He'd Gone a Little Too Far

Looking up at the white figure in the sky, the current Sword Douluo didn't know how to describe what he was feeling.

Was he excited?

Of course he was!

After all, personally witnessing the strongest ancestor in history display his Seven Kill Sword Dao was an immense opportunity.

And after seeing this sword, he might even gain some insight and reach a higher realm.

But right now, what Sword Douluo felt most was conflicted.

He had been wrong. Shield Defender had been wrong, and so had the sect master.

They had all assumed that the genius was already in their grasp. None of them had imagined that Ning Huan had such a trump card up his sleeve.

That ancestor had willingly fought to the death for the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, the Seven Gods, and even the entire continent ten thousand years ago!

Perhaps history and the past had long since been buried in the river of time.

But as disciples of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, they had been required to read the history books from the moment they began their education.

They had been especially ordered to commit the Battle of Jialing Pass to memory.

In other words, in the hearts of the many disciples and elders, aside from the ancestor who had already ascended to godhood,

Ning Fengzhi and the two worshipped elders, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, commanded the greatest respect.

From certain perspectives, it wouldn't be wrong to say that these three ancestors had been deified.

And yet this legendary ancestor had just been summoned before everyone by a Soul Ancestor disciple dispatched outside the sect.

Worse still, the ancestor had answered his call!

Their own sect master had hesitated, hoping to hold out for a better offer.

They could have made an exception for Ning Huan and spared everyone a lot of trouble.

But now look what had happened: Ning Huan had flipped the table and refused to play along.

He had deliberately hidden his talent?

The origins of his resources were unclear?

His cultivation had advanced at an unreasonable pace?

With their patriarch vouching for him, none of those doubts mattered!

No one inside the sect would dare to use them to start trouble!

Likewise, as long as Ning Huan didn't violate any fundamental principles or endanger the sect's interests, even their own sect master would have to treat him with courtesy.

After all, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was much like Shrek: it used the glory of the past to unite its disciples.

Destroying its own foundations was a grave taboo. Only a fool would do that.

Elsewhere, Ning Hao's expression shifted several times, but not once did regret at miscalculating cross his face.

To him, nothing mattered more than restoring the sect to greatness.

And as the sect master, he knew more than ordinary disciples and elders.

If Ning Huan had earned Lord Chen Xin's recognition, that meant the latter had no ill intentions toward the sect.

In that case, why would he bother with schemes that would only make people resent him?

He'd be better off thinking about how to strengthen the bond between the disciples and the sect.

At the very least, the usual methods of training ordinary disciples wouldn't work.

At that thought, Ning Hao pretended to glance casually at his daughter, whose bright eyes were fixed on someone.

Then his gaze shifted to the red-haired girl beside her, whose eyes were practically spitting fire, and a thoughtful look passed through his eyes.

At the same time, Chen Xin was carefully sensing the changes within himself.

His body was an intangible Spirit Body, not flesh and blood, yet it held a reasonably full reserve of Soul Power.

Being summoned for the first time was quite a novel experience.

A moment later, he lowered his head slightly and looked around, his gaze passing over Ning Hao, Wind Douluo, Sword Douluo, and the others.

At last, he gave the faintest curl of his lips and looked down at Ning Huan.

They said age brought wisdom.

Having witnessed countless schemes and cunning calculations, how could he fail to understand the situation before him?

His junior, the one who had contracted with him, wanted him to lend his reputation and clear away the obstacles.

The sect master on the platform wanted to keep this once-in-a-thousand-years genius.

He might have died ten thousand years ago, but if he could use what little strength remained to do something for the sect, why wouldn't he?

Besides, after his Spirit Body finished its task and vanished, he'd have something to talk about when he saw Feng Zhi and that bastard Gu Rong again.

But...

The kid's good in every way, except that he's a little too calculating. Just like Feng Zhi.

He even dared to rope me into his schemes. That won't do.

But with so many people watching, I can't ruin his plans. Hmm, I'll give him a scare instead.

As a swordsman, once he decided to act, he did so without hesitation.

Chen Xin wore a rare, mischievous grin.

