Outside Glazed City, Two Douluo Press the Border

The Glazed Mountains, where the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect stood, remained shrouded in seven-colored rosy clouds, peaceful and serene, as though all the turmoil of the outside world had nothing to do with this sect that possessed wealth beyond measure.

The guards at Glazed City's gates remained heavily posted, but compared to usual, there seemed to be an imperceptible trace of tension and vigilance. Clearly, the disturbances in Nuoding City and the upheaval in the Star Luo Empire had reached this place as well.

Just then, a deep rumble like thunder sounded from the distant horizon!

A thick bolt of blue-purple lightning, like a gigantic python tearing through the sky, raced toward them at astonishing speed! Within the lightning, a magnificent carriage could vaguely be seen, pulled by four ferocious Lightning Leopards! Wild lightning elements that made one's skin prickle swirled around the carriage, its momentum overwhelming!

"Enemy attack?! Stay alert!" The captain of the guards atop the city wall changed expression dramatically and shouted sternly! The alarm bells rang at once!

Yet the Lightning Leopard carriage abruptly came to a halt in midair several miles from the city gates. The lightning dispersed, revealing its true form. At the front of the carriage stood an elderly man with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a blue-purple elder's robe, his face stern and cold, faint lightning flickering around him. He was Yu Luosha, a senior elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse!

His gaze was sharp as lightning as it swept over Glazed City below, which had instantly entered a state of military readiness. His voice rolled out like thunder:

"Yu Luosha of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has come by order of His Highness the Holy Son to pay a visit to Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

His voice was not loud, yet it carried the pressure of a Soul Douluo and the unique dominance of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, spreading clearly throughout all of Glazed City!

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?! His Highness the Holy Son?!

The guards on the city wall exchanged glances, uncertain and alarmed. Why had someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan come here? And under the banner of Spirit Hall's Holy Son? Judging by this display, it did not look like a friendly visit!

Before the city's generals could respond,

the shadows in the sky on the other side silently twisted. A pitch-black carriage, pulled by four Nightmare Beasts cloaked in Netherworld flames, appeared soundlessly beside the Lightning Leopard carriage as though it had driven out of hell.

In front of the carriage, Yue Guan's bewitching figure quietly emerged. His trademark smile hung on his face as he twirled a spinning golden chrysanthemum petal between his fingertips. His voice was soft and alluring, yet carried bone-piercing chill:

"Spirit Hall's Yue Guan has come by order of His Highness the Holy Son, together with Elder Yu Luosha, to pay a visit to Sect Master Ning. What? Has the threshold of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect become so high that even the Holy Son's subordinates and an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan must wait outside the gates?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan?! He had come too?! And together with someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?!

The guards' faces instantly turned pale! One Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall! One Soul Douluo elder from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! Their joint arrival placed far too much pressure on them!

The news sprouted wings and flew into Glazed City's inner district in an instant.

A short while later, Glazed City's massive gates slowly opened.

Ning Fengzhi appeared at the end of the gate passage, his expression grave and his eyes complicated. Behind him followed Sword Douluo Chen Xin, his face cold and stern. Bone Douluo Gu Rong was evidently not in the sect.

"I did not know that Chrysanthemum Douluo and an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would honor us with your presence. Forgive us for failing to welcome you properly." Ning Fengzhi's voice remained gentle, though it carried a trace of barely detectable tension. "May I ask what brings you both here? And why has His Highness the Holy Son... not come in person?"

His gaze swept over Yu Luosha. When he sensed the undisguised lightning Soul Power belonging to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the faint respect Yu Luosha held for the Holy Son, stormy waves rose in his heart! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... could they truly have already...

Yue Guan chuckled and drawled, "His Highness the Holy Son's schedule is busy, and he has already gone elsewhere. He ordered us to bring Sect Master Ning a modest gift and to have another... cordial discussion with Sect Master Ning concerning Nuoding City."

He deliberately emphasized the words "modest gift" and "cordial discussion." The threat behind them was self-evident.

Yu Luosha was even more direct. He swept out a hand!

Boom!

A huge, heavy iron cage covered in black cloth was lifted from behind the Lightning Leopard carriage by a surge of lightning Soul Power and slammed heavily onto the open ground before the gates, kicking up a cloud of dust!

The black cloth was torn apart by lightning, revealing what lay inside the cage!

It was a ten-thousand-year soul beast, tightly bound by thick lightning chains, covered in wounds, its aura weak yet still incomparably vicious—a Purple Lightning Suanni! This was an exceedingly rare top-tier soul beast with pure lightning power and strength comparable to a Soul Douluo. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had once paid an enormous price to capture it, using it as a guardian beast to protect one of their mineral veins!

Yet now, this powerful soul beast was locked in a cage like livestock and sent here as a "gift"!

"This is a small token from my clan." Yu Luosha's voice was icy, carrying a trace of unwillingness and stifled resentment that he had no choice but to endure. "I hear that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect excels at refining medicine. This Purple Lightning Suanni's Soul Core, Essence Blood, and Bones are all top-quality materials. I trust they will be of use to Sect Master Ning."

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin's pupils contracted at the same time! This "modest gift" was too valuable! And too frightening! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had actually taken out a guardian beast they regarded as a treasure and gifted it away?! It was practically slapping themselves in the face! At the same time, it conveyed an incredibly clear message—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had already submitted to that Holy Son! And they had submitted utterly and completely!

Ning Fengzhi's heart clenched violently. The last trace of wishful hope was completely shattered.

