A Visitor

It was the dead of night, and the first faint light had begun to appear on the horizon.

The stars twinkled, their last glimmers fading away.

The Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda's great hall was brightly lit. Papers now covered the desk that was usually neat and orderly.

Anyone lucky enough to read them would have discovered they were all discarded drafts concerning the sect's plans.

"Sect Master, it's almost dawn. Would you like to rest for a while?"

Sword Douluo saw the faint light outside the window and spoke softly.

Ever since everyone had dispersed a few hours earlier, Ning Hao had thrown himself into work.

In just half a night, more than a dozen plans had been tossed aside around him for one reason or another.

The speed with which his brush raced across the pages was enough to astonish even Sword Douluo, a Titled Douluo.

"I can keep going. The sect's restructuring should happen sooner rather than later."

"Besides, inspiration is liveliest in the early morning. We have to make the most of it and come up with a suitable plan!"

Ning Hao replied without turning around.

His bloodshot eyes were instead alight with a spark he had never shown before.

"Uncle Sword, you should go back and rest. We still have plenty to do after this."

Seeing that their sect leader had no intention of stopping, Sword Douluo could only retreat into the shadows again.

He watched quietly as Ning Hao's brush danced, murmuring to himself.

An indescribable, inexplicable fervor radiated from him.

As for resting...

Give me a break.

As the only elder who hadn't been assigned a task,

if Wind Douluo found out that he'd left their sect leader behind and gone off to rest alone,

that guy would needle him about it for a whole year!

Besides, as a Super Douluo, his vitality and spirit had long since reached their peak.

Staying up for half a month wouldn't be a problem.

Since the sect leader was willing to work, he'd keep him company.

Ning Hao would naturally stop once he got tired.

Who knew how long passed like that? Before long, the morning light had spread across the sky.

Only after spending half the night writing furiously did Ning Hao finally put down his brush.

He rose to stretch, and Soul Power surged through his body, dispelling most of the fatigue that had built up over the night.

"Uncle Sword, let's go to Heaven Dou City!"

"Whatever it takes, let's make sure every matter related to the sect's 'restructuring' is planned out within half a month."

With that, Ning Hao strode out of the hall. The familiar morning light fell on him, bringing a sense of ease unlike anything he had ever felt before.

"The advantage of place, the support of the people, and the moral high ground are all settled."

"Now we'll see whether you can become the favorable wind of this era..."

Sword Douluo, who had been following close behind, felt a jolt at those words and blurted out,

"Sect Master, do you mean Ning Huan might not be able to follow those seven onto the divine path?"

Ning Hao shook his head, his tone tinged with both reluctance and resignation.

"Godhood is ultimately far too distant for people like us."

"Even Shrek, where the Seven Gods were born, has not produced a new god in ten thousand years."

"How could I possibly imagine that Xiao Huan would become the next one?"

Sword Douluo was thoroughly confused.

If even you don't believe that strange kid can become a god, why go to all the trouble of making such a grand show of reform?

It would take time, effort, and money, and could even earn scorn from the other powers.

As if he had sensed the confusion beside him, Ning Hao once again revealed his usual gentle smile.

"Uncle Sword, you're getting hung up on appearances."

"In truth, I'd been considering reform for a long time. I simply never managed to make up my mind."

"After all, changing is easy; holding on is hard. Without enough strength to keep the sect in check, it could easily be divided up and devoured."

"And Xiao Huan just happens to put those concerns to rest."

"Hiss~"

Only then did Sword Douluo understand. He looked at his sect leader with a strange expression.

People who played at scheming really did have rotten hearts!

So whether Ning Huan became a god or not, the outcome had nothing to do with the sect's continuation!

If he didn't become a god, Ning Hao could use their old friendship to cling to this ultimate powerhouse and bring the sect to heights it had never reached before.

And if he did become a god, even better!

With a god at their backs, they might even become another Shrek.

Their legacy would naturally be safe.

And if Ning Huan met an untimely end, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, with its inner and outer divisions, could still hold its ground and wait for the right moment to reemerge.

The only losses would be those worldly possessions.

With the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's talent for finding treasure, they could earn it all back sooner or later.

All things considered, it was a gamble that could only bring profit, never loss.

That kid Ning Huan had lost, in the end, because he was too young.

"Come on. It's been a long time since we last saw His Majesty the Emperor. We should prepare some gifts if we want to get things done, shouldn't we?"

As his words fell, the phantom of a giant sword appeared beneath Ning Hao's feet, carrying him off into the distance.

With his white robes, he truly looked like a sword immortal descending into the mortal world.

Meanwhile, Ning Huan lay in bed, gazing at the ceiling with dark circles under his eyes and a thoroughly exasperated look.

"I can't believe it. Why did I bring this terrible body-clock habit with me?"

There was nothing he could do. He had once been used to going to bed and getting up early.

Unless something important came up or an emergency occurred, he almost never stayed up late.

That was because he feared his absurd body clock, which had fixed his wake-up time in place.

His body was exhausted, and his eyes burned with pain.

Yet no matter what, he would wake up at seven. Even if he wanted to sleep, he couldn't; he'd be inexplicably full of energy.

Who could put up with that?

"Forget it. I'm getting up!"

After enduring the torment, Ning Huan got dressed.

Then he went to the bookshelf, casually pulled out a biography, and sat down at the table to read.

No one ever minded having more knowledge.

Especially when it was the kind you couldn't buy anywhere in the outside world.

Unfortunately, he hadn't read for long before approaching footsteps broke the courtyard's brief peace.

"Sigh, just my luck..."

Sensing two people sneaking around outside, Ning Huan reluctantly put down the biography, looking quite helpless.

He had expected his solitary life to end someday.

But now that the moment had arrived, it was unexpectedly hard to adjust.

"Still, it's probably for the best. Stay away from people too long and you start to lose your humanity."

With that, Ning Huan stepped forward and opened the door himself.

"Gah! When did you get up?!"

As expected, Wu Feng, the more lively of the two, was nowhere near as dutiful as she would be three years later as his follower.

She was still a perfectly ordinary girl for now.

Though her sexual orientation had probably already begun to twist.

Looking at the two girls' hands clasped tightly together, and the stars in the red-haired girl's eyes,

Ning Huan's expression turned very strange.

If he wasn't mistaken, that old fox Ning Hao had probably been trying to set him up with Ning Tian.

So what was the lesbian Wu Feng doing in the middle of this?

A buy-one-get-one-free deal?

And were the children on Douluo Continent all too precocious?

He could at least be forgiven.

After living a second life, he might not be as naturally clever as those born with minds sharp enough to border on monstrous, but he was definitely more mature than most people his age.

But this little Fire Dragon...

All he could say was, Douluo was just too ridiculous.

Brushing aside his tangled thoughts, Ning Huan put on a calm expression and bowed slightly.

"My greetings, Young Sect Master."

"Ah! There's no need!"

At his words, Ning Tian hurriedly pulled Wu Feng aside and waved both hands repeatedly.

"You're the first disciple chosen by my father. In terms of status, you're no lower than me, so you absolutely mustn't show me such a grand courtesy."

Oh ho, just like her father!

Her way of building connections is exactly the same!

Ning Huan thought to himself.