Chapter 243: The Demise of the Seven Treasures
Three days after the conclusion of the Seven Great Sects Tournament, the convoy of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect returned to Spirit City.
There were no triumphant cheers, nor any grand reception.
A few ordinary carriages passed through the city gates and proceeded along the bluestone streets toward the sect’s headquarters in the northwest of the city—moving as quietly as if on a routine excursion.
On the second day after their return, a piece of news emerged from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; like a massive boulder cast into a lake, it instantly stirred up a thousand ripples.
"Effective immediately, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is recruiting disciples from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Any individual under the age of twenty-five, possessing innate soul power of Rank 5 or higher, and bearing the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda as their Martial Soul is eligible to apply."
The speed at which this news spread across the continent exceeded even Jiang Bai’s expectations.
In less than two and a half days, the teahouses and taverns throughout the continent were already abuzz with discussion.
"What exactly is the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect trying to do? Are they poaching talent right on the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect’s doorstep?"
"It looks like the two Glazed Tile Sects are finally going head-to-head!"
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was just ousted from the ranks of the Upper Three Sects, and now the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect pulls a stunt like this? Are they trying to wipe them out completely?"
"Shh... keep your voice down. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has the Spirit Hall backing them—do you have a death wish?"
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
By the time the news reached this place, it was already early the following morning.
Inside the council hall, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt suffocating.
Sunlight filtered through the intricately carved window lattices, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow upon the floor, yet it failed to dispel the gloom that pervaded the room.
Ning Fengzhi slumped in the Sect Master’s throne; his usually refined and elegant face now bore nothing but weariness and desolation.
In the span of just a few days, he seemed to have aged ten years.
Chen Xin sat beside him, still clad in his signature white robes, yet his eyes—once as sharp as swords—now appeared dim and lusterless. His hands rested upon his knees, still trembling slightly.
Below them, several elders sat on either side, each wearing a grave and solemn expression.
"Sect Master, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is undermining the very foundations of our sect!"
An elder with graying hair and beard rose to his feet, his voice brimming with indignation.
"If those disciples leave, what will be left of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect? We must rein them in!"
"Indeed, Sect Master! We cannot allow them to act with such impunity!" another elder chimed in.
"Rein them in?" a third elder gave a bitter smile.
"How? Should we lock the disciples up? Or simply kill them?"
Silence descended once again upon the council hall.
Ning Fengzhi slowly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse and weary. "Let them go."
"Sect Master!" several elders exclaimed in unison.
Ning Fengzhi raised a hand to silence them. Leaning back against his chair, he gazed up at the ceiling, his voice soft—almost as if he were speaking only to himself.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect... is teetering on the brink of collapse. The disciples need a way out—a safe retreat."
His gaze rested briefly upon Chen Xin before drifting away.
"Jiang Bai’s Spirit—his Wu Hun—evolved from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Now that he has established the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and is recruiting disciples from our own ranks... I trust he will not make things difficult for them."
The elders fell silent. They knew that Ning Fengzhi spoke the truth.
Of the two towering pillars of white jade that upheld the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, one had already fallen in battle, while the other—its Sword Heart shattered—had suffered a drastic decline in power.
Their status among the Upper Three Sects was lost; the Spirit Hall loomed over them like a predatory tiger, while the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect pressed in relentlessly from all sides.
With what could they contend? With what could they fight?
Ning Fengzhi’s voice continued, tinged with a hint of bitterness.
"My only hope is this... that he will spare these children. That he will allow the legacy of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to endure."
Within the council hall, no one spoke another word.
After a long, heavy silence, Ning Fengzhi suddenly asked, "How is Tang San faring?"
Chen Xin raised his head, his voice low and grave.
"Elder Li has done everything in his power to treat him. He only regained consciousness this morning; his injuries are severe, and I fear he will require a long period of recovery."
Ning Fengzhi remained silent for a moment. Then, he spoke slowly, his voice carrying an indefinable nuance: "Uncle Sword, I want Tang San to take Rongrong away."
Chen Xin was taken aback, but he immediately grasped Ning Fengzhi’s intent. He hesitated: "But... is he truly worthy of Rongrong’s trust?"
Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes: "I trust him."
His voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.
Chen Xin remained silent for a long time. Then, he stood up: "I’ll go check on Rongrong."
