Douluo: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Word Count: 3,010 Words

******

Dragon God Douluo Mu En was old, gravely injured, and nearing the end of his life. Most of the time, his eyes seemed veiled by a layer of mist, lacking luster in their hazy state. But at this moment, that mist had completely dissipated, revealing eyes that shone with a dazzling crimson-gold light and instilled awe in all who met his gaze.

Opposite him, Jianmu Douluo Zhou Jiren withdrew his smile; his expression resembled a mirror covered in frost. The two top-tier Titled Douluo faced each other, and the air pressure in the entire room seemed to drop noticeably.

"Jiren, they say that to be a family elder one must pretend to be deaf and blind, but there are some matters I simply cannot ignore. Please give me an answer."

After a good ten seconds, the coldness on Jianmu Douluo's face peeled away bit by bit until his expression became completely neutral. He looked at Elder Mu and slowly began to speak:

"Xiao Bai... is an abandoned infant from Jialing City. Eleven years ago, Fengya took Ying Long to pay respects to Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, who sacrificed their lives for the peace of the continent, and happened to find him when he was less than a year old."

"Jialing City..."

The tense atmosphere eased; Elder Mu suddenly understood. Jialing City, also known as Jialing Pass, was the site of the battle between the Gods ten thousand years ago and the place where the Angel God position shattered, and he vaguely guessed why Ling Bai was able to possess the Seraphim.

"Before his Martial Spirit awakened at age six, no one in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan dared imagine that Xiao Bai would be the inheritor of the Seraphim. But when the truth appeared before our eyes, it became undeniable.

At that time, Fengya personally oversaw Xiao Bai's Martial Spirit Awakening; immediately afterward, she told me about the Seraphim reappearing on the continent. After multiple discussions and speculations, we believed that the reason Xiao Bai awakened the Seraphim was likely that, at the moment of his birth, he accidentally absorbed the remnants of the Angel God's power scattered at Jialing Pass.

That Angel Sword is indeed no ordinary item; it should be the divine weapon of the Angel God, though it is now greatly weakened after losing the God Position's blessing..."

Jianmu Douluo understood what Elder Mu was worried about. Ling Bai's cultivation was progressing too rapidly, and the Seraphim theoretically should not exist on the Douluo Continent. Elder Mu feared that there might be a problem with Ling Bai's identity, perhaps that he was the reincarnation of the Angel God!

In truth, Jianmu Douluo knew perfectly well that the notion of the Angel God's reincarnation was utter nonsense because Ling Bai had a second Martial Spirit, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor!

Though what he had just told Mu En was indeed the truth, he had hidden three-tenths of the facts. Ling Bai had not only absorbed the shattered Angel God Position but also the power of the fallen Rakshasa God!

"Everything makes sense now..."

Elder Mu nodded slightly. It turned out that Ling Bai was an unprecedentedly fortunate child; it was as if a pie had fallen from the sky straight into his mouth.

"Don't blame me, old friend. To protect Shrek Academy, I must exercise extreme caution," Elder Mu said apologetically.

"I understand..."

Jianmu Douluo narrowed his eyes and elongated his tone: "Mu En, now that you've learned our clan's top secret, you should pay some price. Besides, entering the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan requires an admission fee."

Elder Mu blinked repeatedly. An admission fee?

You're openly extorting me, aren't you!

"What do you want?"

Seeing Elder Mu concede, Jianmu Douluo chuckled and revealed his intentions: "Xiao Bai previously praised Shrek's Ancient Golden Tree to the skies. How about you give me some of the Ancient Golden Tree's light energy?"

"How much specifically?"

"Not much, just... a hundred thousand years' worth."

"A... hundred... thousand... years!"

Elder Mu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his bent waist almost straightened from anger. He fumed:

"You old codger are getting greedier with age! No way you're getting the tree; take my life instead!"