Then he slightly raised his right arm. The tip of the Seven Kill Sword drooped naturally, yet his aura grew ever more fearsome.

"Boy, watch this sword closely!"

At those words, Ning Huan's confident smile vanished. A sense of impending disaster washed over him, and he hurried to call out and stop Chen Xin.

But the sword was in the other man's hands. Ning Huan opened his mouth, yet his voice couldn't come out fast enough to catch up with Chen Xin's swing.

"No~ don't~!"

"Eighth Soul Skill, First Form!"

"It's over..."

As the words fell, nine enormous swords, each four feet and three inches long, appeared in an instant, lined up neatly behind Chen Xin.

A vast tide of Seven Kill Sword Qi erupted, raging across the sky with such force that it seemed ready to slice the very fabric of space to shreds.

Ning Hao: ∑(O_O;)

This sword's power...

Something didn't seem right!

What kind of ancestor used his full strength to strike at his own descendant?!

Could this be a fake?!

And besides, could that boy's entire reserve of Soul Power even support half of your Eighth Soul Skill?!

Sure enough, by the time Ning Hao came to his senses, Chen Xin had drained the last trace of Soul Power from Ning Huan's body.

Ning Huan collapsed limply to the ground. At the same time, the Eighth Soul Skill that had once forced Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo to retreat had finally finished charging.

"Mountain Shifting!"

Only now did Ning Huan truly understand what it meant to pick up a rock and drop it on your own foot.

He had only wanted Chen Xin to appear and help him fend off some unnecessary trouble.

He'd expected, at worst, an opening move like Myriad Swords Returning to the Origin, and even that might not have been possible to unleash.

It would save Soul Power and stay within reasonable limits.

Who could have guessed the old man would open with his ultimate move?!

Now he was completely drained, while the old fellows up above still clearly hadn't come to their senses.

Not one of them showed any sign of stepping in to stop it!

He'd be fine. Thanks to the Soul Power restoration from the Spirit Bestowal Platform, he'd recover in an hour or two.

But the people in front of him were in trouble.

A group of Soul Elders and Soul Grandmasters were supposed to withstand half a Soul Skill with power on par with a Soul Emperor's...

That was just bullying!

Seeing this, Ning Huan lay sprawled on the ground, his face full of despair.

Ning Hao finally came to his senses. Forgetting all elegance, he swore in a way that was completely out of character.

"Damn it!"

"Uncle Feng, quickly! Hurry!"

Wind Douluo jolted at the shout.

Then he hurriedly set aside all other thoughts and rushed straight above the arena, summoning several layers of wind-attribute Soul Power defenses.

The next second, the nine giant swords plummeted from the sky.

The moment their tips touched the Soul Power shields, ripples spread across them.

The shrill shriek of Soul Power scraping against Soul Power shook everyone present. They clapped their hands over their ears, afraid their eardrums would burst.

Seeing that his junior was quite capable, Chen Xin had planned to stop there. Instead, he suddenly grew interested.

Unfortunately, his weak Contract holder clearly couldn't indulge his enthusiasm.

"Second form, fill..."

"Hm? Not enough Soul Power?"

Chen Xin murmured.

"Boy, you still need more practice~"

The deeply dissatisfied complaint made Ning Huan's breath catch in his throat. He promptly passed out.

The instant his Contract holder lost consciousness, Chen Xin felt the faint pull of the Spirit Bestowal Platform.

Knowing he was about to vanish, he couldn't help but sigh. Then he turned toward Ning Hao and spoke softly:

"Current sect master, this boy's talent is unprecedented. I entrust him to you. Please... treat him well."

Ning Hao didn't dare take the matter lightly. Without a moment's hesitation, he bowed slightly.

"Your words are law, Ancestor. This junior, Ning Hao, will carry them out even at the cost of his life!"

Chen Xin nodded in satisfaction as his figure slowly faded.

"Good. I hope your generation can finally fulfill Feng Zhi's lifelong wish."

With that, the white figure, its sword intent soaring to the heavens, vanished completely before everyone's eyes.

Only the wreckage scattered across the ground remained, along with the gathered onlookers, each lost in their own thoughts.