The morning mist rolling over the verdant mountains surrounding Seven Treasure City carried a heavy, unnatural stillness. The usual vibrant chatter of merchants and the rhythmic clinking of the sect's blacksmiths had been entirely replaced by the muted, tense shuffling of armored Spirit Masters taking their positions. The target of the invading southern alliance was clear. The enemy forces creeping through the borderlands aimed to strike the very heart of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda's domain, aiming to shatter their magnificent palace, eradicate their lineage, and violently loot the staggering wealth amassed over generations from every conceivable direction.
Standing before a massive, intricately carved topographical map of the region within the main war room, Ning Fengzhi exhaled a slow, measured breath. He was dressed in his pristine sect master robes of white and gold, his elegant features set into a mask of profound solemnity. He had spent the entire night finalizing the defensive logistics. To counter a multi-directional siege, Ning Fengzhi had been forced to divide his formidable roster of powerful Spirit Masters. He organized those above the Spirit Saint realm, carefully assigning squads of elite Spirit Saints and Spirit Douluos to the seven primary mountain passes that served as the only viable entry points into the city.
To anchor these critical chokepoints, he positioned one Titled Douluo at the helm of each defensive line. Breaking Douluo Yang Wudi, his eyes burning with a fierce, unwavering battle intent, had taken command of the eastern pass, leading the hardened, spear-wielding members of his Breaking Clan. In this meticulous manner, all seven directions were heavily fortified.
However, martial prowess alone would not suffice against the sheer numbers of the Star Luo Empire's allied forces. Lining the ridges and concealed within the natural foliage of the passes were arrays of powerful, defensive Spirit Tools created by Zhang Tian's northern foundries. There were humongous, metallic pillars designed to project interlocking kinetic barriers, and sophisticated sonic-dampeners intended to disorient advancing infantry.
"Sect Master," a senior elder whispered, stepping up to the table. "Should we not deploy the offensive artillery batteries Lord Zhang Tian provided? The heavy spirit-cannons could decimate their vanguard before they even reach the visual range of the passes."
"No," Ning Fengzhi replied, his tone polite yet firm. "My son-in-law explicitly requested that we hold back the offensive Spirit Tools for the time being. We must not reveal the full depth of our hand too early. If we display our lethal, long-range capabilities now, the enemy commanders will simply adapt, scatter their forces, to shield their advance. Moreover, they are going to be more useful to decimate the army of Star Luo Empire later. Let them crash against our shields first. Let them exhaust their initial momentum."
With the perimeter secured, Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong retreated to the highest balcony of the central palace. They were biding their time, gazing out over the sprawling, beautiful architecture of their home, waiting for the core group of the Clear Sky Sect to arrive. They knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they had to conserve their utmost battle prowess. The peripheral skirmishes at the passes would be bloody, but the true, existential threat to their sect lay in the hands of the hammer-wielding titans.
Half a day later, the sky above the northern horizon shimmered with a radiant, piercing golden light.
The Spirit Hall's elite forces had arrived.
Leading the descent was a figure whose mere presence seemed to warp the fabric of reality. Qian Daoliu, the High Priest of the Angel God, floated down toward the palace balcony. He wore immaculate white robes trimmed with gold, his serene, ageless face projecting a majestic, unyielding authority. As his boots touched the polished marble of the balcony, a wave of staggering, holy pressure washed over the area.
Ning Fengzhi felt his breath catch in his throat. Beside him, Sword Douluo's hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his Seven Kill Sword, while Bone Douluo's skeletal frame stiffened. The sheer, overwhelming pressure released by Qian Daoliu made the three leaders of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect realize that it really was a profound blessing that they had agreed to Zhang Tian's suggestion to request assistance from the Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu's strength as a Limit Douluo at Level 99 was a terrifying, insurmountable peak. Ning Fengzhi knew that even if he summoned his Nine Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda and did his absolute best to amplify Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo to their utmost limits, and even if they fought with their very lives on the line against Qian Daoliu, they would still fall short. The gap between mortal mastery and the threshold of divinity was simply too vast.
"High Priest," Ning Fengzhi greeted, stepping forward and offering a deep, respectful bow. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo mirrored the gesture, treating the venerable warrior with the utmost reverence.
