Chapter 56: Earth Bone Dragon and Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda - Douluo's spirit bead sword
Chapter 56: Earth Bone Dragon and Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Inside the Seven Treasure Hall, apart from Tian Lin and Ning Rongrong, everyone sat cross-legged, absorbing the medicinal power. Though the place was safe, someone needed to stand guard—not to protect them, but to prevent disturbances. Ning Fengzhì didn't let Ning Rongrong take the Heaven-Mending Pill immediately, not because he doubted Tian Lin, but due to the pill's immense potency. He worried that Ning Rongrong's young body might not withstand it, so he needed to test the waters himself. Luckily, Ning Rongrong, still young, didn't prioritize power. She much preferred cuddling in her sword brother's arms and acting spoiled, rather than sitting in meditation. About an hour later, Bone Douluo was the first to awaken. He had absorbed the medicinal power the fastest, not just because he took the immortal herb first, but also due to the high compatibility between his spirit and the Earth Dragon Golden Gourd. The Bone Dragon was indeed a dragon-type spirit with Earth attributes, a match made in heaven. "Ha ha, this feels wonderful." Behind Gu Rong, a giant bone dragon shadow flickered in and out of sight. Its massive skeleton had become more solid, radiating an earthen yellow glow—representing the power of the Earth. "Level ninety-six. I’ve finally broken through to level ninety-six, and my bone dragon seems to have evolved into an Earth Bone Dragon, with nearly double the defensive power." Delighted, Bone Douluo thanked Tian Lin, "Little Tian, thank you for this. I've been suppressed by that guy Chen Xin for so long, but now I can finally catch up." "Hehe, Grandpa Bone, catching up to Grandpa Sword is just temporary. Look, Grandpa Sword is still absorbing the medicinal power. Once he wakes, he'll surpass you again," Ning Rongrong teased. Bone Douluo looked back, and sure enough, Ning Fengzhì and Chen Xin were still in meditation. Oh, he almost forgot. Tian Lin was Chen Xin's disciple; how could he prepare a gift for him and ignore Chen Xin? Since his own power had increased so significantly, he couldn't imagine what level Chen Xin might reach—perhaps level ninety-seven. If so, he might spend the rest of his life suppressed again. "Little Tian, go absorb your spirit bone now. Leave the guarding to me." Gu Rong suggested. Tian Lin shook his head, "Grandpa Bone, absorbing the spirit bone isn't urgent. I'm the one most knowledgeable about these herbs and pills. If anything happens during the absorption process, I'm the only one who can handle it." Gu Rong nodded, finding his reasoning sound, and returned to his seat to wait quietly. About half an hour later, Ning Fengzhì was the second to awaken. Feeling the soul power within him, he was elated, "Level eighty. I'm really at level eighty now!" "Fengzhì, what are you waiting for? Summon your spirit," Gu Rong prompted. "Yes, Uncle Bone, I should see how my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has changed." With a mix of anticipation and apprehension, Ning Fengzhì summoned his spirit. Having tried many methods before, all ending in failure, he feared this time would also be futile. But as he called forth his spirit, the opulent pagoda shone more magnificently than ever. Like a child counting, Ning Fengzhì began, "One, two, three...eight, nine!" "Nine-layered, nine-colored, Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!" Tears streamed down Ning Fengzhì's face. The bottleneck that had plagued the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for centuries was finally broken today. Rushing forward, he embraced Tian Lin, choking out, "Little Tian, thank you, truly. You've fulfilled the lifelong dream of countless leaders of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect." Tian Lin had never thought he'd see the ever-wise and composed Ning Fengzhì cry like this. Indeed, men don't easily cry unless deeply moved—and this time, Ning Fengzhì's tears were of joy. From this day forth, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would officially become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. "Fengzhì, why cry on such a joyous occasion? Once Sword and Eagle wake, the three of us will hunt the strongest eighth spirit ring for you. You better start thinking about what you want," Gu Rong laughed. "Actually, I've had plans for my eighth and ninth spirit rings for a long time. But who knows when Uncle Sword and Uncle Eagle will awaken," Ning Fengzhì said, somewhat anxious. He was infatuated with the unprecedented potential of an eighth spirit ring for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. "Master and Grandpa Eagle probably need more time. Master took the Primordial Immortal Herb, one of the strongest, requiring extensive time to fully absorb." "Grandpa Eagle's Purple Gold Pill was milder. He likely finished absorbing its power long ago, but I suspect he's using it to push past his bottleneck." Tian Lin moved to Yin Yang's side, spreading a Holy Breath Barrier to assist him. Yin Yang had long reached the pinnacle of level eighty-nine but was limited by his talent, which made achieving a title nearly impossible. However, with the pill cleansing and tempering his body today, combined with over a decade of diligent cultivation, the chance to break through was great—such a golden opportunity couldn't be missed. Meanwhile, since the Primordial Immortal Herb was taken leaf by leaf, its partial power was colossal. Chen Xin's vast soul power expanded uncontrollably as he absorbed it. Sensing this overwhelming power, both Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhì were stunned. "Level ninety-seven. That old guy Chen Xin has broken to level ninety-seven, and it's still rising." In the original work, Chen Xin achieved breakthrough during a battle with four titled Douluos from the Martial Soul Hall. His talent enabled this, proving he already had the foundations of a peak level ninety-six spirit master. Without such foundation, understanding alone wouldn't suffice to cross the bottleneck. Thus, with the aid of the Primordial Immortal Herb, breaking through to level ninety-seven was as natural as eating or drinking for Chen Xin. The question now was how far he could ascend. Outside the Seven Treasure Hall, numerous spirit masters sensed the overwhelming soul power, leaving them trembling. They had no idea what transpired inside. Among them were spies from other forces, such as the Martial Soul Hall. They longed to investigate, but entering the Seven Treasure Hall without the sect master's summon was death. Only the two protectors, Elder Yin Yang, Ning Rongrong, and Tian Lin had access. With both protectors and sect master Ning Fengzhì inside, they dared not trespass, leaving them to plan how to uncover the source later.