"Are you serious, Su Ming?!" Gu Rong couldn't hold back his exclamation.
Beside him, Ning Fengzhi was just as shaken. Despite his composure, he felt the same astonishment. Su Ming was only fourteen, and with merely the power of a Spirit Emperor, he had already gained the favor of the Goddess of Life.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi was entirely convinced—and thankful for the decision he'd made.
Seeing their reactions, Su Ming smiled, pleased. This was exactly the response he wanted. To secure Ning Fengzhi's complete loyalty to Spirit Hall, he needed him to fully appreciate the strength they offered.
With the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan already under his influence, only the Haotian Clan remained among the Seven Great Sects. However, Su Ming had no intention of bringing them under Spirit Hall's banner—they didn't deserve it.
Moreover, he couldn't help but feel suspicious about the Haotian Clan elders. How could they have produced eight Title Douluo in just twenty years of seclusion?
To Su Ming, this was far too convenient. Haotian Clan's fame as the greatest tool spirit clan primarily rested on their mastery of the Haotian secret techniques, which had nothing to do with accelerated cultivation speed. Spirit power levels remained fixed from the start, and the Haotian Clan elders were already well past their prime.
Even in the original story, exceptionally talented spirit masters like Flender and Zhao Wuji took about ten years to advance from Spirit Sage to Spirit Douluo. Advancing from Spirit Douluo to Title Douluo was even harder. Unless all those elders had been at or above level 85 before retreating, the Haotian Clan would've already been more powerful than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which was highly unlikely.
The more he considered it, the more Su Ming felt his suspicion was valid. Spirit Hall had most of the continent's resources, yet only around twenty Title Douluo, and that included the seven Grand Elders. Yet the Haotian Clan, who had been isolated for two decades, still managed to produce eight Title Douluo with only basic supplies from Tang Yuehua?
It was absurd.
But plans to dismantle the Haotian Clan would have to wait until Spirit Hall established its nation. In the meantime, Su Ming's goal was to strengthen Spirit Hall by recruiting more sects to expand its power.
Indeed, expanding his own influence was crucial, even with the authority granted by Bibi Dong. First, he aimed to secure the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's allegiance, then focus on the Four Single-Attribute Clans.
As for the Strength Clan, they had likely already learned about their former clan leader's death, with Tang San being the primary culprit. Su Ming hoped they would choose wisely; otherwise, while the Strength Clan was a valuable clan of skilled blacksmiths, he wouldn't hesitate to abandon them. After all, mass-producing spirit tools didn't rely solely on them; with Lou Gao on his side, success was all but guaranteed.
"Well, Uncle Ning, Grandpa Bone, now that we're all in agreement, let's wrap up." Then, as if remembering something, Su Ming asked, "Oh, by the way, Uncle Ning, how did it go with Master Lou Gao in Gengxin City? Is he willing?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled and took five throwing knives from his spirit tool. "Su Ming, see for yourself. What do you think of the quality?"
"According to Master Lou Gao, these knives can withstand attacks from a typical Spirit Douluo," Ning Fengzhi explained. "It's the best he can manage for now. He's limited by his own rank as a Spirit Douluo, and while Gengxin City has an abundance of materials, none can withstand Title Douluo-level attacks."
"Also, I must thank you for providing samples and blueprints of the spirit tools. Without those, Lou Gao wouldn't have been able to craft these so meticulously."
Admiring the five finely crafted, silver-white knives engraved with delicate patterns, Su Ming was thrilled. Though currently suited only for Spirit Douluo-level power, he was confident that with fine control over his spiritual energy, they could even injure Title Douluo-level opponents.
These knives would suffice as a temporary set for Ning Rongrong.
Su Ming believed that with better materials and Master Lou Gao's own improved abilities, he could produce even stronger weapons. And he didn't believe only the Clear Sky Hammer could forge Deep Sea Silver; if memory served, Sea God Island boasted pillars made entirely of Deep Sea Silver.
"Grandpa Bone, care to test them out?" Su Ming suggested.
With a flick of his fingers, he imbued the five throwing knives with a layer of dark energy, sending them directly toward Gu Rong.
Gu Rong was momentarily taken aback, realizing Su Ming probably wanted to test the knives' durability. The dark aura surrounding the blades made him uneasy, but he quickly summoned a row of black dragon bones in front of him to block them.
The next moment, the five knives embedded themselves into the dragon bones, their dark energy dissipating on impact.
Satisfied, Su Ming nodded, pleased with their performance. With his spiritual power coating them and a touch of destructive energy, they had indeed managed to pierce Gu Rong's defenses. "Not bad at all."
Gu Rong: …
Sweat trickled down Gu Rong's forehead. "Not bad at all"? Those were his dragon bones—summoned by a defense-oriented Title Douluo at level 95! Yet a few Spirit Douluo-grade knives had pierced them? He knew Su Ming had pulled back his spiritual power at the last moment; otherwise, the knives would've broken through entirely.
"Su Ming, how did you do that?" Gu Rong asked, stunned.