"Sect Master Ning," Qian Daoliu replied, his voice carrying a resonant, melodic calm that belied the impending violence. "The Spirit Hall honors its pacts. We stand with you today against the resurgence of the Clear Sky."
Without wasting time on trivial pleasantries, Qian Daoliu waved his hand. The sky above filled with the imposing figures of the Spirit Hall's Titled Douluos. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, and a dozen other terrifying experts hovered in the air.
"Disperse," Qian Daoliu commanded his elders. "Spread our forces across the surrounding regions. Support the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's defensive lines at the passes. Should their guardians become overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Star Luo Empire's alliance, you are to intervene and crush the opposition."
The Spirit Hall elders bowed in mid-air, scattering in streaks of vibrant light toward the seven fortified directions. Qian Daoliu remained on the balcony, alongside Fifteen Ton Douluo, Falling Devil Douluo, and a select few core enforcers. They stood alongside the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's trio, their eyes fixed on the southern horizon.
The wait was agonizing, but it did not last long. After another two hours, the oppressive silence was shattered by a deep, thrumming vibration that seemed to emanate from the very earth itself, rising up into the sky.
The Clear Sky Sect had arrived first.
They did not sneak through the forests or attempt a tactical, stealthy infiltration. The ones who arrived were actually twelve distinct individuals, and they arrived while flying high in the open air, completely unbothered about wanting to hide their identities or mask their approach. It was as though they were deliberately flaunting their legendary status, seeking to crush the morale of the defenders through sheer intimidation.
The Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect's forces stationed at the various southern passes saw the imposing figures soaring above them. Many gripped their weapons tighter, sweat beading on their foreheads, but they didn't move to intercept. Ning Fengzhi had issued strict orders to let the core Clear Sky Sect's forces advance directly toward the main city. The peripheral guards knew that attempting to stop those specific monsters would result in meaningless slaughter. The sect master and the Spirit Hall would handle the titans personally.
As the twelve figures closed the distance, stopping to hover majestically above the central palace, the oppressive weight of their combined auras bore down upon the city.
Tang Chen was the one leading them. The ancient Limit Douluo wore dark, imposing robes, his black eyes surveying the beautiful city with a cold, detached judgment. Flanking him were his two grandsons, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, both radiating the suffocating might of Super Douluos. Beside them floated Tang San, the white mist of his Death God Domain swirling ominously around his lean frame, while the remaining eight individuals were all seasoned, formidable Titled Douluo elders of the Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Hao took half a step forward in the air. His rugged face twisted into a fierce, aggressive scowl.
"Ning Fengzhi!" Tang Hao's voice boomed like rolling thunder, echoing across the valley and rattling the very glass in the palace windows. He spoke in a highly overbearing, demanding manner. "The Clear Sky Sect is here to collect its debts! Years ago, your sect used a shameless, cowardly trick to defeat and cripple our experts, forcing us to leave our ancestral lands. Your wealth and your deceit have bought you time, but time has run out!"
He raised a thick, calloused finger, pointing it directly at the main balcony. "Are you not going to come out and beg for mercy? Or shall we flatten this gaudy palace with you inside it?"
Adding to his grandson's harsh words, Tang Chen's voice resonated. It was not a shout, but the sheer density of his spirit power made his words vibrate within the chest of every listener.
"Ning Fengzhi," Tang Chen spoke, his tone authoritative and laced with the undeniable weight of a sovereign. "I am not an unreasonable man. I can let go of your past transgressions against the Clear Sky Sect. I can spare your disciples and your city. But the price is your autonomy. You will lower your defenses and pledge your entire sect as a subsidiary vassal to the Clear Sky Sect. You will exist entirely under our control from this day forward. If not... then today I will personally take action to avenge the humiliation of my clan."
In response to the ultimatum, the grand doors of the highest balcony swung open.
Ning Fengzhi emerged, his posture immaculate. To his left and right walked Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. Together, the three of them summoned their spirit power, lifting themselves off the marble floor and flying upward into the sky to meet the invaders face-to-face.
However, they did not ascend alone. Flowing effortlessly behind them, carried by a radiant, six-winged aura of pure holy light, came none other than Qian Daoliu.
Seeing the High Priest of the Angel God emerge from the Seven Treasure palace, Tang Chen's calm demeanor fractured. He was visibly, genuinely shocked. His dark eyes widened as he stared at the golden-robed man.
