DD Spiritual Sword [516-517] (Patreon)

Chapter 516: Everyone Returns Home

At the gates of Seven Treasure City, Ning Fengzhi paced back and forth anxiously, none of his usual composure in sight. He looked like someone who had waited far too long.

Just as Ning Rongrong and the others reached the foot of the mountain, he'd received a report from a disciple of the Speed Clan, and immediately dropped everything to rush to the city gate to welcome them.

"Fengzhi, can you stop pacing? You're making me dizzy. Rongrong will be here any moment. Can't you wait even this little bit?" Gu Rong said with disdain.

Sitting atop the city wall, Tianlin shook his head helplessly. "Grandpa Bone, you're the last person qualified to say that. Look at your head—on that already nearly-bald scalp, the few remaining hairs are about to fall out. Every day you mutter that Rongrong must be eating badly and sleeping poorly on Sea God Island."

Gu Rong's old face flushed red. This grandson-in-law was too good at calling him out. Sure enough, he was still closer to his father-in-law.

Just then, a crisp shout washed all worries away.

"Daddy! Grandpa Bone!" Ning Rongrong ran over with open arms, brimming with joy.

After so many years apart, she missed Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong just as much.

Ning Fengzhi brightened and immediately ran toward Ning Rongrong, but someone was even faster. Gu Rong was still a Titled Douluo with spatial power; of course he'd be a step ahead.

That made Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitch. This old man had no shame. He'd just said Ning Fengzhi couldn't wait a little longer—so who's the impatient one now?

But someone was even faster than Gu Rong—so fast that even Tianlin didn't notice before the person rushed past Gu Rong.

"Hahaha! Good granddaughter, your Sword Grandpa missed you to death!"

It was Sword Dao Chen Xin. Tianlin blinked. His teacher had left seclusion early?

Back when Chen Xin went into seclusion to cultivate the Sword of Annihilation, Tianlin had passed on to him many sword insights he'd gleaned from Xu Changqing, Li Xiaoyao, Jing Tian, and others. By Tianlin's estimate, it should have taken Chen Xin a long time to digest so much—at least a year, perhaps up to three. Coming out now was far earlier than expected.

"Sword Grandpa, why are you out? The last time Sword Brother came to Sea God Island he said you were still in seclusion," Ning Rongrong exclaimed, surprised and delighted.

"That's right, Old Sword, why did you come out early? Will this affect your cultivation?" Gu Rong arrived a step later and looked at Chen Xin in surprise.

"My cultivation has reached a bottleneck—further seclusion won't break it. Besides, today is my precious granddaughter's homecoming. How could a grandpa not come to welcome her?" Chen Xin looked at Ning Rongrong and gently stroked her hair. He'd sensed her aura and came out early because of it.

"Sword Grandpa is the best!" Ning Rongrong clung to Chen Xin's arm, acting coy. In front of her two grandpas, she would never grow up—habits from childhood that she'd never change in this lifetime.

"Master!" Tianlin descended from the sky and stood beside Ning Rongrong.

Looking at Chen Xin's current state—his aura ethereal, sword qi condensed into a mistlike shroud around him—it was obvious he'd achieved a tremendous breakthrough in swordsmanship.

In overall strength, even now Chen Xin might not necessarily defeat Tianlin, but in pure sword dao, Chen Xin surpassed him many times over.

"Mm. Not bad—Super Douluo. You've finally grown up. And Rongrong is impressive too; she seems close to receiving her Title," Chen Xin said with satisfaction as he looked at Tianlin and Ning Rongrong. With a disciple and granddaughter who'd grown this far, he could be content in this life.

"Yeah, Rongrong, how did your strength increase so much?" Tianlin was puzzled too. Ning Rongrong was now level 87—something neither Chen Xin nor Tianlin, with his extreme power as a Super Douluo, could miss. He remembered that when they left Sea God Island, Ning Rongrong had only been around level 84.

"No need to be surprised, Senior Brother. On the way back we helped Sister Rongrong hunt two sea soul beasts around seventy to eighty thousand years. That's why her power surged," Bai Chenxiang explained.

Ning Rongrong proactively released her Ice and Snow Maiden martial soul. Behind the three red soul rings, two new black rings had been added.

No wonder her level had risen so quickly. Tianlin offered no comment on that choice: sea soul beasts of seventy to eighty thousand years did suit the Ice and Snow Maiden. It was a pity they weren't hundred-thousand-year rings. Rongrong had been in a hurry; she should have gone with him. With the help of Illusory Water Thunderstorm, he could have elevated those two rings to hundred-thousand-year rings.

But it wasn't a big deal. After the divine trials ended, all soul ring ages would increase by fifty thousand years anyway; a little shortfall didn't matter.

"Um, Rongrong, Daddy's here too!" Seeing that Ning Rongrong was only chatting with her two grandpas and her Sword Brother, the doting father had to step up and make his presence known—and show that he was jealous.

