Tang Hao cried out, his body shooting into the pitch-black cave like a bolt of lightning. Following his spiritual sense, he quickly reached the spot where he had hidden his spirit bone.
As expected, it was completely empty!
His spirit bone had been stolen!
"Ahhh!"
"Who? Who took my spirit bone?!"
An immense burst of soul power exploded from Tang Hao's body as his roar echoed like thunder through the cave. His expression grew increasingly frenzied.
Rumble!
Under the pressure of his soul power, the cave trembled violently, and fine cracks spread along the walls.
Then, a sudden thought struck Tang Hao—aside from the spirit bone, he had also planted A Yin here.
"A Yin… right, there's still A Yin!"
Tang Hao rushed to the place where he had planted A Yin. But once again, it was completely empty.
Seeing this, his body collapsed to the ground with a thud, sitting heavily in place.
His once-ferocious face was now filled with mixed emotions. He muttered, "A Yin is gone too… A Yin is gone…"
His voice carried both intense hatred and a strange sense of relief.
He had no idea why the intruder had taken A Yin as well. After all, the regrown A Yin looked no different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass.
Still… perhaps it was for the best.
Whether she lived or died, her removal lessened the crushing guilt in his heart.
At the very least, A Yin hadn't died by his own hands.
Back then, right after Tang San was born, Qian Xunji had come with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo to hunt them down.
But how had Spirit Hall discovered their whereabouts? Such a secret, and at such a coincidental time?
One had to understand that the Blue Silver Emperor's perception ability was one of the strongest among all soul beasts. She could use all Blue Silver Grass across the continent as her eyes and ears—it shouldn't have been so easy to expose them.
The truth of what happened that year—perhaps only Tang Hao still knew.
---
Meanwhile, at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—
As soon as Ning Rongrong took the Creation Heaven-Mending Pill, she sent someone to contact her father, Ning Fengzhi.
Then, she and Zhu Zhuqing, along with Xiao Wu, followed Qi Lin and Gu Yuena into the Sunset Forest.
Their spirit beast hunt went smoothly.
Halfway through, Gu Yuena and Xiao Wu disappeared for a few hours. When they returned, Xiao Wu revealed that her soul power had risen to Rank 51.
Even more astonishing—her fourth spirit ring was black, a ten-thousand-year spirit ring!
This shocked Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing immensely.
A ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring—aside from Qi Lin, probably no one else on the continent had achieved such a feat.
Soon after, the two girls successfully hunted spirit rings suitable for themselves.
And their spirit rings also far surpassed the limits of ordinary soul masters.
The typical limit for a third spirit ring was around 1,800 years.
But both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's third spirit rings exceeded 3,000 years.
After absorbing those rings, their soul power surged past Rank 40.
Their rate of advancement could only be described as rocket-like.
Qi Lin then led them to hunt their fourth spirit rings.
Though their fourth rings weren't ten-thousand-year ones, they still reached an impressive 8,000 years.
After absorbing them, both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's soul power continued rising—only stopping at Rank 44.
Keep in mind, not long ago, both were under Rank 30.
On the way back to the academy, Gu Yuena asked, "Didn't you reach Rank 60? Why didn't you absorb a sixth spirit ring here in the forest?"
Qi Lin paused, then chuckled. "I couldn't find a suitable spirit ring here in the Sunset Forest. But I already have an idea for my sixth."
He recalled a ten-thousand-year Ice Lotus in the Extreme North. That would make a perfect sixth ring.
Aside from that, it was also time to awaken his second martial soul.
"Where is it? Want my help?" Gu Yuena asked.
Qi Lin stroked his chin with a smile. "Sure, how about coming with me to the Extreme North in a few days, Na-jie?"
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, who were all eavesdropping, immediately perked up.
"Brother Qi Lin (Qi Lin-ge / Teacher Qi Lin), I want to go too!"
Qi Lin responded by flicking each of their foreheads.
"I'm going to hunt spirit rings, not on vacation! All of you stay here at Heaven Dou Academy and train properly."
"When I come back, I'll test how well you've mastered your soul power control."
Hearing this, the three girls had no choice but to nod obediently.
A faint smile appeared on Gu Yuena's cool and elegant face. She nodded. "Alright."
---
As soon as they returned to the academy, Ning Fengzhi—along with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo—rushed to Qi Lin's dormitory.
Ning Fengzhi's face was filled with excitement.
When he heard that Ning Rongrong had evolved her martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda with Qi Lin's help, he had thought it was a joke.
After all, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was practically a myth among the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. No one had ever awakened it before.
Even with Ning Rongrong's exceptional talent—the best the clan had seen in a hundred years—he had only hoped she might evolve it into an Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
The moment he arrived with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, Ning Rongrong excitedly called out:
"Father! Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone—you're here!"
"Rongrong!" Ning Fengzhi responded warmly, hurrying over.
"Teacher Qi Lin, we meet again." He smiled as he spotted Qi Lin among the group.
Qi Lin nodded back, already understanding why Ning Fengzhi had come.
"Rongrong, let Daddy take a look at your martial soul," Ning Fengzhi said, trying to suppress his excitement.
"Okay!"
Ning Rongrong raised her hand and released her martial soul.
A moment later, a brilliantly shining, delicate pagoda appeared before everyone's eyes.
"One, two, three… nine!"
"It's really the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
"Hahaha! Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan finally has hope for resurgence!"
Even someone as calm and composed as Ning Fengzhi couldn't hold back his laughter after seeing the pagoda with his own eyes.
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were also visibly thrilled. They understood the immense significance of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to their clan.
Then, Ning Rongrong said proudly, "That's not all. Look at my soul power!"
As she spoke, four spirit rings rose from her feet:
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple!
"Four rings?!"
"Rongrong, you—"
Ning Rongrong beamed. "That's right! Brother Qi Lin's Creation Heaven-Mending Pill doesn't just evolve martial souls."
"My soul power is already Rank 44."
"Hiss…" The three men drew in sharp breaths.
Bone Douluo murmured, "If I remember correctly, when Rongrong left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan just a few months ago, her soul power was only Rank 26…"
"In less than half a year, she's jumped eighteen ranks!"