Ning Tian's words contained both a pessimistic judgment, bordering on despair, regarding the current world situation, and an unreserved articulation of the need for Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and the entire core strength of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
This was an extremely calm calculation, based on the interests of the sect's survival and development.
However, deep within her heart, there was an even more important goal that transcended the immediate combat power of the Sword and Bone Douluo—Ning Rongrong.
This ancestor, who possessed the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit, was the true jewel that represented the sect's limitless future.
As long as she could safely bring Ning Rongrong back to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, then passing down the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit would no longer be a distant dream, but a tangible reality within reach.
The thought of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School potentially having a stable lineage of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit in the future made Ning Tian's heart involuntarily race, and an uncontrollable excitement surged within her.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was already one of the continent's top auxiliary tool spirits, allowing the sect to stand tall for ten thousand years. What about the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which was a level higher and could be called heaven-defying?
Its future was simply thrilling and unimaginable.
She almost dared not dwell on the thought: to what height would the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School rise once it possessed the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit lineage?
By that time, even the Body Sect, which was currently overwhelmingly dominant within the Heaven Dou Empire and suppressed numerous other sects, might no longer be an unshakable behemoth.
As the Young Mistress of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Tian was more mature than her peers and had a clearer understanding of the difficulties and pressures her sect currently faced.
The reason for their forced low-profile and forbearance was not unrelated to the Body Sect's overwhelming power.
Therefore, her greatest ambition on this trip was to bring back the Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, two powerhouses capable of altering the sect's high-end combat structure, as well as Ning Rongrong, the living treasure who represented the sect's future potential.
The two Title Douluo were the immediate combat power to solve the current predicament, while Ning Rongrong was the future of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.
To increase her bargaining chips and to demonstrate the depth and strength they possessed to their ancestors, Ning Tian's mind stirred, and she softly called out, "Jeanne d'Arc."
As her voice fell, the originally gentle light within the courtyard seemed to be infused with a sacred essence, suddenly becoming brighter and purer. A warm, reassuring atmosphere diffused into the air.
In the next moment, space rippled faintly. A young girl, clad in exquisite silver-blue armor with golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, appeared in response to the summons. Her figure slowly materialized from faintness to solidity from the void, silently appearing beside Ning Tian.
She was the Saintess, Jeanne d'Arc.
Her eyes, as clear blue as a sunny sky and as deep as the deepest lake, were pure and untainted by the slightest dust. The unwavering determination contained within them seemed capable of piercing through all confusion and darkness.
Simply by standing there, she naturally exuded a magnificent aura of sanctity, order, and protection. This aura was not aggressive, but like warm sunlight dispelling the chill, instantly soothing the taut nerves of everyone present due to the heavy topic, and filling the entire space.
"It's her!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong both let out low cries simultaneously. The eyes of the two battle-hardened Title Douluo instantly became extremely sharp, and their bodies subconsciously leaned forward slightly, entering a state of alert.
They would never mistake her.
That day in Heaven Dou City, facing Qian Renxue's overwhelming and suffocating god-level pressure, it was precisely two powerful auras that emerged from nowhere, forcibly intervening.
One of them was the aura emanating from this very young girl—sacred, vast, and filled with the power of light and unshakeable conviction.
It was this power that made Qian Renxue, the Angel God who had already ascended to godhood, show a hint of apprehension and consideration at the last moment. She ultimately chose restraint, allowing their battered and weakened group to narrowly break out of the encirclement and be preserved.
"This is Jeanne d'Arc, a dear friend and my most important partner, to whom I can entrust my life and death."
Ning Tian introduced her at the opportune moment, her tone filled with trust.
"During the breakout in Heaven Dou City, it was she and another companion, Lady Aglaea, who jointly released their aura, deterring Qian Renxue and buying us precious time to survive."
Ning Fengzhi's heart immediately swelled with joy upon hearing this.
A powerhouse capable of making a newly ascended deity feel apprehension and hesitate to act, her power level must absolutely transcend the scope of a regular Titled Douluo. Even if she had not truly stepped into the god realm, she must be extremely close, possessing some means to counter divine might.
Having such a powerful being on Ning Tian's side undoubtedly greatly enhanced the credibility and weight of all her words. It also more directly proved that they indeed possessed power beyond the conventional limits of this world, and were capable of executing the astonishing plan of inter-world transfer.