With that, Elder Mu flung his sleeves aside and was about to leave. Jianmu Douluo hurriedly caught him and pulled him back, trying to soothe/persuade him:

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Anger is bad for your health.

Think about it carefully. Although Xiao Bai doesn't have a substantial connection with the Seraphim lineage of Spirit Hall, he has inherited a favor from the last Angel God. So, isn't Shrek Academy in a bit of an awkward position?"

"Hmm..." Elder Mu seemed thoughtful.

"If you bring out a treasure now to eliminate unnecessary estrangement, coupled with our close relationship, then if Shrek encounters difficulties a hundred years from now, Xiao Bai will surely help you overcome the crisis, if not for the monk's sake then for the Buddha's sake!"

"You're planning a hundred years ahead; it sounds to me like you're trying to get something for nothing." Elder Mu rubbed his chin suspiciously.

"How could that be!" Jianmu Douluo exclaimed, eager to convince Elder Mu, and was almost ready to swear oaths.

"Accepting others' favors puts you in their debt, and that is an eternal truth! Isn't that the same principle behind your Treasure Gathering Pavilion's credit system?"

"I'll go back and think about it."

Elder Mu did not immediately agree to Jianmu Douluo's request, for the Ancient Golden Tree was of great importance. He could not decide on a whim and needed to obtain the approval of more than half of the Sea God Pavilion Elders in a meeting.

"Alright."

Jianmu Douluo did not dare push too hard; he simply hoped to guide Elder Mu, for ultimately whether to proceed depended on Elder Mu himself.

"Now that we've discussed the important matters, let's have a little chat before we part," Elder Mu said. "I'm very curious: the Seraphim embodies holy, light, and fire attributes, which are vastly different from the abilities of your Sacred Jianmu Tree. Jiren, what prompted you to take Ling Bai as your direct disciple?"

A hint of reminiscence appeared on Jianmu Douluo's aged face upon hearing this. "That year, after Fengya brought him back from obtaining his first and second spirit rings, he came to me and asked me a question."

"What question?"

"Cannot say, cannot say..."

Countless scenes flashed before Jianmu Douluo's eyes, like old movies or forgotten moments in time.

===

"Senior Jianmu, has Aunt Ya told you about my situation?"

"Yes, Ultimate Death attribute, goes berserk upon contact with blood, devours both spirit and blood. It is truly the most evil Martial Spirit under the heavens. Even the Bloody Demon Puppet I've seen cannot compare to your Death Abyss Spider Emperor."

"Senior, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor is extremely dangerous. The Seraphim cannot suppress it. In the future, it will be a threat to both me and the continent. Do you have a way to remove it?"

"You're dreaming, kid. A Martial Spirit accompanies a person for life. It is something very hard to remove."

"Then please scrape it clean with a knife."

===

Returning to the present, Jianmu Douluo curled his lips upward in a smile and said, "Mu En, from that day on, I understood that this child's future was destined to be limitless."

"With him around, your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will flourish for another three hundred years without worry!"

Elder Mu laughed heartily as he stood up, but behind his laughter lay a hint of envy and sorrow. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had found its successor, while Shrek Academy was strong in appearance but weak inside. Taotie Douluo Elder Xuan's Martial Spirit had flaws; Bright Phoenix Douluo Yan Shaozhe was narrow-minded; others were either too old or too young to be of great use. Elder Mu could at most hold on for two or three more years before passing away, and he still could not find the path forward for Shrek Academy.

"Farewell forever, old friend."

His body transformed into golden specks of light and dissipated. At Elder Mu's level, matters of life and death had long been understood; uttering the words 'farewell forever' was as light as a feather and as simple as saying 'I'm going to have breakfast.'

The last meeting between these two top-tier Titled Douluo in this life came to an end. Jianmu Douluo watched as Elder Mu departed. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and lamented:

"Old friends are withering away one after another, like leaves falling in the wind..."

