Ning Fengzhi

Tang Xiao, however, looked thoughtful.

He knew what Tang Hao was capable of. Even injured, he could put up a fight using Ring Detonation. The problem was that he had detonated all nine rings and still lost, suffering injuries this severe. That deserved some serious thought.

Only a handful of people on the continent possessed such strength. He could count them on both hands.

Could it have been someone from the Worship Hall? Tang Xiao rubbed his chin. Spirit Hall was the strongest power on the continent, and Tang Chen had told him about its experts. But they were all old men, not women. From Tang Hao's description, the woman was extremely young, making her seem even less likely to belong to Spirit Hall.

As for Bibi Dong, it wasn't as though he had never met her. Besides, she was the Pope now. Where would she find the time to look after a child?

With Spirit Hall ruled out, no other power could possibly have nurtured someone like that-unless she came from some hidden clan.

"These truly are troubled times." Tang Xiao sighed. Tang Hao's affairs had forced the Clear Sky Sect to seal off its mountain, and now an expert who might belong to a hidden clan had appeared. If this continued, how much longer would his Clear Sky Sect have to lie dormant?

Grandfather, where have you gone? I miss you so much. Tang Xiao sighed inwardly. How glorious things had been when Tang Chen was around. Unfortunately, Tang Chen had disappeared nearly twenty years ago in search of a godhood inheritance. He didn't even know whether his grandfather was still alive.

Shaking his head, Tang Xiao stopped dwelling on it and said to Tang Hao, "Little brother, focus on recovering for now. If the Soul Bones are gone, they're gone. I'll find a way to reattach your leg, and I'll make time to bring Little San here."

With that, Tang Xiao left the room.

As Tang Hao watched his brother's retreating back, tears welled in his eyes. His elder brother was the same as ever. No matter how big a hole he blundered into, Tang Xiao would always be there to catch him. It made him feel that he had let his brother down.

Meanwhile, in Sunset Forest.

"Your Eminence, Heaven Dou City's annual grand auction is tonight. Would you be interested in attending?" Dugu Bo asked, holding an invitation.

"An auction?" Wang Qiu'er looked up and thought for a moment. "We can go. I wanted to see if there's anything useful anyway."

Then Wang Qiu'er glanced at Lin Changgeng. "Are you coming?"

"Yes." Lin Changgeng nodded. He wanted to see what treasures this grand auction had to offer, too.

"Then let's go." Wang Qiu'er rose to her feet.

The group then headed toward Heaven Dou City.

Before long, the four of them arrived at the auction house in Heaven Dou City.

The Heaven Dou Auction House had a peculiar design. Its entire structure was rounded, like half a sphere set over the ground. There were no signs on it, only the image of a hammer.

Only up close could they truly appreciate the scale of the circular building.

By Lin Changgeng's estimate, the hemisphere resting on the ground was at least five hundred meters in diameter and eighty meters tall. Its splendor couldn't compare to the imperial palace, but this was an auction house, after all. It had no need to be built so lavishly.

Besides, this was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. An auction house occupying so much space here clearly held considerable standing. Its backers obviously had close ties to the imperial family.

The auction house's entrance was semicircular as well and shared the milky-white color of the rest of the building.

When they reached the entrance, a long queue had already formed. Nobles were the one thing Heaven Dou City never lacked.

Thanks to Dugu Bo's standing, Lin Changgeng and the others went straight inside, where a staff member led them to a private box.

Since the auction wouldn't begin for a while, Lin Changgeng sat in the box and watched the floor below.

As it happened, he spotted a staff member leading three people to the second floor.

They were a refined-looking middle-aged man dressed in white and an impeccably groomed old man, also in white. The middle-aged man carried a little girl who looked full of impish mischief.

Ning Fengzhi? Lin Changgeng thought as he watched the man's back below. Who else in Heaven Dou City held such status and favored white clothing?

Below, Ning Fengzhi seemed to sense Lin Changgeng's gaze and looked up.

Hmm? A little fellow? Ning Fengzhi thought. I wonder whose child he is.

Should I go and meet him? Ning Fengzhi began turning over a little scheme in his mind.

Because of his position, most people in Heaven Dou City knew him, and he knew most of the city's prominent figures as well. Anyone who could occupy a private box was no ordinary person, yet he had no recollection of Lin Changgeng above. The boy even dared to stare at him openly. Did he not recognize him?

With that thought, Ning Fengzhi decided to meet Lin Changgeng and find out whose descendant he was.

Just then, the little girl in Ning Fengzhi's arms looked up at him and asked, "Daddy, what are you looking at?"

"I spotted a child about your age." Ning Fengzhi rubbed the little girl's head. "Would you like to meet him, Rongrong?"

"Yes!" The little girl called Rongrong nodded. No one in the sect played with her, so of course she wanted to meet someone her own age.

Ning Fengzhi and the others then headed toward Lin Changgeng's box. Before long, the three reached its door.

Knock, knock, knock. Standing outside the box, Ning Fengzhi knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Dugu Bo rose to open the door and found Ning Fengzhi outside.

"Sect Master Ning?" Dugu Bo paused. "What wind blew you my way?"

Dugu Bo knew Ning Fengzhi would attend an occasion like this, but why had he come to his box for no apparent reason?

Ning Fengzhi was equally taken aback upon seeing Dugu Bo. Who is this? Do I know him?

Ning Fengzhi didn't remember ever meeting this man, yet the man seemed very familiar with him. Moreover, he couldn't discern the man's cultivation, even though he himself was a Soul Saint.

Generally, there were only two reasons he might be unable to discern someone's cultivation: either they had none, or theirs far surpassed his own. Someone who could occupy a private box couldn't possibly have no cultivation. The only explanation was that this man was stronger than him.

Having worked that out, Ning Fengzhi spoke, probing the man's identity.

"May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Dugu Bo." Dugu Bo was utterly baffled. What was Ning Fengzhi thinking now? Did he no longer recognize him?

Since he was dealing with an acquaintance, Dugu Bo had instinctively forgotten that his appearance had changed.

"Your Eminence Dugu?" Ning Fengzhi's eyes widened as he studied Dugu Bo in disbelief. "Your appearance...?"

"Oh, I gained some insights in my cultivation and ended up looking like this." Understanding dawned on Dugu Bo. His transformation had been so drastic that Ning Fengzhi hadn't dared to recognize him. That explained it.

"Some insights?" Ning Fengzhi looked thoughtful, then secretly transmitted his voice to the white-haired elder beside him. "Uncle Jian, can you sense it?"

The white-haired elder was none other than Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

"Rank ninety-four. There's also someone inside whose cultivation surpasses mine." Chen Xin had sensed Dugu Bo's cultivation the moment he saw him, but there was another Titled Douluo inside the box who was stronger than he was, leaving him unwilling to act rashly. At the same time, he was very curious about who that expert might be.