Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The appearance of these three items caused even Ge Duo's usually calm, deep green eyes to light up slightly.

She sat up straight, her gaze lingering on the three treasures for a moment before slowly shifting away to look at Ning Fengzhi again.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the number one support-type martial soul in the world, truly lives up to its name." Ge Duo's tone revealed no emotion.

"I've heard about this flaw before. The root cause is that the martial spirit itself is too powerful, which restricts the growth limit of the soul master's origin."

She paused, her fingers ceasing their tapping. "I need to investigate this myself to find out the specifics."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi stepped forward without hesitation and extended his right hand.

With a thought, a seven-story pagoda, over a foot tall, crystal clear, and shimmering with seven-colored light, floated above his palm and slowly rotated. Seven spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—rose from beneath his feet, radiating the spirit power fluctuations of a level seventy-nine spirit saint.

Gedo stretched out her pale, almost transparent hand and gently touched the body of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda with her fingertips.

In an instant, her spiritual power, like the finest tendrils, coiled around and penetrated into the dazzling tower.

At the same time, another hidden soul force also entered Ning Fengzhi's body through the meridians of his wrist.

Ning Fengzhi relaxed his body, allowing Ge Duo to probe. He could feel a cold and powerful consciousness flowing through his martial soul and body. The feeling was uncomfortable, as if all his secrets were exposed, but he forcibly suppressed his instinctive resistance.

Chen Xin watched quietly from the side, her fingers resting on the hilt of the sword slightly tense.

As time passed, Ge Duo's brows gradually furrowed, and the languid expression on her face lessened considerably, replaced by a focused look, and even a faint sense of unease.

After a long while, Ge Duo slowly withdrew her hand, indicating that Ning Fengzhi could put away his martial spirit.

She strolled back to the wicker chair, but didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she stood there, gazing silently at the spring where ice and fire intertwined. Her fingers unconsciously traced the dark gem on her staff.

Neither Ning Fengzhi nor Chen Xin made a sound to disturb them; they simply waited quietly, an invisible pressure permeating the air.

Looking at Ge Duo's furrowed brows and silent back, Ning Fengzhi felt the flame of expectation in his heart being doused with ice water and gradually cooled down.

Could it be that even this mysterious Title Douluo is powerless to fix the flaws of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?

He clenched his fingers inside his sleeve, his nails digging slightly into his palm.

At this moment, Ge Duo's inner world was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.

This is troublesome. That was her first thought.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul is completely different from Luo Sanpao, the character played by Yu Xiaogang.

Luo Sanpao's condition is due to blocked meridians and a deficiency in his fundamental nature; to put it bluntly, the problem lies in the pathways and the source of his illness.

Her Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, to put it bluntly, is a powerful remedy and stimulant that forcibly breaks through blockages and stimulates latent soul power with its domineering medicinal power; in essence, it is an operation at the energy level.

It's not complicated to make; it can be done with some common high-energy herbs and her unique potion-making techniques, and the cost is extremely low.

But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is different. According to her initial investigation, the structure of this martial soul is almost perfect, and its auxiliary ability is extremely powerful. It is this extreme that seems to have violated some rule, causing it to be sealed off by an invisible and incredibly solid ceiling after reaching level seventy-nine.

This is not a simple matter of insufficient energy or meridian problems; it is a limitation engraved deep within the origin of the martial spirit.

Breaking this restriction that involves fundamental rules is probably a pipe dream, relying solely on the scraps and rare materials she usually uses to refine potions.

In her initial assessment, it was highly likely that the original branches and leaves of the true immortal herbs within the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire would be needed as the main ingredient. Only with the life and rule power they contained, which was close to the level of laws, could she possibly attempt to break through that barrier.

Immortal Herb...

Ge Duo's heart ached. These immortal herbs were her lifeblood, her greatest asset for settling down and planning her future in the Douluo Continent.

Each plant is unique, grows slowly, and consumes the essence accumulated over many years by the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye.

Using even a single leaf or a single tendril can damage the source of the essence; it's true that every little bit used is a little less.

Is it worth paying such a huge price for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?

