Douluo: I, Unrivaled Thief, Explosive King Returns

"Hehe, Boss really didn't lie to us! My Soul Power increased by five levels too! These herbs really are treasures!"

Shifty-eyed Thief snickered. "None of you measure up. My Soul Power went up by a full six levels! Boss really dotes on me the most."

With their own cultivation and the boost from the Immortal Herbs, Rebel Son and Thief Father had both reached level thirty-eight Soul Power, while Shifty-eyed Thief had reached level thirty-seven.

Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly to one side, a trace of envy flashing through her eyes.

Five or six levels of Soul Power was equivalent to the results of two years of her bitter cultivation.

Shifty-eyed Thief, who had originally only been two or three levels ahead of her, was now a full ten levels ahead.

If this keeps up, I'll be left completely behind! Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She secretly swore, I have to break through to Soul Elder as soon as possible! I absolutely can't miss this chance to change my fate! Otherwise, I might be kicked out of this team!

Just then, a golden figure descended from the sky.

Mighty Lion Douluo scanned the area and frowned. "Where's your big brother? Where did he go?"

The three moved in perfect unison, all pointing toward the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye and decisively selling out their boss.

Just then, a thunderous boom erupted from the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

Even from the outskirts, they could clearly see the ice-and-fire spring water soaring high into the air.

"What happened? Don't tell me that kid is courting death again!" Mighty Lion Douluo stomped his feet anxiously. He had barely returned when this happened.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo descended from the sky, their expressions grave.

Demon Subduer Douluo said heavily, "Even we find it unbearable to stay in that place. Could something really have happened to him?"

"Then what are we waiting for? Save him!" Before Mighty Lion Douluo finished speaking, he turned into a streak of golden light and rushed toward the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

Yet the sight that greeted him when he charged into the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye made his pupils shrink to pinpoints.

Unrivaled Thief was floating quietly where the ice and fire met, devoid of all breath.

"How could this happen?!" Mighty Lion Douluo's voice trembled. "How am I supposed to explain this to the Grand Venerable?!"

He beat his chest and stamped his feet, weeping with utterly heartfelt grief.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo exchanged looks, never expecting something like this to happen.

The dignified Holy Son of Spirit Hall had not died while absorbing a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring beyond his level, yet he had perished in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye in such a bizarre manner.

Even titled Douluo like them did not dare casually touch the spring water of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

"Impossible." Zhu Zhuqing covered her red lips, her long lashes trembling nonstop.

For some reason, at the sight of this scene, her heart pounded wildly, as if she had lost something important.

Yet Rebel Son, Thief Father, and Shifty-eyed Thief, Unrivaled Thief's own brothers, were leisurely picking at their ears. They even pointed at the "corpse" in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo happened to see this, and their eyes twitched as they immediately cursed inwardly.

Damn it, that kid fooled us again!

Meanwhile, the oblivious Mighty Lion Douluo and Zhu Zhuqing already had tears sliding down from the corners of their eyes and dripping onto the ground.

Splash!

Just then, a sound came from the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

Mighty Lion Douluo and Zhu Zhuqing were instantly drawn to it and hurriedly looked over.

Unrivaled Thief had suddenly opened his eyes, flipped over in the spring with a swift kick, and began leisurely floating on his back. He even waved at the shore.

"Oh, everyone's here? You're really shameless, spying on me while I'm bathing!" As he spoke, he hugged his shoulders coyly, looking as though he were about to burst into tears.

Mighty Lion Douluo's crying stopped abruptly. His old face first flushed red, then darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Zhu Zhuqing stood frozen in place, glistening tears still hanging from her cheeks as she blanked out completely.

"Boss is awesome! He fooled Big Fourth again!" Rebel Son and the other two cheered in unison, clearly having expected this all along.

"You three..." Blazing waves of air burst from Mighty Lion Douluo's body, his hair rising without wind as he resembled a furious lion. "Get the hell out of here!"

Before his words had even faded, Rebel Son and the other two were blasted into the sky with a single punch. Like three streaks of light, they vanished into the clouds with a whoosh, turning into three stars that flashed and disappeared.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo shook their heads helplessly before shooting up after them.

