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A low-level Soul Douluo was no match for Ning Tianchen.
However, Ning Tianchen didn't rush to kill him immediately. Instead, he forced the opponent back into Feng Xiaotian's attack range, allowing Feng Xiaotian to deliver a devastating blow with a single strike.
Though Feng Xiaotian's soul ring configuration wasn't as extravagant as Ning Tianchen's, his seven black and one red soul rings were still enough to dominate the continent.
"Two young Soul Douluos."
Mo Li and his men exchanged complicated looks.
Such young Soul Douluos, with impressive soul ring configurations—given time, these two would undoubtedly become top-tier powerhouses on the continent.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who was holding Mo Li hostage, possessed formidable strength and talent that couldn't be underestimated.
"Only if you die can the Crown Prince live. Considering how hard you've worked to reach this level, I'll give you a dignified death."
Ning Tianchen looked down at him, his face betraying no emotion.
"What kind of joke is this?"
Wang Zhong roared, attempting to use every ounce of his strength to escape Ning Tianchen's attack range.
"Unfortunately, dignity isn't something you're interested in."
Ning Tianchen's tone remained indifferent.
The Seven Kill Sword slid lightly in his hand as the character "杀" (kill) began to materialize in sword qi.
Wang Zhong moved with incredible speed, almost as if using every last bit of his strength. In just a few breaths, he vanished from sight.
The "杀" word sword technique finished forming, and Ning Tianchen gently pushed it forward. It streaked across the sky at an incredible speed.
A few seconds later, a distant scream echoed, and Wang Zhong's fate was obvious.
Zhu Zhuqing gave a faint smile and retracted her sharp claws. "You're lucky someone died in your place—you get to keep living."
Mo Li collapsed onto the ground.
It was over. Everything was over.
The Earl of Lai's household had not only offended several powerful individuals but also lost a Soul Douluo. The consequences awaiting him upon his return were clear.
Ning Tianchen had no intention of letting him off easily. He stepped forward, grabbed Mo Li by the collar, and lifted him up. "Tell me—who made you do this?"
Mo Li, overwhelmed by fear, stared blankly, unable to respond.
Before he could speak, one of the lackeys behind him hastily explained, "G-Great Master, those people really did steal our family's ancestral treasures!"
The Earl of Lai's household had originally risen to prominence through maritime trade. After accumulating enough capital, they entered the military and political spheres. Two hundred years ago, a predecessor in the family was granted the title of Earl of Lai, which had been passed down ever since.
As for the ancestor of the Earl of Lai's household, he had indeed disappeared during a voyage. The family only had his portrait and no relics or knowledge of his whereabouts afterward.
After becoming a hereditary noble family of the Crescent Moon Empire, the Earl of Lai's household discovered this ancestor while renovating their ancestral shrine and searching for the family's origins.
Recently, a nobleman purchased the gold and jewelry sold by Chen Haobai's group. Recognizing similar jewelry from the Earl of Lai's household, he gifted them to Mo Li, sparking the subsequent events.
This matter couldn't be judged as right or wrong.
After all, their ancestor had died on an isolated island overseas, leaving the treasures unclaimed for a long time. When the crew of the Devil Ray discovered them, they naturally became their possessions.
No one expected such a commotion to arise.
"Get out of here. I don't want to see any of you in Binhai City again. Of course, if you're interested, you can go collect his body in the eastern part of the city."
These people felt as though they'd been pardoned and fled without a second thought.
"Tsk, what a bunch of cowards."
Oscar and the other two who had been hiding in the shadows slowly emerged.
At this moment, Cang Tianyou and the other two stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Ning Tianchen. "We are deeply grateful for your help, friends. We will remember this kindness forever."
A strategic retreat.
Ning Tianchen chuckled lightly, not paying it much mind.
To be honest, without the assistance of these two families, Chen Haobai's group would likely have met a grim fate long ago.
Earlier, Ning Tianchen had arrived nearby early on and only revealed himself after seeing the stance these two families took.
From the current situation, their performance was satisfactory.
"Three of you are too modest. Without your help, my people would have long turned to dust in their graves."
Zhang Chenghuan didn't take credit. "Since this is the city lord's residence, esteemed guests, might we invite you inside for further discussion?"
…
Inside the city lord's residence.
Chen Haobai and the others had sustained minimal injuries. However, due to the suddenness of the earlier incident, one sailor had been killed on the spot by Mo Li before Zhang Chenghuan could intervene.
Nevertheless, protecting the rest—especially Chen Haobai—was already a commendable effort on Zhang Chenghuan's part.
"This time, we are deeply grateful to Lord Zhang for your intervention and to the Cang family for mediating," Ning Tianchen said with a respectful bow.
