Inside the Seven Treasures Hall, except for Tianlin and Ning Rongrong, everyone else was sitting cross-legged, absorbing the medicinal power.
Although the hall was safe, someone still needed to stand guard—not to protect them, but to ensure that no one interrupted them.
Ning Fengzhi did not allow Ning Rongrong to immediately consume the Heaven-Mending Pill. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tianlin, but because the pill's medicinal power was too potent, and he was worried that Ning Rongrong's young body wouldn't be able to withstand it. Thus, he decided to test it himself first.
Fortunately, Ning Rongrong, still young, didn't have a strong desire to pursue power. She wasn't fond of meditation and cultivation. Instead, she much preferred the carefree life of curling up in her Sword Brother's embrace and acting spoiled.
About an hour later, Bone Douluo was the first to awaken.
He absorbed the medicinal power the fastest, not only because he was the first to consume the immortal herb but also because his martial soul and the Earth Dragon Gold Gourd had a remarkably high compatibility. After all, the Bone Dragon was a dragon-type martial soul with earth attributes, making it a match made in heaven.
"Haha, this feels amazing!" Behind Gu Rong, a massive phantom of a Bone Dragon flickered in and out of view. Its enormous skeleton had become even more solid, and the dragon exuded a faint earthen yellow glow—the power of the earth.
"Ninety-sixth rank! I've finally broken through to the ninety-sixth rank! And my Bone Dragon seems to have evolved into an Earth Bone Dragon, with its defensive power nearly doubled."
Bone Douluo was overjoyed and turned to Tianlin, saying, "Xiao Tian, I really must thank you this time. I've always been suppressed by Old Sword, but now I've finally caught up to him!"
"Hehe, Grandpa Bone, you've only caught up to Grandpa Sword temporarily. Look, he's still absorbing the medicinal power. Once he wakes up, he'll surpass you again," Ning Rongrong said with a playful laugh.
Bone Douluo turned to look, and sure enough, Ning Fengzhi and Chenxin were still in the process of absorbing the medicinal power.
Damn it, he had almost forgotten—Tianlin was Chenxin's disciple. How could he prepare gifts for himself and not think of Old Sword?
If he had improved so much, who knew what level Chenxin might reach? Could it be the ninety-seventh rank? If that were the case, he'd still spend the rest of his life being overshadowed.
"Xiao Tian, you should go absorb your soul bone now. Leave the guarding to me," Gu Rong suggested.
Tianlin shook his head. "Grandpa Bone, there's no rush to absorb the soul bone. I'm the one who understands these immortal herbs and pills the best. If any issues arise during the absorption process, I'm the only one who can handle them."
Hearing this, Gu Rong agreed it made sense and didn't insist further. He returned to his seat to wait quietly.
About half an hour later, Ning Fengzhi was the second to awaken.
He sensed the soul power within him and immediately became excited. "Eighty ranks! I've reached the eightieth rank!"
"Fengzhi, what are you waiting for? Summon your martial soul and take a look," Gu Rong reminded him.
"Yes, Uncle Bone, I should see how the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda has changed." With a mix of hope and apprehension, Ning Fengzhi summoned his martial soul.
He had tried countless methods before, all to no avail. He was afraid this time might also end in disappointment.
But when he summoned his martial soul, the majestic and luxurious pagoda was more brilliant and dazzling than before. Like a child counting, Ning Fengzhi counted the layers one by one: "One… two… three… eight… nine!!"
"Nine layers, nine colors—the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
The next moment, tears streamed down Ning Fengzhi's face. The bottleneck that had plagued the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan for thousands of years has finally been broken today.
Ning Fengzhi stepped forward and embraced Tianlin tightly, choking with emotion. "Xiao Tian, thank you. Truly, thank you. You've fulfilled the lifelong dreams of countless generations of Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan leaders."
This always wise and composed clan leader was now crying openly. Tianlin had never imagined he would see Ning Fengzhi like this. Indeed, men don't shed tears easily; they only cry when deeply moved. Of course, Ning Fengzhi's tears this time weren't out of sorrow but pure joy.
From this day forward, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan would officially become the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.
"Oh, come on, Fengzhi, this is such a joyous occasion. Why are you crying? Once Old Sword and Old Eagle wake up, the three of us will go hunt the strongest eighth soul ring for you. You should start thinking about what kind of soul ring you want," Gu Rong said with a laugh.
"Hmm, actually, I've already decided on the eighth and ninth soul rings. I've had them in mind for a long time. I just don't know when Uncle Sword and Uncle Eagle will wake up," Ning Fengzhi said eagerly. The allure of the unprecedented eighth soul ring for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was simply irresistible for him.
"Master and Grandpa Eagle will probably need a little more time. Master consumed the Primordial Chaos Immortal Herb, one of the most potent immortal herbs, and fully absorbing it will take a long time."
"As for Grandpa Eagle's Purple Gold Pill, its medicinal power is relatively mild. He's probably already finished absorbing it but is likely using the medicinal power to try and break through his bottleneck."
After explaining, Tianlin sat down beside Yin Yang and activated a Holy Breath Domain to assist him. Yin Yang had already reached the peak of the eighty-ninth rank, but due to limited talent, he had been unable to achieve the titled rank in his lifetime.
However, with the help of the pill to cleanse his body and the accumulation of over a decade of diligent cultivation, there was a very high chance of breaking through the bottleneck today—an opportunity that could not be missed.
On the other side, because the Primordial Chaos Immortal Herb was consumed in pieces, even just a portion of its medicinal power was immense. While Chenxin was absorbing it, his vast soul power uncontrollably radiated outward.
Sensing the overwhelming soul power, both Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi were shocked. "Ninety-seventh rank! Old Sword has broken through to the ninety-seventh rank, and it's still rising!"
In the original story, Chenxin had only broken through during a battle against four titled Douluo of the Spirit Hall. While that spoke to his talent, it also proved that he had already been at the peak of ninety-sixth rank beforehand.
Without a strong foundation, no amount of enlightenment could break through the bottleneck.
Thus, with the medicinal power of the Primordial Chaos Immortal Herb, breaking through to the ninety-seventh rank was as easy as drinking water for Chenxin. The only question now was how far he could go.
Outside the Seven Treasures Hall, many soul masters could feel the overwhelming soul power that made them tremble. They had no idea what was happening inside.
Some of them were spies planted by other forces, such as the Spirit Hall. They wanted to investigate but didn't dare enter. The Seven Treasures Hall was strictly off-limits unless summoned by the clan leader. Aside from the two Protectors, Elder Yin Yang, Ning Rongrong, and Tianlin, anyone who trespassed would face death.
With both Protectors and Ning Fengzhi inside, they didn't dare to barge in. They could only wait for another opportunity to investigate.