Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Six Years as an Adopted Son

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Six Years as an Adopted Son

The mountain gate of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect stood halfway up a mountain wreathed in clouds and mist. White jade steps wound from the foot of the mountain to its peak, while welcoming pines on both sides lay dusted with snow. Glazed lamps hanging between their branches glowed warmly in the morning light—this was the wealthiest sect on the Douluo Continent, and the image of "home" in Lin Che's eyes.

When Gu Rong carried the swaddled Lin Che through the mountain gate, the disciples guarding it all froze. Bone Douluo, usually clad in cold, hard soul-bone armor and rarely seen smiling, was now cradling an infant with extreme care. Even his footsteps had softened, making him seem utterly unlike the formidable expert who could send a Soul Douluo flying with a raise of his hand.

"Uncle Gu, this is..." The disciple in charge of reporting had barely opened his mouth when Gu Rong silenced him with a look.

"Keep it down. The child just fell asleep." Gu Rong kept his voice extremely low, gently patting the swaddling clothes with his fingertips. The sight astonished the disciples even more, and they hurriedly led him toward the Sect Master's study.

Inside the study, Ning Fengzhi was studying an unfolded map, the jade ring on his finger gleaming softly. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and immediately spotted the swaddling clothes in Gu Rong's arms. His tightly furrowed brow instantly relaxed, and he stood with a smile. "Uncle Gu, you've brought back quite an unusual guest this time."

Gu Rong carefully placed Lin Che on a chair covered with soft cushions before finally letting out a breath. "I found him in the Cangmang Mountain Range. He has Innate Soul Power, but he was badly chilled. I figured the sect would be safer than outside, so I brought him back."

Ning Fengzhi stepped closer and carefully lifted a corner of the swaddling clothes. Lin Che was still asleep, his little face rosy, while the faint duckweed mark on his palm flickered in and out of sight beneath the light. Ning Fengzhi gathered a thread of gentle Soul Power at his fingertips and sent it inside. A moment later, surprise flashed through his eyes. "Innate Soul Power at rank five, and so pure... He has talent. Uncle Gu, do you intend to let him stay in the sect?"

"Yes. His name is Lin Che." Gu Rong nodded, his tone carrying unquestionable seriousness. "I have no family. From now on, he'll be my adopted son. Fengzhi, I understand the sect's rules. The procedures that need to be followed..."

"What rules?" Ning Fengzhi interrupted with a smile, picking up a small blanket nearby and covering Lin Che with it. "You've protected the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for so many years. What does such a small matter amount to? Besides, having another talented child is good for the sect. I'll have someone prepare a courtyard and find a careful old woman to look after him."

He paused, then added, "If Rongrong finds out she has a little brother now, she'll probably be overjoyed."

Sure enough, before long, a series of crisp footsteps sounded from the courtyard, accompanied by a little girl's sweet cry. "Father! Grandpa Gu! Where is the little brother you mentioned?"

The door curtain was lifted, and a little girl in a pink dress ran inside. Her hair was tied into twin buns, and her cheeks still held baby fat. She was Ning Rongrong, who had just turned three. She leaned close to the chair and stared curiously at Lin Che. Her little hand wanted to touch him, yet she did not dare, so she could only turn to Gu Rong and ask, "Grandpa Gu, is he the little brother? When will he wake up?"

In a rare gentle tone, Gu Rong crouched down and told her, "Once he wakes up, you can play with him. But Rongrong, remember not to bully him, understand?"

"I wouldn't bully anyone!" Ning Rongrong pouted, but she still lightly touched Lin Che's little hand. The soft sensation made her eyes light up. "His hand is so tiny! Father, can I come play with him every day?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded. Looking at the warm scene before him, his eyes were full of tenderness. The snow outside had not stopped, but the atmosphere in the study was warmer than ever.

And so, Lin Che made his home in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Gu Rong chose a courtyard by the water for him. Several plum trees grew there, filling the courtyard with fragrance every winter when they bloomed. Zhang Pozi, an old servant of the sect, was quick and attentive, raising Lin Che into a fair and chubby child.

