All Set

The next morning, the rising sun slowly ascended.

The faint morning light spilled across the earth.

However, for those still lost in the depths of slumber, this light—which should have been warm and peaceful—was now unbearably piercing.

The youth lying in the ruins, having been unconscious all night, was one such person.

"Yawn... it's dawn already."

Ning Huan slowly opened his sleepy eyes, which were filled with constant exhaustion and fatigue.

His disheveled clothes had long been soaked through by the morning dew, clinging tightly to his body.

The sticky sensation was incredibly uncomfortable, yet the pain radiating from every part of his body made him want to stay lying flat, unwilling to move even an inch.

There was no helping it; although his soul power and mental strength had fully recovered and even showed signs of a breakthrough, the memories of the devastation caused by the Seven Kill Sword Qi during those tens of minutes before he lost consciousness still haunted his subconscious.

The pain in his body also left him without a shred of motivation.

"Contracting a spirit body for the first time is such an ordeal, but at least the results are gratifying!"

As he spoke, Ning Huan calmed his mind and carefully sensed the Seven Kill Sword Seal branded within his sea of consciousness.

Then, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, showing his delight.

"With Sword Douluo acting as my guarantor, no one will dare to use the words 'concealing talent' to make an issue of this sect assessment!"

"As for more resources and attention..."

"There are gains and losses; having a teacher is better than hiding away at the border and working behind closed doors."

As his voice trailed off, Ning Huan finally could no longer stand the unbearable, damp sensation of his clothes.

He forced himself to endure the pain, raised his left arm, and controlled his slightly trembling fingers to form a seal.

"Rainbow light, heal my body!"

Accompanied by his soft shout, a spirit deer with a body shimmering in seven-colored light leaped out from the void.

Looking closely, even though the spirit body was illusory, its posture remained as noble and magnificent as a sculpture.

"Yo~"

The spirit deer landed lightly on its hooves beside Ning Huan, its unique cry tinged with a hint of anxiety.

In an instant, seven-colored rays of light, resembling a rainbow, suddenly bloomed.

They transformed into particles of rainbow light floating in mid-air, appearing brilliant and colorful against the backdrop of the morning sun.

A moment passed, and only when the Seven-Colored Deer spirit body became faint and was about to dissipate did the particles finally fill the space within a three-meter radius.

Finally, the thousands of particles converged into a torrent.

They surged into Ning Huan's body all at once, rapidly healing his pain-wracked frame.

"Yo~"

Having finished this, the Seven-Colored Deer finally set aside its worries and let out another happy, long cry.

It then lowered its head and gently nuzzled its master's shoulder.

"Mm, good job."

Ning Huan smiled warmly as he stroked the deer's head, his estimation of Jinbao rising even higher in his heart.

One had to know that most of the spirit bodies he was able to contract were found with its help.

The velvet antlers from a Seven-Colored Deer, the potent venom extracted from the stinger of a Human-Faced Demon Spider, the mane of a century-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear...

Rare materials that ordinary people could hardly identify were all thanks to its efforts.

Thinking of this, Ning Huan made up his mind that no matter what, he could not reveal its existence.

This was because the Treasure Seeking Mouse was gifted with extraordinary talents and was famous throughout the land.

Its bloodline abilities were enough to make royal nobles and sect powers flock to it.

After ten thousand years of hunting, it had already gone completely extinct.

If outsiders were to know that a Treasure Seeking Mouse still existed in the world, it would surely be a disaster he could not handle.

"I really don't know how strong its talent will be once Jinbao becomes a hundred-thousand-year spirit body."

"I'm afraid it might even be able to dig up the Golden Tree..."

The sudden fantasy made Ning Huan shake his head and chuckle.

Yet, deep down, he had a strong premonition.

His precious golden rodent might truly give him a massive surprise at some point in the future.

Tianluo City, situated right on the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

However, because it was located on the grasslands with an open field of vision and no natural defenses for a hundred miles, it was easy to attack but difficult to defend.

With the Sun Moon Empire eyeing them from the other side, the Star Luo Empire would not dare risk universal condemnation by launching a campaign against them.

Therefore, the Heavenly Soul royal family had never considered this a strategic location over the past millennium.

Even though many merchants passed through, most merely treated it as a temporary resting spot.

As for the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect establishing assets here, they held no illusions about making a profit.

It was simply to ensure the timely flow of intelligence, so they wouldn't be left blind.

Yet, forced by the threat of the Sun Moon Empire, the three great empires had no choice but to work in unison.

This resulted in a stable continent with few internal conflicts.

Consequently, over the past few hundred years, the amount of useful intelligence transmitted from Tianluo City could be counted on one hand.

If not for the fact that someone was responsible for recording and updating the information on the sect roster at all times.

Otherwise, the sect disciples stationed here would be no different from those exiled to Ningguta.

From this, one could see just how invisible Ning Huan, who had been confirmed as having a 'trash' martial soul, truly was.

However, a sect that could be reborn from destruction and continue to stand tall on the continent for ten thousand years must have its own unique way of surviving.

Especially when it came to the rise of an underdog; although such occurrences were rare over the millennia, one would inevitably pop up out of the blue.

Therefore, having learned from past precedents, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect would organize a Soul Fight every few years.

This served to examine the progress of the headquarters' disciples while simultaneously screening those who had been sent away due to insufficient Innate Soul Power during their martial soul awakening.

While the waste of money was certainly a pity.

Once the waves washed away the sand to reveal gold, it became the sect's greatest harvest.

After all, when faced with a choice between mountains of gold and silver versus a soul master who could become the backbone of the sect, the decision was often easy to make.

Especially for a special sect like the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, where the direct disciples possessed support-type martial souls.

"What?! A 'trash' martial soul like you wants to return to the sect to participate in the Soul Fight! And you're asking me for a carriage and money?!"

"Are you kidding me!"

The roar, filled with shock, anger, and disdain, echoed through the pavilion, causing passersby to stop and cast sidelong glances.

However, upon discovering the source was the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect station, they quickly averted their gazes and hurried away.

A starving camel is still bigger than a horse.

Even if the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was no longer the glory it had been ten thousand years ago, it was still a powerful force currently possessing one Super Douluo and two Titled Douluos.

It was not something small-time folks like them could afford to offend.

Meanwhile, in a spacious room within the station's pavilion, a short, shifty-eyed middle-aged man was full of rage, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"I might not know about the others, but you, hmph, a mere 'trash' martial soul, what qualifications do you have to return to the sect for the... grand... competition."

Suddenly, the deacon's voice grew smaller and smaller, as if he had seen a ghost.

The disdain originally in his tone was instantly replaced by sheer panic.

"Keep talking, what's wrong with my trash martial soul?"

Ning Huan sat leisurely on the sofa with his legs crossed, fingers pinched in a daoist gesture, while four soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—pulsed rhythmically at his side.

In contrast, the deacon dared not move a muscle, terrified that the Man Faced Demon Spider exuding a ferocious aura before him might accidentally graze him with its spider leg.

"How about it? Does a twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor like me have the qualifications to return to the sect, Deacon Ning Zhen~"

Gulp...

The middle-aged deacon swallowed hard, then nodded frantically and cautiously.

"Yes, yes, yes! Little ancestor, you are a magnanimous person, please put away your supernatural powers! I... this lowly one was born with a heart condition and can't handle the fright."

"Hmph, considering you haven't made things difficult for me over these past six years, I'll let it slide this time."

"Remember to prepare the carriage and travel expenses for me; consider it a favor."

With that, Ning Huan retracted his spirit body and soul rings, walking out of the room with an air of nonchalance, leaving the deacon slumped on the spot, drenched in cold sweat.