Chapter 150 – Xuan Lao's Return
Guangjing City, a second-tier city under the Tianhun Empire where the strongest local spirit master was merely a Soul Saint, now found itself hosting a figure far beyond its league—a presence it could not afford to offend.
In the city's finest hotel, a disheveled old man suddenly appeared. Without a word, he beat up the city lord's son and tossed him out of the establishment.
"Bring me all the best wine and meat!" Xuan Lao demanded, releasing a trace of his Titled Douluo aura.
The hotel owner instantly understood: this was someone who could not be trifled with—far more dangerous than the city lord. Within moments, the table before Xuan Lao was piled high with the city's finest food and drink.
Xuan Lao sat on a stool, not bothering with chopsticks or any table manners. He simply reached out with his hands and started grabbing meat and pouring wine down his throat, eating like a savage without a care for his image.
Soon after, several well-dressed individuals, clearly people of influence, arrived at the hotel. They approached Xuan Lao with respectful, even fearful, expressions.
"Senior, I am Ye Xuan, the city lord of Guangjing City and the leader of the Guangjing Sect. It is our great honor to receive you here. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do everything in my power to assist you."
Ye Xuan tried to flatter the old man, eager to build a connection. Though not the strongest in Guangjing City, Ye Xuan had risen to power through connections and his rare auxiliary-type martial spirit—a seven-colored gemstone, similar in nature to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Rainbow Dragon.
However, due to the limited number of users and the earlier rise of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, their successor, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, had already declined into a second-rate sect. The Guangjing Sect, which emerged even later, was even weaker. If not for the region's rich deposits of Guangjing stones that brought wealth, the sect might never have been founded.
As an auxiliary-type sect, Guangjing Sect craved powerful spirit masters more than most. So when Xuan Lao appeared in the city, Ye Xuan had rushed over immediately, even disregarding the fact that Xuan Lao had assaulted his son. Building ties with a Titled Douluo was worth any price.
But Ye Xuan's warm reception was met with a cold response.
Xuan Lao had been in a foul mood after failing to locate his students. Wanting nothing more than to drink in peace, he found Ye Xuan's flattery and chatter deeply irritating. As the alcohol clouded his judgment, his temper worsened.
Just as Ye Xuan was talking excitedly, Xuan Lao slapped him hard on the head, silencing the entire hotel.
"Just eat. Why so much nonsense?" Xuan Lao grunted.
With that, the elders of Guangjing Sect who had accompanied Ye Xuan snapped out of their stupor. Fearing for their lives, they lunged at the food without hesitation, using their hands to grab whatever they could find. Chopsticks? Table manners? Forget it—they just wanted to avoid being next.
But—
"Hey, you're really going to eat?" Xuan Lao said darkly.
Their movements froze, but it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, they all became his punching bags. And so, in the most luxurious hotel of Guangjing City, the leadership of Guangjing Sect was decimated.
The city still stood, but the Guangjing Sect was effectively destroyed. With its leaders dead, the remaining juniors had no choice but to flee.
After drinking and going on a rampage for a whole day, Xuan Lao finally sobered up.
"I may have gone overboard yesterday… I was in a bad mood. Sorry about that," he muttered, looking at the corpses around him.
Then, without another word, he dusted himself off and left. As a powerful Titled Douluo, money was no object to him—he didn't even carry any. Wealth came easily to someone at his level.
Outside the hotel, Xuan Lao shook the wine jug in his hand. It was a soul guide made specifically for holding wine. He had filled it with a large amount earlier, and even after drinking all night, it seemed barely depleted.
"Where should I go today?" he muttered to himself.
"Master Xuan!"
A voice called out from behind.
He turned to see Ning Tian, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, and even Teacher Zhao—the same one he had once thrown a chicken bone at.
"You… You're all still alive?" Xuan Lao's hands trembled. He couldn't believe anyone had survived the ordeal.
"Master Xuan! Please come back! Shrek can't survive without you!"
Ning Tian dropped to her knees without hesitation. As the young master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, she may not have had the highest cultivation, but her strategic thinking was unmatched.
Her sect's foundation had been exhausted long ago. In its current weakened state, she couldn't afford to be as headstrong as Ning Rongrong had once been.
So when Elder Mu En tasked them with persuading Xuan Lao to return, Ning Tian pledged both herself and her sect's loyalty to Shrek. If kneeling was what it took to bring him back, then she would kneel.
Elder Mu En had been satisfied with Ning Tian's resolve and promised that Shrek Academy would train her well. He also offered the same opportunity to Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo—if they succeeded in bringing back Xuan Lao, they would be allowed into the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy.
At first, the Lan sisters had hesitated, but Ning Tian had warned them of the consequences. Shrek could afford to lose talents like them, but it could not afford to lose a Level 98 Titled Douluo. Mu En's offer may have sounded like a reward, but it was actually a veiled threat. Refuse, and they might face retaliation.
With no better options, the Lan sisters were persuaded and now stood beside Ning Tian, pleading for Xuan Lao to return.
"You… all of you…"
Xuan Lao sighed deeply. "It was my mistake. Le Xuan… she was just like this. How could I bear it? But I am, after all, a man of Shrek. How could I truly leave it behind?"
Moved by their sincerity and weighed down by his past, Xuan Lao reluctantly agreed to return. He resumed his position as Deputy Leader of the Sea God Pavilion and continued his duties at Shrek Academy.
…
Upon returning, Ning Tian quietly returned to her and Wu Feng's dormitory.
She looked at the empty bed that Wu Feng would never sleep in again. Locking the door, she took out a soul guide that could block all sound. Calmly, she infused her soul power into the device and activated it.
She drew the curtains tightly, ensuring no one would disturb her. And then, with no one to see her, Ning Tian collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Even the Spirit Hall hadn't treated the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect this cruelly.
————
Pump up the power stone