The days passed one by one, and Lin Che gradually grew up. At five years old, he already displayed a maturity far beyond his age. Unlike other children, he was not mischievous. Instead, he loved following Gu Rong, either watching the disciples cultivate beside the training grounds or sitting in Gu Rong's study, engrossed in a basic manual for soul masters.

"Lin Che, come here." That day, Gu Rong was instructing disciples in Soul Power control at the training grounds. Seeing Lin Che sitting on the stone steps, he waved him over.

Lin Che put down his book and hurried to Gu Rong's side. He wore a light-green little robe, his hair tied neatly behind his head. His features already held a hint of refinement, though his eyes were brighter than those of children his age, carrying a spark of cleverness.

"Try gathering your Soul Power at your fingertips." Gu Rong crouched down, gathering a thread of pale white Soul Power at his own fingertip. "Like this. Take it slowly. Don't rush."

Lin Che nodded and closed his eyes, operating his Soul Power according to the method Gu Rong had taught him. Though his Innate Soul Power was only rank five, it was exceptionally pure. Before long, a faint white glow appeared at his fingertips.

"Not bad." Approval flashed through Gu Rong's eyes. "Much steadier than last time. Remember, Soul Power control is the foundation of a soul master. No matter how high your Soul Power becomes in the future, it will all be wasted if you cannot control it properly."

"I understand, Adoptive Father," Lin Che said earnestly as he opened his eyes. Ever since he could remember, he had called Gu Rong "Adoptive Father." Gu Rong had never corrected him, though his gaze always softened whenever he heard those words.

Just then, light footsteps approached. Ning Rongrong came running over, holding up her skirt with one hand and carrying a candied hawthorn skewer in the other. "Lin Che! Look what I brought you!"

She was two years older than Lin Che and had grown into a lively little girl. Her temperament remained somewhat spoiled and wilful, but she treated Lin Che especially well. Whenever she returned from outside, she never forgot to bring him little trinkets.

Lin Che accepted the candied hawthorn skewer and thanked her. Ning Rongrong sat beside him, watched the disciples in the training grounds, and wrinkled her nose. "Their training is so boring. Lin Che, will you come play in the back mountain with me? I heard the plum blossoms there are blooming. They're really pretty!"

"I still need to learn Soul Power control from Adoptive Father." Lin Che shook his head and pointed to the white light at his fingertips. "Adoptive Father said I need to master Soul Power control as soon as possible."

"Oh, what's so fun about practicing that?" Ning Rongrong grabbed his arm and shook it. "Just play for a little while. I promise I won't tell Grandpa Gu!"

Watching the two interact, Gu Rong smiled helplessly. "Go on, then. Be careful, and don't run too far."

"Great!" Ning Rongrong cheered, grabbing Lin Che and pulling him toward the back mountain.

The plum grove on the back mountain was indeed in full bloom. Pink plum blossoms reflected against the white snow, beautiful as a painting. Ning Rongrong skipped through the grove while Lin Che followed behind her, occasionally helping her pick up plum petals that had fallen to the ground.

"Lin Che, look!" Ning Rongrong suddenly stopped beneath a plum tree and pointed at something inside a hollow. "What's that?"

Lin Che walked over and looked. Inside the tree hollow sat a small wooden box carved with strange patterns. He opened it, only to find it empty except for a yellowed slip of paper bearing a blurry line of writing: "Duckweed reflects the cauldron; the universe comes of itself."

"What does that mean?" Ning Rongrong leaned over to look and scratched her head. "I don't understand it."

Lin Che put away the slip of paper and shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe some disciple left it behind long ago."

He did not tell Ning Rongrong that when he opened the box, he had seemed to hear a faint voice by his ear, as though someone had said, "Host has come into contact with a Martial Soul token. System binding in progress..." Yet when he listened carefully again, the voice had disappeared.

He thought he had misheard and paid it no mind. He did not know that this was the first awakening of the Can Opening System inside his body.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Che turned six. According to the customs of the Douluo Continent, children underwent Martial Soul Awakening at the age of six. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony was personally presided over by Ning Fengzhi, and all Sect Disciples of the proper age would attend.