"Daddy, I missed you too," Ning Rongrong said with a smile.

Ning Fengzhi never asked for much. With just that one sentence from his daughter, all his displeasure vanished, and he beamed. Tianlin realized daughter-con didn't cover it—this was a daughter-slave.

Soon, everyone was welcomed back into the sect. Even Yu Tianheng and the others came, because Dugu Yan wanted to visit her grandfather first; he obliged his wife, planning to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan after that grandfather-granddaughter reunion.

Seeing his long-absent granddaughter, Dugu Bo was overjoyed, as were Dragon Duke and Bai He.

After three quiet years, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect returned to its former bustling vigor.

Four people were still missing: Gu Ran, Ye Lingling, Ma Hongjun, and Qin Ming.

Gu Ran and Ye Lingling had still come home occasionally over the past three years, but Ma Hongjun and Qin Ming had truly sent no word at all.

"Senior Brother, has Hongjun still not come back?" Bai Chenxiang asked Tianlin.

Tianlin shook his head. "No. But don't worry, Junior Sister—Hongjun will be fine. He's also taking a first-tier god trial, and he doesn't have a guide like Bo Saixi. So his trial will definitely progress slower than Rongrong's. Don't worry; I estimate he'll need another year or so before returning."

"Mm." Bai Chenxiang nodded, dejected. Not seeing her beloved made it hard to settle her heart.

….

In the Fire God's secret realm, within Sui Ren Valley, two figures were blasted into the mountains with two thuds, then fell into the depths of the valley.

"Ma Hongjun, Qin Ming, you've lost again," the Flame Lord said.

"Damn it, this guy is just too strong—probably about as strong as Elder Bone. This trial is going to kill me," Ma Hongjun managed to climb up, deeply troubled.

His sixth trial was much harder than Ning Rongrong's. Like his fifth trial, it was a challenge against the Flame Lord. But in the fifth trial, the Flame Lord was at seventy percent strength, with his regeneration and domain abilities restricted.

In the sixth trial, however, the Flame Lord was at one hundred percent. While Ning Rongrong didn't have to face an Ultimate Douluo, she only needed to last a stick of incense against Bo Saixi, and Bo Saixi's power was restricted. He, on the other hand, had to defeat the Flame Lord in full form within a year, working together with Qin Ming.

That was essentially two Soul Douluo challenging a Super Douluo—odds approaching zero.

They had already attempted it three times, each ending in a crushing defeat.

"Hongjun, don't give up. Let's go back and cultivate, then try again," Qin Ming said as he stood up. Over these three years, it was a good thing he'd been there—otherwise Ma Hongjun might not have persevered to now.

Chapter 517: Stalemate in War, Bai Chenxiang's Worry

While everyone returned home, the continental war dragged on. Because of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's presence, Spirit Hall didn't dare throw the full might of the Worship Hall onto the battlefield. Bibi Dong feared the sect would swoop in as a fisherman benefits while the snipe and clam fight. She herself and Qian Renxue were also absent from the fighting due to their divine trials.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had not joined the war so far, and Ning Fengzhi appeared disinterested in worldly affairs, as long as that sect existed, Bibi Dong had to guard against it. She regretted not personally acting during the soul masters hunt campaign; had she destroyed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect back then, there would be no such peril now.

As a result, the Clear Sky Sect joined with the Heaven Dou Empire's hidden weapons corps to barely force a stalemate. Tang Xiao, a level 97 Titled Douluo, could hold off the Falling Devil Douluo and Fifteen Ton Douluo by himself, while other Clear Sky Douluo were enough to match Spirit Hall Elders. For a full ten months, the Spirit Empire was held outside Jialing Pass, unable to advance a single step. But the Heaven Dou Empire, confined within the pass, couldn't sally forth to retake lost territory either.

The Star Luo Empire was in the same situation. Tuoba Xi held his city in a staunch defense. With the Asura Death Mark bestowed by Tianlin, he fought a tier stronger than typical peers at his level—truly one man holding the pass against ten thousand. His earth-attribute soul skills, like Dugu Bo's poison, were slaughter on the battlefield; every Star Luo assault ended in heavy casualties.

War flames burned across the continent. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the only haven left.

Although Chen Xin had ended his seclusion, he didn't immediately challenge Qian Daoliu. He understood the principle that haste makes waste. Seclusion had raised his power, but harmed his mental state a bit. He needed time to cultivate his heart, especially since the sword dao he'd integrated was Daoist in nature; mindset was critical.

He had promised Gu Rong that within five years he'd topple one of the two peaks of the soul master world, Qian Daoliu. Three years had passed. He planned to fulfill that promise in the fourth year. Qian Renxue needed at least another two or three years to inherit the godhood—so the timing worked.

Shortly after Ning Rongrong and the rest returned, Gu Ran and Ye Lingling came back too. Their strengths had fallen a bit behind—Gu Ran at level 75, Ye Lingling at level 73—but their achievements were still noteworthy. Tianlin noticed their names had turned blue—deeper blue than even Shui Bing'er's.

