Ning Fengzhi Arrives, and Plans for the Future!

That day at Dugu Manor in Heaven Dou City, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice into the quiet inner courtyard.

"Your Eminence, the gatekeeper sent word that someone has delivered an extremely formal calling card for you."

A maid assigned to attend Leng Yaozhu kept her head lowered.

Her voice carried deep reverence, and she barely dared to breathe.

"Oh? Go have someone bring it here."

Leng Yaozhu reclined lazily on a cushioned couch, toying with a flickering crimson flame in her hand.

She did not even lift her eyelids.

Soon, the maid hurried over, holding an envelope in both hands.

The envelope was made from exquisite cloud-pattern brocade, its seal prominently bearing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's signature Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda emblem.

It exuded the luxury and solemnity of a premier sect.

Leng Yaozhu casually took it. With a light flick of her fingertip, the envelope unfolded on its own.

She skimmed the letter at a glance, and an amused smile appeared on her breathtaking face.

"How interesting. The illustrious leader of one of the Upper Three Sects wants to visit me in person?"

As her words fell, she held the expensive letter carelessly between two fingers.

Whoosh—

Without even the slightest warning ripple of soul power, a burst of ultimate fire bloomed at her fingertips.

The letter did not even go through the process of turning to ash.

The terrifying heat burned it straight into nothingness, as though it had never existed.

"Go tell the messenger outside that I agree. We'll meet at the time their sect master proposed."

Leng Yaozhu waved a hand, her tone as casual as if she had agreed to an inconsequential chat.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the secluded chamber, an extraordinarily violent surge of pure yang energy shot skyward like an erupting volcano!

Accompanied by the clear cry of a Golden Crow, Lu Xuan's tightly shut eyes snapped open.

Deep within them, two great suns seemed to blaze.

I broke through!

The soul power within him surged like a river bursting its banks, forcibly shattering his bottleneck and carrying him steadily from level 36 to level 37!

In just four short months, he had advanced four levels—an average of one level a month!

If word of this cultivation speed got out, every genius on the continent would have their jaw hit the floor.

It was so outrageous that it defied all common sense in the soul master world!

Of course, none of this had happened without reason.

Lu Xuan's martial soul was the Three-Legged Golden Crow, which possessed ultimate fire.

Soul masters with an ultimate attribute typically cultivated extremely slowly in the early stages.

But the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had long since perfectly remedied that fatal flaw.

His cultivation speed now directly matched the terrifying explosive growth that those with an ultimate attribute experienced after level seventy.

On top of that, his body benefited from the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid's potent medicinal effects, rich and enduring, strengthening his foundations and nourishing his vitality.

Together, they gave him his current breakthrough speed, sweeping through obstacles like rotten wood.

Feeling the surging power within him,

Lu Xuan's lips curled into an enormous grin, as though his personal theme music had automatically begun playing.

"How... how lonely it is to be invincible~!!!"

Since he and Qian Renxue had both made successive breakthroughs, the soul power within their bodies needed time to settle.

They could no longer force their way through further bottlenecks in the short term.

As the saying went, cultivation required both drawing the bow taut and letting it relax.

With unspoken understanding, they both stopped circulating their soul power and opened the doors of the rooms where they had spent days in seclusion.

"I wonder what my sister's been doing these past few days?"

Lu Xuan stretched luxuriously, then headed toward Leng Yaozhu's courtyard with light steps.

But when he pushed the door open, he found the room empty.

Only after questioning the manor's maids did Lu Xuan learn what had happened.

An important figure from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had come to visit today, and his sister was receiving him in the front hall.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Ning Fengzhi?"

Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, interest flashing in his eyes, then turned and headed toward the reception room.

At that moment, a subtle oppressive tension hung over Dugu Manor's spacious reception room.

Ning Fengzhi sat upright in the guest seat, his hands folded, still maintaining the elegance befitting a sect master.

Yet his eyes, which always seemed able to see through people's hearts, now scarcely dared to meet Leng Yaozhu's gaze as she sat in the host's seat.

It was not merely because of her terrifying strength.

It was also because of her suffocatingly peerless beauty and bearing.

Ning Fengzhi commanded the richest sect in the world.

He had seen countless exquisite beauties throughout his life, but Leng Yaozhu was unquestionably the most beautiful, most noble, and most dangerous woman he had ever encountered.

She merely sat there.

Yet the aloof air radiating from her, looking down upon the world and regarding all things as straw dogs,

was enough to make anyone in power feel ashamed of their own inadequacy.

