Rising Fame

"Indeed. As far as I know, although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is a top-tier support Martial Soul, its greatest flaw is that its wielder cannot become a Soul Douluo.

Coincidentally, my Young Master has a way to solve this problem. The Heaven and Earth Commerce Association has only just emerged and is somewhat short on funds. More coincidentally, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is very wealthy!"

Long Xiaoyao nodded and added pointedly. His Young Master had promised him that if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect agreed to this cooperation, he would no longer have to run errands delivering letters.

Not only did he have to run all over the place every day, he also had to keep putting on airs. This old man was very low-key, all right!

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for clearing up my confusion. You must be weary from your journey. Why not stay for a simple meal at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before you leave?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his expression having returned to calm.

"Hehe, interesting. I have met quite a few people on this trip, and you are the most interesting among them!" Long Xiaoyao praised Ning Fengzhi before continuing, "But there is no need for a meal. I still have matters to attend to. The three of you are quite strong; perhaps we can spar when the opportunity arises. Farewell!"

"You flatter us, Your Excellency. Take care!" Ning Fengzhi did not press the matter. He had only asked on the off chance.

Under the gazes of the three men, Long Xiaoyao's figure vanished instantly. They exchanged looks, lingering fear flashing through their eyes. That level of strength was terrifying!

After a long while, Ning Fengzhi was the first to speak. "Sword Uncle, Bone Uncle, did either of you notice how His Excellency left?"

He was worried that the other party had not truly departed, so his words remained respectful. Long Xiaoyao's move was truly frightening!

"No. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have known that he had left!" Sword Douluo shook his head grimly, then continued, "He is most likely a Limit Douluo!"

"That's right. But with that invitation alone—if he had not meant us any harm, I would have gone to keep my great-grandmother company from that single strike!" Bone Douluo cracked a cold joke to ease the tension, then added, "He launched such an attack without even revealing his Martial Soul. That is enough to prove Old Man Chen's guess.

"Furthermore, I believe his Martial Soul is probably dragon-type as well, at least on the same level as mine!"

"This Long Xiaoyao is so powerful, and he has even brought out Soul Tools capable of changing an era. Just what kind of force is this Heaven and Earth Commerce Association?" Thinking of the moving iron boxes and iron frames that had recently appeared in Heaven Dou City, as well as the various offensive and defensive Soul Tools people had bought back, Ning Fengzhi felt conflicted.

"I don't know. We can only trust their explanation—that they are a reclusive family. After all, many of the Soul Masters under their command used to belong to Soul Hunting Groups. It seems they have been planning this for a long time!" Sword Douluo shook his head. The Heaven and Earth Commerce Association had been open for several days, and as an enshrined elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he naturally knew about the various Soul Tools it sold.

"Previously, I thought they might have a Titled Douluo. Now it seems I underestimated the forces of the world. This is far more than merely having a Titled Douluo—there is even a Limit Douluo!"

When Bone Douluo had heard about the moving iron boxes, he had personally gone to take a look, intending to investigate in secret.

But before he could get close, he sensed the aura of a fellow Titled Douluo. To avoid any mishaps, he had not ventured further. Now, it seemed his caution had been correct!

As the three spoke, their words were filled with wariness toward the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association and Long Xiaoyao. They had never imagined that Douluo Continent still possessed such a top-tier powerhouse.

"Fengzhi, should we attend this Soul Tool Auction when the time comes?" After the three of them examined the invitation together, Bone Douluo suppressed the shock in his heart and asked.

"We will go. If the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association truly wanted to kill us, we would not have been able to escape just now. That shows they probably do not intend to do anything harmful to us!

"Besides, you have both seen the power of those Soul Tools these past few days. They can greatly increase the sect's strength, and all we need to pay is Gold Coins!"

Ning Fengzhi had already planned to visit the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association soon to discuss cooperation. He had wanted to provide the sect's support Soul Masters with ways to protect themselves for far more than a day or two!

Moreover, he had not forgotten what Long Xiaoyao had said about Martial Soul Evolution and helping the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda break through its limits!

It could be said that every generation of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect masters had sought a way to break the curse of level 79.

Now that they finally had a lead, if he did not go, he would likely be too ashamed to face the ancestors a century from now!

"In that case, Sword Uncle and I will accompany you to the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association.

"No matter what happens, Old Bones and I will definitely bring you back safely." Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were not the sort to hesitate endlessly, and they immediately made their decision.

"No. Sword Uncle will come with me. Bone Uncle, take Rong Rong and some direct-line disciples to the safe house first!" Although he said that, Ning Fengzhi still needed to make preparations in case something truly went wrong.

"That's right, Old Bones. Do as Fengzhi says. Protect Rong Rong well. She is the sect's future!" Sword Douluo also understood that if the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association truly had a scheme, they would be like eggs thrown against a stone, so he quickly agreed.

"Fine!" Bone Douluo understood the logic as well and agreed directly.

For the time being, Lin Hao knew nothing of the turmoil Long Xiaoyao had stirred among the major factions.

Recently, with the appearance of Soul Tools, automobiles, and bicycles, the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association had become an instant sensation in Heaven Dou City!

The shop had been packed every day these past few days, and all the stock they had accumulated earlier had sold out.

If not for the Automated Production Line supporting them, the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association would probably have had to close its doors at least eighty percent of the day.

His income over the past few days had reached as high as a million. Most of it came from Soul Tools, while part of it was deposits for automobiles and bicycles!

Lin Hao knew that this was because the products had just entered the market and were novel curiosities to many people, but the revenue was still astonishing!

Aside from that, the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association had also drawn the attention of some overconfident factions. Some had even openly come to cause trouble!

Lin Hao did not know whether powerful forces such as the Heaven Dou Empire Royal Family were involved behind the scenes, but he did not care in the slightest!

He directly captured all those people, confiscated their estates, wiped out their clans, and gained a considerable sum of funds and resources!

That was precisely why Bone Douluo had wanted to sneak into the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association earlier. Lin Hao had truly begun slaughtering people; saying that blood flowed like a river would not be an exaggeration!

The Heaven Dou Empire Royal Family had originally wanted to use the excuse of indiscriminate killing to make things difficult for the Heaven and Earth Commerce Association, but Dugu Bo appeared in an imposing manner and scared the visitors away without saying a word.

Although Dugu Bo was not particularly strong among Titled Douluo, his reputation among lower-level Soul Masters was far more terrifying than that of other Titled Douluo!

The reason Ning Fengzhi had not yet come calling was because Lin Hao had humiliated the royal family, so he had been waiting behind the scenes.

Of course, besides the rats spying in the shadows, some factions entered openly to investigate. The most typical example was Spirit Hall!