Meanwhile, the ripple effect set off by Ning Feng had reached much further than this.
At that moment, in Heavenly Soul Imperial City.
The palace's Main Hall was brightly lit.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor sat behind a broad desk, reviewing a memorial in his hands.
The hall was quiet, save for the soft scratch of a brush against paper.
A hurried rush of footsteps sounded outside.
A guard hurried to the entrance of the Main Hall but did not barge inside. Instead, he stood outside and quietly spoke to the attendant within.
The attendant nodded, then entered the hall and bowed. "Your Majesty, a guard outside requests an audience. He says Her Highness the Princess has sent an urgent letter from the Body Sect."
The Heavenly Soul Emperor looked up and set down his brush. "Let him in."
The attendant withdrew and soon returned with the guard.
The guard knelt on one knee and held out a letter in both hands. "Your Majesty, this letter was sent from the Body Sect by Princess Vina. It was dispatched urgently. Please read it."
The Heavenly Soul Emperor reached out and took the letter. He examined the wax seal, confirmed it bore Vina's mark, and opened it.
He pulled out the letter, unfolded it, and began to read.
It opened with Vina's greetings, followed by an account of her recent training at the Body Sect.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor read attentively, nodding slightly.
As he continued, the letter turned to its main point.
Vina gave a detailed introduction to someone she had recently met.
His name was Ning Feng. He was the son of Ning Shan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master, and had a Body Martial Soul with Three Heads and Six Arms due to a Martial Soul Mutation.
He had turned down an invitation from Shrek Academy and chosen to come to the Body Sect of his own accord.
In just a few months since joining the sect, he had made rapid progress, breaking through to level thirty-three. He had also mastered a variety of combat techniques, and his practical fighting ability far surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level.
Vina also mentioned that while carrying out a mission in the Great Rock Forest, Ning Feng had killed ten Evil Soul Masters above level thirty-five single-handedly, including a leader.
She believed Ning Feng's talent and potential ranked among the best of the Body Sect's younger generation, making him worthy of special attention and cultivation.
After finishing the letter, the Heavenly Soul Emperor's eyes lit up.
He did not put it down at once. Instead, he read it again from beginning to end before setting it on his desk.
"Good," he murmured, his tone pleased.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor leaned back in his chair, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk as he began to ponder.
Vina was the daughter he trusted most. Sending her to the Body Sect was indeed meant to serve another purpose, in addition to helping her improve her strength.
The Body Sect was the Heaven Dou Empire's guardian sect, and the two sides had maintained a close partnership for many years.
The royal family provided the Body Sect with resources, while the Body Sect safeguarded the empire with its strength.
But this partnership required constant care and reinforcement.
Vina's joining the Body Sect would strengthen ties between the royal family and the sect. It would also allow her to keep abreast of developments within the sect.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor did not expect Vina to poach members from the Body Sect. That was not his intention, and it was not something the Body Sect would tolerate.
But he did need a channel for information.
The talented disciples trained by the Body Sect might well become pillars of the empire in the future.
If he could learn about them early and offer them support and recognition at the right time, they would feel a stronger sense of belonging to the empire in the years to come.
It was a long-term investment.
And this Ning Feng Vina had mentioned certainly seemed worth investing in.
He was the son of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master, born into a prestigious family. He also possessed a rare Body Martial Soul, along with exceptional talent and formidable strength.
As long as he did not die young, he was sure to become a mighty figure.
More importantly, he had chosen the Body Sect and rejected Shrek.
That showed he identified with the Body Sect, and would naturally feel close to the Heaven Dou Empire as well.
By the time the Heavenly Soul Emperor reached this point, he had made his decision.
He picked up his brush again, took a blank sheet of decree paper, and began to write.
When he was done, he picked up the jade seal from his desk and stamped the decree.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor looked up at the guard still kneeling in the hall. "Relay My decree."
The guard immediately bowed low. "Please give Your Majesty's orders."
Holding the decree, the Heavenly Soul Emperor read aloud, "Ning Feng, a disciple of the Body Sect, recently carried out a mission in the Great Rock Forest area and slew numerous Evil Soul Masters, ridding the people of a scourge. He has rendered meritorious service to the empire."
"He is hereby awarded one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins and granted the title of baron. This decree takes effect immediately."
The guard accepted the decree with both hands. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll see to it at once."
The guard rose and hurried out of the hall.
The Heavenly Soul Emperor settled back into his chair and read Vina's letter once more, a faint smile on his lips.
He murmured to himself, "Ning Feng... the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Interesting. I hope that boy becomes a pillar of the empire one day."
Sunlight from outside streamed into the hall and fell across the desk.
Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The atmosphere in the Council Hall was tense.
Ning Shan sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of tea. The tea had gone cold, but he had not touched it.
His expression was dark, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
Several sect disciples responsible for gathering information stood below him, heads bowed and afraid to speak.
"Still no news?" Ning Shan asked. His voice was quiet, but his displeasure was unmistakable.
One disciple answered nervously, "Sect Master, we've expanded our search throughout the Heaven Dou Empire, but for now, we still haven't found any trace of the young master."
Ning Shan set his teacup down hard on the table. It landed with a dull thud.
"Nearly half a year has passed, and you still can't find one person?" His voice rose. "Is this all the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's informants are capable of?"
The disciples bowed their heads even lower.
An older disciple said cautiously, "Sect Master, the young master may have deliberately concealed his identity. And the terrain in the Heaven Dou Empire is complicated, while we have limited manpower, so..."
"Excuses." Ning Shan cut him off and waved a hand. "Keep looking. Expand the search and send more people. I refuse to believe he can vanish without a trace."
"Yes." The disciples hurriedly answered and withdrew from the hall.
The hall fell quiet.
Ning Shan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his brow.
He thought of the letter he had recently received from Ning Tian, and his mood grew even more vexed.
In her letter, Ning Tian had said she was making rapid progress at Shrek Academy. She had already broken through to level thirty-three, made friends with the heirs of many other major powers, and earned the respect of her teachers.
Ning Shan lowered his hand and sighed.
"Ning Tian reached level thirty-three in no time at Shrek," he muttered. "If Ning Feng had gone there too, he'd be at least as strong as Ning Tian by now. But no, he had to go off to that Body Sect, running around here and there. Now I can't even find him."
He rose and walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky outside.
"What's so good about the Body Sect? They don't even teach any proper system. They're just a bunch of amateurs. Ning Feng is so thoughtless."
The more Ning Shan thought about it, the angrier he grew, yet there was nothing he could do.
There was no point saying anything when they could not even find him.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside.
A guard approached the doorway and saluted with cupped fists. "Sect Master, someone has delivered a letter."
Ning Shan did not even turn around. "I don't want to see it. I'm not in the mood for letters right now."
The guard remained where he was, looking uncertain.
He hesitated, then spoke again. "Sect Master, the messenger said the letter was written personally by Princess Vina and must be delivered into your hands."
Ning Shan turned around, frowning.
"Princess Vina? The Heavenly Soul Empire's Princess Vina?"
The guard nodded. "Yes, Sect Master."
Ning Shan returned to his desk and sat down, looking puzzled.
"I've never met Princess Vina. Why would she write to me?"
He thought for a moment, then added, "If the Heavenly Soul Emperor had something to say, he'd issue a decree. He wouldn't have the princess write a letter."
The guard said nothing and simply handed him the letter.
Ning Shan took it and examined the wax seal. It was indeed the royal family's mark.
He opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it.
Before you continue