Douluo Continent.
The great terror resembling a natural disaster had passed for quite a long time.
Compared to the lingering fear still present among high-level Soul Masters, ordinary civilians had already returned to their daily lives.
People need to eat. Not everyone is like Soul Masters who receive subsidies from the Spirit Hall.
Times change. A few years can alter many things.
For example, within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Rongrong, who had returned to the sect with Di Tian and Tokisaki Kurumi, was immediately struck with a "meow meow meow" expression of utter shock.
Who am I?
Where am I? What am I supposed to do?
After those three questions in a row, Ning Rongrong finally snapped back to reality, but she was still completely speechless.
She had come back from the cosmos today feeling all happy and cheerful, her pink hair practically bouncing.
Yet she unexpectedly received news that wasn't huge but felt like a cosmic catastrophe—enough to make even someone who had already broken through to the Longevity Realm feel like the sky was collapsing.
"Little girl, this is your daughter."
Only heaven knows how shocked she was when Ning Fengzhi said those words.
No way.
She had been away for just a few years, and now there was suddenly a daughter at home?
Is this even scientifically possible?
Looking at the pink-haired little loli who shared seven or eight points of resemblance with her but whose brows and eyes were clearly more like Qian Renxue's, Ning Rongrong instantly felt her scalp go numb.
"Explain. What exactly happened?"
Ning Rongrong carried the pouncing little loli over to a nearby seat. After confirming that she indeed carried her bloodline, she sat down not far away, picked up a teacup filled with tea, and took a strategic sip to calm her nerves.
Di Tian and Tokisaki Kurumi tactfully retreated outside the main hall.
At this moment, only the Ning family remained inside.
As soon as Tokisaki Kurumi stepped outside,
"Hehehehehe, I'm dying of laughter!"
She set up a barrier around herself, leaned against a pillar with one hand for support, and clutched her stomach with the other as she burst into wild laughter. Tears streamed down her face like pear blossoms in rain—she couldn't even stand straight.
"Qian Renxue, you really dared to do it!"
"I never imagined you would actually pull off something like this. Hahahaha, I'm dying—Di Tian, isn't this hilarious?"
Di Tian crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth twitching:
"Gloating isn't a good thing—especially when it involves Master."
"Di Tian, you're just too timid."
"That little Qian Renxue actually thought of using this method to resolve the conflict between the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall."
"Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda…"
"I'd bet anything that your former master gave some constructive suggestions."
"Otherwise that little girl would never have thought of such a method. Even if she could, it wouldn't have succeeded so easily. Hahahahahaha."
"Come on, Di Tian, laugh with me for a bit."
A few minutes later, noticing that Di Tian still wasn't joining in and was instead signaling something with his eyes,
Tokisaki Kurumi's body stiffened.
Instantly, goosebumps rose all over her.
"Have you laughed enough?"
A hand patted her shoulder. Tokisaki Kurumi turned her head and swallowed hard.
"M-Master, I…"
"Want me to laugh with you?"
Tokisaki Kurumi: "…"
"N-No need." Tokisaki Kurumi immediately straightened her face.
Ning Rongrong withdrew her hand from Tokisaki Kurumi's shoulder and let out a silent sigh in her heart.
After listening to Ning Fengzhi's explanation, she hadn't really wanted to observe the timeline—but the thunderous shock was too much. She couldn't help but peek at Qian Renxue's outrageous operation through time.
Of course, after just a couple of glances, she couldn't bear to look anymore. She fully understood what Qian Renxue had been thinking at the time.
Just as Tokisaki Kurumi said: Qian Renxue had no way to shake off the increasingly unwieldy Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and wanted to seek common ground while preserving differences.
How to seek common ground? How to preserve differences?
Naturally—through marriage alliance.
As long as there was someone who possessed both the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, the conflict would disappear.
Both the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall would fully support it.
It didn't matter how the child came to be. What mattered was that she could serve as a bridge between the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall.
"A divine maiden born with the blessing of the gods—the daughter of Qian Renxue and Ning Rongrong."
Sure, sure—blessed by the gods.
Blessed by you, Qian Renxue, right!
You really think that because you managed to push me against the wall that first time, you can do whatever you want now, huh! Qian Renxue, you've got some nerve!"
"From now on, Ning Ling is my daughter. Mm, the young miss of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"Hmph! None of you ever think about proper business—always scheming crooked paths. Qian Renxue, you're the real Evil Soul Master here!"
Ning Rongrong waved her hand to open a spatial rift and left, her tone full of indignation.
Watching the space close, Di Tian asked with some concern: "Is it really okay?"
"She already acknowledged her. What could possibly be the problem?" Tokisaki Kurumi shrugged.
"Sigh… But that child named Ning Ling—can she really be considered the young sect master's daughter?"
Having already broken through to supreme God King, Di Tian could still observe a little about Ning Ling's identity.
