Chapter 396: Alliance

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Martial Spirit City, within the Supreme Pontiff's palace.

Bibi Dong sat at the head of the table, holding the Supreme Pontiff's scepter in her hand. She wore a luxurious black and gold robe with a nine curvature, purple gold crown on her head, exuding an elegant and dignified aura, showcasing the supreme grace of the Supreme Pontiff.

On either side of her sat two figures, one in white and one in black. They were the two guardians of the Spirit Hall, the Chrysanthemum Douluo and the Ghost Douluo, both at the level of Titled Douluo.

Below Bibi Dong's left side, there sat a middle-aged man in a white moon gown. A white-robed person stood behind him, with a handsome face, long white hair hanging casually around his waist, and a tall and straight figure resembling a sword. With his sword-like eyebrows and eyes, he exuded a sharp temperament.

This man squinted his eyes as if he were asleep, but he gave off an undeniable presence. In the empty hall, a faint sense of dominance permeated the air.

This subtle breath made both the Chrysanthemum and the Ghost Douluo beside Bibi Dong feel a sense of unease, and their eyes were fixed on this person with vigilance.

Bibi Dong couldn't help but shift her gaze to him. "Elder Chen Xin, your cultivation has made great progress. It is truly commendable."

Chen Xin's cultivation had advanced unexpectedly during this time, which Bibi Dong had not anticipated. If it were someone else, Bibi Dong wouldn't have paid too much attention, but with Chen Xin, it was different. Chen Xin, known as the Sword Elder, was the strongest person in the entire continent in terms of sword arts. His strength was not to be underestimated, especially with his Martial Spirit, the Seven Kill Sword. Its power was no less than that of the number one weapon Martial Spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer. His strength was even greater than what Bibi Dong had perceived based on his current realm.

He had reached this level where even in the Spirit Hall, there were no more than three Titled Douluo who could stand against him alone. Moreover, he had the support of the continent's number one auxiliary Spirit Master, making him even more formidable.

As Bibi Dong pondered in her heart, her gaze shifted to Ning Fengzhi, who was drinking tea.

She could no longer view the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with the same attitude. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, with its current strength, could no longer be judged by their previous standards.

At this moment, Chen Xin also opened his eyes and looked up at Bibi Dong. Even though she was the current Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall, he did not seem to show any awe. His eyes seemed to shoot out a sharp sword light.

"Where is my disciple?" Bibi Dong did not pay much attention to Chen Xin's attitude, and smiled, "Elder Chen Xin, as a person of your realm, you should have already noticed that Zeng Yi is in my Spirit Hall. I have already said that he does not want to see you. Of course, you can go and see him if you wish. With your strength, it should be easy, so why not go? Could it be that you feel guilty?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin fell silent. Bibi Dong was right; he did indeed feel guilty in his heart. He did not know how to face his disciple.

Ning Fengzhi, with a cup of tea in his hand, took a sip, put down the teacup, and looked up at Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong in a calm tone. "I wonder what business the Supreme Pontiff has with me today?"

Bibi Dong smiled faintly and said, "Naturally, it's about the marriage alliance between the Spirit Hall and your esteemed sect."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's expression couldn't help but darken as he asked, "What does the Supreme Pontiff mean?"

Bibi Dong slowly continued, "Master Ning, there is no need for you to worry too much. I am aware of the matters between your sect and Zeng Yi. Indeed, it was inappropriate for them to privately arrange a marriage contract without his knowledge, and it's normal for him to be unable to accept it all at once."

Upon hearing Bibi Dong mention this, Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched. He deeply regretted the matter. If he had communicated with Zeng Yi earlier, it would not have led to this outcome.

Now, is she here to taunt me?

"But, he was only throwing a tantrum. In fact, his heart still cares about your sect. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come over, would he?"

"So what?" Chen Xin's tone was cold and dissatisfied.

"In the time that Zeng Yi has been in my Spirit Hall, he has gotten along well with my disciple, the Saintess Hu Liena. Their feelings have been growing rapidly. Since the engagement between the two of them was made two years ago, although Zeng Yi is still young to marry, let's hold the engagement ceremony first. What do you think, Master Ning?"

Bibi Dong's words caused Ning Fengzhi's eyes to contract.

The engagement ceremony!

This was different from the private verbal agreement before; this would be a public event that would be known to the world.

Isn't this putting my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in a perilous situation?

Bibi Dong was well aware of Ning Fengzhi's thoughts. The previous agreement to the marriage had been nothing more than a verbal convenience to buy more time. In fact, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had been wary of the Spirit Hall.

But this time, she wouldn't allow you to stall any longer. Bibi Dong smiled as she looked at Ning Fengzhi, whose face was filled with conflict.

"Master Ning, you have been cautious of my Spirit Hall, and I understand that. However, this time is different. Our alliance means that we are one family. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and my Spirit Hall join forces, what force on this continent can compete with us? Why limit ourselves to the names of Three Upper Sects and Four Lower Sects? Wouldn't it be better to form an alliance with my Spirit Hall instead of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Clear Sky Sect? Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is currently ranked first among the Three Sects, the closed-off Clear Sky Sect has been thriving for over ten years, and it is probably even stronger now than before. Furthermore, Tang Hao, who roams independently, how does the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect compare to the Clear Sky Sect? Even if the two sides fight against my Spirit Hall, what position will your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect be in?"

"Although the Three Sects are said to be united, is it really so? The Clear Sky Sect is only a few hundred years old, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has a history of thousands of years. And between the Three Sects, haven't there always been hidden struggles? If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were to face a crisis, would the other two Sects really come to its aid?"

Ning Fengzhi couldn't answer. Bibi Dong was right; the concept of the Three Sects was just a label in the eyes of the world. There had always been conflicts between the Three Sects.

Realizing the ambition of the Spirit Hall, Ning Fengzhi had been restless, fearing that the thousands of years of inheritance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be lost in his hands. Therefore, he had been trying to prevent such a situation from happening and wanted to unite with other forces to resist the ambition of the Spirit Hall.

Ever since meeting that young man from the Clear Sky Sect, Ning Fengzhi had seen hope. From him, Ning Fengzhi saw a lot of possibilities: his unparalleled talent, his innovative thinking, and those mysterious hidden weapons. Perhaps they could change the power balance of the continent.

Moreover, he was the youngest Titled Douluo, the son of Tang Hao. Ning Fengzhi also wanted to seize this opportunity to establish a good relationship with the Clear Sky Sect.

However, he had forgotten one thing.

Within his sect, there was a young man even more talented than that Tang San, the disciple of the sect's Sword Elder. He was a person highly valued by the Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall.

Furthermore, the sect's Sword Douluo had also advanced further, no longer representing the previous Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The current strength of the sect was enough to make the Spirit Hall take notice.

These two factors changed the mindset of Bibi Dong, the Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall.

What could be gained by joining that side? If they failed, it would be destruction. If they succeeded, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would only take a step in place, and the biggest beneficiary would definitely not be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but someone else.

But by joining forces with the Spirit Hall, they would gain much more, and might even reach a height that the sect hadn't achieved in its thousand years of history.

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi's thoughts wavered. If what Bibi Dong said was true...

Bibi Dong had been observing Ning Fengzhi's expression all along, aware that he was wavering.

Continuing, she said, "Master Ning, you are the sect master, and all decisions lie with you."

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi looked up at Bibi Dong on the main seat. His gaze narrowed, and his mind had made a decision.

"When does the Supreme Pontiff plan to hold the engagement?" he asked.

Seeing Ning Fengzhi's agreement, a smile bloomed on Bibi Dong's face as she replied, "Let's hold it after the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament."