Douluo: So You're the Theory Master?

"He counted as someone I'd chosen."

"He could help with my research."

Only then did Ning Qinghe speak up.

His research had not been some sudden whim; it had been there from the very beginning.

So, he had taken in some people with poor talent to help him conduct experiments.

Besides, Ning Yishan was considered a relative. Ning Qinghe had seen him fighting with others several times and getting bullied often, so he had helped him out a few times.

He had even tracked down the people behind it, but it still happened from time to time.

Now, he planned to take him in as well.

"Then stay by Qinghe's side from now on. I'll speak to the Second Elder."

Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi did not ask further.

He trusted that his youngest son would handle things properly.

"Work hard. I'll support you with all my strength."

Before they parted, Ning Fengzhi offered some encouragement.

Ning Qinghe silently nodded.

Ning Fengzhi did not hide the news. Trying to cover up something like this would only be more embarrassing.

In less than a day, almost everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect knew, as did the major Soul Master factions.

Ordinary people and Soul Masters might not care about such things, but the major powers, such as Spirit Hall and the Seven Great Sects, kept an eye on one another.

Whenever one of them produced a genius or a waste, unless there was a special effort to hide it, the news spread quickly.

What was more, Ning Qinghe had already been famous as the "heir." Now, it could basically be said that he had lost any chance of inheriting that position.

This had become quite the joke for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

At Spirit Hall, the Pope was still Qian Xunji of the Qian family.

After receiving the news, she treated it as ordinary information. If the useless offspring of the major sects could reach her desk, that alone meant she was "accomplished."

Last time it had been the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's waste. This time it was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's. She wondered when it would be the Clear Sky Sect's turn.

When the Yu Clan of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon received the news, they even specially sent someone to "mourn" with Ning Fengzhi over the loss of such a fine heir.

In truth, they merely wanted everyone to know that they were not the only one among the Upper Three Sects to suffer such embarrassment.

This left Ning Fengzhi rather speechless.

When that Yu Xiaogang had become the laughingstock of the continent, he had not sent anyone over specifically to mock him, had he?

As the foremost of the Upper Three Sects, the Clear Sky Sect was currently at the height of its glory. They had even produced the so-called Clear Sky Twin Stars, and people were already spreading word that one of them might become the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent.

They took some pleasure in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's misfortune, but they did not join in the commotion.

After all, their Clear Sky Hammer did not have Innate Soul Power of half a level.

Ning Qinghe, who was only six years old, did not care about anything happening outside.

He swiftly gathered manpower and selected talent from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's talent pool.

He only took a few of the orphan geniuses the sect had raised since childhood, allowing them to come voluntarily. After all, he had yet to produce any results. If he took them all, people in the sect would definitely object to Ning Fengzhi, which would make things difficult.

Then there were those with low talent. There was no need to be polite with them. These people had essentially been abandoned; they occupied the bottom rung of the sect, and their futures could be seen at a glance.

Whether their Innate Soul Power was level one, two, or three, his theories required a huge amount of data. He could not be like some master who simply copied information from Spirit Hall, pasted it together, and released it as his own.

As long as they were willing to work themselves to the bone, they were all talents he needed.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"1,382 people? Can we really bring in that many?"

In the lounge, Ning Qinghe had just finished cultivating and was looking over the submitted list.

He was fairly satisfied, then looked toward the Soul Saint at his side.

Ning Bo was a level seventy-six assault-type Soul Master and Ning Qinghe's personal guard since childhood. Adopted by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as a child and granted the Ning surname, he had even married a woman of the Ning family who possessed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

He was extremely loyal and dependable.

"That's right. They were originally affiliated personnel of the sect. Their talent was insufficient, so they could not become proper talents and could only handle miscellaneous work. When they heard the young master needed people, they signed up. These are the ones left after screening. The lazy ones, those without enough perseverance, and those who were too old were all eliminated."

"They range from six to twenty years old, with Soul Power below level ten. There are 638 with level-one Innate Soul Power, 512 with level two, 153 with level three, fifty with level four, and nineteen with level five. None of their martial souls are particularly good."

