After a brief silence, Ning Tian wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, casually tied back her golden hair, and looked solemnly at Elder Wu.
"Elder Wu, can you identify who those two powerful beings were just now?"
Elder Wu paused slightly, then gently shook his head.
"I'm afraid I'm not capable. If those two hadn't deliberately left their auras partially exposed, I wouldn't have sensed them at all. And even though we didn't engage them directly, the sheer pressure we felt from such a distance… Their cultivation must be far beyond that of an ordinary Super Douluo."
Ning Tian's refined features darkened again. Two such terrifying Title Douluo-level powerhouses had appeared within the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's territory. If they were just passing through, that would be fine—but if they came for another reason, Ning Tian dared not imagine the consequences…
Although only seven, Ning Tian had been raised as the sect's successor. Her maturity far surpassed her peers, and she already had her own insight into major affairs. That was exactly why she had earned the acknowledgment of the sect's strongest members and was undoubtedly regarded as the next Sect Master.
After a brief moment of thought, Ning Tian said softly:
"The soul hunting operation is canceled. Let's return and inform my mother and the elders. Those who haven't obtained their soul rings yet—don't worry. The safety of the sect comes first. Please bear with this for now."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ning Tian turned to the red-haired girl at her side and said gently:
"Fengmei, I'm leaving the soul ring count to you once we return. Just make sure not to be careless this time."
A look of worry flashed across the red-haired girl's face. Flustered, she stammered:
"Young Mistress, I have to protect your safety. That task… just let You Fan and the others handle it, I—"
But before Wu Feng could finish, Ning Tian interrupted her.
"That's enough."
"Fengmei, you're part of the sect too. One day, you'll be a leader by my side. Whether you want to or not, this is your duty. Don't blame me—everyone has to grow up sometime. Besides, you're the person I trust most."
As her words fell, Elder Wu smacked Wu Feng on the head. She stumbled a bit, tears welling in her eyes, though none fell.
"Miss is doing this for your own good," Elder Wu grumbled. "Wu Feng, if you stir up trouble again, I'll tan your hide when we get back. Try me if you don't believe it."
His face was flushed with frustration. He was both angry and helpless with his granddaughter's constant attachment to Ning Tian.
If she had just trained obediently by the young mistress's side, a bit of mischief would've been harmless. But developing feelings for the young mistress at this age? Utterly rebellious!
In his youth, Elder Wu had been quite the charmer, but now, in his old age, he kept losing his composure over his own granddaughter. Sometimes he even wanted to dig up his deceased son and daughter-in-law and scold them for how they raised Wu Feng.
Yet every time he thought about it, his anger would inexplicably fade.
A sense of resignation surfaced in the old man's eyes as he looked at Wu Feng with growing complexity.
Seeing Wu Feng bow her head, her chest rising and falling slightly, Ning Tian stepped forward and gently held her hand. She sighed and said to Elder Wu:
"In any case, Elder Wu, and the two deacons—let's return to the sect first. We'll talk more once we're back."
Elder Wu and the two deacons quickly snapped back to attention and respectfully complied.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
The Ice Empress, locked in a staring match with Shu Yan, had no idea that the aura she had carelessly released had caused such a disturbance for Ning Tian and her group.
After a full day and night of travel, their pace had been swift. Shu Yan looked at the towering mountain range ahead and said:
"Once we cross that range, we'll officially enter Star Luo Empire territory."
Xue Jiujing gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, while the Ice Empress absentmindedly scanned the nearby landscape, clearly a bit bored.
As they ascended, thin clouds drifted past them. Suddenly, Xue Jiujing narrowed her eyes and stopped mid-air. Caught off guard, the Ice Empress bumped into Shu Yan's back, sending him stumbling.
Regaining her balance, the Ice Empress peeked out from behind Shu Yan, rubbing her nose and wincing.
"Jiujing, why'd you stop all of a sudden? Did something happen?"
Xue Jiujing didn't respond directly. Her long, phoenix-like eyes swept across the rugged forest below. A flicker of uncertainty passed through her gaze. She looked back at Shu Yan and the Ice Empress, shook her head slightly, and said:
"It's nothing. Just now, I felt a faint trace of energy in this area—but when I tried to sense it again, it vanished. I wonder… could my perception be off?"
Her words prompted a moment of silence among the three. After a pause, the Ice Empress suddenly spoke:
"Jiujing, have more faith in yourself. There's no way your senses could be mistaken. A Limit Douluo's perception is already extraordinary—and you, you're a lifeform born from the world's purest ice-elemental force. Your sensitivity to energy fluctuations is unmatched. Even though I didn't sense anything, this mountain range does feel... off."
Xue Jiujing gave the Ice Empress a surprised look. It was rare for her to be this insightful but apparently, today was one of those days.
Shu Yan sighed softly, pulled out a map, studied it briefly, and said:
"This area borders both empires. Few people come here. This mountain range is called the Burial Dragon Range. Legend has it that a true dragon once fell here, its death infusing the land with dragon blood and qi. The terrain changed as a result, and the entire range now resembles a slumbering dragon. That's how it got its name."
He paused, then continued:
"The peak ahead is the tallest in the range shaped like a sword, towering above the clouds, well over a thousand zhang high."
"Once we cross it, we'll be in Star Luo Empire territory. Both empires keep heavy forces stationed nearby officially for border defense, but in truth, they just don't trust each other."
Xue Jiujing nodded, her eyes lingering on the sword-like peak ahead.
"We'll investigate it later," she said softly. "I have a strong feeling something terrifying is sealed beneath us. There's an invisible barrier around it. To break through… even for me, it might take everything I've got."
Her words left Shu Yan and the Ice Empress stunned.
Xue Jiujing's power was on par with a human Limit Douluo. If she truly went all out, she could likely shatter the entire Burial Dragon Range. That kind of destruction wouldn't go unnoticed.
It wouldn't just draw the armies of both empires powerful cultivators from across the continent would come flocking as well.
And if that happened, this quiet borderland would quickly become the center of a storm…