Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Inside the study of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect leader, Ning Fengzhi sat behind his desk, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, producing a rhythmic tapping sound.
His voice was unhurried and calm, revealing his usual composure.
In front of him was also a secret report about the battle of Spirit City.
However, this secret report is more detailed than the one from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's intelligence network is among the best in the entire continent. Its intelligence system was personally established by Bone Douluo Gu Rong and has infiltrated major forces across the continent.
The secret report not only described the course of the battle, including the size, power, and method of release of the cyan sword light, but also included a detailed record of the mysterious powerful figure's physical characteristics:
He was in his early twenties, dressed in black with black hair, and had a pair of blue and white flame wings on his back with a wingspan of about three zhang (approximately 10 meters). He was incredibly fast.
The flames were blue and white; the left wing was white and emitted an extremely cold aura, while the right wing was blue and released a scorching high temperature.
Their fighting style is swift and decisive; they avoid prolonged combat and strike and then retreat.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong, stood beside Ning Fengzhi, arms crossed.
He wore a gray robe, and was tall and upright. Even though he was over seventy years old, he still exuded an aura of authority.
A hint of seriousness and curiosity, barely concealed, appeared on that usually composed face.
His fingers gently stroked his chin, a habitual gesture he made when he was thinking.
" Fengzhi,"
Gu Rong spoke in a deep, resonant voice that echoed in the quiet study.
"Judging from the characteristics described in this secret report, the flames used by this person are bluish-white, which is exactly the same as the Heavenly Flames used by Xiao Yan in the Soul Master Tournament back then."
Do you remember the scene when Xiao Yan unleashed the blue-white flames in the final battle?
The entire arena was enveloped in an atmosphere of alternating extreme cold and heat.
In addition, his early twenties age and the fiery wings on his back make it almost certain that it is him.
Throughout the entire Douluo Continent, besides Xiao Yan, I can't think of anyone else who meets these criteria.
He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious:
"But if it really is him, how could his strength have increased to this extent in just over a year?"
When he left a year ago, his strength was only at the Soul Emperor.
A single sword strike wounded three Titled Douluo; this level of attack is comparable to that of a peak Titled Douluo at level 95.
This is beyond the explanation of genius; it's simply unbelievable.
Ning Fengzhi did not answer immediately.
He reached out and picked up the slightly cooled cup of tea on the table, but didn't drink it. Instead, he held the rim of the cup with three fingers and gently swirled it around.
The tea rippled gently in the cup, reflecting his slightly furrowed brow. After a long silence, he finally spoke:
"If it really is Xiao Yan, then this matter is much more complicated than I initially thought."
Xiao Yan has now incurred the wrath of the Spirit Hall Spirit Hall, and the conflict between them is irreconcilable, which is indeed a good thing for us. However...
Gu Rong frowned slightly. "Are you worried that he won't stand by our side anymore?"
"It's not that we're not on their side."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head, placed the teacup back on the table, and it made a slight clinking sound.
He looked up at the Gu Rong, his eyes filled with deep worry.
"But now that he possesses this level of power, he can act without being constrained by anyone as before."
When he was in the Spirit Hall, although he was a genius, he was ultimately just a rising star among the younger generation and did not pose a real threat to the major powers.
But it's different now. Destroying the Pope's Palace with one sword, this kind of strength is enough to affect the pattern of the entire continent.
He was no longer the young man who needed to rely on a certain power; he himself was a power.
This kind of person isn't someone we can easily win over. He might be sentimental, but he'll act according to his own will even more so.
Gu Rong nodded, a rare hint of emotion appearing on his usually serious face:
"In any case, now that he's back, he'll come to Heaven Dou City sooner or later."
After all, Zhu Zhuqing and the foundation of the Dark Hall are here. We just need to send someone to keep an eye on the Dark Hall, and we'll see him sooner or later.
"Whether to court them or wait and see, it's not too late to decide after we meet."
"You're right."
Ning Fengzhi stood up and walked to the window. Outside the window was the exquisite courtyard of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, with artificial hills, flowing water, and bamboo groves, creating a tranquil scene.
But he knew that this tranquility wouldn't last long.
The Spirit Hall's dominance has lasted for far too long, and Xiao Yan's emergence is likely to be the first domino to break this dominance.
"Send someone to keep an eye on the Dark Hall, but remember, they can only observe from a distance, and must not disturb them."
Especially Zhu Zhuqing, who has been operating in the shadows for so long, is very sensitive to any slight movement.
She and Rongrong were already good friends, which was an advantage for us.
If we send people too close, it might cause her to misunderstand. If that happens, she won't be able to distinguish friend from foe, and we'll suffer more losses than gains."
Their conversation was interrupted by soft footsteps outside the door. The footsteps were very light and delicate, with a lightness unique to young girls, and made a slight creaking sound on the wooden planks of the corridor.
The footsteps stopped at the study door. A moment later, the door was pushed open a crack, and a head peeked out from the gap.
It was Ning Rongrong.
Compared to two years ago, Ning Rongrong has blossomed into a beautiful young woman.
She had shed the childishness and spoiled nature of her youth, gaining instead the poise and elegance of a well-bred young lady, but her bright, expressive eyes remained as luminous as ever.
She wore a light green long dress with the unique glass pagoda pattern of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School embroidered on the hem. Her long, black hair was half up and half down, with a small glass hairpin tucked behind her ear.
She was carrying a tray with two steaming cups of ginseng tea on it, which she had brewed herself.
But at this moment, her gaze was fixed on the secret report spread out on her father's desk.
She had only come to deliver ginseng tea to her father and Uncle Gu.