The day before the ceremony, Gu Rong specifically called Lin Che to the study and handed him a snow-white jade pendant. "The former Sect Master gave this to me when I met him back then. They say it can stabilize Soul Power. Tomorrow, when you awaken your Martial Soul, don't be nervous. No matter what Martial Soul you awaken, Adoptive Father won't blame you."

Lin Che accepted the jade pendant. It felt warm in his hand. He gripped it tightly and said earnestly, "Adoptive Father, I'll definitely awaken a good Martial Soul. In the future, I'll protect you and protect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

A warm current surged through Gu Rong's heart as he looked into Lin Che's determined eyes. Over these ten years, he had watched Lin Che grow from an infant in swaddling clothes into a sensible and steady child. He had long since come to regard him as his own son. He did not ask for Lin Che to become immensely powerful in the future; he only hoped that he would live safely and peacefully.

The next day, the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony was held in the sect's main hall. A circular array stood at the center of the hall, surrounded by complex runes. Ning Fengzhi stood beside the array with the Crystal Ball used for awakening Martial Souls in hand.

The eligible disciples lined up and entered the array one by one. Some awakened Weapon Martial Souls, while others awakened Beast Martial Souls. Their levels of Innate Soul Power varied, though most were rank four or five.

When it was Lin Che's turn, he took a deep breath and stepped into the array. Ning Fengzhi placed the Crystal Ball in his hand and said gently, "Relax. Let your Soul Power flow naturally."

Lin Che closed his eyes and did as Ning Fengzhi instructed. He could feel the Soul Power inside his body slowly flowing toward the Crystal Ball, which gradually lit up with a light blue glow.

At that moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out beside his ear. "Ding! Host detected undergoing Martial Soul Awakening. Can Opening System officially activated! Novice mission: Successfully awaken Martial Soul. Reward: one Novice Crate!"

Lin Che abruptly opened his eyes, surprise filling them. This voice... was exactly the same as the one he had heard on the back mountain!

"What's wrong, Lin Che?" Ning Fengzhi noticed something unusual and asked with concern.

"N-Nothing." Lin Che shook his head and closed his eyes again. He focused and continued activating his Soul Power.

Suddenly, the runes surrounding the array began flashing violently. A cyan light lit up from Lin Che's left hand, followed immediately by a golden light from his right! The two lights intertwined, forming a massive cocoon of light that enveloped Lin Che!

Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong were both stunned, while the disciples in the hall cried out in surprise.

"D-Dual Martial Souls?!" Ning Fengzhi blurted out, disbelief filling his eyes.

Gu Rong strode quickly to the edge of the array, staring fixedly at Lin Che inside the cocoon of light. His eyes held both worry and anticipation. He knew that from this moment onward, Lin Che's life would be completely different.

The cocoon of light gradually dispersed. Hovering above Lin Che's left hand was a cyan longsword, its blade engraved with patterns of duckweed grass. It was the Azure Water Sword. Hovering above his right hand was a small golden cauldron with three legs and two handles, its body engraved with a Heaven-and-Earth Eight Trigrams pattern. It was the Universe Cauldron.

"Ding! Novice mission completed! Reward: one Novice Crate, deposited into System Space! Host detected awakening Dual Huaxia Spirits. Additional reward: Innate Soul Power instantly increased to rank 20!"

The system's voice rang out again. Lin Che felt the Soul Power inside his body suddenly surge. His Innate Soul Power, originally only rank five, instantly increased to rank twenty. The Crystal Ball's radiance also became dazzling!

Looking at the light on the Crystal Ball, Ning Fengzhi sucked in a sharp breath. "R-Rank twenty Innate Soul Power?!"

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone stared at Lin Che, their eyes full of shock and envy.

Lin Che clenched the Azure Water Sword and Universe Cauldron in his hands and looked toward Gu Rong with a smile. He knew that his legend had only just begun.

At that moment, Gu Rong looked at Lin Che before him, his eyes filled with gratification. He knew that the child he had found amid wind and snow would one day become the pride of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and a legend upon the Douluo Continent.

Ten years as an adopted son had come to a perfect close, while Lin Che's new chapter had only just begun.