At the gates of Seven Treasure City, Ning Fengzhi paced back and forth anxiously, none of his usual composure in sight. He looked like someone who had waited far too long.
Just as Ning Rongrong and the others reached the foot of the mountain, he'd received a report from a disciple of the Speed Clan, and immediately dropped everything to rush to the city gate to welcome them.
"Fengzhi, can you stop pacing? You're making me dizzy. Rongrong will be here any moment. Can't you wait even this little bit?" Gu Rong said with disdain.
Sitting atop the city wall, Tianlin shook his head helplessly. "Grandpa Bone, you're the last person qualified to say that. Look at your head—on that already nearly-bald scalp, the few remaining hairs are about to fall out. Every day you mutter that Rongrong must be eating badly and sleeping poorly on Sea God Island."
Gu Rong's old face flushed red. This grandson-in-law was too good at calling him out. Sure enough, he was still closer to his father-in-law.
Just then, a crisp shout washed all worries away.
"Daddy! Grandpa Bone!" Ning Rongrong ran over with open arms, brimming with joy.
After so many years apart, she missed Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong just as much.
Ning Fengzhi brightened and immediately ran toward Ning Rongrong, but someone was even faster. Gu Rong was still a Titled Douluo with spatial power; of course he'd be a step ahead.
That made Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitch. This old man had no shame. He'd just said Ning Fengzhi couldn't wait a little longer—so who's the impatient one now?
But someone was even faster than Gu Rong—so fast that even Tianlin didn't notice before the person rushed past Gu Rong.
"Hahaha! Good granddaughter, your Sword Grandpa missed you to death!"
It was Sword Dao Chen Xin. Tianlin blinked. His teacher had left seclusion early?
Back when Chen Xin went into seclusion to cultivate the Sword of Annihilation, Tianlin had passed on to him many sword insights he'd gleaned from Xu Changqing, Li Xiaoyao, Jing Tian, and others. By Tianlin's estimate, it should have taken Chen Xin a long time to digest so much—at least a year, perhaps up to three. Coming out now was far earlier than expected.
"Sword Grandpa, why are you out? The last time Sword Brother came to Sea God Island he said you were still in seclusion," Ning Rongrong exclaimed, surprised and delighted.
"That's right, Old Sword, why did you come out early? Will this affect your cultivation?" Gu Rong arrived a step later and looked at Chen Xin in surprise.
"My cultivation has reached a bottleneck—further seclusion won't break it. Besides, today is my precious granddaughter's homecoming. How could a grandpa not come to welcome her?" Chen Xin looked at Ning Rongrong and gently stroked her hair. He'd sensed her aura and came out early because of it.
"Sword Grandpa is the best!" Ning Rongrong clung to Chen Xin's arm, acting coy. In front of her two grandpas, she would never grow up—habits from childhood that she'd never change in this lifetime.
"Master!" Tianlin descended from the sky and stood beside Ning Rongrong.
Looking at Chen Xin's current state—his aura ethereal, sword qi condensed into a mistlike shroud around him—it was obvious he'd achieved a tremendous breakthrough in swordsmanship.
In overall strength, even now Chen Xin might not necessarily defeat Tianlin, but in pure sword dao, Chen Xin surpassed him many times over.
"Mm. Not bad—Super Douluo. You've finally grown up. And Rongrong is impressive too; she seems close to receiving her Title," Chen Xin said with satisfaction as he looked at Tianlin and Ning Rongrong. With a disciple and granddaughter who'd grown this far, he could be content in this life.
"Yeah, Rongrong, how did your strength increase so much?" Tianlin was puzzled too. Ning Rongrong was now level 87—something neither Chen Xin nor Tianlin, with his extreme power as a Super Douluo, could miss. He remembered that when they left Sea God Island, Ning Rongrong had only been around level 84.
"No need to be surprised, Senior Brother. On the way back we helped Sister Rongrong hunt two sea soul beasts around seventy to eighty thousand years. That's why her power surged," Bai Chenxiang explained.
Ning Rongrong proactively released her Ice and Snow Maiden martial soul. Behind the three red soul rings, two new black rings had been added.
No wonder her level had risen so quickly. Tianlin offered no comment on that choice: sea soul beasts of seventy to eighty thousand years did suit the Ice and Snow Maiden. It was a pity they weren't hundred-thousand-year rings. Rongrong had been in a hurry; she should have gone with him. With the help of Illusory Water Thunderstorm, he could have elevated those two rings to hundred-thousand-year rings.
But it wasn't a big deal. After the divine trials ended, all soul ring ages would increase by fifty thousand years anyway; a little shortfall didn't matter.
"Um, Rongrong, Daddy's here too!" Seeing that Ning Rongrong was only chatting with her two grandpas and her Sword Brother, the doting father had to step up and make his presence known—and show that he was jealous.
"Daddy, I missed you too," Ning Rongrong said with a smile.
Ning Fengzhi never asked for much. With just that one sentence from his daughter, all his displeasure vanished, and he beamed. Tianlin realized daughter-con didn't cover it—this was a daughter-slave.
Soon, everyone was welcomed back into the sect. Even Yu Tianheng and the others came, because Dugu Yan wanted to visit her grandfather first; he obliged his wife, planning to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan after that grandfather-granddaughter reunion.
Seeing his long-absent granddaughter, Dugu Bo was overjoyed, as were Dragon Duke and Bai He.
After three quiet years, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect returned to its former bustling vigor.
Four people were still missing: Gu Ran, Ye Lingling, Ma Hongjun, and Qin Ming.
Gu Ran and Ye Lingling had still come home occasionally over the past three years, but Ma Hongjun and Qin Ming had truly sent no word at all.
"Senior Brother, has Hongjun still not come back?" Bai Chenxiang asked Tianlin.
Tianlin shook his head. "No. But don't worry, Junior Sister—Hongjun will be fine. He's also taking a first-tier god trial, and he doesn't have a guide like Bo Saixi. So his trial will definitely progress slower than Rongrong's. Don't worry; I estimate he'll need another year or so before returning."
"Mm." Bai Chenxiang nodded, dejected. Not seeing her beloved made it hard to settle her heart.
….
In the Fire God's secret realm, within Sui Ren Valley, two figures were blasted into the mountains with two thuds, then fell into the depths of the valley.
"Ma Hongjun, Qin Ming, you've lost again," the Flame Lord said.
"Damn it, this guy is just too strong—probably about as strong as Elder Bone. This trial is going to kill me," Ma Hongjun managed to climb up, deeply troubled.
His sixth trial was much harder than Ning Rongrong's. Like his fifth trial, it was a challenge against the Flame Lord. But in the fifth trial, the Flame Lord was at seventy percent strength, with his regeneration and domain abilities restricted.
In the sixth trial, however, the Flame Lord was at one hundred percent. While Ning Rongrong didn't have to face an Ultimate Douluo, she only needed to last a stick of incense against Bo Saixi, and Bo Saixi's power was restricted. He, on the other hand, had to defeat the Flame Lord in full form within a year, working together with Qin Ming.
That was essentially two Soul Douluo challenging a Super Douluo—odds approaching zero.
They had already attempted it three times, each ending in a crushing defeat.
"Hongjun, don't give up. Let's go back and cultivate, then try again," Qin Ming said as he stood up. Over these three years, it was a good thing he'd been there—otherwise Ma Hongjun might not have persevered to now.