And the young man appeared at just the right moment.
Seeing her daughter gazing dreamily at him, Ning Fengzhi gave a light cough. "Rongrong, come over and meet him. This is Li Bai. He'll be living at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect from now on, so you should get along well."
Ning Rongrong regained the poise and elegance befitting the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but her eyes remained fixed on the boy across from her, filled with determination to make him hers.
"Hello, I'm Ning Rongrong. It's nice to meet you."
Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword
As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, raised with every indulgence, Ning Rongrong always got whatever she wanted.
She liked this new older brother and wanted to be with him every day.
Ning Rongrong had also learned about Li Bai: he was a prodigy with Innate Full Soul Power and a top-tier Sword Martial Soul.
She hadn't seen him again since their last meeting, because Li Bai had gone out with Sword Douluo to obtain a Soul Ring.
Ning Rongrong had Innate Soul Power of rank nine. She hadn't trained seriously after awakening her Martial Soul, and she didn't need to hunt for a Soul Ring yet, so she could only wait at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi had seen how his daughter felt and wanted to use it to motivate her. After all, Ning Rongrong was the first person in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's history to awaken the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul with Innate Soul Power of rank nine. Ning Fengzhi had placed all his hopes for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul to break through level 80 on her. The continuation of their Martial Soul lineage depended on it.
In truth, Ning Fengzhi himself felt conflicted. He hoped Ning Rongrong would end up with Li Bai, binding a future Titled Douluo to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. At the same time, he hoped she would find a partner with a slightly weaker Martial Soul, so their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, which had a chance of breaking through level 80, could be passed down.
Over the years, the Douluo Continent had worked out the general rules of Martial Soul inheritance. Children inherited the stronger Martial Soul of their parents, and their aptitude also depended on their parents. Generally, though, when the mother was stronger and more talented, the child received more nourishment in the womb and had greater potential.
If Rongrong and Li Bai got together, their child would most likely inherit the Dragon Abyss Sword Martial Soul.
The Dragon Abyss Sword's full name was the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword. Its blade resembled a giant dragon curled up in its lair (the abyss), and seven gemstones, representing the Big Dipper (the seven stars), were set into its hilt. Its edge gleamed with keen sharpness.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda came with an appraisal buff. Just one glance was enough for Ning Fengzhi to confirm that the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword was unquestionably a top-tier Martial Soul.
Thinking of it that way, it wasn't a bad deal. After all, Uncle Jian had praised Li Bai as a prodigy of the sword, and the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword was no weaker than the Seven Kill Sword.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ning Fengzhi decided to let things take their course. Either way, he wouldn't lose.
"Rongrong, do you really like Li Bai?" Ning Fengzhi patted his daughter, who had been sulking because Li Bai still hadn't come back.
"I do. So when is Big Brother Li Bai coming back?" Ning Rongrong was distracted. She couldn't stop thinking about the young man she'd met just yesterday; her heart belonged to him completely.
"Then Rongrong needs to work hard at cultivation too! By the time Li Bai returns with his Soul Ring, he'll already be a Soul Master. He also has Innate Full Soul Power, so he'll progress faster than you in the future." Ning Fengzhi gently coaxed her.
Thinking about cultivation made Ning Rongrong even more frustrated. "But it's harder for support-type Soul Masters to cultivate than it is for other Soul Masters! How could I ever catch up?"
The cultivation methods on the Douluo Continent were very limited, and support types were the hardest to train. Food-type support Soul Masters had it harder still. On top of that, support-type Soul Masters couldn't fight or protect themselves, so high-ranking ones were rare.
But although Ning Rongrong complained, she was already making her way to the cultivation room. She wasn't going to hold him back. In the future, she wanted to support Big Brother Li Bai as his partner.
Watching his daughter finally feel the pressure and strive to improve, Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction.
Among the younger generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong had the best talent. No one else could put pressure on her. Even if she slacked off, no one would catch up.
"Don't you go picking on Rongrong," Bone Douluo warned Ning Fengzhi in a low voice as he watched the little girl run off.
He had watched Rongrong grow up and thought of her as his own child, so he tended to spoil her. Usually, even Ning Fengzhi, her father, found it hard to discipline her, though Ning Fengzhi himself was happy with the arrangement.
Soul Beast Forest
Li Bai preferred having impressive stats. His innate Self-Created Soul Skills gave him mobility, damage evasion, and crowd control, while the Green Lotus Sword Art made his technique flawless. What he lacked was raw power. He really didn't want to keep dealing chip damage.
Sword Douluo had already taken him as a disciple—or rather, it would have been strange if Sword Douluo hadn't.
When Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi found Li Bai, he was alone on a mountain, hunting game. The newly awakened Dragon Abyss Sword felt like an extension of his arm in his hand. Its sharp blade easily sliced through the body of a thick-skinned wild boar that often came down the mountain to damage the crops.
The furious boar charged around, trying to attack, but the boy nimbly and gracefully evaded it.
Only when the boar, with its tremendous vitality, finally died did its hundred-plus-pound body crash heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The boy, who looked like an immortal wandering a country road, twirled his sword in a graceful flourish. Not a drop of blood remained on the blade as he turned to look at the newcomers.
Sword Douluo was immediately taken with him. Unlike Beast Martial Souls, tool-type Martial Souls didn't greatly enhance a Soul Master's physical abilities, so they seemed weaker in the early stages. But because of their versatility, they were easier to develop into all kinds of Soul Skills. The most famous example was the Clear Sky Hammer of the Clear Sky Sect. Generations of its inheritors had developed it, creating many Self-Created Soul Skills.
In terms of Martial Soul strength alone, Sword Douluo Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword was no weaker than the Clear Sky Hammer. The difference lay in bloodline inheritance and accumulated resources. The Seven Kill Sword had been passed down through just one person per generation, and its inheritors in this generation were nearly extinct. They couldn't compare to the populous Clear Sky Sect, which had accumulated a wealth of Self-Created Soul Skills.
This child had not only extraordinary talent for cultivating his Martial Soul, but also swordsmanship that left Chen Xin in awe.
He had seen plenty of tool-type Soul Masters who, after first awakening their Martial Souls, could only charge in and attack recklessly. Sometimes they even hurt themselves with their own Martial Souls. Even after years of practice, they could only use them crudely, let alone develop them.
Among them, sword-type Martial Souls were the worst offenders. They held a sword Martial Soul but swung it like a saber, simply chopping at things without any technique.
If anyone else had used the close-quarters sword techniques and footwork this boy had just displayed, they wouldn't have killed the boar—they would have taken themselves out first.
Chen Xin accepted him as his disciple without hesitation, further increasing Li Bai's value in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
Changing Careers to Become a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master
The benefits of having a teacher were obvious.
Especially when that teacher was a powerful Titled Douluo, whose knowledge and experience far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin's Martial Soul was also a sword. He understood how various Soul Beasts enhanced sword-type Martial Souls and what effects they could have, as well as what Soul Rings they were likely to produce.
There were records of all this from the past; it wasn't speculation like Yu Xiaogang's theories.
Ordinary people on the Douluo Continent might not know the data, but instinctively choosing Soul Beasts similar to their Martial Souls was common practice. Everyone did it, and it generally worked just fine. Even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan prioritized hunting dragon-type Soul Beasts for Soul Rings. There had to be a reason the practice had been passed down, even if the Soul Master World's level of knowledge couldn't explain it yet.
Who knew what Yu Xiaogang had been thinking when he suddenly told Tang San to hunt animal-type Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings that were completely incompatible with his Martial Soul's attributes?
One of the Ten Core Competencies he proposed for the Martial Soul world was the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory. Plant Martial Souls didn't necessarily have to absorb Soul Rings from plant Soul Beasts, and Beast Martial Souls weren't necessarily unable to absorb plant Soul Rings. Under certain conditions, the two could absorb each other's Soul Rings.
In other words, a Martial Soul could absorb a Soul Ring that didn't suit it. But he never explained what effect it would have afterward. It was still in the experimental stage, and Tang San was the test subject.
If Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul hadn't carried the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor and possessed a tenacious life attribute, he would have been ruined long ago.
Any normal person who heard this theory—one with no precedent and completely contrary to common sense—would have run for the hills.
But Tang San had grown up in a small village, and his father had never bothered to teach him anything. He had just started school and knew nothing, so he believed Yu Xiaogang.
In truth, Tang San had suffered enough in his previous life from having no teacher. On top of that, he'd been influenced by the belief that one's teacher was like one's father, and that a teacher remained one's teacher for life. That was why he treasured and respected Yu Xiaogang so much.
Tang San had been an orphan taken in by the Tang Sect from childhood. He had a spotless background and plenty of talent, but because he lacked connections and a teacher, he'd languished in the outer sect for years, eventually hardening his heart and stealing a teacher's skills.
Having suffered that way, Tang San met Master Yu Xiaogang when he started school. The man had shown off a little, and Tang San thought he had genuine knowledge, so he was willing to become his disciple and believe his theories.
In short, he'd suffered because he lacked knowledge.
Li Bai didn't want to use his own Soul Ring as an experiment either. On the recommendation of his teacher, Chen Xin, he chose a Soul Beast likely to increase the sharpness and damage of his Sword Martial Soul.
In a sense, Soul Masters hunting for Soul Rings when they advanced was also a process of Martial Soul Evolution. As Soul Rings were added, their Martial Souls changed accordingly.