Did this mean that this grand, retaliatory battle that the southern alliance had been preparing in deep, painstaking secret for the last few months was actually fully known to the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect? And worse, that they had successfully petitioned and secured the direct involvement of the Spirit Hall?
This revelation greatly shocked Tang Chen, Tang Hao, Tang San, Tang Xiao, and the other eight Titled Douluo members of the Clear Sky Sect. Their entire strategic premise—that they would isolate and crush the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect before the Spirit Hall could mobilize a response—collapsed in an instant.
Tang Hao gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on nothingness. 'How? How could they possibly know our movements so precisely?'
Tang San's purple eyes narrowed, the deathly mist swirling faster around him. 'Zhang Tian. It has to be him. His invisible eyes are everywhere.'
Meanwhile, Qian Daoliu hovered in the air, his golden eyes locking onto the dark gaze of Tang Chen. He was also slightly shocked to see his old friend standing there, fully restored and radiating a dark, vital power. He had heard the reports, but seeing the legend in the flesh stirred old memories. Qian Daoliu let out a soft, regretful sigh.
"It seems the years have been kind to you, Tang Chen," Qian Daoliu spoke, his voice carrying across the divide. "But you chose the wrong path today."
As for Ning Fengzhi, he ignored the banter of the titans. He stared directly at the members of the Clear Sky Sect, his elegant face devoid of any merchant's compromise. He spoke with pure, unyielding determination.
"If you want to destroy my Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect, or if you harbor delusions of subduing us as your vassals," Ning Fengzhi declared, his voice ringing with crisp clarity, "you are simply not qualified enough."
With that defiant rejection, the war began.
Ning Fengzhi did not hesitate. He summoned his martial spirit. A resplendent, nine-tiered pagoda materialized in his palm, shimmering with a breathtaking array of colors. Seven distinct spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—rose from his feet.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability: Nine Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda Avatar!" Ning Fengzhi chanted.
The small pagoda in his hand expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive, towering construct of brilliant, translucent light that enveloped his entire body. Within the protective shell of the avatar, he could unleash his amplifying abilities with negligible spirit power consumption.
He moved his hands in a rapid, fluid sequence, unleashing the first six of his spirit abilities in quick succession.
"Nine Treasures emerge!" Ning Fengzhi's voice echoed majestically. "First is Strength! Second is Speed! Third is Spirit Power! Fourth is Defense! Fifth is Attack! Sixth is Attribute!"
Six distinct, blinding rays of multicolored light shot out from the massive pagoda, splitting into two streams that accurately struck Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
The effect was instantaneous and terrifying. Chen Xin, a Level 98 Super Douluo, felt his raw physical strength, his agility, his spirit power reserves, and his sheer attack potency skyrocket by staggering percentages. The air around him cracked as his aura swelled to a level that momentarily brushed against the boundaries of a Limit Douluo. Beside him, Gu Rong experienced the same monstrous amplification, his Level 97 foundation transforming into a dark, spatial nightmare of hardened bone and devastating force.
Empowered by the ultimate support spirit, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo launched themselves straight at the Clear Sky Sect formation like twin meteors of death.
Realizing the catastrophic collateral damage that would occur if he fought near the city, Qian Daoliu acted. He summoned his own Seraphim Martial Spirit, six massive wings of holy light erupting from his back. His nine spirit rings—including a terrifying, eight black spirit rings and one blood red hundred-thousand-year ring—pulsed with divine might.
Qian Daoliu charged directly towards Tang Chen, a blade of pure sunlight forming in his hand.
"Tang Chen! If you wish to protect your descendants from my holy fire, follow me!" Qian Daoliu challenged, striking out with a blinding arc of light that forced the Clear Sky ancestor to parry.
Tang Chen summoned his massive, dark Clear Sky Hammer, catching the holy blade with a resounding, shockwave-inducing crash. He felt the pure, burning intensity of the Seraphim's power.
Even Tang Chen wanted to take this battle elsewhere; he knew that if they unleashed their ultimate techniques here, the resulting devastation would easily kill his grandson Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, his great-grandson Tang San, and the other core elders of his sect.
"Very well, Qian Daoliu!" Tang Chen roared, his dark eyes burning. "Let us settle our old scores in the clouds!"
