Upon hearing this, Chen Gao and the others turned serious.
The group chose not to wait for their wives and instead walked up to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect themselves.
"May I ask, what is your business at our sect?" a guard standing at the entrance asked the group.
"I am an old acquaintance of your Sect Master. Just tell him that Nan Xuan has come to visit," Nan Xuan replied to the guard.
"Very well, please wait a moment," the guard said to Nan Xuan.
The guard then entered the Network World and sent a message to his superiors.
Meanwhile, inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Sect Master, someone sent a message from below saying an old acquaintance of yours is here to visit. He calls himself Nan Xuan," a deacon said to Ning Fengzhi, who was seated on his throne.
Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let them through and bring them to the main hall."
"Yes," the deacon replied.
Outside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Distinguished guests, please," the guard said to Nan Xuan and his group with a smile.
Nan Xuan nodded and walked into the sect.
"This Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is truly extravagant. Even these paving stones are inlaid with gemstones," Chen Gao remarked, looking at the glittering gems beneath his feet.
"Well, they are rich, though still not as rich as Brother Xuan, hahaha," Yang Tian added, laughing at Chen Gao's comment.
Nan Xuan ignored these two; it was embarrassing. Yang Fei was the only reliable one.
"Hm?" Nan Xuan noticed that Yang Fei was looking around, though he remained silent.
Nan Xuan did not linger on the road, fearing what these guys might get up to.
Inside the main hall.
After Nan Xuan waited for half a minute, Ning Fengzhi arrived.
"Sect Master Ning, I trust you have been well," Nan Xuan said, greeting Ning Fengzhi as he entered.
"Mr. Nan Xuan, you are a rare guest indeed. It has been over a decade since we last met," the 40-year-old Ning Fengzhi said, sighing deeply as he looked at Nan Xuan, who still appeared to be only twenty-six or twenty-seven.
"Indeed, we are no longer the youths we once were," Nan Xuan echoed Ning Fengzhi's sentiment.
"Don't say that. You look like you're twenty-six or twenty-seven, while I look like a middle-aged uncle. The difference is quite significant," Ning Fengzhi said, feeling a bit bitter inside. Why was this man still so young?
"Mr. Nan Xuan, have you stopped appraising treasures and started focusing on longevity instead?" Ning Fengzhi asked with curiosity.
Nan Xuan wondered how to respond; this was a tricky subject.
"Sect Master Ning, are you unaware that once one's Soul Power Level is high enough, one can maintain a youthful appearance?" Nan Xuan said with a smile.
Nan Xuan did not intend to hide his strength. He guessed that Sword Douluo was likely watching them from nearby, or perhaps Bone Douluo; one of the two would surely be protecting Ning Fengzhi.
"That would require at least the level of a Title Douluo. Could it be that you..." Before Ning Fengzhi could finish his sentence, the sound of a sword ringing echoed through the air.
A white-haired middle-aged man appeared instantly before Ning Fengzhi.
"Which Title Douluo are you, sir?" Sword Douluo asked calmly, looking at Nan Xuan and the others.
"Sword Douluo, do not be alarmed. I have no ill intentions. I have only come to seek guidance on sword techniques from the continent's number one swordsman."
"I also wish to discuss some matters—matters that will be beneficial to you," Nan Xuan said steadily.
"You also possess a sword Martial Soul?" Sword Douluo asked, puzzled.
"Not exactly, but I have a few soul skills that utilize swords. I wonder if I might request your instruction," Nan Xuan did not hide it; his Martial Soul was not a sword to begin with.
"To have sword-based soul skills without a sword Martial Soul... that is truly rare."
After expressing his surprise, Sword Douluo continued, "Since you are not here to cause trouble, let us have a spar. I have been fighting in Martial Soul Glory too much lately; my bones are starting to rust."
"Thank you," Nan Xuan replied. Although he was stronger than his opponent, he was here to learn and had to remain humble.
"Old Bone, stop playing Glory and come out here," Sword Douluo contacted Bone Douluo.
"What is it? Isn't it your shift today?" A figure emerged from the space, sounding somewhat displeased.
"There is a young Title Douluo here who claims to have sword-based soul skills and wants to spar with me. I was worried about leaving Fengzhi unattended, so..." Sword Douluo said, sounding a bit guilty.
"Oh, that sounds interesting. Let's go take a look together." With that, Bone Douluo took Ning Fengzhi through space and arrived at the training grounds first.
Nan Xuan smiled and retracted the concealment effect he had placed on Chen Gao and the others, which left Sword Douluo visibly shaken.
Are young people these days really this powerful? Or are we truly getting old? Sword Douluo asked himself deep down.
After shaking his head, Chen Xin stopped overthinking and led the group toward the training grounds.
When Bone Douluo Gu Rong saw that the others were also Title Douluos, he grew nervous and kept a tighter watch on Ning Fengzhi.
It seems they have soul skills that can hide their strength, Gu Rong thought to himself.
Upon learning that Nan Xuan was a Title Douluo, Ning Fengzhi had remained silent. The youth he once gambled on stones with had become a Title Douluo, while he himself, due to his Martial Soul's limitations—sigh.
