Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends.

The study door closed again, isolating the inside from the outside.

Ning Fengzhi sat alone in the large chair, leaning back slightly, his gaze somewhat distant.

He knew that his actions were tantamount to gambling.

What was staked was a rare treasure accumulated by the sect over many years.

What they were gambling on was a hope so faint it was almost unreal—the hope of breaking free from the thousand-year-old shackles of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.

The chances are slim, and it's even possible to lose everything.

But what if... you win the bet?

That reward would be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School breaking free from its destiny, truly standing at the pinnacle of the continent, on par with, or even surpassing, top-tier offensive sects like the Clear Sky School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!

Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in the depths of Ning Fengzhi's eyes, which were always filled with a smile.

This risk is worth taking.

……

The next day, as dawn broke, a carriage, its decorations unremarkable but made of exquisite materials, quietly departed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, accompanied by an elderly man in gray, and headed towards the Sunset Forest.

Inside the carriage, Ning Fengzhi sat upright, his refined face revealing little emotion. Only his slightly curled fingers, resting on his knees, betrayed a hint of unease within him.

Beside him were three boxes made of special wood and engraved with sealing patterns. Inside were the three precious gifts he had carefully selected: Dragon Blood Lingzhi, Earth Core Essence, and Grade Nine Purple Lingzhi.

The carriage was quiet, with only the rumbling of the wheels on the road.

Sitting opposite him was Sword Douluo Chenxin, who held a long sword in his arms and had his eyes slightly closed, like a silent stone statue. However, the faint, yet sharp aura around him was enough to make any person with ill intentions hesitate.

With Chen Xin by his side, the journey was safe. But Ning Fengzhi knew that the real challenge lay in the upcoming meeting with that mysterious Title Douluo.

The carriage could not go any further after reaching the Sunset Forest.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin got out of the car, and the three gift boxes were carried by the old man in gray who was driving. The three of them moved like three wisps of green smoke and disappeared into the dense forest.

The aura of a Title Douluo was naturally extraordinary. Although they sensed the presence of many powerful soul beasts along the way, none of them dared to approach and provoke the monster, thanks to the occasional wisp of sword energy leaked by Chen Xin.

Following the previously discovered route, the group quickly arrived at the core area of ​​the chaotic energy zone.

Just like what Zhu Tianlin, Yu Yuanzhen and others had experienced before, the poisonous miasma and illusions in front of them silently parted to the sides, revealing a path.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged a glance and stepped inside.

Chapter 160 Tricky

At the end of the path, the scenery suddenly opens up, and the magnificent spectacle of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes, with their interwoven red and blue colors, comes into view.

The rich life energy and medicinal fragrance wafted over, invigorating Ning Fengzhi. Even he, the well-informed sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, couldn't help but show a hint of amazement in his eyes.

Godot still sat in the wicker chair in front of her crystal house, seemingly always in that languid posture.

A deep purple skirt lay scattered on the ground, and pale fingers toyed with a twisted wooden cane.

She looked at the two people who had arrived, her dark green eyes lingering on Ning Fengzhi for a moment, then sweeping over the gray-robed old man holding the gift box behind him, and finally landing on Chen Xin, whose aura was as sharp as a sword. A smile that was not quite a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School's Ning Fengzhi, accompanied by his friend Chenxin, has taken the liberty of coming to pay respects to His Majesty Gedo."

Ning Fengzhi stepped forward, bowing extremely respectfully. Chen Xin also clasped his hands slightly in greeting.

"I don't come here unless I need something." Ge Duo was too lazy to go around in circles. She tapped her fingertips lightly on the armrest of the rattan chair and looked at Ning Fengzhi.

"What brings Sect Leader Ning here in person?"

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, knowing that in the face of such a being, any false politeness was superfluous. He gestured, and the gift box carried by the Soul Saint's carriage driver following behind him was gently placed on the stone table.

"I've heard that Your Majesty's alchemy skills are divine, capable of resolving many mysteries of martial spirits in the world," Ning Fengzhi said bluntly and solemnly.

"Feng Zhi has come here because of the flaw in the martial soul of the direct bloodline of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—the inability to break through the level 80 barrier for life. I earnestly request Your Majesty to lend a helping hand."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and opened the lid of the gift box himself.

Instantly, a rich yet not pungent aroma, a blend of exotic medicinal fragrance and life energy, filled the air.

The Dragon Blood Lingzhi resembles a swimming dragon, its color as red as blood. The Earth's Essence is contained within a jade bottle, radiating a thick, earthy yellow glow. The Nine-Grade Purple Lingzhi is enveloped in purple mist, its cloud-like patterns on its cap seemingly flowing gently.

The moment these three things appeared, even Ge Duo's usually calm, deep green eyes lit up slightly.

