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Dust still hung in the air when one of the clan elders spotted Ning Tian. His sharp eyes flicked to Jiansheng, half-hidden in the haze, then settled on Zhu Qing and Ning Tian. "Zhu Qing, Ning Tian, what happened here? Hold on, Qing, did your soul power hit level 50?"
Zhu Qing flashed a warm smile. "Yes, Third Uncle. And it's not just me, Father's on the verge of a breakthrough too. He's breaking the level 90 bottleneck as we speak."
"Level 90?" A spark of excitement lit up the faces of the Dark Fragrance Sword clan elders.
Another elder, voice brimming with hope, added, "Does that mean the clan leader's about to become a Titled Douluo?"
Ning Tian nodded, his tone steady and serious. "It shouldn't take much longer."
"Haha! The heavens are smiling on our Dark Fragrance Sword clan!" The elder Zhu Qing called Third Uncle let out a booming laugh, his joy impossible to contain. "After centuries, we're finally welcoming another Titled Douluo!"
"Easy, Second and Third," the last elder cut in, his voice calm but firm. "Don't get ahead of yourselves. Right now, our job is to guard the clan leader. We must make sure there are no interruptions. If he fails, all this excitement means nothing."
He turned to Zhu Qing. "Take Ning Tian and the girls to the west wing. We'll hold things down here."
Zhu Qing gave a quick nod and led Ning Tian, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling to a courtyard on the west side, typically a spot for guests. Ning Tian remembered staying there when he first arrived, though somehow he'd ended up sticking around Zhu Qing's place instead.
.......
Half a month slipped by in a blur.
Under continuous practice Ning Tian's soul power had climbed to level 37. Jiansheng's breakthrough dragged on longer than Ning Tian had guessed, stirring a flicker of worry in Zhu Qing. But two and a half days later, he stepped out, level 90.
After the immortal herbs, their levels stood at:
Jiansheng: Level 90, Dark Fragrance Sword martial soul, two yellow, two purple, four black soul rings.
Zhu Qing: Level 50, Dark Fragrance Sword martial soul, two yellow, two purple soul rings.
Ye Lingling: Level 40, Sacred Heart Begonia martial soul, two yellow, one purple soul rings.
Ning Tian: Level 37, Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword martial soul, one yellow, two purple soul rings.
Zhu Zhuqing: Level 30, Nether Spirit Cat martial soul, two yellow soul rings.
Ning Rongrong: Level 30, Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, two yellow soul rings.
.......
The next morning, three Soul Douluo elders from the clan joined them as they set off for the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul rings.
Inside the forest, they split up. Zhu Qing's Third Uncle took Ning Tian and the others to the outskirts, while the First and Second Elders went with Jiansheng deeper in, aiming for a soul beast over 50,000 years old for his ninth ring.
Ning Tian's group got lucky. In just five days, they secured soul rings for Zhu Qing and the others.
First up was Ning Rongrong. Her martial soul followed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's usual path, so Ning Tian kept it simple. He found her a 1,700-year-old Soul Power Sacred Wood, granting a soul skill that amplified soul power, same as the original story. But her support-type physique struggled with the absorption. She gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead, until Ye Lingling stepped in. With the Sacred Heart Begonia's gentle glow, she pulled through.
After absorbing it, Ning Rongrong could boost strength, speed, and soul power by 40%. Her soul power jumped to level 36.
Next was Ye Lingling. Her martial soul had evolved from Nine Heart Begonia to Sacred Heart Begonia, adding poison resistance, evil martial soul suppression, and all-attribute boosts to its area healing. Ning Tian picked a 4,700-year-old Soul Power Sacred Wood for her.
Ning Tian chose the Soul Power Sacred Wood for its wood attribute and rich life force, hoping it'd keep Ye Lingling's future kids from inheriting a downgraded Nine Heart Begonia. He'd considered gem-type soul rings for Ning Rongrong to avoid her descendants' martial souls slipping back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, but those beasts were rare and tricky to match. He let it slide.
After absorbing the 4,700-year-old ring, Ye Lingling's soul power leveled up to level 41—standard for a new soul ring. With the Qiluo Immortal herb, though, her cultivation would pick up speed.