Nan Xuan and Sword Douluo Chen Xin had reached the center of the arena, ready to begin their duel of sword techniques.
"Junior, I will let you make the first move," Sword Douluo said with a smile.
"Since you've said so, Senior, then I won't stand on ceremony." Nan Xuan did not decline, summoning his own martial soul: a Wireless Router.
"Hmm? This martial soul looks a bit familiar." Chen Xin had spent years fighting in the canyons and was very sensitive to this particular martial soul.
Because, on the city walls on both sides of the canyon, this very thing was mounted.
Sword Douluo felt a sense of foreboding in his heart, but he gritted his teeth and said, "You're not very old, but you certainly have a lot to say."
Nan Xuan curled his lips upward, revealed his spirit rings, and shouted in a low voice, "Eighth Spirit Skill, Network Sanction."
"What? Two hundred-thousand-year spirit rings?" The members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect stared in shock at the blood-red rings of light behind Nan Xuan.
In an instant, thousands of willow leaves and twigs appeared behind Nan Xuan, then transformed into long swords.
Nan Xuan gently waved his palm toward the Sword Douluo opposite him.
"Biubiu." The high-speed long swords whistled through the air, falling sharply toward Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin cursed internally that his opponent had no sense of martial virtue.
"Second Spirit Skill, Spirit Sword Protection." Sword Douluo dared not underestimate his opponent and hurriedly unleashed his only defensive skill.
Countless green long swords shattered the barrier Sword Douluo had erected. Seeing that the opponent was about to strike him, Sword Douluo hurriedly unleashed his fifth spirit skill, Power Shaking All Directions.
Nan Xuan's green long swords were significantly depleted by this move. Just as they were about to vanish into light, Nan Xuan closed his palm, and the points of light rapidly converged, forming a massive green sword.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin felt a bit of disdain for the other party; this wasn't asking for guidance, it was clearly a challenge.
Nan Xuan unleashed his spirit avatar. A massive, deep blue figure stood tall behind him, wielding the giant green sword, its sharp gaze fixed on Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Senior Sword Douluo, this spirit skill of mine is a bit special. You'll have to take this strike." Nan Xuan shouted in a low voice.
"Didn't we agree to compare sword techniques? Why are you using spirit skills?" Sword Douluo Chen Xin said to Nan Xuan, feeling somewhat speechless.
"True, but since we are of the same rank, I need spirit power to execute my sword techniques, otherwise how can we compare?" Nan Xuan chuckled in response to Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo felt there was some logic to that. With no other choice, he unleashed his own weapon spirit avatar. A massive blue figure holding a sword with both hands appeared behind him. A bone-chilling cold permeated the surroundings—this was Sword Douluo's killing intent, the killing intent exclusive to the Seven Kill Sword.
"Eighth Spirit Skill, Moving Mountains and Filling Seas." As Sword Douluo unleashed this move, his face carried a hint of excitement; it had been a long time since he had encountered such an opponent, especially one who also used sword techniques.
"Slash." Nan Xuan, filled with excitement, swung the giant green sword toward Sword Douluo.
The two spirit skills collided, and the blue spirit power was gradually swallowed by the deep blue, the outcome between the two already self-evident.
Sword Douluo took a step back, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Ninth Spirit Skill, God and Demon Dual Slash."
Nan Xuan watched Sword Douluo gathering his momentum and chuckled, saying, "Finally using your ultimate move? In that case, I'll show you a glimpse of my strongest sword technique as well."
The ninth spirit ring behind Nan Xuan lit up. He raised his right hand toward the sky, and suddenly, a deep blue ring of light appeared 100 meters above Sword Douluo, accompanied by a continuous, resonating sound of swords.
"Ninth Spirit Skill, Saint Emperor Sword Domain."
Nan Xuan dropped his palm, and from the ring of light in the sky, thousands of massive deep blue swords descended, striking the 100-meter radius around Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin looked at this oppressive move, leaped into the air, and unleashed his fully charged ninth spirit skill directly at the thousands of giant swords in the sky.
"Senior, this move of mine isn't something you can avoid just by slashing through it." Nan Xuan reminded Sword Douluo. This was currently his strongest area-of-effect spirit skill, but it had one unique characteristic: it was a domain, a Sword Domain.
This was something he had slowly researched and figured out later. Since one of his eighth spirit skills, Network Sanction, could be dismantled, this Sword Domain could naturally be used individually or as an area-of-effect attack.
However, these were merely sword techniques; they hadn't reached the true effect of a domain.
Nan Xuan's lips curled up slightly.
After Sword Douluo finished executing his spirit skill, he landed on the ground.
The giant swords of Nan Xuan's that had missed Sword Douluo were embedded in the ground, beginning to tremble.
Then, they pulled themselves from the earth and flew into mid-air. The remaining giant swords connected to form a sword chain, while the fragments of the swords shattered by the impact on the ground transformed into points of light, forming chains that bound Sword Douluo's feet.
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