"Not at all. What we did was minor and not worth mentioning."
By now, it was noon, and Zhang Chenghuan hosted a banquet for everyone.
During the feast, they discussed many topics, including the state of affairs on the Sun and Moon Continent.
Seeing that the meal was nearing its end, Ning Tianchen added, "Recently, I heard some news whose authenticity I cannot confirm. You'll need to judge it yourselves."
"Please, enlighten us," Cang Jinghong said respectfully.
Ning Tianchen continued, "There may be a Title Douluo above Level 96 within the Radiant Sun Empire's imperial palace. I cannot verify the truth of this information, as it originated over a decade ago."
He didn't doubt the authenticity of the message. Otherwise, given the Holy Spirit Sect's vengeful nature, how could they have possibly spared the Radiant Sun royal family?
However, this information was from over a decade ago. If the strong individual in the palace hadn't acted that night, it was likely because they were gravely ill or nearing their end.
After all, among individuals with the same spirit power level, the younger ones were naturally stronger.
For someone nearing their end—even if they were a Limit Douluo—they wouldn't be able to unleash their full strength, though their oppressive aura would remain undeniable.
If his guess was correct, the strong individual in the Radiant Sun imperial palace might have already perished over the past decade.
Of course, this was merely speculation, and he had no intention of verifying it.
Upon hearing this, Cang Tianyou fell into deep thought.
After a long pause, he spoke. "I have heard something similar. Fifty years ago, the Crown Prince of the Radiant Sun Empire—the current Emperor—suddenly ascended the throne. At the time, there was no announcement of the previous Emperor's passing."
"If this was part of a strategic plan, it's likely the Radiant Sun Empire began plotting the unification of the continent from that point onward."
Fifty years ago, Cang Jinghong and Zhang Chenghuan were still young and knew little about the previous Emperor of the Radiant Sun Empire.
"Father, what was the previous Emperor's strength like?" Cang Jinghong asked.
If his strength was lacking and he was old, there was no way he could have lived for fifty years.
Cang Tianyou's voice grew heavy. "That's precisely what worries me most. The previous Emperor of Radiant Sun was in his prime at the time and possessed a strength of Level 94. After decades of seclusion, if his talent hasn't been exhausted, his strength must have reached a terrifying level."
"More importantly, he has remained hidden for the past fifty years, likely gaining a thorough understanding of the continent's conditions."
"If they truly harbor ambitions, this battle will spell danger for the Crescent Moon Empire."
The Sun and Moon Continent didn't have a force like the Spirit Hall to balance the power dynamics.
By destroying the Holy Spirit Sect, Ning Tianchen's group had eliminated a major potential enemy of the Radiant Sun Empire. If they truly harbored intentions, the pace of continental unification would accelerate significantly.
"Thank you for informing us. I believe we know what needs to be done," Cang Tianyou said with a respectful bow.
Since the Crescent Moon Empire was destined to fall and the trouble caused by the Earl of Lai's son had further complicated matters, the Cang family wasn't eager to assist the Crescent Moon Empire in resisting the Radiant Sun invasion.
If the continent were to unify, the Cang family's early decision-making would ensure their continued prominence.
"The three of you should make plans soon. My visit this time is also to bid you farewell," Ning Tianchen said as he rose and bowed.
"Farewell?" Cang Jinghong raised an eyebrow.
Their willingness to help Chen Haobai's group wasn't just for goodwill—it was also to leverage Ning Tianchen's influence to secure their family's standing on the continent.
If he were to leave, what would happen to the rewards?
Ning Tianchen guessed their thoughts and smiled. "We've been away for quite some time and need to return to digest our recent insights."
"Of course, when we leave Binhai City, if your two families can keep our secret, we can create the illusion that I'm still within the city."
"Friends, you've helped us so much that we must express our gratitude properly. However, there are matters to attend to within the clan, and we can't afford to delay too long. If you find my reputation useful, feel free to make use of it."
"Additionally, we have two friends who remain on the continent. Your two families should be aware of their situation. If anything arises in the future, you can contact them."
He knew these two families were smart.
The news of casually slaying a Soul Douluo with such an impressive soul ring configuration would spread across the continent in no time.
As long as he remained in Binhai City, when the Radiant Sun Empire eventually attacked, as long as Zhang Chenghuan didn't stubbornly resist, Binhai City would surely avoid the brunt of the war.
From the current situation, Zhang Chenghuan seemed thoroughly disillusioned with the Crescent Moon Empire, and in the future, he might not choose to defend Binhai City to the death.
For these two families, leveraging Ning Tianchen's reputation was far more beneficial than receiving direct rewards.