A bead of cold sweat formed on Unrivaled Thief's forehead as he awkwardly swam backward. "Ahem, Big Fourth—no, Fourth Brother! I was just making a little joke. Don't take it so seriously."

"Take it seriously, huh?" Mighty Lion Douluo laughed in extreme anger. "Then you can die too!"

Soul Power condensed into a massive golden hand that plunged into the spring and lifted Unrivaled Thief out like a chick.

At that moment, Unrivaled Thief was completely naked. The ice-and-fire spring water was corrosive, and his clothes had long since been reduced to nothing.

"Ah!"

Zhu Zhuqing cried out in surprise, her pretty face instantly turning crimson as she hurriedly turned around.

But that fleeting image had already been deeply imprinted in her mind, making her heart pound like a drum.

"Fourth, don't come over here! Aah!"

Before Unrivaled Thief could finish explaining himself, Mighty Lion Douluo pressed him to the ground and gave him a thorough beating. Dull thuds of flesh striking flesh, accompanied by wails, echoed through the valley.

Half an hour later, Unrivaled Thief, sporting a swollen pig's head, miserably led everyone back to Suotuo City.

Meanwhile, outside a Wooden Cabin on the outskirts of Suotuo City, Ning Rongrong had been waiting for a long time.

Not far from her, three figures were hidden in the shadows.

They were Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, who had insisted on following because they were worried.

Looking at the two dilapidated Wooden Cabins, Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly.

So this is the home of Spirit Hall's Holy Son and his brothers? I never expected them to be so impoverished! If only we had brought them into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before they awakened their martial souls.

But Rongrong has her charms too. Perhaps she can make one or two of them fall for her and persuade them to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect instead.

Bone Douluo looked at the distant figures who had yet to appear and voiced his thoughts.

"Feng Zhi." He broke the silence, his withered finger pointing toward Suotuo City. "Since we're already in Suotuo City, why not stop by and see Tang Hao's son? A twelve-year-old Soul Elder is quite a rare genius too."

Ning Fengzhi immediately became interested, and an idea beneficial to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect arose in his mind.

"Uncle Bone, you've reminded me. The son of an old friend should indeed be properly looked after."

Chapter 51: The Fence-Sitter's Scheme, Shrek's Internal Conflict

"If you want to go, then go. This old man is staying here to protect Rongrong!"

Sword Douluo coldly interrupted Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo's discussion.

How could he put Ning Rongrong in danger over someone like Tang San?

Ning Fengzhi's expression remained unchanged, his gentle smile as warm as ever.

"Uncle Sword, don't be angry. We only wish to secure more benefits for the sect. Everything is for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I hope you understand."

Bone Douluo also said solemnly, "Old Sword, think of the bigger picture."

"Get lost!"

Sword Douluo directly issued a cold and harsh order to leave, no longer paying attention to their persuasion.

Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo exchanged a glance, tacitly saying no more as they turned and headed toward Shrek Academy in Suotuo City.

The two of them both knew Sword Douluo's temper well.

Once their figures disappeared, Sword Douluo looked in Ning Rongrong's direction, and his stern face softened.

"Silly girl, have you seen through your father's intentions?"

Meanwhile, shortly after returning to the area around Suotuo City, Unrivaled Thief received a secret letter from Spirit Hall's branch in the Balak Kingdom.

After opening the letter and reading it carefully, he curled his lips into a mocking smile.

"Ning Fengzhi really sent Ning Rongrong back. As expected of a shrewd merchant. He can even use his own daughter as a bargaining chip for profit."

Unrivaled Thief was not surprised by this outcome.

In his eyes, Ning Fengzhi had always been a ruthless man who placed the sect's interests above everything else.

I deliberately leaked the news of Tang Hao's capture to Ning Rongrong earlier precisely so Ning Fengzhi could witness Spirit Hall's foundations.

A few years ago, Ning Fengzhi had personally proposed the slogan, "The Upper Three Sects share the same spirit and branches."

He wanted to use it to balance Spirit Hall's influence across the continent and prevent any one side from dominating alone.

