Ning Fengzhi leaned back in his chair, his brows furrowed ever so slightly as his gaze moved between Chen Xin and Gu Rong. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his tone filled with quiet concern.
"Actually, what we were just discussing was whether or not we should ask Tang San to make Hidden Weapons for our sect. After all, Xiao Tian and Tang San are currently at odds, and by rights our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect should firmly stand on Xiao Tian's side. But… the power of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow is undeniable. If every member of our sect were to wield one, it would certainly relieve me of many worries."
Ning Rongrong, hearing this, blinked in surprise. She had expected something far more serious. A playful smile danced on her lips as she said lightly, "What, so that's all this is about? I thought Father had encountered some great problem."
"Oh? Rongrong, and you don't consider this a serious issue?" Gu Rong chuckled, tilting his head as he looked at her with interest.
Rongrong pursed her lips, recalling Xiao Tian's words earlier, and answered in a calm and matter-of-fact tone. "It's just business. Our family's connection with Tang San is purely transactional. As for Xiao Tian, that's different—he's a friend. If Tang San dares to use Hidden Weapons as leverage to pressure our sect into taking his side, then we can just terminate the cooperation. And besides, among all the Hidden Weapons he makes, the most powerful one so far—the Godly Zhuge Crossbow—can only really kill Spirit Ancestors at best."
Chen Xin, ever silent and steady like a blade resting in its sheath, finally spoke. His voice carried the weight of ten thousand battles. "Sect Master Ning, Rongrong is correct. For us, Hidden Weapons are not a timely salvation. At best, they are just icing on the cake. What the sect truly needs is better battle-oriented disciples—offensive talents. We cannot, and must not, allow our successors to be shackled by external tools like Hidden Weapons."
He paused for a moment, before adding with a grave tone, "And there's a far more pressing problem. Hidden Weapons are consumables. Once we become reliant on them, the entire sect will find itself bound by Tang San's whims. Do you really believe he would willingly hand over the method of creating them?"
Ning Fengzhi exhaled softly, his expression complicated. "Sword Uncle speaks truth. But the truth is—our sect has always carried a flaw. We cannot forever rely solely on disciples of other surnames. Though you two…" His gaze softened as he looked at Chen Xin and Gu Rong. "Even if you are not of my blood, you have always been like family to me. But others outside my line… they cannot devote themselves to the sect wholeheartedly as you two have done. That is why, by tradition, the successor of the Sect Master must always have an offensive-typed counterpart by their side."
He fell silent, unable to shake off the heaviness settling on his chest. The weakness of the sect weighed down more than he liked to admit.
His thoughts drifted briefly as he recalled their failed attempts to replicate Tang San's treasure. They had managed to obtain a sample of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow—but now it lay before him as nothing more than a pile of dismantled scrap iron.
Just a few weeks ago, they had sought out the most skilled blacksmith in the prosperous Heaven Dou City, hoping to analyze and rebuild the exquisite weapon. Yet no matter how carefully they examined each piece, once disassembled, the mechanism proved impossible to reassemble.
Ning Fengzhi finally understood that Tang San had specifically created the weapon with this safeguard, ensuring that no one else could reverse-engineer its secrets. In the end, the most they could do was calculate its estimated worth—the material plus labor. By that rough estimation, each crossbow was worth seventy to eighty gold coins. Considering Tang San was selling them to the sect for one hundred and twenty gold coins apiece… well, that price was still within a reasonable range.
Still, the matter continued to trouble him.
Just as he was deep in thought, Ning Rongrong suddenly let out a surprised cry: "Ah!"
All three men jumped, their stern conversation cut off immediately.
"Rongrong? What's wrong? Why did you suddenly shout like that? Do you feel unwell?" Ning Fengzhi asked worriedly, while Chen Xin and Gu Rong both leaned closer, concern etched on their faces.
Flustered, she waved her hands quickly. "N-no, nothing's wrong! I just suddenly remembered something. I rushed back to the sect too quickly and completely forgot—I still haven't shown Xiao Tian the results of the Sword Control Technique he taught me!"
Her words struck like lightning.
