Sword Douluo Chen Xin carried Lin Yi through the air on his sword, transforming into a stunning streak of light that tore across the sky. Rather than head toward Shrek Academy in Suotuo City, they returned directly to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect outside Heaven Dou City.
The sword light faded, and the two appeared right outside Sect Master Ning Fengzhi's study.
Their sudden return—especially Sword Douluo's barely restrained urgency—startled Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who happened to be discussing matters there. They immediately went out to meet them.
"Uncle Jian, Lin Yi, why have you suddenly returned? Has something happened to Rongrong?" Ning Fengzhi asked, concern and a hint of gravity on his face.
"Please rest easy, Sect Master. Rongrong is perfectly fine and should be practicing at Shrek Academy right now." Lin Yi stepped forward and bowed respectfully. His gaze swept over Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, his tone more solemn than ever. "My teacher and I returned early because there is an important matter concerning the future of the sect that must be reported to you and Senior Bone Douluo immediately."
Concerning the future of the sect?
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged a glance. Both saw the confusion and seriousness in the other's eyes. They knew Lin Yi wasn't one to make baseless claims, and Sword Douluo's slight nod beside him made it clear that he already knew what was going on.
"Come inside." Ning Fengzhi led them into the study and activated the soundproof barrier.
Inside, Lin Yi skipped the pleasantries and directly took out the Aromatic Silk Beauty, preserved in ice.
The ice melted away.
As soon as the Immortal Herb appeared, its rich fragrance filled the study. Its pale golden petals were graceful and dignified, seeming to absorb all the light around them as they breathed out a misty aura, as if drawing in the essence of the sun and moon.
"This is..." As the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi was widely traveled and knowledgeable, yet he did not recognize the plant. Still, he could clearly sense a strange energy within it that faintly resonated with his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul!
"This is called the Aromatic Silk Beauty," Lin Yi said gravely. "It absorbs the essence of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon. Its medicinal properties are gentle and mellow, strengthening the foundation and nourishing the constitution. It is powerful enough to rival the workings of heaven and earth. This disciple found it by chance in a blessed place. According to a fragment of an ancient text, this Immortal Herb... may be able to help the Sect Master's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul break through its limits and reach a higher level!"
"Break through the limits of my Martial Soul?" Ning Fengzhi sprang to his feet, his breathing suddenly quickening. His usually gentle, refined face was filled with unprecedented excitement and disbelief!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's seven-tier limit was the greatest pain and regret of every generation of Sect Masters. He knew better than anyone what breaking through it would mean!
Bone Douluo Gu Rong's eyes widened too as he stared fixedly at the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
"Lin Yi, is this true?" Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled slightly.
"That's what the ancient text says, but I can't guarantee the exact effects," Lin Yi replied, holding out the Immortal Herb to Ning Fengzhi. "But this is an opportunity the sect hasn't had in a thousand years, and it's worth a try! Please take it at once and let Sword Douluo protect you."
Ning Fengzhi looked at the Immortal Herb that might change the sect's fate, then at Lin Yi's clear, resolute gaze, and finally at Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, whose eyes held both support and scrutiny.
He took a deep breath, tamped down the surging emotions in his heart, and nodded firmly. "Very well! I'll take the gamble!"
He accepted the Aromatic Silk Beauty and swallowed it as Lin Yi had instructed. Then he sat cross-legged and began to guide its medicinal power.
In an instant, brilliant seven-colored light burst from Ning Fengzhi. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul appeared on its own, its body shuddering violently as it hummed. Wrapped in the seven-colored light, its clearly defined seven tiers seemed to blur, while a more powerful force began to gather at its summit, preparing to break through!
Seeing this, Lin Yi knew Ning Fengzhi had reached a critical stage.
He immediately took out two more Immortal Herbs.
"Senior Bone Douluo," he said, handing the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum to Gu Rong. "This flower is called the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. It's a neutral-grade Immortal Herb. Eating it sends power through the limbs and blood through the eight meridians, and can forge an indestructible body.
"It complements the defensive qualities of your Bone Dragon Martial Soul and may help you break through your bottleneck and advance further."
Gu Rong looked at the enormous chrysanthemum before him. Its petals were a splendid purple, each one covered in soft down, and golden light glimmered at their tips. A vast, righteous aura swept over him.
He had been stuck at the peak of level ninety-five for more than a decade, his bottleneck as hard as iron. Hearing phrases like "indestructible body" and "break through your bottleneck," his eyes immediately blazed with astonishing brilliance!
He looked to Sword Douluo. Chen Xin gave a slight nod.
"Kid, if this really helps me break through, I'll owe you a tremendous debt!" Gu Rong said without hesitation. He grabbed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and swallowed it whole as Lin Yi had instructed. Then he, too, sat cross-legged. His Soul Power surged, his bones crackled, and an aura as steady as a mountain yet carrying the might of an ancient dragon began to rise.
Finally, Lin Yi took out the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.
The Immortal Orchid was as white as jade, pure white from end to end, without a single blemish. Its petals trembled like the purest spirits of ice and snow, releasing a rich orchid fragrance.
"Teacher, I'll take this orchid to strengthen my constitution and foundation. Please protect me," Lin Yi said to Chen Xin. The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid had gentle medicinal properties that strengthened the foundation and removed impurities. It was best suited to stabilizing the cultivation he had recently gained and laying a firmer foundation for the future.