She sat up straight, her gaze lingering on the three treasures for a moment before slowly shifting away to look at Ning Fengzhi again.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the number one support-type martial soul in the world, truly lives up to its name." Ge Duo's tone revealed no emotion.

"I've heard a little about this flaw. The root cause is that the martial spirit itself is too powerful, which restricts the growth limit of the soul master's origin."

She paused, her fingers ceasing their tapping. "I need to investigate this myself to find out the specifics."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi stepped forward without hesitation and extended his right hand.

With a thought, a seven-story pagoda, over a foot tall, crystal clear, and shimmering with seven-colored light, floated above his palm, slowly rotating. Seven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—rose from beneath his feet, radiating soul power fluctuations befitting a level seventy-nine Soul Saint.

Gedo stretched out her pale, almost transparent hand and gently touched the body of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda with her fingertips.

In an instant, her spiritual power, like the finest tendrils, coiled upwards and seeped into the dazzling tower.

At the same time, another hidden soul force also entered Ning Fengzhi's body through the meridians in his wrist.

Ning Fengzhi relaxed his body, allowing Ge Duo to investigate. He could feel a cold and powerful consciousness flowing through his martial soul and body. The feeling was uncomfortable, as if all his secrets were exposed, but he forcibly suppressed his instinctive resistance.

Chenxin watched quietly from the side, her fingers resting on the sword hilt slightly tense.

As time passed, Ge Duo's brows gradually furrowed, and the languid expression on her face lessened considerably, replaced by a focused look, and even a faint sense of unease.

After a long while, Ge Duo slowly withdrew her hand, indicating that Ning Fengzhi could put away his martial spirit.

She strolled back to the wicker chair, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, she stood there, gazing silently at the spring where ice and fire intertwined. Her fingers unconsciously traced the dark gemstone on her staff.

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin did not make a sound to disturb them, but waited quietly, an invisible pressure spreading in the air.

Looking at Ge Duo's furrowed brows and silent back, Ning Fengzhi felt the flame of expectation in his heart gradually cool down, as if it had been doused with a bucket of ice water.

Could it be that even this mysterious Title Douluo is powerless to fix the flaws of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?

He clenched his fingers tightly inside his sleeve, his nails digging slightly into his palm.

At this moment, Ge Duo's heart was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.

This is troublesome. That was her first thought.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul is completely different from Luo Sanpao, the martial soul of Yu Xiaogang.

Luo Sanpao's problem stems from blocked meridians and a deficiency in his fundamental nature; in essence, the problem lies in the pathways and the source of his illness.

Her Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, to put it bluntly, is a powerful unblocking agent and stimulant. It uses its domineering medicinal power to forcibly break through blockages and stimulate latent soul power. Its essence is an operation at the energy level.

The process of refining it is not complicated. It can be done with some common high-energy herbs and her unique potion-making techniques, and the cost is extremely low.

But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is different. According to her initial investigation, the structure of this martial soul is almost perfect, and its auxiliary ability is extremely powerful. It is this extreme power that seems to have violated some rule, causing it to be sealed off by an invisible and incredibly solid ceiling after reaching level seventy-nine.

This is not a simple matter of insufficient energy or meridian problems; it is a limitation engraved deep within the origin of the martial spirit.

Breaking this restriction that involves fundamental rules is probably a pipe dream, relying solely on the scraps and rare materials she usually uses to make potions.

In her initial assessment, it was highly likely that the original branches and leaves of the true immortal herbs within the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes would be needed as the main ingredient, with their near-law-level life and rule power, in order to attempt to break through that barrier.

Immortal Herb...

Ge Duo's heart ached. These immortal herbs were her lifeblood, the foundation upon which she established herself and made her way to power in the Douluo Continent.

Each plant is unique, grows slowly, and consumes the essence accumulated over many years by the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes.

Using up a single leaf or a single stalk can damage the source of the plant; it's true that every bit used reduces its essence.

Is it worth paying such a huge price for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?

Ge Duo was struggling internally, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the three gift boxes on the stone table.

Even through the box, she could feel the immense energy and value contained within the three items.

Dragon Blood Lingzhi, Earth Core Soul Essence, Grade Nine Purple Lingzhi... these are all truly valuable items, greatly beneficial to her cultivation and the refining of certain high-level magical potions. Moreover, this is merely a welcoming gift.

Chapter 161 Research on Living Martial Souls

If... if she could accept this task, given the immense wealth of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Ning Fengzhi's burning desire to break free from fate, the various rare and precious materials she would obtain would likely amount to an astronomical sum. That would be an inexhaustible treasure trove, enough to support her in conducting more and more astonishing potion experiments and rapidly increasing her strength.

On one hand, there's the consumption of immortal herbs that could damage one's own foundation; on the other hand, there's the near-infinite supply of top-tier resources that could be obtained in the future.

