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Sword Douluo Chen Xin sat nearby with his eyes closed, appearing indifferent, but Mo Bai could feel a sharp sword intent faintly locked onto him—a silent threat and a final test to see if he would be blinded by greed or if he had the strength to accept such a gift.
Mo Bai picked up the list and read it carefully. His face showed none of the excitement or greed Ning Fengzhi expected; instead, he was calm—perhaps a bit too calm.
"Clan Leader Ning, a heavy gift indeed." Mo Bai set the list down and looked at him. "However, I have one question. For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to pay such a price, what do you want from me? Just to find a teacher for Rongrong, or because you see my potential?"
Ning Fengzhi laughed, a smile full of political maturity and candor. "I won't mince words. First, I hope you can continue to guide Rongrong so she can truly grow and carry the clan in the future. Second, our clan values your 'Soul-Forging' ability and hopes you can optimize the soul rings for three of our core disciples in the future. Third," his eyes burned, "troubled times are coming. Spirit Hall is ambitious, and undercurrents are surging between the two empires. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan needs a new, powerful ally. You, and the power gathering around you, are worth our investment. What we want is an ally who can fight side-by-side and share benefits in the coming storm, not just a simple offering or guest."
Candid, direct, and highlighting both risks and expectations.
Mo Bai was silent for a moment before asking suddenly: "What if I become an enemy of Spirit Hall?"
Ning Fengzhi's face changed slightly but quickly recovered. He said decisively: "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will stand and fall with you."
Chen Xin opened his eyes at that moment, his gaze like an unsheathed sword. "Boy, Fengzhi has said his piece; he has the courage. What about you?"
Mo Bai laughed—this time a genuine smile. "Good. Clan Leader Ning speaks frankly, and Sword Douluo is heroic. I accept this alliance. I accept the title of Supreme Offering. I accept the soul bones, the gold coins, the guards, and the intelligence network. In return, I will do my best to cultivate Rongrong. The soul ring optimization for your core disciples can begin at any time. Furthermore," he paused, "I can promise that in the future conflict with Spirit Hall, I will at least ensure that the core bloodline of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan remains unbroken and the inheritance survives."
This promise moved Ning Fengzhi more than any material reward. Protecting the core bloodline was the fundamental goal of a clan in troubled times.
"It's a deal!" Ning Fengzhi held out his hand.
"It's a deal." Mo Bai shook it.
The alliance was formed.
Chen Xin suddenly stood up. "Boy, an alliance is an alliance. Let this old man see how much you have improved recently." Battle intent rose in his eyes; he clearly wanted to personally gauge Mo Bai's current strength.
Mo Bai didn't decline. "I ask Sword Douluo for guidance."
The two didn't go to a training field but went directly to the open area in the back garden of the Mo Mansion. Ning Fengzhi and the girls, led by Liu Erlong, watched from a distance.
Chen Xin didn't release his martial soul but simply pointed his finger like a sword toward Mo Bai. A condensed, nearly invisible sword Qi tore through the air, faster than the eye could follow, its sharp intent locking onto all of Mo Bai's vitals.
This was Chen Xin's probe and his teaching. This one finger seemed simple, but it contained his lifelong understanding of the sword.
Mo Bai didn't release his soul rings either. Facing this strike that would make a normal Titled Douluo solemn, he simply raised his right hand, fingers spread, and made a light grasping motion toward the sword Qi.
There was no earth-shaking collision or violent soul power fluctuation. That peerless sword Qi, upon reaching three feet from Mo Bai's palm, slowed down drastically as if it had fallen into a thick, invisible mire. The glow of the Qi dimmed rapidly, and the sharp intent within it seemed to be forcibly decomposed, absorbed, and transformed by a more grand and eerie power.
Finally, the sword Qi vanished completely before his palm without causing even a ripple.
Chen Xin's pupils constricted, and a solemn expression appeared on his face for the first time. "This is... 'Forging'? No, it's more than forging; it's 'Domination' and 'Transformation'!" He clearly felt that the soul power structure and sword rules in his strike were forcibly interfered with and distorted by an indescribable domain power upon approaching Mo Bai, eventually being turned into primal energy—half absorbed by the opponent and the rest harmlessly dissipated.
This ability transcended the scope of a soul skill and touched upon the level of rules. Though still rudimentary, the direction was terrifying.
"Good lad!" Chen Xin wasn't angry; instead, he laughed loudly. His aura changed abruptly as the Seven Kill Sword phantom flickered behind him. Though he didn't use a soul skill, the soaring sword intent made Liu Erlong's skin prickle in the distance. "Take three more of my strikes!"
The next three strikes were progressively faster and stronger. The second strike turned into silk-like threads for strangulation; the third was like a waterfall of Qi covering the sky; the fourth condensed into a single, silent point with extreme penetration and destruction.
Mo Bai still didn't use soul rings or skills. Relying on his Rank 93 soul power foundation, he pushed his "Soul-Forging Domain" to its limit, combining it with his "Deep Induction" understanding of energy and rules.
