He understood this better than anyone else.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect primarily employs Auxiliary System Auxiliary System Soul Master Soul Master, whose cultivation speed is inherently much slower than that of combat-type Soul Master.
A Soul Emperor elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect cultivated from level sixty-one to level sixty-three.
Normally, this process would take several years or even more than a decade. But this tiny pill can shorten the process to just a few hours.
If given to highly talented young disciples, it means they might be able to develop into Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level!
He reached out and picked up the black jade bottle, then uncorked it.
A medicinal fragrance, far richer and purer than that of the Mysterious Yang Pill, instantly filled the air, enveloping the entire rest room in a light medicinal mist.
Ning Fengzhi probed his Soul Power into the bottle, allowing it to slowly seep into the dark golden pill.
The moment the Soul Power touched the surface of the pill, it was repelled by a gentle yet powerful force. If the energy in the Mysterious Yang Pill was an exquisite energy tower, then the energy in the Barrier-Breaking Pill was a majestic energy mountain.
He put the cork back in and placed the black jade bottle back on the coffee table.
His expression finally changed at that moment.
"Good."
Ning Fengzhi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute determination.
" Hall Master Xiao, I agree to form an alliance with you. But I have one condition—you can keep this Barrier-Breaking Pill for yourself, or leave it for the core members of the Dark Hall."
The stronger the Dark Hall is, the stronger the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's allies will be.
As for the matter of providing shelter, I will keep my word.
From this day forward, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is an ally of the Dark Hall. should the Spirit Hall attack the Dark Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Titled Douluo will arrive immediately.
Xiao Yan remained silent for a long time.
He hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to refuse the Barrier-Breaking Pill.
He had originally thought that Ning Fengzhi would accept the pill as a token of the alliance between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Dark Hall. But he never expected that Ning Fengzhi would refuse, telling him to keep it for himself.
" Sect Master Ning, Xiao Yan will remember this favor."
They successfully reached a cooperation agreement with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
After the auction ended, Xiao Yan quickly led Zhu Zhuqing to move everyone in the Dark Hall.
After all, staying in Heaven Dou City for an extended period of time is not a viable solution.
The courtyard was ultimately too small, making it inconvenient for them to come and go.
As for the location, it was inside a mountain range not far from Heaven Dou City.
Since you belong to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Spirit Hall will not conduct a deliberate search.
Moreover, it's not far from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so even if something unexpected happens, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo can arrive in time to provide assistance.
Moreover, there is a former noble estate on that mountain range, which can be easily converted into the headquarters of the Dark Hall after a simple cleaning.
The manor is nestled against the continuous mountain range of Cangling, with a natural waterfall cascading down its slopes.
Dozens of disciples sent by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect worked tirelessly for several days in the manor, helping the Dark Hall complete all the renovation projects.
On the evening the main building of the manor Luo Cheng, Ning Fengzhi and Xiao Yan stood side by side on the corridor on the second floor of the main building.
The setting sun bathed the entire manor in a magnificent golden-red hue, and the mist from the waterfall refracted into two overlapping rainbows.
In the plaza, disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were exchanging sparring techniques with members of the Dark Hall. Although the two groups came from very different backgrounds, they were as harmonious as fellow disciples at this moment.
" Hall Master Xiao, you now have a foothold, allies, and the trump card of elixirs."
The Dark Hall's rapid growth is nothing short of a miracle even on the entire Douluo Continent. However—"
Ning Fengzhi the subject, his tone becoming more serious.
"If you want to protect the people you want to protect, and if you want to truly establish yourself on this continent, one Mysterious Yang Pill is not enough."
You need greater power.
We both know that the Spirit Hall will not stand idly by and watch the Dark Hall grow stronger.
Bibi Dong's injuries will heal sooner or later, and the Spirit Hall's revenge will come sooner or later.
By then, Medicine Gang you, and allies can help you temporarily, but not forever.
The only thing that can truly protect you is your own strength.
Xiao Yan did not refute.
He leaned against the corridor railing, watching the crowd gradually disperse in the square, and remained silent for a long time.
Although Ning Fengzhi's words were straightforward, every single one of them was true.