…

At the same time, in the garden of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

Ning Fengya and Ning Tian walked slowly forward. The sunlight stretched their graceful shadows behind them. On both sides were nine-colored jade stones that the clan had purchased at great expense. Golden apricot trees with ten thousand years of history reached over the nine-colored eaves, and abundant autumn scenery spilled onto the ground beneath their feet. Golden apricots, colorful walls, and an expansive azure autumn sky made the garden's scenery bright and exuberant.

"... In short, I have taken Martial God Douluo Xian Lin'er, the Dean of the Spirit Guidance Department, as my Teacher and chosen to pursue the dual path of both Spirit Master and Spirit Guidance Master. Every day at Shrek Academy is very fulfilling."

Ning Tian walked half a step behind Ning Fengya, recounting her academy life over the past year while involuntarily casting sidelong glances at her mother.

She wore thin cloud-patterned clothes, had a slender willow-like waist, a dignified bearing, and peerless beauty. Ning Tian was regarded as the little princess in the Outer Courtyard because she truly possessed princess-like beauty and temperament. However, only she herself understood that all her efforts were lateral imitations of Ning Fengya.

Indeed, Ning Tian was already extremely outstanding, but only by her mother's side did she feel like a counterfeit encountering the genuine article. The phrase 'ashamed of one's inferiority' appeared unprecedentedly in the dictionary of the little princess of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

After listening to Ning Tian's experiences, Ning Fengya nodded lightly, her voice clear and bright with a hint of casual indifference:

"Developing hobbies and interests is a good thing. And what about the task I gave you?"

"The task..." Ning Tian's delicate face tensed up. "I've befriended geniuses in the Outer Courtyard. Seven of them have promised to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan upon graduation, and there will certainly be more in the future."

"Your father, Xie Qin, they were all Shrek Seven Monsters-level geniuses whom I recruited into the clan when I enrolled at Shrek Academy back then. But those are just minor matters. My good daughter, since when did you learn to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial?"

Ning Fengya's smile was as gentle as warm sunlight, but Ning Tian sensed a bone-chilling coldness in the curve of her mother's red lips.

"The most important task is to firmly grasp Xiao Bai's heart. Whether it's mutual affection or catering to his wishes, let me ask you one thing: have you done it?"

"Mom!"

Ning Tian looked at Ning Fengya in disbelief, her voice filled with sorrow. "The way you're putting it, how am I any different from being Bai-ge's accessory! Feelings cannot be forced. I treat him sincerely, and in the future, our relationship will develop naturally!"

"Treat him sincerely... develop naturally..."

Ning Fengya was so angry that she laughed. She especially wanted to open up Ning Tian's skull to see if there was porridge inside. She sneered:

"This isn't a world where love can fill one's stomach. Powerful alliances matter most; sincerity is the least important!

Ning Tian, it's time for a naive child to face reality. You need to learn to do rational and correct things, to shoulder the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!

At Shrek Academy, girls with outstanding looks and backgrounds are as numerous as carp crossing the river. The hidden guards stationed in Shrek City have seen Xiao Bai strolling with Inner Courtyard female students more than once. How long do you think your childhood sweetheart relationship will last?

If you don't claim your position, someone else will!"

"I... I..."

Ning Tian's emotions seemed somewhat out of control. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles gradually turning pale. Ning Fengya gently brushed aside a strand of hair and calmly said:

"Xiao Bai has exceptional talent and an excellent character, but he has always been ruthless, whether to himself or his enemies. Only toward close family and friends does he retain a bit of warmth.

Mother is not asking you to lower yourself to please him; rather, you are to truly integrate into his life. You need to share joys and sorrows with him, to experience life and death together, and to develop common interests and hobbies. Learn to understand him more, and appropriately reveal vulnerability to arouse a man's protective instincts. This is not about seduction but a small method for harmonious interaction between men and women, between husband and wife."

