Chapter 9 Ning Feng Utilizes Treasures, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School Makes a Minor Breakthrough.
The sandalwood incense in the council hall had not yet dissipated when Gu Rong's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears the moment his fingertips touched the "Auxiliary Enhancement Pill." The pill was pure white, with a faint glassy luster on its surface. It was warm to the touch, and a pure energy slowly seeped into his meridians along his fingertips, causing his soul power, which had been stagnant for many years, to stir with a long-lost excitement.
He and Chen Xin had guarded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School for over forty years, witnessing its rise from a struggling sect barely surviving to its current position among the top three sects. They had seen countless trials and tribulations. Gu Rong, in particular, had faced an invisible barrier in his soul power since breaking through to level 95, a Title Douluo, ten years ago. No matter what he tried, he couldn't advance any further. Over the years, he had tried using ten-thousand-year-old soul bones to nourish his soul power, absorbed spiritual energy deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, and even risked consuming the sect's treasured "Barrier-Breaking Grass," but each attempt ended in failure—the stagnation in his soul power grew increasingly severe, even causing subtle flaws in his defensive soul skills.
"Thank you, Sect Master." Gu Rong's voice trembled slightly, as he carefully held the pill in his palm, as if he were holding the future of the entire sect. Ning Fengzhi had spent 80,000 points to buy this pill, almost emptying nearly half of the sect's working capital, but now it seemed that the price was far more worthwhile than he had imagined.
Ning Fengzhi strode forward and personally handed over a brocade box: "Go to the secluded cultivation room quickly. The energy of the pill needs to be refined while it's fresh, don't waste this opportunity." His fingertips still retained the slight coolness from his transaction with Lin Yue—that day at the auction house, when Lin Yue handed over the pill, he specifically instructed that it needed to be refined within three days, and that the "Glassy Heart Method" should be used to guide the refining process in order to maximize its auxiliary effects.
Gu Rong nodded in agreement, and his steps quickened slightly as he turned around. As soon as his figure disappeared through the palace gate, a subtle yet steady fluctuation of soul power emanated from the direction of the secluded cultivation room—a sign that he was eager to activate the "Glazed Heart Technique." Pale golden soul power flowed through his meridians like a stream, gradually enveloping and absorbing the energy of the pill.
Chen Xin, who had been sitting silently in the corner, finally stirred. His fingers tightened slightly around his sword, the Seven Kill Sword, causing the glass beads on the tassel to sway gently. His gaze followed Gu Rong's retreating figure, and his voice carried an undisguised envy: "The energy of this pill is purer than I imagined. Look at the fluctuations in soul power; even the circulation of the cultivation technique is much smoother. If Gu Rong can use this to break through to level 96, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will have a greater sense of security."
Ning Fengzhi walked to the center of the hall, lightly tapping the points voucher on the table with his fingertips. His gaze suddenly sharpened: "Elders, besides delivering pills to Gu Rong, there is another more important matter that I have gathered here today—from today onwards, the sect will do everything in its power to collect rare resources and must accumulate at least 200,000 points before the next auction!"
Upon hearing this, a low murmur of discussion immediately arose within the hall. Elder Ning An, who was in charge of the sect's finances, frowned: "Sect Master, 80,000 points have already depleted the sect's reserves. If we were to collect resources on a large scale, it might affect our daily operations. Moreover, the Spirit Hall has been keeping an eye on us. Making too much noise could easily backfire."
Ning Fengzhi was prepared and took out a black token from his sleeve. The token was engraved with the five small characters "Otherworld Auction House" and had a circle of light gold patterns around the edge. As soon as he touched it, a gentle energy enveloped him: "This is a 'Resource Collection Protection Token' given by Lord Lin Yue. With this token, you can collect resources within the safe zone designated by the auction house. No force may interfere—including the Spirit Hall."
He paused, then continued, "Lord Lin Yue also said that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is reliable and trustworthy. This token not only ensures the safety of the collection process, but also allows you to enjoy a 10% premium when exchanging points."
Seeing this, the elders in the hall were immediately relieved. Chen Xin stood up, and the Seven Kill Sword lightly tapped the ground, making a crisp sound: "I will personally lead a team to the metal mining area in the far north. The deep-sea sunken silver there is a resource that the auction house urgently needs. The exchange points are extremely high, and it is not easy for the Spirit Hall to detect it."
