Chapter 170: The Strength of the Spirit Hall

Regarding what Ju Douluo said, Qian Renxue outright refused.

"Elder Ju, everything must still prioritize the big picture; you should know the relationship between Yang Xiong and Lin Gong. Over the years Lin Gong has been protecting Yang Xiong, and your conflict with Lin Gong has lasted many years; I fear it could breed a heretic later."

Ju Douluo finally nodded helplessly; although he values the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum greatly, he cares even more about loyalty to the Spirit Hall.

Xue Qinghe continued, "By the way, Elder Ju, you just mentioned that Yang Xiong took the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum. What does it do? How does it compare to my Water Narcissus Jade Muscle‑Bone?"

Ju Douluo replied, "Your Highness, legend says that taking the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum can circulate Qi through the limbs, open the eight veins, and enable one to forge a Diamond Indestructible Body."

"Based on my covert observation of Yang Xiong just now, he must have taken the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum only recently, yet his physical quality likely far exceeds that of Soul Grandmasters of the same rank, and even his cultivation talent has risen sharply."

"In comparison, the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum and the Water Narcissus Jade Muscle‑Bone each have their strengths; they share a subtle similarity, but the former is more fierce and domineering, while the latter is relatively gentler. Purely in terms of soul power increase, the Water Narcissus Jade Muscle‑Bone should be better."

Ju Douluo quickly voiced his assessment of the two Immortal Herbs, yet he was unsure whether the two herbs are related, since Immortal Herbs are exceedingly rare.

Xue Qinghe then nodded, "Fine, obtaining a single Immortal Herb is also fine, but I always feel that Yang Xiong this youngster seems ill‑intentional."

After leaving Heaven Dou City, Yang Xiong sped straight back to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, even pushing his speed to the limit.

Just now on the top floor of Moon Pavilion, Yang Xiong clearly sensed a special aura.

The aura was very subtle; even a Title Douluo would probably not detect it.

But Yang Xiong had previously taken the Strange Fungus Heaven‑Piercing Chrysanthemum and knows it well; this is the unique scent of that herb, meaning that besides himself and Xue Qinghe, Ju Douluo Yue Guan should also be present.

Yang Xiong harbored no doubt about Ju Douluo's zeal for Immortal Herbs, so he planned to return to the sect promptly.

Upon returning to the sect, Yang Xiong went straight to Ning Fengzhi.

After years of careful observation and analysis, Yang Xiong concluded that major events on the Douluo Continent generally follow the original narrative's inertia; that is, unless one deliberately intervenes, historical nodes are unlikely to change.

In other words, in less than a year the Spirit Hall will launch a Soul Hunting Operation, and then the true Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect annihilation war will occur.

Regarding this war in the original story, Yang Xiong had long analyzed it.

In fact, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's defeat boils down to two points: a traitor's leak and the enemy's strength.

The traitor is likely Qian Renxue; the Spirit Hall dispatched tens of thousands of Soul Grandmasters on a long‑range assault yet received no prior intel, which must have been pre‑arranged by Qian Renxue, the impostor Crown Prince.

Furthermore, during the annihilation war, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would normally field close to five thousand Soul Grandmasters; according to sect deployment, even against ten thousand Soul Grandmasters they wouldn't suffer a huge loss, especially since the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda provides extreme support.

But the Spirit Hall seized a perfect timing: the sect happened to have forty percent of its disciples out on business, making its own strength at its weakest; this timing can be said to be meticulously planned by Qian Renxue, otherwise the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect might still have had a fighting chance.

Another point is that the two sides' strength indeed differs: the Spirit Hall dispatched over ten thousand Soul Grandmasters, four Title Douluos, and a thousand Soul Grandmasters from the lower four sects.

Do not underestimate those thousand Soul Grandmasters from the lower four sects; these disciples generally have high Soul Power Levels, even including top Soul Douluos like Hu Yanzhen.

