Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, with its immense wealth, naturally attracted much envy. However, this clan understood the art of investment very early on. While vigorously developing its own support-type martial soul, it also continuously absorbed and nurtured powerful geniuses from outside the clan, resulting in powerful worshippers throughout the generations.

This generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has its own unique features. With two Title Douluo in charge, and after the Haotian Sect was sealed, it made decisive moves. In just a few years, its influence in the Heaven Dou Soul Master world has completely surpassed that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, directly affecting more than 5,000 Soul Masters, and has become the number one sect in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Of course, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has not been without its obstacles in developing to its current level within the Heaven Dou Empire. Especially after the fall of the Clear Sky School, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has become more aligned with the Spirit Hall, which has increased the pressure from the Heaven Dou royal family.

Inside the council hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, on the north side of the hall, facing south, sat a large rosewood carved chair with a huge jade stone inlaid on the back. This jade stone was emerald green and exuded a faint, warm aura; it was indeed a top-grade warm jade.

A man sat upright on a large rosewood carved chair. He had a handsome face, a straight nose and a square mouth, and a refined and gentle appearance. He wore a clean white robe that was spotless, and his smooth black hair was draped over his back. He had a very distinguished air about him, but his face showed some signs of fatigue and helplessness.

Behind this man sat two elderly men, each with their own unique features. One had white hair and beard, but his face was as delicate as a baby's, while the other looked like a skeleton, which was somewhat frightening.

These three were Ning Fengzhi, the most revered sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and two titled Douluo elders, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

At this moment, inside the council hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, besides these three people, there was another group of people. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes and exuded an air of nobility. The leader was none other than Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of the Heaven Dou royal family. It was the presence of this important figure from the royal family that gave Ning Fengzhi a headache.

"Sect Leader Ning, my father has always admired you. He knows that although you are not a Title Douluo, your knowledge is by no means inferior to that of an ordinary Title Douluo. The royal family has always valued learned people, so they invited you to serve as the teacher of the princes and princesses."

Xue Qinghe paused here, then said with a respectful expression, "I personally have great respect for Sect Master Ning. If possible, could you be my teacher in Soul Master cultivation?"

"Your Highness, this is absolutely impossible. I understand the royal family's high regard for me, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will not forget the empire's favor. But now, some things are not something I can decide on my own."

A bitter smile crossed Ning Fengzhi's face. In truth, he still preferred the Heavenly Dou Royal Family. After all, the Royal Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's leadership had cooperated for many years. Moreover, although the Heavenly Dou Royal Family was large, it posed less of a threat to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Cooperating with them would allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to maintain more control.

However, since the Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion, the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School have been in contact and cooperation, and the Spirit Hall has gradually gained more influence over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Now, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, especially at the lower levels, has more goodwill towards the Spirit Hall.

Well, the Spirit Hall is full of Spirit Masters, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School also has many Spirit Masters, so it's easy for everyone to communicate.

On the Tiandou Empire's side, many of those who came to negotiate cooperation were nobles. The noble elites of the feudal era were just like that; they couldn't shake their inherent condescension towards Pingming.

If this were a few decades ago, it wouldn't be so bad. Back then, the status of nobles was indeed the highest on the continent, and even Soul Masters had to take a backseat.

However, since the miracle occurred during the Light Festival several years ago, the Spirit Hall has gained a lot of popularity among the people. They took the opportunity to promote the idea that Spirit Masters are the noble people who are blessed by the gods, which has dealt a heavy blow to the ruling position of the nobility that has lasted for hundreds or thousands of years.

Nowadays, Soul Masters are defined as born nobles, while the nobles of the past were mostly just ordinary people with power. Only Soul Masters among the nobles are truly noble.

The status and influence of Soul Masters among the people have soared, which has also affected the status of the major Soul Master sects. After the Elite Tournament, the Spirit Hall won the championship three times and produced top geniuses such as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall and the daughter of the previous Pope, which put great pressure on the royal families of the two empires.

In this situation, they intensified their efforts to win over and influence the Soul Masters within the empire, attempting to completely integrate these Soul Master forces into their own fold, hoping to use this as a basis to contend with the Spirit Hall. For the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was of paramount importance.

Inside the council hall, Ning Fengzhi looked helpless. He naturally understood what Crown Prince Xue Qinghe of Tiandou meant, but he couldn't make decisions based on his own likes and dislikes. Instead, he needed to consider the overall situation and make the most correct decision for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Compared to the Heaven Dou Royal Family, the Spirit Hall was indeed not a good choice; they were too powerful and could easily swallow up the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School completely. However, that Holy Son was too generous, offering too much, which the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School simply couldn't refuse.

The conditions offered by the Heavenly Dou royal family weren't bad at all. Xue Qinghe was willing to become his apprentice, and after he ascended the throne, he would become the imperial tutor, a duke was practically guaranteed, and he would also become a powerful nobleman. This was indeed a very high level of treatment.

However, does the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School need these things? Yes, it does, but they aren't absolutely necessary. Even without imperial recognition, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School still enjoys numerous privileges within the Heaven Dou Empire through economic means, so having this empty title makes little difference.

As for refusing to be suppressed by the Heavenly Dou Empire, to put it bluntly, given the current situation, the Heavenly Dou royal family wouldn't dare at all.

Of the four major sects within the Heaven Dou Empire, the Clear Sky Sect's influence has greatly diminished due to its mountain closure, and the assassination attempt in the capital has created a bitter feud between the two sides. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect has never held the imperial family in high regard, while the Elephant Armor Sect has long since pledged allegiance to the Spirit Hall.

All things considered, only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School maintains some connection with the royal family, but they are quite restrained and dare not provoke the Spirit Hall's displeasure.

All of this is because the Spirit Hall now has a much stronger influence on the Soul Master world, especially towards his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, which is very generous and gives a lot. Those precious things are not free, so Ning Fengzhi naturally dared not act recklessly.

"Sect Leader Ning, I hope you can reconsider..."

Inside the council hall, Ning Fengzhi exchanged pleasantries with Xue Qinghe for a while before Xue Qinghe left with his entourage. At this moment, a fine layer of sweat was clearly visible on Ning Fengzhi's forehead.

"Hu~~"

The sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School took out a delicate handkerchief and wiped his head, as if he had finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Woooo..."

At this moment, behind the screen at the back of the council hall, there were suddenly obvious sounds of struggle and sobbing. Sword Douluo, who was sitting in his seat, quickly went over and saw a young man pulling a little girl and covering her mouth. The little girl had tears in her eyes and looked very aggrieved as if she had been bullied.

The little girl was only about ten years old, with short hair that reached her ears, an extremely fair and delicate face, and a figure that was just beginning to take shape. She looked very well-behaved, like a noble girl who had received higher education.

At this moment, she seemed to have been bullied very badly; her collar was slightly loosened, and tears welled up in her eyes as she threw herself into Sword Douluo Chen Xin's arms, crying, "Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Sword, I've been bullied, boohoo..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, the little girl burst into tears, "This big bad guy tricked me into coming here, and then... he did this to me..."

The old man in white quickly and tenderly embraced her small, delicate body, saying, "My dear, my little darling, Grandpa Jian will definitely stand up for you."

The little girl looked up and asked, "Really?"

"Uh……"

Sword Douluo glanced at the guy who was accused of bullying his little princess. He was about fifteen years old and had always displeased him. But he was a Title Douluo, so how could he bully the younger one?

"Wow... Grandpa Sword doesn't love Rongrong anymore, Grandpa Bone, Grandpa Bone..."

Seeing that her sword-wielding grandfather hadn't made any real move, the little girl felt even more aggrieved and burst into tears. Upon hearing the call, the withered old man, Gu Rong, suddenly stood up. His terrifying height was nearly two and a half meters, making him look extremely frightening.

The two elderly men were comforting the ten-year-old girl, while the young man who had been accused of bullying her earlier walked around the three of them and sat down next to Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, your daughter's temper..."

"Ah... Holy Son, please don't be offended. I only have this one daughter, and I've spoiled her a bit."

Ning Fengzhi looked helpless. As the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he was not young anymore. He had many sons, but only one daughter.

This youngest daughter, Ning Rongrong, was not only his only daughter but also his youngest child. She was spoiled by him from childhood to adulthood, and was also treated as a granddaughter by Chen Xin and Gu Rong, two revered figures. She was always pampered and was known as the Little Devil in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

He knew the whole story. In fact, before Xue Qinghe and the others arrived, he was talking with the Holy Son Yan of the Spirit Hall. At that time, the little witch secretly ran in and hid behind the screen to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Xue Qinghe and his group arrived quickly, and he was also prepared to be frank with the Spirit Hall about some things. So he arranged for the Holy Son to hide behind the screen, and then it seemed that he and his daughter had a small misunderstanding.

