A Hollow Victory, Mutual Scheming

"What attitude does Sect Master Ning expect from me?"

Ye Ling's gaze swept over Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo.

Although he had only brought Jin Peng and the Soul Douluo-level Xuan Ziwen with him today, with Jin Peng's Level 96 Soul Power and the Body Sect's Silver-grade second awakening, he truly had no reason to fear Sword Bone, who were currently only Level 95 and Level 94.

Besides, once one reached Level 95, the gap between each level became enormous.

No one in the area spoke. Aside from the spirit rings circling beneath the feet of the three Titled Douluo, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange.

"Young Pavilion Master Ye is right."

Ning Fengzhi suddenly smiled.

"It was my failure to properly manage my subordinates. I spoiled the sect's disciples and elders, allowing them to offend honored guests. Ning hereby apologizes to Young Pavilion Master Ye."

As he spoke, he actually gave Ye Ling a slight bow.

The tension in the air eased along with Ning Fengzhi's stance.

However, the expressions of the two Sword Bone Douluo grew even uglier.

The sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects, was apologizing to a junior.

If word got out, the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be disgraced!

"Sect Master Ning is impartial and able to handle matters with such fairness. It is truly admirable."

Ye Ling could not help but praise him.

No matter what Ning Fengzhi was plotting, Ye Ling could find no fault with that attitude alone.

If Ye Ling continued to press the issue, it would instead make the Mending Heaven Pavilion seem overbearing.

Old fox! He's practically become a damn demon!

Ye Ling sneered inwardly, but his face showed embarrassment.

"Come to think of it, I was also too young and impulsive, and my actions were somewhat too heavy-handed."

After saying that, Ye Ling shot Jin Peng a glare.

"Elder Jin, put away your spirit rings!"

"Anyone who didn't know better would think we came to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to cause trouble!"

"Yes, Young Pavilion Master."

Jin Peng acknowledged and immediately withdrew his spirit rings.

Seeing Jin Peng withdraw his spirit rings, the two Sword Bone Douluo followed suit, putting away their martial souls and spirit rings as well.

The atmosphere finally relaxed completely.

"Young Pavilion Master Ye, please..."

Ning Fengzhi gestured invitingly toward Ye Ling, but before he could finish, Ye Ling interrupted him.

"We have already disturbed your sect today, and this incident has caused quite a commotion."

"It would be inappropriate to continue troubling you, so we shall take our leave!"

Ye Ling gave Ning Fengzhi a slight cupped-fist salute.

Before Ning Fengzhi could react, Ye Ling took his people and vanished from the spot.

Leaving Ning Fengzhi standing there in the wind, thoroughly bewildered.

"Fengzhi, are we just letting this matter go?"

Only after confirming that Ye Ling had truly left with his people did Chen Xin finally ask Ning Fengzhi.

"Otherwise?"

Ning Fengzhi gave Chen Xin an expressionless glance.

"Leaving aside the Titled Douluo beside Ye Ling today who possesses two 100,000-Year Spirit Rings, even that Level 98 Body Douluo is far beyond what our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can afford to offend."

Ning Fengzhi let out a long sigh.

He truly could not understand where the previously unknown Mending Heaven Pavilion had found so many Titled Douluo with 100,000-Year Spirit Rings.

"If you never intended to pursue the matter, why did you start out acting like you were questioning him and ready to fall out with him?"

Gu Rong asked from the side, somewhat puzzled.

"That old bastard and I thought you were really going to turn against that brat!"

"I originally intended to be tough first, so that I could gain some initiative in the later negotiations concerning Soul Tools."

Ning Fengzhi sighed.

"Who would have thought that when I acted tough, he would be even tougher."

"I could sense that he even harbored a trace of killing intent just now."

"Does that brat intend to wipe out our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Does he have the ability?"

Bone Douluo's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

"With a sharp blade in hand, murderous intent naturally arises!"

A grave look flashed through Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"Not to mention whatever other experts Mending Heaven Pavilion has hidden behind the scenes."

"Even the strength they have displayed openly is enough to utterly destroy our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Neither of the two Sword Bone Douluo refuted this.

Even with the support of Ning Fengzhi, the Number One Support-type Soul Master in the World, they could never be a match for a Level 98 Super Douluo with Three 100,000-Year Spirit Rings.

