A World-Shocking Treasure

At eight in the evening, Qin Yue left the dormitory after finishing his training for the day. He met up with Ning Tian and Wu Feng, who had just come downstairs as well, and the three left Shrek Academy together, heading for the same restaurant where they had eaten last time.

Along the way, Ning Tian and Qin Yue only chatted about trivial matters. She never mentioned why she had invited him to dinner tonight, and Qin Yue was in no hurry to ask. Since Ning Tian had taken the initiative to invite him, she must have wanted something. He only needed to wait and see. If anyone should be anxious, it was Ning Tian.

The restaurant's chefs were already quite skilled, and with the Young Sect Master Ning Tian personally giving instructions, Qin Yue enjoyed the meal immensely. Wu Feng ate until her little belly was round, making Ning Tian both annoyed and amused. It was a thoroughly pleasant meal for host and guests alike.

After several rounds of wine and dishes, Ning Tian felt that the time was right and clapped her hands. The private room door was immediately pushed open from outside, and a large number of attendants entered. In no time at all, they cleared away the remaining food on the table.

Once they had all left, an old man who clearly was not part of the restaurant staff pushed open the door and entered.

Realizing that the real show had begun, Qin Yue calmly took a sip of tea. He did not ask any questions, merely waiting quietly for Ning Tian to explain.

The old man glanced at Qin Yue, then took a palm-sized black box from his robes and handed it to Ning Tian.

"Leave this to me, Grandpa Wu." Ning Tian accepted the box with a faint smile.

Elder Wu's aged face stiffened, but he did not voice any objection. After glaring at Wu Feng, who was pretending to be an ostrich, he quickly left the private room.

Only when the private room door clicked shut did Wu Feng raise her head with a pout, her face full of despair. "Why did Grandpa have to deliver it himself? I thought some uncle would come instead. I'm doomed now. When we get back, I'll definitely be put through brutal extra training..."

Ning Tian chuckled softly, then placed the black box on the table and pushed it toward Qin Yue as she quietly explained, "This is a treasure from the vault of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Its precise origins have long since been lost, but the records of the vault show that it came from at least seventeen hundred years ago."

A treasure from seventeen hundred years ago? Qin Yue was intrigued, but he did not reach for the small box.

As the saying went, there could be no gain without giving something up. Even if Ning Tian had suddenly lost her mind and wanted to play the generous benefactor, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect behind her would not simply hand this over to him for nothing.

Without knowing what Ning Tian wanted, he would not feel at ease taking it.

A trace of helplessness flashed across Ning Tian's face, but she also understood the importance of making things clear. It would be disastrous if Qin Yue forgot the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's goodwill after tonight because she had not explained herself. "Let me introduce this treasure first."

She casually opened the box, revealing its contents. Inside was a perfectly round Cyan-Purple Jade Bead, its surface patterned with diamond-shaped dragon scales. It continuously gave off a soft, lustrous glow.

Qin Yue frowned tightly as he stared at the Cyan-Purple Jade Bead in confusion. At the instant the box had opened, he had clearly seen the shadow of a dragon flash by, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap!

Yet Ning Tian and Wu Feng remained completely calm, as though nothing unusual had happened. It was as if everything just now had been nothing more than his imagination.

Realizing that he had encountered a true treasure, Qin Yue sat up straight and assumed an attentive posture.

Seeing Qin Yue's reaction, Ning Tian felt reassured. Her confidence in winning him over increased by several degrees.

"This item is called the Jingxiao Thunder Bead. Although we do not know its origins, after more than a thousand years, our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has roughly figured out its effects."

"The Thunder Bead contains a vast amount of incomparably pure lightning-type Soul Power, as well as the life force of some unknown lightning-type Soul Beast. Simply wearing it every day can increase a lightning-type Soul Master's cultivation speed by thirty percent out of thin air!"

"Not only that, the lightning-type Soul Power within the Thunder Bead is incredibly domineering. Even in equal quantities, its quality is several times greater than that of an ordinary lightning-type Soul Master's Soul Power. With prolonged contact, a trace of Dominating Intent can develop within a lightning-type Soul Master's Soul Power, and even its quality will improve somewhat."

"Six hundred years ago, a Sect Guardian Elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect used it to break through to a Title Douluo. He was known as the Tyrant Thunder Douluo. The quality of his Soul Power far surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level, and with the added strength of Dominating Intent, his combat power was virtually unmatched."

"During the years when the Tyrant Thunder Douluo guarded the sect, our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was at its peak. Even the Shrek Academy of that era could only stand on equal footing with us."

Ning Tian looked at the now much more serious Qin Yue with the corners of her lips slightly raised, but she quickly sighed and added regretfully, "However, while the Thunder Bead's effects are powerful, it is almost as if it is alive. It is extremely picky. Ordinary lightning-type Soul Masters simply cannot cultivate with its help and may even be severely injured by it."

"After the Tyrant Thunder Douluo died of old age, the sect trained many lightning-type Soul Masters in hopes of recreating that miracle with the Thunder Bead, but all attempts ended in failure."

"In six hundred years, a second genius who could earn the Thunder Bead's recognition has never appeared..."

Qin Yue did his best to keep his breathing steady. Just from Ning Tian's description, he had recognized what this Cyan-Purple Jade Bead truly was.

What Jingxiao Thunder Bead? This was clearly a Dragon Core! It was the same kind of treasure as the one in Mu En's possession, except one came from a light-type White Dragon, while this one came from an unknown lightning-type dragon Soul Beast!

That Tyrant Thunder Douluo from six hundred years ago had undoubtedly also been a Limit Douluo whose Soul Power Level had reached ninety-nine! Only that could explain why the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had been able to stand against the Shrek Academy of that time.

Qin Yue let out a soft breath. Even with his Ultimate Lightning martial soul, his cultivation speed from Level 30 to Level 70 was astonishingly slow. But with the aid of a Dragon Core, he could absolutely become a Soul Saint in the shortest possible time!

In the original story, Huo Yuhao had no shortage of famous teachers and endless opportunities, yet it had still taken him about six full years to become a Soul Saint. Qin Yue did not have a Million Year Soul Ring as his foundation, so from the very beginning, he had decided to fight for every advantage. What he was competing with Huo Yuhao for was who could get moving faster. One step ahead meant every step ahead. The Dragon Core was like the final missing piece of the puzzle. The laws of victory had already been decided!

Caught up in surging emotion, Qin Yue felt endless strength bursting forth from within him. The Soul Power he had only recently broken through with surged once more, jumping straight to Level 34!

My Soul Power breakthrough is related to changes in my mood? The more exhilarated I feel, the faster I break through? Qin Yue came to a realization, but what mattered more at this moment was Ning Tian—and the Dragon Core that had already been pushed before him.