Meanwhile the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had only two Title Douluos, Sword Bone Douluo and Bone Douluo; especially Bone Douluo had to guard Ning Fengzhi the whole time, putting excessive pressure on him, while Sword Douluo had to face four Title Douluos alone.

In fact, according to Yang Xiong's estimate, with the combined strength of Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, taking on four Title Douluos is entirely feasible, especially since all opponents are below level 95.

Yet on the battlefield, Spirit Hall Soul Grandmasters kept pouring in endlessly; the numbers were vastly mismatched. Ning Fengzhi was constantly under attack, and the three core members were thus restrained; if Sword Douluo hadn't broken through at a critical moment, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would likely have been annihilated.

Now the whole situation has shifted: Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo have all greatly increased their strength, and they have added Lin Gong, a Title Douluo; both combat power and agility have risen considerably, the only worry being the enemy's sheer numbers.

Moreover, Yang Xiong kept a contingency: Cloud Mist Mountain is only thirty kilometers from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, where he has stationed a thousand Soul Grandmasters and a Title Douluo. If a crisis arises, the Title Douluo can arrive in just over ten minutes, and the thousand Soul Grandmasters within half an hour; then it won't be the Spirit Hall's ten thousand Soul Grandmasters claiming victory, but rather how many of their ten thousand can escape.

When Yang Xiong arrived at Ning Fengzhi's place, besides Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Rongrong were also present.

Given Yang Xiong's current standing in the sect, he can go anywhere at will, even freely entering the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's treasury.

Ning Fengzhi smiled, "Xiao Xiong, you finally returned. I have already heard from Jian Shu about how you obtained the Soul Ring; I am pleased with your progress."

Yang Xiong said, "I must thank Sword Douluo for his help; otherwise I wouldn't have obtained the Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring so easily."

"By the way, Sect Leader, this is something I sensed during my external training; it may relate to our sect's situation, perhaps even its safety."

Ning Fengzhi replied casually, "Xiao Xiong, you're overthinking it. Our sect has developed tremendously; our strength has reached an unprecedented peak, and with systematic defenses outside the sect, there should be no problem."

Yang Xiong shook his head, "Sect Leader, our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect may be strong, but we are far from the level of the Clear Sky Sect back then. Since the Spirit Hall was able to strike the Clear Sky Sect, it will inevitably turn against our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect sooner or later."

"Moreover, although our sect has developed quite well over the years, the Spirit Hall has progressed even faster, widening the gap between us."

Ning Fengzhi's expression grew serious, "Xiao Xiong, explain carefully—what anomalies have you discovered?"

Yang Xiong said, "Sect Leader, you should know I visited the Star Luo Empire a few years ago. Seniors Bai He and Yang Wudi have reliable channels there. Among the lower four sects, Holy Dragon Sect, Black Tiger Sect, and Wind Sword Sect have already covertly pledged to the Spirit Hall, and Elephant Armor Sect has always been aligned with the Spirit Hall, which demonstrates the Spirit Hall's unprecedented strength."

Ning Fengzhi's face also showed surprise, "I am relatively clear about the Elephant Armor Sect's situation. Though they are rather secretive, I can still trace some clues. As for the Holy Dragon Sect, their condition is too distant to investigate; I didn't expect such a huge change."

"If what you say is true, the Spirit Hall's strength is indeed unprecedented. Fortunately, the Elephant Armor Sect has suffered heavy losses these years, so it shouldn't pose a major threat, but although Hu Yanzhen has disappeared, we can't guarantee they won't employ other tactics."

Yang Xiong hurriedly replied, "Sect Leader, I have slain Hu Yanzhen, and also killed a Soul Douluo from the Elephant Armor Sect, three Soul Saints plus Hu Yanli."

Ning Fengzhi was astonished again, "Xiao Xiong, how could you kill so many at once? Hu Yanzhen possessed Title Douluo‑level defense, arguably the strongest below Title Douluo."

