As for the other powers on the continent?
Qian Renxue, who holds the Heaven Dou Empire and is also the young master of Spirit Hall, did not care.
At present the Star Luo Empire has been played into ruin and is about to be destroyed. The Clear Sky Sect has sealed its mountain and gone into seclusion. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan cannot hold out alone. The remaining forces are either Spirit Hall's lackeys or small fry not worth attention.
"Alright, I'll go myself. By the way, how do you plan to handle the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Nodding, Chu Chengzhou asked again.
"I'm torn too. To be honest, Teacher has treated me well. I'm worried he won't be able to accept the fact that I'm not Xue Qinghe."
Qian Renxue spoke with a conflicted look.
"Tsk. If you ask me, just lay it all out to him. After all, the one who acknowledged him as teacher back then was you, not Xue Qinghe."
Chu Chengzhou said indifferently.
This point was crucial. In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, Qian Renxue disguising herself as Xue Qinghe and then taking him as teacher is essentially different from murdering the already-apprenticed Xue Qinghe and impersonating him.
In the former, he would be her de facto teacher and she merely concealed her identity. The feelings built over years between master and disciple would not be fake. In the latter, she would be his enemy who killed his disciple.
"Lay it out directly?"
"Yes. Lay it out directly. My father-in-law is a smart man. If there's no hatred that cannot be resolved, he tends to choose rationally."
In the end, Chu Chengzhou added, "How about I go with you?"
In Chu Chengzhou's view, the reason the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the original story stood firmly in the same camp as Tang San and chose to fight Spirit Hall to the bitter end, besides Tang San's undeniable talent and power, had much to do with Spirit Hall's underhanded moves.
Before the situation had become clear, Spirit Hall under Bibi Dong launched a wave of the "Soul-Hunting Operation."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect even had its lair raided. Many of Ning Fengzhi's relatives died. Under such circumstances, even if Ning Fengzhi had originally intended to submit, he could not have gotten past the hurdle in his heart.
Even if, as sect master, he chose to forget that hatred, the rest of the sect would not agree. All that would be left for him was to fight Spirit Hall to the death.
Otherwise morale would scatter and the team would be hard to lead.
Another key factor was that Spirit Hall hid itself too well. If not for the final war, who on the continent would have known their foundation was so deep?
Setting aside the mother and daughter who ascended to the Angel and Rakshasa god positions, Spirit Hall alone had twenty to thirty Titled Elders.
If, before Spirit Hall carried out the "Soul-Hunting Operation," Ning Fengzhi had known Spirit Hall's strength, and had also known that his prized disciple Xue Qinghe's true identity was the Spirit Hall young master Qian Renxue, then most likely he would have submitted on the spot.
Ally Heaven Dou Empire? The Tang San he favored? For the inheritance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, all of them could step aside.
After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had neither the ambition nor the strength to be the continent's hegemon. Staying steadily among the continent's Three Sects and as a mining magnate was far more attractive.
"Then tomorrow?"
After some hesitation, Qian Renxue spoke.
The front-line campaign to pacify Star Luo would soon conclude. She wanted to arrange affairs in Heaven Dou as soon as possible and return to Spirit Hall for the Angel God Trials.
"Fine. After we settle this, I'll head to Spirit City."
Chu Chengzhou nodded.
Early the next morning, Qian Renxue sent someone to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with a visiting post.
In the afternoon, under the escort of a squad of royal knights, a luxurious carriage rolled out of the imperial palace, exited the north gate of Heaven Dou City, and headed for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect outside the city.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, main hall.
"Qinghe, what business do you have with your teacher?"
After welcoming the two into the hall and exchanging a few courtesies, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Chu Chengzhou quietly sipping tea at the side, then turned to ask Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue's disguise.
"Teacher, I want to ask your view of Spirit Hall."
Casting a covert glare at Chu Chengzhou, Qian Renxue said.
"Spirit Hall?"
At these words, Ning Fengzhi raised his brows, then smiled and pointed at Chu Chengzhou. "Is Spirit Hall plotting against the empire? If so, Qinghe, you need not worry. With this kid here, even Spirit Hall cannot stir up much of a wave."
Qian Renxue: "..."
Ning Fengzhi had full confidence in Chu Chengzhou's strength.
Back when Chu Chengzhou annihilated more than a dozen Titled-level experts of Star Luo outside Heaven Dou City in a single battle, Ning Fengzhi knew his good son-in-law was already one of the top powerhouses of the age.
A few days ago, after a "terrifying lightning tribulation" appeared on the barren mountain a hundred li east of Heaven Dou City, Ning Fengzhi once again refreshed his assessment of Chu Chengzhou's strength.
The barren mountain where Chu Chengzhou fused and refined the Heavenly-Refined Nine Heavens Chaotic Gold was only a hundred li from Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lay just twenty to thirty li north of the city. The awe-inspiring might of the Chaotic Thunder Tribulation could not possibly have gone unnoticed by the sect's experts.
At that time, Chen Xin, the strongest in the sect, commented, "Divine might like a prison, not something mortals can resist."
Although Ning Fengzhi was not on the scene then, and later, when he, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong went to investigate, they did not see the one undergoing tribulation, he could be certain it was Chu Chengzhou.
First, aside from Chu Chengzhou, whose upper limit he had never managed to pin down and who kept surprising him, there was no powerhouse of that level in the Heaven Dou region.
Second, he had seen a similar tribulation before. It was not exactly the same, but it was much like when Chu Chengzhou forged the Heavenly-Refined Sinking Silver.
What is more, before that, Chu Chengzhou had come to him to ask for a large amount of rare metals.
That terrifying lightning tribulation must have been the elemental tribulation that appears during metal Heavenly Refinement.
If his good son-in-law could even endure a terrifying lightning tribulation akin to divine punishment, why would Ning Fengzhi fear a mere Spirit Hall?
He even thought then that once the imperial campaign ended and they annexed Star Luo's territory, if Spirit Hall dared to jump out and try to reap the spoils, he was ready to have his good son-in-law march on Spirit City.
Ning Fengzhi: Sky-Invincible Qian Daoliu? What a coincidence, my son-in-law is good at shooting.
Shrewd all his life, Ning Fengzhi felt that letting his precious daughter follow Chu Chengzhou was the most profitable decision he had ever made.
"Teacher, you misunderstand. It is not that Spirit Hall wants to pull a small stunt."
Qian Renxue shook her head.
Yes, it was not that Spirit Hall intended to act against Heaven Dou. It had already been in motion for a long time, the first half of the plan already completed perfectly, and even the latter half was about to reach a perfect conclusion.
This was also the biggest reason Spirit Hall had not made waves on the continent in recent years.
Otherwise, as the hegemon of the soul master world, why would Spirit Hall keep a low profile?