By leaking that information, Unrivaled Thief wanted Ning Fengzhi to understand something.

Before Spirit Hall's true foundations, the so-called Upper Three Sects were simply not worth mentioning.

Thinking of this, Unrivaled Thief chuckled softly. "The Golden Generation, plus us four brothers, can suppress nearly every genius of our generation. This is Spirit Hall's future, and it is also the continent's future."

As a shrewd merchant, how could Ning Fengzhi fail to see that Spirit Hall had already grasped both the present and the future of the continent?

Moreover, as one of the most powerful men on the continent, how could he fail to sense Spirit Hall's ambitions?

With such formidable strength, ambition would naturally grow.

And the only ambition Spirit Hall could possibly have was unifying the continent.

Yet how could the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire, the continent's only two empires, simply submit without resistance?

Both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire coveted supremacy. Neither was willing to bow beneath another.

Unrivaled Thief understood this clearly as well. The Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire were obstacles Spirit Hall absolutely had to overcome.

"So if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wants to remain standing in troubled times, playing both sides is the way to survive. Ning Fengzhi sees this very clearly, and he's very shrewd about it."

He said this because he had his own suspicions.

At present, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect appeared inseparable from the Heaven Dou Empire, and Ning Fengzhi was even the Crown Prince's teacher, destined to become the imperial tutor.

With that relationship, so long as the Heaven Dou Empire did not fall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could continue to exist.

"But beneath that identity, Ning Fengzhi would neither dare nor be able to establish ties with Spirit Hall. So he sent his own daughter, Ning Rongrong, here, thinking that getting close to me, Spirit Hall's Holy Son, would be enough."

Unrivaled Thief saw through Ning Fengzhi's little scheme at a glance.

If Ning Rongrong alone joined Spirit Hall, he could completely pretend not to know.

And Ning Fengzhi believed that with Ning Rongrong's talent and beauty, even if she could not win over Unrivaled Thief, she could win over one of his brothers.

Thus, even if Ning Rongrong were the only member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to join Spirit Hall, it would still count as a rather significant connection.

"Using even your own daughter as a chess piece?" A breeze stirred in Unrivaled Thief's palm, and the letter instantly shattered into fragments. "Ning Fengzhi, Ning Fengzhi, you really are a ruthless man. But..."

A cold smile appeared on his lips as he thought, But I don't like this fence-sitting behavior!

Behind him, Rebel Son grinned lewdly. "Boss, you're smiling so wickedly. Don't tell me you're thinking of doing something bad again?!"

"Get lost! I'm not like you. I don't spend all day thinking about bad things!"

Unrivaled Thief rolled his eyes and ordered everyone, "Pick up the pace. Our destination is Shrek Academy!"

Hearing that their destination was Shrek Academy, everyone froze for no apparent reason.

But none of them objected, silently following behind Unrivaled Thief.

The secret letter had mentioned that Ning Fengzhi had gone to Shrek Academy.

With things so lively there, they naturally could not miss it.

On Shrek Academy's training grounds, two figures crossed and collided like lightning.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dai Mubai's tiger claws slammed fiercely against Tang San's Hidden Weapons, sparks bursting into a dazzling display as neither side could gain the upper hand.

"Go, Boss Dai! Let Tang San know who the real boss of Shrek is!" Oscar shouted excitedly from the sidelines, waving his fists.

Ma Hongjun puffed out his round belly, his beady eyes wide open. "Exactly! Someone who's been at Shrek for less than a month wants to be the boss? That's disrespecting Shrek and you, Boss Dai!"

"Heh!" Xiao Wu crossed her arms, her gaze teasing. "How can someone who can't even keep himself clean compare to our pure and spotless Xiao San? I bet that lecherous tiger went to that kind of place again last night, didn't he?!"

Ma Hongjun's face immediately reddened. "Y-you, what do you know! Boss Dai was, was..."

He stammered for a long time before inspiration suddenly struck. "He was sharpening his tools before doing his work! It's cultivation! What would a little rabbit like you know?!"

"Pfft!" Xiao Wu heard the joke of the century and laughed without restraint, her pink rabbit ears swaying gently with her movements.