"Who wants to go first?"
Tang San glanced around at the gathered crowd. The excitement that had filled the air moments ago faded almost instantly the moment he spoke.
Even Yu Yuanzhen fell silent. As much as they desired greater power, no one here was foolish enough to ignore the possible risks. If something went wrong, even a minor backlash could cripple their cultivation—or worse.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would likely recover, but the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan only had one Titled Douluo: Yu Yuanzhen himself. If anything happened to him, it would give Spirit Hall the perfect opportunity to strike.
"I'll go first."
The Sword Douluo, Chen Xin, stepped forward without hesitation.
"Sword Uncle…" Ning Fengzhi's face tightened with concern.
"There's no need to worry," Chen Xin interrupted, his tone calm. "Even if something happens to me, Bone Douluo is still here."
Chen Xin knew his limits all too well. Without a stroke of luck or an extraordinary encounter, he would never surpass Rank 96 in this lifetime. This was a risk—but one he was willing to take. Besides, he had faced Qian Daoliu before; even now, he couldn't withstand a single strike from that man. This opportunity might be his only chance to catch up.
"...Alright, Sword Uncle, be careful."
Seeing that Chen Xin's decision was made, Ning Fengzhi could only sigh and let him proceed.
"Sword Douluo, whatever happens next, do not resist."
Tang San placed his right hand on Chen Xin's head. Chen Xin closed his eyes and relaxed his spirit power flow, allowing Tang San's energy to circulate freely through him.
"Heh heh… a Titled Douluo, how fitting," came the eerie voice of the Broodmother from within Tang San's mind.
"To become one of my pieces—you should feel honored."
Following Tang San's flow of spirit power, the Broodmother's essence slipped into Sword Douluo's consciousness, leaving a Zerg imprint deep within his soul.
The moment the mark was embedded, the once-clear sky above the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan suddenly darkened. Storm clouds rolled in, and bolts of lightning flickered across the heavens.
Just as everyone prepared to defend against what they assumed was an attack from Spirit Hall, Sword Douluo summoned his martial spirit—the Seven Killing Sword—and launched himself skyward.
"Sword Uncle… he's breaking through!"
Ning Fengzhi's usually composed expression broke into one of exhilaration. No one understood better than he and Bone Douluo just how long Chen Xin had been trapped at Rank 96.
Now, they no longer cared about increasing spirit ring age. To make a Titled Douluo break through such a bottleneck—that alone was enough to defy the heavens.
In the air, Chen Xin's figure stood tall, lightning dancing around him as nine spirit rings appeared one after another.
"T–Ten… Ten-thousand-year ring?!" someone gasped.
Indeed, Chen Xin's ninth ring had evolved, transforming from a mere ten-thousand-year ring into a one-hundred-thousand-year ring. The immense power of the new spirit ring surged through his body, propelling him beyond his former limits.
The gathered Titled Douluos stared at Tang San with renewed fervor. The temptation of a one-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring was something few could resist.
"Who's next?" Tang San asked calmly, his eyes faintly glowing with the Broodmother's influence.
Before long, under her manipulation, even Ning Fengzhi's martial spirit mutated—his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda darkened and reshaped itself into the Linglong Black Tower. His power broke through to Rank 80 in one sweep.
The others also experienced transformations—though none realized the insidious nature of the changes. They were too distracted by their newfound strength.
That day, seven Contras of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan broke through to the Titled Douluo realm. Three existing Titled Douluos acquired one-hundred-thousand-year spirit rings. The entire continent was shaken to its core.
With nine Titled Douluos, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had now surpassed even the Haotian Sect of old, second only to Spirit Hall itself.
"Spread the word," Ning Fengzhi ordered with a smile. "From this day on, Tang San shall be the Holy Son of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Half a month from now, he will marry my daughter, Ning Rongrong."
Having just ascended to the Rank 80 realm, Ning Fengzhi was in excellent spirits. Besides, he was well aware of his daughter's growing affection for Tang San. Making the boy family would secure their alliance permanently.
Within two days, the entire continent was in an uproar.
News spread rapidly: not only had Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo broken through, but the clan had produced seven new Titled Douluos—and now, the prodigy Tang San was to wed Ning Rongrong. Gifts began pouring in from all corners. Even ten-thousand-year spirit bones seemed unimpressive amid such extravagance.
Spirit Hall
"Your Holiness… the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan gained seven new Titled Douluos in a single day. This… could spell trouble for us."
Ghost Douluo's expression twisted as though he'd swallowed something foul.
"Heh. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan… I underestimated them," Bibi Dong murmured.
Until now, she had only viewed them as wealthy merchants of the Spirit Master world. But with this sudden surge of power, even she had to admit they were now a force that could rival Spirit Hall itself.
"The world changes quickly," she muttered, dismissing Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo with a wave of her hand. "Leave me."
As the two left, Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed in thought. To make nine Contras break through overnight… aside from Lin Fan, who else could possibly do such a thing?
Her steps quickened.
"I'll speak with Lin Fan myself."
But before she could enter his chamber, someone stepped in her way.
A tall figure wearing a mask—Tang Hao.
Even standing face to face, Bibi Dong did not recognize him.
"The Lord Sovereign is currently engaged in important matters. He will see no one," Tang Hao said evenly. "Please wait outside, Your Holiness."
"You dare block my way?!" Bibi Dong's tone turned venomous as nine spirit rings appeared behind her—her final one glowing crimson, the mark of a one-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
"Let's see who dares cause trouble on the Lord's territory," came a low, hissing voice.
The oppressive aura of two Titled Douluos spread through the hive-like structure. Poison Douluo Dugu Bo stepped out, his emerald hair and the massive green serpent beneath his feet making his identity unmistakable despite the mask.
"Your Holiness," Dugu Bo said respectfully, "the Lord Sovereign does not wish to be disturbed. Please, return another time."
He released his nine rings in warning.
"You think you can stop me?" Bibi Dong laughed coldly. "You overestimate yourself."
She had never regarded Dugu Bo as a threat—poison or no poison, his direct combat power was limited compared to most Titled Douluos.
But she had forgotten one thing—Dugu Bo was no longer merely human.
"And what if you face both of us?" Tang Hao's voice cut in, filled with calm menace.
"Does the Holy Pope," he asked softly, "truly have the confidence to face two at once?"
****
Well, my P*tr*on was banned and my S*bscribeSt*r is under review, so while my Sub is being activated, I'll be using K*-fi to sell advanced chapters. If you'd like to read those chapters (26+), you can go here:
ko-fi.com/shax07