"What Ning Tian says is true."
Jeanne d'Arc's clear and penetrating voice rang out. Her sky-blue eyes swept over Ning Fengzhi and the others, conveying a sense of calm.
"That Angel God's power is pure and immense. Furthermore, she is still in the rapid ascension phase of integrating her godhood and is far from reaching the peak and limit of her power. If you continue to stay in this world and resist head-on, unless you choose to bend the knee and submit to the rule of the Spirit Empire, then... with your current strength, it will be extremely difficult to find a real path to survival."
She had promised Ning Tian to help persuade them, but she did not exaggerate, basing her judgment on the facts.
Even facing a deity from another world, she preferred not to clash head-on unless absolutely necessary.
If she could persuade Ning Fengzhi and the others to leave peacefully, it would undoubtedly be the best outcome for the current situation.
As for Shrek Academy and Xuan Zi's group, Jeanne d'Arc could vaguely sense that although they had ideas about this world's godhood inheritance, their core goal remained finding a way to return to their own timeline.
After all, no one could predict what earth-shattering changes might have occurred in their world during the time they had been away.
Ning Fengzhi fell into a long silence, his brows tightly furrowed into a 'chuan' character, his fingers unconsciously tracing the delicate wood grain on the armrest of his chair.
To abandon the Douluo Continent, which they had managed and lived on for generations, and migrate the entire sect to a completely unfamiliar world ten thousand years in the future, based solely on Ning Tian and Jeanne d'Arc's descriptions?
The variables, risks, and uncertainties involved were simply too numerous.
Would that world truly offer space for the sect's development, as they claimed? Could the thousands of sect disciples, along with their families, adapt to a completely different environment and set of rules?
Could this be escaping the wolf's den only to stumble blindly into another unknown tiger's mouth? Moreover... it was difficult to leave one's homeland.
This affection for one's native soil, rooted in the bloodline and steeped in the soul, along with the instinctive fear of an unknown future, could not be easily counteracted or erased by simple calculation of interests.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze complex as he looked at the earnest and determined Ning Tian and the silently standing, sacred-aural Jeanne d'Arc. His voice, betraying the intense struggle within him, was slightly hoarse and heavy.
"Little Tian, Miss Jeanne d'Arc... the information and proposal you bring are truly... too astonishing. They concern the lives and future prospects of thousands of disciples of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. With such a momentous decision, please forgive Fengzhi for being unable to make a hasty commitment right now. I need time. I need to summon all the core elders and stewards of the sect, and I need to discuss this with them. After all... it is hard to leave one's homeland, and the road ahead is boundless and unknown."
Ning Tian completely understood Ning Fengzhi's concerns and struggle. She nodded solemnly.
"I understand. This matter concerns the survival and prosperity of the sect; ancestor, you must consider and deliberate carefully."
With that, she took out an exquisitely designed communication soul tool, which flashed with faint soul tool runes, and presented it with both hands.
"This is the communication soul tool I carry with me. If ancestor has any questions or makes a decision, you can contact me through it anytime. I will surely tell you everything I know, without reserve."
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi also took out his own communication soul tool from his storage soul tool—the one he usually used to handle sect affairs, which he had purchased from the Jade Pavilion.
When the two soul tools from different timelines successfully exchanged communication codes and clearly showed that a stable connection could be established, the eyes of Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong instantly narrowed.
This indirectly confirmed an astonishing fact—that mysterious Jade Pavilion's technology and creations were indeed from the same world as Ning Tian's group.
Ning Tian knew that the most important seed had been successfully sown. Next, she needed to give this wise and steady ancestor enough time and space to slowly digest the massive amount of information and to weigh the two sides of the scale that concerned the sect's destiny.
And the powerful strength and unique existence form that Jeanne d'Arc displayed, which could make even a deity apprehensive, undoubtedly added a weighty factor to the option of migration.
"Also, there is one thing that might be worth noting."
Seeing that Ning Tian had initially achieved the main purpose of her visit, Jeanne d'Arc spoke again, offering new information that successfully drew the curious gazes of Ning Fengzhi and the others.
"During this period, Lady Aglaea and I collaborated to attempt to clear a medium-sized corruption point nearby. During the purification process, we clearly felt a noticeable increase and refinement in our own strength. This confirms Lady Aglaea's previous speculation—the energy essence contained within these corruption points and the nature of our Servant existence are very likely homotypic."
