"Ning Rongrong, what kind of talk is that?"
"Exactly! If it means nothing, then it's fine, but if removing the Spirit Bone truly leads to my father's death, Ning Rongrong, how will you repay that debt? A life for a life?!"
Tang San had already planned to renege on the agreement.
Upon hearing Ning Rongrong say this, he naturally felt enraged.
He immediately retorted with an ill-tempered tone.
When he spoke, he was self-righteous and confident.
In Tang San's view, this was an almost unassailable reason.
Hearing him say this, Ning Rongrong on the other side did not get angry.
Instead, she shook her head, solemnly explaining, "No, if it requires paying with one's life, what kind of verification is that? Of course, I have a much better way."
"What way?"
Hearing Ning Rongrong say this, the Seventh Elder, who had just been fuming, couldn't help but press for an answer.
He had no intention of getting into a verbal spat with Tang San.
He even felt disdain for their high-minded and self-righteous behavior.
But disdain aside.
Seeing a method that could help him solve the problem, he was still happy to see it succeed.
"What better way could you possibly think of?"
While he was curious, Tang San on the side scoffed.
He even looked up, intending to add a few more words, to tell Ning Rongrong not to meddle in this matter.
However, this time, before he could finish speaking, Ning Rongrong spoke again, and in just one sentence, his expression changed drastically.
His heart also sank.
"Why not? I can just ask the heavenly curtain directly, can't I?"
"Ask who, the heavenly curtain??"
Tang Hao's expression also changed drastically upon hearing this.
He immediately looked up at the heavenly curtain above his head.
Only then did he realize that, at some unknown point, everyone's every move had once again appeared on the heavenly curtain's projection.
And the reason for this appearance was not anything else, but that during their recent conversation, the heavenly curtain had once again drawn a lucky viewer.
And the chosen one this time was none other than Ning Rongrong!
"Ning Rongrong, when did you become the lucky viewer?"
Tang San was dumbfounded when he saw this scene.
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Ning Rongrong raised an eyebrow, a hint of self-satisfaction on her face as she added, "Just now! How about it, do you believe me now? Whether removing a Spirit Bone leads to death, others say it, and you don't believe it, but if I ask the heavenly curtain, that should be acceptable, right?"
"You don't believe others, but surely you wouldn't disbelieve what the heavenly curtain says, would you?"
Ning Rongrong asked again.
This time, her smile was pure and utterly serious.
Seeing her appearance, Tang Hao and his son felt as if thousands of alpacas were galloping through their minds.
No kidding, this time they were truly sweating profusely.
Originally, the two had planned to use this as an excuse to forcibly renege on the agreement and argue with the Seventh Elder.
Even if they couldn't claim righteousness, if things really broke down with the Clear Sky Sect afterward, they wouldn't end up being universally condemned and at a disadvantage in public opinion.
But this time, their carefully laid plans were completely shattered with Ning Rongrong being chosen as the lucky viewer.
In fact, the situation would only get worse, as every promise they had just made had been broadcast live by the heavenly curtain, witnessed by audiences across the entire Douluo Continent.
Under these circumstances, even if they truly wanted to renege later, they wouldn't be able to.
If they didn't want their father to be branded as treacherous and ungrateful, they could only comply obediently.
The more they thought about it, the more pressure they felt.
After a moment of silence, Tang San was the one who spoke, trying to persuade Ning Rongrong, saying, "While that's true, you only have three chances to ask a question. Wasting one of your precious questions for our matter isn't really worth it, is it?"
"You should know that a lucky viewer is chosen from countless millions across the entire Douluo Continent, no different from winning a grand prize. You should ask about things more relevant to your Sect or yourself, not about us. That would be the wise choice, Rongrong, we are truly thinking of you, and we hope you think about it carefully."
Tang San spoke with such heartfelt sincerity and genuine expression.
And seeing his appearance, let alone Ning Rongrong, even the expressions of the Shrek Seven Devils behind them became a bit strange.
They couldn't reconcile the current gentle, big-brother-like Tang San with the mocking and sarcastic fellow from moments ago.
However, this time, before they could say anything more, the Seventh Elder and his companions, who were standing nearby and had been planning to take action, couldn't hold back and scoffed, saying, "Heh heh, 'thinking of you,' what a joke. Tang Hao, Tang San, do you really take others for fools? Are you really thinking of Ning Rongrong, or are you thinking of yourselves?"