The two Limit Douluos disengaged, shooting upward into the stratosphere like twin comets, their trailing auras of gold and black ripping the clouds apart, taking the most apocalyptic threat away from the city.
With the titans gone, the sky became a chaotic melee of Super Douluos.
Tang Hao, his eyes blazing with protective fury and battle lust, stepped forward to intercept the incoming assault. "Clear Sky Avatar!" he bellowed, his seventh black spirit ring lighting up.
His body swelled, his muscles bulging as he merged with the towering phantom of a massive, dark red Clear Sky Hammer. He hefted the colossal weapon, locking his gaze onto his old rival.
"Chen Xin! Let us see if your sword can last long against my hammer!" Tang Hao challenged, swinging the massive hammer in a wide, devastating arc aimed directly at the Sword Douluo.
Chen Xin remained serene, his white hair whipping in the wind generated by the hammer's approach. "Seventh Spirit Ring Ability: Seven Kill Sword Avatar!"
He merged with his sleek, silver longsword, transforming into a giant, razor-sharp blade of pure, concentrated sword intent. He did not dodge. "Sixth Spirit Ring Ability: Myriad Swords Return to Origin!"
Thousands of spectral, silver swords materialized in the air around him, forming a swirling vortex of cutting force. With a thought, the myriad swords surged forward, converging into a single, massive point of impact that struck the incoming Clear Sky Hammer. The collision of the amplified sword intent against the brute force of the Super Douluo created a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the sky.
Nearby, Tang Xiao, the Sect Leader of the Clear Sky Sect, unleashed his own Clear Sky Avatar, his hammer glowing with a deep, oppressive blue light. He charged forward to intercept the skeletal menace.
"Gu Rong! Your parlor won't save you today!" Tang Xiao shouted, initiating the complex footwork of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique, preparing to build devastating momentum.
"Big words for a man wielding a clumsy hammer," Bone Douluo Gu Rong cackled, his eerie, hollow voice echoing. "Seventh Spirit Ring Ability: Bone Dragon Avatar!"
Gu Rong's body twisted and expanded, transforming into a massive, skeletal dragon composed of jagged, impenetrable bone. He didn't engage in a frontal clash of force. Instead, he utilized his profound spatial mastery. "Eighth Spirit Ring Ability: Spatial Bone Prison!"
Massive, jagged ribs of dark bone erupted from the very fabric of space itself, attempting to enclose and impale Tang Xiao from multiple, unpredictable angles, forcing the hammer-wielder to constantly shift his defensive swings and disrupting his momentum.
At this precise moment, the heavy reinforcements of the Spirit Hall joined the fray.
Fifteen Ton Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo, both formidable Level 96 Super Douluos, charged forward. They summoned their respective Coiling Dragon Rod Avatars, their weapons expanding into massive, heavy staves adorned with intricate dragon carvings.
"Crush the elders!" Fifteen Ton Douluo commanded, his rod glowing with a heavy, golden light as he swung it down toward three of the Clear Sky elders.
The eight Titled Douluo elders of the Clear Sky Sect hastily summoned their own hammer avatars, forming defensive formations to block the sweeping strikes of the Coiling Dragon Rods. The sky became a chaotic, terrifying tapestry of clashing spirit abilities, ringing metal, and roaring combatants.
Tang San hovered near the rear of the Clear Sky formation, his purple eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield. He noted the sheer, overwhelming pressure the Spirit Hall reinforcements brought. He knew he could not sit idle.
He summoned his primary spirit. The sickly, pale violet vines of his Deathly Spirit Grass erupted from his palms, spreading out into the air like a network of parasitic veins.
"Seventh Spirit Ring Ability: Deathly Spirit Grass Avatar!" Tang San chanted, his deep black seventh ring glowing.
His physical body merged entirely with the toxic vines, transforming him into a colossal, heavily armored botanical monstrosity. The white mist of the Death God Domain flared, expanding rapidly to cover the battlefield, attempting to inject paralyzing, necrotic terror into the minds of the Spirit Hall elders.
"Eighth Spirit Ring Ability: Necrotic Spear Barrage!" Tang San thought, targeting Falling Devil Douluo who was pressuring the second elder.
