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Inside the main hall of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The nine-colored glazed tiles shimmered with a soft, mellow light under the daylight. Carved lotus patterns wound their way up the hall's pillars, yet the intricate beauty could not suppress the stagnant, heavy atmosphere lingering within.
Aside from the occasional heavy sigh, the disciples standing in attendance on both sides kept their hands lowered, their fingertips pressed tightly against the seams of their robes. None dared to make a sound, fearing they might draw the ire of their enraged Sect Master.
"Sigh!! My poor son-in-law Ye Lan... whether it was in soul power cultivation or martial soul theory, he was peerless and unrivaled under heaven. With his talent, he would have surely dominated the entire Douluo Continent within ten years."
"Sigh!! Heaven is truly jealous of heroic genius!! My dear son-in-law!! Now that you are gone, what is Rongrong supposed to do in the future?!!" Ning Fengzhi beat his chest, his face a mask of grief and lamentation.
Just as Ning Fengzhi was wallowing in his sorrow, a light sound suddenly echoed from outside the hall—it wasn't the rhythmic footsteps of a guarding disciple, but rather the rustle of robes cutting through the air. Following that, four figures landed steadily in the center of the hall. Chen Xin's sword tassel was still swaying slightly, and Gu Rong's bone staff lightly tapped the floor as the four of them suddenly descended upon the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Uncle Sword? Uncle Bone? Rongrong? Zhuqing? Why are you all here?" Ning Fengzhi looked in bewilderment at the joy-filled face of Ning Rongrong. Ye Lan has just passed away; why does Rongrong look so happy?
Ning Fengzhi hurriedly stepped forward and placed his hand on Ning Rongrong's forehead, muttering after a moment, "Huh? She doesn't have a fever?"
"Dad! What are you doing!!" Ning Rongrong swatted Ning Fengzhi's hand away.
"You all, this is...?" Ning Fengzhi asked, puzzled.
Ning Rongrong didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at the disciples on both sides and commanded, "Everyone, get out!!"
"Yes!! Young Sect Master!!"
The disciples responded in unison, their footsteps so light they were nearly silent as they bowed and withdrew. Within moments, only five people remained in the vast hall, the only sound being the wind whistling over the glazed tiles outside.
Once everyone was out of earshot, Ning Rongrong looked at the haggard and dejected Ning Fengzhi and said, "Dad, you don't need to worry about Ye Lan anymore!! He's still alive!!"
"What!!? Hahaha!! As expected of Ye Lan!! I knew it!! I knew he was blessed with great fortune; how could he possibly die?!!" Ning Fengzhi's grief vanished instantly, replaced by a boisterous laugh.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's sudden shift, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hmph! And who was it just now, sighing so loudly I could hear it from a mile away?" Ning Rongrong teased.
"Wasn't I just worried about my son-in-law??! As long as he's fine! As long as he's fine!!" Ning Fengzhi replied.
In the midst of Ning Fengzhi's relief, Ning Rongrong's palm flashed, and a nine-colored, nine-layered pagoda appeared. The tower body flowed with soft light, every pane of its glazed surface clearly visible.
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong looked at her with confusion, unsure why she was summoning her martial soul now.
Gu Rong asked, "Rongrong, why are you summoning your martial soul? There are no enemies here."
"Grandpa Bone, Dad! Look closer!" Ning Rongrong gave a mysterious smile.
"Eh? Why does this look... real? A one-to-one replica?" Ning Fengzhi showed a startled expression.
"Could this be a gift from Ye Lan?" Chen Xin wondered.
"Actually... it's a token of our engagement..." Ning Rongrong's face turned bright red as she stammered, her fingers reflexively twisting the hem of her skirt while her eyes drifted to the side.
Ning Fengzhi hurriedly picked up the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda radiating nine-colored light, examining it closely. As he turned it over in his hands, he laughed, "Good! Good!! My girl has finally secured her future!!"
"Be careful with it!! This isn't just for me!! It's primarily for the sect—which means it's for you, Dad!" Ning Rongrong interjected quickly.
"For me??" Ning Fengzhi was stunned.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing took the initiative to explain: "Uncle Ning, this object is called a 'Spirit Tool Soul Artifact.' More specifically, it is the 'Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Artifact.' As long as descendants maintain long-term contact with this object, it will immensely increase the probability of them awakening the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
"What!!! This object can actually help awaken the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda??" Ning Fengzhi was thunderstruck.
"Dad, here!! This is the theory behind 'Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts,' also written by Ye Lan!" Ning Rongrong said proudly.
