DD Spiritual Sword [414-416] (Patreon)

Chapter 414: The Left-Behind Child Wants to Cause Trouble

Gu Ran and Ye Lingling went down the mountain together. For greater ideals, they had no choice but to leave.

A few days later, Ma Hongjun fully mastered the Daoist mental technique Tianlin taught him. Together with Qin Ming, he set off for the Extreme North, to the place Tianlin had pointed out.

Before parting, Tianlin used the Soul Reading technique to imprint a segment of his memory deep in Ma Hongjun's mind. He didn't want to alter Ma Hongjun's memories, so this memory would only surface in times of crisis, hoping it could help him at a critical moment.

The once lively Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect now felt a bit deserted.

Of the younger generation, only Tianlin was left.

"A solitary man, huh!" Lying on the rooftop, Tianlin felt a bit lonely.

Actually, there were still many disciples in the sect, but Tianlin couldn't really mingle with them. To those ordinary disciples, Tianlin's status and strength were simply too lofty.

"Xiao Tian, don't be so relaxed. Your friends are working hard, so you can't slack off either. Don't forget about the God Trial. Go into seclusion right now. Within three years, you must break through to the Titled Douluo level," Skydream Ice Silkworm urged.

"I know. But, Brother Skydream, I can't just go into seclusion yet. There are still some things I need to do. I promise you, after I finish this, no matter what happens outside, I won't bother with anything else." Tianlin stood up. He had one more place he had to go. Something Ning Fengzhi guessed, he could figure out with a bit more time.

The Fallen Angel faction had spread Bibi Dong's past under the names of the top three sects, supposedly to provoke a war between Spirit Hall and the upper three sects.

But thinking deeper, Tianlin realized this was just like the previous avalanche—doing the worst thing at the worst time, with the real goal hidden behind it.

The mastermind seemed to love using such tricks. Unfortunately for him, both Tianlin and Ning Fengzhi were not easily fooled, especially now that they were even more vigilant.

The target wasn't the three upper sects, but Bibi Dong herself. He wanted to use this information to destroy her. Once Bibi Dong's greatest secret was exposed, everyone would know about it, and she might truly go mad and attempt to destroy the world.

"World destruction… unless someone is an utterly bored lunatic, who would do that?" Tianlin muttered, "So, the deeper goal isn't world destruction, but to accelerate Bibi Dong's path to godhood."

This was as far as Tianlin could deduce, which was basically the same as Ning Fengzhi's reasoning. The only thing Ning Fengzhi guessed further was the mastermind's real identity, but he wasn't sure yet, so he hadn't told Tianlin.

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi happened to walk into Tianlin's courtyard. Seeing Tianlin on the roof, he said, "Xiao Tian, our disciples in Hanhai City just sent word—Rongrong and the others have already boarded the ship and set out to sea. Also, Gu Ran and Lingling have headed to the Balak Kingdom."

Tianlin nodded. "I think Hongjun and Teacher Qin Ming should be arriving at the Extreme North soon. With the younger generation gone, we have no worries for now. Father-in-law, you must have guessed that person's goal too. He wants Bibi Dong to become a god as soon as possible, so to achieve that, he needs to destroy her first."

Ning Fengzhi smiled with satisfaction. "You've gotten smarter, to figure out this much. So, we have to stop him. The later Bibi Dong becomes a god, the better for us. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacks nothing right now—except time. As for what to do, I'm sure you've thought of a way?"

"Of course. I'm going to play with that Mastermind myself. But father-in-law, I might go a bit overboard this time. Don't be mad at me later!" Tianlin said mischievously.

Ning Fengzhi felt a chill down his back. He knew Tianlin had the same idea as him. The plan was ruthless but effective, though Ning Fengzhi himself would have to suffer a bit.

"Um, Xiao Tian, your father-in-law is getting old, and this reputation wasn't easy to build. Please, try to go easy on me," Ning Fengzhi pleaded sincerely for the first time.

He originally planned to carry out this plan himself, but to achieve the best result, only Tianlin could do it.

"I'll try my best!" Tianlin grinned teasingly, then summoned his magic sword and flew off.

Seeing that smile, Ning Fengzhi knew he was doomed. There was no intention of going easy—he was probably going to be roasted alive.

"No, I, Ning Fengzhi, can't just sit and wait for death. Maybe I should go into seclusion too. As long as this storm passes, even if the sky falls, I won't come out. Otherwise, my reputation will be ruined!"