"Mom, what you say isn't unreasonable, but I just feel that times have changed. Spirit Guidance Devices are the developmental trend of the continent. With Spirit Guidance Devices, Auxiliary System Spirit Masters can transform into Control System, Power Attack System, or Agility Attack System Spirit Masters. So the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan doesn't need to rely on assault-type Spirit Masters as before. We can revitalize ourselves!"

Ning Tian looked stubbornly at her mother. Ning Fengya's nose bridge was straight, dividing the light and shadow, making it even harder to discern what lay hidden in the eyes and heart of the Clan Head of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

"Spirit Guidance Devices..."

Ning Fengya pondered for a moment, then slowly but firmly shook her head and said:

"Advancing as a Spirit Guidance Master also requires spirit power. The limit of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is fixed at Rank 79. What can a quasi-Class 8 Spirit Guidance Master accomplish?

The Seraphim is completely different!

It is the only God-level Martial Spirit with a stable inheritance in the history of the Douluo Continent, and now it is on our side...

Back then, our ancestor Ning Rongrong did not leave behind the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, resulting in our clan winning yet still losing after the Battle of the Gods. Later, the Heaven Dou Empire split apart; the Xue Clan branch that was close to us fled to Dou Spirit City and established the Dou Spirit Empire. The remaining Heavenly Soul Empire's imperial family favors assault-type Spirit Masters and currently shows a tendency to establish the Body Sect as the national-protecting sect. Once Jianmu Douluo passes away, the Body Sect Master will have no scruples, and our clan's disaster of annihilation will then arrive.

Xiao Tian, the urgent task for our clan is to spare no effort in cultivating Xiao Bai before Jianmu Douluo passes away, helping him break through to Rank 95 Titled Douluo within ten years to stabilize the situation. If we can pass down the Angel bloodline, then the Body Sect and the Heavenly Soul imperial family will not be worth worrying about!"

Ning Fengya's peerless face flushed with waves of excitement, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest without any sign of calming. The Seraphim was like a supreme scepter; whoever grasped it would have the qualifications to contend for supremacy on the continent.

She then noticed that her daughter beside her had fallen silent. The wind rustled the trees in the garden. After a long while, Ning Fengya turned to look at Ning Tian, the emotions in her eyes thought-provoking.

"What are you thinking about? Have you seriously considered it?"

Her mother's face was reflected in her sapphire pupils. Ning Tian's voice was hoarse: "Mom, you're relying on the Seraphim to revitalize the clan, so are we still the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? How are we any different from a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan under the banner of the Spirit Hall?"

"…..."

The excitement receded like the tide. Ning Fengya's complexion suddenly turned ashen. She opened her mouth several times but could not utter a single word to refute Ning Tian.

Any argument would be self-deception. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was a clan that revered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. In effect, she was binding the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda with the Seraphim and turning it into a Seraphim-exclusive auxiliary tool. In the future, people would remember only the Seraphim and not the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would eventually exist in name only. Upon this realization, Ning Fengya seemed to awaken from a great dream.

"Mom, relying on others isn't as good as relying on ourselves. Bai-ge has his path; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has its own path..." Ning Tian earnestly tried to persuade her mother, believing that self-reliance was the proper way to revitalize the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.

"Enough."

Ning Fengya waved her hand to interrupt Ning Tian, then turned and left. A black ancient book fell into Ning Tian's palm.

Secret Technique: Rings Fusion.

"The future belongs to you. What Mom couldn't achieve, you'll have to accomplish."

Ning Tian joyfully watched her mother's departing figure. She did not notice that at one point Ning Fengya had broken into a slight smile; for that one natural smile, the entire garden seemed to brighten somewhat.

"You've grown up after all...

I'm going to the ancestral hall to chat with your dad for a while; don't follow me.

Tomorrow, there's an auction hosted by the Heavenly Soul Empire's imperial family. Although our relationship isn't as close as before, we still need to give them face. You, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Feng will accompany me."

"Love you, Mom!"