Yue Guan was very satisfied by the shock on Ning Fengzhi's face and continued at an unhurried pace, "His Highness the Holy Son also asked me to convey a message. Although Evil Cultists caused trouble in Nuoding City, the clue provided by your esteemed sect's young miss, Miss Rongrong, was crucial. Her contribution was indispensable. His Highness has always remembered this favor. It is simply..."

His tone shifted, becoming sinister and cold. "It is simply that His Highness has also heard that recently, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seems to have had some unclear dealings with the Star Luo Empire? Some have even seen elders of your sect privately meeting with Star Luo envoys. How does Sect Master Ning explain this?"

This was completely fabricated slander, a malicious smear! Yet under such intense pressure, it was devastatingly effective!

Ning Fengzhi's expression instantly turned extremely ugly. "There is absolutely no such thing! Chrysanthemum Douluo, where did this claim come from? This is slander!"

"Oh? Slander?" Yue Guan played with the petal, his smile neither warm nor cold. "Perhaps. But rumors do not arise without cause. After all, if the Star Luo Imperial Family could collude with Evil Cultists to assassinate the Holy Son, what else would they be incapable of? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possesses wealth beyond measure, so it is inevitable that certain petty villains would set their sights on it. Sect Master Ning, you should be more careful and stand firmly on the right side."

It was a naked threat! Either completely side with Spirit Hall's Holy Son, or be branded as someone colluding with Star Luo's Evil Cultists!

Ning Fengzhi trembled with anger, yet he had no power to refute them. Two powerful experts had come to pressure them, their strength vastly superior. They wielded both the fact of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's submission and fabricated accusations to force him. He had no ability to resist!

Sword intent erupted around Chen Xin. His eyes were as cold as blades as he stared fixedly at Yue Guan and Yu Luosha, but in the end, he did not make a move. Once they fought, there would truly be no room left for reconciliation.

Just then, a cool yet stubborn young woman's voice rang out from behind Ning Fengzhi:

"Father, since His Highness the Holy Son is being so generous, we should accept this 'generous gift.'"

Ning Rongrong had somehow arrived at the city gates as well. She wore a simple, elegant dress. Her face still seemed somewhat pale, but her sapphire-like eyes no longer held their former arrogance or fear. In their place was a deep, almost icy calm.

She did not even look at the fierce Purple Lightning Suanni. Her gaze passed directly over Yue Guan and Yu Luosha, as though she were looking into a distant void. Her tone was calm and without ripples. "As for Star Luo, the innocent will remain innocent. I believe His Highness the Holy Son sees all clearly and will not wrong good people. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always remained neutral. But if someone insists on forcing us to choose..."

She paused slightly, and a trace of sharpness suddenly entered her voice. "Then we can only choose... the strong."

Her words carried more than one meaning! They sounded both like a concession and a declaration of position, while also subtly expressing a certain resolve!

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin both looked at Ning Rongrong in surprise, as though they were truly seeing Ning Fengzhi's daughter for the first time.

A trace of surprise and amusement flashed through Yue Guan's eyes. He smiled. "Miss Rongrong truly understands matters. His Highness the Holy Son has also praised Miss Rongrong for her exceptional intelligence, saying she is a talent worth cultivating."

Ning Rongrong gave a slight bow, said no more, and retreated behind her father. With lowered brows and obedient eyes, she looked as though those words had never come from her mouth.

Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter, then at the two hostile powerhouses before him and that weighty "generous gift." At last, he let out a long sigh, as though all his strength had been drained away.

He spoke with difficulty. "Many thanks for His Highness the Holy Son's generous gift... The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... will remember it in our hearts. As for our position... our sect has always supported Spirit Hall. This resolve... may heaven and earth bear witness."

In the end, he chose to submit. At least on the surface.

Yue Guan and Yu Luosha exchanged a glance, satisfaction appearing in both their eyes.

"Since that is the case, we shall not disturb you further." Yue Guan smiled. "Please accept this 'modest gift,' Sect Master Ning. Farewell."

Having said that, neither remained any longer. With a flash, they returned to their respective carriages. Lightning and ghostly shadows shot into the sky, swiftly disappearing beyond the horizon.

All that remained before the city gates was the unwilling roar of the trapped Purple Lightning Suanni, along with the ugly expressions and heavy hearts of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Close the gates." Ning Fengzhi waved a weary hand, seeming to have aged greatly in an instant.

The massive gates slowly shut, cutting off everything outside.

But everyone knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's peace had ended from this day onward.

Ning Rongrong watched her father's exhausted back, then looked at the fierce beast. Deep in her icy eyes flashed an imperceptible, twisted delight and ambition.

The storm had already knocked upon their door.

And at that moment, the source of that storm stood atop a high cliff several hundred miles from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Yang Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind. Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly behind him, her aura growing ever colder and deeper. After leaving Thunder Gorge, she had finally broken through naturally to level thirty-four.

Yue Guan and Yu Luosha appeared behind him like ghosts and bowed as they reported back.

"Your Highness, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has already been 'reassured,'" Yue Guan said respectfully.

Yang Yu nodded, but his gaze turned toward the more distant south, toward the territory of the Star Luo Empire.

He had warned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, subdued the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and laid down his pieces in Nuoding City... It was time to add the final spark to this storm.

It was also time to return and meet those "elders" within the highest vortex of power in Spirit Hall.

A cold curve formed at the corner of his lips.

"Pass on the order."

"Tomorrow, we depart."

"Return to Spirit City."