Ning Fengzhi muttered to himself as he walked back, leaving Tianlin's parents puzzled.

"Has that old in-law gone mad, or is he missing his daughter too much? But he's a dignified Titled Douluo, and Rongrong just left a few days ago," Jun Tianhai said, baffled.

Mentioning Rongrong, Mo Ran immediately got upset. "It's not just your in-law, I'm mad too. What kind of husband is our son? Just married, and he sends my precious Rongrong to some Sea Monster Island, and doesn't go protect her. What if something happens?"

Jun Tianhai was speechless. "It's called Sea God Island, not Sea Monster. Don't worry, Rongrong isn't going alone—a whole group is with her. She'll be fine."

"Hmph, I don't care if it's Sea God or Sea Monster. I only remember Tianlin saying the people there are all as strong as monsters. Poor daughter-in-law."

"Alright, alright, don't be mad. When our son comes back, we'll scold him together." Jun Tianhai helped his wife back inside. Ever since Ning Rongrong left, he felt like Mo Lan's menopause had come early.

Love sickness, it really isn't just an empty saying.

This is also a big reason why Tianlin left so quickly—he didn't want to stay home and get scolded every day. That suffering, better left to his dad.

Tianlin's first destination after leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, however, was the last place he should go: the center of the continent—Spirit City.

The Bibi Dong matter had to be handled first, but since he didn't know who the mastermind was, he decided to cut off their plan at the root, so he could have enough time for secluded cultivation.

He dared to go there for two reasons. First, Spirit City was a huge city, no less than Heaven Dou City. If he disguised himself, who could easily recognize him? Those Titled Douluo elders or worshippers couldn't possibly be patrolling the streets themselves.

Second, with great skill comes great daring. Even if discovered, as long as he didn't face Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu together, even if several worshippers encircled him, they could only defeat—not kill—him.

Tianlin's Martial God and Mountain God were not only as strong as Super Douluo, but also two massive tanks. Most importantly, they were unkillable. Even if destroyed once, Tianlin could re-summon them when his soul power recovered.

Their greatest strength was trading life for life. Facing two desperate Super Douluo, no one could ignore them. Tianlin could have them stall all the masters in Spirit Hall like suicide squads, then calmly escape.

Chapter 415: Infiltrating Spirit Hall

Currently, Tianlin's flying sword was much faster than most agility-type Soul Douluo or even weaker agility-type Titled Douluo. At full speed, it took him less than half a day to reach a spot three miles from Spirit City.

He wasn't so arrogant as to fly straight into the city—that would be a direct challenge to Spirit Hall's authority. He came mainly to stir up trouble, but it was more literary than martial.

Walking into Spirit City, he was impressed by its prosperity. Last time he came, he was focused on competing and hadn't really visited. In terms of liveliness, it far surpassed Heaven Dou City.

Even the commoners' spirit and soul were better than those in Heaven Dou.

Oppression of ordinary people by soul masters existed everywhere, and Spirit City was no exception—class differences were insurmountable.

But Spirit Hall was founded by the Angel Clan, who needed faith. True faith only came from the heart, while hegemony only bred fear. Thus, though this was a holy land for soul masters, it was also the place with the strictest control over them.

Ning Fengzhi was actually learning from Spirit Hall's management to govern the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Although he saw Spirit Hall as an enemy, he didn't blindly deny their methods.

He believed that soul masters, as a privileged class, deserved rich and free lives—but too much freedom turned into wantonness, so freedom must be restrained—by law.

Tianlin never liked the two empires because their laws were too weak in restraining soul masters and nobles.

If Spirit Hall weren't after his sect, he might have helped Qian Renxue unify the continent, just to save himself trouble.

"I have to find a way to contact Sister Xue." Tianlin walked along, thinking.

"Xiao Tian, your wife just left, and you're already looking for Qian Renxue? That's pretty scummy!" Skydream Ice Silkworm teased, thinking Tianlin was secretly meeting his old flame.

It was also annoyed—such valuable cultivation time, and he wasn't focusing!

"Brother Skydream, after I finish this, I'll go into secluded bitter cultivation, don't worry. Otherwise, if Bibi Dong is manipulated and falls into darkness, things will get troublesome." Tianlin insisted he wasn't here for fun, but to thoroughly ruin the enemy's scheme.

"Oh right, the Golden Crocodile Douluo's token." Suddenly, Tianlin remembered something and pulled out a pure gold token from his pocket, carved with a crocodile. This was a higher-level worshipper's token than the Elder Token.

