Ning Fengzhi's Decision

Thinking of that bright future, Xue Hen's mood could not help but grow increasingly radiant. He stepped over to a mirror on the side, looking at the other face reflected within.

Short black hair, handsome features, and a tear mole at the corner of his right eye.

This was exactly the appearance of Yuan Qi on the Sky Screen.

In Douluo I, after becoming a god, Qian Renxue could only mobilize a portion of the Sun Martial Soul's power to counter Tang San's Vast Sea Power. The book explicitly stated that the power of the sun should be above the ocean, but the Angel God was, after all, not the Sun God. So, if there truly were a Sun God, then mobilizing the full power of the sun should be no problem, right? Xue Hen raised his right hand, a dazzling golden light blooming in his palm, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he thought to himself.

"BOOM!" Immediately, he swung this mass of light out. The golden radiance, like a bolt of silk, pierced through the window and struck a large tree about two hundred meters outside the inn. In a single instant, the tree, which would have required three grown men to encircle, was blasted into splinters, sparks raining down upon the ground.

This sudden explosion terrified many people in the vicinity.

One or two soul masters with decent perception noticed the direction from which the attack on the tree had originated. They looked toward the second floor of the inn, brows furrowed in thought for a moment, before all shaking their heads and doing nothing.

For one, meddling in other people's business was not a good habit.

For another, this power, this speed... the soul power of the person who struck was likely above level seventy; they were no match for him.

Xue Hen ended the fusion with the character 'Yuan Qi' and returned to his original appearance. He walked to the window, looked at the sparks and tree splinters scattered on the ground outside, and nodded slightly.

It didn't even count as a soul skill; merely driving his soul power to stimulate the natural attributes of his martial soul resulted in such power with a casual strike. This Sun Martial Soul truly possessed remarkable destructive force!

Come to think of it, the Sun Martial Soul also appeared in the Douluo II novel, belonging to the Sun Moon Empire princess Xu Tianzhen. At that time, although the soul master world's evaluation of the Sun Martial Soul was very high—a top-tier fire-attribute martial soul possessing the Ultimate Fire attribute—it had not displayed such terrifying power in her hands.

There are no useless martial souls, only useless people. This saying... if applied to soul masters who possess top-tier martial souls but have mediocre strength, it seems to hold some truth. Xue Hen rubbed his chin, muttering to himself.

After watching for a while longer, waiting until the remains of the tree were completely burned away and the flames had vanished, Xue Hen turned and walked out of the guest room.

The moment he stepped past the door, he took a silver mask from his storage necklace, put it on his face, and then walked down the stairs to the first floor of the inn.

"Checking out." Xue Hen handed his room plate to the innkeeper at the counter.

The innkeeper took the room plate, searched through the registry, tallied the time, and settled the bill for Xue Hen.

Leaving the inn and standing on the dirt road on the outskirts of the city, Xue Hen clearly felt several gazes land upon him.

He paid them no mind, identified his direction, and began walking toward Heaven Dou City.

Half a day later, having not specifically rushed and simply walking at a leisurely pace, he arrived before the gates of Heaven Dou City. He looked up at the ancient city gate plaque, then followed the other passersby into the city.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, having traveled at full speed, finally returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect from the Balaque Kingdom.

At this moment, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was under a full-sect lockdown. The return of Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin allowed them to heave a heavy sigh of relief.

"Uncle Gu, how are you?"

"Old Bone, are you alright?"

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin approached Gu Rong's room with worried expressions to check on him.

"Cough, cough~" Lying on the bed, Gu Rong sat up. After coughing a few times and catching his breath, he leaned against the headboard and looked at the two who had finally returned. "I'm fine, I won't die."

"Uncle Gu, what are you saying? Anyone in this world can die, but you and Uncle Sword absolutely cannot!" Ning Fengzhi said to Gu Rong with a stern expression.

"Heh, I was just joking," Gu Rong said with an ugly smile.

"Old Bone, is that Xue Hen really that strong? Twelve soul emperors who activated the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda couldn't stop his attack even with their buffs?" Chen Xin could see that although his old friend's injuries were not light, they were not fatal and would only require a period of recuperation to heal. He felt a sense of relief, then asked with a frown.

Although the Sky Screen had previously broadcasted the scene of Xue Hen instantly killing the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Life Giant Whale, Gu Rong was the world's number one defense Super Douluo, and he had the buffs of twelve soul emperors with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul. Logically, he shouldn't have been defeated so easily.

Even if it were Qian Daoliu... he would have needed a dozen moves, right?

This was what Sword Douluo, who only knew a few things from his father but lacked the full picture, thought.

"Sigh! Strong, too strong. He is completely different from any enemy I have encountered in the past. Although we didn't truly fight to the death, I can feel that if it were a life-or-death battle, it wouldn't be much harder for him to kill me than it was to kill that Life Giant Whale. Even with the twelve Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect deacons buffing me, it would be useless." Gu Rong shook his head and sighed.

Hearing this answer, Chen Xin's expression became very grave. "In that case, even with Fengzhi and me back, the three of us joining forces to deal with him likely wouldn't have much chance of winning."

Ning Fengzhi's expression was the most serious. He furrowed his brows tightly and suddenly spoke: "Abandon Ning Pianpian!"

"What?" Gu Rong and Chen Xin were stunned, both looking at him. They were discussing how to deal with Xue Hen and resist his potential second attack; why would he suddenly say that?

"Before, I wanted to strive for a bit more. After all, that child Xue Tian carries the bloodline of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and is indeed deeply favored by Kundera. If he could sit on the throne of the Balaque Kingdom as heir or even king, it would be of great benefit to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Plus, because of the Sky Screen, everyone knows that Ning Pianpian is a disciple of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and has a grudge against Xue Hen. If we did nothing, not only would we be ridiculed, but the hearts of those within the sect would also scatter! However..."

Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes powerlessly, and after a moment of silence, he opened them again, his gaze becoming a bit sharper. "Reality is too cruel. That Xue Hen's strength is too great. Furthermore, when Uncle Sword and I went to the Balaque Kingdom, we discovered that Qinghe had also gone there. It must have been Emperor Xue Ye who ordered him to recruit Xue Hen. Emperor Xue Ye will no longer agree to appoint Xue Tian as heir like on the Sky Screen, and Kundera would not dare to do so either. Ning Pianpian and her son... no longer have any value to the sect."

"But if we just hand them over like that, what about the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?" Gu Rong asked, somewhat agitated.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the second-largest sect in the world. Although the few of them couldn't beat Xue Hen, the overall strength of the sect was definitely not something a single Super Douluo could shake. If they surrendered like this, how could they still call themselves the second-best on the continent in the future?

Moreover, the other disciples in the sect might have their own thoughts.

"We just won't hand them over openly. Uncle Gu's previous actions have already shown that our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect does not fear Xue Hen, and the disciples in the sect all know that even when threatened by a powerful enemy, we will do our utmost to protect our own. From here on, as long as we hand them over in secret, no one will be able to mock our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the slightest!"