Ning Fengzhi nodded: "Outer disciples will be divided into ten teams, led by Elder Ning Song, to collect thousand-year-old spiritual herbs on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and the edge of the Sunset Forest. I have obtained the 'Spiritual Herb Identification Manual' from the auction house, which marks the appearance and growing environment of all spiritual herbs that can be exchanged for points, and even explains how to collect them without damage. Inner disciples will go with Elder Ning An to the Soul Beast Inner Core Trading Market to prioritize the purchase of inner cores that are over a hundred years old, especially those with fire and lightning attributes, as the auction house offers higher point prices for them."
"The caravan has suspended all ordinary trade and is focusing all its efforts on acquiring soul tool parts," Ning Fengzhi added. "Lord Lin Yue revealed that the next auction may include 'soul tool enhancement talismans,' which will increase the exchange price of soul tool parts. Stockpiling them now will not only earn you points but also prepare you for future auctions."
In the following days, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School became extremely busy.
On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, ten teams of outer disciples, dressed in uniform cyan outfits and holding "Spirit Herb Identification Manuals," carefully searched the forest. The illustrations in the manuals were extremely accurate, even the veins on the leaves of the spirit herbs were clearly visible, and there was also a line of small print that read: "The Thousand-Year Purple Rhyme Grass must be dug up with its roots intact. The energy contained in the roots accounts for 30%. If the roots are damaged, the exchange price will be halved."
"Found it! There's a thousand-year-old Purple Rhyme Grass here!" a disciple shouted excitedly. Following the instructions in the manual, he first used a special silver shovel to gently loosen the surrounding soil, then carefully wrapped the roots with his soul power until the entire spiritual grass was completely extracted, before placing it into a wooden box lined with silk.
Elder Ning Song watched from the side and nodded in satisfaction: "Be careful, every single spiritual herb is related to the sect's points, so we can't be careless in the slightest." He held a "Resource Gathering Protection Token" in his hand, and the pale golden halo emanating from the token enveloped the entire gathering area, making the lurking soul beasts around dare not approach—this was a privilege granted by the auction house, and it was also the reason why they could gather with peace of mind.
In the metal mining region of the far north, the wind howled and ice and snow covered everything. Chen Xin stood on the ice, his Seven Kill Sword gathering immense soul power, the blade gleaming with a faint silver light. With a flick of his wrist, the longsword struck down like lightning, instantly cracking a ten-foot-wide fissure in the ice, revealing the deep-sea silver that shimmered beneath.
"Hurry up, we can't stay here any longer," Chen Xin instructed. The inner disciples immediately stepped forward with specially made tools and carefully mined the deep-sea silver from the ice. This silver was hard in texture, yet it could conduct soul power, making it a core material for crafting high-level soul tools. The auction house offered it at an extremely high exchange rate—1,000 points for every pound of silver mined, and the more than twenty pounds mined this time would be worth over 20,000 points.
The disciples loaded the sunken silver into the storage soul tools provided by the auction house. These soul tools not only had a large capacity but could also isolate the energy fluctuations of the ore, preventing other forces from noticing. Chen Xin watched as the storage soul tools gradually filled, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes—with these resources, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would finally have the capital to contend with the Spirit Hall in the next auction.
Within the sect, Ning Fengzhi checks the resource summary table in the council hall every day. The numbers on the table are increasing daily.
- 320 Millennium Spirit Herbs (including 56 Millennium Purple Rhyme Herbs, 48 Millennium Ice Heart Herbs, and 216 Millennium Dragon Beard Herbs), which are expected to be redeemed for 80,000 points;
-Metal ores: 23 jin of deep-sea silver, 58 pieces of black iron, and 15 pieces of star-patterned steel, which are expected to be redeemed for 52,000 points;
- Soul Beast Inner Cores: 120 Hundred-Year Inner Cores and 18 Thousand-Year Inner Cores, estimated to be redeemable for 35,000 points;
- Soul Guidance Device Parts: 32 core gears, 56 energy conduits, and 28 defensive lenses, estimated to be redeemable for 43,000 points.
"A total of 210,000 points." Ning Fengzhi looked at the total on the table and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. This number far exceeded his expectations, enough to participate in the bidding for the next high-value items, and even have a chance to bid for the "Soul Tool Enhancement Talisman" mentioned by Lin Yue.
Three days later, at dawn, the door to the secluded cultivation room suddenly made a soft sound. A surge of soul power, stronger yet more concentrated than before, spread from within the hall, like ripples spreading across a calm lake, instantly engulfing the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Ning Fengzhi, who was dealing with merchant caravan affairs, abruptly stood up and strode towards the secluded cultivation room, with Chen Xin and the other elders also rushing over.
The door to the secluded cultivation room slowly opened, and Gu Rong walked out. His black robe was held up by his soul power, which, which had been somewhat loose, was now as refined as steel. With each step he took, subtle golden patterns appeared on the ground. His eyes were sharper than before, as if they could see through the void, and a long-lost smile graced his lips.
