"Lord Lin Mu, I am deeply grateful. If you need any help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. We will take our leave now."
The Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed slightly to show his respect for Lin Mu. The Ghost Douluo did the same. At least for now, Lin Mu seemed to be a trustworthy person.
"Until we meet again."
Lin Mu replied with a cupped hand salute.
In fact, both Bibi Dong and the Worship Hall had greatly underestimated the strategic value of the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos.
In Lin Mu's eyes, their value ranked even higher than the Second Elder, Golden Crocodile Douluo. They were second only to the Grand Elder, Qian Daoliu, who possessed Level 99 Soul Power.
The Bipolar Static Domain might seem to only delay the enemy, but if coordinated well, it could facilitate an instant kill against almost anyone.
Not only that, if their Soul Power were to advance further and they both reached Level 96, the power of the Bipolar Static Domain would be enhanced qualitatively. At that point, even a Limit Douluo might not be able to break free.
However, the gap between Level 95 and Level 96 was like a chasm, and breaking through this bottleneck was by no means easy.
Most Titled Douluos, even after a lifetime of effort, would cap at Level 94, with only a small minority able to enter the ranks of Super Douluos.
Spirit Hall, humanity's most powerful force, had painstakingly recruited countless geniuses over the years, yet only a handful had ultimately become Elders, and Golden Crocodile Douluo was even older than Qian Daoliu.
However, for Lin Mu, helping them break through was not an impossible task.
He possessed numerous pills refined from Immortal Herbs, which could provide the push needed for the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos to ascend.
Especially the Chrysanthemum Douluo; if he took a pill infused with the essence of the Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, his martial soul might even evolve.
Strangely enough, the Chrysanthemum Douluo's martial soul was the Chrysanthemum. Its quality was undoubtedly among the highest, surpassing even the Nine Heart Begonia before its evolution.
Unfortunately, the Chrysanthemum Douluo had chosen a Power Attack path for his development, and a flawed one at that, lacking sufficient amplification skills.
As a plant, the Chrysanthemum's raw physical attack power was naturally not its strength; in fact, it could be considered a disadvantage. This flaw wasn't obvious in the early stages, but it became quite glaring at the Titled Douluo level.
If the Chrysanthemum Douluo had pursued a Control or Support path, or even a semi-offensive build with more amplification skills, his strength would be far greater than it was now.
As for the Ghost Douluo, it was simpler; he could use slightly inferior pills.
As long as there were enough resources, forcibly feeding him to reach Level 96 wasn't a problem. Since Lin Mu possessed the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he could cultivate the necessary non-immortal auxiliary herbs in abundance.
Of course, Lin Mu wasn't a benevolent charity; all of this investment was to ensure he could successfully hunt his Ninth Soul Ring. It was all part of the plan.
Witnessing Lin Mu's methods of winning people over, Ning Fengzhi's eyes flashed with a shrewd light.
First, he obtained the help of two Titled Douluos for free, and then he used pills to win their favor, truly a clever tactic!
Most surprisingly, Lin Mu could actually refine pills, pills effective even on Titled Douluos. Perhaps he could help Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone improve their cultivation as well.
"Lord Lin Mu, you see... we've also contributed today. About those pills..."
Ning Fengzhi said, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was known as the wealthiest sect in the world, yet they never expected to have to beg for resources.
The Sword Douluo beside him remained calm in expression, but his gaze was fixed intently on Lin Mu.
He would have ignored anything else, but this was a pill that could improve cultivation, potentially helping him break through to Level 97.
However, Lin Mu shook his head, his tone distant. "Sect Master Ning, our cooperation has already been concluded according to our agreement. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is large and powerful; surely you don't need to take advantage of me on top of that?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo were extremely embarrassed, wishing they could disappear into the ground.
As expected, Lin Mu still held a grudge over their past conflicts.
At this moment, Dugu Bo was staring straight at Ning Fengzhi, thinking, 'This guy is so shameless.'
After a moment, Lin Mu looked at the Sword Douluo and changed the subject. "However, I just absorbed my eighth soul ring and want to test its power."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
Faced with Lin Mu's challenge, the Sword Douluo frowned, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
When Lin Mu was only a Soul Saint, his attack power was already comparable to a Titled Douluo. Now that he had reached the Soul Douluo level and absorbed a 200,000-year-old soul ring, his attack power must have reached the Super Douluo level.
Coupled with his near-teleportation speed, the Sword Douluo knew he was no match for him in a spar.
Soon, the Sword Douluo thought of a brilliant idea. He said, "Young friend Lin Mu, I have a friend named Gu Rong. He holds the title of 'Bone,' and possesses extremely strong defense and strange spatial abilities. He is the most suitable person to test your soul skills."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.
As the saying goes, "Better to sacrifice a friend than oneself." Lin Mu truly hadn't expected that the dignified Sword Douluo Chen Xin could be so cunning.
Undeniably, the Bone Douluo was indeed more suitable than the Sword Douluo for testing damage. Although the Sword Douluo's attack power was hailed as the strongest, his defense was relatively weak, far inferior to the Bone Douluo's.
"Uncle Sword, you..."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly, never expecting Uncle Sword to betray Uncle Bone just to avoid a beating.
Clearly, the Sword Douluo believed that Lin Mu's strength had reached a terrifying level. It was uncertain whether even Uncle Bone could withstand him.
"In that case, I'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect again."
Saying this, Lin Mu looked at Dugu Bo beside him and instructed, "Dugu Bo, there's nothing more for you here. You can go back now."
"This old servant obeys!"
Before leaving, Dugu Bo deliberately glanced at Ning Fengzhi, his gaze carrying a hint of a threat, before turning and departing.
Now, Lin Mu had absorbed his eighth soul ring, greatly increasing his strength.
Even facing both the Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo simultaneously, with Ning Fengzhi's amplification, he could handle it with ease. Even if he couldn't win, he could easily escape using his speed.
Hearing Dugu Bo refer to himself as an "old servant," Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.
They had assumed Dugu Bo was only temporarily cooperating with Lin Mu, but it turned out they were master and servant.
Although Dugu Bo's one-on-one combat skills were considered the weakest among Titled Douluos, he was still a Titled Douluo. Moreover, he was famously aloof, arrogant, and unwilling to join any faction. Why would he acknowledge Lin Mu as his master?
Whatever the reason, Lin Mu's ability to subdue Dugu Bo was enough to demonstrate his terrifying means.
Immediately, Ning Fengzhi suppressed his curiosity and respectfully said, "It is our honor that you would grace the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with your presence."
"It's merely a test of soul skills; there's no need for a formal visit."
Just as he finished speaking, Lin Mu saw the Sword Douluo preparing to fly back on his sword. He interrupted, "You're too slow. Let me carry you; it'll save time."
Before the Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi could object, Lin Mu activated his armor, transformed into a hurricane, swept them up, and flew toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In truth, Ning Fengzhi hated this mode of travel; the speed was too fast, always making him dizzy.