Reactions from All Sides, Forced Boot-Up

Taking a deep breath, Ning Fengzhi carefully weighed the price he could offer before asking again with great solemnity:

"I do not know what you require, my young friend, but whatever my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possesses, you need only ask."

Clearly, Ning Fengzhi was going all out; for that glimmer of hope regarding his martial soul's evolution, he was willing to pay any price.

"Sect Master Ning, there is no rush for this matter." Bai Shu waved a hand, his expression indifferent. "You may return to your sect first and consult the records regarding Immortal Herbs. This will allow you to verify the truth of my words, and secondly, it will let you truly understand their value. Only then shall we discuss the trade."

"This..."

Ning Fengzhi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded, choosing not to press further. Since Bai Shu had spoken thus, it was clear he did not intend to trade right now. However, having finally found a clear direction for evolving his martial soul, this trip had not been in vain.

Afterward, Bai Shu chatted with the group for a while longer before taking his leave, citing fatigue.

The day and night of travel had exhausted him significantly; even though Xie Biyan had carried him through the air the entire way, the mental strain was very real.

Not long after Bai Shu departed, Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue also rose to take their leave. With a powerhouse like Xie Biyan holding the fort, any attempt to purchase the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma in advance was clearly futile, and staying any longer would be meaningless.

After leaving Dugu Mansion, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin sat in the carriage returning to the sect, the atmosphere inside the cabin somewhat heavy.

"Uncle Jian," Ning Fengzhi broke the silence first, asking Chen Xin about what had just transpired: "In your opinion, how is the strength of that Ten Thousand Scorpion Douluo?"

Sword Douluo was silent for a moment, his tone grave:

"This person... is unfathomable. Although our Spirit Power Levels are both ninety-seven, I can feel that the quality of the spirit power within him is far above mine. I fear he has already reached the pinnacle of a Super Douluo and likely possesses the ability to fight beyond his rank. Even if Old Bone and I were to attack together, we might not gain any advantage, and there is even... a risk of defeat."

Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly upon hearing this and added, "What if my support were added?"

Chen Xin shook his head gently without hesitation.

"It would be useless, Fengzhi. The opponent is clearly a poison-attribute Spirit Master like Dugu Bo, and his methods of using poison are far superior to Dugu Bo's. That terrifying poison domain made even my sword intent feel sluggish. If you were to provide support from the sidelines, you would only become his primary target. If he wanted to kill you, we would be unable to stop him."

Ning Fengzhi's breath hitched, and he could not help but place even greater importance on the mysterious youth, Bai Shu, while simultaneously feeling a deeper longing for the Immortal Herbs he had mentioned.

Strength was the foundation of everything. Although he was the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as Chen Xin had said, when faced with such a peerless expert, he would be completely helpless if the man decided to kill him.

Perhaps only by breaking the shackles of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can I have any hope of self-preservation.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did possess some records regarding the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, though they were merely fragmented notes without specific combat records. Nevertheless, Ning Fengzhi had managed to infer some useful information from them.

That was that the spirit skills of the final two spirit rings of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda were likely intended for self-preservation. Only then could a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Master intervene in the battlefield of Title Douluo without reservation.

While Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were discussing Xie Biyan's strength, on the other side, Qian Renxue's expression was equally solemn.

During the previous conversation, she had played the role of a disciple, deferring to Ning Fengzhi in all things and rarely interjecting. Once she returned to the Crown Prince Mansion, she immediately dismissed all servants and summoned the two Title Douluo, Stingray and Snake Spear.

"Young Master, are you unharmed?" Stingray Douluo asked first, his voice tinged with urgency.

Because of Sword Douluo, they had not dared to get too close, but they had still clearly sensed the terrifying aura that erupted within Dugu Mansion—an aura that made even two Title Douluo of over level ninety feel a sense of dread.

Had that fluctuation not vanished in a flash, they would have nearly charged in to save her.

Qian Renxue waved her hand to indicate she was fine, then recounted every detail of what had happened inside Dugu Mansion, especially regarding Xie Biyan, to the two of them.

Once she had finished, Qian Renxue looked toward Snake Spear Douluo and said in a deep voice:

"Uncle She, return to Spirit City at once, and at top speed! Tell my grandfather everything I have just said, word for word. This 'Ten Thousand Scorpion Douluo' appeared too abruptly, and his strength may even be on par with Grandfather Golden Crocodile. We must uncover his origins!"

"Yes, Young Master!" Snake Spear Douluo did not dare to delay, as he could sense the urgency in the Young Master's words.

He, too, felt a lack of security now. A Title Douluo of such immense power had suddenly appeared in Heaven Dou City; with their current strength, protecting the Young Master was already beginning to feel like a stretch.

After bowing in salute, his figure flashed as he exited the room, transforming into a streak of light and speeding off in the direction of Spirit City.

Seeing Snake Spear depart, Qian Renxue finally let out a sigh of relief and signaled for Stingray Douluo to conceal his presence and continue lurking.

After standing by the window alone for a moment, Qian Renxue straightened her robes, resumed the gentle, refined appearance of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and headed out once more, taking a carriage toward the imperial palace.

That night, undercurrents surged in Heaven Dou City; several major factions were left unsettled by the appearance of a single man.

The next morning, as the first rays of warm sunlight spilled through the window lattice into the room, Bai Shu lazily stretched and climbed out of the soft, large bed, feeling refreshed.

He had mostly used meditation to replace sleep in the past, so it had been a long time since he had slept this comfortably.

Just as he rose to order the servants to bring breakfast, his peripheral vision caught a lump bulging on the bed.

His footsteps paused, and he looked with amusement at the Little Rabbit who had snuck into his quilt at some point and was now sleeping soundly.

Xiao Wu was curled up entirely within the quilt, only her small head exposed. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a silly smile lingered on her face, as if she were having a pleasant dream.

Seeing this, Bai Shu was struck by a mischievous thought. Suppressing a laugh, he leaned over, grabbed Xiao Wu's two arms, and with a sudden burst of strength from his waist and abdomen, lifted the still-dreaming Xiao Wu straight out of the quilt and placed her steadily on the carpet beside the bed.

Xiao Wu opened her eyes in a daze, feeling the soft texture beneath her feet and seeing Bai Shu's magnified, smiling face before her.

She blinked blankly, looked down at the floor, then back at Bai Shu, her mind a complete blank. She had no idea why she was standing there.

Bai Shu fought back his laughter and looked at Xiao Wu with a straight face: "Alright, stop staring blankly. We're eating; why are you dozing off?"

"Huh? Eating? Me?"

Xiao Wu's large eyes were filled with confusion, but having been forcibly "booted up," she nodded subconsciously and followed Bai Shu to the dining table in a daze, picking up her chopsticks to begin eating.

It wasn't until a few mouthfuls of congee had warmed her stomach and awakened her brain that Xiao Wu suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing she had been played!

"Ah!! Bai Shu, you're teasing me again!"

However, since she was already up and had already started eating, what else could she do? She could only turn her grief and indignation into appetite and continue eating, looking puffed up with anger.