From beginning to end, Ning Fengzhi had never invited Ling Yun to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Unlike ordinary Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent, Ling Yun didn't see the sect through rose-colored glasses.
He wouldn't feel honored to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. There was no adoration in his eyes, nor the slightest trace of awe!
Ning Fengzhi understood perfectly.
The divine power of the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life was simply too vast, and Ling Yun's background surpassed that of his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, asking Ling Yun to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be like asking the holy son or holy maiden of Spirit Hall to join one of the Lower Four Sects. It simply wasn't realistic.
What he had never imagined was that Ling Yun might actually come from the legendary Divine Realm.
Rumors about gods had never ceased on the Douluo Continent.
Spirit Hall worshipped the Angel God. Though not every Spirit Hall in every city had an Angel Statue, even the lowest-ranking Martial Soul Branch Hall had some murals or carvings depicting angels.
Ning Fengzhi had also visited Spirit City. There stood a ten-meter-tall Angel Statue, the most prominent symbol of Spirit Hall.
Now, it seemed that the Angel God might be more than just a spiritual symbol. She might truly exist, perhaps in the Divine Realm.
The power Ling Yun had displayed at the end had already surpassed Ning Fengzhi's understanding of Soul Masters. Without a doubt, it was the power of a god, a being that existed only in legends.
Ning Fengzhi was a man of great foresight. The power of the gods weighed heavily on his heart.
The Douluo Continent had been far too peaceful in recent years—far more peaceful than it had been when he was young. He had already noticed a few clues. Though scattered, they all pointed to the same conclusion: beneath this calm, a world-shaking upheaval was brewing.
The power Ling Yun had displayed showed that a god had placed a piece on the Douluo Continent in this era.
For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, this was hardly good news. Having experienced divine power himself, Ning Fengzhi felt utterly powerless for a moment.
All he hoped was that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could endure.
He decided to build a good relationship with Ling Yun. If necessary, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could give Ling Yun its full support.
As they chatted, he did his best to create a warm atmosphere, steering their conversation toward everyday topics and their personal interests.
The effect was obvious. When Ling Yun called him Uncle Ning, it had started as a matter of courtesy, but by the end, the words came naturally.
Outside the conference room, Qian Renxue, Meng Shenji, and the others watched the three of them, their eyes brimming with curiosity.
No matter how they looked at it, Ling Yun didn't seem to have joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Otherwise, he should have been walking behind Ning Fengzhi.
Instead, Ning Fengzhi had made a point of walking alongside Ling Yun, even falling a little behind him. They couldn't make sense of what was happening.
Qian Renxue was the first to speak. "Teacher, you're done talking already?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "There wasn't anything important to discuss. We just had a heart-to-heart. Naturally, it didn't take long."
"Xiao Yun, I nearly forgot. This Gold Card is a gift from your uncle."
Ling Yun didn't refuse. He accepted the Gold Card with both hands. Ning Fengzhi had been Tang San's angel investor, but now Ling Yun had beaten him to it.
"Thank you, Uncle Ning!"
"Uncle Ning, you've given me such a generous gift. I can't come away without giving you anything in return. This is for you—a small token of my appreciation."
Ling Yun handed Ning Fengzhi a jade box. Ning Fengzhi accepted it with a smile and put it into his Storage Soul Tool.
"Your uncle thanks you for the gift, too."
"Train hard and strive to become a Titled Douluo as soon as possible! Your uncle will help you deal with the outside world's troubles."
"Your talent has attracted the attention of far too many forces, myself included. We all came to investigate the secret behind it. Natural treasures are found only by chance, and your experience can't be replicated!"
"As the saying goes, you don't fear a thief stealing from you, but you do fear one eyeing your belongings. It would be best not to reveal your background. Some powerful fools and desperate rogues won't care about it—in fact, it may only make them more reckless."
"If anyone comes looking for you at the academy, show them the Token I gave you, along with the sword Uncle Jian gave you. Those should take care of most trouble."
"Be careful, too!"
"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Ning. I'll be careful."
After advising Ling Yun, Ning Fengzhi turned his attention to Qian Renxue and asked, "Qinghe, is there anything else you need to inspect?"
"No. I've already told the three members of the Education Committee about the academy's problems, and I've finished recording the issues they brought up."
"Then we can head back!"
After replying, Qian Renxue looked at Ling Yun. "Student Ling Yun, you have no shortage of opportunities or talent. I hope you'll train hard and turn them into strength as soon as possible."
"The empire values talent, but it values the strong even more."
Qian Renxue didn't speak with Ling Yun privately. She didn't intend to ask about the secrets of his Martial Soul or his background just yet. She would wait until her grandfather arrived.
After offering a few words of advice, they sent Ling Yun on his way!
Ling Yun was happy with that arrangement. He quickly left and returned to the dormitory.
Yu Tianheng, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo had returned long before him. They stared at Ling Yun with curiosity, as if hoping to spot a flower growing on his face.
"I saw Sword Douluo give you a little sword and ask you to go to the Education Committee's office. Was it because he wanted to take you as his disciple? Did you accept?"
"Hurry up and tell us!"
"Get out of my face! Your big mug's practically touching mine!" Ling Yun shoved Yu Tianheng's face away as it leaned toward him, speaking with disdain.
"I didn't become anyone's disciple!"
After embellishing the story a little, Ling Yun said, "Sect Master Ning was curious about the secret behind my strength. He traded me a favor from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for it. Once I told them, there was nothing more to it."
"The Crown Prince probably had the same idea, but he didn't ask."
The others were sorely disappointed when they heard this. That was it? It was nowhere near what they'd expected. They already knew that Ling Yun had simply eaten a natural treasure. They were envious, of course, but there was no way to replicate it.
"How boring!"
"Let's talk about something else!"
"Xiao Yun, your control over Soul Power is incredible. You won thirty-three consecutive matches in the arena. Anyone who didn't know better would think a Titled Douluo had suppressed his strength to the Soul Grandmaster level just to spar with students in the Soul Fighting Arena!"
"You must have some training trick for controlling Soul Power. Give us some pointers! This isn't something you can learn just by eating natural treasures."
"Please!"
After speaking, Yu Tianheng stared at Ling Yun with pleading eyes. Shi Mo and Shi Mo crowded around him, too.
"Ugh! Three grown men acting cute? Aren't you embarrassed?"
"Fine, fine. I'll teach you one useful trick!"
Yu Tianheng and the two Shi Mos immediately sat up straight, as if they hadn't just been acting cute. The sudden change was astonishing.
Ling Yun took out three apples and lined them up on the table. The gaps between them were less than half an inch.
"Watch closely!"
With that, he took three steps back. A ball of Soul Power appeared in his hand and struck the first apple. It burst apart, but the other two apples weren't affected.
He took another three steps back. A new ball of Soul Power appeared in his hand, and he blasted the next apple. It, too, shattered into several pieces.
After taking three more steps back, he blasted the last apple into pieces as well. The fragments were all about the same size.
"Just copy what I did. You don't need to change the distance. Stay in the same spot. If you can use Soul Power to blast an apple into evenly sized pieces without affecting the other two, I'll teach you another trick."
"Who wants to give it a try?"
"That's it? It's that easy?" Yu Tianheng asked skeptically.
"Talking is always easier than doing!"
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