Regarding Martial Soul Fusion Techniques, it was impossible for You Chen not to be knowledgeable.
However, cases of Martial Soul Fusion were exceedingly rare. Even with his previous status, he could scarcely find any subjects to study.
Moreover, apart from some combinations that followed logical reasoning, there were numerous instances where Martial Soul Fusion Techniques inexplicously emerged simply because of strong emotional bonds between two or more individuals.
Being an expert in the field of Martial Souls, You Chen could easily deduce that there must be at least two tendencies in Martial Soul Fusion—the fusion of memes and the fusion of genes.
It was more likely that both were involved.
This meant that if he truly wanted to study it, he would need his subjects to fully comply with his arrangements and act according to his will.
In the Douluo Continent, where strength was paramount, those capable of performing Martial Soul Fusion Techniques were rarely weak. Getting them to completely obey You Chen's commands, let alone accept his will, was extremely difficult.
Why not study it in the Soul Arena Beasts? Because Martial Soul Fusion Techniques were essentially a form of individual combat technology, which was entirely incompatible with the development direction of Soul Arena Beasts. For You Chen personally, there was also no benefit.
However, the Netherworld White Tiger of the Zhu and Dai families was different for You Chen.
In You Chen's view, this Martial Soul Fusion Technique was actually evolving the direction of the Netherworld Spirit Cat and the Evil Eye White Tiger.
If they could harness the Martial Soul Origin in a targeted manner, they might even achieve self-evolution.
The reason You Chen wanted Zhu Zhuqing and Amona to attempt Martial Soul Fusion was to study Martial Soul evolution through Martial Soul Fusion Techniques.
At a time when the next step in the evolution of the Stardust Dragon Martial Soul was still unclear, Martial Soul Fusion Techniques represented one of the possibilities.
If they could verify the possibility of Amona and Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul Fusion, You Chen might just have a chance to glimpse the path forward through Martial Soul Fusion Techniques.
As for the prerequisite that the Netherworld White Tiger must be fused from the Evil Eye White Tiger and the Netherworld Spirit Cat?
Even Martial Souls with no apparent connection could form Martial Soul Fusion Techniques, so it wasn't impossible for the White Tiger to directly fuse with the Netherworld Spirit Cat.
...
While Zhu Zhuqing was on her way back to the Star Luo Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School received a letter from Ning Rongrong.
"This, this, this... How could the Beast Soul senior let Rongrong see such a thing!?"
Gu Rong exclaimed upon reading about Dai Mubai's castration process in Ning Rongrong's letter.
"Gu Rong, calm down. That's not the point right now."
Chen Xin glared at Gu Rong, slightly frowning, and asked Ning Fengzhi, "Fengzhi, what is the Beast Soul senior's intention in contacting Rongrong and conveying these messages?"
Ning Fengzhi, looking at the letter's content, furrowed his brows and fell into deep thought.
After a while.
"He wants us to take sides."
"Take sides?"
Chen Xin was puzzled.
Gu Rong leaned in.
They wondered where in the information they could discern such a meaning.
Wasn't it just that a teacher from Shrek Academy did something disgusting, which the Beast Soul senior happened to witness and then showed Rongrong the entire process?
Ning Fengzhi pointed to a few lines in the letter and analyzed, "It seems the Beast Soul senior is analyzing the intentions of the Shrek Academy members from an objective standpoint, with a clear intention to educate Rongrong. This, Uncle Chen and Uncle Gu, you should be able to see, right?"
Chen Xin nodded, and seeing this, Gu Rong also nodded.
Seeing that both uncles understood, Ning Fengzhi continued, "Just from this, the Beast Soul senior is indeed expressing goodwill towards us. Although he doesn't know, we originally sent Rongrong to Shrek to slightly correct her personality."
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi showed a somewhat subtle expression: "Well, although... the direction of the Beast Soul senior's education is not quite what we expected, it cannot be said to be misguided. In fact, from the perspective of cultivating a successor for the sect, it is even more appropriate. However, whether the content of the education is correct is not the point."
Ning Fengzhi showed a grave expression: "From the fact that he used Shrek's scandal as educational material for Rongrong, it's clear where his stance lies. He absolutely has no goodwill towards Shrek. Plus, he specifically mentioned something we hadn't even noticed initially—that there are two individuals from the top three sects hidden within Shrek. If he's not lying, then it's not hard to see... he doesn't want us to have close relations with the other two of the top three sects. And, more importantly, he interfered with the education of the next sect leader candidate without our permission!"
At this point, Chen Xin already understood, his eyes sharp: "He wants to absorb us, to cultivate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Seven Treasure Commerce into branches of his own faction!?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded gravely.
"How dare he!?"
Unlike Chen Xin, who still held some respect for You Chen, Gu Rong immediately cursed out loud.
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened: "But Uncle Gu... he indeed has the strength."
Gu Rong's expression froze.
Ning Fengzhi looked up: "Most importantly, he's willing to give us a chance to consider and choose through such means. For a strong person, as long as it's not an unannounced war, this is already a form of mercy!"
Chen Xin sighed lightly, saying nothing, but clearly, he agreed with Ning Fengzhi's words.
"We, we can ally with the other two sects!"
Gu Rong glared angrily: "Isn't he against us doing this? Then we'll just do it! If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School refuses him, is there no place for us in the vast Douluo Continent!?"
Chen Xin snorted coldly: "Forget about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, don't you know the situation with the Clear Sky Sect? Are you suggesting we go join the Spirit Hall!?"
Gu Rong glared fiercely at Chen Xin: "Chen Xin, you're looking for a fight, aren't you!? Even if I can't beat you, today I'll chip off a piece or two of your bones!"
Even without the relationship between Tang San and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the relationship between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Spirit Hall could never be good.
First, the relationship with the Clear Sky Sect made the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School dissatisfied with the Spirit Hall's dominance and created a sense of crisis.
Second, the top three sects have always been considered by the common people and most Soul Masters of Douluo Continent as major powers on par with the Spirit Hall. They couldn't bear to submit.
The latter can simply be understood as maintaining the sect's honor and dignity, ensuring its independence.
With Chen Xin's suggestion and Gu Rong's rejection of "joining the Spirit Hall," naturally, the Beast Soul Commerce, which was far from reaching the height of the Spirit Hall, couldn't make them willingly submit.
After calming down the two uncles who were on the verge of fighting, Chen Xin spoke again: "Fengzhi, you are the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. As members of the sect, we respect your decision."
Gu Rong also called out: "Right, Fengzhi, at most we'll fight it out with the Beast Soul Commerce!"
Ning Fengzhi first expressed his gratitude for Chen Xin's acknowledgment, then looked at Gu Rong and said, "Uncle Gu, things haven't reached that point yet. If there's no need to sacrifice lives unnecessarily, that's naturally the best choice."
"That makes sense." Gu Rong pursed his lips.
Ning Fengzhi thought for a while longer, as if speaking to himself or responding to both, softly said: "Just as the Beast Soul senior used Rongrong as an intermediary to reduce the possibility of direct conflict, we can also continue to use Rongrong to probe the senior's intentions."
Like how buying a house involves a broker, products have customer service, programmers from different companies have liaisons, and countries don't directly go to war but first send envoys, the existence of buffer roles can greatly reduce direct conflict between parties with related interests.
As the president of the Seven Treasure Commerce and having experienced many business negotiations, Ning Fengzhi was naturally very familiar with this.
"Fengzhi, this is too dangerous for Rongrong." Chen Xin frowned.
"Right, Fengzhi, she's still so young, how can she be responsible for such a dangerous task?" Gu Rong also expressed his opposition.
At this moment, however, Ning Fengzhi showed the decisiveness and composure of a sect leader.
He said, "We don't need to tell Rongrong the specific content of this task, just remind her not to cause trouble for the Beast Soul senior. With her cleverness, she naturally won't displease the Beast Soul senior. We're letting her pay attention to her attitude towards the Beast Soul senior without mentioning her attitude towards Shrek Academy, which shows our initial stance. As for danger? Not only will she not realize the danger, but this is also the best way to keep her in a natural state, without any slip-ups..."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes: "Moreover, the sect has invested a lot in cultivating her, and everyone in the sect adores her. There's no reason for her to enjoy rights without fulfilling her obligations. Now that the sect needs her, it's time for her to contribute to the sect. Even if she were to sacrifice for this, it would be a justified sacrifice."
Ning Fengzhi fully displayed the coldness of a sect leader, even though the person he spoke of sacrificing was his most beloved daughter, he didn't hesitate at all.
Not a single wrong word, not a single misplaced character in the content found in 69shuba!
As Ning Fengzhi assumed the role of sect leader, considering the interests of the sect, even though Chen Xin and Gu Rong were conflicted and pained, they had no grounds to oppose.
In Ning Fengzhi's heart, there were actually three options.
The first, needless to say, was to directly choose to submit, having Ning Rongrong become You Chen's disciple.
Unlike Xue Qinghe, who became a disciple in her early teens when her worldview was already somewhat established, at 12 years old, Ning Rongrong was still highly malleable.
On Douluo Continent, the relationship between master and disciple was not far from that of parent and child, and becoming a disciple at this age would mean completely entrusting Ning Rongrong's shaping to You Chen. The implication was clear.
The second was to seek help from other external forces, joining together to resist the Beast Soul Commerce.
Just You Chen alone was already more than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could handle. In such a situation, seeking aid was the only option. However, it was obvious that the possibility of obtaining support was very slim.
The last option was what they were doing now.
Simply put, it was to submit, resist, or temporarily delay.
As for what Gu Rong said about a mutual destruction method, that was something for sect disciples and elders to consider. As the sect leader and with a businessman's mindset, Ning Fengzhi could never consider such a path to self-destruction from the start.
Honor was for the subordinates to talk about, not for those in power to hypnotize themselves with.
This last option was actually the worst, a form of slow death.
He would eventually have to choose between submission and resistance.
This was what You Chen wanted—"to take sides."
Since it was about taking sides, naturally, one couldn't straddle both, being ambiguous.
Therefore, this was the worst choice.
Not only would it not solve the problem, but it also risked angering You Chen, potentially pushing the situation towards an extreme.
Ning Fengzhi himself knew that in the long run, this choice would be evaluated as nothing but indecision.
But he had no choice.
Because he couldn't persuade the likes of Gu Rong and Chen Xin to submit to the Beast Soul Commerce without resistance, nor could he let everyone die together.
Or perhaps... he had already made his choice several months ago.
Initially, when You Chen proposed "fair commercial competition," Ning Fengzhi was briefly elated.
But he soon had a faint inkling of You Chen's true intentions—to subjugate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
However, during this period, he didn't make any arrangements such as disbanding the sect members and scattering them across the continent.
Thus, he had already missed the opportunity to preserve a certain degree of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's integrity and to regroup in the future.
After receiving his daughter's message, he finally fully confirmed this premonition.
In the face of You Chen, who possessed supreme strength, lacked restraint, and brazenly revealed his powerful hypnotic abilities, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School didn't even have the chance to flee separately.
Perhaps they had the chance several months ago.
But after the Seven Treasure Commerce and the Beast Soul Commerce formed an alliance and established close connections in various aspects, it was already impossible.
Even if they wanted to cut ties now, he had no doubt that You Chen would act directly once they made any moves.
A sword of Damocles hung over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School at all times.
Therefore, what Ning Fengzhi didn't tell Chen Xin and Gu Rong was that his real choice was actually to leave the decision to You Chen.
If You Chen cruelly killed Ning Rongrong, it would naturally force them to resist.
Conversely, if Ning Rongrong prioritized You Chen's will and remained by his side to listen to his teachings, it would essentially be a master-disciple relationship in all but name.
If You Chen could truly treat Ning Rongrong and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School well, then when Ning Rongrong succeeded as sect leader, allowing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to gradually become a subsidiary of the Beast Soul Commerce while maintaining a certain degree of independence due to the master-disciple relationship, for Ning Fengzhi, this was an acceptable outcome.
He indeed placed his bet on Ning Rongrong, but not on the present, but on the future.
Ning Fengzhi even breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Because... he was afraid, not of death, but of becoming a coward in the eyes of his two respected uncles and the disappointed, disdainful gazes of the sect members who admired and respected him.
This was the conclusion he reached after much deliberation—the possibility of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School bleeding the least.
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