If he managed to become a god and defeat Tang San, then if he felt guilty afterward, he could transplant some more from elsewhere.
After all, this stuff was quite common in the Divine Realm.
Of course, Qian Yu didn't think he'd feel guilty.
Put simply, leaving them here would just be giving Tang San resources, wouldn't it?
So he dug them up, roots and all.
Once they got back, he'd have Hu Liena and the others act as guinea pigs.
If it really worked, that would be a pleasant surprise.
Then Qian Yu set to work, grunting and straining as he dug up the roots of the Immortal Herbs.
Hu Liena and the others were dumbfounded by the sight.
And he wasn't done yet.
Qian Yu also collected a great deal of soil from the area, along with water from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Though the stuff was incredibly domineering, there were containers capable of holding it.
If his Storage Soul Tool hadn't been completely full, Qian Yu would have dug up the very ground beneath them.
"Retreat!"
Once they were sure nothing had been left behind, Qian Yu and the others quickly departed.
They returned to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, the newly built campus of Shrek Academy had officially been completed, drawing crowds from all the various powers.
This was the academy that had once produced a god.
The various powers not only sent congratulatory gifts, but also sent their children to Shrek Academy in droves.
Whether they learned anything wasn't important. What mattered was using this platform to build connections with a wider circle.
"Sect Master Ning, you've arrived. Welcome, welcome..."
"Clan Leader Bai, please come in!"
"Your Majesty, I never expected you to attend in person!"
"..."
Flender stood outside the school gates, welcoming one guest after another.
These days, he was radiant with success, brimming with pride.
He had once detested dealing with nobles, but now he moved among their circles like a fish in water.
It was hard to tell whether he had betrayed his original principles, or whether he had simply grown accustomed to his place in the social hierarchy now that he was a noble himself.
Ning Fengzhi, formerly the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, had lost all his former splendor. His hair was now completely white, and he looked so weathered and weary.
He had taken a huge gamble, and in a sense, he had won.
His sect had produced an heir to a god!
And yet it felt as though he had gained nothing at all.
Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone had passed away, and most of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's disciples had been lost. Only a few had survived.
Not only that, but the wealth the sect had accumulated over nearly ten thousand years had vanished completely.
It was true that Spirit Hall had seized the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth, but what had happened to Spirit Hall's wealth?
Hadn't it all ended up in the hands of the Clear Sky Sect and the two empires?
When the spoils were divided, he was the only support-type Soul Master sitting at the table. What could he possibly have reclaimed?
All that remained was an empty shell of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He had approached Oscar, hoping he would leave a child with Rongrong in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
As a clever man, Oscar naturally didn't refuse.
But Rongrong wouldn't agree.
Worse, just when Ning Fengzhi needed her support most, she had gone off to Sea God Island to become its high priestess.
Though Oscar usually did whatever she asked, he listened to Rongrong more often than not.
Ning Fengzhi's heart was bitter and aching.
He had come here mostly to see whether there were any promising children left whom he could bring back to the sect and cultivate with all his might.
Though the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now in dire straits, the nature of his Martial Soul meant that he was never short of money.
Ning Fengzhi rallied his spirits, determined to rebuild the sect's fortunes.
But finding someone capable of becoming a Titled Douluo was no easy task.
After looking around for a long time, Ning Fengzhi still hadn't found anyone who fit the bill.
Just as he was about to pick up his teacup for a drink, he noticed a slip of paper had somehow appeared on the table.
Ning Fengzhi instinctively tensed.
Back when Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone were still alive, he had never worried about his safety. He'd developed a bad habit and hadn't even noticed anyone approaching him.
Ning Fengzhi warned himself to stay vigilant from now on.
After all, he no longer had a Titled Douluo to protect him.
He hesitated, then opened the note.
"Teacher, I hope these words find you well. Please forgive my presumption..."
The instant Ning Fengzhi saw the opening words, his hand gave a violent tremor.
Only one person had ever called him teacher.
The former crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe—or, more accurately, Qian Renxue.
"It's true that I deceived you back then, but you truly taught me so much. In Xue'er's heart, you will always be my teacher. I know how much harm Spirit Hall inflicted on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Though it was caused by infighting within Spirit Hall, the one who did those things was, after all, my mother. Xue'er has no right to ask you to forgive anyone, nor any right to call herself your disciple. In the end, I failed to protect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..."
"All the blame lies with me. But those children from Spirit Hall, those ordinary stewards—they never took part in the war. Yet simply because they bore Spirit Hall's name, they became parentless orphans, left to wander the streets, shunned by others, unable to eat their fill, and made to suffer for old grudges... I once hoped to become the Angel God and protect the people. Now I can't even protect these children. After much thought, you are the only person on the entire Douluo Continent I can entrust them to."
"The descendants of the Worship Hall lineage of the two Titled Douluo, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, inherited the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul. The Coiling Dragon Staff is a top-tier weapon Martial Soul, even without a contract with a Break Evil Dragon. If a descendant can inherit the Martial Soul and form a contract with a Break Evil Dragon, it will become a supreme weapon Martial Soul capable of crushing the Clear Sky Hammer in every respect. The Flame Lions have many descendants and likewise possess top-tier Beast Martial Souls. And the Golden Crocodiles..."
"Teacher, I know what you're capable of. If you wish, you can surely win these children over completely and make them the guardians of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for all time. Whether you enslave them, assimilate them, or use them, I have no objections. I only hope you'll shelter them a little, enough to ensure they can eat their fill..."
The letter was only a few hundred words long, but every word rang with sincerity.
In short, Qian Renxue hoped Ning Fengzhi would step in and protect the descendants of the Worship Hall. Their Martial Souls were all exceptional and could be passed down reliably.
After finishing the letter, Ning Fengzhi looked again at the spot where the note had been placed. Beside it lay an identification token, the very one that had once belonged to Spirit Hall's young mistress.
Ning Fengzhi admitted that he was tempted.
The Flame Lion King, the Coiling Dragon Staff, the Golden Crocodiles... all of them were top-tier Martial Souls.
If he could truly bring them into the fold and earn their loyalty, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could surely rise again in the next century.
As for whether recruiting and sheltering them might bring trouble, Ning Fengzhi truly had no need to worry about that.
Setting everything else aside, when the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fought the Spirit Hall Empire, which power besides the Clear Sky Sect had contributed as much as they had?
What was wrong with taking in some former members of Spirit Hall?
Before you continue