“Miss Rongrong has a temperament that requires someone who can tolerate her personality but also knows how to make her obey. I think she is very cute, and I have always admired Sect Leader Ning. I wonder if I could have the honor of becoming your junior?”

Yan smiled and said this. As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong and Chen Xin's expressions tightened. Ning Rongrong, who had just been calmed down, was stunned for a moment and then reacted even more intensely.

She wailed loudly, "No, no, I don't want to! Grandpa Bone, Grandpa Sword, Father, I don't want to marry this kind of bully..."

As soon as Ning Rongrong started crying, Chen Xin and Gu Rong immediately went to comfort her, "Little princess, it's up to you, if you don't want it, then you don't want it..."

Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly awkwardly, "Well, Your Highness, Rongrong is still young. I hope she can make her own choice when she's older..."

Yan smiled and replied, "I understand that, of course. Rongrong just didn't have a good first impression of me and has a bit of a rebellious streak. I'll find a way to get along with her and make her accept me..."

Ning Fengzhi opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end. That wasn't what he meant. But after thinking about it, if his daughter was ultimately willing, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Marriage alliances have always been an excellent way to solidify the relationships between powerful forces.

The Holy Son of the Spirit Hall standing before her was an outstanding individual. Although he seemed to have some ambiguous relationships with some remarkable women, most powerful men in this era were like that. Moreover, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School backing her up, Ning Rongrong wasn't afraid of being bullied.

At this moment, a maid from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School came in and changed the tea. Yan glanced at Ning Fengzhi, then picked up a cup of fragrant tea and took a sip. "The Heavenly Dou Royal Family is really showing their sincerity this time. The position of teacher to the princes and princesses, and the future position of Imperial Tutor. Aren't you tempted?"

"Why does Your Highness have to criticize these things? To be honest, I was once very tempted."

Ning Fengzhi also took a sip of tea, then looked at Yan and put down the teacup, tapping the table lightly with his fingers. "But I am more of a Soul Master. Compared to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda breaking the shackles, temporary power is nothing."

Chapter 217 Methods for Upgrading the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda

"Sect Leader Ning is indeed a qualified Soul Master, and I am very pleased with that. It is also a great pity for the Spirit Hall that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can only be hung with seven rings."

Inside the council hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Yan gently put down his teacup, very satisfied with Ning Fengzhi's choice.

Although the Heaven Dou royal family possesses great power, their weaknesses are too obvious. Without a strong force of soul masters and sufficient support from soul masters, the Heaven Dou Empire poses no threat to the Spirit Hall.

In the original novel, the reason why the Heaven Dou Empire was able to deal a huge blow to the Spirit Hall was not because of its so-called million-strong army, but because of the thousands of spirit masters and the high-level spirit master team led by Tang San. These were the main forces that caused the key damage.

The most crucial of these thousands of Soul Masters are mostly connected to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, having been recruited and trained by the school on behalf of the Heaven Dou Royal Family. If their connection to the Heaven Dou Royal Family is severed, the royal family will find it extremely difficult to cultivate a large-scale army of Soul Masters.

Ning Fengzhi seemed a little anxious when he heard him bring up this topic, and immediately asked, "Your Highness, I don't know what you mean by the method for evolving the martial soul of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. What do I need to prepare?"

Ning Fengzhi suppressed his excitement, mainly because he had been waiting for this day for far too long. Due to his innate limitations, even with the strongest innate soul power, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul could only become a seven-ring Soul Saint.

With his talent, becoming a Soul Douluo, if not a Title Douluo, would have been a certainty. However, after reaching the peak of level 79 Soul Saint, his cultivation stagnated, despite his daily diligent practice and meditation.

Evolving and upgrading the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the hope of countless generations of his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and he was willing to try even if there was only one chance.

Therefore, when the Spirit Hall offered a method to help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda evolve, Ning Fengzhi decisively rejected the Heaven Dou Royal Family's attempt to win him over.

Compared to so-called power and status, what is more important to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is the evolution of their martial souls, which gives their clan more possibilities.

"The things to prepare don't actually need to be too many. I think the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School should have everything in its treasury."