Yang Xiong smiled, "It wasn't just me. I happened upon Hu Yanzhen and his group in Sunset Forest, and led them to the area near Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden. I killed Hu Yanzhen; the others were slain by senior Yang Wudi."

Ning Fengzhi then nodded, "So it was Yang Wudi who acted; that makes sense. Yang Wudi's strength should be on par with Hu Yanzhen, and with your newly acquired Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring, you can indeed handle that group."

"By the way, you cleared the scene, right? After all, Hu Yanzhen is backed by the Spirit Hall."

Yang Xiong said, "The site has already turned to ash by me; even the Spirit Hall would be unable to investigate."

"However, I think our threat is the Spirit Hall. In recent years the Spirit Hall has been biding its time; even when Tang Hao caused a big ruckus, they didn't keep Tang Hao, showing they want to conceal their strength for a major undertaking. Apart from our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they likely have no other motives."

Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a long time before speaking, "Xiao Xiong, I've sensed these thoughts of yours for a while. Normally, even among the top three sects, we would try to prune any other families with outstanding talents. It was precisely because we sensed the Spirit Hall's threat that we protected Tang San all along. The top three sects have reduced conflicts in recent years; otherwise the Spirit Hall would have become dominant."

"Besides the Spirit Hall's biding strength, have you discovered anything else?"

Yang Xiong nodded, "Sect Leader, normally the Soul Master Competition occurs every five years, but more than four years have passed. No news has emerged about the next competition, and even the previous champion team, the Spirit Hall, released no information. It's not that they lack talent; they simply don't want to continue exposing their strength."

"Based on various signs, within three to five years the Spirit Hall should strike us."

Ning Fengzhi's expression turned extremely grim; after a long silence he said, "Xiao Xiong, I've always held a sliver of hope, thinking the Spirit Hall wouldn't act against us so soon. It seems your view is correct. When the day comes that the Spirit Hall strikes, it will likely annihilate our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan with thunderous force. Then no sect will dare oppose them, and the Soul Master World will be dominated solely by them."

"Regarding how we should confront the Spirit Hall, do you have any suggestions? By the way, your understanding of the Spirit Hall's strength is still rather one‑sided."

After speaking, Ning Fengzhi directly retrieved several thick books from the Soul Guidance Device, containing extensive Soul Master World data, primarily about the Spirit Hall.

Yang Xiong opened the book; the first page recorded the Spirit Hall Great Offering Qian Daoliu, a Six‑Winged Angel martial soul, a level‑99 Limit Douluo.

Besides listing Qian Daoliu's Soul Power Level and biography, it also detailed numerous battles of various scales, essentially the most comprehensive record of Qian Daoliu, even with clear age analysis.

Turning to the second page, it recorded the Second Offering Golden Crocodile Douluo, a martial soul Golden Crocodile King, a level‑98 Title Douluo.

As page after page turned, Yang Xiong grew increasingly shocked; he hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi's deep research on the Spirit Hall, suggesting many Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect spies within the Spirit Hall.

Ning Fengzhi said softly, "Xiao Xiong, these records were obtained at the cost of countless resources of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; many people in the Soul Master World have already lost all trace."

For example, the Qian Daoliu and Jin E Douluo recorded above have not appeared in the Soul Master World for almost fifty years; indeed, no one on earth even knows whether they are truly still alive.

The other several Great Supplicants are similar; they have all vanished from the Soul Master World for many years, their life or death unknown.

It is precisely because of these Supplicants that the Spirit Hall possesses its unfathomable foundation, and only our three upper sects united can contend with it.

Moreover, although that's what is said, the only one we truly rely on is a single person; unfortunately, that person has also been missing for fifty years.

Having finished speaking, Ning Fengzhi opened another book; the first page bore only a single name: Hao Tian Douluo Tang Chen.

(End of chapter)