Then he turned his head and looked at Ning Fengzhi, his gaze calm and firm:
" Sect Master Ning, you are very knowledgeable."
Do you know of any place where someone can be completely transformed in the shortest amount of time—even if the price is a near-death experience?
Ning Fengzhi paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that the evening breeze in the corridor made his sleeves flutter gently. Finally, he placed his teacup on the railing and slowly uttered four words:
" The Slaughter City."
"It's a hell created specifically for killing; those who enter the Slaughter City have only two fates."
Awaken amidst the carnage, or die within it.
There are no rules, no order, no laws there; the only principle is survival.
It is said that there is a special power there that can unleash a person's potential on the brink of life and death, allowing those who survive to be reborn.
Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao, emerged from there, Bibi Dong also once entered the Slaughter City.
Ning Fengzhi spoke to Xiao Yan:
"I don't recommend you go. With your current talent, you'll be able to grow in just a few years."
Even the Spirit Hall wouldn't forcefully take action against you.
Once you have the strength, your foundation will naturally grow gradually.
The death rate in the Slaughter City exceeds 90%.
Of those who go in, not one out of ten survives.
Once inside, life and death are in the hands of fate.
Xiao Yan pondered Ning Fengzhi's words for a long time.
Ultimately, he made his decision.
Time, that's what he lacks most right now.
Moreover, he had personally witnessed the strength of Tang Hao and Bibi Dong. The fact that both of them could stand at the pinnacle of the continent and had been to the Slaughter City was enough to show that although this place was terrifying, it also offered great opportunities.
When Zhu Zhuqing learned that Xiao Yan planned to go to the Slaughter City, she didn't offer any words of dissuasion, but calmly uttered six words:
I'll go with you.
Xiao Yan originally wanted to refuse, but looking into Zhu Zhuqing's calm and indifferent eyes, all the words of refusal stuck in his throat.
He knew that this decision was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather her consistent style of doing things.
She would never use tears or pleas to keep someone; she would only show them through her actions: Wherever you go, I will go too.
Now that the Dark Hall has reached a cooperation agreement with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it's alright for Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing to leave temporarily.
After arranging everything in the Dark Hall, the two hurried northwest.
The two obtained some information about the Slaughter City from Ning Fengzhi.
They also learned how to enter it.
On the evening of the fourth day, as the two rested briefly in a dense forest, Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power slowly circulated along her meridians.
Xiao Yan sat opposite her, leaning against another ancient tree, playing with a pebble he had picked up from the roadside in his hand, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Zhu Zhuqing's face.
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled light and shadow on her deep purple outfit.
Suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power surged without warning.
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in her clear, cold eyes.
She looked down at her hands; a faint, dim light seemed to emanate from her fingertips.
That was her Soul Power leaking out uncontrollably.
Xiao Yan appeared beside her almost at the same moment.
His Spiritual Soul Power precisely probed into her meridians, tracing their path to the past.
Within her dantian, the vortex of Soul Power was spinning nearly twice as fast as usual, each rotation sending even more Soul Power into her meridians.
"It seems you're about to break through." A smile appeared on Xiao Yan's lips.
"Your Soul Power has accumulated enough; now it's just a matter of time before it comes to fruition."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but simply closed her eyes again.
Her breathing adjusted to a very special frequency in just a few breaths, a habit she had developed over a long period of practice.
Guided by her, the Soul Power within her body began to systematically impact those loose bottlenecks along the meridians.
Each impact sent a slight jolt through her body, but her expression remained calm, with only the fine beads of sweat on her forehead betraying the pressure she was under.
This process lasted for about half an hour.
When she broke through the final bottleneck, an even more powerful surge of Soul Power erupted from her body.
Her aura surged dramatically in that instant, scattering the surrounding fallen leaves in all directions.
Level 60, breakthrough!
It has been almost two years since Xiao Yan first went to the Dou Qi Continent.
Zhu Zhuqing has officially entered the Soul Emperor Realm!
Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing's breathing gradually stabilized, Xiao Yan sat down cross-legged opposite her again, his voice steady and resolute.
