Obstruction [Seeking Follow-up Reads]

Mu En lifted his palm slightly, and the floating soul bone transformed into a streak of light, quietly vanishing into his storage soul tool.

Following this, he flipped his wrist, and an immortal herb, golden throughout with petals as translucent as glazed glass, appeared before everyone's eyes.

Aromatic Silk Beauty!

Ning Yunche's breath hitched abruptly, and he reached out with slightly trembling hands, carefully receiving the immortal herb.

His fingertips were even somewhat cold, as if he were not holding a plant, but the entire future of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

A ten-thousand-year-old wish, finally fulfilled today!

"Uncle Long," Ning Yunche took a deep breath, "go and invite Tian'er and all the elders to the main assembly hall."

Wu Long was startled, his gaze falling upon the immortal herb as he hesitated, "Sect Master, will you not consume it yourself?"

"I am nearly sixty; even if my martial soul evolves, it will be difficult for me to break through to the Title Douluo realm in this lifetime."

Ning Yunche shook his head, a flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes.

"But Tian'er is different. She is only seven years old and possesses innate full soul power; her talent is exceptional."

"If she can obtain this immortal herb, she will surely reach the nine-ring realm in the future and lead the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect back to its peak!"

Wu Long fell silent for a moment before finally nodding.

He was not opposed to it; he was simply moved by the sentiment.

He had watched that girl, Ning Tian, grow up since she was small, and her talent was indeed astonishing.

Coupled with the fact that his own granddaughter, Wu Feng, was inseparable from her, he naturally hoped for a better future for Ning Tian as well.

"I will go at once." Wu Long turned and left.

After he departed, Ning Yunche turned to Mu En and bowed deeply, "Your Excellency, I intend to have my daughter consume this immortal herb."

"She will certainly go to Shrek Academy for her studies in the future, and I hope you will provide her with some guidance."

Mu En nodded slightly, his gaze gentle, "If her talent is sufficient, Shrek will naturally spare no effort in cultivating her."

A flash of gratitude crossed Ning Yunche's eyes, and he then said solemnly, "Please accompany me to the main hall, Your Excellency, to witness the birth of the second Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master in our sect's ten-thousand-year history!"

When the group arrived at the main hall, dozens of people had already gathered there.

Aside from a little girl who looked to be six or seven years old, the others appeared to be at least forty or fifty, with no shortage of white-haired elders among them.

These people were the majority of the current elders of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, seven-ring Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda soul masters, and battle soul masters above the Soul Douluo level recruited by the sect.

They wore solemn expressions, their burning gazes fixed on the center of the hall as if waiting for a miracle to descend.

"Tian'er, come here." Ning Yunche beckoned and called out softly.

Ning Tian stepped forward obediently.

Though young, her demeanor was steady, and her clear eyes held a wisdom far beyond her peers.

"This is the Aromatic Silk Beauty." Ning Yunche handed the immortal herb to her, his expression incomparably grave.

"Remember, do not swallow it directly. You must gently inhale the essence from the flower's stamen, guide it into your body, and then circulate your soul power to let the medicinal properties flow through your entire body."

Ning Tian took the immortal herb, a flash of excitement crossing her eyes.

As the direct descendant of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, she naturally understood what this immortal herb signified.

She took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to slowly absorb the herb's medicinal power according to her father's instructions.

"Absorbing the immortal herb will take at least several hours," Ning Yunche said, turning to look at Xia Ming and the others.

"I have arranged guest rooms; if you all wish, you may go and rest first."

Mu En and Zhang Lexuan both shook their heads and declined his offer, but only Xia Ming accepted, choosing to head to the guest rooms first.

Having absorbed the medicinal power of an immortal herb himself, he naturally knew how long it would take.

It was impossible to fully absorb it in less than three or four hours, and he clearly did not wish to spend that much time in this hall.

In Xia Ming's view, it would be better to spend those three hours cultivating himself and return when the time was nearly up.

Ning Yunche nodded in agreement, and after watching Xia Ming depart, his gaze returned to his daughter, filled with anticipation.

As for the other elders, they naturally could not leave halfway through at such a moment.

This was a wish spanning ten thousand years!

They all stood there, faces filled with excitement, waiting for the final moment to arrive.

