Mountain-Prop Douluo

A series of reforms had benefited disciples from every class, giving everyone a chance to rise.

Now, there were truly very few people in the sect who opposed Ning Que as the heir to the sect master position.

"Sixth Uncle, you've worked hard guarding the mountain gate."

Ning Que smiled as he greeted the elders and disciples guarding the entrance.

"What happened?"

This elder was a direct descendant of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect and had watched Ning Que grow up. Seeing his expression, he knew something must have happened.

"Someone thinks that after remaining hidden for so many years, our Nine Treasures Glazed Sect can no longer lift a blade."

Ning Que's tone was utterly calm, but his words instantly stirred the anger of everyone present.

"Young Master, who would dare say such a thing?"

"Do they really think we're easy to bully?!"

"Get them!"

Everyone was fired up.

They had truly been driven mad by the Soul Tool courses the sect had promoted over the past few years. They all wanted an opportunity to vent the frustration and anger in their hearts.

"Sixth Uncle, go notify my father first. I'll pay a visit to Elder Qingshan."

Ning Que did not soothe the disciples. Instead, he let them remain angry and let their rage continue to burn.

This would be the finest fuel for driving the sect toward greater strength.

"Alright!"

Hearing that even that person was to be disturbed, Sixth Uncle knew this matter was far from simple.

Afterward, Ning Que climbed the mountain alone, heading for the summit to visit the pillar that steadied the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.

Mountain-Prop Douluo, Shi Jian!

He was already one hundred and fifty years old.

His martial soul was the Eternal Black Rock Shield, and he was a level 98 Super Douluo.

It was said that he came from the Rock Armor Clan in the south of the Douluo Continent, a clan famed for defensive martial souls. The clan's experts could use their physical bodies to withstand attacks from Power Attack System Soul Masters of the same realm.

In his youth, he had even been known as the clan's number-one genius. Yet because of internal strife within the clan, he left his family to travel the continent. There, he met the previous previous sect master, who invited him into the sect and devoted great effort to nurturing him.

He had once shielded the sect, raising a thousand-zhang rock shield by himself and forcibly blocking the self-destruction of more than a dozen Evil Soul Masters. He protected over a hundred sect disciples and bought the sect a chance to recover and grow.

It was also because of that battle that his foundation was damaged, leaving him stalled at level 97 for many years.

Two years ago, Ning Que and Ye Guyi used the power of the Gold of Life to help him recover his lost foundation and vitality. Only then did he break through the shackles and enter level 98 in one stroke.

With the powerful spiritual power of a Title Douluo, he was now at the peak of level 8 as a Soul Engineer. Given the sect some more time to find additional Soul Tool blueprints, he could become a level 9 Soul Engineer.

Not only that, Ning Que had also asked him to try studying the forging methods of ten thousand years in the future.

Given the characteristics of his martial soul, no one was more suited to it.

He had now reached the realm of Spirit Forging.

With his Spirit Forging and his foundation in peak level 8 Soul Tools, Elder Qingshan could already forge creations comparable to level 9 Soul Tools. However, he was too stubborn, insisting on truly reaching the realm of a level 9 Soul Engineer before attempting to incorporate forging into them.

He wanted to use this to create the level 10 Soul Tool Ning Que had spoken of.

But Ning Que knew it would not be so simple.

With Elder Qingshan's strength, mastering Soul Forging, the next step beyond Spirit Forging, would not be difficult. The difficult part was Heaven Forging.

Or rather, in this era, it was impossible to create Heaven Forging at all.

The reason was simple: Tang Hao was not yet the Plane Master of the Douluo Continent.

Ten thousand years later, the reason forging techniques had risen so dramatically was related to the Plane Consciousness.

On one hand, Tang Hao wanted to elevate the status of blacksmiths. On the other, he wanted to keep Douluo Planet from losing to the Abyss, so he altered the mechanism of Heaven Forging and gave Douluo Planet the possibility of Four-Character Battle Armor.

Yet he also feared that too many divine craftsmen would cause Four-Character Battle Armor to become widespread, perhaps even leading to the emergence of Five-Character and Six-Character Battle Armor. This would allow Douluo Planet's quasi-gods to unleash god-level power and frighten away the Abyssal Plane, so he deliberately established that there could be one—and only one—divine craftsman.

Judging from this matter alone, he, the Plane Master, seemed rather decent. Though he had selfish motives, he was ultimately acting for Douluo Planet's sake. The problem was, how had the Abyssal Plane come to be?

And who had created the source of the war?

"Xiao Que, what trouble have you run into this time?"

Seeing Ning Que approach, Mountain-Prop Douluo Shi Jian put down what he was doing and walked over with a kindly smile.

True to his title, Mountain-Prop Douluo possessed an enormous body, standing a full three meters tall. He was broad and powerfully built. Though his hair was white, he radiated tremendous vigor.

Simply standing there gave off a heavy sense of pressure, as though he could lift mountains with one hand.

"Elder Shi, I need to trouble you to step forward over something..."

Ning Que then explained to Shi Jian what had happened to his younger sister.

"Based on what you've said, even if Shrek was negligent in this matter, it cannot truly be pinned on them. If I go, we won't gain any advantage."

"So, have you arranged something else, you little rascal?"

Shi Jian immediately saw through Ning Que's other objective.

It was likely for that gemstone-type torso soul bone.

Naturally, he supported whatever Ning Que wanted to do. He also wanted to see whether the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda could truly evolve.

After all, although he had only entered level 98 less than two years ago, with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's support, he was fully confident he could face any opponent below level 99.

If a Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda truly appeared, and he developed level 9 Soul Tools as well, he was confident he could contend against a Limit Douluo.

He might even advance his own Soul Power further to level 99, forge level 10 Soul Tools, and with the support of the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda, dare to try his hand even against a god.

But that reason alone would never be enough to obtain what they wanted from Shrek Academy.

"Elder Shi, inviting you down the mountain this time is only meant as a show of force. Otherwise, Shrek Academy might truly think we're easy to bully."

As he spoke, Ning Que recalled the assignment Yan Shaozhe had arranged for them.

Old schemers understood old schemers best. He did not believe that their trip to the Dou Ling Empire had been a misunderstanding.

"As for the reason, I believe they'll soon deliver it into our hands themselves."

Ning Que's words were filled with certainty.

The reason he had not immediately gone to Shrek City was that he was waiting—waiting for those people from Shrek Academy to do something irrational.

Based on his understanding, those people from Shrek would absolutely do so.

"Fine. If things truly unfold as you say, I'll accompany you on this trip."

Shi Jian agreed without a second thought.

In the past, he had always enjoyed playing with the children below the mountain gate.

It could be said that both the current generation and the previous generation of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had grown up playing and roughhousing by his side.

At that time, unable to make further progress in his cultivation, he had only wanted to protect those children well.

But now, not only had his cultivation advanced further, he had also seen a more distant path.

Becoming a god was impossible in this lifetime, but if everything they planned succeeded, he truly wanted to test himself against one.

With ambition and a goal, he had devoted his entire heart and soul to it over these past years.

Having gained Elder Shi's support, Ning Que went to the mountainside to discuss the next steps with his father and the others.

At the same time, over at Shrek Academy, just as he had predicted, they began making outrageous moves.