Douluo Continent: The Twin Holy Dragons of Light and Darkness, the Dragon Emperor Breaks Through the

Just then, a voice called out from afar, its tone trembling slightly:

"The Spirit Hall delegation has arrived!"

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone turned their heads at the same time, looking at the sky outside the mountain gate.

The two leaders were a man in a black robe fluttering in the wind and a man shrouded in green mist.

Behind them stood three teenagers side by side, and further back were ten elite Soul Saints exuding murderous intent.

Ning Feng's pupils constricted slightly.

He recognized the person at a glance—the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, Qian Gu Xiao Ye.

The man beside him, whose poison skills were unfathomable, was none other than the fourth elder of the Spirit Hall, the Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.

Two titled Douluo personally led the team?

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath and quickly went to meet him.

"Elder Qian Gu, Elder Dugu, your presence is an honor! We are so sorry for not welcoming you sooner!"

Qian Gu Xiao Ye nodded slightly: "Sect Leader Ning, you are too kind. The Spirit Hall congratulates your sect on the hundred-day celebration of your little princess and has prepared a small gift as a token of our respect."

He raised his hand, and Jin Chen stepped forward holding a brocade box.

Ning Fengzhi took it, opened it, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

It was a crystal-clear spiritual herb, emitting a faint seven-colored light.

Even those who don't know its value can sense the terrifying energy it contains.

"This is……"

"Nine-grade purple Ganoderma lucidum".

Qian Gu Xiaoye said calmly, "Strengthening the foundation and cultivating the vital energy can help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul's foundation become more stable. This will definitely benefit your daughter's future cultivation."

Ning Fengzhi's hand trembled slightly.

Nine-grade Purple Ganoderma!

This is a rare, millennia-old elixir on the mainland, and the Spirit Hall actually used it as a congratulatory gift?

He took a deep breath and bowed solemnly: "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will forever remember the generous gift from Elder Qian Gu."

Qian Gu Xiaoye waved his hand: "Sect Leader Ning, there's no need to be so polite. If there's an opportunity in the future, the Spirit Hall is willing to get closer to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present varied.

Prince Xuexing and Zhu Wuchang exchanged a glance, both seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.

Is the Spirit Hall trying to win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?

Ning Fengzhi naturally understood the implied meaning, but he simply smiled and stepped aside to lead the way.

"Please come in, gentlemen. The banquet is ready."

Qian Gu Xiaoye nodded and led everyone through the mountain gate.

Wherever they went, the crowd automatically parted to make way for them.

The nobles, clan leaders, and patriarchs looked at this group with a mixture of awe, fear, envy, and resentment.

But no one dared to speak up.

The oppressive aura emanating from those two titled Douluo had already put pressure on everyone present.

The banquet was held in the council hall on the mountaintop.

The main hall is extremely spacious and can accommodate hundreds of people.

The room was now filled with guests from all walks of life.

The Spirit Hall delegation was seated in the position closest to the host, which was an acknowledgment of the Spirit Hall's status.

Ling Feng and the other two took their seats, with Qian Gu Xiao Ye and Du Gu Bo sitting beside them.

Ten elite Soul Kings stood behind them, their eyes like lightning, scanning everyone present.

The banquet began, and toasts were exchanged.

But Ling Feng noticed that many eyes were frequently falling on them.

Those gazes contained curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of hostility.

Especially the gazes from the seats of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

Ling Feng picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The real show was yet to come. Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere gradually became subtle.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, and after all the pleasantries had been exchanged, the real "main topic" finally came to the fore.

Prince Xuexing, seated in the Heavenly Dou Empire, put down his wine cup and coughed lightly. His voice was not loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.

"Sect Leader Ning, I have a question I would like to ask the members of the Spirit Hall today."

The whole place fell silent.

Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly, but still maintained a polite smile: "Princess Xuexing, please speak freely."

Prince Xuexing looked towards the Spirit Hall seats, his gaze landing on Qian Gu Xiaoye, and said with a forced smile.

