Night Encounter with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect

The convoy stopped roughly half a kilometer from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp.

Claude arranged for the guards to stand watch and rest. The carriages formed a semicircle, and several torches were lit.

No one dared speak loudly. Even the horses were ordered to keep their neighing down.

At this distance, they would not seem to be deliberately approaching, yet they could still respond quickly in an emergency.

Lan Aotian remained seated on the carriage shaft, his gaze calmly fixed on the brightly lit camp.

The scale of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect far exceeded that of their convoy.

There were more than twenty guards stationed just around the outer perimeter. All of them were at least Soul Kings, clad in fine armor and rigorously trained.

Several spacious tents stood in the center of the camp. The largest one had glazed-colored curtains that swayed gently in the night wind.

A flag nearly three meters tall stood beside the tent. The emblem of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was embroidered on it in gold thread, with tassels hanging from its edges. Even in the dim light, it gleamed brilliantly.

This was the foundation of one of the Upper Three Sects.

Lan Aotian withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes to rest.

He was in no hurry.

Since Ning Fengzhi had brought his daughter along this road, they were undoubtedly heading to Spirit City to watch the Finals.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was fabulously wealthy and traveled with a large number of carriages and attendants. They could not possibly move very quickly.

Although his own convoy had suffered losses, it was smaller and traveling on a tight schedule. Sooner or later, they would encounter each other again on the road.

Their first contact required a suitable opportunity.

It could not seem too deliberate, nor could it be too casual.

Just as he was pondering this, a faint commotion suddenly came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp.

Lan Aotian opened his eyes, and his Mental Power silently spread toward it.

In the center of the camp, the curtains of the largest tent were lifted, and a girl in white walked out briskly.

It was Ning Rongrong.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, and there was a trace of displeasure on her small face. Her steps were slightly heavy, clearly indicating that she was in a bad mood.

A maid followed behind her, carefully trying to persuade her about something, but Ning Rongrong cut her off with a wave of her hand.

Lan Aotian did not withdraw his Mental Power and calmly observed her.

Ning Rongrong walked to the edge of the camp and stopped beneath a dead tree. With her back to the camp, she seemed to be sulking.

A moment later, another person emerged from the tent.

Ning Fengzhi.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at his daughter's retreating figure as he let out a soft sigh.

He did not go after her to persuade her, nor did he have anyone disturb her. He merely stood there quietly, his gaze gentle yet tinged with helplessness.

Lan Aotian took in the entire scene.

It seemed that the father and daughter had had a minor falling-out.

He had no intention of prying into another family's affairs and was about to withdraw his Mental Power when Ning Rongrong suddenly turned around and hurried back to the tent, where she exchanged a few words with Ning Fengzhi.

The distance was too great for an ordinary person to hear clearly, but Lan Aotian's Mental Power was exceptionally sharp. Her few aggrieved complaints fell clearly into his ears.

"Dad, I just want to return to the academy and be with everyone! Grandpa Jian already agreed!"

"Rongrong, the Shrek Seven Monsters have already gone ahead to Spirit City. Traveling with us is the same."

"It's not the same! They're all waiting for me at the Finals, while I'm stuck here taking my time..."

"This isn't slow. It's safer. You're still young, and you haven't fully mastered the fusion skill. Traveling alone would be too dangerous."

"With Grandpa Jian here, who could hurt me? Besides, Tang San and the others will protect me too!"

Ning Fengzhi was silent for a moment. His voice remained gentle, but it carried a trace of gravity. "Rongrong, that child Tang San... his identity has already been exposed."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then lowered her voice. "I know... but so what? He's my friend. What does it matter whose son he is?"

Ning Fengzhi did not answer.

He merely patted his daughter gently on the shoulder before turning toward the tent where Jian Douluo Chenxin was staying.

Lan Aotian withdrew his Mental Power, his expression calm.

The impact of Tang San's exposed identity was more far-reaching than he had anticipated.

Even a major power like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was adjusting its itinerary because of it. This showed just how great a stir the matter had caused among the upper echelons of the various powers.

Ning Fengzhi clearly did not want his daughter to become too close to Tang San at this time.

It was not a rejection of Tang San himself, but rather... observation.

As the sect master, he had to consider the sect's position.

Becoming too close to the son of the Clear Sky Douluo was equivalent to indirectly standing opposed to Spirit Hall.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had established itself through support and never easily involved itself in the core struggles of the major powers.

This was not indifference, but survival wisdom.

Lan Aotian lightly tapped the carriage shaft.

Ning Fengzhi was shrewd, cautious, and exceptionally skilled at maintaining a balance while maneuvering among the various powers.

To make him take the initiative to show goodwill or agree to a deal, one needed sufficiently weighty bargaining chips.

At present, Lan Aotian could offer no more than two kinds of chips.

The first was a resource or benefit valuable enough that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could not refuse it.

The second was to demonstrate, at an appropriate time, that he possessed value worth investing in.

The former required time to accumulate, while the latter...

Lan Aotian glanced at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp but made no further move.

No hurry.

He closed his eyes again.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, the two convoys broke camp and set off at almost the same time.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's procession remained unhurried, with splendid carriages and numerous attendants.

The Spirit Hall convoy was silent and efficient. The guards deliberately kept their distance from the large procession, neither drawing closer nor falling behind.

Ying Shu scouted ahead, occasionally turning back to report the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's location and movements.

Claude had been somewhat uneasy at first, stealing glances at Lan Aotian from time to time.

Seeing that His Majesty remained calm and expressionless, he gradually relaxed.

Around noon, the convoy entered a relatively open plain.

The main road split into two here.

One road continued north toward Heaven Dou City.

The other veered northeast. It was the shortcut to Spirit City, cutting the journey nearly in half, but most of the route passed through wastelands and low mountains, where supply points were scarce.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's procession stopped at the fork.

Lan Aotian swept his gaze over them and saw Ning Fengzhi speaking with several attendants, apparently confirming the route.

Jian Douluo Chenxin stood with his hands behind his back beside the carriage. His figure was lean, yet he resembled an ancient sword sheathed in its scabbard, all its sharpness restrained and its depths impossible to discern.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

At the end of the main road to the northeast, a blood-red Signal Flare suddenly shot into the sky and exploded overhead. It was exceptionally conspicuous even in broad daylight!

It was Spirit Hall's distress signal!

Claude's expression changed, and he blurted out, "It's from Bishop Jason's side! They took this road!"

He abruptly turned and looked at Lan Aotian.

Lan Aotian did not look at him.

His gaze had fallen on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp.

Ning Fengzhi was also watching the Signal Flare, his brows slightly furrowed as if weighing something.

Ning Rongrong poked her head out of the carriage and looked around curiously.

Jian Douluo Chenxin remained expressionless, but Lan Aotian keenly noticed that the fingers of his right hand, held behind his back, had already drawn slightly together.

An extremely subtle yet peerlessly sharp Sword Intent spread soundlessly like ripples.

Lan Aotian narrowed his eyes slightly.

A Title Douluo.

And one of the top existences among Title Douluos at that.

Whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would wade into these troubled waters depended on Ning Fengzhi's next words.

Claude was sweating profusely from anxiety, yet he did not dare speak again.

He could sense that any urging or request at this moment might provoke this mysterious Your Majesty.