The Grand Elder clearly understood the special nature of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. It was precisely becauseThe Grand Elder clearly understood the special nature of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. It was precisely because of the Pagoda's heaven-defying potential that those who possessed this Spirit were destined to be trapped forever at the Seventh Ring.
And yet, Ning Fengzhi had broken through to his eighth spirit ring. That alone left the Grand Elder utterly speechless.
In just one day, he had lost count of how many times he had been shocked. From the revelation of Twin Spirits, to the appearance of six ten-thousand-year rings, and now even Ning Fengzhi himself had reached the eightieth rank.
For a moment, the Grand Elder couldn't tell whether the Clear Sky Sect had fallen behind the times—or if the entire continent had simply changed beyond recognition.
"These achievements are all thanks to Xiao San."
Retracting his Spirit, Ning Fengzhi smiled as he looked toward the Grand Elder.
"Tang San? That child…"
The Grand Elder blurted out instinctively, but quickly corrected himself. After all, Tang San was now a Soul Emperor, already considered a top-level expert on the continent.
"Xiao San, show the Grand Elder your ability."
Ning Fengzhi turned to Tang San, smiling.
"Grand Elder, please don't resist."
Tang San raised his hand and pressed it gently against the Grand Elder's back. His right hand released flowing soul power that moved along the elder's meridians.
The Grand Elder slowly nodded, relaxing his mind completely.
The next moment, as the Zerg Ancestor guided Tang San's power into the Grand Elder's spiritual sea, the old man suddenly felt as though shackles within him were being shattered open.
"Haah!"
With a thunderous shout, the Grand Elder's body trembled violently. His aura surged uncontrollably in all directions.
Even Tang San, who stood behind him, was thrown back dozens of meters by the shockwave.
"I… I've broken through!"
As his roar echoed, a bolt of lightning, over a hundred meters wide, struck the Grand Elder's body.
"But mere lightning is nothing before me!"
The Grand Elder summoned his Spirit and charged skyward. Behind him, two crimson spirit rings radiated a terrifying light that left everyone watching dumbfounded.
They all knew the Grand Elder was powerful, but no one expected even his eighth spirit ring to have reached this level.
Still caught in his excitement, the Grand Elder didn't notice that he was hammering the thunderclouds above with one strike after another.
"Mere thunderclouds dare to act rampant before me? Begone!"
With a roar, violent winds erupted. A wave of immense pressure blasted into the clouds, dispersing them instantly.
"Grand Elder… you—you've reached rank ninety-nine?"
The Second Elder's eyes filled with tears. The Clear Sky Sect had been forced into seclusion after Tang Chen's disappearance, as no one could stand against Qian Daoliu. But now, with the Grand Elder's breakthrough to rank ninety-nine, the sect could finally reemerge with honor.
"Yes. I have successfully reached rank ninety-nine."
A flicker of lightning danced within the Grand Elder's eyes. Under the Zerg Ancestor's transformation and the tempering of heavenly lightning, his Clear Sky Hammer had mutated—evolving into the Thunder God's Hammer.
He displayed his spirit rings once again and froze in astonishment. After rubbing his eyes to confirm what he saw, he realized it was real.
"…Thank you."
He looked toward Tang San and spoke solemnly.
He knew his own limits well—without Tang San's help, he could never have broken through, even in another lifetime. Tang San had granted him a favor beyond measure.
Now, the Grand Elder felt confident that he could face Qian Daoliu himself—and defeating Golden Crocodile Douluo might not even require detonating his rings.
"Grand Elder, there's no need for thanks. Next, please have the other elders come one by one."
Tang San smiled at the group of Clear Sky Sect elders before him.
None of them realized that nearly half of Tang San's soul had already been devoured by the Zerg Ancestor.
"Go on. Tang San wouldn't harm you."
Seeing the Grand Elder nod, the other elders stepped forward in turn, sitting down before Tang San.
"Fengzhi, so this is the truth behind your Spirit…"
Watching Ning Fengzhi's Spirit flicker with electricity, the Grand Elder instantly understood.
So it turned out that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had already received the purification of Tang San's soul power.
"As expected, nothing escapes you, Grand Elder. Would you be willing to lead the Clear Sky Sect out of seclusion?"
Ning Fengzhi sighed softly, then smiled as he asked.
"Of course! Now that I've reached rank ninety-nine, even if that old fox Qian Daoliu crawls out of the Spirit Hall himself, I won't fear him!"
The Grand Elder raised the Thunder God's Hammer high with confidence blazing in his eyes.
However, Ning Fengzhi only chuckled quietly and shook his head.
Qian Daoliu's strength was still far beyond reach. Even with his current breakthrough, the Grand Elder wouldn't last an hour against him.
Such was the difference between those blessed by a god—and those without divine aid.
If the Clear Sky Sect had ever received the favor of a god, Tang Chen would have ascended to godhood long ago, and the sect would never have needed to seal itself away. Tang Chen wouldn't have disappeared, endlessly chasing divine inheritance.
"That's fine. There are still matters I must attend to."
"Now, child, could you take me to your father's place?"
The Grand Elder nodded, stepping toward Tang San. Before Tang San could speak, the elder clasped his hands, his face full of excitement.
Years ago, the Clear Sky Sect had been forced by the Spirit Hall to abandon Tang Hao. Now that they were ready to reemerge, it was only natural they wished to acknowledge him again.
"Grand Elder, Uncle Ning and I have already searched… there's no trace of my father anywhere."
Tang San shook his head with visible disappointment.
A Titled Douluo who truly wanted to hide could vanish without a single clue.
"Impossible! Your father would never disappear without a word—there must be another reason!"
The Grand Elder slammed the table, his tone full of conviction.
He knew exactly what kind of man Tang Hao was—he wasn't the type to hide away out of fear.
The Grand Elder was convinced Tang Hao was in hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the Spirit Hall. Yet even he couldn't imagine that Tang Hao had already fallen under Lin Fan's control—reduced to a puppet warrior.
"Xiao San, in that case, why not take the Grand Elder to look for him again?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled lightly. He wasn't annoyed by the Grand Elder's stubbornness.
To him, the elders of the Clear Sky Sect were all the same—once they had an idea, nothing could dissuade them.
It had been that way decades ago, and it was the same now. Having dealt with them for so long, Ning Fengzhi was used to it.
"In that case, we'll follow the Grand Elder's lead. I'll go ahead with the others first. Later, you can bring the Clear Sky Sect disciples to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
Tang San said calmly after thinking for a moment.
"You brat, why should I lead the disciples myself?"
The Grand Elder muttered in mild annoyance.
"Grand Elder, these disciples are the future of the Clear Sky Sect. If Qian Daoliu attempts a surprise attack, only you can protect them."
Soon after, Tang San led the group toward Holy Spirit Village—a journey that marked the Clear Sky Sect's grand return to the Douluo Continent, leading tens of thousands of disciples back into the light of the world.
****
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