Of course, the two families wouldn't refuse—they even felt they were getting the better end of the deal.
"In that case, when do you plan to depart? We'd like to see you off."
"At the earliest, tonight; at the latest, tomorrow night. After we leave, we won't return for some time. Of course, if we do return in the future, we'll visit personally."
Cang Tianyou and the other two exchanged smiles. "Then we look forward to welcoming you back."
…
After leaving the banquet, Ning Tianchen sought out Chen Haobai and his group.
Upon seeing them, Chen Haobai's face was filled with self-reproach. "It's my fault—I was too hasty. If only…"
Ning Tianchen waved his hand dismissively. "Don't blame yourself. This wasn't your intention."
Who could have predicted that the treasures found on the island would lead the rightful owners straight to them?
Such an occurrence was truly a "one-in-a-million" chance.
"By the way, regarding your father's situation, we've made some progress, but the specifics are still unclear."
"It's certain that over ten years ago, he did come here."
After some explanation, Chen Haobai let out a deep sigh and immediately asked, "Can we find him?"
Ning Tianchen shook his head.
As the sisters had said, Chen Haobai's father had traveled the continent with their mother and was currently missing.
Finding them would be like finding a needle in a haystack. They could only hope that the sisters, while traveling the continent in the future, might stumble upon their whereabouts.
Chen Haobai took a deep breath. "Hopefully, we'll find him."
Since departing from Hanhai City, he hadn't held any real hope of finding his father. Now, with some news, he felt slightly more at ease.
"When do we leave?"
"If we can prepare, let's leave tonight."
…
Outer perimeter of the Sea God Island.
During this period, the five members of Shrek's Seven Monsters completed their fourth trial of the God Trials.
Their fifth trial required them to return to the Douluo Continent to proceed.
During their time on the Sea God Island, their strength had soared, especially Tang San's—his power was now just a step away from reaching the Soul Douluo level.
Dai Mubai and the others had broken through to become Soul Sages, while Tai Long lagged significantly behind, only reaching the mid-level Soul Emperor stage.
Notably, Tang San hadn't obtained the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng from the original timeline, and since Xiao Wu's spirit ring was placed on his second martial soul, he rarely used it. As for reviving Xiao Wu, he had no immediate leads.
Therefore, the God Trials hadn't yet included any content related to reviving Xiao Wu.
The content of their fifth trial was to bring the Tang Sect's development onto the right track within three years and establish it as a well-known sect on the continent.
Within the Tang Sect, there were powerful figures like Tai Tan, a Soul Douluo, and Tang Xiao, a Title Douluo. By spreading word of their presence, the Tang Sect's reputation would quickly grow.
However, Tang Xiao couldn't appear frequently, and the Tang Sect itself wasn't large—it was merely a small sect with over a hundred disciples.
The pressing issue was the urgent need to recruit more disciples and powerful individuals for the sect.
But the various sects and families across the continent were independent entities and weren't willing to submit to another's authority.
Recruiting random people to fill numbers would be meaningless.
Suddenly, Dai Mubai asked, "Xiao San, do you remember the Long She (Dragon Snake) Family?"
Of course Tang San remembered.
During the Soul Master Tournament, the Long She Family had once saved Shrek's Seven Monsters.
Moreover, during the finals in the Spirit City, Meng Yiran had even secretly shown interest in him. Unfortunately, his heart had always belonged to Xiao Wu, so he couldn't reciprocate her feelings.
After the tournament ended, he was taken away from Spirit City by Tang Hao, and afterward, they lost contact with the Long She Family.
In his view, if not for that incident during the tournament, the Long She Family might have maintained close ties with them.
But there was no use dwelling on "what ifs." After such a long time without contact—and with them having left the continent for a while—their current situation was unknown.
"Mubai, you mean we should try to recruit the Long She Family?" Tang San asked.
Dai Mubai nodded. "Exactly. The couple known as the Peerless Dragon and Snake possess considerable strength. Their spirit fusion skill rivals the combat ability of a Title Douluo."
"If the Tang Sect recruits them, it will send a clear signal to outsiders. In the future, it will attract many families to join us. At that point, we might complete the fifth trial in less than three years."
Tang San's eyes lit up.
Right! How had he not thought of this?
In the past, the Long She Family had sought to ingratiate themselves with his father, Tang Hao. Now that the Tang Sect had Tang Xiao as its backbone, perhaps they could take advantage of this opportunity to recruit them.
The only thing worrying Tang San was whether the Tianjian Sect had similar plans.
If both parties approached the Long She Family simultaneously, given Meng Shu's shrewd nature, they would undoubtedly wait for the highest bidder.
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