"Servant?"
Ning Fengzhi keenly caught the unfamiliar term, and confusion showed in his eyes.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi and the others' incomprehension, Ning Tian felt there was no need to conceal the matter. She succinctly explained the concept of the Holy Grail War and the unique nature of Servants as beings condensed from negative energy.
Learning that Jeanne d'Arc was a Servant from another world, constructed from special energy and not a traditional being of flesh and blood, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong exchanged glances, all seeing unconcealed shock in the other's eyes.
This completely overturned their understanding of life forms.
"Father."
Ning Rongrong suddenly blinked her large eyes and tugged at Ning Fengzhi's sleeve, her pretty face full of surprise.
"Don't you think... Miss Jeanne d'Arc's form of existence sounds a little... familiar?"
Prompted by his daughter, a flash of insight struck Ning Fengzhi, and his expression instantly became solemn.
"You're right. The energy composition Miss Jeanne d'Arc described is fundamentally similar to the negative energy entities born from the corruption points, which know only destruction and devouring. The only difference is that... those negative energy entities are chaotic, violent, devoid of any reason or intellect, like beasts, while Miss Jeanne d'Arc possesses complete wisdom, a clear will, and noble character."
"Regarding this, we have reached a preliminary conclusion."
Jeanne d'Arc affirmed their observation, a look of understanding flashing in her sky-blue eyes.
"Based on the investigation and analysis by Lady Aglaea and myself, we and the beings born from those corruption points indeed stem from the same power foundation."
"If we, who possess complete consciousness and form, are called Servants, then they, perhaps, can be called Shadow Servants."
Jeanne d'Arc elaborated on their findings.
"It is precisely because of this homotypy that when we purify those Shadow Servants and the corruption points they occupy, the refined, homotypic energy scattered within can be safely absorbed and converted by us, becoming the resources to strengthen ourselves. Moreover, this strengthening does not seem to have a clear upper limit constraint for now."
Hearing Jeanne d'Arc's explanation, Ning Fengzhi and the others fell silent again, exchanging shocked and complicated glances.
The seemingly independent anomalies of the two worlds—the Holy Grail War and the corruption points—their roots actually pointed to the same power that transcended understanding?
The truth behind this was chilling to contemplate, and it also made them feel a stronger curiosity and a trace of indescribable apprehension toward the world ten thousand years in the future from which Ning Tian came.
The temporary accommodation arranged by the Star Luo Empire for Xuan Zi's group was simpler and more practical than the carefully arranged courtyard of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. However, it also conveniently isolated them from external disturbances, forming its own tranquil space.
In a guest room where a simple soundproofing soul tool barrier had been set up, Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, and Aglaea, whose figure was ethereal and whose aura was as profound and mysterious as the starry sky, were sitting around a plain wooden table.
The atmosphere in the room was entirely different from the solemnity on Ning Tian's side, carrying a sense of leisure.
Han Ruoruo's slender fingers gently turned the pages of a book on the continent's geography, but her gaze was not entirely focused on the text.
She spoke faintly, "Elder Xuan's attitude, Xiaotao, you must have felt it too. Godhood inheritance... the significance of this for our era, which has not seen a deity appear for ten thousand years, goes without saying. Elder Xuan and the others probably won't let go of this opportunity. We... also need to prepare accordingly as soon as possible."
Hearing this, a trace of unconcealed arrogance and rebelliousness flashed in Ma Xiaotao's fiery red eyes, which seemed to be burning with flames.
She lazily folded her arms, leaning back against the chair, her tone candid, even mixed with a few hints of contempt:
"Sister Ruoruo, do I even need to feel it? It's obvious."
The corner of her mouth curled into a slightly sarcastic arc.
"The so-called 'ancestors' are merely counterparts in this parallel world who coincidentally share similar names and martial spirits with those recorded in our historical texts. Just because they bear the names recorded in our history, should we hand over this godhood opportunity, which is within reach and could change our destiny, and willingly be their supporting cast?"
Ma Xiaotao was indeed disdainful of the so-called ancestor.
That fat man named Ma Hongjun was far removed from the image of the brilliant and mighty ancestor she had imagined, and his strength was a great disappointment to her—incredibly weak.
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