Dozens of the massive, pale violet vines hardened instantly into bone-white spears. They shot forward through the air with terrifying velocity, aimed at the Super Douluo's blind spots.
"Insolent brat!" Falling Devil Douluo sneered, sensing the incoming threat. He spun his Coiling Dragon Rod, creating a defensive whirlwind of spirit power that shattered the incoming necrotic spears into dust. However, as the spears broke, they released concentrated bursts of highly corrosive, death-infused venom that sizzled against his defensive aura, forcing him to expend additional spirit power to purge the decay.
While the apex predators waged a war that tore the clouds asunder above the central palace, the battle for the city's perimeter had also officially begun.
At the various passes nestled in the mountainous terrain surrounding Seven Treasure City, the massive, diverse forces of the Star Luo Empire's alliance had arrived.
At the rugged northern pass, the sky darkened with unnatural storm clouds. Yu Luomian, leading the fierce, lightning-wielding experts of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, charged up the rocky incline.
"Tear down their defenses! Leave no survivors!" Yu Luomian roared, his body covered in crackling blue scales as he activated his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Avatar. He unleashed his terrifying lightning breath, a massive torrent of destructive electricity aimed directly at the defensive barricades manned by the Seven Treasure guards.
However, before the lightning could incinerate the defenders, the defensive Spirit Tools planted along the ridge activated.
A series of tall, metallic pillars hummed to life. They were 'Aegis Wards', sophisticated tools designed by Zhang Tian's engineers. The pillars projected a massive, interlocking hard-light barrier across the pass. When the roaring blue lightning struck the barrier, the energy did not shatter the shield; instead, the intricate conductive arrays within the pillars absorbed the electrical discharge, safely grounding the lethal voltage deep into the mountain rock.
"What trickery is this?" Yu Luomian snarled, watching his ultimate attack dissipate harmlessly into the earth.
At the eastern pass, Breaking Douluo Yang Wudi stood tall, his Soul Breaking Spear resting casually over his shoulder. Down below, the massive, hulking figures of the Strength Clan, led by Tai Tan, alongside the impenetrable heavy infantry of the Defense Clan wielding their Diamond Mammoth spirits, marched heavily up the road, aiming to smash the gates with brute, overwhelming physical force.
Yang Wudi sneered. He signaled the guards.
The 'Kinetic Repulsion Arrays' hidden beneath the soil flared to life. As the heavy infantry of the Defense Clan charged, intending to use their massive bulk as battering rams, they struck invisible, localized fields of reversed gravity. The sheer kinetic force of their own charge was violently rebounded back upon them, sending dozens of massive, heavily armored men flying backward down the slope, tumbling like discarded toys.
At the western pass, the agile, blur-like members of the Speed Clan attempted to bypass the main roads entirely, utilizing their profound speed to scale the sheer cliffs and infiltrate the city. However, they soon encountered the 'Vitality Disruptor Nets'. These invisible, high-frequency sonic fields did not cause physical harm, but they aggressively scrambled the inner ear and the spatial perception of anyone passing through them with elevated heart rates. The Speed Clan members found themselves suddenly dizzy, losing their footing and slipping from the cliffs, becoming easy targets for the defending archers.
The Star Crown Sect, positioned at the southern approach, attempted to use their ethereal, starlight-based bombardment techniques to rain destruction upon the city walls. Yet, the defenders activated 'Prismatic Refraction Shields', Spirit Tools that manipulated light and energy, causing the devastating starlight beams to scatter and refract harmlessly into the sky, creating a beautiful but entirely ineffective light show.
Even the seasoned, highly disciplined Imperial Guards of the Star Luo Empire, along with the powerful members of the lower seven sects, found themselves bogged down in grueling, agonizing trench warfare. Every step they took toward the Seven Treasure City was met with innovative, highly resilient technological defenses that negated their traditional spirit advantages.
The war raged on all fronts. Blood soaked the mountain passes, and the sky above the palace roared with the clash of titans. Ning Fengzhi maintained his serene, focused stance, his Nine Treasure Glaze Tile Pagoda shining like a beacon of hope amidst the carnage. They were prepared. They had the tools, they had the allies, and they had the unyielding determination to ensure that the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect would not fall today.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Villain: Manipulating The Heroines Into Hating The Protagonist] and [Harem Master: Seduction System].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon.
Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/c/evildragon04