"What!" Before Ning Fengzhi could even respond, Chen Xin's eyes widened and he almost leapt to his feet. "Rongrong, say that again… you can control a sword?"
The corner of Rongrong's lips curled sheepishly as she corrected herself. "Not exactly. It's not sword control per se… but controlling my pagoda. Sword control is still far too difficult for me right now."
Even as she spoke, Rongrong extended her slender right hand. Her index and middle finger aligned gracefully, and with a small wave, a shimmering Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda emerged in her palm. As if infused with life, the pagoda floated into the air, moving left and right, weaving gracefully under her command.
The room instantly fell into stunned silence. Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong all stared wide-eyed, unable to hide their astonishment.
Though it was not sword control, to see Rongrong controlling her pagoda so fluidly was enough to thrill them.
As veteran cultivators, they immediately understood the implications. The reason Rongrong could control the pagoda instead of a sword was simple: her own strength was not yet at the level to manipulate external objects with raw mental force. However, one's own martial spirit had a natural connection with the body. Thus, controlling it was significantly easier.
Chen Xin's voice trembled with excitement. "Sect Master Ning… all this time, perhaps we've been gravely mistaken. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit… it may not be only an auxiliary spirit. It is a tool spirit before all else. And if other tool spirits—swords, spears, staffs—can be used to attack… then why not the pagoda?"
Gu Rong clapped his hands happily. "Exactly! Sword Spirit Masters can wield their blades, Staff Spirit Masters their staves. So why should our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile pagoda not be wielded as well? Its power may not be equal to those weapons just yet, but this is a direction—a breakthrough!"
Rongrong drew her pagoda back into her hands, her face aglow with pride. "Well? What do you think, Father? Doesn't this ease your worries?"
"Yes. Absolutely." Ning Fengzhi's eyes shone, his heart instantly lightened. "Rongrong, no need to ask—I can tell already, this is something Xiao Tian must have taught you, isn't it? That child is truly… a genius."
Rongrong huffed indignantly, puffing out her cheeks. "Father, you make it sound like your daughter isn't impressive at all! Don't underestimate me. It's actually very, very difficult to control the pagoda so smoothly. Other tool spirit masters often rely on their spirit abilities to enhance object control, but our martial spirit only offers auxiliary abilities. That makes things far harder."
Chen Xin nodded firmly, agreeing wholeheartedly. He knew better than anyone—his famed sword control was possible only with the amplification of spirit skills. To him, the sword was like an extension of his very body. And even then, it took years of cultivation and the legacies of his ancestors before he could fully achieve Sword Intent.
Yet Xiao Tian had achieved Sword Intent without the aid of spirit skills. Truly, his talent was extraordinary—almost frightening.
"Father," Rongrong continued, her eyes sparkling with confidence. "I may not be able to teach you Xiao Tian's Sword Control Technique… but I can show you my Pagoda Control Technique. Though related, the two are actually very different. For now, your daughter just needs diligent cultivation—both to strengthen her spirit power and to master the Heart Separation Control method. But you, Father, you have more time. You should focus on researching your own self-created spirit abilities for pagoda control!"
She grinned mischievously before adding with enthusiasm, "Think about it! Look at the Clear Sky Sect. They've produced countless self-created secret techniques. Father, you're no less talented. With dedication, perhaps after a few years, you can create offensive secret arts that our sect could pass down. That— that is the true path for the sect's survival. Not relying on Tang San's trinkets!"
Ning Fengzhi chuckled despite himself, shaking his head helplessly. "Ah, Rongrong, do you even know what you're asking? Do you realize how difficult this is? Tang Chen's name once shook the entire continent. Even Spirit Hall's Qian Daoliu treated him with caution. Compared to such a man… your father is ordinary."
Rongrong rolled her eyes dramatically, her voice dripping with mock exasperation. "Alright, alright~ Since Father is so unreliable, then your daughter has no choice but to sacrifice some of her cultivation time to study and create self-made spirit abilities for the sect. Whether it takes one year, five years, or even longer, I'll do it."
Her words trailed off, but the fire in her eyes said it all: for her father, and for their sect, she was willing to shoulder that burden.
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