In Heaven Dou City, Ning Fengzhi kept touching the Soul Tool holding the jade box, too restless to sit or lie comfortably.
Several times, he wanted to open the jade box and look at the Aromatic Silk Beauty, but he feared accidentally losing it.
With Jian Chenxin away, he had no sense of security whatsoever, terrified that someone might rob him.
When the noise died away, Ning Fengzhi rose anxiously and paced back and forth.
"The noise has stopped. Why haven't Uncle Jian and Teacher Li come back yet?"
"Have they fought until they saw red?"
"Should I go take a look? But I'm just a powerless support Soul Master!"
The moment he finished speaking, the private room's door swung open, and Li Sen teased him with a smile.
"Who says a support Soul Master can't fight?"
"Rongrong seems pretty capable to me. She spars with Zhu Qing all day."
Ning Fengzhi looked the two of them over and sucked in a sharp breath of disbelief.
Both of them were in tattered clothes.
Li Sen was pale, but outwardly, he only had a few sword wounds and could still smile.
Jian Chenxin, on the other hand, had a bruised, swollen face. His complexion looked somewhat better, but he seemed utterly drained. He sat down without a word, looking thoroughly dejected.
Ning Fengzhi was scared stiff.
After Gu Rong returned to the sect last time, he had gone over the fight again, saying that Li Sen merely recovered faster and had greater physical strength and toughness.
Although he had an external soul bone, his flight speed was still slow, and his martial soul was not very powerful when separated from his body.
Gu Rong had only lost because Li Sen had grabbed him and traded blows for wounds before he could react. By the time he realized it, he could not break free, and his attacks were not quite powerful enough.
Jian Chenxin was different. He was a sword cultivator with formidable attack power, to say nothing of his attack speed.
Most importantly, Jian Chenxin had broken through. Everyone knew about the ringing of his sword.
A level-96 Super Douluo was more than twice as powerful as a level-95 one!!!
And he had still lost!
Just how strong was Li Sen?
Had Uncle Jian drawn out his full strength?
At once, Ning Fengzhi adopted a humble attitude, his face wreathed in smiles.
This time, his attitude had nothing whatsoever to do with the Clear Sky Sect.
"Teacher Li, you're back. I failed to explain things to Uncle Jian beforehand, which led to this incident. I'm truly sorry."
"Rest assured, I'll take full responsibility for the academy's construction and increase my investment, with no upper limit!"
Li Sen raised a finger and wagged it.
"Not enough."
Ning Fengzhi asked cautiously, "Teacher Li, whatever else you need, just say the word."
Li Sen said, "The academy I'm building doesn't have many teachers. I need some experts at Soul Saint level or above to take students Soul Hunting."
The corners of Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect only had two Titled Douluos, a dozen or so Soul Douluos, and just over fifty Soul Saints.
That sounded like a lot, but in reality, it was nowhere near enough.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had branches across the continent, and every major city needed a Soul Saint stationed there. That alone accounted for over thirty of them.
The great principal cities, such as Heaven Dou City and Spirit City... needed Soul Douluos, taking up around seven.
The others had to protect their headquarters and take direct-line disciples at Soul Elder level or above hunting outside the Star Dou Great Forest.
Money, he could give. People...
Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes, fighting back a bitter ache as he spoke with profound reluctance.
"Teacher Li, would one Soul Douluo and four Soul Saints do?"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has no one left to spare!!!"
Li Sen smiled and pulled Ning Rongrong over from beside him.
"Little Rongrong, how many Soul Douluos and Soul Saints does your sect have?"
Without the slightest pressure or threat, Ning Rongrong answered without thinking, "I've seen five Soul Douluos and twenty Soul Saints."
Ning Fengzhi nearly spat blood.
A traitor had appeared in the sect!
She had laid bare both the forces who came to take disciples Soul Hunting and those who rotated guard duty.
He looked nervously at Li Sen, deeply afraid that his offer would be deemed insufficient.
Had Jian Chenxin not broken through, he would not have wanted to spare even one of them. He felt danger pressing in from every side.
Li Sen scratched Ning Rongrong's chin, somewhat surprised by Ning Fengzhi's boldness.
As far as he knew, Ning Fengzhi always brought either Jian Chenxin or Gu Rong whenever he went out. One could call him timid and afraid of trouble, or simply cautious.
The sect usually kept one Titled Douluo at home, which showed how much importance he placed on its headquarters.
