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"Father, you actually guessed correctly. I am currently a Rank 97 Power-Attack System Titled Douluo. My Title: Saint Sovereign!"
"What?!!"
Dai Pojun was instantly dumbfounded. When he had called Davis a Super Douluo just a moment ago, it was pure teasing. After all, despite his own extensive cultivation, he had only just broken through to Rank 94 himself. No matter how monstrous Davis's talent was, he shouldn't have been able to surpass his father so quickly.
Dai Pojun scanned Davis with a look of utter bewilderment. No matter how hard he scrutinized him, he could not see through Davis's current cultivation. He could only sense that standing before him was a colossal presence, like an immovable mountain that reached the heavens—an obstacle he could never hope to hurdle.
Swallowing hard to suppress the shock in his heart, Dai Pojun asked, "Davis, is what you said true? Your soul power is really..."
"Since Father finds it hard to believe, I'll let you see for yourself!" With a smile, Davis released his martial soul, taking the opportunity to show off his soul ring configuration.
As expected, upon seeing the rings, Dai Pojun was stunned all over again. When he heard that the ninth soul ring had exceeded 280,000 years, his shock became immeasurable. He even pinched his own thigh, terrified that he was trapped in a dream.
Sensing the aura of the Saint Sovereign White Tiger, Queen Mother Zhu Yaqin, Grandfather Dai Tianxing, and Grandmother Zhu Lingyun soon emerged. Seeing Davis back, their faces were instantly filled with joy.
Like Dai Pojun, once they learned of Davis's current rank and saw his configuration, they were overwhelmed by a mixture of shock and delight.
Just as Dugu Bo had suspected, Dai Tianxing's soul power had reached Rank 95, and Zhu Lingyun had reached the peak of Rank 94. Within a year, she would likely break through as well. As for the Queen Mother, Zhu Yaqin, her soul power had reached Rank 93—a massive improvement in strength.
Having become a Titled Douluo, Zhu Yaqin's grace remained unfaded; she looked like a woman in her mid-twenties. She reached out and pinched Davis's cheek, unable to stop herself from laughing.
"Not bad, my eldest son! Reaching Rank 97 so quickly... in our Star Luo Empire, only Sword Douluo can stand as your equal now!"
"Senior Sword Douluo broke through to Rank 97 as well?"
"He did!" Zhu Yaqin nodded and began to explain the events of the past few years.
It turned out that during these three years, Lin Qiuyang had frequently sought out Chen Xin to discuss the Way of the Sword. Consequently, his sword cultivation had improved significantly, allowing him to enter the state of "Man and Sword as One" even without using his ninth soul skill.
To thank Chen Xin, Lin Qiuyang had asked Dai Pojun for a Gengjin Fruit to gift him. Dai Pojun, intending to further win over Chen Xin—who at the time was Star Luo's only Super Douluo before Dugu Bo's breakthrough—agreed. After consuming the fruit, Chen Xin's latent talent was boosted. After another year of bitter cultivation, he successfully reached Rank 97.
Having heard the full story, Davis nodded slowly. "So that's how it happened..."
He then remembered the three pills he had left with his father. "Father, what became of the three pills I gave you?"
"Those three pills... the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Pill was given to Tianhu. I must say, that thing is incredible. His Blazing War Tiger's quality improved drastically; it's now hardly inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. He is now a Rank 94 Titled Douluo."
"As for the other two, I gave one to young Tianyu to help her Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda... Haha, you should have seen how happy that girl was after the evolution."
Speaking of Ning Tianyu, Davis remembered her well. Back then, she had sought him out almost every day, leaving a deep impression. Especially later, when she accompanied them to the Continental Competition and followed him during Spirit Hall's assault on the Clear Sky Sect to provide support, Davis had developed a good opinion of her.
If she hadn't been a member of the Seven Treasure Blue Lightning Sect, he might have given her the Immortal Qiluo Tulip long ago. To this day, he still hadn't realized that Ning Tianyu was actually a "honey trap" sent by Ning Fengzhi to seduce him.
Mainly, it was because he was already surrounded by the lively Zhu Zhuqing, the elegant Zhu Zhuyun, and the mature Tang Yuehua—all of whom were more stunning than Ning Tianyu. No matter how clever Davis was, he simply couldn't conceive of Ning Tianyu as part of a "beauty trap."
Thus, after all these years, he still viewed her as a capable assistant worth cultivating—provided she wasn't Ning Fengzhi's niece.
However, since Ning Fengzhi and the Seven Treasure Blue Lightning Sect were now subordinate to Star Luo, nurturing Tianyu wasn't an issue. But the mention of her made Davis think of Ning Rongrong. If the niece received the precious Nine Treasure evolution, he didn't believe for a second that Ning Fengzhi wouldn't have some thoughts on the matter. Even if he didn't want it for himself, he would surely want it for his daughter.
"Father, if Tianyu's martial soul evolved, then Sect Master Ning..."
"After the evolution, Sect Master Ning did come to me to request a pill. I told him that there was only one for the time being, and if he wanted another, he would have to wait several years for the medicinal herbs to mature."
Pausing, Dai Pojun added, "I said that, but Ning Fengzhi isn't a naive man. With his intellect, he likely suspects I still have pills in reserve. But it doesn't matter. If he wants the pill, he must remain loyal and produce results! He's been quite well-behaved these years, even donating a tenth of the sect's annual income to the Imperial Family to show his goodwill. I plan to give him the second pill soon. Whether he takes it himself or gives it to his daughter will be up to him."
Davis fully supported this decision. While they could continue to string Ning Fengzhi along, things could backfire if pushed too far. If Ning Fengzhi felt there was no hope, he might stop his "proactive loyalty," and Star Luo still needed the Seven Treasure Blue Lightning Sect to fund their military.
The strategy of the "carrot and the stick" was essential; one must always give followers a glimmer of hope. Such was the way of a ruler.
After concluding the business of the Seven Treasure Blue Lightning Sect, Davis asked, "Father, I heard Spirit Hall is planning to re-select the Seven Great Sects?"
"Correct! Your grandfather and I have been worrying over this for days. While those 'Seven New Sects' look like a motley crew to me, any increase in Spirit Hall's power and influence is ultimately bad news for us."
"Father, I actually have a plan! Not only can we turn Spirit Hall's 'New Seven Sects' initiative into a laughingstock, but we might also be able to deal them a devastating blow!"
"Oh? Tell me more!"
(End of Chapter)