Choice Between Sincerity and Schemes, Innate Full Soul Power

"It was all thanks to Grandpa's guidance over the years." Tang Xuan smiled.

Chen Xin truly treated Tang Xuan as his own grandson.

Just like any ordinary grandfather and grandson.

He had personally carved a wooden sword for Tang Xuan.

Though he had never formally taught him over the years.

Tang Xuan had still learned a move or two.

But Chen Xin shook his head. "No, it has nothing to do with me. If I could teach such truths, I would have long been invincible under heaven."

"That's right, Xiao Xuan. You needn't belittle yourself." Ning Fengzhi promptly seized the opening.

Seeing that Tang Xuan had not awakened the Clear Sky Hammer, he once again showed the affection an uncle had for his nephew.

Tang Xuan did not pay him much attention. Instead, he turned to Chen Xin. "Grandpa, since I have a Sword Martial Soul too, you have to teach me all your family secret arts. After all, I'm your only heir."

"Family?" Chen Xin froze. "When you said inheriting the family business earlier, you meant inheriting mine?"

Tang Xuan looked utterly confused. "Otherwise? Do I have any other relatives?"

One had to listen for the meaning behind the words.

Tang Xuan was practically telling everyone outright that he knew about his origins.

And that he did not acknowledge the Clear Sky Sect, only Chen Xin!

Naturally, Chen Xin understood.

He was so moved that he nearly cried.

But then he suddenly sensed something was off.

"Xiao Xuan, when... when did you find out?" Chen Xin looked nervous.

After all, as his grandson, Tang Xuan did not bear the surname Chen but Tang.

The sect's major classics had never been kept from Tang Xuan either, so it was only natural that he could have figured it out.

"I wasn't entirely certain at first, until Uncle Ning asked me those questions just now." Tang Xuan's gaze settled on Ning Fengzhi.

It was a naked expression of discontent.

Ning Fengzhi looked somewhat awkward. "Ahem, Xiao Xuan, don't blame Uncle either. The sect and the Clear Sky Sect are competitors, after all. As the Sect Master... you understand, right?"

No one could say that Ning Fengzhi's scheming against Tang Xuan had been entirely wrong.

After all, thousands of mouths in the sect depended on him for food.

If anything happened to the sect under Ning Fengzhi's leadership, he feared he would be nailed to the sect's pillar of shame forever.

But that was one thing.

How it felt was another matter.

Did Ning Fengzhi really not know what kind of person Tang Xuan, whom he had watched grow up, was?

Even if he did not understand Tang Xuan, did he not understand Chen Xin?

Was he only satisfied after blindly scheming and making everyone unhappy with him?

Still.

Before today, Ning Fengzhi had indeed treated Tang Xuan with great care.

To avoid making Chen Xin uncomfortable.

And because of what Tang Xuan knew of Ning Fengzhi from his previous life.

He was willing to let bygones be bygones this once.

"Uncle Ning, I don't blame you." Tang Xuan said calmly. "But sometimes, no matter how clever the scheme, it cannot compare to even a fraction of sincerity."

"My biological parents died in battle for the Clear Sky Sect, yet the Clear Sky Sect abandoned me."

"Grandpa was the one who gave me the warmth of a home. Even if you tied up a dog and brought it here, it would know how to choose."

The more Ning Fengzhi listened.

The redder his face became, until he only wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.

It was not only because of Tang Xuan's "reprimand."

It was also because of his own regret.

With his intelligence, there was no way he had not considered this.

But after being immersed in schemes for so many years.

He had gradually lost the self who had once relied on nothing but a sincere heart to bring two Guardian Gods to the sect.

Ning Fengzhi's lips moved, and his eyes seemed to convey an apology.

But the burden of being Sect Master for so many years made the words stick at his lips, impossible to say.

Everyone waited silently without interrupting him.

If Ning Fengzhi could not personally speak this apology.

Then incidents like today's would surely not be rare in the future.

"Xiao Xuan, Uncle Jian, I'm sorry." After saying it, Ning Fengzhi let out a heavy breath.

As though he had cast off a burden weighing thousands of pounds.

Only then did Chen Xin and Tang Xuan smile.

"It's alright, Uncle Ning. You've always treated me very well. You merely lost your way for a moment and got stuck in your own head." Tang Xuan smiled faintly.