Yan shook his head, then a look of caution appeared on his face. "However, I must remind Sect Master Ning that my method has not been verified. It can only theoretically help martial souls evolve. I am not entirely confident that it will succeed."

"Don't worry, Holy Son. As long as your method works, even if it fails, you will still be a great benefactor of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."

Ning Fengzhi spoke with unwavering resolve and sincerity, and in fact, he shared similar thoughts. Even if they failed, it wouldn't matter, as long as it could have some effect and give his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School a direction, that would be enough.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has no shortage of resources and wealth, but what it has always lacked is a direction. They have been exploring but have gained nothing, and they have no direction to invest resources in. This is what makes them most frustrated and desperate.

The most despairing thing in this world is not that the road ahead is difficult and success is impossible, but that you have tried your best but still can't find your direction and can't see the road ahead.

Ning Fengzhi is in this situation. He is over fifty years old and has been a Soul Saint for more than ten years, but he has been stuck in the same place all these years. No matter what he does, he can't see any hope of progress. That's why he has turned to focusing on power and status to distract himself and prevent himself from thinking too much.

However, Yan's news rekindled the fire in his heart. When it comes to the research of martial spirits in this world, the Spirit Hall is number one.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is unable to evolve its own martial soul, but the Spirit Hall might have a way, after all, this power is backed by a god. Moreover, the martial soul of this holy son before them seems to have undergone an evolution.

……

"Your Highness, I wonder if the items prepared by my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School meet the requirements?"

Inside the training chamber of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Fengzhi opened one neatly stacked box after another. Medicinal herbs, spiritual plants, strange ores of various colors, and precious materials from soul beasts—all of these contained extremely rich energy.

"These things are just backups. If the method fails, we should be able to use them to offset the backlash and save Sect Master Ning's life."

After a brief inspection, Yan got up and began to observe the training chamber. The surrounding walls were covered with soul-guiding patterns, constantly absorbing external energy to increase the energy concentration here. Cultivating here would be twice as effective with half the effort.

After circling around the secret room a few times, Yan took out something from his storage soul tool. It was a circular array plate, about two meters in diameter, covered with various strange soul guide patterns.

"Sect Leader Ning, do you know the key to the evolution of martial souls?"

After Yan squatted down and adjusted it for a while, the soul guidance patterns on the disc actually emitted a faint glow, looking exceptionally magical.

Ning Fengzhi did not answer Yan's question, but stared intently at the disc, as if he had already seen the hope of advancing to the Martial Soul realm.

"The evolution of a martial soul is actually a mutation of the martial soul, a benign mutation. Most martial souls can accumulate and evolve by acquiring spirit rings. Generally speaking, all martial souls can successfully acquire nine spirit rings and become a titled Douluo."

With no one to chime in, Yan could only continue on his own: "However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is a bit special. The senior who evolved the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and founded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect made a slight mistake when evolving his martial soul."

My estimation is that due to insufficient energy and inadequate planning, although he successfully evolved his Gemstone Martial Soul into a more advanced Pagoda, he left behind the hidden danger of not having enough Soul Ring slots.

The method of acquiring spirit rings explored by the powerful figures of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School throughout history follows a balanced and supportive approach, resulting in spirit rings of varying types that cannot be further evolved through the accumulation of the same type of energy…

Ning Fengzhi wasn't stupid; he sensed something. "Wait, according to the Holy Son, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's method of acquiring soul rings is wrong. Does that mean we have to change the soul ring configuration of our ancestors and explore a new method for configuring soul rings for the ultimate style?"

"This method is theoretically feasible, just like how the Nine Heart Begonia is fully focused on healing. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were to do the same, it might be able to continue evolving its martial soul and become a healing-type Eight Treasure Pagoda or Nine Treasure Pagoda. However, in that case, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would lose its greatest feature."

Yan continued, "If we want to solve this problem perfectly and help the martial soul evolve while preserving the unique features of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, there is only one way: use external force to guide the martial soul to awaken and evolve a second time, which is to forcibly mutate and reshape the martial soul."

Yan paused here, then suddenly asked, "Sect Leader Ning, how much do you know about your martial soul? Are you familiar with the internal structure of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? Can you use your soul power to simulate a structural model of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? This is very important."

Yan emphasized the last part of his sentence. Ning Fengzhi listened to him and remained silent for a moment. Then he slowly raised his left hand, and strands of soul power gathered, forming a blurry shadow in Ning Fengzhi's palm.