The Reason

"Ever since I inherited the will of my predecessors and assumed the position of Sect Master, I have not rested for a single moment."

"Heaven rewards the diligent, and with the knowledge I have accumulated over the years and the help of the three Venerables, I succeeded."

"The overall strength of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect reached its peak in four thousand years under my leadership."

As he spoke, the corners of Ning Hao's mouth curled into a slightly smug arc.

Clearly, he was very satisfied with his own abilities and achievements.

But the smile was fleeting.

The gloom that replaced it was so obvious that even Ning Huan could easily tell that the life of such pride and satisfaction had likely not ended well.

Sure enough, the words that followed answered all his doubts.

"Since the sect's strength had reached its peak, I had to expand outward to go further, and that is exactly what I did."

"Territory, industries, disciples..."

"Any resource worth being absorbed by the sect was quickly acquired through planning and force."

"The cost was a significant reduction in the ordinary forces surrounding the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect."

"In the end... it caught the attention of Shrek Academy."

As his voice fell, the expressions of Wind Douluo and the other two darkened abruptly, and the temperature in the room plummeted.

With such a sudden shift in atmosphere, there was no need to continue.

Ning Huan and Ning Tian both knew that these three must have suffered a setback at the hands of Shrek.

When Ning Hao noticed the knowing expressions on his younger generation and daughter, a rare trace of helplessness flashed across his face.

When the younger generation is too smart, it sometimes makes it difficult for them, the adults, to save face.

"Sigh, it seems you have guessed the ending."

"At that time, because I was young and arrogant, not knowing how to restrain myself, I eventually provoked Shrek... to intervene."

"And the method they used was very simple..."

"Subduing people with force?"

Ning Huan's sudden interjection left Ning Hao speechless.

Yet, it effectively eased the increasingly stifling atmosphere in the room.

At the very least, Wind Douluo and the others snapped out of it and withdrew the aura they had been inadvertently radiating.

They wanted to laugh, yet felt somewhat aggrieved.

"Cough, cough, Xiao Huan's choice of words... is certainly concise."

Ning Hao searched his mind but could not find a rebuttal, so he finally cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness.

"The sect had reached an unprecedented state of prosperity at that time."

"I considered myself only a hair's breadth away from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect led by our ancestor Feng Zhi."

"As a result, Shrek sent only one person to 'advise' us, and all our years of hard work went down the drain."

"First, he defeated Uncle Sword and the others with a single punch, and in his words, he subtly forced me to give up seventy percent of the gains I had just acquired."

"Then, like a hooligan, he lingered in the sect, eating and drinking everything in sight, showing not a shred of the demeanor of a powerhouse."

"Even now, when I recall what happened back then, there is still a stifled anger in my chest..."

With that, the dining hall fell into a silence so profound that a pin drop could be heard.

Looking at the indignant expressions of Ning Hao and the others, Ning Huan finally truly understood this unrecorded past.

No wonder he had always felt the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was strange.

It was a massive sect with outstanding leadership and two Super Douluo-level powerhouses.

Moreover, within the borders of Tianhun, apart from the royal family and the Body Sect, there was basically no other force that could compete with them alone.

Why were they content to stay in one corner?

The reason was right here!

However, there was still one point of doubt he hadn't figured out.

Annexation between forces was perfectly normal on the continent.

Even if the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had gone a bit too far at the time, it definitely shouldn't have been enough to make Shrek go to such lengths.

They had actually sent out Xuan Zi, the only 98th-rank Super Douluo in the entire Sea God Pavilion!

And his attitude had been extremely atrocious!

Not only did he show up to beat down their top combatants, but he also ate through the sect's food budget...

Oh, the latter sounded like something Xuan Zi would do.

Not surprising~

But even so, Shrek shouldn't have been that overbearing!

Thinking of this, Ning Huan hurriedly looked up at Ning Hao.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, he saw the latter shake his head bitterly without saying a word.

Then, he pointed his right finger at himself and gestured three times toward the sky.

At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Ning Huan finally understood the reason completely.

The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect and Shrek Academy shared a common trait!

Setting everything else aside, as factions that had both produced gods, both were symbols in their own right.

Even if their strength differed vastly, certain aspects would inevitably lead those with ulterior motives to overthink.

Take, for example, those old fogies in the Sea God Pavilion who treated honor as their life.

Putting himself in their shoes, if a distant relative faction suddenly produced a brilliant and capable leader, Ning Huan figured he would also take action to suppress them.

Not for any other reason, but simply to prevent them from carving up the benefits they enjoyed exclusively.

It was, after all, human nature.

It really is a case of fearing your brother is struggling, yet fearing he'll drive a Range Rover...

Ning Huan smacked his lips, thinking to himself.

In an instant, as if suddenly thinking of something, he subconsciously shifted his gaze to Ning Tian.

His burning stare made the young girl wonder if something was wrong with her makeup, leaving her feeling uneasy in her seat.

No wonder...

People who play politics have dirty hearts.

When he had read the original work, Ning Huan had found it somewhat strange.

As the designated heir to the Nine Treasures, why would Ning Tian go to Shrek Academy to study, eventually even becoming a member of the Inner Court?

She wasn't like the two from the White Tiger family who needed to fight for a title.

If the resources of an entire sect were concentrated on cultivating one person, combined with the ten thousand years of accumulation regarding the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda.

Comparing the two, staying in the sect to cultivate was clearly more reliable.

A twelve-year-old Soul Elder was the best proof of that.

At the time, the book stated it was to recruit geniuses, but thinking about it now, that was only one reason.

The more important aspect was using Ning Tian as a "letter of introduction" to trade for opportunities for the sect's further development.

On the other hand, seeing Ning Huan's actions, Ning Hao's previously gloomy face finally showed a hint of relief.

"It seems you have already guessed my previous plan."

"Previous?"

Ning Huan had a question mark over his head.

"Of course. If not for the pressure of the situation, who would be willing to wrong their own daughter?"

"So, because of this junior, you have more options, Uncle Ning?"

"Hmm. As a father, I should thank you for your help."

"Then this junior feels a bit ashamed; I suppose I stumbled into the right answer."

The conversation between the "convenient" uncle and nephew left the others feeling confused.

Especially Ning Tian.

As the person involved, she knew it concerned her, but due to her youth, she couldn't grasp the essence of it.

Only Wind Douluo, whose mind was the most active, understood the gist of it, and he remained silent.

There was no reason not to; judging by their tone, the so-called plan had likely died in the cradle.

There was no need to invite trouble for himself.

Meanwhile, the conversation between the two continued.

"However, there is still a problem before us that needs to be handled."

"This junior is all ears."

Ning Huan naturally knew where the problem Ning Hao spoke of lay.

After all, drawing everyone's attention was something he had done intentionally.

It was a gamble he had set for himself.

If he won, it would be equivalent to indirectly forcing Ning Hao to make up his mind and walk the same path with him to the end.

If he lost, it would mean nothing more than secretly fleeing the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect and spending a period of time living rough on the continent.

But looking at it now, he had won the bet.