When they returned to Grand Martial Academy, the Second Elder had already been waiting for a long time. Seeing that Chen Yi, Qian Renxue, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others were all safely back and that their auras had become markedly stronger, he smiled in satisfaction.
Once everyone was seated, Chen Yi briefly recounted their journey to the Star Dou Forest, especially the encounter with the three-eyed golden lion, Di Tian and the process of hunting spirit beasts.
Upon hearing the names—"Beast God Di Tian," "Divine Beast, Three-eyed Golden Lion," and "Three Hundred Thousand Year Fierce Beast Scarlet King"—even the experienced and calm Second Elder wore an expression of shock and let out a long sigh.
"Fierce beasts from three hundred thousand years ago, auspicious beasts of the imperial clan, and the Beast God whom even the Grand Elder claims is unfathomable... The waters of Star Dou Forest are much deeper than we ever imagined."
"As expected of these long-lived species, their roots go far beyond anything we can comprehend."
Those present in the hall felt awed. For them, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was already the stuff of legend. Yet now, they'd not only encountered several such beasts at once but had even seen more terrifying existences who had achieved incredible cultivation. This overturned their previous understanding of the world.
Just then, a disciple arrived to report that someone was seeking an audience with His Highness Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Qian Renxue was slightly surprised. She'd come to Grand Martial Academy specifically for exchange and friendship. Unless it was a true emergency, the Heaven Dou Empire would almost never send someone to seek her out in such a hurry. Unconsciously, she looked toward the Second Elder, who was sitting upright.
The Second Elder quietly picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and spoke in a calm tone.
"Your Highness, please agree to meet them. This matter… is of some interest to me."
Clearly, he already understood Heaven Dou's intent.
Curiosity sparkling in her eyes, Qian Renxue nodded at the disciple.
"Please let them in."
Soon, Bai Baoshan, an education commissioner from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, entered the hall with solemn dignity. He first bowed to all present.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince, and Young Sect Master, greetings."
Xue Qinghe raised a hand with royal composure.
"Commissioner Bai, there's no need for such formality. But what urgent matter brings you today?"
Bai Baoshan at once produced a letter sealed with the imperial stamp and presented it respectfully.
"Your Highness, this is a letter from Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, delivered to the palace. After His Majesty read it, he immediately instructed me to bring it to you and to request that you visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in person."
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Ning Fengzhi?" Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, looking even more surprised. Since the events involving the Clear Sky Sect, relations between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou royal family had been completely frozen, with almost no communication at all. For Ning Fengzhi himself, a wily old fox, to send a direct invitation to Xue Qinghe was extraordinary.
What is he planning? Doesn't he know that the Heaven Dou royal family has already blacklisted him?
With a sense of unease, Xue Qinghe opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents. Instantly, his expression shifted dramatically—the look of shock on his face could not be concealed.
He suddenly looked around the hall, speaking in a nearly incredulous tone.
"Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo... Have they both broken through?!"
"What?!"
"Even Bone Douluo has broken through?!"
Everyone in the hall—except the two elders—stared in shock. Even Chen Yi's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes showing a trace of surprise.
He himself wasn't too surprised that Chen Xin had reached level 97. With pure sword skills and exceptional talent, all it took was a vital insight and opportunity. He had even achieved this in the late stages of the original storyline.
But in the original novel, Gu Rong, Bone Douluo, remained stuck at level 95 until his death—no progress at all. Now, a breakthrough to level 96?! That was nothing short of world-shaking.
Chen Yi quickly looked to the calm Second Elder. Judging by his face, it was clear he already knew, perhaps even more of the inside story.
As expected, sensing everyone's stare and doubts, the Second Elder gently set down his teacup and slowly spoke:
"There is indeed a clue. About a month ago, some strange news arrived from the Soul Master world."
"Among the eight great families behind the Grand Arena of Souls, an elder of the Yan family who had been in seclusion for many years, the sect master of one of the four minor sects—the Fire Leopard Sect, and a powerful duke of the Star Luo Empire—"
"All three, high-ranking powerhouses, were found dead in their closed-off rooms at nearly the same time."
"The Yan family elder? The Fire Leopard Sect master? Star Luo Duke?"
Dugu Bo, Ye Cien, and others hidden in the shadows all drew in sharp breaths.
These three held tremendous authority in differing factions of the Soul Master world. For them to be killed simultaneously was like stirring a hornet's nest!
The Second Elder continued:
"What's stranger, all three had been in seclusion for years. No one knew the exact details of their conditions. By the time their sects or families broke their seclusion by force, they were already long dead…"
His voice dropped a little as he rested.
