"Damn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They're absolutely disgusting."
Lan Minghua had gone easy on Ning Rongrong and Sword Douluo by not finishing them off.
Oscar had no idea, though, that there was a deeper reason for sparing them.
If the Heavenly Dragon Gang wanted to make a name for itself quickly, it needed examples.
Examples carried far more weight than words.
Sword Douluo had lost both arms. How could Ning Fengzhi possibly have survived?
After all, the people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had no fighting power of their own.
They relied on powerful Battle Soul Masters.
So Lan Minghua hadn't spared Ning Rongrong and Sword Douluo out of some overflowing sense of mercy. He had his own reasons.
If Sword Douluo and Ning Rongrong returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and tried to regroup and take revenge,
then Lan Minghua would have every justification to wipe out the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect completely.
The Heavenly Dragon Gang would become a new force known throughout the continent.
"I deserve to die. How could I doubt Master's decision?"
Oscar slapped himself. He'd actually doubted his own master.
But he quickly put what had just happened out of his mind and asked with a fawning smile, "Master, those two moves you just used were incredible. Do you have any even stronger Sword Skills?"
"Of course, my disciple. There are far more than two moves that powerful. There are nine in total."
Oscar's eyes sparkled like stars. He gazed at Lan Minghua with the adoration of a lovesick puppy.
"Teacher, what do you think of me? Could I learn swordsmanship from you? I want to become a handsome man like you."
Lan Minghua glanced at him. "Becoming as handsome as me isn't easy. You'd have to be a born Sword Dao Genius, and people like that are one in ten thousand."
"OI!"
Oscar roared and leaped aside like an idiot.
Then he gathered Golden Light into a sword and began wildly swinging it around.
When he was done, he said to Lan Minghua with confidence, "Obviously, I'm exactly that kind of person."
As soon as he finished speaking, a fist slammed into Oscar's face, knocking him out cold.
Lan Minghua chuckled softly. "Looks like you're not."
After knocking Oscar out with one punch, he told Zhu Zhuqing and the others to find somewhere to consolidate their Soul Power.
Zhu Zhuqing naturally grabbed Oscar by the leg and dragged him toward their usual training spot.
Meng Yiran stared with wide eyes, utterly dumbfounded.
"Ma-Master, is this how you and the eldest disciple usually get along?!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "More or less. Master really likes treating Oscar this way."
Those words completely changed Meng Yiran's impression of a Titled Douluo.
Still, she didn't think it was a bad thing. This kind of atmosphere actually made it easier for her to cultivate.
Some time later, Sword Douluo used the last of his strength to bring Ning Rongrong back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Bone Douluo, who was stationed at the sect, immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"Why is Old Sword Head's presence so weak? And why can't I sense Fengzhi?"
Realizing something was amiss, Bone Douluo opened a spatial passage and rushed over.
What he saw nearly scared him to death.
Seeing Sword Douluo with both arms severed and Ning Rongrong utterly broken, Bone Douluo felt a wave of unease rise within him.
He hurried over, caught Ning Rongrong in his arms, and immediately asked, "Old Sword Head, what happened? How did you end up so badly injured? And where's Fengzhi?!"
Sword Douluo's Dao Heart had already shattered, and he had lost too much blood. He promptly passed out.
Bone Douluo quickly caught him, his heart filled with shock.
"Though I hate to admit it, I'm no match for Old Sword Head. But who could have been strong enough to leave him like this? And Fengzhi—he must be all right, surely."
As the Sect Master of one of the Upper Three Sects, Ning Fengzhi was someone Bone Douluo believed nobody would dare kill lightly.
To kill him would mean making an enemy of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
At that moment, Ning Rongrong could no longer hold back her fear. She threw herself into Bone Douluo's arms and sobbed.
"Waaah! Grandpa Bone, my father is dead!"
"What?! Fengzhi is dead?!"
A roar like thunder seemed to explode beside Bone Douluo's ears. His whole body trembled, and he stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
Meanwhile, at Spirit Hall,
Bibi Dong had also learned the full story from Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
"Damn it. I can't believe he really turned down Spirit Hall's invitation and left Yue Guan and Gui Mei badly injured!"
Bibi Dong's gaze was icy. She would never allow anyone to disrupt Spirit Hall's plans.
"Once I pass the Rakshasa God's trials, the entire continent will be mine!"
She was still undergoing the Rakshasa God's trials. Her strength had yet to reach its peak.
But she would never let Lan Minghua get away with challenging Spirit Hall.
Just then, a Spirit Hall attendant rushed in from outside, looking panicked.
"Y-Your Holiness the Pope, we have terrible news!"
"Have some composure! What's the meaning of this panic?"
Already furious, Bibi Dong gave a sharp shout. The immense Soul Power instantly forced the attendant to the ground.
Bibi Dong looked down at him and said coldly, "Speak. What happened?"
The attendant lay prostrate on the ground and stammered, "T-The Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi, is dead!"
"What? Ning Fengzhi is dead?"
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted sharply, and a storm surged in her heart.
This news was completely beyond her expectations.
As the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects, Ning Fengzhi held a highly respected position and was constantly protected by Titled Douluo-level experts.
Killing him would be extremely difficult.
In fact, Ning Fengzhi had always been one of Spirit Hall's primary targets.
For Spirit Hall to achieve its grand ambitions, the Upper Three Sects and the Two Great Empires had to be eliminated.
However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had close ties with the Heaven Dou Empire, so Spirit Hall couldn't openly move against them.
Ning Fengzhi was protected by two Titled Douluo, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, making an assassination even more difficult.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin was a Level 96 Titled Douluo, and his Martial Soul, the Seven Kill Sword, was hailed as the most powerful offensive Martial Soul in the world.
With Ning Fengzhi supporting him, even if Spirit Hall sent Yue Guan and Gui Mei, both Titled Douluo,
they might not have been able to gain the upper hand against the combination of Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.
Thus, Spirit Hall's plan to assassinate Ning Fengzhi had been put on hold.
Yet, against all expectations, someone had now completed this difficult task on Spirit Hall's behalf.
Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened, and she asked in a frosty tone, "Who did it?"
The Spirit Hall attendant remained prostrate and quickly replied,
"Your Holiness the Pope, our informant in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sent word that Sword Douluo Chen Xin had both arms severed. The news of Ning Fengzhi's death came directly from the sect's young lady, Ning Rongrong."
Bibi Dong's brows furrowed slightly, and surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Someone actually severed Sword Douluo's arms? Who could be that powerful?"
The attendant shook his head. "We don't yet know who the culprit is. However, according to our informant, Sword Douluo returned from the direction of the Balak Kingdom."
"The Balak Kingdom..."
Bibi Dong murmured softly. She seemed to have heard of that small kingdom recently.
The Balak Kingdom?
I remember the Martial Soul Hall Branch Master reported that Tang Hao had appeared there.
But he was no match for that powerful expert at Shrek Academy, Lan Minghua.
And not long ago, Lan Minghua badly injured Yue Guan and Gui Mei in the Star Dou Great Forest.
By my calculation, he should have returned to Shrek Academy by now.
Before you continue