The three spirit bones were quickly distributed: the Spirit-Consolidating Wisdom Skull went to Chen Feng, the Flame-Burst Right Arm Bone to Yu Tianlong, and the Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone to Zhu Zhuqing.
No one voiced any objections to this arrangement—it had been allocated according to the most optimal attribute compatibility. Besides, the two bones other than the skull had essentially been ceded by Chen Feng himself. For the others, getting one was worth celebrating, but not getting one wasn't a big deal either. They had already mentally prepared to give them up.
Under the officiation of the Spirit Hall, this tournament officially came to a close. Spectators and competitors began filing out of the venue in an orderly fashion.
Ning Fengzhi walked over with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo at his side. Now that the competition was over, there was no need to avoid public association.
The sect that gained the most from this tournament was, without question, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Both Ning Rongrong and Chen Feng hailed from it—one the daughter of the current sect master, the other the grandson of a Guardian Elder. With backgrounds like these, no other sect could hope to poach them.
Even before Chen Feng had entered the field, Ning Rongrong's nine-tiered pagoda had already drawn countless eyes, even that of Pope Bibi Dong herself.
"Good boy! You didn't let me down!"
Sword Douluo strode up and gave Chen Feng a hearty pat on the shoulder. The man who was usually reserved and stone-faced now grinned widely, completely disregarding his usual image.
Bone Douluo, standing beside him, curled his lip. "Tch, look at you."
Ning Fengzhi, ever the picture of grace, hugged his daughter before turning to Chen Feng with a sigh. "You young ones grow so quickly. Before I realized it, I'm already feeling old—time to step down, perhaps."
Ning Rongrong giggled. "If you step down, will you make me sect master?"
"Of course!" Ning Fengzhi ruffled her hair. "Only if you take over can our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue. "I was only joking! I don't want to be sect master. I'm still young—I haven't had enough fun yet!"
Ning Fengzhi rubbed his forehead helplessly before sweeping his gaze over the others. "What about the rest of you? Now that you've won the championship, what are your plans?"
Yu Tianlong spoke first. "Actually, before the finals, my clan sent people to speak with me. They want me to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. So I'll most likely be going back."
In the match against Thunder Academy, Yu Tianlong had finally faced Yu Tianxin in a fair battle—Flame Holy Dragon versus Thunder Dragon.
The result was decisive: Yu Tianlong, whose martial soul had long since evolved into the Flame Holy Dragon, crushed Yu Tianxin without effort. This shocking performance had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan scrambling. They even sent Second Clan Master Luo Yumin personally to negotiate with him, a clear sign of how much they now valued him.
Though the clan had once deeply wronged him, it was still his birthplace. He still had relatives and siblings there—it wasn't possible to sever all ties completely.
Moreover, the clan's sincerity was undeniable. They had directly named him as a candidate for the next clan leader, placing him second only to the elders. Under such circumstances, the past was unlikely to repeat itself.
Ning Fengzhi nodded. Yu Tianlong was now the most prized direct disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and there was no way he could interfere in that future.
He turned his gaze to the others.
Yang Dianfeng stood side-by-side with Chen Feng, their temperaments oddly similar—both were reserved and cool.
Ning Fengzhi smiled and shook his head. He would have liked to invite Yang Dianfeng, but the young man had his clan. Word was that Yang Wudi had already promised that if he won the championship, he would be appointed the next patriarch of the Breaking Clan.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes shifted to Feng Tao and Zhu Zhuqing.
As expected, each of them had strong family backgrounds and could not leave their clans. How could they possibly join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly. He had hoped to recruit several prodigies for the future of the sect, but it was proving far more difficult than he had imagined.
Just then, Oscar, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly spoke up. "Sect Master Ning, can I join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"Oh?" Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Truthfully, because of his daughter, he had never considered Oscar a viable candidate, at least not until the latter proved he could protect Ning Rongrong.
After all, as the greatest auxiliary-type sect in the world, they hardly lacked auxiliary-type spirit masters.
However, Oscar truly had worked hard. To reach this level at sixteen as a mere food-type spirit master—whose cultivation path was far harder than that of battle-type spirit masters—spoke volumes. The effort he had poured into just being worthy of Ning Rongrong was evident.
"Oscar, you… Sigh, very well. I agree to let you join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. But don't forget our wager." Ning Fengzhi's tone was firm.
Oscar's eyes lit up instantly. He clenched his fist and pumped it down in a silent cheer.
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly, though when he looked at his daughter, there was a flicker of apology in his eyes.
How could he not want to let the young people choose love freely? But for the sake of the sect's future, he had no choice.
Ning Fengzhi, oh Ning Fengzhi…
He hated himself for such calculated behavior.
After a moment of distraction, Ning Fengzhi turned back to Chen Feng. The boy had already refused the title of Guardian Elder once, which left him unsure of how to proceed.
How could he bind Chen Feng to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
With Chen Feng's potential, reaching Title Douluo was almost certain, and he might even surpass Sword Douluo.
Ning Fengzhi couldn't bear to let such a terrifying combat force slip away. Unless Chen Feng was firmly tied to the sect, he would never feel at ease.
It was as if Chen Feng could read his thoughts. His eyes were clear yet carried an ancient depth, impossible to read—even for Ning Fengzhi.
"Uncle Ning, if you ask me, the future may not be as bright as it seems. I mean… the storm is coming. We must prepare early."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, some glanced toward the Pope's Palace. This was Spirit Hall's home turf, after all.
Chen Feng's meaning was obvious. In the soul master world, who but Spirit Hall had the power to stir up such a storm?
At that moment, Prince Xue Xing and Dugu Bo arrived together.