The Dumbfounded Trio

Qian Qizhou raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of electricity, but it only struck the afterimage the Lightning Marten had left behind.

After repeating this several times without even grazing a single tuft of the Lightning Marten's fur, he had instead scorched the surrounding ground to a charred black.

The man and the marten fell into a clumsy game of cat and mouse, wasting their energy to no avail.

Because the power left behind by Ei had been exhausted, he had no way to directly suppress this soul beast.

Seeing his repeated attacks miss, Qian Qizhou's last shred of patience was worn thin.

He slowly flew into mid-air, the flames around his body surging out like a tsunami, transforming into a sky-burning curtain of fire that pressed down toward the ground.

"Boom!"

As the lightning met the flames, a series of explosions erupted, and the scorching heat wave swallowed everything in the surrounding vegetation.

The Lightning Marten ultimately had nowhere to hide; with a mournful cry, it was sent flying by the violent shockwave.

Qian Qizhou's gaze turned cold. His figure flickered, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he gave chase.

He raised his hand, a fiercely burning fireball already taking shape, and smashed it ruthlessly toward the silver figure still suspended in the air!

Qian Qizhou slowly landed back on the ground, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and let out a long breath.

He looked at the motionless Lightning Marten on the ground and the purple soul ring slowly emerging from it, unable to help but sigh in a low voice, "That was truly a difficult one."

Just then, Guang Ling's figure landed at his side.

Confirming that Qian Qizhou was uninjured, he nodded slightly and said, "It's fine; just consider it a way to gain combat experience."

He glanced at the purple soul ring and spoke with slight hesitation, "Go ahead and absorb the soul ring. Don't be afraid; if anything happens during the process, I will intervene."

Although it was a thousand-year soul ring, Xiao Zhou had innate soul power at level 20, and with the series of anomalies in his body, it should be fine, right...

"Remember what I taught you: calm your breath, focus your mind, and slowly guide the soul ring onto your martial soul."

Qian Qizhou gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, then sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

As his breathing deepened and his focus centered, the crown atop his head began to emit ripples of energy.

The three-colored light symbolizing his own elements emerged from his body, swirling and flowing like ribbons of silk, reflecting against his focused profile.

The purple soul ring hovering above the Lightning Marten's body was also drawn in, slowly rising into the air and drifting toward Qian Qizhou.

Seeing that he had entered the state and that his soul power had stabilized, a flash of approval crossed Guang Ling's eyes.

He tapped his toes lightly and sat on a thick, horizontal tree branch, his legs dangling and swaying gently in the air.

"I wonder how long it will take for Xiao Zhou to absorb this soul ring. I hope everything goes smoothly."

At this moment, in front of the magnificent gates of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, everyone gathered there—led by Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong—wore expressions of utter shock and disbelief.

What had caused them to lose their composure was not an invasion by an enemy, but the figure standing in the center of the plaza: Ei.

She was currently carrying out a massive renovation of the entire Seven Treasures Glazed Sect.

On the surface, the pavilions, towers, mountains, and streams of the sect seemed unchanged, with sunlight still spilling onto the glazed tiles and refracting brilliant colors.

However, every soul master, especially those of high rank, could clearly feel the anomaly coming from the ground beneath their feet.

Among them, Gu Rong's expression was the most solemn, even carrying a hint of undisguised horror.

He had secretly tried to mobilize his soul power several times, wanting to tear through space and perform a short-distance teleportation as he usually did.

But each time, it was as if he had collided with an invisible yet absolutely impassable barrier.

It wasn't that his ability had failed; it was that this space had been seized by someone else.

The original void had been completely sealed and severed by a more noble and overbearing power.

In other words, as long as he was within the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, he would never be able to teleport through space again.

"Is... this the method Qian Qizhou spoke of?" The composure rarely left Ning Fengzhi's gentle face.

He felt the vast, unfathomable power fluctuations beneath the sect and fell into deep thought.

What else could he say? Regret? That powerful woman over there would likely cleave him in two with a single strike.

Chen Xin also said solemnly, "Such a powerful person, and she can even manipulate space... I have never heard of such a thing."

That aura—if he were to face it, he feared he wouldn't even be able to withstand a single strike from her.

However, no gods had appeared on the Douluo Continent for countless millennia.

They didn't think of Ei in terms of divinity, nor did they imagine that she had sliced space open purely through the mastery of her blade.

Just like that, several hours passed in silence. Everyone in the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, from Ning Fengzhi down to the most ordinary disciples, waited helplessly.

Finally, beside the magnificent mountain gate of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, space rippled like water, and a massive energy vortex was born out of thin air.

The vortex spun for a moment before collapsing inward, condensing into a deep, dark, and narrow fissure that emitted heart-stopping fluctuations.

Following that, the fissure quickly sealed itself, standing there as a vertical line.

At the same time, in front of Ei, a similarly dark void fissure with even smoother edges opened silently.

She did not look back, nor did she utter a word, simply stepping into it with calm composure.

As her figure vanished, the rift closed instantly, leaving not a single trace behind.

With Ei's departure, that terrifying sensation dissipated as well, and everyone simultaneously let out a long sigh of relief, their tense bodies finally relaxing.

The crowd looked toward the spot where Ei had disappeared with lingering fear, then bowed to Ning Fengzhi one after another before dispersing. Soon, only the three of them remained before the massive mountain gate.

Ning Fengzhi gazed at the now-closed spatial entrance, a complex and indescribable expression appearing on his jade-like face, which eventually dissolved into a deep sigh.

"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, this..."

The shock on Gu Rong's face slowly faded, replaced by a complex, wry smile.

He shook his head, his voice sounding somewhat dry: "Enough, Fengzhi. Since things have reached this point, there is no use in dwelling on it further."

He patted Ning Fengzhi on the shoulder: "Look on the bright side; at the very least, this proves that our investment was worth it."

Mainly, they were neither capable of restoring things to how they were, nor could they defeat that woman.

It was better to just let Qian Qizhou do as he pleased, provided it didn't affect the sect on the ground.

Chen Xin remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "That person just now..."

He paused slightly, weighing his words, but ultimately just shook his head: "If I were to face her, I would not have even half a chance of winning."

That person's aura was too overwhelming; even without crossing blades, there was a sense that one would die the moment they struck.

Even setting aside raw strength, he had no confidence in his own swordsmanship against her.

Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi sighed: "I suppose that is all we can do."