"The turbid plane consciousness of Douluo Continent, with Qian Renxue as the medium and using the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams array that was constructed back then, mixed with Master's blood essence to create her."
"And with the blessing of the Life God King and Gu Yuena, a life was born. In theory, it counts as the birth of a new life."
"Or are you saying, Di Tian, that your understanding of life is so shallow?"
"But in the end, she is still the plane consciousness of the Douluo plane. Sigh…"
"You black dragon are always afraid of this and that." Tokisaki Kurumi twirled her hair. "Since Master already acknowledged her, what's the issue? It gives both the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall a way to step down gracefully."
"That child named Ning Ling will become the next emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. She will also receive the attention of both the Spirit Hall and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. In short, it's just giving the people below a proper explanation."
"To avoid all the messy entanglements over benefits and such."
"Ning Fengzhi and Qian Daoliu both agreed to this. Why should we meddle so much?"
"Plus, that little girl just received a drop of even purer blood essence from Master."
"Although it's sealed, once the seal is lifted, her strength will definitely be very powerful—maybe even God King level, or possibly supreme."
"To be honest, I'm a little worried it might turn out like the Dragon God situation."
"Sigh…"
Di Tian, who had fully recovered his memories, was now equivalent to the former Black Dragon King—and his strength had even surpassed God King level thanks to Ning Rongrong, advancing to supreme God King.
"Whatever." Tokisaki Kurumi shrugged. "If the sky falls, there's someone tall to hold it up. Master isn't some lovesick fool like Qian Renxue or Gu Yuena."
"Speaking of lovesick fools, I just checked the past and found out that both Kindness and Life have entered reincarnation. Heh, how ridiculous."
"And moreover, their divine powers were bestowed upon Ning Fengzhi and Bi Ji respectively."
"Hm?" Di Tian was stunned. His eyes narrowed slightly as he used the laws of time and space to view the past. He quickly saw Bi Ji.
"First-level god rank." Di Tian sighed. "Looks like Gu Yuena has already reconciled with them."
"But I am genuinely curious—why did Kindness and Life choose to reincarnate? You know, if something goes wrong, they might not even reach God King level." Di Tian was puzzled.
"Life and Destruction are husband and wife—that goes without saying." Tokisaki Kurumi explained,
"As for Kindness, it seems she's taken a liking to Evil!"
"A hero saving the beauty and then dying—hehe, maybe Kindness has been lonely for too long and her spring heart has finally stirred. Who knows."
Tokisaki Kurumi paused for a moment before continuing,
"But the main reason is probably loneliness. In the new world's ship, there's no longer any place for people from the old world."
"By doing this, she's also putting an end to her cause and effect with Gu Yuena. With her super-divine weapon accompanying her in reincarnation, there won't be any major accidents. Even if she can't achieve God King, she'll at least reach the peak of first-level god."
"Besides, with all the power reshuffling, if Kindness stayed behind alone, she'd just be a third wheel. It's better to wait for Evil and the others to return!"
"They're not afraid we might trip them up?" Di Tian's tone carried a trace of surprise.
Losing their power and reincarnating makes it very easy for anyone above God King level to find them. If they get killed, they're truly dead.
"That's exactly why the two of them gave their powers to Ning Fengzhi and Bi Ji respectively."
"Consider it hush money." Tokisaki Kurumi shrugged. "People who've lived that long aren't empty-headed—unlike you. Heh, speaking of which, I didn't notice earlier that in one parallel world, the Dragon God's laws still haven't dissipated."
"It seems to be related to Gu Yuena's cause and effect. If nothing unexpected happens, she'll probably go there soon."
"That world—I noticed it too." Di Tian hesitated for a moment before saying, "The timeline seems to be tens of thousands of years later—the world where that Tang God King returns."
"Hehehe, very interesting! Honestly, I really want to see what Gu Yuena looks like when she's lovesick."
"Right—when the time comes, bring plenty of popcorn. Oh, and recording soul tools too. I want to film it and keep the footage so I can watch it over and over."
Di Tian's face was covered in black lines. How does this Dark Devilgod Tiger never think anything is too big a deal!
Always stirring up trouble every single day.
"Aren't you afraid Gu Yuena will lose it?" Di Tian complained. "She's at level 159 now."
"Both supreme— I'm not necessarily afraid of her." Tokisaki Kurumi grinned wickedly. "And even if I can't beat her, don't I still have backup?"
"You've taken fox-borrowing-tiger's-might to the extreme!" Di Tian shook his head.
"If you have backup and don't use it, you're the fool." Tokisaki Kurumi snapped her fingers. Space cracked open. "Di Tian, let's go to Heaven Dou and see. Guess what condition Qian Renxue is in right now?"
Without waiting for Di Tian's answer, she stepped straight into the opened spatial gate.
"Sigh! None of them ever think anything is too much trouble." Di Tian also stepped inside.
(End of chapter)