Ning Fengzhi scrambled to take the book, flipping to the first page where the handwriting was neat and clear. Chen Xin and Gu Rong crowded behind him, their heads pressed together as they read. As they flipped through the pages, the smiles on their faces grew wider and the shock in their eyes deeper—the book not only explained the principles of the "Spirit Tool Soul Artifact" but also listed precautions for its use, with every point backed by logic and evidence.
The more they read, the more their faces bloomed like flowers.
"Good! Good! Good!! Truly worthy of being my son-in-law!! Rongrong, if you had even a tenth of Ye Lan's brain, it wouldn't be hard for my Seven Treasure... no, Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to pass down its legacy for ten thousand years!!" Ning Fengzhi laughed.
"These theories are simply terrifying. Such whimsical imagination, yet so grounded in logic. Even if he had no soul power at all, based solely on his contributions to martial soul theory, who on the Douluo Continent wouldn't address him as 'Grandmaster'? Who wouldn't respect him as a scholar who contributed so much to the world?" Chen Xin sighed with emotion.
"The new wave truly pushes the old. All these years, I've really just lived into my old bones," Gu Rong remarked.
At this point, Zhu Zhuqing took a step forward, a long sword appearing in her hand. The blade wasn't long, only about seven feet, but it carried a heavy, profound aura. The scabbard was a deep brown, devoid of unnecessary patterns. Holding the long sword in both hands, she respectfully presented it to Chen Xin and said, "Master! Aside from Rongrong's pagoda, this is the 'Seven Kill Sword Soul Artifact' that Ye Lan asked me to give to you!! Additionally, he said that the pagoda and sword artifacts are exclusive to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; no other powers can obtain these two types of soul artifacts."
Chen Xin took the Seven Kill Sword with a gravity as if he were receiving a world-class treasure.
He lightly unsheathed a portion of the blade—there was no piercing cold light, but one could feel a sharp, fierce aura that seemed capable of severing any obstacle.
He stared at the blade, his eyes full of cherish, and murmured, "With this sword, the Seven Kill Sword lineage will not end with my generation!!"
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's explanation, Ning Fengzhi felt a warmth in his heart. With his fox-like intelligence, he had already perceived the risks of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul leaking out or future disputes between the "genuine" and "counterfeit," though he hadn't shown it in front of the girls.
He hadn't expected Ye Lan to have already considered this when creating the artifacts.
Truly worthy of being the Honorary Elder of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—he looks out for his own!!!
"By the way, Dad. This time, Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone brought me back not just to return home, but to take you to the Heaven Dou subsidiary empire. The situation at the front lines is currently not optimistic; they urgently need your support," Ning Rongrong reminded him.
"Alright! Rongrong, you and Zhuqing don't go running around; stay within the sect," Ning Fengzhi instructed.
Ning Rongrong smiled. "I'm going to promote Ye Lan's theories with Zhuqing. We'll make 'Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts' famous across the Douluo Continent. This will not only boost Ye Lan's prestige but also elevate the morale of the Heaven Dou commoners and soul masters to join the army!"
Looking at the light in his daughter's eyes, Ning Fengzhi suddenly felt she had grown up—she was no longer the pampered little princess of the past, but a woman with her own thoughts and responsibilities. He nodded and said with emotion, "Good! Rongrong has truly grown up!"
Meanwhile, on the streets of a certain city in the Heaven Dou Empire, the atmosphere was as lively as a festival.
The uneven cobblestone path was worn shiny by the passing pedestrians. The scent of steamed buns wafted from roadside stalls, and the "clink-clank" of hammers echoed from blacksmith shops. A peddler carrying a shoulder pole rattled his rattle-drum, shouting, "Sugar men! Sugar paintings here!"
Suddenly, a man wearing a cross-body cloth bag hurried over. He wore a coarse cotton vest with frayed cuffs, and he held a stack of white papers in his hands.
"Extra!! Extra!! Grandmaster Ye Lan's most proud work before his 'death,' the 'Spirit Tool Soul Artifact,' is about to be released!!"
"Grandmaster Ye Lan??" Hearing Ye Lan's name, the commoners and soul masters on the crowded street all bent down to pick up the white papers scattered on the mottled stone ground.
Those who didn't catch a paper hurried to the side of those who did, their heads crowding together as they stared at the words. Some were illiterate and urged the person next to them: "Read it quickly! What does it say? What is a 'Spirit Tool Soul Artifact'?"
The paper used bold, striking characters to point out the function of the Spirit Tool Soul Artifact:
Wooden stick? Sickle? Hoe? Pitchfork?
