A First Encounter in Life!

Two consecutive victories meant Qin Ze needed only one more win to advance directly.

His third opponent was a little boy named Bao Youguan. His martial soul was a willow tree, and his Soul Power Level was eleven. Qin Ze ended the battle in less than half a minute.

"Congratulations!" After the battle ended, the referee looked at Qin Ze with a smile. This was the first time in the past ten years that someone had won three consecutive matches and advanced.

"I should thank you for your help as well. If you hadn't intervened, my attack might have hurt them." Qin Ze cupped his fists with a maturity beyond his years.

"Ha ha." Seeing this, the middle-aged referee laughed. "It's my duty. Someone will arrange for you to enter the sect shortly."

"Alright." Qin Ze nodded. With that, he walked down from the stage.

"Qin Ze!"

"Qin Ze!"

The moment Qin Ze stepped down from the competition platform, countless cheers erupted.

In the world of the Douluo Continent, the strong were respected. That was an unchanging law.

Soon after Qin Ze left the platform, a woman approached him and said, "Follow me!"

"Mm." He nodded.

As they walked past Qin Xue, she gave Qin Ze a small gesture of acknowledgment.

They both had the surname Qin. That was quite a coincidence.

Passing the advancement tournament meant Qin Ze had officially become a member of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

In some ways, sects and academies were rather similar, such as in education.

Knowledge about soul beasts, understanding martial souls, teamwork, and, most importantly, Soul Tools, which had become increasingly important with the development of the times!

Aside from Soul Masters stationed at the headquarters, most disciples of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were assigned to guard various cities.

The most coveted assignment was undoubtedly a posting in Shrek City, and the reason was simply the existence of Shrek Academy.

The woman leading Qin Ze away was a Soul Ancestor-level Soul Master named Zhong Han.

"Hello, may I ask where we're going?" Qin Ze asked as they walked.

Zhong Han smiled. "Of course, we're going into the inner city. The inner city is the true main body of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. I'm responsible for taking you to the Outer Hall to register. After that, you'll truly have joined our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."

"What's the difference between the Outer Hall and the Inner Hall?" Qin Ze asked.

Zhong Han nodded. "There is one. All disciples in the Outer Hall have different surnames, while everyone in the Inner Hall is surnamed Ning. We also have a detailed ranking system for positions. From lowest to highest, they are ordinary disciple, elite disciple, core disciple, deacon, protector, branch master, elder, consecrated elder, and Sect Master!"

"Then what rank are you, Sister?" Qin Ze marveled at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's hierarchy. There were eight ranks in total.

Hearing Qin Ze call her Sister, Zhong Han's eyes curved slightly with amusement. "I'm a deacon. Disciples below the rank of protector can advance as long as they have enough contributions, but it's different once you reach protector. In addition to contributions, a protector must possess the strength of a Soul Emperor."

After hearing Zhong Han's detailed explanation, Qin Ze finally understood the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's ranking system.

It had to be said that a sect's rules were indeed much stricter than an academy's.

But that was only natural. Without sufficient strength, how could someone stand in that position? If one was weak, one could not even protect one's wealth.

As they continued chatting, Qin Ze also learned that a Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect elder was stationed at the Shrek City outpost, a powerhouse at the Soul Douluo level.

After leaving the Soul Fighting Arena and boarding a carriage, Qin Ze leaned against the seat and listened to the cheers still erupting from within the arena.

He was the first person to successfully advance.

When they arrived at the entrance to the inner city, the area outside the gate was already filled with people coming and going.

Nine Treasures City had a permanent population of three million.

Watching the passing carriages and crowds, Qin Ze looked through the window at the bright, sunny sky.

He would be staying here for the next few years.

Several guards were stationed at the city gate. Zhong Han presented her identification, and they were allowed through.

After putting away her identification, Zhong Han said, "The inner city is very large. It can hold one hundred thousand people without any problem. You'll be given a map later, so you can take a look and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. Of course, there are some places we aren't allowed to enter, or we'll be punished under sect regulations. You must remember that."

"Alright." Qin Ze naturally understood such things.

Seeing this, Zhong Han smiled and nodded.

The carriage continued onward. After passing through the city gate, it eventually entered a vast plaza. A Soul Tool lamp stood every ten meters across the plaza, and marked signposts lined the roadside.

The most eye-catching feature was the two statues, each over ten meters tall, standing in the center of the plaza.

Qin Ze had no idea who had sculpted them, but they were lifelike, especially their facial features. They truly seemed to be watching over this land.

Qin Ze looked over curiously, only to hear Zhong Han say, "Those are our ancestors, Nine Treasures Douluo Ning Rongrong and her husband, God of Food Douluo Oscar."

"Oscar and Ning Rongrong!" Qin Ze's heart skipped a beat.

Beyond the plaza were several broad avenues planted with all kinds of trees. Green shade hung thickly along both sides, while vivid flowers absorbed the earth's nourishment and bloomed in brilliant beauty.

The fragrance of flowers drifted into the distance on the breeze.

Clear water flowed slowly through the artificial river, with lotus flowers floating upon it.

The carriage eventually entered an avenue marked with the words Outer Hall.

From far away, Qin Ze could already see several buildings hidden beneath the shade of greenery.

At the same time, people moved about along the avenue, chatting and laughing in casual clothing.

"The sect is usually quite relaxed in daily life. You can leave whenever you want with your identification. If you wish to advance, you must complete missions to earn contribution points. Contribution points can be exchanged for anything, including Gold Soul Coins, spiritual herbs, special metals, pills, and Soul Tools. As for food and lodging, you don't need to pay Gold Soul Coins like you would at an academy. They're free. Of course, if you want better food, you can go out to dine at a restaurant." Zhong Han reminded him calmly.

"I'll remember that!" Qin Ze nodded solemnly.

"Little Feng, let's go fly kites!"

"That wouldn't be good, would it? My grandfather will definitely get angry if he finds out I'm not cultivating. Besides, the Sect Master told us to cultivate properly and not be greedy for play."

Just as Qin Ze was thinking about the days ahead, two children's voices suddenly drifted into the carriage from outside.

Qin Ze tilted his head and looked out, only to see two little girls slowly walking down the avenue.

Three people who looked like guards followed behind them.

Though both girls were still very young, their delicate features showed that they would certainly grow into great beauties.

One had dazzling golden hair, while the other had charming red hair.

"Eh, isn't that the carriage from the Soul Fighting Arena responsible for receiving new disciples? Someone advanced so quickly?"

Suddenly, the girl with short golden hair noticed the carriage Qin Ze was riding in and cried out in surprise.

At that instant, the two girls and Qin Ze met each other's eyes.