While Ning Fengzhi was communicating with Tianlin, Qian Renxue in the imperial palace also received a message, personally delivered by Ghost Leopard Douluo, one of the Nine Elders.
There was only one sentence:
The Soul Hunting operation will begin ahead of schedule. Within three years, you must seize control of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Qian Renxue burned the note after reading it. She agreed. Like Porcupine Douluo and Serpent Spear Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo was loyal to the Worship Hall among the Nine Elders. Bibi Dong sent him to deliver the message to show that this order had her grandfather's approval.
Qian Daoliu was the most important person to Qian Renxue. She would never disobey him—just as Tianlin, though he cared about her, cared even more about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Qian Renxue cared for Tianlin but loved her grandfather more and valued her ambition even higher.
Yet on one point, the two were the same. Qian Renxue's only condition for agreeing to the advanced plan was that Tianlin's life would be spared. She would do her best to persuade him to surrender to Spirit Hall; only if he refused would she consider killing him.
Though Tianlin and Qian Renxue would eventually come to blows over their conflicting positions, the bond between them would never fully disappear.
...
Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Chen Xin had finished absorbing the soul bone and walked out. With his profound level 98 cultivation, even a hundred-thousand-year soul bone was absorbed with ease. He did not approach Tianlin or Ning Fengzhi, nor did he eavesdrop with his spiritual power—he simply observed from afar.
Chen Xin was still at level 98. The barrier between 98 and 99 could not be crossed by a single hundred-thousand-year soul bone. At most, it pushed him to the peak of level 98.
To reach 99, insight was required.
Chen Xin understood well that unless he encountered a transformative opportunity, his potential had reached its limit. Still, with his current cultivation and Seven Killing Sword Dao, even if Golden Crocodile Douluo himself attacked, as Tianlin had warned, Chen Xin could hold his ground.
After all, Golden Crocodile Douluo had been hidden in the Worship Hall for decades without battle and had lost his former edge.
But Chen Xin knew the hall harbored someone even more fearsome—a Grand Worship who had easily killed his father and was one of the world's true powerhouses.
Defeating Golden Crocodile was not hard, but defeating the Grand Worship was nigh impossible.
"If not for the Sword Dao insights Xiao Tian gave me, even now I would be no match for you, Qian Daoliu. But now, if you dare come, you'll never return." Chen Xin looked up at the sky, killing intent in his eyes.
Back then, Tianlin had given Chen Xin the sword insights of Xie Cangxing, which included not just sword techniques but also a method for mobilizing blood energy to increase power.
Tianlin had deliberately removed the final layer from the manual, as it was called Body Disintegration—a technique that could temporarily unleash all power at the cost of total destruction of body and soul.
Tianlin did not want Chen Xin to use this move, so he didn't give it to him. But he underestimated Chen Xin's understanding of the sword Dao.
While cultivating the earlier layers, Chen Xin sensed there was more, and he forcibly deduced the final layer himself.
He named it "Jade and Stone Burn Together"—with this move, even if he couldn't defeat Qian Daoliu, he could at least die together with him.
"Master, have you finished absorbing the soul bone?" At this moment, Tianlin and Ning Fengzhi returned. Tianlin smiled, "This is a hundred-thousand-year soul bone of a Behemoth, and it has two soul bone abilities. They must be very powerful, right?"
Seeing Tianlin's smile, Chen Xin's resolve grew stronger. He could die, but his disciple still had a future to look forward to. As a master, his duty was to protect and assist his disciple's growth. ( Damn... Death Flag.)
Chen Xin rarely smiled but did so now. "Yes, very powerful. One is Berserk, a Behemoth's innate skill—temporarily losing some rationality but all attributes greatly increase. The other is its innate domain, Behemoth Domain, which is filled with endless ferocity and can affect the enemy's mind, even causing madness and indiscriminate attacks."
"No wonder it's a soul bone from an ancient Behemoth! Now, Uncle Sword, you have two domains. Congratulations on your great advancement!" Ning Fengzhi was delighted. The stronger Chen Xin became, the greater their hope for victory.
...
Over the next period, to prepare for the crisis Tianlin mentioned, Ning Fengzhi and the four Titled Douluos began intense cultivation.
They didn't tell Ning Rongrong and the others about this—better that the elders bear this heavy burden.
Ning Fengzhi even planned, if the time came, to send all the younger generation away, including Tianlin, so that even if they lost, the sect's legacy would survive.
But Tianlin adamantly refused. Rongrong could leave, but he would stay. After all, he had cultivated so hard just to do his part in the sect's greatest crisis.
Ning Fengzhi could only bitterly smile. Xiao Tian had grown up and was now stronger than most Soul Sages—he'd be a core force in any other sect.
Thus, as Chen Xin said, the road ahead was for him to choose.
In some ways, Ning Fengzhi was like Chen Xin: he cared more than anyone. To ensure he could protect Tianlin in the future, Ning Fengzhi began even harsher training.
He left most sect affairs to Yin Yang and secluded himself for six months.
Since returning to the sect after the tournament, Ning Fengzhi has been diligently cultivating toward level 90 under Tianlin's guidance.
Pressure, if not withstood, can break a person, but if endured, is the best catalyst for growth.
Ning Fengzhi's will was strong. The threat of extinction did not bring despair but became motivation.
"Brother Sword, I miss Dad. Haven't seen him for half a year," Ning Rongrong whined to Tianlin.
Though she was closer to Tianlin and the grandfathers, her love for Ning Fengzhi was no less.
"Don't worry, Uncle Ning must be at a critical stage. When he emerges, you'll see a completely different father," Tianlin gently comforted her.
As he finished, a dazzling nine-colored light shot up from the Hall's secret chamber, even more grand than when Yin Yang advanced to Titled Douluo.