Now, aside from the Titled Douluo, he was willing to offer twenty percent of the high-level forces guarding the sect. That was more than enough sincerity.
Li Sen did not raise his price. He continued, "I also need information on hundred-thousand-year Thunder Dragon-type Soul Beasts."
Ning Fengzhi knew that Li Sen had twin martial souls. Having already decided to invest in him, he answered without hesitation.
"I'll mobilize the sect to search for them."
The Soul Rings were secured, the teachers were secured, and the academy's construction had already been agreed upon.
Li Sen smiled. "In that case, we'll consider today's incident settled."
"Sect Master Ning, please find a site in Vast Sea City and build the academy for me. The bigger, the better."
"Rongrong, give your father the Aromatic Silk Beauty. To use it, gently suck on the stamens. None of the other parts can be eaten."
Ning Rongrong gave an awkward smile.
"Well, um, I already gave him the immortal herb."
At those words, Ning Fengzhi felt much better.
So Li Sen had not instructed her to give it to him. His little padded jacket of a daughter had acted on her own.
It seemed his little padded jacket did not let in quite so much cold air after all.
Li Sen raised an eyebrow and stared at Ning Rongrong.
After all that training, she was still itching for a spanking.
Sensing that the atmosphere had turned strange, Ning Fengzhi stood to take his leave.
"Teacher Li, I'll build an academy covering around a hundred square kilometers."
"That's quite a heavy task, so I'll take my leave now!"
Meanwhile, in a small wooden cabin at Blue Lightning Academy, Yu Xiaogang suddenly grew restless after waiting for more than ten days.
He looked at Flender, who was keeping watch beside him, and said,
"Flender, Erlong has been gone for so long. Go and see whether she's back."
Flender wanted to know as well. He ran out of the academy and returned shortly afterward, his face ashen.
In a low voice, he said, "Xiaogang, Erlong only returned to Heaven Dou City today. She met Tang San and died."
Yu Xiaogang shuddered as though struck by lightning and roared in disbelief.
"What did you say!!!"
"How could Erlong be dead?"
"She had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect behind her! Her father was Yu Luomian! How did Li Sen dare!"
Thinking of the death of his cherished, unattainable love, Flender's face darkened, murderous intent chilling his voice.
"It wasn't Li Sen. It was Tang San!"
"Because of you, Erlong went looking for Tang San and was beaten to death!"
Yu Xiaogang found that even harder to believe. His injuries had healed enough that they no longer hindered his movements. He rose and paced, spittle spraying as he bellowed.
"Flender, don't lie to me!"
"Erlong was a Soul Saint! Just a few dozen days ago in Suotuo City, Tang San was only a Soul Ancestor, and he didn't even have his Soul Ring!!!"
Flender's expression was grim. Unable to endure Yu Xiaogang any longer, he roared.
"Yu Xiaogang, who do you think you are?"
"Does something become impossible just because you say it is?"
"Tang San is already a Soul King! He didn't need Li Sen to act at all! Plenty of Soul Masters and ordinary passersby in Heaven Dou City saw it!!!"
Yu Xiaogang collapsed weakly onto the boat, seemingly overwhelmed by grief and anguish, muttering,
"How is that possible?"
"How is that possible!!!"
"How could my Erlong die?"
"She wouldn't die!"
Flender looked at him with disgust, unable to control his emotions as he vented all the frustration he had bottled up these past days.
"Stop pretending, Yu Xiaogang. You're utterly revolting!"
"I know your martial soul is a Pig, and you're desperate for it to evolve so you can break through."
"I also said that once your injuries healed, the three of us would go together."
"When Erlong wanted to go, I told you to talk her out of it. What kind of persuasion was that?"
"She loved you so much. Couldn't you have been firmer? Why are you putting on this devoted act now?"
Yu Xiaogang shuddered and looked at Flender in disbelief, as though seeing him for the first time.
Little did he know that the more Flender experienced, the more speechless Yu Xiaogang left him.
Now that Liu Erlong had died in battle, Flender had no desire to ask who was right or wrong. He only wanted to get away and stay alive.
After saying his piece, Flender activated Martial Soul Possession, turned, and fled, flying out of Heaven Dou City.
He was terrified. As soon as he and Yu Xiaogang had arrived at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Liu Erlong had gone looking for Tang San.
Anyone with eyes could see why.
Li Sen was a Titled Douluo. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect might not go after him or Tang San, but they would certainly come after Flender.
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