Ge Duo was struggling internally, and her gaze involuntarily drifted to the three gift boxes on the stone table.

Even through the box, she could feel the immense energy and value contained within the three items.

Dragon Blood Lingzhi, Earth Core Soul Essence, Grade Nine Purple Lingzhi... these are all truly valuable items, greatly beneficial to her cultivation and the refining of certain high-level magical potions. Moreover, this is merely a gift for their first meeting.

Chapter 161 Research on Living Martial Souls

If... if she could accept this task, given the immense wealth of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and Ning Fengzhi's burning desire to break free from fate, the various rare and precious materials she would obtain would likely be astronomical. That would be an inexhaustible treasure trove, enough to support her in conducting more and more astonishing potion experiments and rapidly increasing her strength.

On one hand, there is the consumption of immortal herbs that may damage one's own foundation; on the other hand, there are top-tier resources that may be obtained in the future, which are almost inexhaustible.

Ge Duo was conflicted. Her fair fingers gripped the staff tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!" a voice screamed in her mind. The immortal herb was precious, but as long as she could exchange it for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School as a "long-term meal ticket," would she have to worry about finding more good things in the future? Perhaps she could even find a substitute or a way to promote the regeneration of the immortal herb!

Another voice cautiously warned: Immortal herbs are non-renewable. If we fail, or if Ning Fengzhi's subsequent resources are insufficient to make up for the losses, then we will suffer a huge loss!

After much hesitation, greed for the resources ultimately triumphed over the heartache for the precious herb.

Ge Duo took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. She turned around and faced Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin again, her face showing a solemn expression mixed with some difficulty.

"Sect Leader Ning," she began, her voice lower than before, "the situation is not good."

Ning Fengzhi's heart sank completely at her words, his face drained of color, and even his breath stopped for a moment.

Chen Xin frowned, and his aura grew even colder.

Seeing his reaction, Ge Duo continued in a heavy tone, "Based on my preliminary judgment, the root cause of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's inability to break through level 80 lies in the Martial Soul itself..."

"After its structure reached the seventh layer, it seemed to have reached the limit of some kind of rule of heaven and earth, and was sealed by an extremely solid barrier. This is not a simple matter of energy accumulation or meridians, but involves the limitation of the origin level."

Every word she said struck Ning Fengzhi's heart like a heavy hammer.

Although he had suspected it before, being so bluntly pointed out by Ge Duo that the root cause lay in the martial soul itself still made him feel an unprecedented sense of despair.

"Then... is there really no way at all?" Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled slightly, and he stared intently at Ge Duo, not wanting to miss any subtle change in her expression.

Ge Duo paused for a moment, seemingly considering her words, before slowly saying, "There is a way... it's not entirely impossible."

A glimmer of hope instantly shone in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

"I have a preliminary idea," Ge Duo said cautiously.

"Perhaps we can try to break through that barrier by refining a special pill, which contains the ultimate life and rule power. But this is only a direction. Whether it will succeed, how the pill should be formulated, and how its medicinal properties should be guided all require me to conduct more in-depth and longer research on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul before I can give an accurate judgment and solution."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the gift box on the stone table before turning to Ning Fengzhi, a perfectly measured look of embarrassment on her face.

"Moreover, if we really follow this approach, the subsequent research and alchemy process will probably require an extremely large number of rare and precious materials, many of which are extremely rare and hard to come by. I am worried that even with the resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it may not be able to supply them continuously."

Ge Duo's words were half true and half false. It was true, however, that using the immortal herb would be a huge drain on her resources.

The truth is, she didn't need a huge amount of ordinary natural treasures.

She did this to increase the difficulty, while also concealing her true strength and the consequences.

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi was initially delighted that there was still a way out, but then his mood became heavy due to the vast amount of rare and precious materials and the uncertainty of whether he could succeed.

But as the leader of a vast sect, he quickly weighed the pros and cons.

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School must seize it!

Seeing the changing expressions on Ning Fengzhi's face, Ge Duo knew that the time was right, but she still needed to add the last, and most crucial, piece of leverage.