Then came Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Qing. They got a 1,900-year-old Shadow Leopard and a 10,000-year-old Death Thorn, soul ring respectively.
Zhu Zhuqing took on the Shadow Leopard with Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong's support, plus her Black Widow external soul bone. Her soul power soared to level 37 matching Ning Tian and she gained a soul skill like his third one, Sword Shadow. She couldn't spawn eight clones like him; hers capped at two. But each clone packed half her strength and could use soul skills. Not bad at all. Her next ring just needed raw attack power.
Zhu Qing's Death Thorn fit her perfectly. The Dark Fragrance Sword, a wood-attribute weapon like Ning Tian's Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword, paired well with it. Her fifth soul skill unleashed a storm of palm-sized, cone-shaped pink sword beams, each carrying a third of her soul power. She could scatter them wide or lock them onto one target, a stronger twist on Dai Mubai's White Tiger Meteor Shower.
With that, their hunt wrapped up smoothly.
They lingered at the forest's edge, waiting for Jiansheng and the elders. Three days later, he flew back, the two elders trailing behind.
"Guess you got that ninth soul ring, Senior" Ning Tian said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Lu Jiansheng grinned wide. "Luck was on my side. I found a 70,000-year-old Sword-Toothed Demon Tiger deep in there and also got a torso bone too. It's yours."
He tossed over a gleaming white bone, pulsing with a fierce, bloody aura. It was a thank-you for Ning Tian's help and a way to tie them closer.
Ning Tian caught it, barely glanced at it, and handed it to Zhu Qing. "Teacher, you take it. It's not for me."
Jiansheng blinked, stunned. The three elders froze, exchanging looks. Zhu Qing took it without a fuss this time. Their bond had grown past petty refusals.
After a beat, Jiansheng spoke. "We're heading back to the clan. Are you coming?"
"You're not going to Martial Soul Hall for your title?" Ning Tian asked, eyebrows lifting.
Jiansheng shook his head. "Titles don't mean much to me. And the continent's a mess right now. Our clan's always been about staying low and passing things down. No need to stir up trouble."
Ning Tian got it. Standing out too much could paint a target on your back. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan learned that the hard way, strong and neutral, but still crushed by Martial Soul Hall.
"Since that's settled," Ning Tian said, "I've got a favor to ask, Senior."
"You've done me a huge favour. Just name it," Jiansheng replied. Then, with a sly grin, he sent a soul power transmission straight to Ning Tian and Zhu Qing's minds: "I could even marry Zhu Qing off to you."
Ning Tian shot back the same way: "When I'm a Titled Douluo, I'll marry her."
His mental strength had long since hit the mark for soul power tricks like that. Zhu Qing's face turned bright red, and she silently thanked the stars that it was private otherwise she'd have died of embarrassment.
"Ahem!" Ning Tian coughed, steering things back. "In about a year and a half, the Soul Master Tournament kicks off. I'd like you to guide our training till then and come with me to grab something."
With a Titled Douluo like Jiansheng around, Tang San wouldn't catch him off guard during the tournament. As for what he needed? The 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone and the Blue Silver Emperor itself. No way he'd let Tang Hao mess it up.
"I thought it was something bigger," Jiansheng said with a laugh. "Consider it done."
Ning Tian turned to Zhu Qing, his voice softening. "Teacher, leave Nuoding Academy. Come with me to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and be our team leader."
Zhu Qing smiled, her eyes warm. "Alright, I'm in. But I need to tell Dean Jeno first."
........
That evening, Zhu Qing headed back to Nuoding Academy with Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong. She broke the news to the dean, who sighed but didn't argue. Everyone had their own road.
Meanwhile, Ning Tian and Jiansheng slipped near Holy Spirit Village. Ning Tian pinched himself hard, testing for Tang Hao's presence. For three days, he roamed different spots, tweaking his methods—little stings and aches to confirm the coast was clear.
At last, some distance away from the waterfall the side effects were binded.
[Binding successful!]
The stinging faded. He glanced at Jiansheng. "Senior, let's hide now."
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