"All three bodies were dismembered—and the soul bones that had fused into them had vanished without a trace."
"Murder... and stealing soul bones?!" Ye Cien gasped, eyes full of icy light.
"Indeed." The Second Elder nodded. "Moreover, to infiltrate three heavily guarded locations and kill three veteran Douluos without raising outside alarm or allowing the victims any effective resistance..."
"Whoever did it must be at least a top-ranking Douluo, highly meticulous and ruthless, and equipped with extremely precise inside information."
The Grand Elder, who had been resting with eyes closed, now slowly opened them. He tapped his chair's armrest twice and said just two words:
"Tang Xiao."
"Tang Xiao?!"
Once again, everyone was shaken. The sect master of the Clear Sky Sect? Why would he kill people to steal soul bones?
The Grand Elder's expression was as calm as ever, but his understanding of the world was profound.
"It's actually very simple. These soul bones likely weren't intended for the Clear Sky Sect's own use."
A flash of insight crossed Chen Yi's mind as he assembled the clues, and he spoke out without thinking:
"Grand Elder, you mean... the breakthroughs of Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo are linked to these soul bones?"
"Tang Xiao may have used these soul bones as bargaining chips with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, or directly compensated Ning Fengzhi, helping both Sword and Bone Douluo break through?"
The Grand Elder nodded slightly.
"I can't think of any more logical explanation. Chen Xin had stalled at level 96 and Gu Rong at 95 for many years. After level 95, every breakthrough becomes extremely difficult and requires accumulated experience and opportunity."
"High-quality soul bones with compatible attributes, especially core soul bones like trunk or cranial bones, can greatly strengthen a Soul Master's foundation and even allow them to break through bottlenecks."
"To appease Ning Fengzhi's anger, Tang Xiao didn't use the Clear Sky Sect's reserves, but resorted to the risky path of murder and theft, offering the stolen, top-tier soul bones as compensation. Naturally, Ning Fengzhi would use these soul bones to empower his two pillars—Sword and Bone Douluo."
"I see..." Everyone present finally understood, their expressions mixed.
A mocking smile appeared in Chen Yi's eyes.
"Ning Fengzhi really is… incredibly patient."
Ning Fengzhi was a true gambler. Even when deceived by the Clear Sky Sect and after taking major losses, he had no intention to revolt completely. Instead, he used this strategy to make the Clear Sky Sect even more reliant on him and to recover part of his losses.
By using soul bones forcibly acquired by the Clear Sky Sect to strengthen their own guardians, they not only showcased their power—warning Clear Sky not to easily shake them off—but also genuinely boosted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile's confidence. Truly, a plan with twofold benefits.
He could almost picture the whole sequence: Ning Fengzhi, unwilling to sever all ties with Clear Sky Sect but unable to suppress his anger, forced Tang Xiao to hand over soul bones. Tang Xiao, unwilling or unable to share his own resources, turned into a ruthless devil and collected compensation by the bloodiest and most direct methods.
Although the source was suspicious, the soul bones themselves were of the highest quality. After some weighing, Ning Fengzhi used them to strengthen the core power of the sect.
"In other words, although on the surface Ning Fengzhi's letter is to inform about the breakthrough of Sword and Bone Douluo, in fact it is to demonstrate power to the Heaven Dou royal clan—or rather, to me."
"It is also likely an attempt to establish contact, or perhaps… to begin negotiations?"
A cold light flickered in Xue Qinghe's eyes. He had instantly read Ning Fengzhi's intent.
With two Douluo, one at level 97 and one at 96, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect now weighed far more than before. Their feud with the Heaven Dou royal clan was real, but this was enough to force Emperor Xue Ye to reconsider the balance of power.
Standing beside him, Hong Yue sneered with a cold light in her eyes.
"Level 96 and 97… Seems their muscles are a little stronger than before, but still just above average."
Even so, the cold glitter in her eyes showed her understanding: for most of the continent, the simultaneous advances of Sword and Bone Douluo would decisively restore the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's advantage and present a difficult obstacle indeed.
The atmosphere in the hall tightened a degree further. The rising strength of the Seven Treasure Sect didn't challenge the entire Body Sect or Spirit Hall Alliance fundamentally, but it decidedly added a new variable to the continent's already tangled power structure.
Ning Fengzhi's move seemed irritating on the surface, yet was extraordinarily crafty.
Xue Qinghe put away the letter, his gaze flashing. As Crown Prince, he must respond swiftly to the invitation from the Seven Treasure Sect.
At the same time, as Qian Renxue—the young miss of Spirit Hall—knew she must also reassess her rivals: both Ning Fengzhi and the dangerous Tang Xiao of the Clear Sky Sect.
…