Night Talk!

As night deepened, the lights in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp went out one after another. Only a few torches carried by patrols still swayed in the darkness.

Ning Fengzhi sat inside the Main Tent, a cup of clear tea before him. The tea's fragrance curled upward, yet he did not lift the cup for a long time.

He was waiting for someone.

The tent flap was lifted, and a thin figure slowly walked in.

Chen Xin.

"Uncle Jian, sit." Ning Fengzhi rose and personally poured Chen Xin a cup of tea.

Chen Xin sat down, lifted the cup, and took a sip. No emotion could be seen on his aged face.

"That person's aura is very unusual," he said, his voice calm.

Ning Fengzhi's eyes shifted slightly. "Uncle Jian noticed it too?"

Chen Xin nodded. "His Soul Power fluctuations are suppressed to level sixty-nine, but that hidden aura of origin can't escape Old Man's notice."

"That isn't a vitality fluctuation a human should possess. It's too pure, too... vast."

"Even though it's deliberately suppressed, I can still vaguely sense a trace of it."

"How strong is he?" Ning Fengzhi asked directly.

Chen Xin fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "If he attacked with all his strength, Old Man wouldn't be certain of victory."

"What!?"

"Is he really that strong?!"

Ning Fengzhi was startled, and the hand holding his teacup paused slightly.

That was an extremely weighty assessment.

Chen Xin was a level-ninety-six peak Super Douluo. His Seven Kill Sword Dao had reached perfection. Across the entire continent, there were no more than a handful of people who could make him say he was "not certain of victory."

"Could he be a hidden worshipper of Spirit Hall?" Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly.

Chen Xin shook his head. "He doesn't seem like it. He doesn't have that sort of aura peculiar to Spirit Hall. And besides..."

He paused before continuing, "When Old Man killed those five Soul Douluo today, he sat watching from a distance the entire time. His gaze was calm, without the slightest fluctuation. That wasn't awe, nor was it fear. It was... scrutiny."

"Scrutiny?" A strange glint flashed through Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"Like he was watching a play, evaluating the quality of the performers."

Chen Xin's tone was calm, yet every word was heavy. "This person's composure and unfathomable strength are by no means comparable to those of an ordinary Title Douluo."

Ning Fengzhi fell silent.

After a long time, he said softly, "Uncle Jian means..."

"Don't rush to make contact, but don't deliberately avoid him either."

Chen Xin set down his teacup. "If he has some motive, he'll come knocking on our door himself. We can adapt to the situation when the time comes."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, deep in thought.

Outside the tent, the Night Wind swept past, stirring up a faint rustling sound.

At this moment, Lan Aotian stood outside his own tent with his hands behind his back, gazing at the single light that had yet to go out in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's camp.

He had not deliberately probed with his Mental Power, yet he could still faintly sense the two powerful auras inside that tent.

Chen Xin.

Ning Fengzhi.

They were discussing him.

The corners of Lan Aotian's lips lifted slightly.

Being remembered by two figures on the level of Title Douluo... this feeling wasn't bad.

He withdrew his gaze and turned back into his tent.

Sitting cross-legged, he took the gray gemstone he had obtained from the Black-robed Soul Douluo out of his Storage Ring.

The gemstone was about the size of a baby's fist. It was gray all over, with a faint halo of light flowing within.

During the battle in the daytime, he had sensed a strange aura of annihilation radiating from the gemstone. It shared the same origin as the Black-robed Man's Shadow Power, but was even purer.

He tried sending a strand of Soul Power into the gemstone.

Humm!

The gemstone trembled lightly. The halo within suddenly began spinning faster, and a powerful force of devouring surged out of it, crazily absorbing his Soul Power!

Lan Aotian raised an eyebrow. He did not forcibly cut it off. Instead, he increased the flow of Soul Power.

He wanted to see just how much this thing could devour.

Ten breaths.

Twenty breaths.

Thirty breaths.

The gray halo within the gemstone grew brighter and brighter, its rotation faster and faster, while the force of devouring continued to strengthen!

That power seemed endless, greedily extracting every bit of energy it could!

Lan Aotian's gaze turned cold.

With a thought, the 230,000 Years First Soul Ring inside his body suddenly lit up!