Could it be true that Su Ming really had killed Yu Yuanzhen in a single strike?
"Do you even realize what you're saying? This throwing knife actually broke through my defenses, and you call that 'average'?" Gu Rong exclaimed in disbelief.
Su Ming calmly nodded. "Just a surprise, Grandpa Gu. You weren't even using your full defense; it was just your casual barrier."
Gu Rong wasn't as amused. While he had only used a casual defense, Su Ming's attack had been equally casual. This wasn't a comforting realization.
Ning Fengzhi asked, "Su Ming, if Rongrong uses these five throwing knives, will she be able to achieve the same power?"
Su Ming shook his head. "Probably not. With her current abilities, reaching even an entry-level Title Douluo's power with them would already be impressive."
"The throwing knives were so effective in my hands because I imbued them with a special attribute: the power of destruction."
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment. "Is that the dark aura on the knives?"
"Exactly. This destructive power is an ability I've recently developed through my eyes," Su Ming replied.
Then he gave Gu Rong a mischievous look. "Grandpa Gu, how about we find a spacious place and really test it out?"
Gu Rong felt a chill run down his spine. Moments ago, he'd boldly claimed that Su Ming couldn't break his defense, insisting they give it a try. But now he was starting to feel as if "try" might turn into "die."
With a forced smile, Gu Rong tried, "Su Ming, how about we check on Rongrong first?"
Before he could protest further, Su Ming teleported him and Ning Fengzhi to the plaza outside the Pope's Palace.
In transit, Su Ming secretly handed Ning Fengzhi a protective soul tool called the "Heaven's Blessing," explaining how to activate it. By channeling spirit power into the tool, it could fend off attacks from a Title Douluo. Unless drained of power, it was nearly unbreakable.
Ning Fengzhi felt a surge of curiosity. Was this soul tool truly so remarkable? He trusted Su Ming implicitly, but the soul tool's power was hard to believe.
Over the past half hour, Ning Fengzhi's understanding of Su Ming had deepened. He admired Su Ming's vision, even if he didn't fully understand his dedication to aiding ordinary people. Su Ming envisioned a Spirit Hall nation where even commoners could live stable lives without poverty.
Facing Gu Rong, Su Ming activated his Eternal Mangekyō, and his aura changed instantly. His usual gentle demeanor was replaced by an intense, commanding presence.
"Grandpa Gu, make sure to defend with all you've got," Su Ming warned. "I'm aiming at Uncle Ning, and don't even think about using Bone Dragon's spatial abilities to dodge. Spatial skills are also my specialty, so running won't help you. Stand your ground!"
Su Ming's taunts only further riled Gu Rong. A muscle twitched in his forehead—being lectured by a youngster was infuriating.
"Su Ming! Fine, bring it on!" Gu Rong was finally done holding back.
"Seventh Spirit Skill, True Bone Dragon Form!"
"Ninth Spirit Skill, Bone Transformation Dragon God!"
Despite his bravado, Gu Rong took Su Ming seriously. Su Ming's bond with them meant he'd never seriously harm Ning Fengzhi, but he wasn't about to let his friend down by failing to defend him.
As Su Ming's eyes opened, he appeared at the center of Susanoo's forehead. His lips curved in a faint smile as he watched Gu Rong. He felt the urge to test a new move.
With that, Su Ming unleashed his technique.
"Destruction Domain!"
A dark energy spread from Su Ming's center, engulfing the entire plaza in his domain. The sudden burst of power quickly drew the attention of others, including Ning Rongrong and Bibi Dong, who rushed over.
"Su Ming! Father! Grandpa Bone! What's going on here?" Rongrong called out, worry filling her voice.
Alarmed, she worried her father and Su Ming hadn't come to an agreement. Gu Rong had even activated his True Bone Dragon form and ninth spirit skill, indicating the battle's intensity. She knew her grandfather was no match for Su Ming's strength, especially after what she'd seen of him facing Sea God's avatar.
Bibi Dong shared a tense look as she stepped in. "Su Ming, Lord Ning, what are you doing?"
Hearing Rongrong's panicked voice, Su Ming quickly transmitted to Bibi Dong, "Teacher, stop them from entering the domain. I've got it under control; Lord Ning has agreed."
Bibi Dong's eyes sparkled, relieved to hear that Ning Fengzhi had agreed. But that left her wondering what was happening now. Still, trusting Su Ming's judgment, she moved to block the others.
"You must stay back. Su Ming knows what he's doing," she said, briefly explaining the negotiations to them.
Yet Rongrong's worry persisted, finding it hard to believe this was merely a sparring match given their intense demeanor.
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, who stood within Su Ming's Destruction Domain, felt an oppressive discomfort. It was reminiscent of Tang Hao's Killing God Domain but somehow different. They realized their spirit power was rapidly depleting, instinctively pushing back against the aura. Otherwise, the destructive energy would have started to erode their bodies.
Su Ming himself was surprised by the domain's effects, as the budding Destruction Domain seemed to carry elements of his self-created techniques.
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