Armless Ning Fengzhi

Late at night.

Tonight's starry sky was exceptionally dark. At the peak of the mountains, the bright moon cast a pale glow over several snow plum blossoms, as though mourning something in advance.

At this moment, inside the Sect Master's Hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi sat upon the sect master's seat, the empty sleeve on his left swaying in the cold wind.

This hypocrite, who had once appeared refined and gentle, had finally revealed his true face.

Not a trace of humility remained; his face was filled only with savagery.

"Have there been any reports on Chen Xin?"

Ning Fengzhi raised his head and looked toward Gu Rong, whose expression was equally grim, as he asked.

At his words, a hint of mockery suddenly appeared on Gu Rong's face.

"Yes. The spies in the Heaven Dou Empire sent word, but you were healing, so I didn't get the chance to tell you."

"That ungrateful wretch Chen Xin showed himself at Star-Plucking Tower yesterday morning."

"But I suppose he never expected to bear the reputation of betraying our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"That Tower Master Qin actually left him waiting for two hours. Hahaha, that was truly satisfying."

"Oh? Hahahaha! Such a thing actually happened?"

Hearing that Chen Xin had suffered a setback at Star-Plucking Tower, Ning Fengzhi threw back his head and laughed without a shred of dignity.

"It seems the Tower Lord of Star-Plucking Tower isn't blind after all. Hmph! Didn't he want to pursue his sword path? Let's see what he can use to pursue it now!"

"Oh? I didn't expect Sect Master Ning to be in such high spirits today. Is this your first time after losing an arm?"

"It's good to laugh more. After all, those who love to laugh don't look too ugly after they die."

In the silent night sky, a teasing voice suddenly rang out, spreading across the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect from ten thousand meters away.

That teasing voice was like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into Ning Fengzhi's wound.

The hollow sensation on his left surged into his mind once more. His eyes widened with fury as he roared toward the speck of darkness on the horizon.

"Who is it?! Who dares cause trouble in my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?! Are you tired of living?!"

"Oh my, Sect Master Ning is quite hot-tempered today?"

Qin Shiyuan's voice gradually turned cold. By the end, the killing intent in his tone had plainly revealed the purpose of his visit.

"What, Ning Fengzhi? Have you forgotten who I am? I said... I would come for you!"

"You! You're Qin Jianjiu! Why are you here?! What do you want?!"

"Get out! Get out of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's territory! You are not welcome here!"

Those cold, merciless words gradually awakened the memory Ning Fengzhi least wished to recall—the memory that filled him with the greatest fear and helplessness.

Ning Fengzhi panicked, screaming desperately from the bottom of his heart despite having no confidence at all.

If Chen Xin had still been here, he might not have been so afraid.

Now, only the defensive Bone Douluo remained in the entire sect. What could they possibly use to stop the three Titled Douluo of Star-Plucking Tower?

Yet Qin Shiyuan merely watched quietly. Scenes from the past flashed through Ning Fengzhi's mind, and the pressure in his heart grew ever more intense.

At the critical moment, Gu Rong was the one who stepped forward with a calm expression.

The next instant, a voice infused with Titled Douluo-level Soul Power resounded throughout the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Enemies have invaded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! All disciples, heed my command! Form the formation and meet the enemy at once!"

For a moment, countless lights lit up across the mountain peaks that had been silent and dark.

At the center of the plaza before the Sect Master's Hall, over a thousand disciples swiftly formed ranks in perfect order, awaiting battle in full readiness.

"Sect Protecting Great Formation, rise!"

After coming to his senses, Ning Fengzhi ignored the cold sweat running down his forehead and back and immediately gave the order.

The several thousand soul masters in the plaza immediately activated their Soul Power in unison.

In an instant, a Soul Power barrier condensed before the entire plaza, covering most of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Beneath the protection of that Soul Power barrier, Ning Fengzhi finally gained a little more confidence.

"Qin Jianjiu! What madness has seized you today? What exactly do you want?!"

"Where are those subordinates of yours? Stop hiding them and call them all out."

"Let me tell you, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is one of the Upper Three Sects, after all."

"There are more than four thousand disciples in the sect. If you provoke us like this, you'll have to ask whether my disciples agree!"

"Heh heh, so what if they agree? So what if they don't?"

"You don't really think this thin turtle shell can protect you, do you?"

As he spoke, light surged in Qin Shiyuan's eyes, cold and sharp.

The next moment, eight Spirit Rings erupted behind him. Inky black and blazing crimson intertwined, instantly dyeing half the sky blood-red.

"So what if I came alone today? Since you're so confident, I'll break it with a single sword for you to see!"

"Sword, emerge!"

"Eighth Spirit Ability, Sword Opens the Gate of Heaven!"

With a soft shout, the Nine Abyss Sword Box burst open with a resounding hum.

Eight longswords shot into the sky from both sides within the box.

This time, they did not stop until they disappeared into the clouds, vanishing completely from sight.

Just as everyone was bewildered, a brilliant eight-colored radiance suddenly pierced through the air.

An enormous eight-colored sword, dozens of meters long, emerged before everyone's eyes as if descending from the heavens.

The astonishing shockwave swept aside the thick clouds in the night sky, and the terrifying aura instantly made everyone's breathing halt.

The tip of the giant sword pointed directly at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The next instant, it crashed down like a falling meteor!

The air currents could not bear the strain. As it descended, they twisted into streams that formed a transparent barrier around the massive sword.

Ten thousand meters! Three thousand meters! Five hundred meters!

The giant sword fell so quickly that, in the blink of an eye for the disciples below, it had already silently descended before them.

"Is this... really an attack an Eight-ringed Soul Douluo can unleash?"

"Can we... stop it?"

Someone among the disciples secretly swallowed. What was merely a mutter instantly stirred the same thought in countless minds.

The already stifling tension reached its peak the moment the giant sword struck the Soul Power barrier!

"Boom!"

With a thunderous explosion, the Soul Power barrier shattered without the slightest surprise.

Along with it, the several thousand disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the plaza all coughed up streams of blood from the backlash.

"Qin Jianjiu!!! What exactly do you want?!"

Seeing the Soul Power barrier formed by thousands of disciples crumble with a single blow, Ning Fengzhi clenched his teeth and forced out each word through the gaps between them.

Qin Shiyuan heard him, but merely gave an answer that filled Ning Fengzhi with despair.

"Very simple. Either you and all your confidants kill yourselves, and the rest merge into my Star-Plucking Tower."

"Or wait until I storm your mountain gate and leave no one alive!"

"You! Qin Jianjiu, must you truly exterminate us all?!"

Hearing that neither choice left him any way to live, Ning Fengzhi was instantly overcome by fury. Pointing at Qin Shiyuan's nose from midair, he began cursing.

"I am the dignified master of a sect! What right do you have to make me kill myself at my own doorstep?"

"You even dream of slaughtering all four thousand members of my sect? If you do this, how are you any different from a beast? How are you any different from a vile demon?"

"Buzz!"

A light hum rang out.

As Ning Fengzhi cursed, he suddenly felt his arm grow light.

He turned his head and saw that his only remaining right arm had somehow vanished from the shoulder down.

"I told you to choose. Who told you to spout so much nonsense?"

"Since you don't want your other arm either, I'll let you experience what it feels like to become a human stick."