Chen Xin also nodded at him with a smile, his eyes filled with relief and a trace of nostalgia.

It was as though he saw the once high-spirited young Feng Zhi again.

"Wait, are you saying that Stinky Tang Xuan is from the Clear Sky Sect?" Ning Rongrong's still-forming worldview was on the verge of collapse.

The bickering couple she had grown up with was not Sword Grandpa's biological grandson?

Ning Fengzhi gently rubbed his daughter's head. "That was before. From now on, Xiao Xuan is a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Grandpa's true grandson, my nephew, and your Little Xuan Brother."

"Silly Rong, hurry up and call me Brother." Tang Xuan teased, acknowledging Ning Fengzhi's words as well.

"Stinky Tang Xuan, I won't! According to Sword Grandpa, you're only one or two days older than me." Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot, fiercely cute.

"Even one day older still makes me older. Hurry and call me Brother, or do you want me to spank you again?" Tang Xuan raised his palm.

Over the past six years, whenever Ning Rongrong displayed her witch-like demeanor.

Tang Xuan would always discipline her.

First, because Tang Xuan was endlessly annoyed by it.

Second, because he wanted to keep Ning Rongrong from being treated like a dog by Shrek as in the original work.

After all, Ning Rongrong was also Chen Xin's reverse scale.

Tang Xuan naturally had to share Grandpa's worries.

At his words, waves of phantom pain shot through Ning Rongrong's backside.

Unlike everyone else, who spoiled her, Tang Xuan was the only one in the sect who did not indulge her.

And he really did strike ruthlessly. The first time, he had even spanked her until she swelled up.

She could only sleep on her stomach.

"B-Brother..." Ning Rongrong's face flushed red as she finally yielded to her powerful desire to protect her backside.

"Ah, that's more like it, good little sister. From now on, Brother will cover for you!" Tang Xuan was satisfied—very satisfied.

Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi were even more satisfied.

The two little ones' "harmonious coexistence."

Silently wiped away all the previous unpleasantness.

Everything was moving in a better direction.

But at the mention of covering for someone.

Ning Fengzhi suddenly remembered something. "Xiao Xuan, your Innate Soul Power..."

"No need to test it. Innate Full Soul Power. I can clearly feel that I need a Spirit Ring." Tang Xuan interrupted him.

He said it casually.

But Ning Fengzhi and the two Titled Douluo nearly had their jaws drop.

What did Innate Full Soul Power mean?

It was no exaggeration to compare it to getting full marks on the college entrance exam's Chinese test.

His future achievement of reaching the pinnacle of the Spirit Master World was practically guaranteed.

Chen Xin placed a large hand on Tang Xuan's shoulder, and sharp soul power gently entered his body.

A moment later, he opened his eyes.

Countless gleams flashed within them.

"It really is Innate Full Soul Power!"

"Xiao Xuan, I'll take you to obtain a Spirit Ring right now!"

As Chen Xin spoke, he moved to pick Tang Xuan up.

But Tang Xuan dodged him.

"Grandpa, let's wait a little longer."

"Why?" Chen Xin was utterly puzzled.

Ordinary people could not wait to obtain a Spirit Ring as quickly as possible.

Who would want to delay it?

"My martial soul is incredibly heavy. Even lifting it is extremely difficult for me right now. I'm afraid that after obtaining a Spirit Ring..." Tang Xuan looked helpless.

While a Soul Ring Baptism would improve his physical fitness.

The weight of his martial soul would not remain unchanged.

In fact, a Spirit Ring's enhancement to a martial soul was far greater than its enhancement to the body.

With one increasing while the other struggled to keep up.

A martial soul he already could not lift would become even harder to lift.

Tang Xuan did not have martial arts protecting his body like Tang San did.

"Uncle Jian, do you have any solution?" Ning Fengzhi asked.

Chen Xin stroked his chin in thought. "That isn't difficult. Lift Heavy as Light and Lift Light as Heavy will be enough. There happens to be a waterfall at the back mountain."

As the saying went, one could learn by analogy.

The matter of controlling a martial soul's weight.

Was child's play for Chen Xin, whose understanding of Weapon Martial Souls was at least among the top five of the era.

After all, even a light weapon like a Sword Martial Soul required training one's wrist strength.

Tang Xuan thought so as well.

In the original work, Tang Hao and Tang San, father and son, had already clarified the path. All he had to do was follow it.