The Schedule Flew By

A twelve-year-old Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear...

Either one appearing in the arena would be enough to cause a massive stir.

And yet these two extraordinary things, each rarely seen once in a thousand years, had now come together in one person.

While everyone present felt envious, they also cursed their own bad luck under their breath.

A Soul Ancestor among a crowd of Soul Grandmasters and a handful of Soul Elders, with a special Martial Soul and the backing of a powerful Soul Beast.

In a one-on-one fight, who could possibly be his match?

And judging by his calm, unruffled appearance, that last strike clearly hadn't been anywhere near his full strength.

Suddenly, one of the competing disciples in the crowd who had watched the whole thing couldn't help cursing under his breath:

"What the hell! Is there something wrong with his head?!"

"With that kind of strength, he could've pulled strings to get in. Why come here and mess around with a bunch of weaklings like us?"

"That Ning Ben dared to wrestle a Millennium Violent Bear, and he still couldn't withstand even a casual strike from him."

"Great. Now we've got a Soul Ancestor who likes bullying the little guys. Who's got what it takes to go toe-to-toe with him?"

There was no doubt that the vast majority of people agreed with those remarks at once.

Before long, little clusters of discussion sprang up.

In the blink of an eye, the viewing stands had become a lively scene.

Only a handful of Soul Elder disciples wore grave expressions, each silently wondering whether they could withstand a single strike from the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

But no matter how they ran their simulations or what trump cards they considered using,

none of them had any confidence they could defeat it.

In the end, they could only scowl and curse.

"Where the hell did this monster come from?! This is just bullying!"

Meanwhile, every change in the mood around the arena had also been seen by Ning Huan.

The fleeting trace of powerful energy that had flashed by made the corner of his mouth lift slightly. He was quite pleased with how he had performed earlier.

It was worth diverting resources to help it break through from a hundred years to a thousand in just over a year.

Its strength really is astonishing.

At that thought, Ning Huan waved the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear back, then looked toward the steward, who stood not far away, frozen in a daze.

"Referee, you should announce the result."

"Ah! Yes! First match in District A, Ning Huan of Tianluo City wins!"

But before he could finish speaking, the contestant turned and walked off the platform, not giving him the slightest consideration.

Fortunately, the astonishing spectacle from a moment ago had left such a deep impression.

So not only did the Soul Emperor referee feel no resentment at all, he even thought the young man before him had a remarkable character.

And so he put on a show of calm, watching Ning Huan walk down from the arena with an even expression.

All the while, he was busily figuring out how he could be the first to win Ning Huan's favor.

He didn't notice at all that the two contestants for the second match were watching him with deeply aggrieved expressions.

Meanwhile, in a pavilion atop the main peak of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect...

"Uncle Sword, what do you think?"

"The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear seems neither real nor unreal. I can't say for certain what it is."

"But I imagine it must be a special effect of his Martial Soul."

"Hmm..."

Hearing Sword Douluo give an answer that was as good as no answer at all, Ning Hao folded his arms and slowly walked over to the window to gaze into the distance.

The neatly arranged reports on his desk the night before flashed through his mind, and an inscrutable look crossed his eyes.

The Spirit Bestowal Platform?

He lived in seclusion in a frontier city for six years, then suddenly decided to return to the sect in such a dazzling fashion.

Does he have some ulterior motive, or...

"Father, is he the genius you mentioned?"

"Hm? Yes, he is."

A youthful voice that could not quite hide its vigor suddenly interrupted his thoughts, bringing a smile back to Ning Hao's face.

He lowered his head to look at the curious blonde girl beside him.

"Tian'er, what would you think if Father ordered him to become your follower?"

After asking, he gazed at his most beloved youngest daughter, eagerly awaiting her answer.

"Absolutely not!"

Ning Hao couldn't help feeling surprised by her direct reply, and the three Titled Douluo attendants standing quietly behind him looked just as astonished.

"Can you tell me why?"

"Feng'er can't beat him! If this goes on, it'll damage the main branch's reputation!"

"Gasp!"

Sword Douluo and the other two sucked in a breath, looking at Ning Tian as if they had just encountered some kind of monster.

The words of advice they had been about to offer instantly vanished, and they no longer had any worries about the sect's future.

This girl's got nearly as much wit as her father!

Ning Hao burst into laughter, making it impossible to tell whether he was satisfied with her answer.

Was he satisfied?

Of course!

It was important to know one's own limitations.

Ning Huan was indeed beyond Ning Tian's ability to control.

But then again, his daughter's answer also revealed the limits of her abilities and ambition.

She was more than capable of holding on to what she had, but lacked the drive to reach for more.

If they couldn't firmly bind Ning Huan to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect...

At that moment, Ning Hao was glad for the first time that he had such a precious daughter.

When faced with a genius who was "on par with" the Light and Dark Twin Holy Dragons, they wouldn't be left without options.

There's still time. No need to rush.

"Fine. We'll do as you say."

"Thank you, Father."

The nine-year-old Ning Tian answered softly. Her pale golden eyes remained fixed on the arena, curiosity growing ever stronger.

"Seventh match in District A: Ning Huan of Tianluo City versus Ning Younao of Hunbei City."

"Thirteenth match in District A: Ning Huan of Tianluo City versus..."

"Twenty-first match in District A..."

"Third District A..."

"District A..."

Ning Huan: "..."

What the hell!

Was there something wrong with Ning Hao?!

Did he have to keep picking on just one person?

Everyone else fought three matches and made it into the top thirty-two. I've fought five and still haven't even qualified.

He's making it way too obvious he's targeting me!

As if sensing Ning Huan's increasingly fierce annoyance, the Soul Emperor referee panicked.

Seeing that the contestants had been eliminated, he immediately disregarded the order from above to hold a few more matches.

He pulled the jade token representing a place in the top sixty-four from his chest and hurriedly shouted:

"Ning Huan of District A has qualified!"

"Hmph!"

Ning Huan deliberately took the token with an unfriendly expression.

Then, without saying a word, he jumped off the arena and walked alone toward the exit under everyone's watchful eyes.

His expression remained utterly cold throughout.

Seeing this, the Soul Emperor referee's vision went black. He felt as though the rest of his life lay in darkness.

Meanwhile, the silent spectators in the viewing stands had long since grown numb. They couldn't even be bothered to cheer.

They all sat motionless, contemplating their lives.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, Blazing Vajra, Man Faced Demon Spider, Saber-Toothed Thunder Tiger...

Every Soul Beast Ning Huan had summoned was a rare creature recorded as possessing tremendous combat power.

They were simply not opponents ordinary Soul Masters could contend with.

"Tsk, that kid's Martial Soul is interesting."

Wind Douluo spoke languidly, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Perhaps Shield Defender was right. This kid may really have some ulterior motive."

Sword Douluo raised his brows at that, Soul Power stirring faintly around him.

It seemed that if the Sect Master gave the order, he would draw his sword and go straight to Ning Huan's door.

"Uncle Feng, Uncle Sword, don't worry. If my guess is correct..."

As he spoke, Ning Hao took out several reports and handed them to everyone present.

"He makes a Contract using the remains of Soul Beasts and some unknown conditions."

"Then he uses his own Soul Power to summon the corresponding Spirit Body, unleashing one hundred percent of its strength."

"That is the true ability of the Martial Soul called the Spirit Bestowal Platform!"

"Sword Douluo, Wind Douluo, Shield Defender: What?!"

Ning Tian: "That's amazing!"