As I approached the door, I vaguely heard the words " Spirit City " and " Pope's Palace " coming from the study, so I unconsciously slowed my pace.
She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on adults' conversations, but the words they used were so shocking that she couldn't control her curiosity.
When she heard her father mention the name " Xiao Yan," her heart skipped a beat, and she almost dropped the tray in her hands.
" Rongrong, what brings you here?"
When Ning Fengzhi saw his daughter, the expression on his face softened slightly.
Ning Rongrong placed the ginseng tea on the table. The two cups of ginseng tea landed steadily on the table. Her movements were very light and steady, but her eyes had not left the secret report since she entered the room.
Her fingers rubbed against the edge of the tray a couple of times, she bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment before asking.
"Father, Uncle Gu, the person you were just talking about... was it Xiao Yan?"
Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi exchanged a glance.
Gu Rong sighed softly; he knew this little girl's temperament.
He said in a deep voice:
" Rongrong, you've grown up now, I don't need to hide these things from you."
Based on current intelligence, the mysterious expert in Spirit City is very likely Xiao Yan.
But don't get too excited, this matter is not completely confirmed yet.
Many powerful individuals on the continent possess unique flames; it may not necessarily be him.
Ning Rongrong's heart skipped a beat.
She blurted it out almost instinctively, her tone carrying a hint of certainty:
I knew it was him.
"Besides him, who else would have such audacity?"
When Ning Rongrong said this, her tone was filled with excitement and certainty.
A hint of excitement appeared on her face; it was clear she was very happy.
But then, as if she had thought of something, a faint sadness flashed across her bright eyes, along with a hint of disappointment that she herself was unwilling to admit.
Ning Rongrong lowered her eyelashes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of her skirt, creating a fine crease in the pale green fabric.
She tilted her head slightly before continuing:
"It's good that he's back. Zhu Zhuqing has waited for him for so long, and it's finally come to fruition."
Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter's appearance and sighed silently.
He didn't say much, but simply reached out and gently patted his daughter's shoulder.
There are some things that a father sees but doesn't need to say.
Deep within the imperial palace of Heaven Dou City, in the Crown Prince 'Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Qian Renxue sat at her desk, holding a secret report in her hand, a cryptic smile slowly curving her lips.
She wore a bright yellow prince's court robe, her long hair tied up on top of her head, and her exquisitely beautiful face carried a complex expression that only she herself could understand.
Outside the window is the exquisite courtyard of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, with artificial hills and flowing water, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and occasionally the chirping of birds coming from behind the artificial hills.
But she was already used to these things, and at this moment all her attention was focused on that thin secret report.
She infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire under the identity of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, proceeding cautiously step by step.
From her initial cautious probing to her current ease and control, she has long since firmly grasped most of the power in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
The Heaven Dou Emperor trusted her greatly as the "Crown Prince," the court officials praised her highly, and even the old fox Ning Fengzhi never doubted her identity.
During this long period of infiltration, she paid a price that most people could not imagine.
But at this moment, this confidential report made her hands tremble slightly.
The Spirit Hall is her home.
Although that "home" didn't offer her any warmth.
Bibi Dong was her mother, even though that woman treated her with a coldness that bordered on indifference.
With the Pope's Palace destroyed, as the daughter of the Pope of the Spirit Hall and the successor of the Angel God, she should have been furious and should have immediately mobilized her forces to track down the culprit.
But at this moment, she was surprisingly calm, and even felt a faint, suppressed pleasure.
Bibi Dong always maintained a haughty and arrogant attitude in front of her, never giving her a second glance.
From childhood to adulthood, her mother always had only one expression in her memory.
indifferent.
No matter how much she achieved, no matter how well she performed in the angel assessment, Bibi Dong would only nod coldly, refusing to even utter a single "not bad."
Now, the dome of the Pope's Palace has been cleaved in two by a single sword strike, and that arrogant woman has been humiliated in front of everyone.
Qian Renxue admitted that she did feel a bit of schadenfreude.
But what concerned her even more was Xiao Yan himself.
She recalled that more than two years ago, she had started monitoring the Shrek Academy members because she was suspicious of Tang San's identity.
However, they inadvertently witnessed Dai Mubai and Yu Xiaogang turning against Xiao Yan.
She only intervened to save Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing because she was temporarily interested in the Twin Martial Souls within Xiao Yan.
Afterwards, Xiao Yan joined the Spirit Hall and made rapid progress.
Ji Benyan replaced Hu Liena and Xie Yue as the leading figure among the younger generation of the Spirit Hall.
During the Soul Master Tournament, he led the elites of the Spirit Hall to sweep through all the major sects, and even the Shrek Seven Devils were defeated in front of him.
In hindsight, her intuition was right.
Now, Xiao Yan has gone from being chased by Bibi Dong to being able to cleave the Pope's Palace in two with a single sword strike.
This rate of growth has completely exceeded common sense.
His future is probably unstoppable, even by Bibi Dong.
Qian Renxue pondered for a moment, then burned the secret report over the Zhu Huo.
The flames licked at the parchment, slowly turning the words into ashes.
The firelight illuminated her face, making the smile on her lips appear even deeper.
She then reached out and pressed a hidden compartment on the side of the desk. The compartment was cleverly concealed, hidden in an inconspicuous seam where the desk leg met the tabletop.
The moment the finger pressed down, a very subtle fluctuation of Soul Power emanated from the hidden compartment, and then a small drawer on the side of the desk silently slid open.
A moment later, a black figure silently slipped in through the side door of the study.
The man was completely covered in black, with only his sharp eyes visible.
The man in black knelt on one knee, saying nothing, simply bowing his head and awaiting instructions.
"Send this message to Zhu Zhuqing in the north of the city."