Chapter 169: The Power of the Spirit Hall
To what Chrysanthemum Douluo had said, Qian Renxue directly rejected it.
"Chrysanthemum Elder, everything should still be based on the big picture. You should know the relationship between Yang Xiong and Lin Gong. Over the years, it's always been Lin Gong protecting Yang Xiong, and you've had a long-standing conflict with him. I'm afraid this could create heresy later on."
Chrysanthemum Douluo reluctantly nodded. Although he valued the Miracle Herb, he valued his loyalty to the Spirit Hall even more.
Xue Qinghe continued, "By the way, Chrysanthemum Elder, you just said Yang Xiong consumed the Miracle Herb. What effects does it have? How does it compare to my Water Immortal Jade Skin Bone?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo replied, "According to legend, consuming the Miracle Herb can stimulate the limbs, unblock the eight meridians, and help one cultivate an indestructible body."
"From my secret observation of Yang Xiong's condition, he must have just consumed the Miracle Herb not long ago, but his physical constitution is likely far superior to that of a soul master of the same level. His cultivation talent has likely increased significantly."
"Compared to the Miracle Herb and Water Immortal Jade Skin Bone, they each have their strengths. They're similar in some ways, but the Miracle Herb is more aggressive and domineering, while the Water Immortal Jade Skin Bone is relatively gentler. If we only look at soul power enhancement, the Water Immortal Jade Skin Bone should be better."
Chrysanthemum Douluo quickly shared his thoughts on these two spirit herbs, but he didn't know that there was a deeper connection between them, given how rare spirit herbs were.
Xue Qinghe nodded, "That's true, it's still good to get a spirit herb for nothing. But I still feel like Yang Xiong is up to something."
After leaving Heaven Dou City, Yang Xiong headed straight back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, even accelerating his speed to the utmost.
Back at the top floor of Yuexuan earlier, Yang Xiong could clearly sense a special aura.
This aura was very subtle; even a Title Douluo might not have noticed it.
However, since Yang Xiong had consumed the Miracle Herb before, he was very familiar with its unique aura. This meant that besides him and Xue Qinghe, Chrysanthemum Douluo was also likely present.
Yang Xiong didn't doubt Chrysanthemum Douluo's obsession with spirit herbs, which was why he had decided to return to the sect quickly.
Once back at the sect, Yang Xiong immediately sought out Ning Fengzhi.
After years of careful observation and analysis, Yang Xiong realized that major events on the Douluo Continent generally followed the original storyline. This meant that if he didn't intervene directly, history would likely follow its usual course.
In other words, within less than a year, the Spirit Hall would launch the Soul Hunting operation, and that would mark the true destruction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Yang Xiong had already analyzed this war based on the original text.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's failure was primarily due to two things: an internal traitor leaking information and the strength of the enemy.
The internal traitor was likely Qian Renxue, who had hidden the movement of the Spirit Hall's over 10,000 soul masters. They hadn't received any prior information, which was probably part of Qian Renxue's early setup.
Furthermore, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, when facing the destruction battle, should have had nearly 5,000 soul masters. Even with the enemy's 10,000, according to the sect's deployment, they wouldn't have suffered major losses, especially with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda offering supreme support.
However, the Spirit Hall seized the perfect opportunity. At that moment, 40% of the sect's disciples were out on missions, leaving them in their weakest state. It could be said that Qian Renxue had perfectly calculated the timing, as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not without the strength to fight.
Another point was the disparity in strength. The Spirit Hall had sent over 10,000 soul masters, 4 Title Douluo, and 1,000 soul masters from the Lower Four Sects.
Don't underestimate the 1,000 soul masters from the Lower Four Sects. These disciples generally had high soul power levels, and even included top Title Douluo like Hu Yan Zhen.
On the other hand, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect only had two Title Douluo: Sword Bone Douluo and Bone Douluo. Furthermore, Bone Douluo had to protect Ning Fengzhi, putting a huge strain on him. Sword Bone Douluo had to fight four Title Douluo on his own.
From Yang Xiong's estimation, with the strength of Sword Bone Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, it was entirely possible for them to fight four Title Douluo, especially since all the enemies were below level 95.
However, on the battlefield, the sheer number of Spirit Hall soul masters overwhelmed them. Ning Fengzhi was constantly under attack, and the three core members were thus restrained. If Sword Bone Douluo hadn't broken through at a critical moment, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would likely have been completely wiped out.
Now, the situation had changed. Ning Fengzhi, Sword Bone Douluo, and Bone Douluo had all greatly improved their strength. In addition, Lin Gong, a Title Douluo, had joined the team, boosting their combat effectiveness and flexibility. The only concern was the enemy's overwhelming numbers.
Moreover, Yang Xiong had prepared a backup plan. Yunwu Mountain was only 30 kilometers away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and he had stationed 1,000 soul masters there, along with a Title Douluo. If a crisis occurred, the Title Douluo would arrive in about ten minutes, and the 1,000 soul masters could reach the scene in half an hour. At that point, it would no longer be a question of whether the Spirit Hall's 10,000 soul masters would win, but how many of them would manage to escape.
When Yang Xiong arrived at Ning Fengzhi's office, Sword Bone Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Rongrong were also present.
With Yang Xiong's current status in the sect, he could come and go freely, even entering the sect's treasure vault without restriction.
Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly. "Xiao Xiong, you're finally back. I've already heard from Uncle Jian about the soul ring you acquired. I'm very pleased with your growth."
Yang Xiong replied, "I have to thank Sword Bone Douluo for his help. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to acquire the 100,000-year soul ring so easily."
"By the way, Sect Master, I've had some realizations from my travels, which might be related to our sect's situation, and even to its survival."