For example, Soul Masters of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect could use Dragon Transformation, which increased all their attributes. Ordinary Soul Masters of the same level couldn't break through their defenses at all.
No one knew exactly how Dragon Transformation worked. But after investigating, the various factions had gradually guessed that it was related to Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Masters always doing their utmost to hunt dragon-type Soul Beasts.
Li Bai's Dragon Abyss Sword was a metal-attribute Martial Soul. Since he had also insisted that he wanted more attack power, they ultimately chose a Golden-Beaked Bird.
It was a bird-type Soul Beast, hard all over like iron, with a fiery temperament and exceptional speed in flight.
Its beak was long, narrow, sharp, and hard. It usually hunted by diving at tremendous speed and piercing its prey with its beak. Ordinary Soul Masters rarely managed to hunt one, because of its extreme speed and iron-hard defenses.
Li Bai had only managed to obtain its Soul Ring with Sword Douluo's help.
There was no other way. He didn't have a single Soul Ring yet and couldn't fly, so hunting a Soul Beast that could fly and had solid defenses would have been difficult.
The results were satisfying, though. The praise from those swordsmanship predecessors had been well deserved. The Golden-Beaked Bird's Soul Ring not only increased the sword's sharpness and hardness, but also gave it some wind attribute. His agility increased by 25%, and charged attacks gained an armor-piercing effect.
His teacher, Chen Xin, looked at the huge boulder that Li Bai's charged attack had pierced clean through and nodded in satisfaction.
"The power really is impressive. In terms of destructive force alone, it's already comparable to that of some level-twenty Soul Grandmasters. But this charged attack takes time to prepare, so you shouldn't use it lightly in battle." Chen Xin carefully analyzed its pros and cons.
Li Bai nodded. How could he casually use a skill with such an obvious windup in battle?
But...
Support players in this world seemed to be squishy. Who would take the hits? Who would protect the damage dealers?
Unlike the way people played in Honor of Kings, where the goal was to take out the damage dealers and support characters were disposable, the main strategy in Douluo Continent battles was protecting the support characters. Battle Soul Masters dealt damage and tanked hits, while control-type Soul Masters occasionally provided control.
So if Su Lie, Zhang Fei, and Donghuang were here, would they all have to change careers and become Power Attack System Battle Soul Masters?
Li Bai took a sip of wine and decided to stop thinking about it. He wished them luck!
Hmm, it didn't taste like alcohol. It was a fruit drink with only a tiny bit of alcohol in it. After seeing Li Bai gulping down strong liquor, his teacher, Chen Xin, had forcibly replaced the liquor in his gourd.
He was afraid his newly awakened young disciple would drink himself to death.
Nuoding Academy
After Li Bai successfully obtained his Soul Ring, the other heroes also obtained theirs one after another.
After getting his grandfather settled, Kai also planned to head to Nuoding Academy to register.
Compared to other villages, Holy Soul Village was fairly wealthy, but it was still very underdeveloped. Its roads were rutted dirt paths, and there was no public transportation. If the villagers wanted to sell vegetables or other produce, they had to carry it into town on a shoulder pole and walk for half a day.
Oh, Tang San was going to register too, carrying a small bundle on his back.
Old Jack was a little puzzled, but he didn't want to say anything directly in case he hurt the boy's pride. He only said tactfully, "Little San, tuition is ten Gold Soul Coins. It'll take half a day to walk there, so you'll need to bring some water and dry food."
"Grandpa Jack, I brought everything. Let's go," Tang San replied quietly.
Old Jack froze for a moment, unable to understand what Tang San meant.
Tang San's family was famous for being poor in the village. Although Tang Hao was a blacksmith with a trade, he drank every day until he was dead drunk. He was also slovenly and unkempt. Even when people came to ask him to make something, he often turned them away despite the work coming to him.
The family ate watery porridge, with meat a rare sight. Tang San had learned to take care of himself from a very young age. The little boy stood on a stool to cook and do the housework, and the villagers sometimes helped him out because they felt sorry for him.
Old Jack truly hadn't expected the village drunk to be able to come up with so much money.
Old Jack wasn't very clever, but he wasn't a fool either.
Tang San's family had suddenly moved to the village, and no one knew where they'd come from. They rarely mixed with the villagers, but Tang Hao drank every day and lived in such a stupor that no one had felt wary of him.
Now that Tang San's family had suddenly come up with so much money from an unknown source, the drunkard Tang Hao definitely wasn't simple.
As they left the village, Tang San kept looking back from time to time, as though he couldn't bear to leave something behind.
Old Jack's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't.
Along the way, Tang San finally couldn't hold back from asking about Soul Masters.
Before you continue