“To announce one’s background is indeed a very foolish act.
I didn’t expect Tianchen to have such awareness,” Chen Xin laughed and scolded.
In sect spars, it is best to follow the rules.
After all, they are all one’s own people, so there’s no need to worry about anything.
It was only because Ning Tianchen’s soul power level was lower than his opponent’s that he was spared from gossip.
A faint smile remained on Ning Fengzhi’s face.
“I actually think it’s better to maintain suspense as much as possible before a formal engagement.”
Normally, a soul master who has just absorbed their first soul ring would only be at level eleven.
But Tianchen was at level fourteen, which could greatly confuse his opponent.
Hearing his opponent’s response, Bu Qing flew into a rage.
“How dare you ignore me!
First Soul Skill, Water Domain!”
The Water Cloud Staff spun rapidly in his hands, creating a domain of water on the ground of the arena.
The domain wasn’t large, landing right beneath Ning Tianchen’s feet.
Within it, his movement speed was slowed by twenty percent.
“A restriction-type soul skill, huh,” Ning Tianchen muttered softly, remaining completely still.
His opponent’s martial soul lacked long-range attack methods.
Therefore, if the opponent wanted to damage him, he had to get close.
Although Ning Tianchen’s legs were caught in the water domain, it only affected his leg-based movement; his upper body remained unimpeded.
Thus, he didn’t need to do anything but wait for the opponent to approach.
“How is this possible?
He’s trapped in my Water Domain but doesn’t look panicked at all!” Bu Qing exclaimed.
Below the arena, Ning Fengzhi couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.
For a child, feeling restricted in battle would inevitably cause panic.
But for someone with rich combat experience, it had no effect at all.
At this moment, Ning Tianchen stood like a veteran soldier on the battlefield, holding his sword firmly on the arena.
“Uncle Jian, did you teach Tianchen these combat techniques?”
Chen Xin thought for a moment and smiled.
“I did mention it in passing, but I didn’t expect this kid to actually remember it.
Hehe, he really surprises me.”
…
Seeing that Ning Tianchen wasn’t falling for his trap, Bu Qing grew anxious.
Maintaining the Water Domain constantly drained his soul power.
At his age, his use of soul power was very rough; he only knew that if this dragged on, his soul power would be completely depleted.
Losing his patience, he took the initiative to attack.
Spinning the Water Cloud Staff, he pushed off hard with his legs and charged at his opponent.
He raised the staff, intending to deliver a heavy smash.
Ning Tianchen’s eyes sharpened as he swung his sword upwards.
Just now, while standing still, he had been gathering momentum.
He had coated the Seven Kill Sword with a layer of soul power.
With this upward swing, the sword qi erupted from the blade, causing his opponent to suffer a silent loss.
“What a pity.
Relying solely on the sword qi comprehension from my first soul ring is still too much of a stretch,” Ning Tianchen lamented.
The damage from that sword qi was only slightly higher than a regular sword strike.
Bu Qing frowned deeply, thinking to himself, “Such strong attack power!
Is this the same Seven Kill Sword martial soul as Sword Douluo’s?
It doesn’t feel like it.”
Whether it was the Seven Kill Sword or not, the attack power was undeniably real.
If he hadn’t blocked in time just now, his arm might have been sliced off.
“Second Soul Skill, Water Cloud Circular Dance Staff!”
To save enough soul power, Bu Qing chose to deactivate his first soul skill.
The Water Cloud Staff danced rapidly in his hands, and when the final strike landed, it formed a phantom image that smashed toward Ning Tianchen.
“First Soul Skill, Azure Dragon Break!”
A layer of sword qi attached itself to the blade of the Seven Kill Sword.
Ning Tianchen swung it, and the sword qi materialized into an Azure Dragon phantom.
The two phantoms collided, and surprisingly, the Water Cloud Staff was unilaterally suppressed.
“How is this possible?!”
Not just Bu Qing, but even the spectators gasped in shock.
How could a soul master’s first soul skill shatter a Grandmaster’s second soul skill?!
Chen Xin’s breathing quickened, and he couldn’t help but say, “The Seven Kill Sword is already the continent’s number one attack-type tool martial soul.
Now that Tianchen’s martial soul has evolved again, his attack power has taken a massive leap.
In the future, the title of the World’s Number One Tool Martial Soul might return to the Seven Kill Sword because of Tianchen.”
Looking at his expression, Ning Fengzhi knew these weren’t empty words.
Chen Xin’s grandfather, Chen Xun, had lost to Tang Chen back in the day, causing the Seven Kill Sword to entirely lose its throne as the world’s number one tool martial soul.
Now, witnessing Ning Tianchen’s performance, he believed Chen Xin’s prediction could very well come true.
If that happened, wouldn’t the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan possess two “World’s Number One” titles?
That would push the sect to entirely new heights.
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi tried hard to suppress his excitement to avoid losing his composure in public.
The rest of the soul battle held no suspense.
To temper his swordplay and movement techniques, Ning Tianchen deliberately prolonged the match.
It was only when he felt he could no longer gain anything from it that he ended the duel.
Stepping off the arena, Chen Xin patted his shoulder with a satisfied look.
“You did very well.
Remember the feeling you had today.
From now on, this old man will arrange daily soul battles for you.”
“Thank you, Sword Douluo,” Ning Tianchen cupped his hands in gratitude.
He had gained a lot from fighting an opponent of a higher level today.
While Ning Rongrong was away, he had to seize the time to comprehend his experiences.
Once she returned, he would probably have to spend some time playing with her every day.
…
For the next half year, Ning Tianchen studied at the special training camp in the mornings and sparred with sect disciples in the afternoons.
After Ning Rongrong finished her classes, they would stroll around Heaven Dou City for a while.
Ning Fengzhi didn’t object to this; in fact, he was happy to let them go out and play.
After all, bonds nurtured from a young age would only grow stronger in the future.
Of course, during this process, Ning Tianchen also received quite a few benefits from Ning Rongrong.
His personal treasury was gradually filling up.
This morning, Chen Xin came to check on his cultivation as usual.
Ning Tianchen eagerly reported his recent progress, “Sword Douluo, these past few days, no matter how much I spar, my swordplay just won’t break through.”
He paused, then added, “I plan to use this bottleneck period to focus more of my energy on cultivating my soul power level.”
Chen Xin disagreed with his idea.
“Encountering a bottleneck in cultivation is inevitable.
But for you right now, the benefits of cultivating soul power are far less than those of cultivating your swordplay.”
“The golden age for a soul master’s cultivation is between twelve and thirty.
If you reduce your swordplay training now, it’s highly likely your comprehension of the sword will regress.”
“For the time being, you can temporarily set aside your soul power cultivation.
While maintaining your swordplay practice, dedicate more time to resting.”
“Cultivation requires a balance of work and rest.
Spend this time playing with Rongrong.
Also, the Sect Master wants you to talk to Rongrong.
Tell her not to randomly talk back to the teachers in the special training camp.”
Ning Tianchen smiled helplessly.
So, this was a new mission.
However, because of his cultivation bottleneck lately, he had indeed somewhat neglected Ning Rongrong.