Qiangu Yunying had wanted to ask for the treasure as well, but once she learned it was water-attributed, both she and Yin Zhang had to give up the idea. Their martial spirits simply weren't compatible with it.
Speaking of which, Qiangu Yunying felt a twinge of regret.
"It's said to be a stone-slab–shaped treasure. After my dad and Uncle Tang absorbed it, their strength skyrocketed. Three months have passed now—they've long since returned to Spirit City. At this point, only the two of us are left in Heaven Dou City."
Zhou Wu and the others returning was well within Yin Zhang's expectations.
"A water-attributed treasure that can directly raise Uncle Qiangu's spirit power by four levels… I really wonder what kind of treasure it is," Yin Zhang said with a sigh of amazement. "Uncle Qiangu's chances of breaking through to Titled Douluo must be much higher now."
Qiangu Yunying laughed softly.
"I didn't expect my dad to get such an opportunity either. Not only did his spirit power rise to level 85, even his nearly exhausted potential was restored. He's a true Spirit Douluo now. After returning to the academy, he'll be both dean in name and in reality. Maybe in a few years, he could even cultivate to Titled Douluo—hehe."
Yin Zhang nodded, took another bite of rabbit meat, then suddenly asked out of curiosity,
"Then when Uncle Qiangu becomes a Titled Douluo, what title do you think he'll choose?"
Qiangu Yunying tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said,
"I don't know. He'll probably pick something that matches his identity—maybe 'Yuan,' or something similar. I'm not a roundworm in my dad's stomach; how would I know exactly what he's thinking?"
Yin Zhang nodded, then felt something was off.
"Then why not use 'Coiling Dragon'? His martial spirit is the Coiling Dragon Rod—becoming the Coiling Dragon Douluo sounds perfect."
Qiangu Yunying answered without hesitation,
"That's forbidden by a rule set down by our old ancestor. Unless you reach level 99 and become a Limit Douluo, you're not allowed to use the words 'Coiling Dragon' as your Titled Douluo name. Otherwise—"
She paused, then burst out laughing.
"Well, unless you're incredibly thick-skinned. If my dad really tried to use 'Coiling Dragon' as his title, my two grandfathers would probably beat him up together!"
She laughed heartlessly, clearly enjoying the mental image.
Yin Zhang smiled, then said,
"Let's not stay here tonight. I'll take you back to Heaven Dou. I'm curious how things are there now."
"And the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as well. Before, after Ning Fengzhi obtained the qiluo tulip, he already became a Spirit Douluo. I wonder how he's doing now—and whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has any new plans because of it."
Yin Zhang still vividly remembered Ning Fengzhi's expression at the Moon Pavilion. The shock on his face when he realized his spirit had evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and his cultivation had broken through to level 80 was impossible to fake.
Qiangu Yunying blinked.
"As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I remember Brother Bo mentioning before that they might indeed have some new plans recently."
In fact, that was exactly the case.
Over these three months, after absorbing his eighth spirit ring and advancing to Spirit Douluo, Ning Fengzhi's spirit power had reached level 81. In just three more months, it climbed another two levels, reaching level 83.
This was the result of years of accumulation. Although Ning Fengzhi had once lost hope of breaking through his bottleneck, he had never completely stopped cultivating. Those small gains had been piling up quietly—until they finally erupted all at once.
During these three months, aside from cultivating, Ning Fengzhi had been… extremely busy producing offspring.
In the original records, Ning Rongrong once mentioned that she had many siblings, only for later accounts to contradict this and depict her as an only child. In this world, however, Ning Rongrong was not an only child—she truly did have siblings.
The reason she was especially favored lay in the indulgence of Gu Rong and Chen Xin. As for Ning Fengzhi himself, after years of being tormented by Ning Rongrong's "little witch" antics, his feelings toward her had long since evened out compared to his other children.
This was also why, after obtaining the qiluo tulip, Ning Fengzhi had not hesitated in the slightest to use it on himself.
Gu Rong and Chen Xin fully supported his decision. Once Ning Fengzhi became a Spirit Douluo, the amplification he provided to them would be even greater. The records clearly stated that under Ning Fengzhi's support, the combined combat power of Chen Xin and Gu Rong was equivalent to four Titled Douluo of the same rank. That boost was anything but insignificant.
If Ning Fengzhi could one day become a Titled Douluo himself, the benefits would be even more terrifying.
Moreover, Ning Fengzhi was not yet so old that he had lost his vitality—and he had more than one wife.
During these three months, in order to ensure the birth of children who might inherit the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and pass on its legacy, Ning Fengzhi had spared no effort. Despite being a support-type Spirit Master with a relatively weak physique, and despite having long lost the enthusiasm of his youth, he forced himself onward.
Every day, he consumed the flesh of ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, drank various medicinal wines, and used every method available—all to ensure that his wives would conceive and bear children.
If Yin Zhang knew all of this, he would probably laugh out loud.
More children was good. Very good.
All of them would become people of Spirit Hall in the future.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?
It, too, would belong to Spirit Hall sooner or later.
When Yin Zhang gave the qiluo tulip to Ning Fengzhi, part of his intention had been exactly this—to create more "little Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagodas." In a few years, when those children approached the age of spirit awakening, they would naturally be absorbed into Spirit Hall.
Outside a certain room in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the sounds inside gradually faded.
A small girl standing at the door puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
While continuing to knock, Ning Rongrong muttered,
"What's wrong with Dad? I've been knocking forever, and he won't answer. And he's making such weird noises inside—so annoying! Later, I'm going to complain to Grandpa Bone and Grandpa Sword. Hmph!"
Ning Rongrong was the same age as Tang San, only a few months younger—four years old. Though she was already mischievous, she didn't understand matters between men and women. Naturally, she had no idea that the strange sounds coming from the room were Ning Fengzhi working hard for the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Inside the room, on a soft and comfortable bed, Ning Fengzhi looked down at his exhausted "little brother" and frowned.
This was far from the first time his good deeds had been interrupted by Ning Rongrong.