Finally Gained Recognition

Time slipped away in a rush, and in the blink of an eye, dusk had fallen.

The setting sun melted into gold, birds returned to the woods, and the entire sky was stained a deep orange-red.

The lingering rays of the sunset spilled down slowly, bringing a unique sense of desolation to this silent, dead land.

"Still not back? I suppose it was a bit of a pipe dream after all..."

Ning Huan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression blank, a flash of regret passing through his eyes.

"Time is ultimately too cruel; even the sturdiest rock cannot withstand the relentless erosion of the ages."

"Not to mention this place has been ransacked so many times; coming up empty-handed is only to be expected."

Yet, the shattering of his beautiful dream did not stir a shred of annoyance within him.

After all, having anticipated this outcome, how could he not have prepared a backup plan?

For instance, summoning the powerful spirit bodies of soul beasts he had already contracted could achieve the same objective.

It was just that, compared to summoning the ancestors of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect in front of everyone, the effect would be far inferior.

Perhaps he could contract one or two sect powerhouses temporarily after returning to the sect.

But the risks were too high, and it would easily sow the seeds of future disaster.

It would be a loss that outweighed the gain!

There was no helping it; although the

Spirit Bestowal Platform

was profound, it had its limits.

Not only could it reconstruct a spirit body through the recognized relics of the deceased, granting it the potential for growth, but the spirit body—sharing the same origin as a soul ring—could also feed back into the soul ring as it grew, gradually increasing its age.

However, its restrictions were sometimes quite fatal.

For one thing, the fact that the living could refuse the summons by their own will alone had nipped his early plans of contracting living people in the bud.

There was no other reason; if the contracted creature happened to be in a bad mood at a critical moment...

Whether it became a joke didn't matter; the important thing was that he could die!

Therefore, as of now, the dozen or so spirit bodies Ning Huan had contracted were all soul beasts.

Even this had cost him a vast amount of Gold Soul Coin and hundreds of attempts to accumulate.

It was thanks to this that he had been able to summarize the prerequisites for a

Contract

through constant failure.

His purpose in coming alone to the ruins of Jialing Pass was likewise a gamble.

He wanted to see if he could unearth the relics of Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo from ten thousand years ago.

If he were lucky enough to obtain a relic and gain the approval of the

Spirit Bestowal Platform

to complete the spirit body, then, coupled with his identity as a disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, he imagined the two of them would be quite willing to help him.

Once he returned to the sect, many of the ideas in his mind would become feasible.

Of course, looking at it now, he had clearly lost the bet.

Ten thousand years of time was enough to erase everything that had existed in the mortal world.

"Sigh, I didn't correct my mindset early enough when I first awakened my martial soul."

"I was sent to the border due to a moment of hesitation, yet I gained the Treasure Seeking Mouse, such a miraculous spirit body, as a blessing in disguise."

"And now, I'm fretting over how to return to the sect without any worries."

"Fortune and misfortune truly depend on one another..."

As the sigh faded, Ning Huan couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, feeling no regret for his past immaturity.

When it came down to it, he hadn't missed out on a single resource he should have enjoyed at any given stage.

Moreover, unlike being trapped in the sect headquarters like a prisoner, he had spent six years as a "nobody," unnoticed by any deacon.

Not even his Soul Ancestor cultivation level of forty-two was known to anyone.

Heaven knows how free and unfettered he had been.

If it weren't for the lack of resources at the border, which couldn't support his cultivation beyond the Soul Ancestor level, and his own lack of experience and strength to venture deep into the Star Dou Forest to hunt a ten-thousand-year soul ring, he might not have chosen to reveal his talent so early.

"The Title Douluo I know from my memories are rare and hard to find, and the soul beast spirit bodies are enough for now."

"As for anything else... no, my hundred thousand or so Gold Soul Coin cannot withstand such reckless spending."

Thinking of this, Ning Huan suddenly recalled the bitter losses he had suffered at the hands of auction houses, street vendors, and grave robbers.

He instinctively suppressed this desperate option.

He had already wasted hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coin on relics of Title Douluo; he truly couldn't afford to be a spendthrift any longer.

"Thinking it over, I still lack a trump card capable of settling the final outcome."

Just as Ning Huan wore a rare look of worry, caught in indecision, The Treasure Seeking Mouse, from which he had held little hope, emerged from the cave with high spirits.

Judging by its unprecedented excitement, it had clearly made a significant find.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

The piercing shrieks shattered the evening silence, forcing Ning Huan to stop his train of thought.

He lowered his head to look at the golden-furred rodent that had been his greatest help.

The helplessness of being woken up and the confusion of not knowing what was happening flashed across his face, eventually settling into the excitement of a sudden breakthrough.

"Jinbao! Could it be that you found it?!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Treasure Seeking Mouse nodded its little head vigorously.

It then pushed itself up on its hind legs, using its front paws to rummage at its mouth as it always did.

Ning Huan, watching intently, had never felt time pass so slowly.

It had only been a few seconds, yet it felt like an endless wait.

A moment later, Jinbao carefully retrieved a piece of bone the size of a finger from its cheek pouch, offering it up with both paws in a human-like gesture.

"Buried deep underground for ten thousand years, yet the bone remains as lustrous as jade, with a faint lingering sword intent..."

Seeing this, Ning Huan didn't care about the dirt and saliva coating it.

He snatched the bone fragment from Jinbao's paws and gripped it tightly.

"Stay calm, I must stay calm!"

Despite these words, the irrepressible emotion on his face betrayed his inner turmoil at every moment.

"No time to lose! Success or failure hinges on this one move!"

With that, Ning Huan closed his eyes, held his empty left hand before his chest, and formed a sword finger.

His right palm faced the sky, steadily supporting the bone fragment as he used his soul power and spiritual energy to sense something with precision.

He maintained this posture for an unknown amount of time until, suddenly, that familiar tremor finally resonated within his sea of consciousness.

Following this, an unknown energy surged from his palm, enveloping the bone fragment as if mending something.

Ning Huan felt a sudden intuition, and he began to mutter to himself involuntarily.

"A startling gleam pierces the long sky, the Seven Kills run through the white rainbow!"

"The Sword Dao reaches the selfless realm, ten thousand blades transform into gale winds!"

"Descendant Ning Huan implores His Excellency Chen Xin to protect the Nine Treasures once more and assist this junior in treading the path to heaven!"

The incantation of the contract rang through the night sky, and the shattered white bone suddenly began to glow with a pure white light.

The nearly dissipated, sharp sword intent erupted with a roar, and the wildly dancing sword qi stung Ning Huan all over his body.

Yet, even so, he gritted his teeth and stood his ground, refusing to move an inch.

I cannot dodge! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Noticing that there were no obvious wounds on his body, Ning Huan hardened his resolve.

Not only did he refuse to give up despite the unbearable pain, but he even increased his output of soul power.

He did this only to gain the approval of Sword Douluo as quickly as possible and complete the contract.

The masochistic process of forming the contract continued for a long time.

By the time the night sky was filled with stars, Ning Huan, his soul power exhausted, was already delirious, his eyes unfocused.

Only his body remained standing in place, maintaining the same posture he had held from the start.

"Hmm, not bad."

"Excellent talent, superior willpower."

"I shall trust you for the time being, young one. Do not let This Seat down!"

As his consciousness faded, a cold yet appreciative old voice echoed from the void, the content of which caused the youth to relax his mind involuntarily.

Thump!

Clang!

The next second, the physically and mentally exhausted Ning Huan finally collapsed to the ground, not forgetting to utter one last word of respect before his consciousness completely dissipated.

"Thank you, Senior... for your help."