He turned and walked toward the exit of the hall. Upon reaching the doorway, he paused, turned back, and cast a glance at Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Fengzhi remained slumped in his throne, eyes closed and utterly motionless.
Sunlight poured down, bathing him in its glow, yet it could not penetrate the darkness within his heart.
Chen Xin averted his gaze and walked away.
...
Two and a half months later.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect announced that it would cease recruiting disciples.
Over the course of these two months, a total of twenty-three disciples had migrated from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
All were under the age of twenty-five, possessed innate Soul Power of rank five or higher, and—without exception—their Martial Souls were the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
A few had arrived alone, but the majority had brought their entire families—parents, siblings, and even elderly grandparents.
Bringing with them all their worldly possessions, they arrived in Spirit City filled with trepidation, resembling nothing so much as refugees fleeing a disaster.
Jiang Bai did not accept them all unconditionally.
He instructed members of the Spirit Hall to conduct rigorous background checks on these accompanying family members.
They verified identities, scrutinized backgrounds, and investigated any ties to the upper echelons of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Only those who successfully cleared these checks were permitted to settle in Spirit City.
Shui Bing’er was assigned the task of arranging accommodations for these individuals.
...
Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
The state of the sect was even more dire than it had been two and a half months prior.
The departure of those twenty-three disciples was merely the beginning.
Restlessness began to spread among the remaining disciples; although they had not yet left, their enthusiasm for cultivation had visibly waned. Even the sect’s Elders seemed to have lost the spirited vitality that once shone in their eyes.
Ning Fengzhi observed all of this, yet he did nothing.
It was not that he lacked the desire to act; rather, he simply lacked the means.
...
A few days later. Outside Seven Treasure City, a massive army bore down upon the walls.
The banners of the five great sects—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Elephant Armored Sect, the Rock Antelope Sect, the Black Tiger Sect, and the Fire Leopard Sect—flapped vigorously in the morning breeze.
Yu Yuanzhen, Hu Yanzhen, Kamis, Hu Xiaotian, and the Sect Master of the Fire Leopard Sect—the five leaders—each led their elite forces, arrayed in formation outside the city.
Positioned at the very forefront were the contingents of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall.
Clad in pure white robes, Jiang Bai stood at the head of the formation, his hands clasped behind his back. The morning wind stirred the hems of his garments, and his jet-black hair fluttered gently in the breeze.
Jiang Li’er stood at his side; her long golden hair was bound high atop her head, and her crimson eyes gleamed with unbridled excitement.
Bi Ji stood behind him, clad in a long, emerald-green gown—graceful, gentle, and serene.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei led a legion of a thousand Spirit Masters, arrayed on either flank. Their silver armor gleamed like snow, their long spears stood thick as a forest, and the air around them was thick with chilling killing intent.
Gazing upon this legion, Yu Yuanzhen felt a secret shock ripple through his heart.
A legion of a thousand Spirit Masters... every single one of them, at the very least, at the rank of Spirit Elder.
Then there were Yue Guan and Gui Mei—two Title Douluo. And in addition to them, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s own Jiang Bai, Jiang Li’er, and Bi Ji...
And then there was that one known as the Ice Empress; though she had not appeared today, no one could say for certain whether she might suddenly materialize at any moment.
The power of the Spirit Hall was growing ever more terrifying.
He cast a glance at the Sect Master of the Fire Leopard Sect standing beside him. The other man was looking back at him as well; their eyes met, and in each other’s gaze, they saw the exact same thought reflected.
Thank goodness we surrendered early.
Jiang Bai raised his hand.
"Attack."
At that single command, the entire army surged forward in unison.
He lifted his right hand, and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda materialized within his palm.
The pagoda’s form was petite and exquisite, yet it radiated a brilliant, nine-hued radiance. At its very apex, the Heart of the Dragon God pulsed like a distant star, shimmering with a mysterious and sacred light.
He tossed the miniature pagoda into the air.
High above in the firmament, a torrent of shimmering light suddenly erupted.
Seven streams of brilliant light—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet—surged forth from the void. Intertwining and weaving together, they coalesced in the sky to form a colossal figure.
A Rainbow Dragon!
The massive dragon radiated a shimmering, seven-hued glow across its entire body; every single scale gleamed with the brilliance of a gemstone.
As it spread its wings wide, it blotted out the sunlight, enveloping the entirety of Seven Treasures City in a resplendent, radiant aura.
A tidal wave of immense supportive power cascaded down, washing over every single ally.
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