„Rongrong, I already told you that if you need something I can organize it for you – you don't need to bother the servants." A man in high quality garments told his daughter.
"Sorry father, I will not do it again." The girl whose name was Ning Rongrong answered.
"It's alright." Ning Fengzhi responded.
It was a day like any other, Ning Fengzhi as the Sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had to once again reign in his daughter a little bit.
And like always he didn't take it too much to heart. After all, who could compare to his daughter in his heart.
"Fengzhi, are you bullying little Rongrong again?" voice came from the side.
"Exactly, if the servants are bullying Rongrong and she needs to respond in kind, I will always stand behind her." Another one came parallel to the first one.
Those were obviously the voices of the 2 strongest people in the sect, Sword Douluo Chen Xin with a level 97 super douluo and his companion the Bone Douluo Gu Rong, a level 95 super douluo.
And these 2 always fancied themselves as justice seeking elders for their cute granddaughter, which resulted in Ning Rongrong having the privilege to do whatever she wanted.
Just as these 3 were about to fall into a squabble about wether Ning Rongrong was guilty and should change something about her, a 5th person arrived in the room with great haste.
"Sect leader, an important report." The underling knelt before the sect leader with good amount of haste.
"Report."
"In Heaven Dou City, some alchemist has apparently made an item that can help cultivators increase their mental capacity. It is supposed to be able to help even Titled Douluos."
Instantly the 2 seniors in the room stood to attention.
"Even Titled Douluos?" Chen Xin repeated, his calm voice now edged with seriousness.
The room, previously lighthearted and filled with familial warmth, shifted. Gu Rong no longer smiled. Ning Fengzhi's expression, though still composed, had narrowed into something sharp and thoughtful.
The underling continued, swallowing hard. "Yes, Sect Leader. The news is spreading fast in the capital. Apparently, it was a single vial auctioned anonymously. The Appraisal Pavilion confirmed its authenticity. One of their elders claimed its mere presence enhanced his spiritual perception temporarily."
"A single vial," Gu Rong murmured. "No origin?"
The man shook his head. "None that they could trace. The seller wore black, spoke little, and gave no name. He only demanded gold, a storage-type spirit tool… and complete anonymity."
Silence followed. Heavy. Calculated.
"Which faction won the bid?" Fengzhi asked, fingers interlaced under his chin.
"We don't know yet, sir. The auction house refuses to release the name — at least not officially. But it's said that several elder-class representatives from Spirit Hall were present."
That earned a dark frown from everyone in the room.
"Spirit Hall is moving again…" Chen Xin muttered.
"And now this substance appears out of nowhere," Gu Rong added. "No alchemist known to us could make something like that, especially something so… targeted."
Ning Fengzhi rose to his feet, his aura rippling faintly — subtle, refined, but unmistakably powerful.
"Send a discreet envoy to Heaven Dou City. I want that vial analyzed. If possible, I want the auction records. Track the buyer if you can — but do not engage."
"And the seller?" Gu Rong asked.
Fengzhi was silent for a moment. Then:
"Too dangerous to confront blind. If what he made is real, he is either a genius beyond anything our empire has seen in decades… or a pawn holding something far bigger than himself."
Ning Rongrong tilted her head slightly. "What if he's not part of a faction? Just someone smart who wants to make money?"
Fengzhi gave a small smile.
"Then we find him before Spirit Hall does."
The gates of Heaven Dou City loomed tall under the morning sun, their reinforced archways buzzing with activity. Merchant caravans, sect-affiliated escorts, and commoners alike filtered through the main boulevard. Among them walked a man in scholar's robes of muted grey and jade trim — unassuming, clean, and forgettable by design.
His name was Qiu Lan, outer elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and more importantly, a long-time shadow operative in service of Ning Fengzhi himself.
He passed through the checkpoint with ease, flashing a low-tier merchant license and a mild soul skill to make himself less outstanding amongst the crowd. His true identity, spirit rank, and mission were not for the guards to know.
He had a target: the auction house.
And a task: learn what the world was not meant to.
Within the hour, he stood in front of the massive pavilion, its roof an elegant fusion of eastern curvature and western crestwork, its walls studded with symbol-script anchors that depicted peace and money making.
Qiu Lan presented a jade plaque marked with a private sigil of the Pavilion Alliance — a rare favor purchased years ago by the Glazed Tile Clan with large sums of money.
He was shown in without delay.
An elderly appraiser in deep red robes met him within a side chamber.
"You come for the vial," the man said, eyes tired, voice quiet. "You're the fourth today."
Qiu Lan remained still. "Do you still have it?"
"No. The buyer retrieved it the morning after. But we kept records of the little we could decipher from it in the small time period."
The elder slid a thin tablet across the lacquered table.
Qiu Lan picked it up, scanning it quickly — a bunch of gibberish to him, but he could realize the conclusion by reading the last sentence.
Deep compatibility with high-tier mental energy cultivators.Origin material unknown. Possibly divine-grade derivative.
Divine-grade? Here?
He steadied his breath.
"Can you identify the maker?"
The elder shook his head. "No. A boy, perhaps. Or a very small man. Fully covered. Calm. Didn't bargain, didn't boast. Took only two things — gold and a spirit pouch."
That last part caught Qiu Lan's attention.
"A pouch?"
"Yes. From our ancient collection. He didn't even ask for the best one — just one with decent size. Said it would 'do fine.'"
"Did you put a tracker on it?"
"Of course, but he removed it within 3 seconds of having it in his hands. I couldn't even understand how he did it so quickly."
Qiu Lan closed the tablet slowly, thoughts racing.
This wasn't just someone with a gift. This was someone young, with an unmatched genius. Obviously unexperienceqd but highly cautious and scared that someone will hurt him for his genius.
Probably a young boy, that just wanted to get spirit pouch and gold to get by
Heaven Dou City had received a visitor from far outside their maps — and if left unchecked, the ripples would not stop at the surface.
Instantly he rose, intending to go on his way.
"Be careful of that guy, his eyes gave me a very eerie feeling." The appraiser commented.
Qiu Lan stood still for a second before walking of with haste. His intention was to make preparations to find that persAon, make a deal with him and get rid of the competition.