"I've heard that in recent years, the Spirit Hall has launched something like... Snowflake Salt? And those ridiculously cheap books? I'm very curious, what is the Spirit Hall's intention in doing this?"

Qian Gu Xiao Ye picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said nothing.

Ling Feng laughed.

He put down his chopsticks, looked at Prince Xuexing, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Your Highness, please speak frankly about what you wish to ask. Beating around the bush is not in the style of the Tiandou royal family."

Prince Xuexing's face stiffened.

A fat, big-eared nobleman next to him jumped out, pointed at Ling Feng and said, "You're just a junior, what right do you have to speak here?"

Before Ling Feng could speak, Dugu Bo let out a cold laugh.

The nobleman trembled, his face turning deathly pale.

Just a moment ago, he felt as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake, and his blood froze.

"Is an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall not qualified to speak?"

Dugu Bo said in a sinister tone, "Who do you think you are?"

The nobleman opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Prince Xuexing's face was grim, but he still forced himself to say, "Elder Dugu, please calm down."

"This sir is right. I do indeed have a question to ask: What is the cost of the Spirit Hall's Snowflake Salt? What is its selling price? Why can it be sold so cheaply?"

Ling Feng said calmly, "The cost is a secret of the Spirit Hall and cannot be disclosed. As for the price, one pound of snowflake salt costs ten copper coins."

"What, does His Highness, whose wealth rivals that of a kingdom, find it too expensive?"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Ten copper coins for a pound of salt?

That's something that ordinary people can't even eat a few pounds of in a month!

You should know that before the Spirit Hall introduced snowflake salt, half a pound of coarse salt on the market would cost two silver coins, or a full two hundred copper coins!

"Ten copper coins?"

A nobleman from the Star Luo Empire slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "What is your Spirit Hall trying to do? Disrupt the market? How are those salt merchants supposed to survive?"

Ling Feng looked at him, his eyes as calm as if he were watching a joke.

"How do salt merchants survive?" he retorted. "When those salt merchants monopolized the salt industry, selling half a pound of coarse salt for two hundred copper coins and making a fortune, why didn't you ask how the common people survived?"

The nobleman was speechless.

Another nobleman stood up and said righteously, "Even so, what about the books? The books printed by your Spirit Hall only sell for a few copper coins each?"

"Those scholars painstakingly copy a book, and then sell it for tens or even hundreds of silver coins! You are cutting off their livelihood!"

Ling Feng smiled.

His laughter was soft, yet it conveyed a sense of mockery to everyone present.

"A scholar?"

Chapter 59 Nobles? Just bloodsuckers!

He looked at the nobleman and said, word by word, "Are you referring to those 'scholars' who monopolize knowledge, treat books as family heirlooms, and prevent commoners from learning to read and write?"

The nobleman's face flushed red.

Ling Feng stood up and glanced at all the nobles, sect leaders, and clan chiefs present.

"Snowflake salt is inexpensive and affordable for everyone, so people no longer have to eat coarse salt mixed with sand."

"With the widespread availability of printing, a copy of the Thousand Character Classic only costs three copper coins, which a farmer can afford by working a day's work, and his children can then learn to read and write."

"Who does this bother?"

He pointed at the fat, big-eared nobleman: "Did it bother you? Because your family monopolized the salt industry and earned millions of gold soul coins every year, but now they can't earn that anymore?"

He then pointed to another nobleman: "Is it still bothering you? Because your family has a vast collection of books and makes a fortune by lending them out at exorbitant fees, but now nobody wants to lend them to you?"

The audience was silent.

The nobles' faces were all grim.

Prince Xuexing took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Elder Qiangu, is this the attitude of your Spirit Hall?"

"Pouring goods at low prices, disrupting the market, bankrupting countless salt merchants, and leaving countless scholars destitute—is this your Spirit Hall's contribution to the continent?"

What a clever tactic: labeling someone first and then assigning them sides!

Qian Gu Xiao Ye finally spoke.