He plucked the second strike's silk threads like a zither, making them collide and annihilate each other. He "clamped" the third strike's waterfall between his palms, crushing and absorbing it. For the fourth, most condensed point, he used a single fingertip to precisely tap the most delicate core of the sword Qi's structure—like hitting a snake's seventh inch—causing the entire structure to collapse into points of light.
After the three strikes, Chen Xin stood still, looking at Mo Bai with wonder and complexity. "The younger generation is to be feared... truly to be feared!" he sighed. "Your 'Dao' is not about sharpness, but about 'Forging' and 'Control'. If you can perfect it, your future is limitless. It is our clan's luck to be allied with you."
Receiving such praise from Sword Douluo Chen Xin was the ultimate recognition of Mo Bai's strength. Ning Fengzhi's smile grew brighter, and his last shred of doubt vanished.
Spirit City, Spirit Hall
While sword Qi raged in the Mo Mansion and the alliance was forged, the atmosphere was solemn in the topmost secret chamber of the Heaven Dou City Spirit Cathedral.
Platinum Bishop Salas stood respectfully, cold sweat on his forehead, reporting everything he knew about Mo Bai to a phantom appearing in a crystal ball.
The phantom was shrouded in a layer of pale purple-black light, its face unclear, but deep, majestic purple eyes and the outline of an elegant Supreme Pontiff's robe were visible. Even as a projection from ten thousand miles away, the pressure made the Soul Douluo-level Salas find it hard to breathe.
"...The above are all the movements of the 'Soul-Forging Douluo' Mo Bai in the past half-year. His relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is growing closer. Ning Fengzhi has visited many times, and his daughter Ning Rongrong resides at the mansion with her cultivation skyrocketing. Today, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe also hosted a banquet for him, talking for nearly an hour. Though the details are unknown, the Prince saw him to the gate with extreme courtesy. Furthermore, at least six talented young women are gathered around him; former Principal Liu Erlong has reached Soul Douluo, and the other five are rising at an eerie speed with soul ring configurations beyond common sense—all suspected to be related to his secret 'Soul-Forging' method."
Salas finished and bowed his head deeply, not daring to look at the phantom.
The chamber was silent for a moment, save for the hum of the crystal ball.
Finally, the majestic and icy female voice spoke slowly: "Soul-Forging Douluo... increasing soul ring age, mass-producing geniuses, recruiting the Upper Three Clans, attracting the Prince's attention..."
The voice paused as if in thought, then grew colder: "This person's abilities are eerie, his origins unknown, and his ambitions are not small. If he cannot be used by Spirit Hall... he will be a great threat."
Salas trembled.
"Salas."
"I am here!"
"Increase surveillance on Mo Bai and those around him. Use all hidden forces to find out who he meets, what he says, and what he does. But remember, do not alert him, and especially do not trigger a reaction from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan or the Imperial Family."
"I understand!"
"Additionally," the Supreme Pontiff's phantom continued, "send word to Nana. Have her, Xie Yue, and Yan set off for Heaven Dou City immediately under the guise of participating in the Continental Elite Tournament qualifiers. Their task is to contact, observe, and assess this Mo Bai. Tell Nana that she can display Spirit Hall's sincerity and power if necessary to test his attitude. But safety is the priority; if there is uncontrollable risk, withdraw immediately."
Mentioning "Nana," the icy voice held a tiny, nearly imperceptible fluctuation before returning to absolute majesty.
"I will do it immediately!" Salas replied.
The phantom flickered and vanished, and the terrifying pressure receded. Salas wiped his forehead, his eyes sharpening. The Supreme Pontiff herself was paying attention and had sent the Golden Generation—Hu Liena and the others. It seemed Mo Bai had officially entered the vision of the highest level of Spirit Hall as a target that required extreme caution.
As night deepened, Mo Bai stood alone on the Mo Mansion's stargazing platform.
He looked down at the bright but undercurrent-filled Heaven Dou City. The night wind blew his robes as he played with a golden feather. It wasn't a physical object but a wisp of Seraphim aura he had secretly stripped from Qian Renxue when leaving the palace. The feather spun on his finger, radiating a pure, warm glow.
"Qian Renxue... Ning Fengzhi... Bibi Dong..." Mo Bai whispered the names, his lips curling into a cold, dominant smile.
The Angelic imposter was already unsettled, the ally from the Upper Three Clans had brought a generous "dowry," and the Supreme Pontiff had sent her sharpest "knives."
The pieces on the board were falling exactly as he expected. He tossed the golden feather into the air and flicked it; it shattered into golden light points and vanished.
"Come then." Mo Bai looked toward the palace, then the Cathedral, and finally his own mansion. "The more pieces there are, the more exciting the game. And the one controlling them... can only be one person."
He turned and walked down the stairs. From below came the soft laughter of the women—his "works," his "tools," and currently his most loyal and sharp pieces on the board.
The factions had entered the arena, their eyes focused on him. The Elite Tournament qualifiers would be the next, more public stage.
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