The Clear Sky Sect colleagues who had accompanied him immediately chimed in, "Exactly. I think you're not worried about wasting Ning Rongrong's lucky viewer opportunity; you're worried that the heavenly curtain's answer will be that removing a Spirit Bone won't cause death, and then things will become difficult to manage and you'll be embarrassed, won't they?"
"How could that be? Seventh Elder, you are purely judging a gentleman by the heart of a villain!"
Hearing them say this, Tang San naturally immediately shook his head and denied it vehemently.
"Alright, since you're so sure, then let Ning Rongrong ask. Facts speak louder than words, and that will be more effective than anything you say."
After saying this, the Seventh Elder no longer looked at Tang San.
Instead, he turned to Ning Rongrong behind him and instructed her again, "Little girl, just ask! Don't worry, if any danger truly arises, this old man will protect you immediately. If Tang Hao and his son try to lay a hand on you, they'll have to step over this old man's corpse first!"
"Seventh Elder, you…"
Tang Hao was truly anxious upon hearing the Seventh Elder say this.
He certainly understood why Tang Hao was anxious, but he had no sympathy whatsoever.
If it had been before, she might not have let the Tang Clan father and son be humiliated in public like this.
After all, Tang San had been her companion for so many years, and there was still a friendship between them.
But after experiencing Tang Hao's admonition just now and truly feeling his killing intent, Ning Rongrong had truly seen the true faces of the Tang Clan father and son.
Since their relationship had already been torn apart this time, she naturally had fewer reservations in her actions.
With this thought, she looked up and didn't even give Tang Hao a chance to speak.
She immediately spoke, asking the heavenly curtain above her head without delay.
During this, she even impulsively wanted to ask directly.
At the critical moment, it was Xiao Wu who couldn't stand it and helped Tang San by persuading Ning Rongrong a bit, which softened Ning Rongrong's heart slightly and changed her mind.
After thinking for a moment, she changed her questioning strategy.
She did not directly ask whether Tang Hao would live or die after the Spirit Bone removal.
Instead, she changed her approach, asking from a different angle whether the bone stripping would be beneficial or detrimental to Tang Hao.
However, facing Ning Rongrong's good intentions, Tang San and Tang Hao, the father and son, clearly did not appreciate it; instead, they felt she was putting on an act.
Because, in their view, this bone stripping would be more detrimental than beneficial, no matter how they looked at it.
After all, those were two top-tier Spirit Bones.
With these two Spirit Bones stripped away, even if Tang Hao didn't die, he would be severely weakened.
Thinking this, the two of them turned to look at Ning Rongrong, their expressions filled with extreme resentment.
However, this time, before they could speak again, lines of text had already appeared on the heavenly curtain.
Only the first line of text had appeared.
But seeing this text, Tang San's heart immediately sank to rock bottom.
Because this time, the heavenly curtain very clearly stated that stripping the bones would not result in death, but it would cause Tang Hao's level to drop, directly from a Level 95 Titled Douluo to Level 70!
After saying this, it even included a picture of Tang Hao with severed hands and legs.
Seeing that picture, Tang Hao's face turned pale.
The Seventh Elder opposite was overjoyed, immediately opening his mouth to pressure Tang Hao, questioning him again.
"Ironclad evidence is right before your eyes. Tang Hao, what more do you have to say?!"
"Even now, what reason do you have not to return the Spirit Bones of our Clear Sky Sect?!"
"Exactly! You keep saying you've left the Clear Sky Sect and have no more ties with our Sect, yet you still have the audacity to use our Clear Sky Sect's Spirit Bones? Do you know what shame means?
If I'm not mistaken, someone just now wanted to make a vow, saying that after a hundred years, his descendants would return the Spirit Bones in full. Thankfully, we didn't listen to his nonsense. He's unwilling to return them now, let alone a hundred years from now. By then, the Spirit Bones would probably have become the private property of your Tang Clan, with no relation whatsoever to our Clear Sky Sect. Am I right?"
"I... I..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Hao's face also showed a hint of embarrassment.
As the famous Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao was still concerned about his reputation.
With his blood rushing, he gritted his teeth, just about to say he would return the two Spirit Bones to the Clear Sky Sect to settle the matter.
Tang San, however, immediately reached out to stop him, earnestly persuading him.
He told his father not to act impulsively.
