What happened in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect did not spread quickly, but as one of the top three sects, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was still able to learn some details.
Thus, after a day, when Dugu Bo arrived with his companions, Ning Fengzhi was already waiting outside the mountain gate together with Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
Upon seeing Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, and Wang Li, Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up. With a gentle and courteous tone, he said:
"Your Majesty of the Jade Phosphor, your elegance surpasses even that of the past,truly something to celebrate. I have learned that you would be bringing your granddaughter and her husband along, so I have prepared some wine. Let us talk while we drink."
Beside him, Chen Xin's eyes seemed to flash with sword light the moment he saw Dugu Bo. He knew that Dugu Bo had already reached the same level as himself.
A trace of fighting spirit arose within him. Chen Xin had remained at level 96 for many years, and now encountering another Titled Douluo at the same level made him eager for a worthy opponent.
Gu Rong, however, felt somewhat awkward. In the past, he had not taken Dugu Bo seriously, only being wary of his poison. But now, there was a sense that someone he once ignored had become someone he could no longer match.
After hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Dugu Bo nodded in agreement. After all, one does not strike a smiling face.
"Then we will accept your hospitality."
Soon, they arrived at a grand hall. The interior was lavishly decorated, glittering with gold and radiant glasswork,truly befitting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a sect as wealthy as a nation.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze swept over Wang Li and Dugu Yan, and a trace of envy appeared in his eyes as he said with a wry smile:
"Your Majesty of the Jade Phosphor, I truly envy you for nurturing such outstanding juniors. Rongrong, Oscar, your friends have come to see you."
As his voice fell, the carefully dressed Ning Rongrong and Oscar stepped out. With Ning Rongrong taking the lead, they approached.
They first politely saluted Dugu Bo:
"Your Majesty of the Jade Phosphor!"
Then they looked at Wang Li with complicated expressions.
Ning Fengzhi, maintaining control of the situation, immediately stepped forward with a smile:
"Now that everyone is here, please take your seats!"
The seating arrangement was quite interesting. Ning Fengzhi sat in the center to manage the atmosphere. Chen Xin and Gu Rong sat with Dugu Bo, while Ning Rongrong and Oscar sat with Wang Li and Dugu Yan.
Once seated, Chen Xin immediately asked with intense curiosity:
"When did Poison Douluo break through?"
Only after reaching this level did Dugu Bo truly understand how powerful Chen Xin had been before. He replied:
"It has been some time. Only after reaching this realm did I realize the difference,it is like heaven and earth compared to before."
Chen Xin nodded in agreement and then extended an invitation:
"When you have time, let us spar and exchange experiences."
Dugu Bo nodded. This was no problem,others' experiences might also benefit him.
"Of course."
Meanwhile…
Ning Rongrong could not help but say:
"Brother Wang Li, Sister Dugu, are you really normal Soul Emperors? During your travels across the continent, you defeated many Soul Douluo-level experts. My father always uses this to lecture me,I haven't even had a few days of rest these past two years."
Because of comparisons with others, Ning Fengzhi had become extremely strict with her.
Wang Li replied calmly:
"There is indeed something unusual. Many of my soul rings were absorbed beyond their normal limits. Aside from that, everything else is quite normal."
"By the way, have you both already graduated? Otherwise, you should still be at the academy."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong and Oscar fell silent. Then Ning Rongrong spoke first:
"Not long after the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament ended, my father arranged for me to graduate and return for family training."
Oscar then added:
"I recently reached level 40 soul power, obtained my soul ring, and became a Soul Ancestor. After that, I voluntarily applied to graduate and joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Perhaps feeling that Wang Li was trustworthy, Oscar relaxed and confided further. With a bitter smile, he continued:
"You may not know this, but during the Soul Master Tournament, Xiao Wu reached level 40. Teacher Erlong took her to hunt a soul beast, but the Titan Giant Ape suddenly appeared and captured her."
