"Wh-what's going on?"
Tokisaki Kurumi, who had been unceremoniously tossed out, rubbed her bleary eyes while yawning. She seemed to still be in a half-asleep state, as if her system hadn't fully booted up yet.
"Our worst fears have come true," Ning Rongrong said with visible concern.
"Fears? What's there to fear? There's nothing a Dark Devilgod Tiger can't solve. If there is, I'll just add a clone to the mix."
"The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge—there's always a way through difficulties. If there are no difficulties, we'll create some just to overcome them."
Dugu Yan: "..."
Ning Rongrong: "..."
"I'm talking about Qian Daoliu. He's here."
Watching the black-haired girl ramble incoherently, Ning Rongrong felt a few veins bulge on her forehead.
"Oh, Qian Daoliu?" Tokisaki Kurumi muttered before suddenly widening her eyes.
"Wait, Qian Daoliu?!"
"Yes, Shui Cangyue is being cornered by him." Before leaving, the jade pendant given to Shui Cangyue was an experimental product crafted by Lou Gao.
It could store traces of spatial energy and even transmit voice messages, but only once.
The message displayed on the pendant just now read: "Qian Daoliu wishes for Ye Renxin to join the Spirit Hall."
The fact that Ye Renxin had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect hadn't been made public yet, so the Spirit Hall shouldn't have known.
But even if he were a Nine Heart Begonia Spirit Douluo, it wouldn't warrant a personal recruitment effort from the Grand Priest of the Spirit Hall, the invincible Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu was a homebody.
In the original story, he only appeared in conversations, with his sole on-screen appearance being for Qian Renxue's divine trial and sacrifice. So why would he travel all the way to the far north, to Tian Shui City?
Was he trying to prove that old men could still go winter swimming?
Or… was it because of Snow Empress?
That wasn't impossible. Snow Empress had sealed off the Extreme North, and rumors said she had killed many Spirit Masters who entered the region recently. Spirit Masters were part of human factions, and the Spirit Hall was their sacred ground.
If something happened, seeking the Spirit Hall's help made sense.
Of course, there was another possibility.
Qian Daoliu had ulterior motives—his real target was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
With the former sect master of the Top Three Sects, Tang Chen, returning and the Clear Sky Sect about to re-emerge, combined with figures like Di Tian, Bi Ji, and Snow Empress who didn't appear in the original story, even Qian Daoliu—who usually stayed home praying—couldn't remain idle.
Most importantly, Qian Renxue was in Tian Shui City.
The incident with Di Tian in Heaven Dou City had indeed caused trouble now that Bibi Dong knew about it.
"Kurumi, let's return and inform Father and the others before heading to Tian Shui City," Ning Rongrong declared.
The training materials for Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er's Spirit Fusion Skill, along with references on Spirit Fusion Skill resonance frequencies and other data, had all been backed up by Tokisaki Kurumi and directly imprinted into the minds of Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo.
After so many days, she refused to believe they hadn't made any progress.
The main reason Ning Rongrong was determined to recruit Shui Cangyue wasn't for Shui Cangyue herself, but for her granddaughters—Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er, who could use two different forms of Spirit Fusion Skills.
Her goal was to collect data and throw it at her "not-so-capable" father for reference, hoping to complete the Trinity Spirit Fusion Skill as soon as possible. That way, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could firmly secure its position.
This wasn't the original Soul Land 1 anymore.
With Snow Empress, Ice Empress, the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian, and others running rampant, even Qian Daoliu couldn't sit still. How could Ning Rongrong afford to relax as the young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
"Ah, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really can't do without her. It's exhausting to worry so much."
Ning Rongrong shook her head, pulling her thoughts together before glancing at the girl beside her.
"Kurumi, what do you think?"
"Are you sure about this?" Tokisaki Kurumi hesitated.
"We need time," Ning Rongrong sighed. "Father and the two elders still need Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er for their Spirit Fusion Skill. As for Shui Cangyue, Ye Renxin, and Ye Lingling..."
"They're people I recruited. If I abandon them now, wouldn't someone else just take them?"
"What about the Star Dou Great Forest?" Tokisaki Kurumi asked helplessly. Ning Rongrong had explained her plan earlier, but even though Qian Daoliu was a man of his word, things might not unfold as predicted.
"As long as we don't show up, the Star Dou Great Forest will remain calm," Ning Rongrong replied. "Bi Ji is easier to fool than expected. Didn't she say she had matters to handle in the forest and wouldn't return for years?"
Even if they wanted to prepare, there was no way to fully defend against the Star Dou Great Forest's fury.
Aside from the Silver Dragon King and Di Tian, figures like Wan Yaowang and Xiong Jun might not yet be as strong as they were in the later era of The Legend of the Tang Sect, but they were still formidable.
Add a beast tide to the mix, and there was no way the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect alone could withstand it.
So rather than worrying endlessly, it was better to set a clear course of action.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was destroyed, she'd just return in glory and avenge them later.
For such a massive sect—the number one on the continent—to rely entirely on its young mistress for everything, what use was Ning Fengzhi then?
A mascot?
Might as well send him to Heaven Dou City to sell fur coats.
Though she had many thoughts, only a minute or two had passed in reality.
Ning Rongrong and Tokisaki Kurumi simultaneously activated their powers to open a spatial gate in the distance.
As the three of them stepped through, the portal slowly vanished behind them.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Training Grounds
"Spirit Fusion Skills are really difficult! It feels like something's missing," Bone Douluo sighed.
"Indeed. I feel like I've let Rongrong down," Sword Douluo added, frowning.
"Don't worry, we've already grasped the sensation. It's just a matter of time now," Ning Fengzhi reassured, patting the two elders' shoulders. "Speaking of which, I can't believe Rongrong actually recruited the Shui Family from Tian Shui Academy just for the sake of the Spirit Fusion Skill. I wonder what she had to offer in return."
He recalled the scene from days ago when Tokisaki Kurumi had opened a spatial gate and arrived without warning.
Without a word, she had shot the three of them—biubiubiu—three times.
The method of memory transmission left Ning Fengzhi and the others stunned.
Is this really how time abilities are supposed to be used?
In fact, Ning Fengzhi now suspected that the only reason Ning Rongrong had tamed the Dark Devilgod Tiger was to transmit memories and help them achieve the Trinity Spirit Fusion Skill.
As the three of them chatted during their break, Bone Douluo—who was highly sensitive to spatial fluctuations—suddenly furrowed his brows.
Then, sensing familiar energy, his expression relaxed.
Space in the distance twisted as a gate slowly materialized.
"Rongrong, Yan'er, and Kurumi?"
Ning Fengzhi blinked in surprise at the sight of the trio.
After all, unless it was urgent, Ning Rongrong always made a point of entering through the front gate.
As she often said: "I'm not some dog thief—why would I sneak into my own home using spatial abilities instead of the front door?"
Before Ning Fengzhi could even ask, Ning Rongrong's voice rang out.
"Father, how's your progress with the Spirit Fusion Skill?"
"Uh…" The three men exchanged awkward glances.
Spirit Fusion Skills were easier to master at a young age, allowing for effortless use later.
But now, as Spirit Douluos and Title Douluos, mastering such a skill wasn't simple—and they had to be careful not to lose control and explode.
Children were highly adaptable because their bones hadn't fully set.
For the three of them—already advanced in age—learning Spirit Fusion Skills was like an elderly person attempting extreme bungee jumping. One misstep, and they'd be reduced to ashes.
In short, they had made progress… but hadn't succeeded yet.