He had a way in, and could quietly find Qian Renxue.

…

At that moment, inside Spirit Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo had returned. He didn't appear publicly, but secretly found Qian Daoliu and handed over the Fallen Angel.

They wanted to torture information about the mastermind out of him, but the man seemed to be under a restriction—he couldn't say anything related to his master.

Qian Daoliu even tried to read his soul directly with spiritual power, but the man self-destructed his soul in advance, leaving them with nothing.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was furious. He had spent so much effort capturing a Titled Douluo-level key figure, but the guy didn't care about his life and self-destructed to keep his master's secret.

This also proved how scary the man in the shadows was. Either he had immense charisma, willing to make subordinates die for him, or he could completely control his followers. Either way, he was a tough opponent.

"Big Brother, the Titled Douluo we caught is now useless. The trail is broken. Should we try a different approach?" Golden Crocodile Douluo said. "According to my investigations, one source of this is Slaughter City. Only by going there can we know the truth."

Qian Daoliu shook his head. "You're right, but if either of us goes in, all our martial soul abilities will be sealed. We'd be lambs to the slaughter for the Slaughter King."

"That's why I thought, maybe we should ask Bibi Dong for help. She passed the Hell Road in Slaughter City and has the Deathgod Domain. Even there, she can use martial soul abilities. With her strength, investigating would be easy." Golden Crocodile suggested.

In reality, Qian Daoliu hadn't told Bibi Dong about the joint investigation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Golden Crocodile thought now was not the time to keep hiding things.

"No. Bibi Dong hates my Qian Clan too much. I can't fully trust her," Qian Daoliu refused sternly. Though lately, under Qian Renxue's influence, Bibi Dong's personality had improved.

But that didn't mean she'd let go of her hatred. If it were so easy, she wouldn't be Bibi Dong.

She could accept Qian Renxue because she didn't really hate her daughter, knowing she was innocent in all this. In fact, she'd never realized how much she loved her real daughter.

But accepting Qian Renxue didn't mean she could accept the entire Qian family. Every time she saw Qian Daoliu, she looked at him with hatred. Her dream of destroying the Angel Clan's legacy on the continent hadn't faded.

Once Qian Renxue became a god and ascended to the Divine Realm, there'd be no more need for angels on this continent—so Bibi Dong thought.

Qian Daoliu couldn't let her know about this, or she might even join forces with the enemy against him.

After hearing Qian Daoliu's reasoning, Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't argue further. He'd just made a suggestion, but the final decision was Qian Daoliu's.

Qian Daoliu frowned. After so long, they still knew nothing about the enemy. It was frustrating.

Actually, Qian Daoliu's wisdom was no less than Ning Fengzhi's—he just lacked information. If he knew what Ning Fengzhi did, he could guess more.

At this moment, Tianlin had already entered Spirit Hall. With the Golden Crocodile's worshipper token, he could go anywhere.

Tianlin attached a concealment talisman to himself. With his perception, as long as he avoided all Titled Douluo-level experts, ordinary Soul Douluo wouldn't notice him at all.

He soon saw three familiar faces: Yan, Hu Liena, and Xie Yue—the Golden Generation trio.

They were training on the battle arena.

Tianlin was pleased. Even if he couldn't find Qian Renxue for now, Hu Liena would do.

Chapter 416: Tianlin and Hu Liena's Secret Plot

Tianlin found a quiet spot and waited for the Golden Generation trio to finish training.

With the concealment talisman, no one could see him. Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong wouldn't be so bored as to wander around.

"Nana, you're sweating so much. Let me walk you back to rest," sycophantic Yan flattered Hu Liena.

"No need, I'll go myself. Yan, I advise you not to hover around me. Isn't your goal to surpass Tianlin? Use your extra time to cultivate." Hu Liena rejected him as usual, striding off the field.

"Nana, don't be like that. Yan cares about you," Xie Yue said. He actually approved of Yan liking his sister—after all, among their peers, only Yan was worthy, as all the others with matching talent were in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, their rivals.

Hu Liena couldn't be as cold to her brother, so she sighed, "Fine. I'll give him a chance. When he defeats Tianlin, I'll marry him."

With that, she left without looking back.

One man was left sighing, the other overjoyed.

"Xie Yue, did you hear? Nana said she's willing to marry me!" Yan was ecstatic, and the surrounding temperature rose with his Fire Lord martial soul.