Ning Fengzhi quietly took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the flutter in his heart, and spoke with a smile.

"Your Eminence Heavenly Phoenix, with your strength now towering above all others, I wonder... have you considered something?"

"Oh? What?"

Leng Yaozhu lifted her teacup and raised an eyebrow slightly, asking with casual indifference.

"For instance... raising your voice from the heights and establishing a force of your own."

"Using your prestige to build its foundations, and ultimately... ruling this continent!"

Ning Fengzhi stared intently into Leng Yaozhu's eyes as he dropped this probing bombshell.

"Rule the continent?"

Leng Yaozhu chuckled and shook her head without hesitation.

"I'm not interested, and I've never considered it."

Upon hearing this answer, Ning Fengzhi was not disappointed.

Instead, he picked up the teacup beside him, lowering his head to sip and conceal the gleam that flashed through his eyes.

Haven't I just drawn out the crucial information?

Although Leng Yaozhu had flatly denied any ambition to rule the continent,

she had not rejected the premise of establishing a force!

In other words, this Heavenly Phoenix Douluo does harbor thoughts of founding a sect!

Ning Fengzhi's mind began racing.

If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could become an original stakeholder in Leng Yaozhu's new force at this critical juncture,

pouring the sect's wealth into securing a share, then perhaps the seemingly hopeless situation created by Spirit Hall's Qian Daoliu stepping into the world could be resolved as cleanly as a blade splitting bamboo!

As for why he did not simply throw his lot in with Spirit Hall,

Ning Fengzhi saw the matter clearly.

Spirit Hall's foundations ran too deep, and its number of soul masters surpassed every other force on the continent.

Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ranked among the Upper Three Sects, if it went to pledge allegiance now,

it would merely be adding flowers to Spirit Hall's brocade, never gaining a voice in its core decisions.

If I'm going to invest, I might as well make a bold gamble!

Stake every chip on the most unfathomable, strongest figure on the continent, sitting right before me!

"Then, Your Eminence, do you mean... you truly have considered establishing a force?"

Ning Fengzhi set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, a trace of eagerness entering his voice.

"I have entertained the idea, but I find trouble tiresome. I can't be bothered with all those trivial matters."

Leng Yaozhu set down her teacup. Her gaze suddenly softened a little as she spoke slowly.

"Of course, in the end, all of this depends on what someone else plans to do."

"Who?!" Ning Fengzhi's heart jolted, his pupils sharply contracting.

There's actually someone in this world who can influence this Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's decisions?

Or rather, the grand ambitions of a peerless powerhouse of Leng Yaozhu's caliber actually depend on that person's wishes?!

A sheen of cold sweat instantly broke out across Ning Fengzhi's back.

Just as Ning Fengzhi wavered between shock and uncertainty,

Leng Yaozhu looked toward the door, an indulgent smile curling her lips. "That child is here."

"Sister!" With a boy's clear, energetic voice, the reception room's heavy wooden door was pushed open.

Lu Xuan walked in with light steps.

Ning Fengzhi turned to look, and instantly froze in his seat as though struck by lightning.

A little child?!

The mysterious person who could sway Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's decisions was merely a boy who looked seven or eight years old?!

After his brief shock, Ning Fengzhi swiftly regained his composure and began making calculations inwardly.

It seems Her Eminence Heavenly Phoenix most likely dotes on this younger brother of hers.

Her affection extends to everything connected with him, so she's willing to follow the child's plans on certain matters.

Perhaps this is the invincible powerhouse's only "weak spot"!

"Xiao Xuan, come here."

Leng Yaozhu completely ignored Ning Fengzhi's complicated gaze.

She pulled Lu Xuan over to sit beside her, even thoughtfully straightening his collar as she asked gently,

"Sect Master Ning just suggested that we establish a force. What do you think?"

Lu Xuan leaned comfortably against Leng Yaozhu.

He glanced at Ning Fengzhi, who sat stiffly opposite them with flickering eyes, and a profound smile far beyond his years curled his lips.

"I don't have any particular thoughts about it."

Lu Xuan's voice was clear, but his words exploded through the reception room like a thunderclap.

"Of course, if you really want to establish a force, Sister, then we'll definitely have to be the strongest on this continent!"

"And ideally, it should endure for ten thousand generations, eternal and undying!"

A blazing light shone in Lu Xuan's eyes.

He was looking far into the future.

If he was destined to become a god, then gathering power of faith from the lower realm was a hurdle he could never avoid.

Where would that faith come from?

Naturally, from following the example of the current Spirit Hall.