Gedo was conflicted. Her fair fingers gripped the staff tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" A voice clamored in her mind. The immortal herb was precious, but if she could exchange it for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—a "long-term meal ticket"—wouldn't she be afraid of not finding more good things in the future? Perhaps she could even find a substitute or a way to promote the regeneration of the immortal herb!

Another voice cautiously warned: Immortal herbs are non-renewable. If we fail, or if Ning Fengzhi's subsequent resources are insufficient to make up for the losses, then we will suffer a huge loss!

After much hesitation, greed for resources ultimately triumphed over the heartache for the immortal herb.

Ge Duo took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. She turned around and faced Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin again, her face showing a solemn expression with a hint of difficulty.

"Sect Leader Ning," she began, her voice lower than before, "the situation is not good."

Ning Fengzhi's heart sank completely upon hearing her words. All color drained from her face, and she even held her breath for a moment.

Chen Xin frowned, and his aura grew even colder.

Seeing his reaction, Ge Duo continued in a heavy tone, "Based on my initial assessment, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's inability to break through level eighty stems from the martial soul itself..."

"After reaching the seventh layer, its structure seems to have reached the limit of some kind of law of heaven and earth, and was sealed by an extremely solid barrier. This is not a simple matter of energy accumulation or meridians, but involves the limitation of the origin level."

Every word she spoke was like a heavy hammer blow to Ning Fengzhi's heart.

Although he had suspected it before, being so bluntly told by Ge Duo that the root cause lay in the martial soul itself still filled him with unprecedented despair.

"Then... is there really no way at all?" Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled slightly, and he stared intently at Ge Duo, not wanting to miss any subtle change in her expression.

Ge Duo paused for a moment, seemingly considering her words, before slowly saying, "There is... not a complete lack of solutions."

A glimmer of hope instantly flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

“I have a preliminary idea right now,” Ge Duo said cautiously.

"Perhaps we can try to break through that barrier by refining a special elixir, with its contained ultimate life and rule power. But this is only one direction. Whether it will succeed, how the elixir should be formulated, and how its medicinal properties should be guided all require me to conduct a deeper and longer study of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul before I can give an accurate judgment and solution."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the gift box on the stone table before turning to Ning Fengzhi, a perfectly appropriate look of embarrassment on her face.

"Moreover, if we really follow this line of thought, the subsequent research and alchemy process will probably require an enormous amount of rare and precious materials, many of which are extremely rare and hard to come by. I am worried that even with the resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it may not be able to keep up with the supply."

Ge Duo's words were half true and half false. It was true, if she were to actually use the immortal herb, the consumption would indeed be enormous for her.

The truth is, she didn't need a huge amount of ordinary natural treasures.

She did this to increase the difficulty, while also concealing her true strength and the price she would pay.

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi was initially delighted that there was a way, but then his heart sank because of the vast amount of rare and precious materials and the uncertainty of whether success would be achieved.

But as the leader of a large sect, he quickly weighed the pros and cons.

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School must seize it!

Seeing the changing expressions on Ning Fengzhi's face, Ge Duo knew that the time was right, but she still needed to add the last, and most crucial, piece of leverage.

She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, causing Ning Fengzhi to look up at her.

“There is one more thing, Sect Leader Ning.” Ge Duo’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Theoretical research is ultimately a step behind. If I want to truly understand the key to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda breaking through the barrier, I need a Soul Master with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul to cooperate with my research here for a long time. Observing their Soul Power and sensing the subtle changes in their Martial Soul's origin under the medicine's effects is an indispensable part."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's expression changed drastically, and even Chen Xin, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them, her gaze sharp as a sword as she looked at Ge Duo.

To allow a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to stay by the side of a mysterious and unpredictable Title Douluo for an extended period, allowing him to explore the most fundamental mysteries of martial souls?

This is too risky! A martial spirit is the foundation of a family and a sect. If Ge Duo not only finds a way to break through the bottleneck in his research, but also discovers the weaknesses of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda or even a way to counter it, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Ning Fengzhi's heart sank to the bottom in an instant. The fire that had just been ignited by seeing a glimmer of hope was almost extinguished by this bucket of cold water.

His lips moved as if he wanted to refuse; this condition crossed his bottom line.

Ge Duo noticed his hesitation and resistance, but didn't urge him. Instead, she slowly added, "Of course, if Sect Master Ning finds it inconvenient, this matter can be abandoned. However, without a living martial spirit to observe, relying solely on texts and oral accounts, my research will likely struggle to reach the core, and the success rate will probably be less than one in a hundred. After all, theoretical discussions are ultimately futile!"

Her words were light and airy, yet they struck Ning Fengzhi's heart like a heavy hammer.

Give up? That would mean the newly ignited flame of hope might be extinguished.

The evolution of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, the possibility of breaking free from fate... these temptations were too great, so great that he had to weigh the enormous risks.

A deathly silence fell over the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire. Chen Xin remained silent, simply watching Ning Fengzhi and awaiting his decision.