Douluo Dalu: The Frozen Throne

Chapter 239: Ning Tian Wu Feng and the Inner Courtyard, the Thoughts of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect

Shu Yan actually didn't expect that he would meet Ning Tian and Wu Feng again by the Sea God Lake.

The last time they met at the Jialing Pass ruins, they were just little girls, but after not seeing each other for a few years, they have become much more mature.

Ning Tian had a more mature and steady temperament. Her blonde hair was not very short and fell slightly to her shoulders. After not seeing her for a few years, the freckles on her face had decreased a little and she looked much prettier overall. Her big blue eyes were now mixed with a hint of complicated emotions.

As for Wu Feng... well, from Shu Yan's aesthetic point of view, her appearance is even better than Ning Tian's, especially her red eyes. There is a hint of horror in her charm, and her originally cold gaze is now full of astonishment.

Seeing that it was Ning Tian and the other two, Yan Shaozhe's expression couldn't help but change slightly.

There is no way they didn't know that Ning Tian would be the next leader of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. Although tens of thousands of years had passed and the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect no longer had the prestige of being the second-best sect on the continent, it was still the most top-notch super-large sect in the world.

On the surface, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's industries are spread across the three major empires, and even the Sun and Moon Empire is vaguely involved.

Secretly, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is the largest supplier of rare metals to the three countries of the original continent. With its special network of relationships, it can even obtain some rare goods that are strictly prohibited by the Sun and Moon Empire from appearing in the three countries of the original continent.

What's more, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's inherited martial spirit, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, is naturally extremely sensitive to all kinds of spiritual objects and treasures. In other words, every owner of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial spirit is a natural human treasure-hunting machine, and there is almost no possibility of error.

From this, we can imagine how terrifying the treasures and wealth accumulated by the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect over tens of thousands of years are. This is truly the kind of wealth that can rival a country.

Thinking of this, Yan Shaozhe showed a gentle smile on his face, and then said:
"It's you two, how come you know each other?"

Obviously, Yan Shaozhe also noticed the strangeness in the expressions of the two.

Ning Tian nodded with a complicated expression, and then said:

"Four deans, what are you doing...?"

Yan Shaozhe chuckled and looked back at the group of people, then replied:

"These are students from Xingluo National Academy who came to visit our Shrek Academy to study. They are new here, so we will take them on a tour of the academy."

Ning Tian smiled, then quietly reached out a hand to hold Wu Feng, who was still obviously a little excited, and said:
"Then we won't bother the four deans anymore. Sister Feng, let's go."

Having said that, without caring about Wu Feng's reaction, he pulled her towards the path on the side.

Yan Shaozhe watched the two disappear, then his signature gentle smile appeared on his face again, and he said to everyone:
"Let's go."

Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiu looked at each other and smiled silently. Those who could fly by themselves slowly took off into the air, while those who temporarily did not have the ability to fly took out their own flying soul guides. Various soul powers surged, forming a beautiful landscape on the shore of Poseidon Lake.

Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo looked at the soul-guided flying vehicles behind the crowd, with a hint of surprise in their eyes. With their vision, they could naturally see the fine craftsmanship and materials used in the flying soul-guided vehicles that everyone was equipped with. Moreover, it was obvious at first glance that these flying soul-guided vehicles were not universal styles, and were most likely custom-made versions created by high-level soul-guided engineers.

Thinking of this, both of them felt a little complicated.

The development of the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy has never been as prosperous as the Martial Soul Department, and the financial resources available are not sufficient. Even some of their own core students are not equipped with flying soul guides, let alone one-on-one customization.

The rapid development of the Star Luo Empire's soul guide technology in recent years is obvious to all. There are even reports that the Star Luo Empire already has more than one ninth-level soul guide. However, all of this has not been confirmed. Star Luo has blocked the news in this regard very well. Even if they use all the information channels, they cannot get the information they want.

The distance between the two banks of Poseidon Lake was not too far, and soul masters with strong mental powers could see the other side of the lake with their eyesight alone. Soon, everyone set foot on the land of Poseidon Island.

Poseidon Island is much quieter than the outer courtyard. The trees on the island are very lush, and the land on both sides of the road is covered with various flowers and plants. The rich breath of life makes people feel peaceful.

These trees, flowers and plants are pruned regularly by dedicated personnel, so they grow just right. There are not many students and teachers living in the inner courtyard. For such a large Poseidon Island, there are only a few popular places.

