Chapter 117: You guys are team
"Hiss—"
The outsider took a sharp breath, feeling a cold chill run down his spine, and sweat started to bead on his forehead.
Was that really the rumored Martial God Douluo, the sect leader of the Body Sect?
"I wonder what major issue has arisen for this acting sect leader to seek out Martial God Douluo."
During this period, the people had come to understand something.
Zhongli spent his days strolling the streets, watching birds, and listening to music in the theaters. He wasn't even at the Body Sect, let alone developing it.
That acting sect leader of the Body Sect, his name was Du Bafang.
If Du Bafang had come to Zhongli for a discussion, it had to be a big deal!
Some spies rushed back to their respective factions, afraid that they might be the target of whatever it was the two were discussing.
At Zhongli's residence.
Du Bafang explained the whole situation to Zhongli.
"Sect Master, that's the gist of it. We don't quite understand why Sect Master Ning would do this."
After hearing the full story, Zhongli frowned and then sighed. He remarked, "In this world, there is certainly a place for a hero like Sect Master Ning."
Du Bafang and Paimon: "???"
The two were filled with confusion and a little bit of bewilderment.
"Sect Master Ning is doing this because he doesn't want the Body Sect to owe him any favors. Not only that, but he's raising the stakes."
"It's no surprise that he's been able to develop the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect into the prosperous state it's in today—Sect Master Ning deserves a lot of credit."
Zhongli offered a brief explanation and then praised Ning Fengzhi.
"Isn't he worried that we might not repay the favor?" Du Bafang asked instinctively. As a seasoned veteran of the world, he understood a thing or two about how soul masters and factions interacted based on interests.
After all, many people don't repay favors.
"There's no such thing as a guaranteed win in a gamble."
"As long as the bet is placed, there's always hope until the moment the results are revealed."
"Let's let him win this round."
Du Bafang and Paimon seemed to grasp something, but they couldn't fully articulate it.
Since the sect master had said so, Du Bafang decided not to dwell on it and instead changed the topic.
"Sect Master, I plan to have the younger generation in the sect participate in this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament."
"There's still a year and a half until the tournament. I believe they can raise their spirit power levels to match or even surpass their peers before it begins."
Du Bafang spoke with confidence. Among the younger members, several were born with a spirit power of seven, some even eight, and there was one with a natural spirit power of nine.
Due to a lack of nurturing in the past, these talented soul masters had fallen behind their peers with the same innate spirit power levels.
But things were different now. Not only were they receiving training, but they were also well-supplied with cultivation resources. Under their rigorous training, their spirit power levels were rising rapidly!
The human body is a treasure. Their martial spirits were part of their bodies, so during their intense training, their martial spirits were also being strengthened, leading to faster breakthroughs.
After hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin, deep in thought.
The younger generation was the future of the Body Sect, and with the unique passion of youth, they were destined not to be content with mediocrity.
This wasn't something Du Bafang had thought of himself; he cared more about the overall development of the sect than a tournament like this.
It must have been the younger generation who proposed it.
"They are like the morning sun, full of vitality."
"They should have the passion to challenge the heroes of the world."
"They don't need to emulate me; they should surpass me!"
These words left Du Bafang momentarily stunned.
"I approve of this plan,"
"Let them focus on their training. In due time, I will send them some gifts," Zhongli said, his calm voice carrying a weight of promise.
Even Du Bafang couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. After all, this was a gift from the sect master! He still remembered what Zhongli had told him when he left the sect: once Du Bafang reached the 96th level, Zhongli would give him a special surprise. Now that Du Bafang had reached level 93 as a Titled Douluo, level 96 didn't seem too far off.
"Yes!" Du Bafang responded eagerly, though he had no idea what kind of surprise Zhongli had in store. For other sects or leaders, it might indeed be a pleasant surprise, but for the Body Sect... well, the surprise could be quite different.
---
At Shrek Academy's training grounds...
"Wow, Rongrong, when did you get back?" Ma Hongjun exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Ning Rongrong.
Tang San and the others were equally surprised.
In the original timeline, this was the period when they all took the immortal herbs, dramatically increasing their spirit power. However, with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well now in Zhongli's possession, they had no herbs to enhance their spirit power or upgrade their martial spirits.
"Hmph! They thought they could lock me up and keep me from coming to the academy? As if I wouldn't make it here!" Ning Rongrong said proudly, standing with her hands on her hips.
Having successfully escaped once again, she now believed the guards of her clan weren't as impressive as they seemed.
Flander, who was teaching at the moment, couldn't help but think deeply. Did Ning Rongrong really manage to escape? That was hard to believe!
"Third brother, I heard you were injured by that Xiao Feilian. Are your injuries all healed?" Ning Rongrong suddenly turned to Tang San, her face filled with frustration. "That Xiao Feilian is truly awful!"
Had Tang San and Xiao Wu not been a couple, it was likely that in the original timeline, Ning Rongrong would have pursued Tang San herself. At this point, her relationship with Oscar wasn't as close as one might have imagined.
Upon hearing her words, Tang San's face darkened instantly, and a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes. Xiao Feilian had become a personal demon of his, a mental block he felt he needed to overcome. If he couldn't defeat her, he sensed that he would never find peace.
"Yeah, Little San was bedridden for a month and a half before his injuries healed," Dai Mubai chimed in, placing a comforting hand on Tang San's shoulder.
Tang San's injuries had primarily affected his external spirit bone and martial spirit, leaving his physical body mostly unharmed. But for a soul master, the greatest injury was to have their martial spirit shattered!
The broken external spirit bone had regrown, but it would likely take a long time for his second martial spirit to fully recover. Fortunately, his second martial spirit wasn't his primary one, which is why his recovery had been relatively quick.
"An individual's strength can only take them so far," Yu Xiaogang, with his hands behind his back, said as he addressed the group. "You are a team. As long as you support one another and grow together, defeating Xiao Feilian won't be that difficult."
"Given Xiao Feilian's strength and age, she's certain to participate in the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. That will be your chance for revenge!"
Yu Xiaogang continued, "You must also know that in the tournament, the use of weapons or soul tools is forbidden."
"At least 80% of Xiao Feilian's strength comes from her sword. But in the tournament, she won't be able to use that sword."
Everyone nodded in understanding, except for Tang San, who was left baffled.
Wait, Tang San thought, '80% of my strength comes from my hidden weapons too!'
But then it hit him—if Xiao Feilian would be weakened even more without her ancient soul tool, wouldn't she be left with almost no fighting power?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone