Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

In his previous life as an office worker, Chen Ming had long grown weary of empty promises. When confronted with Ning Fengzhi's proposed benefits, Chen Ming showed no interest at all. He also paid no attention to the blushing Ning Rongrong beside him, instead calmly explaining his thoughts to Ning Fengzhi and his group.

He raised three fingers, his expression inscrutable.

"I have three solutions: superior, moderate, and inferior."

"The superior plan seeks speed: finding divine intervention. Gods have indeed existed on the Douluo Continent, and there have been human soul masters who attained divinity. The limitations of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda only apply to mortals; for transcendent deities, such restrictions are irrelevant. If a god were to act with divine power, it would undoubtedly transform the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."

Hearing Chen Ming's superior plan, Ning Fengzhi and his group fell silent.

Seek divine intervention? How is that a superior plan? Currently, the only forces on the continent with any connection to gods are the Qian family and the Spirit Hall, but even the Angel God hasn't shown any miracles for countless years. If the Spirit Hall truly had a way to solve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's issues, they would've already used it as a bargaining chip to negotiate with them. The key issue is that even the Spirit Hall has no solution.

"Gods do exist, but under normal circumstances, they're inaccessible. The Douluo Continent has many extraordinary phenomena. Many soul beasts' ancestors were divine beasts, and god-level beings have left behind numerous relics. However, with current soul master methods, these cannot yet be identified or utilized."

Chen Ming shrugged and continued. Like many strategists, his so-called superior plan wasn't intended as a viable option, but rather to make himself appear more profound and insightful.

However, seeing Chen Ming's enigmatic expression, Ning Fengzhi seemed to recall something but chose not to elaborate.

"The moderate plan: seek immortal herbs. On the continent, some immortal herbs have accumulated energy for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years, containing the very laws of heaven and earth. Consuming one immortal herb could yield benefits comparable to fully absorbing a 100,000-year soul beast or even more. Many soul masters have undergone transformative changes thanks to immortal herbs."

"But these immortal herbs are incredibly rare. They're not only immensely beneficial to humans but also to soul beasts. As a result, immortal herbs tend to grow in areas where almost no life dares to tread. Otherwise, they would have long been consumed by humans or soul beasts alike."

"And the inferior plan?"

"The inferior plan involves artificially stimulating the stability of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, using unorthodox methods to destabilize it, followed by manual guidance to stabilize its essence. This would be a very lengthy process, potentially requiring great sacrifices. But with persistence, success is possible."

"Reaching level 80 from level 79 shouldn't be an issue, but there's no guarantee what happens after that. It would only be through generations of selective breeding, preserving the bloodlines of the most talented mutated soul masters, and gradually refining the process."

Though Ning Fengzhi considered the inferior plan the most practical, as a strategist himself who had often presented superior, moderate, and inferior plans, he clearly understood that the so-called superior and inferior plans were often just there to showcase the moderate plan's feasibility.

It wasn't that the superior and inferior plans were unworkable, but that the moderate plan was far more achievable by comparison.

"Could it be that Chen Ming already has ideas about which immortal herbs or divine medicines might transform the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" Ning Fengzhi asked.

"No more than herbs associated with the sun, moon, and stars, or those with dragon-related properties. If dragon essence, such as a dragon core, is available, one could even consider using it to conduct targeted modifications. This could create a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul that hosts a dragon's soul, potentially transforming it from a support-type martial soul to an offense- or control-type."

"Dragon cores?" Ning Fengzhi murmured upon hearing Chen Ming's suggestion, seemingly recalling something.

For most soul masters or clans, dragon cores were the stuff of legends. However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, during mining operations, had occasionally discovered dragon burial sites and even encountered sub-dragons with true dragon bloodlines.

After all, dragons were not only lustful but also greedy. The purer a dragon's bloodline, the harder it was for them to resist shiny treasures. Many dragons consciously hoarded valuables in their lairs or simply lived near mineral veins.

Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had never obtained the most prized dragon cores, they had accumulated items like dragon bones and dragon scales over time.

If dragon cores proved useful, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't hesitate to dispatch Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciples on a continent-wide search for dragon burial sites to obtain one. If there were news of a true dragon soul beast, the clan's dragon-slaying team would set out immediately.

As for immortal herbs, Ning Fengzhi had heard of them before. Allegedly, one of the clan's ancestors had obtained one during their training in a region populated by fire-attribute soul beasts. However, after mobilizing the clan's resources to clear out the soul beasts in the area, the ancestors consumed the herb in an attempt to evolve their martial soul. The result? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan lost both the ancestor and the fire-attribute celestial herb.

"Let fate decide," Ning Fengzhi thought to himself. He would do his best to gather immortal herbs, but even with the clan's wealth, acquiring such items ultimately depended on luck.

As for catalogs or information about immortal herbs, Ning Fengzhi was confident that as long as they existed on the continent, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could find records about them. After all, money was power.

After gaining a general understanding of the situation, Ning Fengzhi nodded. By this time, the auction outside had already concluded. An attendant was knocking on Ning Fengzhi's door to discuss the auctioned items.

Ning Fengzhi cupped his hands slightly toward Chen Ming as a gesture of gratitude.

"If Chen Ming doesn't mind, once the matter here is settled, would you be willing to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? I noticed earlier that you purchased many precious ores. Our clan happens to have a vast collection of such rare materials."

"If you're interested, you're welcome to inspect our stores. Whatever you need, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will undoubtedly fulfill your request."

Ning Fengzhi wasn't exaggerating—this was the truth.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda naturally possessed treasure-appraising abilities, excelling in the search for rare ores and metals. Over the millennia, the clan's disciples had developed mining operations across the continent, amassing an unparalleled collection of rare minerals. Some of these materials were so unique that even the clan itself couldn't fully understand their properties.

To the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the continent's metal industry was laughable. Most rare ores circulating on the market had been deliberately released by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, while the remainder were mere scraps that slipped through their fingers.

The rarest metals highly valued by the Blacksmith Association? In the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's treasury, those were measured by the ton.

Since Chen Ming had shown interest in collecting rare ores and had an unclear connection with Lou Gao, Ning Fengzhi didn't mind opening the clan's stores and gifting some of the less useful materials.

"Thank you, Uncle Ning. I will certainly visit in the future," Chen Ming replied.

Exchanging polite farewells, Ning Fengzhi left with Ning Rongrong and the Sword and Bone Douluo. The spatial rift they had maintained also closed, leaving behind only Chen Ming and Lou Gao.

At this moment, looking at the still-calm and composed Chen Ming, Lou Gao couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration.

Ordinarily, he couldn't even catch a glimpse of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's leader. When dealing with the two titled Douluo, he could only bow and offer his respects. Yet today, he had the rare opportunity to sit in the same room and converse with such powerful figures.

As for the potential transactions between Chen Ming and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Lou Gao hadn't dared to dream of such possibilities.

Previously, his respect for Chen Ming stemmed solely from his expertise in metallurgy. Now, however, Lou Gao's admiration extended to every aspect of Chen Ming's abilities.