However, the departing Xia Ming did not manage to reach the guest rooms immediately.

He had not gone far from the main hall when a fiery red figure suddenly darted out from behind a pillar, blocking his path.

It was a girl who looked to be seven or eight years old, her red hair as flamboyant as a raging flame, her eyes filled with undisguised provocation.

She stood with her hands on her hips, chin tilted upward, her voice crisp yet aggressive:

"Are you the genius from Shrek Academy that my grandfather mentioned?"

Xia Ming nodded slightly, revealing a faint smile, "If nothing goes wrong, that should be me."

"Who are you...?"

"My name is Wu Feng, remember that name!"

The girl raised a hand to point at him, her tone bordering on a warning.

"Stay away from the Young Master from now on!"

The next moment, she activated her Martial Soul Possession.

A thick, intense heat surged from her body, accompanied by the faint sound of a dragon's roar.

A pale red luster rippled across her skin, and starting from the left side of her face, fine dragon scales began to cover her, extending down her neck, across her shoulder, and all the way down her left arm to her hand.

"I'm the same age as you, so don't say I'm bullying you!"

She gave a sharp shout, and a yellow spirit ring lit up beneath her feet.

First Spirit Skill, Dragon Fire!

A dense layer of red flames erupted from her body, swirling within a foot of her frame; from this point on, every strike she landed would carry the high temperature of this Dragon Fire.

Immediately after, Wu Feng charged toward Xia Ming!

Her small face was full of confidence; as the possessor of the top-tier beast soul Red Dragon and possessing a powerful innate talent of level eight, she was formidable.

Few of her peers could ever be her match.

At the very least, among the current generation of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, she was the strongest.

However, facing her aggressive and seemingly inevitable strike, Xia Ming let out a scoff, shook his head, and without even releasing his own Martial Soul, he simply reached out a hand and caught her fist.

"How is this possible?" Wu Feng's pupils constricted; the force of her full-speed charge had vanished as if it had sunk into the sea.

She gritted her teeth and retreated, her dragon scales trembling slightly as a hint of gravity finally surfaced in her eyes.

Though she was hot-tempered, she was no fool.

The gap between herself and the person before her was clear enough from that single, simple exchange.

Yet, Wu Feng recalled her grandfather's recent visit and the meaning he had expressed, both overtly and covertly.

He wanted the Young Master to befriend this person as much as possible.

And this was a boy!

At the thought of this, Wu Feng's expression darkened.

She had to win! Otherwise, the Young Master would be snatched away by him.

Stubborn flames reignited in her eyes.

Gritting her teeth, she unleashed her spirit power once more, the dragon flames surged, and she threw herself back into the fray!

But she only saw the other party shake his head slightly.

In the next instant, Wu Feng saw Xia Ming's figure flicker and vanish from where he stood, only to reappear right in front of her.

"BOOM--!"

A heavy, powerful punch landed on her body.

Wu Feng was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

The dragon flames dissipated completely, the scales rapidly receded, and she curled up, unable to stand for a moment.

Wu Long, who had arrived after hearing the commotion, witnessed exactly this scene.

He appeared before the two of them, his brows locked in a frown as he asked Wu Feng, "What is going on?"

Wu Feng kept her head low, biting her lip in silence.

Wu Long's heart sank; he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

Turning to Xia Ming, he spoke with a pleasant expression:

"May I ask what exactly happened here?"

Xia Ming then told Wu Long everything that had just occurred, including the other party's unprovoked provocation, exactly as it happened.

The more he heard, the deeper Wu Long's frown became.

Once Xia Ming finished, he took a deep breath and bowed solemnly:

"It is my failure to discipline her properly. Rest assured, young friend, I will certainly punish her severely and provide Shrek with an explanation."

He then turned his gaze toward his granddaughter: "Come with me. You were far too presumptuous today!"

Hearing the anger in her grandfather's tone, Wu Feng shuddered and dared not say a word.

Her body had recovered somewhat; Xia Ming had held back, otherwise, she would never have had the chance to stand up again.

Trembling, she rose to her feet and followed her grandfather away from the scene.

Before leaving, she glanced back at Xia Ming, her eyes complex.

There was defiance, fear, and a hidden, indescribable emotion buried deep within.