She gently tapped the table with her fingertips, causing Ning Fengzhi to look up at her.

"There's one more thing, Sect Leader Ning." Ge Duo's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Theoretical research is ultimately a step away. If I want to truly understand the key to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda breaking through the barrier, I need a Soul Master with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul to cooperate with my research here for a long time. Observing the circulation of their Soul Power and sensing the subtle changes in their Martial Soul Origin under the influence of the medicine is an indispensable part."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's expression changed drastically, and even Chen Xin, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze as sharp as a sword as she looked at Ge Duo.

To allow a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to stay with a mysterious and unpredictable Title Douluo for a long time, allowing him to explore the most fundamental mysteries of martial souls?

This is too risky! A martial soul is the foundation of a family and a sect. If Ge Duo not only finds a way to break through the bottleneck in his research, but also discovers the weaknesses of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda or even a way to counter it, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Ning Fengzhi's heart sank to the bottom in an instant. The fire that had just been ignited by seeing a glimmer of hope was almost extinguished by this bucket of cold water.

His lips moved as if he wanted to refuse; this condition had crossed his bottom line.

Ge Duo took in his hesitation and resistance without urging him, and slowly added, "Of course, if Sect Master Ning finds it inconvenient, this matter can be dropped. However, without a living martial spirit to assist in the observation, relying solely on books and oral accounts, my research will likely struggle to reach the core, and the success rate will probably be less than one in a hundred. After all, theoretical discussions are ultimately superficial."

Her words were light and airy, yet they struck Ning Fengzhi's heart like a heavy hammer.

Give up? That would mean the newly ignited flame of hope might be extinguished.

The evolution of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the possibility of breaking free from fate... these temptations were too great, so great that he had to weigh the enormous risks.

A deathly silence fell over the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. Chen Xin remained silent, simply watching Ning Fengzhi, awaiting his decision.

He knew that this decision could only be made by Ning Fengzhi himself.

Ning Fengzhi's face drained of color, his fingers clenched tightly around his sleeves, his mind in turmoil.

On one side lies the absolute safety of the sect and the secrets of the martial spirit; on the other side lies the possibility of breaking the shackles of a thousand years and leading the sect to unprecedented glory.

Time passed slowly, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on Ning Fengzhi's forehead.

Finally, he abruptly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with determination.

Chapter 162 Agree

Ning Fengzhi immediately said resolutely, "Your Majesty, rest assured! As long as there is a glimmer of hope, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will do everything in its power to support you! Whatever your request, I, Ning Fengzhi, only ask that Your Majesty try your best!"

Looking at Ning Fengzhi's unwavering gaze, Ge Duo was secretly delighted, but she maintained a solemn expression and slowly nodded.

"Since Sect Leader Ning is so determined, then I will do my best to give it a try."

Seeing Ning Fengzhi's eyes light up instantly, Ge Duo changed the subject again: "However, in the meantime, Sect Master Ning needs to provide me with as much detail as possible the inheritance records of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, as well as the records of the feelings of past Soul Masters when breaking through bottlenecks. At the same time, the first batch of resources for preliminary research needs to be in place as soon as possible."

“No problem!” Ning Fengzhi agreed without hesitation. “After returning to the sect, I will immediately order people to organize the relevant information and send it, along with the first batch of resources and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Masters, to Your Majesty!”

The deal was initially reached right next to the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire.

Ning Fengzhi left with mixed feelings and a sense of worldly desire.

After seeing the two off, Ge Duo looked at the three gift boxes on the stone table, and finally couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth, revealing a sly and pleased smile.

She opened the box and looked at the vibrant Dragon Blood Lingzhi, the Earth Core Soul Essence imbued with the essence of the earth, and the Grade Nine Purple Lingzhi surrounded by purple aura. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh, these magical herbs, for the sake of these, and all the good things to come, I'll have to make do with them for now," she murmured to herself, a calculating glint in her eyes.

"No matter how you look at it, this investment is a sure thing that will make you money."

……

Inside Tiandou City, in the small courtyard where Yu Xiaogang is temporarily staying.