You damn wealthy scoundrels!"
"Rong'er, watch your words, watch your words."
Ning Fengzhi smiled sheepishly, covering Zhao Rong'er's mouth.
It wasn't that he couldn't bear being called a wealthy scoundrel; he just didn't want others to know he had once been taken captive to be a husband in a mountain stronghold.
Zhao Rong'er snorted coldly, pinched Ning Fengzhi's cheek, and assured him:
"Anyway, I'll behave myself."
"Let's hope so."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
He really didn't want Zhao Rong'er to get itchy hands and go back to robbing and plundering.
Otherwise, if people found out that the wife of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's sect master was a bandit, they might think his sect couldn't even afford to support a woman.
"Alright, you go attend to your important matters now."
Zhao Rong'er, as if having won a great victory, proudly rolled up her sleeves and sat back down at the Eight Immortals table.
"Alright~"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly and opened the secret letter in his hand, which turned out to be a gilded invitation.
His eyes immediately showed understanding.
Sword Douluo had already turned back, looking at Ning Fengzhi. He inquired, "Fengzhi, have you made a decision in your heart about whether we should go to Spirit Hall City?"
"Spirit Hall has just brought down the Clear Sky School, one of the Three Upper Sects and hailed as the number one sect in the world. While they appear infinitely glorious, it has also made many forces across the continent aware of the threat posed by Spirit Hall. This is a time when everyone is on edge. I imagine most forces will send representatives, especially the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, also one of the Three Upper Sects, and even the Lower Four Sects—they will likely do the same. The Three Upper Sects share a common bond. When the Clear Sky School faced disaster, we could stand aside, but at a time like this... our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School can no longer afford to be out of step. Otherwise, we would only embolden Spirit Hall."
"Such words again. If that old bone were here, he would surely lecture you," Sword Douluo teased.
"I have no choice either. Spirit Hall's ambitions are growing ever larger. The foundation of my Ning family must not be destroyed in my hands," Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly.
Had he not considered staying out of it or coexisting peacefully with Spirit Hall? But under Spirit Hall's tyranny, that was clearly impossible.
If you don't join, you will be conquered. And once conquered, given the unique nature of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as a support-type sect, it would immediately be torn apart, divided among various combat-oriented forces, completely losing its sovereignty and ceasing to exist!
With these words,
Ning Fengzhi finally opened the invitation in his hand.
A gentle breeze brushed past, and a white slip of paper drifted out from between the folds of the invitation.
"This is..."
A trace of surprise flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
Even at such a moment, he remained vigilant, using his cane to flip over the white paper on the ground.
Several large characters were immediately exposed,
causing Ning Fengzhi's pupils to contract sharply. He couldn't help but murmur:
"Nine Treasures Shine... with Glazed Tile?!"