The coronation of the Holy Son took place immediately after the competition's shocking conclusion. Witnessed by Bibi Dong and the assembled elders of the Spirit Hall, Chu Tianxiu finally donned the ornate black and gold robes befitting his new status. The fabric was heavy, embroidered with subtle patterns that seemed to shift in the light, a tangible weight of responsibility and power.
The atmosphere in the grand hall was tense. The elders of the Douluo Hall, particularly the Four Princes of the King's Banner, wore expressions of thunderous fury barely concealed beneath a veneer of protocol. They had not only failed to secure the Holy Son's position but had also lost the lives of two prized disciples in the process.
Inside the secluded Douluo Hall later, the air was thick with suppressed rage. The elders remained silent until Qian Daoliu's voice, cold and measured, broke the stillness. "That woman, Bibi Dong, has made her position clear. Any further direct action against the boy, and she will break all pretenses."
The Golden Crocodile Douluo, his massive form radiating frustration, was incredulous. "For a newly accepted disciple, she would go so far?"
"Who can fathom her mind?" Qian Daoliu replied, his eyes fixed on the towering angel statue. "But the boy's talent is a fact we can no longer ignore. At seven years old, he killed two Soul Kings without a scratch. His future is… concerning."
"What is our next move, then?" Qian Jun Douluo asked, his voice grim.
Qian Daoliu was silent for a long moment. "We lie low. We wait. An opportunity will present itself."
Meanwhile, Chu Tianxiu, now dressed in his new, custom-tailored robes, stood in a quiet room, looking at the young man lying on the bed before him. Ning Tieta was awake, his body still recovering from their match, but his spirit seemed unbroken.
"So, you won in the end?" Ning Tieta's voice was rough but held a note of grudging respect. "You actually defeated two Soul Kings?"
"Defeated?" Chu Tianxiu corrected mildly. "I killed them."
Ning Tieta's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing. He simply absorbed the information.
"I won our bet," Chu Tianxiu continued. "Call me Boss."
"Boss," Ning Tieta complied without hesitation, his tone flat.
An awkward silence descended, the two simply staring at each other. Finally, Chu Tianxiu broke it. "Your surname is Ning. You're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Why are you here, at the Spirit Hall?"
A complex mix of emotions flashed in Ning Tieta's eyes—pain, anger, and a deep, enduring bitterness. Looking at his newly acknowledged leader, he began to speak, his voice low and raspy as he dragged long-buried memories into the light.
He spoke of his father, a direct disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School with immense talent, who broke the clan's most sacred rule by falling in love with and marrying a woman who was also a support-type Soul Master—Ning Tieta's mother. They fled to a small village, hiding their happiness away from the sect.
But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School found them. They dragged his father back. His mother, heartbroken and pregnant, died shortly after giving birth to him.
"The real nightmare," Ning Tieta said, his voice hollow, "came when I awakened my martial soul." He hadn't inherited the glorious Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Instead, a small, dilapidated iron tower appeared. His innate soul power was only level five.
Scorn and ridicule became his daily bread. When he reached level ten, not a single elder would take him to hunt for a spirit ring. His desperate father took him alone into the Soul Beast Forest. He succeeded in helping his son get his first ring, but died protecting him from a vengeful soul beast.
"Both my parents… gone because of their rules," Ning Tieta finished, his hands clenching the sheets. "I hate them. I hate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
Chu Tianxiu listened silently, his expression unreadable. When Ning Tieta fell quiet, he spoke. "Our goals align."
Ning Tieta looked up, a spark of fierce hope in his eyes. "You also want to destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?"
"Their existence is an obstacle to the future I intend to build," Chu Tianxiu stated calmly. "They must be removed."
"Then I will do anything you ask," Ning Tieta vowed, his voice tight with conviction.
"Good. Then I need you to return."
A flicker of intense pain crossed Ning Tieta's face. The thought of returning to the source of all his sorrow was abhorrent. But his expression quickly hardened into resolve. "I… I'll go."
"Excellent. From this moment, you are my agent within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Your codename is 'Mountain'."
Chu Tianxiu placed a hand on the older boy's shoulder. "I will have a Title Douluo elder train you before you leave. I give you my word, you will live to see the fall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Rest now."
He turned and walked to the door. Just as his hand touched the handle, a quiet, sincere word came from behind him.
"Thank you."
Chu Tianxiu paused, glanced back, and offered a small, rare smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Then he was gone, leaving Ning Tieta alone with his grief, his hatred, and a new, burning purpose.