A vast and mighty Life Energy imbued with the supreme majesty of an emperor surged into the gemstone with a thunderous roar!

Crack!

A fine crack appeared on the gemstone's surface.

Immediately afterward, more and more cracks spread like a spiderweb!

Boom!

The gemstone exploded!

Gray light scattered in all directions, but just as it was about to burst out of the tent, it was firmly suppressed by an invisible domain force. In the end, it turned into specks of gray light and dissipated into the air.

Lan Aotian withdrew his hand and looked at the several fragments of gemstone remaining in his palm.

Some complicated and profound patterns were faintly visible on the fragments. They resembled the runes on the mysterious Stone Box he had obtained in the Dark Alley.

His thoughts stirred slightly, and he took out the Stone Box.

He brought the gemstone fragments close to it.

Humm!

The Ancient Runes that had long since vanished from the Stone Box's surface actually reappeared!

Though they remained dim, they were slightly clearer than before.

A sharp glint flashed through Lan Aotian's eyes.

As expected, this gemstone and the Stone Box shared the same origin. Or rather, the gemstone was very likely one of the "keys" to opening the Stone Box!

He put away the gemstone fragments and stored the Stone Box as well.

There was no hurry.

He would study the Stone Box's secret after gathering enough clues.

The next morning.

The two caravans broke camp almost simultaneously.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's party continued onward at an unhurried pace, while Spirit Hall's caravan maintained a perfectly measured distance, neither drawing closer nor falling farther away.

They traveled like this for three days.

During those three days, they encountered no further attacks.

The forces hidden in the darkness seemed to have been completely cowed by Sword Douluo's battle and did not dare act rashly again.

Three days later, a city appeared ahead on the official road.

The city gates were imposing, and the walls towered high. The flag of the Heaven Dou Empire fluttered above the city tower.

The northern gateway of Sylvester City—the Heaven Dou South Pass.

This was the final checkpoint before entering the core region of the Heaven Dou Empire. Once they passed through, they would reach Heaven Dou City after another three days of travel.

The official road leading to Spirit City also branched off here.

Claude rode over to Lan Aotian's carriage and respectfully said, "Your Majesty Lin Yue, the Heaven Dou South Pass is ahead. According to plan, we'll rest in the city for a day and replenish our supplies. Tomorrow morning, we'll turn onto the Northeast Official Road and head straight for Spirit City."

Lan Aotian nodded, but his gaze fell on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's party.

That party had not entered the city. Instead, it had stopped outside the city gates.

Ning Fengzhi stepped out of the carriage and gave a few instructions to several attendants.

Then he turned around, his gaze passing over the crowd before landing in the direction of Spirit Hall's caravan.

More precisely, it landed on Lan Aotian.

A moment later, Ning Fengzhi walked alone toward Spirit Hall's caravan.

Claude immediately grew tense and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is coming..."

Lan Aotian's expression did not change as he stood up from the Carriage Shaft.

Ning Fengzhi approached with a warm smile and cupped his hands. "I am Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Forgive me for disturbing you."

His gaze fell on Lan Aotian, and a hint of scrutiny flashed through his eyes before being concealed beneath just the right amount of courtesy.

"May I ask how I should address you?"

Lan Aotian looked at the master of the Upper Three Sects and spoke calmly.

"Lin Yue."

Ning Fengzhi nodded. "Brother Lin has traveled alongside us these past few days. It seems we have some predestined connection. Fengzhi has come to ask about something."

"Please, go ahead."

Ning Fengzhi's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Does Brother Lin know the origins of the attackers?"

Lan Aotian looked at him without answering immediately.

Ning Fengzhi's move appeared casual, but in truth, he was probing him.

He was probing Lan Aotian's stance, his information, and his attitude toward this matter.

The corners of Lan Aotian's lips lifted slightly.

"Since Sect Master Ning has asked, Lin also has something to ask the sect master."

Ning Fengzhi was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "Brother Lin, please ask."

Lan Aotian looked at him and slowly spoke.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is wealthy beyond compare and has information channels everywhere."

"Lin wants to inquire about the whereabouts of several medicinal ingredients."

He paused, enunciating each word.

"Jadeite Ganoderma, Earth Vein Blood Ginseng, and Ghost Vine Crystal over 300 years old."

The smile on Ning Fengzhi's face slowly froze.