As long as you possess a Spirit Tool Soul Artifact, you are the next lucky person to awaken a Clear Sky Hammer!!
Below the bold promotional slogans was the theory of Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts. It explained the origin of tool martial souls and stated that commoners awakened farm tool souls because those tools, by chance, contained "Awakening Factors."
It claimed Grandmaster Ye Lan had discovered these "Awakening Factors" and ordered the Temple's Manufacturing Department to create Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts. The longer a child who hadn't awakened yet stayed in contact with an artifact, the higher the probability of awakening a high-level tool martial soul.
After reading the contents, both soul masters and commoners displayed looks of utter disbelief.
"Clear Sky Hammer? We commoners can awaken a Clear Sky Hammer too?" A young man carrying a hoe gripped the paper so hard his knuckles turned white, his voice trembling. His child had awakened a martial soul last year—just a common hoe with no soul power, doomed to a life of farming. Now, hearing this, a fire was lit in his heart.
"Is this real? It couldn't be a scam, could it?" An old man nearby frowned, somewhat skeptical. For generations, commoners like them awakened trash souls; how could they ever touch high-level souls?
If these artifacts were real, it meant they could change their destinies! After all, the floor of a high-level martial soul was high; no matter how weak, it wouldn't be that bad. Among so many high-level and super martial souls, only one freak like the former Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had ever appeared.
Even the most ignorant commoners understood what this meant. They immediately crowded the herald, shouting, "Sir!! Sir!! Did Grandmaster Ye Lan really create this?"
"Of course!! Besides Grandmaster Ye Lan, who else could create such a terrifying thing? The Temple's Manufacturing Department has already forged many! I have seen a real Clear Sky Hammer with my own eyes!! Not the illusory kind from a martial soul, but a real Clear Sky Hammer!!!"
Hearing that it was Ye Lan's creation, the crowd became instantly convinced. After all, which soul master today hadn't experienced a Man-made Soul Ring? In the past, maximum-limit rings were something they dared not dream of, but now, everyone had them. Even commoners who hadn't used the rings knew that since Ye Lan's theories were popularized and Spirit Hall provided subsidies, the number of commoners awakening innate soul power was increasing every year. Even families without soul power had bought the "Strengthening Pills" from the Medicine Hall—the effects were top-notch, and even their wives' tempers had improved!
"Lord Soul Master!! How do we get these artifacts? Are they expensive??" the commoners asked, their voices rising in waves.
"Don't worry!! Quiet down and listen to me!!" the herald shouted.
Once the crowd settled, he continued: "Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts—whether you are a commoner or a soul master, as long as you enlist and earn military merit, you can exchange it for an artifact!! Joining the army not only serves the country but also ensures your descendants' legacy for ten thousand years!!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd. "I'll join! I've got plenty of strength; even if I can't be a soul master, I can kill enemies!" the young man with the hoe shouted, slamming his tool onto the ground.
"I'm going too! For my kid, I'll give it my all!" a middle-aged man echoed with determination.
Nearby, several elderly people without young laborers in their families slapped their thighs in frustration—their only child was still a minor and couldn't enlist. Does that mean we have no chance? They looked enviously at their jubilant neighbors.
"For those without young men who can't enlist, don't lose heart!! Even if you can't join the combat units, the Heaven Dou Empire is recruiting a massive number of laborers!! You'll be transporting grain, building walls, and working in production!!"
"Once you become a laborer, you not only guarantee food for a family of three, but you also earn generous wages and Guild Points!!"
"Guild Points can also be exchanged for Spirit Tool Soul Artifacts!! Of course, one person's points might not be enough, but you can pool points as a village to exchange for one! Then, the artifact can be placed in the village's Spirit Hall sub-branch, and the children can just spend time near it every day. The effect is the same!!"
"Whether it's military merit or Guild Points, besides the soul artifacts, you can also exchange for 'Soul Pills' to raise soul power, 'Whale Glue' to improve physical constitution and soul ring limits, and Man-made Soul Rings over ten thousand years old!!!"
The commoners and soul masters were whipped into a frenzy of excitement.
"Great! I'm signing up to be a laborer tomorrow!"
"Our village will pool our points for an artifact. My grandkids will have hope!! Hahaha!!"
"Grandmaster Ye Lan!! He has shown us commoners a path to survival!"
"Wooo!! Ye God!!!"
Someone first shouted "Ye God," and soon, more and more people joined in: "Ye God! Ye God! Ye God!" The sound grew louder, sweeping through the street like a tide, reaching even the distant city towers.
