After taking their seats indoors, Xiao Chenlong did not rush to speak. Ning Fengzhi opened the conversation first.
"Your Highness the Saint Son, I apologize for my daughter's recklessness and Sword Uncle's impulsiveness. I hope Your Highness the Saint Son will be magnanimous."
"I'm not a petty person. Naturally, I won't stoop to arguing with children. The same goes for old children."
Xiao Chenlong smiled as he glanced at Sword Douluo.
"However, I have a question for Sect Master Ning."
"Your Highness the Saint Son, please speak."
"You dote on Ning Rongrong so much. Have you considered what will happen in the future?"
"To put it bluntly, how long can Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo continue protecting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"Once you lose these two guardian Douluo, can the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still hold its position among the Upper Three Sects?"
Xiao Chenlong's words were exceptionally sharp, directly targeting the greatest problem the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect currently faced.
Bone Douluo said displeasedly, "The affairs of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are not for the Holy Son of Spirit Hall to worry about."
Xiao Chenlong was not angered by this. He lifted his teacup, took a light sip, and said calmly, "Sect Master Ning, is this your attitude as well?"
"May I take that to mean the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a group of cowards who dare not face their problems?"
"What did you say?"
Bone Douluo failed to restrain his temper and rose to his feet.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Dugu Bo also stood, shielding Xiao Chenlong.
The atmosphere instantly became tense and hostile.
Ning Fengzhi hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Your Highness the Saint Son, please do not be impulsive. Bone Uncle, apologize to His Highness the Saint Son."
At Ning Fengzhi's prompting, Bone Douluo could only lower his head. "I apologize. My attitude was inappropriate."
"You're already so old. Don't be so impulsive."
"I truly am considering the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's interests."
"Spirit Master sects now stand everywhere across the Douluo Continent, and conflicts often arise between them. I think this is bad, so I wish to change the current state of affairs."
"Sect Master Ning, does the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect intend to stand in my way, or assist me?"
Xiao Chenlong's sudden question left Ning Fengzhi somewhat stunned. After thinking it over carefully, his eyes abruptly widened. "Your Highness the Saint Son, you mean?"
"Exactly what you think. The Spirit Master World needs a unified overseer, a set of rules that every Spirit Master must obey."
"Is this Spirit Hall's ambition? Don't you think your appetite is too great?"
"To make enemies of all Spirit Masters across the Douluo Continent—does Spirit Hall truly possess that kind of strength?"
"Sword Douluo, with a few flaps of your mouth, you presume to speak for all the Spirit Masters on the continent. Don't you think you're giving yourself too much credit?"
"I believe the overwhelming majority of Spirit Masters will support me, because I represent their interests."
"Under the new order, the lower-ranking Spirit Masters, who make up the vast majority, will be protected by the rules."
"In fact, you must admit that the current order among Spirit Masters was established by Spirit Hall as well. All I want now is to strengthen that order and bring Spirit Master sects under management."
Having said that, Xiao Chenlong took another sip of tea, giving Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo time to digest his words.
The room was silent for a while before Ning Fengzhi finally said, "Why has Your Highness the Saint Son told me all this? Are you not afraid that Ning will make these words public?"
"Why should I be afraid? Even if you do not publicize them, what I just said will appear in the newspapers in a few days."
"Does Spirit Hall truly believe it can make every Spirit Master obey?"
Seeing Bone Douluo becoming somewhat exasperated, Xiao Chenlong said easily, "Why not? Do you truly know how much strength Spirit Hall possesses?"
"To put it bluntly, the Upper Three Sects and Spirit Hall are not even on the same scale."
"My Teacher is Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined, a Level 99 Peerless Douluo standing at the peak of the entire continent."
"If he personally acted, Sect Master Ning, how long do you think your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could last?"
Ning Fengzhi's expression changed several times, but in the end, he said nothing.
"Besides my teacher, the other Six Enshriners of the Worship Hall are all Super Douluo above level 96. At the Titled Douluo level, each rank is a hurdle. Sword Douluo surely understands this deeply."
Hearing the faintly teasing tone in Xiao Chenlong's voice, Sword Douluo turned his head aside and snorted coldly.
"This is only the Worship Hall. Beyond that, Spirit Hall has more than a dozen Elders at the Titled Douluo level, and even more Bishops at the Soul Douluo level."
"Previously, my Teacher was too conservative and did not wish to concern himself with worldly affairs. But I am different. I have seen the destruction caused by those unregulated Spirit Masters."
"Although those utterly wicked Degenerates are chased and killed by Spirit Hall, quite a few Spirit Masters burdened with countless crimes are protected by so-called sects."
"As the representative of the righteous Angel God, Spirit Hall naturally will not permit evil to spread."
When the words "Angel God" left Xiao Chenlong's mouth, Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo all changed expression.
They could not remember how long it had been since they had heard the Angel God's name. The continent knew only of Spirit Hall, yet had forgotten that an Angel God stood behind Spirit Hall.
Now that Xiao Chenlong, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, had invoked the Angel God, they could not help but consider what he meant.
Xiao Chenlong saw every change in their expressions. "Have you all forgotten the Deity behind Spirit Hall?"
"Stop guessing blindly. I can tell you clearly that the Angel God's inheritor has already descended. Before long, a new Angel God will once again ascend the divine throne in Spirit Hall."
That was about enough. Xiao Chenlong took another sip of tea.
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath before speaking. "Your Highness the Saint Son's words are truly astonishing. There are some matters Ning must consider carefully. I will visit you another day."
"Very well. I look forward to Sect Master Ning making the correct choice."
"It is getting late. Let me remind Sect Master Ning of one more thing: even if she is the apple of your hand, do not spoil her too much."
With that, Xiao Chenlong left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Dugu Bo.
After he departed, Ning Fengzhi let out a deep sigh. "Alas, while Spirit Hall slept, we only thought it was a large cat. Only when it bared its claws and fangs did we realize it was a fierce tiger."
"Fengzhi, I think that brat was merely trying to scare us. Spirit Hall itself is also plagued by internal conflict. The Worship Hall and the Pope are at odds—this is hardly a secret."
"No, Old Bone, you are mistaken. He was absolutely not bluffing. He said from the beginning that he had returned to Spirit City to handle some matters. What do you think those matters were?"
"Could it be..."
"The conflicts within Spirit Hall may already have been settled by him."
"What! Does he truly have that kind of ability?"
"This Martial Soul Hall Holy Son cannot be judged by ordinary standards at all."
"Sword Uncle is right. His Highness the Saint Son is practically a monster."
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