You still need to acquire your Sixth Soul Ring.
There should be a suitable Soul Beast around here. Rest for the night, and we'll go Soul Hunting first thing tomorrow morning.
After you break through, I will protect you and give you a Three Yang Blazing Fire Pill, which will allow your Soul Power Level to directly break through to level sixty-two!
Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, her clear, cold eyes reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun.
She nodded, without saying anything more.
Xiao Yan had long been accustomed to her taciturn nature; her actions always spoke louder than words.
The next morning, the two rode into the depths of the dense forest.
This primeval forest stretches for hundreds of miles, rarely visited by humans, with ancient trees reaching for the sky.
The tree canopy blocked out most of the sunlight, with only a few rays of light stubbornly squeezing through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the forest floor.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of humus and the territorial markings left by various Soul Beast.
Those ancient and wild scents intertwined in the air, creating an atmosphere that instinctively made people uneasy.
They range from ten years, a hundred years, to a thousand years, and are mostly concentrated in the outer areas of dense forests.
Soul Beast that are over ten thousand years old mostly hide deep in the valleys. Their auras are more concealed and hidden, but they cannot escape Xiao Yan's soul detection.
The two ventured deeper into the valley, avoiding several territories of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that did not match Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul.
Zhu Zhuqing moved nimbly through the dense forest, making almost no sound.
Her Serene Moon Love Shadow Cat Martial Soul is known for its stealth and speed, and she is even more at home in this dense forest. Every step she takes is on the softest moss, and every leap lands precisely on the next branch.
Xiao Yan followed behind her, his Twin Flame Wings folded behind him, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.
About an hour later, the dense forest ahead suddenly became dark.
The trees had become thicker and older, their trunks covered with dense vines, and a cold, damp atmosphere filled the air.
There's something strange ahead.
Xiao Yan lowered his voice, using his Spiritual Soul Power to accurately transmit the terrain ahead into his mind.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, leaned forward slightly, lightly touched the branch with her toes, and silently landed on the ground like a falling leaf.
Her movements were completely silent, not even disturbing the wind in the forest.
Just then, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from the shadow of the boulder.
It was a black lynx only half the height of a person, its entire body covered in dark, short fur, almost blending into the darkness in the shadows.
Its eyes were a pure dark purple, with upright pupils that emitted a cold and eerie light.
What's most frightening is its movement; it doesn't run on the ground, but leaps between shadows.
The instant it disappears from one shadow, it simultaneously emerges from another, so fast that it is almost impossible to detect with the naked eye; one can only track its movement by relying on perception.
Shadow Spirit Cat.
With 20,000 years of cultivation, it is an extremely rare type of shadow-type Soul Beast.
Its attack power isn't the strongest, but its speed and stealth abilities are top-tier among Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
What Xiao Yan cared about even more was that the Soul Ring of such Soul Beast were extremely precious to Agility Attack System Soul Master.
The Soul Skill it grants are usually related to Shadow Traversal or instantaneous bursts, which perfectly compensate for Zhu Zhuqing's shortcomings in assassination methods.
A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes the instant she saw the Shadow Spirit Cat.
Her intuition told her that this Soul Beast was extremely compatible with her.
The Serene Moon Love Shadow Cat and the Shadow Spirit Cat are both feline Soul Beast of the same origin, and their attributes are highly compatible.
If she can absorb the Shadow Spirit Cat's Soul Ring, her Sixth Soul Skill will undergo a qualitative leap.
The Shadow Spirit Cat clearly sensed the threat posed by Zhu Zhuqing.
Its body arched slightly, its dark purple vertical pupils fixed on Zhu Zhuqing, and it let out a very low growl.
The roar wasn't loud, but it was extremely sharp, as if it could pierce through eardrums and drill into the brain.
Its figure then flashed in the shadows and vanished without a trace.
Zhu Zhuqing moved at the same moment. Her body shot out like a purple lightning bolt, and her Fourth Soul Ring lit up beneath her feet.
" Netherworld Shadow Clone!"
Her figure split into four afterimages in an instant, each of them rushing off in a different direction, blocking the three most likely escape routes for the Shadow Spirit Cat.