Ning Fengzhi Breaks Out in a Cold Sweat

Heaven Dou City, Dark Night Arena.

It was currently at its busiest.

Ning Fengzhi lifted the curtain and stepped down. Though he was worried about Rong Rong, two women from this place had appeared one after another on the Heavenly Curtain, forcing him to come investigate first.

He looked at the sea of people gathered before the entrance, yet everything was perfectly orderly. There was not even anyone loudly clamoring.

Ning Fengzhi could not help taking a few more looks. He did not believe the people of Heaven Dou City were simply that well-mannered.

It seems there are extraordinarily powerful Soul Masters stationed here.

He straightened his clothes. Without bringing any attendants, he strode alone toward the entrance.

The moment he approached, his steps abruptly halted.

Standing in the very center of the entrance was a tall, brawny man—Steward Tai, who had been guarding the gate all along.

Steward Tai merely lowered his head and casually swept his gaze over him.

Buzz!

Ning Fengzhi felt his breath catch. That pure oppressive force felt as though a heavy mountain had descended from thin air and pressed against his chest.

"This..."

Ning Fengzhi's heart trembled violently, and a layer of fine sweat instantly seeped across his back.

He was a level seventy-nine Soul Sage. With Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu normally at his side, what kind of pressure from powerful experts had he not encountered?

Yet the pressure exerted by this gatekeeping brute was heavier than that of anyone he had ever met.

Ning Fengzhi swallowed with difficulty, his throat dry.

Just as he was about to brace himself and step forward to pay a visit, a young man in black brocade robes walked out from within the gates.

The man was handsome in a wicked, devilish way, with a seemingly gentle smile resting on his lips—one that in truth sent chills through the heart.

He courteously greeted Ning Fengzhi. "The Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has come in person. Our humble establishment is truly honored. Welcome."

The instant Ning Fengzhi saw him, every cell in his body screamed.

Danger! Extreme danger!

It felt as though an ancient Fierce Beast had fixed its gaze upon him. If he dared make even the slightest unusual move, he would be torn to pieces in the next moment.

"Y-you, hello."

Ning Fengzhi, usually composed, refined, and easygoing, actually stammered.

He took a deep breath and did his best to maintain the dignity of a Sect Master as he followed the Man in Black into the Duel Arena.

As they walked, the Man in Black introduced himself. "I am Evil Steward, responsible for all matters large and small within the Duel Arena."

"Sect Master Ning, you did not come here simply to watch the matches, did you?"

Sect Master Ning nodded somewhat nervously, not daring to let his gaze wander.

"Yes... I wish to meet the Master of your Duel Arena. Would that be convenient?"

Without realizing it, he had lowered his stance, becoming even more humble than when facing Bibi Dong of Spirit Hall.

The mountain-like brute at the entrance and the unfathomable Evil Steward before him had dealt him far too great a psychological blow.

What small Duel Arena was this? It was clearly a powerful force filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Evil Steward said nothing. He merely led Ning Fengzhi around a turn and into a long, secluded corridor.

The instant they entered, the light dimmed dramatically.

For some reason, Ning Fengzhi felt the temperature here was frighteningly low. Though he was a Soul Sage, he felt a bone-piercing chill and had no choice but to circulate his Soul Power to protect himself.

Just as he was still stunned by the source of this cold—

Bang!

An incomparably crisp explosive crack suddenly rang out through the deep corridor.

The sound was too loud. It echoed through the enclosed hallway, making Ning Fengzhi's ears buzz and his vision darken.

His heart clenched in fright as he looked ahead in terror.

At the end of the corridor, a Slender Figure slowly approached.

She toyed with a Long whip that emitted a dim blue glow. With every step she took, a layer of frost formed in the surrounding air.

Evil Steward stopped walking and looked at the newcomer helplessly. "Ice Steward, stop playing with that whip."

"Do you know you frightened the guest?"

The Blue-haired woman called Ice Steward cast him a cold glance, her Red Lips parting slightly. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

When Ning Fengzhi saw her face clearly, his first reaction was amazement. She was too beautiful, like an ice-and-snow goddess descended into the mortal world.

But in the next instant, that amazement became profound fear.

As the Blue-haired woman drew closer, he felt as if even the Soul Power inside his body was about to freeze. Even the flow of his blood slowed.

Was she also an immensely powerful Titled Douluo?

Seeing how little face she gave him, Evil Steward raised a brow, and the smile on his face instantly vanished.

"Ha?"

Boom!

An incomparably savage and terrifying aura instantly erupted from his body. The man who had seemed refined and gentle moments ago now appeared to transform into a brutal Evil Monarch.

Caught between them, Ning Fengzhi's scalp went numb. His legs buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees on the spot.

The collision of those two auras made him feel as though his soul was trembling, as if it could shatter at any moment.

However, just when Ning Fengzhi thought the two were about to fight—

Ice Steward, who had been icy and aloof all along, suddenly withdrew her aura. The frosty expression that kept strangers at bay instantly melted from her face.

She addressed Ning Fengzhi, her tone becoming exceedingly polite. "Oh my, I'm terribly sorry, honored guest. I frightened you."

The abrupt change came so quickly that Ning Fengzhi's mind nearly short-circuited.

Caught between those two terrifying auras, his face was pale, and he could only force a smile.

"N-no, it's fine..."

Evil Steward also instantly withdrew his savage aura, returning to his gentle appearance.

He made a welcoming gesture. "My little sister is immature. Please forgive the embarrassment, Sect Master Ning. This way, please."

As he spoke, he continued leading Ning Fengzhi forward, whose legs were still trembling somewhat.

Ice Steward, standing where she was, stuck out her tongue at Evil Steward and made a face.

"Bleh, bleh, bleh! Who are you to tell me what to do?"

When Evil Steward ahead turned back to look, she had already become a streak of blue light and vanished in a flash.

Ning Fengzhi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt that all the roads he had traveled over the past several decades had not been as thrilling as these few hundred meters today.

Finally.

Evil Steward brought him before a heavy black-and-gold door.

He first straightened his clothes, his face filled with incomparable respect.

Evil Steward gently knocked on the door.

"Monarch."

"I have brought the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

There was no immediate response from within the room.

Yet Evil Steward remained slightly bowed, standing there respectfully and even softening his breathing.

This made Ning Fengzhi's heart pound wildly.

Along the way, the three people from the Duel Arena he had encountered had each been more terrifying than the last.

The Master who could make these powerful experts so utterly devoted and reverent...

What kind of existence was he?

After roughly a dozen seconds.

"Enter."

A calm, low voice came from inside the room. Though it was not loud, it carried an awe-inspiring authority.

Evil Steward gently pushed open the door, politely lowered his head, and stepped aside.

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, calmed his nervous heart, and stepped inside.

The room was large and simply furnished, exuding a stark, hard-edged style.

The lighting, however, was dim.

Only a few rays of sunlight filtered through the gaps in the heavy curtains, illuminating precisely the spot where Ning Fengzhi stood.

Behind the desk directly ahead—

That area seemed capable of swallowing even the light, leaving it completely dark.

He could vaguely make out a Black-clad Girl standing straight beside the desk. Her figure was voluptuous, and her temperament cold and alluring.

As for the person seated in the chair, Ning Fengzhi could not make out his face at all.

He could only feel a pair of deep eyes silently watching him from within the darkness.

"Sect Master Ning."

The low yet authoritative voice rang out again, echoing through the dim room.

"Welcome."