Danger Approaches

Spirit City Hotel

Chen Xilin had returned, and the Seven Beasts of the Strange Beasts had all returned as well. Clearly, Feng Qingyu had found them.

"Xiao Lin, are you all right?" Long Fei hurried over and carefully checked Chen Xilin for injuries.

"I'm fine. His Excellency Qian Daoliu just took me aside for a little chat. Nothing serious." Chen Xilin briefly explained how Qian Daoliu had taken him away.

"It seems Xiao Lin is in danger. We must leave at once. If Titled Douluo arrive, we won't be able to leave," Zhu Qingyan said.

"Yes!"

Very soon, the Seven Beasts of the Strange Beasts and Chen Xilin left directly, heading toward Suotuo City.

Why not go to the Jincheng Mountain Range? Could they be certain there was no tail following them? Their secluded refuge could not be discovered.

Clear Sky Sect headquarters.

"Cough, cough, cough—pfft!" Tang Zhen coughed violently, even coughing up blood.

"Sect Master, how are you?" The elders were all at a loss.

"Father, Father, are you all right?" Tang Xiao and Tang Hao had never expected their father's condition to be this poor.

"Father... sob..." Tang Yuehua was so anxious that she began to cry.

"Cough, cough, it's nothing serious. Fortunately, the injury has been suppressed. I just may not be able to fight again in the future. Still, the sect's standing has been preserved by me... cough, cough, cough. I haven't disgraced Father... cough, cough... disgraced him."

Tang Zhen's face was pale, and his entire body looked haggard. It was clear just how severe his injuries were.

"Yang Wudi, is the medicine ready yet?" Tang Lie called out.

"Almost, almost!" Yang Wudi was already speeding up the medicine refining process. The medicine he had brought had all been used up, and because Tang Zhen had taken medicinal pills for so long, his body had developed resistance to them.

Thus, the Breaking Clan's medicinal pills were not very effective unless they could find Heaven and Earth Treasures.

A quarter of an hour later, Yang Wudi entered with the medicinal pill. After Tang Zhen took it, his complexion immediately improved considerably.

"Uncle Yang, do you have any way to completely heal my father?" Tang Xiao asked Yang Wudi.

"Young Master, there is a way to cure the Sect Master, but we can't find it." Yang Wudi gave a bitter smile.

Tang Hao said, "Uncle Yang, tell us. So long as it can cure Father, I, Tang Hao, will brave mountains of blades and seas of fire without hesitation!"

Yang Wudi sighed. "The only way to cure the Sect Master is to find the legendary Immortal Grade Herb, but we have yet to find one. A few years ago, we found an Eight-Grade Ganoderma, one of the Heaven and Earth Treasures. The Sect Master just refined it into a medicinal pill and took it."

"You needn't be like this. This old man simply can't fight anymore, and there won't be any need for me to fight in the future anyway. Once Xiao'er and Hao'er grow stronger, why would I still need to fight? So long as I don't take action, there should be nothing wrong with my body. Living another few healthy decades won't be a problem." Tang Zhen waved his hand.

"Father!"

"Sect Master!"

"My brothers, Xiao'er, Hao'er, the Clear Sky Sect will depend on all of you from now on. If you want this old man to live a few more years, then cultivate twice as hard." Tang Zhen smiled.

"Yes!" Everyone from the Clear Sky Sect answered.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect headquarters.

"Fengzhi, this old Bone and I have let you down. We failed to secure the title of Number One Sect Under Heaven."

Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo felt somewhat ashamed.

"Hehe, it's fine. If we had truly become the Number One Sect Under Heaven, I would have been troubled over how to handle the relationship between Spirit Hall and us."

Ning Fengzhi said with a smile.

"Now that we have become the second-ranked sect, my objective has already been achieved. The Upper Three Sects' rankings have risen, and recruiting disciples will be much easier in the future. Moreover, at this gathering, we defeated the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan through sheer strength. The reason the Clear Sky Sect was able to retain its position as the top sect was because Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone went easy on them.

"I imagine Tang Zhen saw that as well. By doing this, we have done the Clear Sky Sect a favor. Spirit Hall's pressure remains on the Clear Sky Sect, while we have gained a fine reputation. Overall, although our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did not obtain the title of Number One Sect Under Heaven, we are still the ultimate winners."

Ning Fengzhi smiled. After receiving Spirit Hall's invitation, he had already considered countermeasures—what would need to be done if they became the top sect, and what the advantages and disadvantages would be.

Becoming the second-ranked sect offered the best value. Let Spirit Hall's pressure remain with the Clear Sky Sect. Didn't the Clear Sky Sect place great importance on the sect's reputation? What harm was there in letting them have it?

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, however, would have to suffer. Who told them that their current generation was lacking in successors? If they wanted to blame someone, they could blame their own insufficient strength while still occupying the second-ranked sect's position.

Ever since Ning Fengzhi became sect master, everything he did had been tied to the sect. He needed to think ten steps ahead for every step he took.

Only then could the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect become even more prosperous. Furthermore, Ning Fengzhi was not particularly afraid of Spirit Hall. There were not that many conflicts between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Spirit Hall.

Ning Fengzhi had more or less seen through what kind of person Qian Xunji was. He was highly ambitious, but also extremely arrogant. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect took a step back, Qian Xunji would not press them relentlessly.

Besides, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had plenty of money. Paying a little for peace would not be a problem. But if anyone became greedy, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo would show them the consequences of greed.

"Sect Master, then us acting on impulse this time happened to suit your intentions?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Naturally. We must also thank Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone for acting on impulse. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will have quite a lot to keep us busy in the coming years."

I reckon quite a few capable people will join our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Let's return to the sect early."

On the road from Spirit City to Suotuo City.

"Hm?" Bai Yi seemed to sense something.

"Someone's coming. Quite a few of them—probably here to hunt us down."

"Looks like the Seven Beasts of the Strange Beasts are still too unknown. They actually dared to come after us?" Zhu Qingyan said coldly.

"Xiao Lin, stay with Seventh. If anything goes wrong, Seventh, take Xiao Lin and leave immediately," Long Fei said sternly.

Feng Qingyu said, "Yes. Xiao Lin, stay with me."

A group of masked men in black was pursuing the Seven Beasts of the Strange Beasts.

The two leaders were also dressed in black and masked. After all, this sort of matter could not be allowed to reach anyone else's ears.

"Old Ghost, this is our first mission since breaking through to Titled Douluo. Your Holiness the Pope's orders are to leave no one alive." One of the black-clothed men spoke in a rather shrill voice.

"Ju Huaguan, don't underestimate the targets this time. Their talent is exceptional—so much so that Your Holiness the Pope wants to snuff them out in the cradle.

"And our opponents include three Spirit Douluo and four Soul Saints. The team we brought only has two Spirit Douluo; the rest are Soul Saints.

"Most of Spirit Hall's Spirit Douluo are well-known figures. Our actions cannot be exposed, so the two of us had to act personally.

"If it weren't for the fact that neither of us is famous, and that Your Holiness the Pope intends to cultivate us, we wouldn't have received this mission. We must carry it out perfectly."

Ju Huaguan said, "Got it, got it. Since when did you become so long-winded, Old Ghost?"