After returning to the hotel,
Tokisaki Kurumi picked up a piece of fruit from the table and took a bite, chewing as she spoke:
"If it weren't for me and Rongrong, you would've been exposed."
"Exposed?" Ning Fengzhi was puzzled.
Tokisaki Kurumi shrugged. "Yes, there were people from the Spirit Hall there, and besides them, there was also a trace of angelic power."
"The sources of these two forces—need I say more?"
"You just casually displayed the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor soul bone. Did you really think they were fools?"
Tang Hao might not have noticed, but if the Spirit Hall investigated this matter, it could potentially implicate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
No matter how well they tried to conceal it, there was still a chance the Spirit Hall might uncover the framing.
"So that's how it is. I was indeed careless." Ning Fengzhi sighed after some thought. "In any case, thank you, Miss Kurumi."
"Hmph, I don't need your gratitude. I'm just worried my incompetent master might accidentally get herself killed."
"I'm right here!" Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes. "You've gotten more and more unruly these days I've been in seclusion, little tiger."
"Don't call me little tiger. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi."
Exiting her spirit attire state, Tokisaki Kurumi now wore a casual long dress. The time-patterned eye hidden beneath her bangs did nothing to diminish her striking beauty.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this." Ning Rongrong didn't give anyone a chance to derail the conversation and swiftly changed the subject. "Father, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone—how did the Spirit Fusion Skill feel?"
"This…"
The three of them were momentarily at a loss for words.
"Rongrong, how did you do it? You linked our soul rings to achieve resonance and even manifested the illusion of a Spirit Fusion Skill."
"That's thanks to you buying time. Actually, I had already left seclusion shortly after you intercepted Bi Ji."
"The question was how to deal with Bi Ji without provoking the Star Dou Great Forest while still making them wary."
"So, I chose to let her witness the Spirit Fusion Skill."
"That alternate-dimensional barrier was something Kurumi and I spent a great deal of time constructing."
"Aside from concealing auras and hiding information, it also assists in Spirit Resonance, allowing the characteristics of a Spirit Fusion Skill to manifest."
"As for me, I used the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's unique properties as a bridge to temporarily synchronize your spirits into a state of resonance—just to intimidate Bi Ji."
"Wait, so the Spirit Fusion Skill couldn't actually be used?" Bone Douluo's eyelids twitched.
"Of course not. It was just an illusion. I used the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and Kurumi's Kyōka Suigetsu to make Bi Ji feel the pressure of that power."
"Everything—whether it was the Spirit Fusion Skill resonance in the alternate dimension or Kyōka Suigetsu—was all to construct the illusion of a Spirit Fusion Skill and ensure Bi Ji remained unaware."
"The pressure from the Spirit Fusion Skill wasn't weak. To me, it felt even stronger than when Douluo Dalu and Qian Daoliu clashed."
Ning Rongrong smiled. "Grandpa Sword, did you think I chose to break through at this time for no reason?"
"It's because the Evil God Pearl contains fragments of a god's power. Only by mastering it could this fake Spirit Fusion illusion appear more realistic."
"But the prerequisite was that there had to be some degree of Spirit Resonance compatibility."
"That's why I had Kurumi do everything possible to make sure you could achieve resonance."
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong summoned her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Around the pagoda, soul rings hovered quietly.
Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Brilliant Gold.
Seven soul rings, an overwhelming visual spectacle.
"A brilliant gold soul ring… a divine-grade soul ring?" Ning Fengzhi seemed to recall the information Bi Ji had mentioned when she saw Rongrong.
"Mhm. Right now, I still can't ignore the rules of Douluo Dalu. I can only use this power in the form of soul rings."
"But if I continue to break through, this restriction might disappear—or at least affect me far less."
Ning Rongrong thought about her current strength and the possibilities of future breakthroughs.
"What's the ability of the divine soul ring?" Bone Douluo asked curiously.
"Control over time and space. I only kept these two. The others weren't compatible with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"Especially the dark attribute…"
"So, I handed all those rules over to Kurumi. She's also lost part of the original Dark Devilgod Tiger's power."
"Right. Now, I can only use time and darkness. As for space, I can only access it through the contract between the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's spirit and the pagoda itself," Tokisaki Kurumi explained.
Something still felt off—as if Ning Rongrong was hiding something.
After a moment of silence, Ning Fengzhi asked again, "Rongrong, how did you evade Bi Ji's attack?"
"It's one of my abilities after advancing. It's just easier to use within a constructed space."
"Simply put, it's Kyōka Suigetsu Version 3.0."
"It can affect the five senses, which is why I retained the time and space attributes in my soul rings. Only this way could I more easily create sensory confusion."
Ning Fengzhi and the others exchanged glances. They didn't fully understand, but it sounded impressive.
Even Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and even the Emerald Swan hadn't noticed anything amiss.
"Speaking of which, there's one more thing I'd like to ask." Sword Douluo frowned. "Was the Emerald Swan just a clone?"
"Yes, a clone." Ning Rongrong nodded. "Kurumi noticed it during your fight with the Emerald Swan."
"A level 99—even a newly ascended pseudo-god—wouldn't be as weak as the Emerald Swan you faced."
"Her strength was only at the level of a 98th-rank, just with certain advantages over typical 98th-ranks. But her energy level was still only 98."
"Ah… I knew something felt off." Sword Douluo sighed.
Her reaction speed had been sharp, yet her movements couldn't keep up—as if she knew where the sword would strike but didn't bother defending.
"Don't overthink it." Ning Rongrong reassured them. "If Bi Ji's true body had come, Di Tian would've likely followed. She didn't have any urgent need to gather intel—she just wanted to confirm something."
"The Star Dou Great Forest is also wary of the Divine Realm. If I had to guess, they're searching for allies in Douluo Dalu."
"Allies?"
"Mhm. Just a speculation, but a highly probable one." Ning Rongrong said. "After this, Di Tian and Bi Ji probably won't come again."
The two of them had confirmed their identities—at most, they were just verifying the origin of the zhenqi.
By the time Ning Rongrong appeared, Bi Ji had likely already confirmed it.
And she had given Bi Ji enough of a deterrent.
Unless absolutely necessary, given Di Tian and Bi Ji's personalities—at least Bi Ji's—they wouldn't risk mutual destruction.
As for the Silver Dragon King, her situation was unclear. But if she could survive, she should count herself lucky. Would she really dare to show up and act recklessly?
Was that even possible?
Just like Qian Renxue—another love-struck fool.
Come to think of it, she'd forgotten to ask about the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King earlier.
While Ning Rongrong was deep in thought,
Bi Ji and Di Tian were also discussing the matter. Bi Ji had dismissed her clone, absorbing all its memories and experiences.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's Spirit Fusion Skill can unleash power far surpassing mine?"
As Bi Ji's words fell, Di Tian's eyes widened, his golden pupils filled with disbelief.