Yan Shaozhe led everyone to a small courtyard surrounded by trees. Behind the courtyard, there was a clear stream. Not far away was the Poseidon Lake. The water vapor here was very abundant, so several small buildings used special materials to block the water vapor, but the appearance was still extremely plain.

And this is where Ling Luochen once lived.

She has a cold personality and doesn't like to interact with outsiders. She doesn't socialize much and can even be said to be a loner in the inner courtyard. It is normal for her to like such a secluded residence close to Poseidon Lake.

"From now on, this will be your dormitory. There are few people in the inner courtyard, but the facilities are very complete. The cafeteria and the arena are about three kilometers away from here, and there are no other students living within a kilometer radius."

"Except for certain areas where you cannot go at will, you can move around freely everywhere else, including the inner courtyard."

Yan Shaozhe chuckled and said that this was not only his intention, but also Moon's intention. Such authority was already considerable, and was enough to make Shu Yan and his party feel their goodwill and sincerity. However, in the final analysis, this would not cause them any actual losses.

After saying that, Yan Shaozhe chatted with Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiu for a few more words, then left with the other three.

After the four figures completely disappeared from sight, Ling Luochen pushed open the door of a small building. She paused. To be honest, she really didn't expect that she could return to this small building in her lifetime.

"Let's assign dormitories. There aren't too many rooms here, so two people in one is just right. Well, Luochen's room is bigger, so Luochen Jiujiu and I can just squeeze into one."

Shu Yan said very generously.

Hearing this, everyone rolled their eyes. Shu Yan had made his thoughts clear. If they couldn't react, he might as well dig out their brains.

Xu Jiujiu glared at Shu Yan in reproach, then hugged Ling Luochen's arm. The two of them took a step back together, and then said:

"Don't bother us. Go sleep on the sofa. Luo Chen and I will be keeping an eye on you. Don't try to mess around."

Shu Yan: “…”

Who would have thought that one day he would be reduced to sleeping on the sofa? However, Shu Yan did not say anything and let Xu Jiujiu and Tian Ling bring out new bedding to create a warm nest for him...

...Night fell quickly, and Shu Yan leaned on the sofa thinking about things.

This place is close to the Sea God Pavilion, and Shu Yan’s mental power can easily leave to observe the so-called golden tree.

Penetrating deep into the golden tree's interior through the rich aura of light, Shu Yan felt a barrier. With a thought, the Evil Emperor's skull and the soul bone attached to the blood-red nine-headed bat king's brain exerted force at the same time. A faint blood-purple light lingered in Shu Yan's eyes. Then, the barrier quietly shattered, and a flash of green light flashed through the golden tree's body. Shu Yan curled the corners of his mouth, confirming his guess.

At the same time, in a room on the third floor of Poseidon Pavilion, Moon, who was lying on a recliner with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. His slightly weathered eyes were very bright in the dark, like the eyes of a giant dragon, captivating people.

"Strange, why did the golden tree suddenly move..."

A slightly doubtful voice sounded in the room. Moon raised his hand slightly, and a golden light rose from him, then slowly merged into the golden tree, but unexpectedly, he did not get any response.

On the other side, Shu Yan had slowly opened his eyes.

An evil light flashed by, Shu Yan exhaled lightly, and then murmured:
"The Blue Silver Emperor is indeed parasitic in the essence of the Golden Tree, but her aura is so weak..."

It was a quiet night, the sky was dim and there was hardly any human habitation on Poseidon Island. Shu Yan continued to ponder for a moment and had a general idea in his mind.

Just as he was about to take a break, a subtle sound suddenly came from outside the window, followed by a weak mental wave. This mental wave was specific and not concealed. Shu Yan pushed open the window and saw a firefly-like creature with a faint light emitting from its tail, and the mental wave came from there.

"Voice transmission soul guide?"

Shu Yan chuckled. With just one glance, he knew the type of this little thing. It was a voice-transmitting soul guide that many major forces on the continent had studied. It was popular with many people for its high concealment and security.

Actually, there are many types of soul guides, but one as tiny and delicate as this is not something that ordinary forces can produce.

Shu Yan crushed the little thing casually, and his figure flashed, turning into a gust of breeze and disappearing into the house in an instant.

……

Outer courtyard, beside Poseidon Lake.