"Then was your show of weakness and apology just now also meant to placate Mending Heaven Pavilion?"

After a moment of silence, Sword Douluo spoke.

"If the hard approach didn't work, then naturally I had to try a softer one."

"In the end, it was all to gain some initiative and advantages in the subsequent Soul Tool negotiations."

Ning Fengzhi gave a bitter smile.

"I never expected Ye Ling to be so young, yet so meticulous and decisive."

"He saw through my intentions, and his attitude changed even faster than mine did."

"He left immediately, giving us no chance to react at all."

At this point, Ning Fengzhi let out a long sigh, and the bitterness on his face deepened.

"If we want to reach any cooperation with Mending Heaven Pavilion in the future, I'm afraid we'll not only have to come begging at their door, but also pay a hundred or thousand times the price."

Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged glances.

Their cultivation might have far surpassed Ning Fengzhi's, but when it came to wisdom and judging the current situation, they could not compare to him in the slightest.

"What do we do now?"

Gu Rong rubbed the top of his head, where only a few strands of hair remained, his expression turning solemn.

"What do we do?"

A flash of killing intent crossed Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"First, we need to clean up some of the unhealthy practices within the sect."

"These past years, the Clear Sky Sect has gone into seclusion, and Spirit Hall has changed Popes. These peaceful days have made some disciples of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lose themselves in complacency!"

"If this situation is not changed, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will sooner or later face utter ruin!"

"Yes, Sect Master!"

The two Sword Bone Douluo bowed in unison.

"Young Pavilion Master, are we just leaving like this?"

Jin Peng's expression was rather unpleasant.

His first battle after arriving in this era had ended so anticlimactically, leaving him deeply dissatisfied.

"Elder Jin, although your Soul Power Level is high and you possess the Body Sect's secret arts—"

"—with Ning Fengzhi's support, defeating the two Sword Bone Douluo would be no easy matter."

A cold smile flashed through Ye Ling's eyes.

"We still need the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to tie up Spirit Hall's attention, and we didn't bring enough people today."

"But it doesn't matter. Ning Fengzhi is an extremely clever man. In a few days, he will come to apologize in person and pay a price a thousand times greater."

"Damn it, why make things so complicated?"

Jin Peng patted his chest and declared.

"Let the Young Pavilion Master send Old Poison and me. We guarantee that in one night, we'll make the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disappear from this world completely."

"What lofty ambition, Elder Jin. Truly lofty ambition."

Ye Ling clapped his hands in admiration.

"How about you and Old Poison also take care of the royal families of the two great empires, Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect, and Sea God Island while you're at it? Then Mending Heaven Pavilion can rule the continent for ten thousand generations."

The people of the Body Sect were reckless, not stupid. Naturally, Jin Peng could tell that Ye Ling was speaking sarcastically.

"Even if Old Poison and I aren't enough, with Elder Kong, a Level 10 Soul Engineer, added in, wouldn't we be able to sweep across the entire continent in this era?"

Ye Ling rubbed his brow and pointed at Xuan Ziwen, who had not spoken at all. "Teacher Xuan, explain it to him!"

"Other than the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier, Teacher Kong did not bring many Soul Tools with him to this era."

Xuan Ziwen pushed up his glasses with one finger and continued.

"Furthermore, Douluo Continent is unlike the Sun Moon Continent. Rare metals are especially scarce here, making the research and production of high-grade Soul Tools extremely difficult."

Jin Peng immediately fell silent. He did not understand Soul Tools, but he knew how important rare metals were to them.

"And if we destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect without cause, Spirit Hall will inevitably benefit, while we'll face a joint siege from Spirit Masters across the entire continent."

Xuan Ziwen added another sentence.

There were twenty or thirty Titled Douluo across the continent, while Ye Ling had only four under his command.

What mattered most right now was expanding the strength in his hands. Only then could he gain an ever-greater voice on the continent.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could be left for Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation to deal with.

Of course, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would definitely have to bleed for Ye Ling first.

"Neither the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect nor any other faction can be relied upon. If we want to dominate the Douluo Continent, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

Ye Ling snorted.

"We're not going back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. We're heading straight to Blue Tyrant Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire!"