Ning Fengzhi, still casual, responded, "Xiao Xiong, you're overthinking. Our sect is developing very well, and our strength is at an all-time peak. With our external defense systems, we shouldn't have any problems."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "Sect Master, while our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is indeed powerful, we're still far from reaching the level of the Haotian Sect. If the Spirit Hall was able to strike against the Haotian Sect back then, they'll certainly strike against us sooner or later."
"Moreover, while our sect has been developing well in recent years, the Spirit Hall has actually developed much faster. The strength gap between us is only growing larger."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's expression turned serious. "Xiao Xiong, tell me what abnormal findings you've discovered."
Yang Xiong continued, "Sect Master, you should know I visited the Star Luo Empire a few years ago. With the help of Elder Bai He and Elder Yang Wudi, I gained information channels in the Star Luo Empire. The Saint Dragon Sect, Black Tiger Sect, and Wind Sword Sect have secretly allied with the Spirit Hall, and the Elephant Armor Sect has always been under their control. This shows how formidable the Spirit Hall has become."
Ning Fengzhi was shocked. "I know about the Elephant Armor Sect's situation. They've been secretive, but I've managed to uncover some traces. The Saint Dragon Sect was too far to investigate, but I didn't expect such a big change."
"If what you say is true, the Spirit Hall's power is indeed overwhelming. Fortunately, the Elephant Armor Sect has suffered greatly in recent years, so they shouldn't pose a major threat. But even though Hu Yan Zhen is missing, I can't rule out that they might use other tactics."
Yang Xiong quickly added, "Sect Master, Hu Yan Zhen has already been killed by me, and along with him, a Title Douluo from the Elephant Armor Sect, three Soul Saints, and Hu Yan Li."
Ning Fengzhi was once again astonished. "Xiao Xiong, how could you have killed so many people at once? Hu Yan Zhen had the defense of a Title Douluo. His strength was said to be the strongest below the Title Douluo level."
Yang Xiong smiled, "It wasn't just me. I ran into Hu Yan Zhen and his group in the Sunset Forest. I led them to Elder Dugu's herb garden, where I killed Hu Yan Zhen, and Elder Yang Wudi took care of the rest."
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "So it was Elder Yang Wudi who made the move. That makes sense. Yang Wudi's strength is comparable to Hu Yan Zhen's. With you just acquiring a 100,000-year soul ring, you'd definitely have been able to handle them."
"By the way, did you clean up the scene properly? After all, Hu Yan Zhen was backed by the Spirit Hall."
Yang Xiong said, "The scene has been turned to ashes. Even the Spirit Hall shouldn't be able to investigate."
"However, I think our real threat is the Spirit Hall. They've been biding their time in recent years. Even after Tang Hao caused a huge commotion, they didn't leave any lasting marks. It's clear that they want to hide their strength and carry out a major operation. Apart from us, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus Rex family, they likely have no other objectives."
Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a long while before speaking, "Xiao Xiong, I've had this feeling for some time. Even between the top three sects, we've been working to eliminate exceptional talents from other families. It's because we sensed the Spirit Hall's threat. That's why we've been protecting Tang San. The top three sects have reduced their conflicts in recent years. Otherwise, the Spirit Hall would have become the dominant power."
"Besides the Spirit Hall hiding its strength, do you have any other findings?"
Yang Xiong nodded. "Sect Master, normally the Soul Master Competition is held once every five years, but it's been over four years, and there's been no news of the next competition. Even the Spirit Hall, which won the last competition, has released no information. It's not because they have fewer talented individuals; they just don't want to reveal their strength anymore."
"From all the signs, it's clear that within three to five years, the Spirit Hall will make a move against us."
Ning Fengzhi's expression grew grim. After a long silence, he said, "Xiao Xiong, I've always held onto a shred of hope, thinking the Spirit Hall wouldn't act so quickly. It seems you're right. When the day comes that they strike, they'll likely wipe out both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Electric Tyrannosaurus Rex family in one fell swoop. After that, no other sect will have the courage to resist them. The Soul Master world will be dominated by them."
"Do you have any suggestions on how we should deal with the Spirit Hall? By the way, you still have a limited understanding of the Spirit Hall's strength."
With that, Ning Fengzhi took out a thick stack of books from his soul guide. These books contained a wealth of information, mostly about the Spirit Hall.
Yang Xiong opened the book. The first page detailed Qian Daoliu, the Grand Priest of the Spirit Hall, with his martial soul, the Six-Winged Angel, and his soul power at level 99, Title Douluo.
The book recorded not only Qian Daoliu's soul power level and biography but also many small and large battles, making it one of the most detailed records of Qian Daoliu, even including a clear analysis of his age.
Turning to the second page, it described the Second Priest, Golden Crocodile Douluo, with his martial soul, the Golden Crocodile King, and his level 98 Title Douluo rank.
As Yang Xiong flipped through the pages, he was increasingly shocked. He hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to have studied the Spirit Hall so deeply. Clearly, there were many spies from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect within the Spirit Hall.
Ning Fengzhi spoke slowly, "Xiao Xiong, these records cost the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect countless resources to obtain. Many of these people in the Soul Master world have disappeared without a trace."
"For example, Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo haven't appeared in the Soul Master world for almost fifty years. No one even knows if they're still alive."
"Many of the other great priests are similar. They've been missing for years, and their fates are unknown."
"It's because of these great priests that the Spirit Hall has such deep foundations. Only by the top three sects uniting can we stand against them."
"Although I say that, in reality, we can only rely on one person. Unfortunately, this person has also been missing for fifty years."
With that, Ning Fengzhi opened another book. The first page contained only one name: Haotian Douluo Tang Chen.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10