Chapter 21. The Courtship.
After witnessing my power and the promised benefits, Ning Fengzhi would have been incredibly foolish to refuse my offer. Therefore, that very evening, I officially became part of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile sect. A private conversation followed, away from Ning Rongrong's ears.
We had already discussed many important details, and I handed over the scrolls on which I had recorded my theories and techniques. These included the theory on how to increase the likelihood of a child awakening with perfect innate spirit power—though that would only be available to geniuses capable of learning at such a young age. Finally, I broached the subject of Ning Rongrong.
"Regarding Ning Rongrong, as I promised, here is her chance to evolve her martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda." I extended my hand—the one wearing a ring—and a stunning Immortal Herb appeared in my palm. Beneath its stem and leaves were all the draperies of wisteria, finely combed. But atop it was a golden, dazzling tulip, whose heavy fragrance now filled the room. "This is known as the Beautiful Silk Tulip. It is elegant and luxurious. By absorbing it, one can inhale the quintessence of Heaven and Earth, the radiance of the sun and moon. This flower cannot be eaten. One must take the stamen into the mouth, breathe, slowly absorbing its finest qualities within, nurture one's spirit power, and slowly circulate it so that the medicinal effects find their way to all the bones of the four limbs."
"Where did you get such a treasure?" Ning Rongrong's father asked, astonished.
"With the help of the Douluo of Clear Sky and the Douluo of Poison, I was able to find a place with treasures of heaven and earth and specifically requested to keep this treasure for this moment." I deliberately mentioned Tang Hao and Dugu Bo, both to increase my perceived value further and to make it clear I was connected to two Titled Douluos.
"I see," the sect master murmured thoughtfully before catching himself. "Zhuqing, you truly are a blessing to our sect. If you need anything, just say the word, and I will spare no effort to help you."
"There actually is one request," I accepted his gratitude lightly. "I plan to reach the 60th rank before the tournament begins, and I'll need your help finding a suitable soul beast with a darkness attribute for me. Its age must be over sixty thousand years but under a hundred thousand. And, of course, I hope that as a member of the sect, I will be taught the Mind-Splitting Technique."
"The technique is not a problem. Ning Rongrong can teach you the initial stages, and later you can consult me directly," Ning Fengzhi nodded before continuing somewhat hesitantly. "However, a soul beast over sixty thousand years for a 60th rank… are you sure?"
"Yes," I nodded decisively. "Thanks to the Whale Glue method I described, my body is roughly 20 ranks ahead in its development. Moreover, my prior spirit rings, due to their age, mean my spiritual power density is also roughly that many ranks beyond my level. Additionally, since I prepared an Immortal Herb for Ning Rongrong, naturally, I didn't pass up the chance to take one for myself back then as well."
"Young friend, tell me… might it be that you have another herb for me?" Ning Fengzhi couldn't resist asking after all. Even though he would clearly give the Immortal Herb to his daughter, he naturally also wished to break through his own limits, and if such an opportunity existed, he would seize it.
"Unfortunately, until a new Silk Tulip grows and matures to the point of being consumable, not even a Titled Douluo would live long enough—the wait would be too great."
"Then can you tell me where a new tulip will grow in the future for later generations?"
"That… I fear for the sect's safety, it might be better not to say." Remembering how decisively Tang San, after becoming a god, claimed the garden for himself, depriving others of the chance to use those herbs, I refrained from sharing this information. It's better not to do something that too blatantly might conflict with that guy's interests, even among friends. My plans are already potentially borderline, and only the fact that I plan to leave the realm quickly after ascending saves me.
"Can you say what the risk is related to?"
"The risk of offending one of the five Godkings," I decided to say, to be sure that future descendants of this sect wouldn't do anything foolish.
"Godkings? Is that one of the ranks in the Divine Realm? Can you elaborate?"
"Hmm, alright. But since we're on the subject, first, let me state the second point concerning Ning Rongrong, which I wanted to discuss without her present, so as not to accidentally spoil things from her side."
"Of course," Ning Fengzhi immediately agreed enthusiastically, clearly guessing from the context what it would be about.
"In the Divine Realm, there is a pair of gods: the God of Food and the Nine-Colored Goddess. They are husband and wife. It so happens that gods who are in a relationship, even if there are suitable heirs, generally prefer to pass on their inheritance only to suitable pairs—meaning their heirs should also be a couple. And it so happens that in our era, there is simultaneously Ning Rongrong, who, after consuming this Immortal Herb, perfectly fits the criteria to be the heiress of the Nine-Colored Goddess. There is also an incredibly gifted young man of the food system with full innate soul power who is her exact contemporary. He is the ideal candidate to become the God of Food. And what's even better—they already know each other and feel mutual affection towards one another."
"WHAT?! Someone likes my Rongrong?!" The man jumped up immediately. "She's just a child!"
"Sect Master Ning, calm down. As I said, they are peers, and for now, it's just affection. And don't forget how incredibly good this opportunity is for both of them and for your sect."
Taking a deep breath, Ning Fengzhi forced himself to calm down and tried to focus on the actual benefits.
"What's this young man's name?" he finally asked.
"It's Oscar, a student at Shrek Academy, a commoner. So, you'll be able to accept him into the sect without issue. And more importantly—acting cautiously, not opposing their connection but subtly nudging them together, will result in a future where the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile sect is connected to three gods at once. Also, I assure you again: Oscar is truly a worthy young man."
"I understand. I'll think of something. It's best to keep this secret from the Sword and Bone Douluos, though. Their reaction might be a bit… excessive," Ning Fengzhi decided.
"Excellent. Now, allow me to describe the ranks beyond the hundredth."
"Firstly, Deity Officials—the weakest in the Divine Realm. Anyone brought into the Divine Realm by someone inheriting a first-rank god or Godking position can also become one through baptism by divine power. Instead of regular spirit rings, they now possess a single divine ring."
"Next are third-class gods with three divine rings."
"Second-class gods, which is precisely the rank Oscar and Ning Rongrong would belong to. They have five divine rings."
"First-class gods—the elite of the Divine Realm, with seven divine rings. I hope to inherit the legacy of one of them, specifically, one of the elemental gods—the God of Darkness."
"And finally, the five absolute rulers of the Divine Realm—the Godkings with nine rings. The Asura God, the Life Goddess, the Destruction God, the Goddess of Goodness, and the Evil God."
"Except for the Asura God, the remaining four Godkings form pairs: the Life Goddess with the Destruction God, and the Goddess of Goodness with the Evil God."
"...You know a lot about the Divine Realm," Ning Fengzhi remarked, clearly not expecting to hear about such divine relationships today.
"Gods can love too," I shrugged in response.