Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda

The enormous Seven Kill Sword burst from beneath the earth and rose into the air.

A red giant and a blue giant seized it.

"The Seven Kill Sword!"

"Rise!"

One dragon and one sword charged, one ahead of the other.

Though both men knew they could not win, they still stepped forward.

The sword broke. Bones shattered.

Broken blades and splintered bones rained from the sky.

Ning Rongrong's pupils widened as she stared at it all in disbelief.

She wept as she used her Soul Skill.

"No, it can't be like this! Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light! Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light!"

Ning Fengzhi watched his two friends fall, his eyes hollow and his heart filled with endless grief.

But seeing Ning Rongrong like this, he could only tell her:

"It's no use, Rongrong. Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light doesn't work against a god-level attack."

Ning Rongrong knew it was useless, but she kept pounding weakly on the barrier.

Oscar's heart ached at the sight. He rushed forward and began hurling sausages at the barrier too.

The rest of the Shrek Seven Monsters followed.

Then came Ning Fengzhi.

"Fengzhi, you're joining Rongrong in this foolishness too?"

Gu Rong and Chen Xin's final images bid Ning Rongrong farewell through the screen:

"Rongrong, we two old fellows are going on ahead. No crying, all right? We still want to watch you become a god from afar."

"Grandpa Bone! Grandpa Sword!"

Gu Rong and Chen Xin patted Ning Fengzhi and Oscar, one each.

Then they faded into the air.

Only Ning Rongrong remained, covering her face as she wept.

At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

In the sect square, every disciple stared at Gu Rong and Chen Xin in disbelief.

They had never imagined their own supreme elders would die trying to avenge them.

"Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone..."

Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled, and his shoulders shook despite himself.

He had never imagined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would meet such an end.

The sword broken, the bones shattered, only a solitary pagoda remained.

Gu Rong and Chen Xin were overcome with emotion too.

So that was how we died in the end?

It was a pity they had not seen Rongrong get married.

The other young man they had seen must be Rongrong's future husband. From the scene, he seemed to have earned their approval.

Otherwise, Old Bones would never have patted him before leaving.

"Come now, Fengzhi. We're not dead yet, are we?"

Gu Rong spoke up to comfort him.

"Now that we know about this future, we can change it.

The future isn't a stone with everything carved into it, impossible to alter. It's more like a road.

And now everyone knows the road straight ahead is a dead end. It's time to turn and race toward another future."

As Gu Rong spoke, his expression suddenly changed. The aura around Chen Xin had shifted.

"Protection, is it?"

Chen Xin murmured to himself.

The Seven Kill Sword hovered beside him, and the surges of Soul Power around him grew fiercer.

The sword strike he had aimed at Bibi Dong in that vision had given him a glimmer of insight.

Enlightenment came in a single instant.

Before level 95, talent mattered. After level 95, insight mattered. If one broke through, all was well;

if not, one remained stuck at the same level.

No Titled Douluo who reached level 95 could lack talent. That was why insight mattered more beyond that point.

And Chen Xin's surging Soul Power was already approaching level 97.

Gu Rong stood dumbfounded. As far as he could tell, that old swordsman had muttered something about protection, sat down, and started breaking through.

"You've got to be kidding me, brother!"

"Sword-wielders really are the sneakiest! He mutters about enlightenment, then starts breaking through!"

Gu Rong stared in bewilderment. Weren't we comforting Ning Fengzhi? How did you end up breaking through mid-conversation?

He had already been one level below Chen Xin: Chen Xin was a level-96 Titled Douluo, while he was level 95.

Now he was two levels behind, and the Heavenly Rankings rewards had not even been handed out!

How is that fair?

A few minutes later, Chen Xin stood and brushed the dust from his clothes.

Ning Fengzhi asked curiously, "Uncle Jian, did you...?"

Chen Xin's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly:

"Mm. I broke through."

Then he stood with his hands behind his back and glanced at Gu Rong.

He seemed to have said nothing, yet that look said everything.

Gu Rong clenched his fists, his lips parting as he struggled to speak.

He could not beat Chen Xin before. Now Chen Xin was two levels above him!

Once a Titled Douluo reached level 95, every level was separated by a chasm as vast as the heavens.

He had struggled to hold his own before. If they sparred now, he would be asking for a beating.

"Damn it!"

Gu Rong found himself torn between not wanting his brother to suffer and not wanting him to become a god.

Of course, Chen Xin's breakthrough was cause for celebration, both for him and for the sect.

The stronger they became, the better their chances in that future war.

"Congratulations, you old swordsman."

Gu Rong kept his face composed and turned away as he spoke softly.

He would endure it for the sect's sake.

Ning Fengzhi nearly burst out laughing at the sight of him.

"Congratulations, Uncle Jian. You broke through before the heavenly screen's rewards were even distributed. With this ranking's reward added, you may reach level 98 before the final battle."

Ning Fengzhi's words reminded Gu Rong that the heavenly screen's rewards had yet to arrive.

Judging by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's reward, Soul Power was among them.

If Chen Xin broke through again, he would reach level 98.

Gu Rong felt a stab of envy toward his closest friend and muttered inwardly:

Sword cultivators really are the sneakiest!

Then he thought of Ning Rongrong. I can't match your Soul Power, but you think you can beat me when it comes to Rongrong?

He activated Martial Soul Possession in an instant and tore through the air, even using his Martial Soul Avatar.

Ning Fengzhi looked baffled.

"What's Uncle Bone doing?"

Chen Xin was bewildered too.

"No idea. It looks like Old Bones is heading toward... Suotuo City?"

Realization struck. Chen Xin grabbed Ning Fengzhi and flew toward Suotuo City, roaring at the figure ahead:

"You sly old Bones! Getting ahead of me!"

Gu Rong spat back over his shoulder.

"That's what you get for being so slow! Rongrong must be heartbroken right now. I'm going to comfort her."

With that, he even called upon the power of space.

[The Top Ten Forces Rankings of Douluo Continent: Rank 9 review complete.]

[Reward: All members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect whose hearts belong to the sect receive an increase in Soul Power Level. Sect Master Ning Fengzhi's Martial Soul is elevated to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.]

Points of light fell like rain upon the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The three largest clusters drifted toward Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Ning Fengzhi at an extremely slow pace.

Chen Xin, who had been flying with Ning Fengzhi, heard the reward announcement and braked to a halt atop a mountain.

He stared at Ning Fengzhi's Martial Soul in disbelief.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shone brilliantly, growing from seven tiers to eight, then finally to nine.

At that moment, Ning Fengzhi's Soul Power reached level 80.

Ning Fengzhi's hands would not stop trembling. He had thought he would be stuck at level 79 for the rest of his life.

He had never imagined a single ranking review would elevate his Martial Soul straight to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Even his shoulders began to shake.

Its place as the world's greatest support-type Martial Soul was now beyond all doubt.

Chen Xin knew how much pressure Ning Fengzhi had endured. He patted his shoulder and said:

"Forget Old Bones. I'll take you Soul Hunting. With the foundation you've built over all these years, reaching level 83 after absorbing a Soul Ring shouldn't be difficult."

But Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Uncle Jian, have you forgotten? The Heavenly Rankings just poured another Soul Power reward into me. I feel like I can reach level 84 or higher."