Xie Yue didn't know why Yan was so happy. From his perspective, Hu Liena had clearly rejected Yan—she agreed to marry him, but only if he defeated Tianlin.

Give Yan fifty years, and he still might not reach Tianlin's level.

But he didn't say this. Watching Yan train hard with hope was better than leaving him in despair.

Hu Liena returned to her quarters, where two maids awaited.

"Saintess, the hot water is ready. You may bathe at any time."

Girls love cleanliness. Bathing after training was Hu Liena's daily routine.

She nodded. "Alright, you may go."

The maids left. The Saintess disliked being served while bathing—they knew this well.

"Sigh, bathing… girls sure are troublesome. Guess I'll wait!" Tianlin sat down. If it were anything else, he'd go straight to Hu Liena, but not while she was bathing. Even if he could control her, he wouldn't cross that line. Otherwise, he'd be no better than Yun Che.

Tianlin wasn't a good person, but he still had some bottom line. You can't look down on others unless you hold yourself to a standard.

…

Half an hour later, Hu Liena finally finished and emerged dressed.

Tianlin instantly appeared before her, tearing off his concealment talisman. Hu Liena was startled. "Lord Tianlin, why are you here?"

"Shh!" Tianlin quickly took her back to her room, closed the door, and whispered, "I have a favor to ask. I wanted to find Sister Xue, but she's probably in seclusion for her Angel God Trial, so I have to trouble you."

"Please command me!" Hu Liena said respectfully.

"I told you not to call me that… never mind, look at this first." Tianlin handed her a note—the one Oslo had found on Yu Luomian, recording Bibi Dong's humiliating past.

The more Hu Liena read, the more shocked she became. Her noble teacher, Bibi Dong, had such a tragic history.

"Lord Tianlin, are all these… true?"

"All true," Tianlin said. "Don't doubt it; it really happened. I'm here today to ask you to help me spread a message across the continent."

Hearing this, Hu Liena suddenly knelt. "Please have mercy, Lord. If this is true, then my teacher's early life was miserable enough. If this becomes public, she'll lose all dignity and truly go mad."

She misunderstood, thinking Tianlin wanted her to spread the secret and ruin Bibi Dong. Though her mind was controlled, her feelings for Bibi Dong hadn't changed.

"No, you misunderstand. I don't want to destroy Bibi Dong, but help her. Also, I don't need you to spread this message, only to deliver a phrase to Sister Xue for me: 'Heavenly Snow.'"

"Heavenly Snow, got it. But Lord Tianlin, you really won't harm my teacher?" Hu Liena asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'm not lying. This information was intercepted from someone else. If we don't spread it, others will. That person's goal is to destroy Bibi Dong. Even if their plot fails now, they'll try again with someone else."

"I don't know who or where he is, so I can't stop him directly. But I have a way to dissolve his plot completely," Tianlin smiled.

"What way?" Hu Liena was very curious. If it could help her teacher, she wanted to help.

Tianlin didn't hide it from someone under his control. "Come closer."

He whispered his plan in her ear. Hu Liena's expression kept changing—admiration, joy, and something hard to describe.

"Lord Tianlin, you're really shameless. Only you could think of such a plan."

Tianlin laughed. "Just say, will it work?"

Hu Liena nodded. "Definitely. Lord Tianlin, besides passing your message to Qian Renxue, can I help with this too? I want to support my teacher."

Tianlin thought for a moment. "Sure. Listen, here's what you need to do."

This time, it was Hu Liena's own request to help, not an order—so he agreed.

As night fell, Tianlin finished assigning tasks and prepared to leave. Hu Liena suddenly stopped him. "Wait, Lord Tianlin, do you know a clone technique? If so, please leave one. I have an idea to help the plan, but it'll wrong you a bit."

"Wrong me? You mean…" Tianlin guessed her plan. He'd originally planned to drag Ning Fengzhi into this; now he'd be dragged in too. "I don't mind, as long as it works. Immortal Cloud Body Technique!" Tianlin created a phantom and left immediately.

As long as no one touched it, the phantom would last a while.

An hour later, Hu Liena made sure Tianlin was far away, then shouted loudly, "Jun Tianlin, you actually peeped on me bathing and ruined my innocence! Die!"

Instantly, the previously calm Spirit Hall was thrown into chaos.

…

Far from Spirit City, Tianlin suddenly felt a chill, sensing something bad had happened. It was the same feeling Ning Fengzhi had when Tianlin left the sect—he knew he'd suffered social death.