Chen Xin nodded. "Mm."
Lin Yi swallowed the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. A warm, mellow current instantly flowed through his limbs and bones, washing away any imperfections in his meridians caused by his rapid advancement and nourishing his Martial Soul Origin. His Soul Power grew purer and more condensed. He, too, sat cross-legged and entered a state of cultivation.
All three of them entered deep cultivation in the study. Seven-colored light, a dark golden dragon's shadow, and the phantom of an ice lotus intertwined. The study's barrier firmly contained the tremendous energy fluctuations. Only Sword Douluo Chen Xin remained standing guard, sharp as a drawn sword, his eyes sweeping the surroundings to ensure nothing went wrong.
Days passed.
On the seventh day, a sudden change broke out!
Bone Douluo Gu Rong, whose aura had remained steady and whose bones had continued to crack, abruptly opened his eyes. Brilliant light shone from them as a terrifying pressure, far more vast and profound than before, erupted! The Bone Dragon behind him seemed to solidify, letting out a thunderous roar. The unbreakable level-ninety-five bottleneck that had trapped him for more than a decade shattered under the force of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!
Level ninety-six!
Bone Douluo Gu Rong had successfully broken through! Feeling the surging Soul Power within him, far more immense than before, and the strength that seemed capable of ripping through space, he couldn't help letting out a long roar, brimming with excitement and exhilaration!
"Old Bone, you broke through..." Feeling Gu Rong's undisguised level-ninety-six aura, Sword Douluo Chen Xin—usually as still as an ancient well—showed genuine shock.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to advance even a single level at their stage. The effects of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum were truly terrifying!
Gu Rong reined in his aura and looked at Lin Yi, who was still cultivating. His gaze was immeasurably complicated, filled with gratitude and shock, before finally turning into a sigh of admiration. "This kid... is practically the sect's lucky star!"
Yet the greatest shock was still to come.
On the eighth day, the seven-colored light around Ning Fengzhi suddenly drew inward. Then a more brilliant, more splendid pillar of nine-colored light shot into the sky!
Without the barrier, it would surely have alarmed the entire sect!
Within the pillar of light, Ning Fengzhi's Martial Soul slowly appeared. It was no longer a seven-tiered glazed pagoda, but... a nine-tiered one! Its body was more crystalline and radiant, and it gave off an aura far nobler and more powerful than before!
The surrounding natural energy raced toward it. At the same time, Ning Fengzhi's Soul Power surged wildly, breaking through the level-eighty barrier and completely shattering the level-seventy-nine bottleneck.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!
The legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had actually appeared!
"N-Nine tiers?!" Bone Douluo Gu Rong's jaw dropped. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Even Sword Douluo Chen Xin was utterly moved. His grip on the Seven Kill Sword tightened without him realizing it.
He looked at the pillar of nine-colored light, then at Lin Yi, who was still cultivating with his eyes closed, as if he had expected all this. His emotions churned.
The Immortal Herbs this kid had brought back were more than just rare treasures. They were a heaven-sent blessing that could reverse the sect's fate!
Ning Fengzhi slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the exquisite nine-tiered glazed pagoda in his palm and felt the Soul Power within him, now far greater than before, along with the unrestrained joy coming from his Martial Soul. Even this usually composed Sect Master couldn't hold back the tears of excitement welling in his eyes.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda... No, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! The limit... it really has been broken!" His voice choked with emotion as he looked at Lin Yi, his gaze filled with boundless gratitude and relief.
Another seven days passed, and Lin Yi finally absorbed all the medicinal power of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.
When he opened his eyes, his aura was perfectly balanced and restrained. His Soul Power had not only stabilized completely, but, propelled by the Immortal Herb's medicinal power and the foundation he had built up earlier, he had advanced three levels in succession, soaring from level sixty-two to level sixty-five!
Three people had secluded themselves for half a month, and the results had shocked the entire upper echelon of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
Bone Douluo had broken through to level ninety-six! His strength now stood shoulder to shoulder with Sword Douluo's.
The Sect Master's Martial Soul had evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and his Soul Power had broken through level eighty! His support abilities had improved even further...
Lin Yi's cultivation had soared by three levels, reaching level sixty-five as a Soul Emperor!
The information was strictly confined to the inner circle, but everyone who knew the truth understood that the rise of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now unstoppable!
And it all traced back to that fourteen-year-old boy who had created one miracle after another—Lin Yi!
Ning Fengzhi looked at Lin Yi as though he were the sect's most precious treasure.
He took a deep breath, tamped down his excitement, and said solemnly, "Lin Yi, you've rendered an unparalleled service to the sect! From today onward, your authority within the sect is second only to me and the two elders! You'll receive priority access to resources!"
Bone Douluo Gu Rong thumped his chest. "Kid, from now on, you can walk all over the continent. Anyone who dares to mess with you, I'll be the first to tear them apart!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin said little, but the appreciation and anticipation in his eyes as he looked at his disciple had reached their peak.
Lin Yi bowed, neither proud nor flustered.
He knew this was only the beginning.
With a stronger sect backing him, and the hidden million-year Soul Ring of his Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, his future was certain to be even more tumultuous and magnificent.
It was time to return to Shrek!
If he wanted to cultivate quickly, he would have to go to the Ice Eye at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!
Before you continue