"When we first met, the Titan Giant Ape had already taken her once. I never thought something like that could happen a second time."
Wang Li had little reaction, but Dugu Yan said in surprise:
"So the Titan Giant Ape that suddenly appeared in the Star Dou Forest that day was heading straight for you."
She remembered that day vividly,when the Titan Giant Ape appeared, countless soul beasts fled in panic. Fortunately, the soul beast Wang Li needed for his fourth soul ring was among those fleeing.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar also felt lingering fear when recalling the scene.
Oscar continued:
"After Xiao Wu was taken, Xiao San was very depressed for a while. Then he disappeared as well. We heard from the master that his father took him away for special training to help him recover."
"With Xiao Wu gone and Xiao San gone, our group of seven was reduced to five. Soon after, Sect Leader Ning also arranged for Rongrong's graduation."
Hearing this, Wang Li showed some sadness,after all, his persona was a friend of Tang San and Xiao Wu. He frowned and said:
"I didn't expect so many things to happen."
Oscar shook his head with a bitter smile:
"Who could have expected it? Without Xiao Wu and Xiao San, the master stopped training us and locked himself in the attic all day, studying some mysterious things."
"The academy's operations have not been good either. The deans have disagreements, leading to fewer and fewer new students. It was only thanks to Sect Leader Ning's earlier investment that the academy could continue operating."
"We could see all this, but there was nothing we could do. After I broke through to Soul Ancestor, I applied to graduate and came here to continue my cultivation."
"Fatty also graduated, but he didn't want to be restrained. He chose to help others hunt soul beasts for money. Because of his martial soul, and since he doesn't have a proper girlfriend, he can only earn money and go to brothels to deal with it."
Dugu Yan, who had been listening, frowned slightly and asked in confusion:
"What kind of martial soul requires that?"
Wang Li then whispered an explanation in her ear. After hearing it, Dugu Yan showed a look of disdain and spat lightly:
"Disgusting."
Ning Rongrong and Oscar also felt somewhat embarrassed. When they first learned about Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, they had reacted the same way.
However, after becoming companions, they stopped commenting on it,though the awkwardness remained.
Wang Li spoke up to ease the tension:
"Life is unpredictable. Since Xiao Wu escaped from the Titan Giant Ape once, perhaps she can escape a second time. Let's just hope she stays safe."
"As for Tang San, I remember he came from a village like me. I didn't expect him to have such a background,truly, one cannot judge a person by appearances."
Ning Rongrong and Oscar nodded. Wang Li had voiced their thoughts,they regarded Xiao Wu as a companion and hoped for her safety.
Having found common ground, everyone chatted happily while eating and drinking. The atmosphere became quite harmonious.
Ning Fengzhi's face was full of smiles. Compared to Yu Yuanzhen, he was the true old fox.
In truth, Ning Fengzhi could not help but sigh. In just a few years, Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, and Wang Li had undergone tremendous changes, forcing him to take them seriously and make efforts to win them over.
When half the day had passed, Dugu Bo, along with Dugu Yan and Wang Li, took their leave. Ning Fengzhi, together with Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar, escorted them to the mountain gate.
After they left, Ning Fengzhi said seriously:
"Unbelievable. A Soul Emperor defeating multiple Soul Douluos. According to reports, Dugu Bo took Dugu Yan and Wang Li to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect yesterday, but what exactly happened remains unknown."
"If those Soul Douluos had defeated Wang Li, why would they keep it so secret? It must be that Wang Li defeated them. Even the strongest assault-type beast martial soul cannot stop his rise."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong both agreed. The power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul had been proven through countless battles.
Defeating ordinary soul masters across levels was one thing, but defeating those with such a powerful martial soul spoke volumes.
Then Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong and Oscar and said gently:
"Oscar, we have all seen your talent. A food-type soul master with innate full soul power,perhaps you are the only one on the continent."