After all, the gap between Level 95 and Level 70 was too vast.
That was a difference of a full 20 levels.
To drop nearly 20 levels for a momentary show of face was simply not worth it.
Compared to this difference of 20-plus levels, even if he lost face in front of the entire world, Tang San still considered it a worthwhile trade.
After all, what was face worth? In the face of true strength, it was utterly worthless.
Moreover, they were still in a hostile state with Spirit Hall, already at a dangerous life-or-death juncture.
Under such circumstances, dropping nearly 20 levels was no different from directly courting death.
Tang San spoke eloquently, and as for Tang Hao, he had never truly wanted to give up the Spirit Bones from the bottom of his heart.
Hearing him speak now, he naturally stopped as well.
Tang Hao frowned upon seeing this.
He was about to say something else, but he didn't expect the heavenly curtain above to not have finished its discourse.
The subsequent text, surprisingly, added more details.
It clearly stated that although stripping the Spirit Bones would cause a rapid decline in level in the short term, strictly speaking, it was not a bad thing for Tang Hao.
Because the stripping of the two Spirit Bones, while temporarily causing him to lose his legs and hands, would also remove the hidden injuries accumulated over the years from fighting Spirit Hall.
Ultimately, Tang Hao would even take this opportunity to make further progress, directly breaking through the Level 95 barrier and reaching Level 97.
Seeing this heavenly curtain descend, Tang Hao, who had just been full of worry, was naturally dumbfounded.
No, not just him.
The crowd of onlookers were also dumbfounded.
"I never thought Tang Hao would have such a miraculous encounter. After stripping two Spirit Bones, his cultivation actually advanced instead of regressing. Who can explain this?"
"Does this Tang Hao also have some luck on him?"
"It shouldn't be. Stripping Spirit Bones has such benefits? Don't they all say Spirit Bones have a boosting effect on cultivation?"
After the exclamations, some people also found this puzzling.
Of course, as soon as the words fell, Spirit experts immediately stepped in to explain.
"Indeed, there is a boosting effect, but at Tang Hao's level, the effect might not be as great as we imagine. Moreover, the stripping of these Spirit Bones happens to compensate for the void in his state of mind. It's like a person with a leg injury; in the early stages, they might need to use crutches for training, but ultimately, they must choose to discard the crutches and undergo rehabilitation exercises. It's the same principle. From this perspective, losing the Spirit Bones truly is a blessing in disguise for Tang Hao."
Inside Shrek Academy, everyone was naturally unaware of the outside discussions.
However, without exception, they were all deeply shocked by the mention of 'Level 97' above.
One must know that for a Titled Douluo, every level increase after Level 95 is as difficult as ascending to heaven.
The fact that Tang Hao could re-ascend to Level 97 from Level 70-plus after stripping his Spirit Bones clearly showed the terrifying nature of his talent.
Let alone them.
Even the Seventh Elder was deeply shocked, and his expression as he looked at the other party became even more complex and regretful.
However, this time, he wasn't regretting anything else, but rather the injustice of heaven.
Such excellent cultivation talent, why couldn't it be given to anyone in their Clear Sky Sect but instead to Tang Hao, this troublemaker?
Of course, at this moment, how he thought was of no concern to Tang San and the others opposite him.
Recovering from their astonishment, those among the Shrek Seven Devils who had a good relationship with Tang Hao immediately congratulated Tang San.
They felt that this time, the dilemma could truly be resolved on its own.
Anyway, this stripping of Spirit Bones could also remove hidden ailments, allowing his father to lay a good foundation, and his future cultivation could advance further.
In their opinion, this could be said to be entirely beneficial with no harm.
They truly couldn't find a reason to refuse.
This crisis, no matter what, should be considered resolved.
However, facing everyone's congratulations this time, Tang San showed no joy on his face.
He then turned and repeatedly tried to persuade his father, still hoping that his father would not agree to the Seventh Elder's proposal to directly strip the Spirit Bones at this moment.
Instead, he still intended to postpone the matter.
"You still want to postpone?"
"Tang San, you're not really hoping that after your father Tang Hao strips these Spirit Bones, he'll just give them to you to use, are you?"
Hearing Tang San say this, Ning Rongrong couldn't hold back and asked again.
And hearing her question at this moment, Tang San had clearly thought of a reason.
He also replied seriously, with a righteous expression.