Ning Bo explained the situation of the recruits.

Low Soul Power and poor martial souls—that was the condition of these people.

Calling their martial souls unimpressive was putting it nicely. In the eyes of Soul Masters, they were trash martial souls, useless martial souls.

"Then take them all. Train them according to the plan. We'll see who can endure."

After carefully confirming the list, Ning Qinghe accepted everyone.

But with so many people, he needed a large place.

After thinking it over carefully, he still needed to leave the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and find somewhere bigger.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's grounds were not enough for him to work with. He went directly to Seven Treasure City, which was under the sect's control, claimed a large tract of land, and established a Research Institute that could also serve as an academy.

He hired whatever medicines experts and physicians on the continent he could hire, and even brought in quite a few test subjects.

To keep his cultivation from being affected, Ning Qinghe also set up a ten-person secretary team around himself to handle all sorts of miscellaneous affairs.

At present, the Research Institute was mainly establishing models of the human body and Soul Power, testing physical strength limits, Soul Power absorption limits, Soul Power cultivation speed, and even Spirit Bone absorption.

They were also compiling a complete pharmacopeia. In order to further study all kinds of medicines, Ning Qinghe knew that aside from rare Immortal Herbs, this world still had other treasures—only, they remained undeveloped.

Things like Whale Rubber had never been treated as cultivation resources at all.

One person's abilities were ultimately limited. With so many resources, theories, and talented people at his disposal, Ning Qinghe refused to believe they could not research something useful.

After more than ten consecutive days of busy work and personnel transfers, the Research Institute had researchers, a guard unit, an external affairs team, a training area, and a breeding area.

Ning Qinghe was delighted and satisfied, then entered a state of focused research.

After sorting out what was still needed and sending people to notify Ning Fengzhi, he shut himself away completely.

Meanwhile, many others sent their complaints straight to Ning Fengzhi.

"Over a thousand people, several million Gold Soul Coins, and it's all spent already? It's still not enough? He's asking for more money again? That brat really doesn't treat money as money."

"And all those Soul Saints and Spirit Douluo have been sent out to capture soul beasts. Is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect going to become a breeding farm?"

"And he wants gravity rooms too. Is he really determined to carry body refinement through to the end?"

Ning Fengzhi looked over the reports sent by his subordinates, shaking his head with an amused, helpless smile.

He had originally thought Ning Qinghe would be satisfied with playing around with one or two hundred people. He had never expected this.

Ning Qinghe's requests came one after another.

He had even asked Ning Fengzhi to help acquire more soul beasts over a thousand years old. Was he truly planning to have everyone absorb thousand-year Spirit Rings?

The thought excited Ning Fengzhi, but also worried him.

If it truly worked, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's educational system might need to change in the future.

"They're all people without talent. Perhaps they can become different under Qinghe."

"If we follow his ideas, the soul beasts being raised in the sect's rear mountain really are not enough."

Chen Xin did not care.

Dedicated solely to the pursuit of the sword, he did not care about money at all.

As for the consumption of manpower, that was even less worth mentioning.

In his view, these were all minor matters and could be accomplished easily.

"Do you really think that little fellow's research has a chance?"

"I still think it's a bit too fanciful."

Gu Rong pondered from the side.

"For now, we can only wait and see the results."

"I've given him the opportunity. If he fails, there's nothing to be done."

"Long Shu, I'll have to trouble you. If you have time, catch some soul beasts over a thousand years old and send them over."

Ning Fengzhi directly rejected the others' complaints and spoke slowly. For now, it was none of their concern.

Deep down, he longed for success. He also recalled the look Ning Qinghe had worn ten days ago upon hearing that his Innate Soul Power was only half a level.

Even if he failed, Ning Fengzhi only hoped that the day when so many people became dissatisfied with him would come a little later.

Breaking through limits was never so simple.

And instead of working on Soul Power, he was studying the physical body first. Wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?