"But in our hearts, Rongrong's ideal partner is someone like Wang Li,a powerful combat soul master. Otherwise, if both of you are support-type soul masters, who will protect whom in times of danger?"
"However, since you have chosen our sect, we will fully nurture you and entrust you with important responsibilities in the future."
As he finished speaking, Ning Rongrong bit her lip tightly, and Oscar's face turned pale.
Oscar could not bear the thought of watching Ning Rongrong marry someone else. The mere idea was devastating.
At that moment, he felt how useless his sausage martial soul was. Even with innate full soul power, it could not change the fact that he lacked combat ability.
Ning Fengzhi had been fair,he laid everything out clearly instead of misleading Oscar.
In the end, Oscar bowed deeply:
"Sect Leader Ning, I truly like Rongrong. I hope you can give me a chance. The sausage martial soul may lack combat ability, but the Blue Silver Grass was also once considered useless."
"If I find a way, even the sausage martial soul can gain combat power."
Though Ning Fengzhi was not optimistic, a food-type soul master with innate full soul power was still valuable. He nodded:
"Sword Uncle, Bone Uncle, from now on, Oscar will train under you. Oscar, this is the opportunity I give you. Whether you can seize it depends on yourself."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong looked at Oscar, whose appearance was almost too delicate. They did not think highly of such a "pretty boy," but since Ning Fengzhi had brought him to them, they agreed.
Oscar, as if bearing a huge invisible "danger" sign above his head, expressed his deep gratitude to Ning Fengzhi.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect…
Dugu Bo said:
"Ning Fengzhi is truly a fox. He kept smiling the entire time, and I never found a chance to propose letting you challenge their sect's experts."
Wang Li had originally wanted not only to challenge ordinary Soul Douluos but also to fight either Sword or Bone Douluo. Though he failed to do so, he still gained valuable information about Shrek Academy and the Shrek Seven Devils.
Shrek Academy was struggling, and the group had begun to fall apart.
Wang Li shook his head and smiled:
"It's fine. Even without fighting, I've gained plenty of insight. I'm confident that with one period of seclusion, I can make rapid progress."
"And not just me,Sister Yan is already at level 69. She also needs to go into seclusion soon to break through to level 70."
"We've even found the soul beast needed for her seventh soul ring. Everything is ready,only the breakthrough remains."
"The Storm Strait's Skywing Dragon is a true dragon species, with steel-like bones and wings. It is at least seventy thousand years old."
Dugu Bo became visibly excited. His granddaughter hunting a true dragon species for her seventh soul ring was a thrilling prospect. He said decisively:
"We won't return to Heaven Dou City. Let's head straight to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."
Wang Li and Dugu Yan both agreed.
Soon, they changed direction and headed off.
Dugu Bo glanced back at them and said with amazement:
"Xiao Li, your luck is unbelievable. You even managed to find a hundred-thousand-year soul bone while traveling, and you've gained flight at the Soul Saint stage."
Wang Li smiled:
"It was indeed luck. The soul bone belonged to a Blue Silver Emperor soul beast, the same as my martial soul, which allowed me to sense and find it. It just happened to grant me flight, which will help when hunting the Skywing Dragon."
Before long, they returned to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
After a year away, everything was unchanged.
Breaking from level 69 to 70 was indeed a major hurdle, which had delayed Dugu Yan's progress.
Now, back at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the dense energy,both extreme heat and extreme cold,was of high quality. Though once considered toxic, it no longer posed any harm to Dugu Yan.
Thus, on the second day after returning, she entered seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.
As for Wang Li, he entered the spring itself, preparing to break through to level 80 in one go.
Crowdsourcing the plot: there is only so much material in Douluo.
Battle chapters are not popular, and ending them just leads to power-ups, so I can only crowdsource ideas.
What would everyone like to see? If you have suggestions, please leave them.
I am thinking of having the protagonist establish a sect as well. What name should it have?
I am terrible at naming things.
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