The herald with the cloth bag looked at the smiling, hopeful faces of the people and smiled to himself before heading toward the next village.
Deep in the Sunset Forest, the mist around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was thicker than usual.
Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings approached. Ye Lan looked up to see Bai Chenxiang descending from the sky, landing on a nearby branch. Her black skirt brushed against the leaves, shaking off several dewdrops.
"Chenxiang, you're here? Quick, tell me, how are the front lines of the Heaven Dou Empire?" Ye Lan asked immediately.
Bai Chenxiang smiled. "Idol, the front lines are being maintained well. There are even intentions to counter-attack!"
"Oh? What are the specifics?"
"Initially, because the Beast Emperor Di Tian led a surprise attack with five thousand elite armored soul master legions, our subsidiary kingdoms were caught off guard, leading to the total fall of the eastern kingdoms."
"Subsequently, after the Beast Empire's twenty thousand elite armored soul master legions arrived, Di Tian led another five thousand to attack the Eastern Subsidiary Duchy to the north. Just as he was about to break the walls, High Priest Qian Daoliu arrived in time to halt their lightning offensive."
"What about the Western Front? The Spirit City—Fasinuo Province line?" Ye Lan asked.
"There hasn't been a large-scale war on the Western Front yet. However, the Beast Empire has stationed 400,000 troops there. These are mostly commoner legions, but they are fully equipped with horses, crossbows, chariots, and armor—the former ace troops of the Star Luo Empire."
"The main battlefields are the Barak Kingdom and the Heaven Dou subsidiary front. After Her Majesty the Pope implemented the wartime policies, the national power of Heaven Dou has been fully integrated. Since you wiped out the Clear Sky Sect and the Star Luo Dai family months ago, the Beast Empire doesn't have many Titled Douluos. Their main ones are Black Dragon Douluo Di Tian, Silver Dragon Douluo Gu Yuena, and Civet Douluo Zhu An."
"In comparison, our Spirit Hall's foundation is too strong. Our Douluo Knights and Pontiff Knights number 50,000. Combined with Heaven Dou's 10,000 soul master legion, our forces are three times theirs. The commoner legions are a million against a million, but thanks to your Whale Glue, Soul Artifacts, and Man-made Soul Rings, the number of volunteers is increasing daily."
"In terms of top-tier power, we almost crush them. The Seven Priests of Spirit Hall—Angelic Douluo, Golden Crocodile, Azure Phoenix, Holy Lion, Light Feather, Fierce Antelope, and Devil Conqueror—along with Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi have all gone to the front."
"The elders—Chrysanthemum, Ghost, Snake Spear, Porcupine, Devil Bear, Ghost Leopard, Tuoba Xi, and others—are stationed at the main cities, soul beast forests, and primarily Spirit City to prevent a sneak attack. Oh, and Yu Yuanzhen, the Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, has also gone to the front to fight the Beast Empire."
Bai Chenxiang finished her report in one breath, then looked at Ye Lan expectantly. "Idol, why did the Beast Empire start this war? On paper, whether it's the commoner armies, the soul master legions, or the Titled Douluos, they are far inferior to us. Spirit Hall has tens of thousands of years of heritage, encompassing 70% of the soul master world. What is their confidence?"
Ye Lan fell into thought. "If they dare to start a war, they must have a trump card we haven't imagined. The war has just begun; no one can say what the future holds."
"I don't believe they have any trump cards that can beat your Whale Glue and Soul Artifacts! In a few years, our army will be unstoppable!!" she laughed.
"Actually, Idol, there is one more thing. For some reason, all soul masters above the Soul Douluo level in the Beast Empire have cultivated the 'Soul Core Method.' High Priest Qian Daoliu wanted to use his Soul Core to win a war of attrition against Di Tian, but he found that Di Tian also possesses a 'Yin-Yang Equilibrium Soul Core.'"
Ye Lan nodded slightly; he had expected them to have the Soul Core method. After all, Gu Yuena had brought the "Soul Spirit" system to this world.
He just didn't understand what Gu Yuena was playing at. Like Bai Chenxiang said, where did they get the nerve? In the original story, without the protagonist group, Spirit Hall would have steamrolled the empires. Now, the Beast Empire faced a unified "Heaven Dou Empire" backed by Spirit Hall and the hearts of the people. How could they compete?
Most importantly, what was Gu Yuena's goal? The popularity of Man-made Soul Rings was the future trend and guaranteed the status of soul beasts. Why would the co-lord of soul beasts start a war now?
(End of Chapter)