On Seven Treasures Mountain, while everyone trained hard, Ning Fengzhi temporarily resigned as National Preceptor of the Douluo Empire and returned there.
His children were about to enter the great battle—how could he sit idle?
He was a support-type soul master; assisting others was his duty. This time, he returned to overcome one of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's major hurdles.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had always claimed to be the number one support martial soul in the world, but in truth, while its support was powerful, it also had many flaws. Thus, successive sect masters strove to overcome those flaws, continually researching theoretical knowledge.
The first flaw: massive soul power consumption—the more and stronger the targets, the faster the drain. To resolve this, a past sect master created split-heart control.
The second flaw: only seven soul rings. In this generation, Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong managed to break through with heavenly treasures, evolving the martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Now the third and final flaw remained: the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could only support those with the same life level as itself. This flaw wasn't obvious before, because even a Titled Douluo, like an ordinary person, was still human—no change in life level—so even a ten-ring Glazed Pagoda could support an Ultimate Douluo without diminished effect.
But once stepping into the divine level, life level seemed to sublimate. Even a nine-ring Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could not cross the life-level boundary to support divine-level powerhouses.
In fact, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul masters had a very chicken-rib innate talent: ring fusion. For other soul masters, it was rare and powerful; for them, it was an inherent, commonplace talent. But before the advent of heterogeneous fusion theory, it was meaningless for them.
Because the Pagoda's support was fixed. For example, the sixth ring's "sixfold enhancement" on a seven-ring Pagoda was a fixed 80% boost. Even if you used ring fusion to condense all soul power into the sixth ring, it would still be 80%. The soul skill's potency wouldn't increase, only the duration due to condensed soul power.
But the downside was greater: since you fused into one ring, you'd be giving up comprehensive boosts to offense, defense, speed, etc., which for the Pagoda was undoubtedly wasteful.
However, this wasn't completely insoluble. A former sect master had worked out a bit, even referencing the Clear Sky Sect's ring detonation. Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect didn't have a ring detonation method, with their theoretical knowledge, they could roughly infer the principles. Compared to ring detonation, what that sect master devised was even more extreme and too costly, so it was sealed away.
Over the years, Ning Fengzhi had delved into this path. He entered the ancestral hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and respectfully bowed three times to the memorial tablets of past sect masters.
"Ning Fengzhi, current sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, pays respects to father, grandfather, and all ancestors. Our junior, Jun Tianlin, is about to face an unprecedented terror. I, Ning Fengzhi, am unfilial, unable to elevate the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to the divine realm to aid him. Today I have no choice but to unseal what our ancestors sealed away. Please forgive me."
After speaking, Ning Fengzhi opened a mechanism behind a painting on the wall. A small hidden compartment popped out behind the tablets, containing a scroll—that was what he needed.
He took the scroll, bowed again to the ancestral tablets, and withdrew.
He recalled everyone's efforts in this period. After receiving Emperor Gu Ran's decree, Golden Crocodile Douluo of Spirit Hall summoned all high-tier soul masters and allocated tasks—those who should fight would fight, those who should rescue would rescue.
The Clear Sky Sect strove to help Tianlin forge divine weapons. The geniuses of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gathered to train hard for war.
The millions of soldiers of the two former empires were on high alert.
All major powers set aside their disputes.
This continent had probably never been so united in a thousand years.
Although Ning Fengzhi didn't know how long such peace could last—he knew well the cycle of division and unity—even without the Evil Sword Immortal, the Seven Deadly Sins in human hearts wouldn't disappear, and the empire would one day split again due to human desire.
But wasn't the purpose of rulers like them to prolong peace as much as possible? Once various mechanical soul tools were developed, he believed that one day the continent would enter the era Tianlin spoke of—peace and prosperity even without so-called emperors.
That would be for future generations to strive for. Their generation had done all they could.
Ning Fengzhi looked toward the mountaintop where Tianlin and Qian Renxue were in closed-door dual cultivation. His gaze sharpened as he said in a deep voice, "Xiao Tian, our original wish has been realized. To protect that wish, let me aid you one last time. If you don't have time to emerge, I will be the one to sabotage the Evil Sword Immortal's plan."
…
Time flew—another two-plus years passed in a blur.
The continent developed ever faster. Blueprints for soul tools that aided daily life were invented, and the people's lives visibly improved.
Yet beneath this serenity, a massive evil power stirred.
Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Huan Yin had all become gods and returned. Ning Rongrong had even brought the Seven of the Sea God. Before sacrificing herself, Bo Saixi had sensed the approaching crisis—Sea God Island could not remain unscathed in this calamity. For the future, she decreed before death that the island must participate in the war.
Qian Renxue had also emerged; Tianlin was at the final step. She could no longer help—what remained was up to Tianlin himself.
In truth, she reaped even greater benefits from Tianlin. She had fully become an Eight-Winged Angel God and initially entered the God King level.
This rankled Ning Rongrong—she had not only become a god a step later, but upon doing so, she was immediately left far behind by Qian Renxue again.
Seven Treasures Mountain was now a gathering of gods. The God of Lust had fully recovered her injuries and cultivation; as a First-Level God, she counted as a formidable combat power.
However, this woman's temperament was indescribable. Perhaps due to the god seat, even if she didn't mean to, her every gesture brimmed with allure, like a succubus, inviting crime.
It was said that at first sight of her, Ma Hongjun nearly relapsed into his old evil-fire problem.
He hadn't suffered the loss of a wife as in the original, so even if he'd undergone a demonic flame trial, his temperament was still somewhat inferior. Fortunately, he had only Bai Chenxiang in his heart, and managed to barely keep himself in check.
The only one unaffected by the God of Lust was the sword-obsessed Chen Xin. Aside from a few family members, the only thing he cared about was the sword.
Seeing someone unaffected for the first time—and a savior at that—piqued the God of Lust's immense interest in Chen Xin.