Shu Yan's figure appeared out of nowhere. Tonight's moonlight was mostly blocked by clouds. Under the dim light of a street lamp, the figure of the girl with short golden hair looked a little thin, just like her clothes during the day, but with a hint of loneliness under the night sky.

"It's been a long time since we last met, Little Sect Master Ning. You were just a little girl when we last met. In the past few years, you seem to have grown up a lot."

Shu Yan asked softly.

Ning Tian was startled when he heard this, bit his lip, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke softly:
"The Jiubao Liuli Sect wants to join the Xingluo Empire. I have inquired about it. You have a close relationship with Princess Jiujiu, the most powerful person in the Xingluo Empire. That's why I asked you out late at night."

Shu Yan was a little surprised. He leaned against a tree trunk, thought for a moment, and then said:

"You are the successor of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but you are not the sect leader of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect after all. Can you represent the wishes of your entire sect?"

Ning Tian shook his head slightly, raised his head and said softly:

"In recent years, due to the rapid development and growing national strength of the Xingluo Empire, the Tianhun royal family has felt tremendous pressure and threats. Therefore, they have deepened their exchanges with the Body Sect. The marriage between Tianhun Princess Vina and Body Sect's Young Master Long Aotian is a foregone conclusion. Once they succeed, the Body Sect will become the Tianhun Empire's national guardian sect. Our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect has always been in a competitive relationship with the Body Sect. Once this happens, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's living space will be drastically compressed, and it may even be annexed and destroyed."

After a self-deprecating laugh, Ning Tian continued:

"Speaking of which, there is a deep gap between us and the Tianhun Royal Family."

"Thousands of years ago, when the Tiandou Empire was split, the leader of our Jiubao Liuli Sect supported the Xue royal family, which is now the Douling royal family. But later, the Xue royal family was expelled and moved east, and Tiandou officially split into the two major empires today."

"Later, when the new Emperor Tianhun ascended the throne, he immediately severed the cooperative relationship with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Although he did not eradicate the sect due to its background and influence, he was no longer close to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Instead, he gradually established contact with the mysterious Body Sect."

"And now the situation we are facing is already very critical, but what's funny is that at this time, some old stubborn people in the sect still stubbornly want to get closer to the Tianhun Royal Family, instead of accepting the reality and finding another way out."

"Now, one faction in the sect, represented by my mother, wants to break away from Tianhun and find another way out, while the other faction is unwilling to abandon their ancestral heritage and is still dreaming of living in peace."

Having said that, Ning Tian suddenly looked up into Shu Yan's eyes, and then said word by word:

"Previously, the largest chamber of commerce in Xingluo Empire, Tianyan, had secret negotiations with us. Their intention was to win over the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. We have already checked and found that the person in charge of this chamber of commerce is just a young woman. There are no strong people stationed inside the chamber of commerce. However, they were able to seize the largest and most profitable markets in Xingluo in such a short period of time, and no force dared to raise any objections afterwards."

"That is to say, the backing of the Tianyan Chamber of Commerce is so powerful that no one in the Xingluo Empire dares to provoke it. I think, apart from the royal family, no one else has such a huge power."

Shu Yan was silent for a while after hearing this, and then smiled.

"Very smart. Your choices and judgments are correct. Or rather, your faction's choices and judgments are correct."

"Tianyan Chamber of Commerce is indeed affiliated with the royal family. It was supported by He Jiujiu. It was also Jiujiu's intention to negotiate with you."

"Xingluo, we welcome the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect to join us."

Ning Tian showed a look of "as expected" on her face, and then she continued:
"The sect wants to complete the transfer as soon as possible. This is the intention of my mother and many elders. The wealth accumulated in Jiubao City over thousands of years is too huge. It is not realistic to transfer all of it. In the end, we can only take away the most precious part, and we can only do our best for the rest. During this period, my mother and others will arrange for the sect disciples to transfer to the border of the two countries in an orderly manner. When the time comes, please ask Xingluo to provide support. As for the faction that wants to stay in Tianhun..."

Ning Tian hesitated for a moment, closed his eyes, and then spoke:
"My mother will ask Elder Zhao and my great grandfather to monitor them. As long as they don't give us information and have second thoughts, we won't touch them."

"After all, they are from the same lineage. Unless it is absolutely necessary, we will not kill them all. We will just let them fend for themselves..."

……

(End of this chapter)