As time passed minute by minute.
Inside the grand hall.
One by one, those who had absorbed the Immortal Herbs opened their eyes, their faces brimming with unconcealable joy.
Chen Xin was the first to break the silence, his voice filled with barely contained excitement: "Fengzhi, quickly take a look at your Martial Soul!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Rong and several elders hurriedly stepped forward, their gazes fixed intently on Ning Fengzhi, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Ning Fengzhi immediately activated his Soul Power and released his Martial Soul.
In an instant, a dazzling light illuminated the entire hall, and a glazed pagoda slowly materialized, its body radiating a brilliant luster.
Everyone counted carefully.
"One, two, three... eight, nine, nine layers! It really is the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
Ning Fengzhi's body trembled slightly, overwhelmed with joy: "Heaven has eyes! I, Ning Fengzhi, have spent my entire life chasing countless opportunities without success, and now, thanks to the Immortal Herbs given by Xiao Feng, I have finally achieved my dream!"
"Fengzhi, you've finally done it!"
Chen Xin and Gu Rong were genuinely happy for Ning Fengzhi.
Among those present, only the two of them truly understood how much Ning Fengzhi had sacrificed and how long he had waited for this day.
"Congratulations, Sect Leader, for finally reaching the Nine Treasure level!"
The others nearby cupped their hands in congratulations, and a joyful atmosphere filled the entire hall.
"Dad, what's this about Nine Treasures? Let Rong Rong see!"
Ning Rongrong's clear voice was somewhat faint amidst the laughter and chatter of the others.
But the joys and sorrows of people are not always shared.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Ning Rongrong was on the verge of tears, but the adults around her were all so tall, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't squeeze her way in.
At that moment, Dugu Yan returned.
Seeing Ning Rongrong's puffed-up and aggrieved expression, she couldn't help but find it amusing.
After a brief inquiry, she learned the reason for the situation.
Then, Dugu Yan gently picked up Ning Rongrong and steadily walked toward the crowd, saying, "Hey, hey, hey, you old folks, can't you be a bit more considerate? Don't you see Rong Rong is about to cry?"
At these words, everyone seemed to wake from a dream, snapping out of their excited state.
Their gazes fell upon Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong, and they were deeply impressed by the young girl before them.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo, who was standing nearby, awkwardly rubbed his nose, thinking to himself that this girl really didn't mince words.
Looking at the puffed-up Ning Rongrong, Chen Xin quickly apologized, saying, "Rong Rong, it's Grandpa Jian's fault. Grandpa Jian apologizes, okay?"
Gu Rong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, that's right. It's all this Old Swordman's fault. Your Bone Grandpa just didn't hear you earlier."
Hearing this, Chen Xin's eyes widened in disbelief.
Who would have thought that you, Gu Rong, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also betray me!
Usually, we're on the same side, admitting our mistakes together.
Fine, fine!
Just you wait!
Seeing Chen Xin's discomfort, Gu Rong's lips curled slightly, feeling secretly pleased. It wasn't often that he could make this old friend of his feel so awkward.
"Alright then, Rong Rong will forgive you, but you mustn't do this again in the future, understand?"
Ning Rongrong, held in Dugu Yan's arms, put her hands on her hips like a little adult, speaking in a fierce yet adorable tone.
Ning Fengzhi's expression turned serious as he said, "Rong Rong, stop fooling around."
However, both Chen Xin and Gu Rong turned their heads simultaneously and retorted, "Fengzhi, is it your place to speak? Step aside."
Faced with the two old pranksters shielding their little princess, Ning Fengzhi could only sigh helplessly and change the subject. "Sword Uncle, Uncle Gu, how much has your Soul Power increased?"
Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of pride. "My Soul Power has now reached level 97. I suppose I can barely handle two Old Bones."
"Hmph, keep boasting. My Soul Power is now level 96, and my Martial Soul has undergone a comprehensive enhancement. I'm not the same person I used to be," Gu Rong shot back, clearly unwilling to concede.