"Gu Rong, how is it?" Ning Fengzhi asked anxiously, his eyes fixed on Gu Rong's soul power fluctuations.
Gu Rong smiled and raised his hand, a ball of pure soul power condensing in his palm. The surface of the ball shimmered with a faint, glassy luster, without leaking out at all. "Although I haven't broken through to level 96, my soul power foundation is much more stable than before! The stagnation I felt at the bottleneck has completely disappeared!" He clenched his fist and threw a punch, a slight popping sound echoing in the air, the force of which could even stir the leaves several feet away. "Moreover, this auxiliary amplification pill has strengthened my 'Bone Shield Defense' soul skill. Now, even if I face a level 96 Title Douluo, I can withstand three blows without being defeated!"
A cheer erupted outside the hall. The disciples, hearing of Gu Rong's breakthrough, waved their arms excitedly. Chen Xin stepped forward and patted Gu Rong on the shoulder: "Good! Excellent! Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has finally gained another layer of self-defense!"
More importantly, relying solely on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it would be difficult to compete with the Spirit Hall at the auction. The Spirit Hall possesses a deep foundation and abundant resources, allowing them to contribute a large number of points to each auction. While the Clear Sky School, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon School, and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are all among the top three sects, they have had little interaction over the years due to differing ideologies. If they could unite with these two sects to form a "resource-sharing alliance," they could integrate the resources of all three sects and gain a greater advantage at the auction.
Ning Fengzhi turned and returned to the council hall, where he picked up his pen and wrote two letters. The letters detailed the benefits of resource sharing: the Haotian Sect excelled in forging and could provide high-grade metal ores; the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect controlled lightning-attribute resources and could provide rare soul beast cores; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be responsible for liaising with the auction house, sharing auction information and the privilege of exchanging points for premium pricing. The letters also specifically mentioned Gu Rong's breakthrough after taking the Auxiliary Enhancement Pill, and the effect of the "Resource Collection Protection Order," inviting the sect leaders of both sects to come to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before the next auction to discuss cooperation.
After finishing the letter, Ning Fengzhi handed it to his trusted disciple and instructed him: "Be sure to personally deliver this letter to Tang Xiao, the sect leader of the Haotian Sect, and Yu Yuanzhen, the sect leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Be careful on the way and avoid the eyes and ears of the Spirit Hall."
After the disciple received his orders and left, Ning Fengzhi looked up at the window. The sun was shining brightly, and the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School were still busy transporting resources. Caravans were coming and going, and the entire sect was full of vitality and hope. He knew that a contest over points and resources had quietly begun on the Douluo Continent. This small breakthrough by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School not only enhanced the sect's strength but also laid the groundwork for future cooperation between forces.
Meanwhile, in the top-floor attic of the auction house, Lin Yue was looking at the "Power Dynamics" on the system panel. The panel clearly displayed:
- Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School: Resource reserves exceeded 210,000 points, Bone Douluo Gu Rong's soul power stabilized at level 95 peak, and issued a "resource sharing" invitation to Haotian School and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon School;
- Spirit Hall: Secretly mobilized its subordinate forces to intercept the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's resource gathering team at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, but was countered by the "Resource Gathering Protection Order", resulting in the loss of 3 Soul Douluos;
- Haotian Sect: Received a letter from Qibao Liuli Sect. Sect Master Tang Xiao is discussing whether to keep the appointment.
-Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Clan: Sect Master Yu Yuanzhen has set off for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, bringing with him 10 jin of Thunder Pattern Jade as a gift.
Lin Yue smiled faintly, tapped the system panel, and pressed the "Task Release" button. A new task called "Cross-Faction Resource Sharing" quietly appeared in the task lists of various factions. The task reward was marked: "Upon completing the first resource sharing cooperation, participating factions will receive the privilege of '5% premium for points exchange' and can unlock the 'Joint Auction' function."
Lin Yue had already paved the way for the cooperation Ning Fengzhi desired. Now, it remained to be seen whether the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had the foresight to seize this opportunity. After all, the Spirit Hall would never sit idly by while the three upper sects united; an even greater storm was quietly brewing.
Outside the attic, the golden light screen continued to shimmer, illuminating the bustling plaza below. The cheers from the simulated arena, the chatter at the points redemption counter, and the hurried footsteps of the shop assistants mingled together, creating a vibrant scene. Lin Yue knew that the power structure of Douluo Continent was undergoing a dramatic transformation with every move the auction house made. And all of this was just the beginning.