After a brief silence, Ning Tian wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She casually tied back her golden hair and then looked at Elder Wu in front of her, asking in a deep voice:
"Elder Wu, can you determine who those two powerhouses were just now?"
Elder Wu was slightly startled. He gently shook his head and replied:
"This old man is incompetent. If those two powerhouses hadn't carefully concealed their aura, I likely wouldn't have even detected their existence. And although we didn't clash with them, their aura alone, from such a distance, caused us great pressure. I fear their cultivation is far above that of an ordinary Spirit Douluo or even a Titled Douluo."
Elder Wu's words made Ning Tian's delicate face sink once more. The appearance of two such powerful Titled Douluo-level experts deep within the territory of their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School was deeply concerning. If they were merely passing through, that would be fine, but if it was for other reasons, Ning Tian didn't dare to contemplate it further.
Although Ning Tian is only seven years old, as the designated successor of the Sect, her mental maturity far surpasses that of her peers. Even at her young age, she possesses a unique understanding of how to handle major affairs. It is precisely because of this that she has been recognized by powerhouses of all levels within the Sect, becoming the undisputed next Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Ning Tian pondered for a moment, then spoke softly:
"This soul beast hunting operation is canceled. Go back and inform my mother and the Elders about this first. Disciples who haven't obtained a Spirit Ring yet shouldn't be anxious. Since this concerns the Sect's safety, everyone will just have to bear with it for now."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ning Tian looked at the red-haired girl who had been closely following her and said softly:
"Feng Mei, I'll leave the matter of counting the number of people who still need to hunt for Spirit Rings to you when we get back. Remember, don't be careless again."
An anxious look appeared on the red-haired girl's face. She spoke incoherently:
"Young Master, I need to protect your safety closely. You can just leave this kind of thing to You Fan and the others, I…"
But before Feng Mei could finish speaking, Ning Tian directly interrupted her.
"Enough! Feng Mei, you're also a part of the Sect, and in the future, you'll definitely become a high-level member with me. Whether you want to handle these matters now or not, you must do them. Don't blame me, people always need to grow. Not to mention, you're the person I trust most by my side."
After Ning Tian finished speaking, Elder Wu, who was beside her, directly slapped Feng Mei on the head. Feng Mei stumbled, and a hint of tears welled up in her eyes, but she held back and didn't let them fall.
"Young Miss is doing this for your own good, Feng Mei. If you dare to cause trouble again, this old man will definitely spank you until your butt blooms when we get back to the Sect. Try it if you don't believe me," Elder Wu said.
Elder Wu was so angry his face turned red and his neck thickened. He was both furious and helpless toward his granddaughter, who was so devoted to sticking by Ning Tian's side.
Why did she have to pursue the Young Master at this age? If she just obediently cultivated by the Young Master's side, being a little naughty wouldn't even be an issue. But the rebellious idea of pursuing the Young Master had taken root.
When Elder Wu was young, he was quite successful in the dating scene and never failed. Yet, in his old age, he kept losing ground against his granddaughter. Damn it. Elder Wu somewhat had the urge to dig up his deceased son and daughter-in-law and have them properly discipline Feng Mei. But whenever he thought of this, his anger would suddenly dissipate quite a bit.
A sense of weariness inexplicably appeared in the old man's eyes, and the look in his eyes as he watched Feng Mei gradually became complicated.
Looking at Feng Mei, who had her head lowered and her chest slightly rising and falling, Ning Tian stepped forward, gently took her hand, and then sighed softly. She said to Elder Wu:
"In any case, Elder Wu, and the two deacons, let's all return to the Sect. We can discuss matters later."
Elder Wu and the two deacons quickly came back to their senses, then respectfully agreed.
Journey to the Star Luo Empire
Meanwhile, the Ice Empress, who was staring at Shu Yan, clearly didn't know how much trouble the unintentional release of her pressure had caused Ning Tian and her group. A day and a night of travel allowed them to make rapid progress. Shu Yan looked at the towering mountain range ahead and then said:
"After crossing that mountain range, we will officially enter the territory of the Star Luo Empire."
The Snow Empress softly hummed in response, while the Ice Empress, who was following them, looked at the nearby scenery listlessly, appearing somewhat bored.
As their altitude slowly increased, thin clouds appeared beside the three of them. The Snow Empress slightly narrowed her eyes and suddenly stopped in mid-air. The Ice Empress, unable to react in time, bumped directly into Shu Yan's back, causing Shu Yan to stumble uncontrollably.
After recovering, the Ice Empress poked her head out from behind Shu Yan, rubbed her slightly painful nose where she had bumped it, and then asked curiously:
"Xue Er, why did you suddenly stop? Is something wrong?"
The Snow Empress didn't directly respond to the Ice Empress's confused question. Her narrow phoenix eyes swept over the forest below, which was covered in rugged rocks, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. Soon, she looked up at Shu Yan and the other person, then gently shook her head and said:
"It's nothing. It's just that when I passed by here just now, I seemed to sense a faint, almost imperceptible energy reaction. But when I carefully investigated, I found nothing. I wonder if there's something wrong with my perception."
The Snow Empress's words caused the three of them to fall into contemplation. After a moment, the Ice Empress suddenly said:
"Xue Er, you need to be confident. Your perception can never be wrong. The perception ability at the Limit Douluo level is already extraordinary, and coupled with the fact that you yourself are a being condensed from the world's purest ice-attribute elemental energy, you are inherently extremely sensitive to energy reactions. Although I didn't feel any unusual movement, this mountain range also feels strange to me."
The Snow Empress glanced at the Ice Empress with some surprise. Times when the Ice Empress was this intelligent in front of her were few and far between. She didn't expect it to happen today.
Shu Yan sighed softly, then took out a map, pondered for a while, and said:
"This is the border between the two empires, and it has always been rarely stepped upon. This mountain range is called the Burial Dragon Mountain Range. It's said that a true dragon once fell here, causing the nearby soul beasts to be more or less contaminated with dragon energy and dragon blood.
The earth's veins also shifted accordingly. The entire mountain range's formation resembles a coiled giant dragon, hence the name Burial Dragon.
And the mountain peak in front of us now is the highest peak in the entire Burial Dragon Mountain Range. Its shape is like a sword, majestic and imposing. Its highest point is over a thousand zhang, truly reaching into the clouds."
After a pause, Shu Yan continued:
"As I mentioned before, after crossing this mountain range, it is the territory of the Star Luo Empire. Both empires have stationed heavy troops in this vicinity, ostensibly to consolidate the border, but in reality, it's just because they don't trust each other."
The Snow Empress nodded. Her gaze lingered on this mountain peak, which pierced straight into the clouds like a sharp sword, for a long time. Finally, she gently shook her head and said:
"Let's come back later to investigate thoroughly. I have a premonition that something terrifying is hidden below, but there seems to be an invisible barrier outside it. To open it, even this Empress would probably have to use her full strength."
As soon as she said this, Shu Yan and the Ice Empress were both startled, somewhat disbelieving.
With the Snow Empress's cultivation, comparable to a human Limit Douluo, a full-strength attack would likely shatter and collapse this entire Burial Dragon Mountain. Causing such terrifying commotion would surely be felt within a thousand miles.
By then, it wouldn't just attract the armies of the two empires, but also powerhouses from across the Continent. In that situation, this vicinity would truly become lively.