It turned out that the Ninth Grade Dragon Fungus he had consumed not only significantly improved his physical constitution but also brought about a qualitative leap in the strength of his Bone Dragon Spirit. Although his Martial Soul hadn't evolved, its quality far surpassed its previous state. Even the Space Compression skill, which had always been difficult to control, was now effortlessly mastered. Gu Rong had now become a Titled Douluo, excelling in both offense and defense.
Hearing this, Chen Xin raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you think my Martial Soul hasn't improved either?"
With that, he waved his hand, and the Seven Kill Sword instantly appeared in his grasp. Everyone focused their gaze and saw that the originally smooth blade now seemed to be adorned with a layer of dazzling gemstones, crystal clear and resembling a finely crafted piece of art. However, the sharp aura emanating from the sword sent chills down their spines—a clear signal of deadly danger.
"Now, I far surpass my father. Perhaps one day, I can challenge that person again," Chen Xin said, his gaze fixed on the distance, his eyes shining with determination.
Hearing this, both Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong fell silent. Among those present, only the two of them knew of Chen Xin's past. Chen Xin's father, Chen Jianjun, was the legendary West Departure Sword Master, a top-tier figure among the previous generation of powerhouses, with a Soul Power of level 98. The person Chen Xin referred to was none other than the Adjudicator Elder and Grand High Priest of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu! Though they didn't know whether this was good or bad, they could only offer their blessings to Chen Xin.
Soon after, Ning Fengzhi turned his attention to the three elders. Before he could even ask, Wang Yaozu, unable to contain his excitement, burst into laughter and eagerly reported, "Sect Leader, thanks to the Immortal Herb, my Soul Power has successfully broken through the bottleneck. Now, I only need to hunt for one more Soul Ring to step into the realm of a Titled Douluo!"
Chen Wei, with a joyful smile on his face, quickly chimed in, "Sect Leader, I've also made a breakthrough, just like Old Wang."
Xu Jin, on the other hand, slightly cupped his hands and respectfully said, "Sect Leader, I've now reached level 86. Thanks to the Immortal Herb, the talent barrier that has always held me back seems to have been shattered. I am fully confident that within ten years, I will undoubtedly break through and become a Titled Douluo!"
In his heart, he knew this was the most conservative estimate. In reality, he could clearly feel the changes within his body—his meridians were full of vitality, as if he had returned to the vigor of his twenties. Perhaps it wouldn't even take ten years; in five or six years, he could break through and become a Titled Douluo.
"Wonderful, truly wonderful!" Ning Fengzhi's face was flushed with excitement, his voice trembling slightly.
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has reappeared in the world, Sword Uncle and Uncle Gu have reached new heights in their strength, Elder Wang and Elder Chen are on the verge of becoming Titled Douluos, and Elder Dugu has joined our sect."
His eyes sparkled with an irrepressible light, and his joy was evident.
"Today, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is truly blessed with multiple fortunes!"
At this moment, Gu Rong slightly furrowed his brows, as if suddenly remembering something, and reminded, "Sect Leader, since the Martial Soul has evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, perhaps we should now rename our sect to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School."
"Hahaha... Well said, Uncle Gu. Today's blessings are all thanks to Little Feng!"
Ning Fengzhi suddenly realized and laughed heartily in agreement, his words overflowing with gratitude toward Gu Feng.
Gu Rong's lips curled slightly upward as he spoke in the calmest tone, "Not at all, that brat just got a bit lucky."
Chen Xin snorted lightly beside him, "Old Bone, you're just pretending."
Having spent many years with Gu Rong, how could he not see the joy in the other's heart?
Though he claimed to dislike this rebellious grandson, deep down, he was overjoyed.
In his excitement, Ning Fengzhi waved his hand decisively and ordered, "Pass down the command, prepare the supplies immediately. Tomorrow, we will head to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts!"
At this moment, he was filled with ambition, his heart brimming with anticipation and hope for the future.
The rise of the sect seemed just within reach...
Beside him, Dugu Bo secretly clicked his tongue.
In a few days, the tale of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School producing five Titled Douluos would likely spread across the land.
By then, the Spirit Hall would probably be unable to sit still, wouldn't it?
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