One day, Tianlin would ensure they received the God Trial qualifications from the Lord of the Plane.

Everyone could train together again. With Tianlin's further-enhanced Holy Spirit Domain and Oscar's eighth spirit ability, their cultivation speed outstripped even that under the Sea God's Light.

"Come on, Yiran, knead my shoulders. Your husband's shoulders are sore!" These days Oscar was very pleased with himself—even smug. His days of being henpecked were gone; he had fully reasserted marital authority.

The reason was his eighth spirit ability.

Oscar's new eighth ability was very different from the original story. There it was the Crystal Caterpillar Sausage, which healed injuries and restored stamina. But he already had such an ability—his fifth spirit skill, unlike the original, covered that effect. So the eighth changed accordingly: the Qi-Gathering Pearl Sausage.

As the name implies, it accelerates soul power condensation. In battle, it lets soul masters execute skills faster, or compress all soul power to unleash a burst strike. That alone is strong. But the sausage also works outside combat.

Cultivating soul power is about meditation, absorbing the world's qi and condensing it within. The denser the inner breath, the deeper the soul power. This sausage speeds up qi absorption—functionally identical to Tianlin's Holy Spirit Domain—and it stacks.

In a sense, it's even better than the Domain, since the Domain only covers Tianlin's vicinity, whereas Oscar's sausages work once made; even if Oscar isn't around, anyone who eats one benefits.

You can imagine how important Oscar is to a power. Dragon Duke went crazy on the spot, repeatedly warning Meng Yiran to treat Oscar better and not anger him—he was terrified this heaven-defying grandson-in-law would run away.

"Ugh, so what if your eighth skill is strong? Grandpa actually told me to listen to you about everything," Meng Yiran grumbled, but still obediently kneaded Oscar's shoulders.

Currently the Holy Spirit Domain and the sausage both provide a 1.5x boost. Combined, that's about 2.25x training speed—astonishing.

Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian also joined, making the group livelier.

Gu Ran warmly welcomed these newcomers; he didn't want to be stuck at the bottom with Ye Lingling.

But he realized he was wrong. Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, even Feng Xiaotian were manageable—but Shui Bing'er with her Ice Phoenix martial soul was something else. Her cultivation speed outstripped even his, despite his immortal herb.

Originally a top-tier Soul King, with Oscar and Tianlin's dual boosts, she reached Soul Emperor in two months, then skyrocketed five levels in the next eight months.

That's level 60 to 70! It's said even Tang Hao, famed as the youngest Titled Douluo, took five full years for that leap.

Tang Hao gained two levels a year; Shui Bing'er gained seven and a half in one. Even discounting the 2.25x external boosts, that's still over three levels per year—talent far above Tang Hao's.

Tang Hao titled at forty-four. Even without Tianlin and Oscar's cheats, she could likely achieve it before forty. Catching up to Gu Ran was only a matter of time.

"Boss, it's a pity you didn't recruit this girl earlier. If she'd gotten your help sooner, she might already be titled," Gu Ran sighed.

Every time he saw an absolute prodigy, he couldn't help but envy them. He poured all his time into cultivation and still couldn't match their two or three hours a day.

"It's not too late now," Tianlin said with a smile.

Recently Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er had become friends. Kind and clever, Shui Bing'er was easy to like, and both had supreme ice-type martial souls. With Snow Empress and Ice Empress's consent, Ning Rongrong generously passed to her the modified cultivation method they'd crafted for Ning Rongrong. With this new method, Shui Bing'er's speed would climb even further.

The Seven Treasure's girls circle had one more member. As for Huo Wu and Shui Yue'er, one was too proud and the other too flighty; Ning Rongrong didn't quite click with them. They were friends, but only to that extent.

Then came soul bone distribution. Tang Chen had left a set of high-grade bones; Tianlin distributed them all to the group. The hundred-thousand-year head bone went to Ye Lingling, who needed spiritual power—giving her two hundred-thousand-year bones to help her catch up.

The torso bone went to Oscar. Now that he was a combat-type food-system soul master, his physique was crucial to handling everyone's different buffs.

The left and right leg bones went to agility-attackers Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Feng. Of the two arm bones, one went to Dugu Yan, and one to Shi brothers.

As for Tianheng, he had something better. After returning home, word was that Yu Yuanzhen had decided to hand him the clan's last legacy soul bone.

Everyone was delighted with their gifts. Only Bai Chenxiang occasionally showed a worried look.

It had been ten months since they returned, and still not a word from Ma Hongjun. How could she be at ease? So she came to Tianlin once more.

"Senior Brother, Hongjun still hasn't come back, and there's been no news. I'm really worried about him. Could you spare some time to go to the Fire God's inheritance ground and look for him?"

Tianlin could hardly refuse such a request. "Alright, don't worry, Junior Sister. I'll head to the Extreme North now and bring back news of Hongjun for you."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"