Not Nearly Enough

As Wang Yi rose to leave the reception room with the Ice Crystal Stone and the blueprints, she prepared to head to the workshop to replicate the Spirit Ice Barrier.

What remained was the haggling between Ning Mingzhe and Huo Yuhao over the distribution of profits from their partnership. If this batch of Spirit Ice Barrier units could all be sold, the projected revenue would reach several tens of millions of Gold Soul Coin at most.

Yet this was merely the beginning; the crux of the matter was that this technology achieved the effect of a fifth-level invincible barrier using only third-level Soul Tool standards. The technological gap revealed therein was what truly tempted the heart.

However, by the time the negotiations concluded and Wang Yi returned to the reception room, she confirmed that she had successfully replicated the Spirit Ice Barrier.

Ning Mingzhe had failed to pry any information regarding Huo Yuhao's teacher from his lips, learning only that the master was a Soul Tool expert known as "Spirit Ice."

Ning Mingzhe could only helplessly hand a ring containing rare medicinal herbs and precious metals to Huo Yuhao.

The process of this trade negotiation had left him with an unbearable headache.

His years of honed commercial negotiation skills had proven of little use when faced with a child not yet eleven years old. The boy had simply dug his heels in, insisting that his teacher had ordered a maximum split of thirty-seventy.

As an elder over eighty years of age, was he really going to lower himself to bully a child? Could this, too, have been calculated by that Master Spirit Ice? It was simply terrifying.

Nevertheless, even if the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect only received a thirty percent share, the profits were already substantial, not to mention the opportunity for further cooperation with Master Spirit Ice down the line.

Following Huo Yuhao's departure, the room fell back into a deep silence.

Ning Mingzhe shook his head helplessly and looked toward Wang Yi, asking:

"Elder Wang, how was it? Did you manage to discern anything else this time?"

"Elder Mingzhe, that Master Spirit Ice is truly a heaven-sent genius; the ingenuity of his design is simply breathtaking."

Wang Yi's gaze revealed an excited expression, and her tone carried undisguised awe.

"Oh? How so? Could it be that the other party is a ninth-level Soul Tool master?"

Ning Mingzhe became interested; the Wang Yi before him could be considered an eighth-level Soul Tool master herself. One had to realize that, including Shrek Academy, there was currently no ninth-level Soul Tool master in the entire Douluo Three Kingdoms.

"Whether Master Spirit Ice is a ninth-level Soul Tool master, I cannot say, but his line of thinking is absolutely pioneering..."

Wang Yi had originally intended to explain in detail, but upon second thought, Ning Mingzhe was ultimately just a businessman, and Ning Tian only had a superficial understanding of Soul Tool crafting.

Wang Yi could not help but pause her excited tone, switching to a more accessible way to explain: "Let's put it this way: usually, high-level Soul Tool masters create based on existing materials. Few people actively develop new materials because it requires immense luck and energy."

"But the 'Ice Crystal Stone' used in the Spirit Ice Barrier is clearly a brand-new material, and its properties are completely different from existing Ice Crystal Stone. This point alone is enough to prove the extraordinary nature of Master Spirit Ice."

After listening to Wang Yi's explanation, Ning Tian, who had remained silent until now, asked:

"Aunt Wang, according to what you're saying, could it be that Master Spirit Ice just got lucky and accidentally discovered a way to change the properties of the Ice Crystal Stone?"

Wang Yi did not refute this upon hearing it, but patiently explained:

"Ning Tian, in the field of Soul Tools, there is never any success achieved overnight. The fact that Master Spirit Ice could make it match the Ice Crystal Stone to achieve the effect of a fifth-level Soul Tool simply by modifying the core array of a third-level barrier Soul Tool—this is not something that can be done by luck alone."

She paused slightly and added:

"For example, just as a blacksmith transforms ordinary iron into tough steel through constant hammering and tempering, that Master Spirit Ice must have gone through countless experiments to finally find the method to alter the properties of the Ice Crystal Stone."

Of course, these were not the things that concerned Wang Yi the most.

When a Soul Tool master's work can be mass-produced and sold, it often implies that in the hands of that master, there must exist even more advanced, next-generation works.

Even though she had only dismantled and replicated the Spirit Ice Barrier, she could clearly realize this point.

Clearly, in the hands of Master Spirit Ice, there existed Spirit Ice Barrier units with the effect of an invincible barrier approaching the sixth or even seventh level. However, how to obtain samples from the other party was not something she needed to worry about; she would leave that headache to Ning Mingzhe.

Ning Mingzhe looked at Ning Tian's thoughtful appearance and revealed a gentle smile: "Ning Tian, what do you think of that Huo Yuhao from earlier?"

Compared to the elusive Master Spirit Ice, Ning Mingzhe was clearly more interested in the Huo Yuhao he had seen with his own eyes.

After all, at less than eleven years old, he already possessed such formidable physical constitution. Moreover, the boy would likely enter Shrek Academy to study next year.

If it were appropriate, it wouldn't hurt to let Ning Tian and Huo Yuhao have more contact. After all, as the sect master's only daughter, the responsibilities Ning Tian carried were not light at all.

Ning Tian naturally understood the implication in Ning Mingzhe's words, but she did not answer explicitly, only saying with a hint of helplessness:

"Third Grandfather, you must not mention this in front of Sister Feng later, otherwise she will start nagging endlessly again."

Ning Tian's current Soul Power Level was already approaching thirty, and she was very confident that she would break through to the Soul Elder level before officially enrolling in Shrek Academy.

As such, she naturally had her own pride. Even if, for the sake of the sect, she had to find a guardian to accompany her for life.

The strength of that person would not only determine her future status within the sect and whether she could successfully take over, but it was also related to the future of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. Yet, she still hoped to choose someone she truly liked.

As for Huo Yuhao, Ning Tian's impression of him was just that of a shy and handsome boy.

Although he could indeed make one feel favorable toward him at first glance.

But for her, that was far from enough.

Upon hearing this, Ning Mingzhe could only shake his head, "Alright, alright, Third Grandfather won't say any more. You young people should consider these matters for yourselves."

Clearly, he also found Wu Feng to be quite a headache.

However, he did not explicitly point out Huo Yuhao's astonishing talent.

Once they both entered Shrek Academy, Ning Tian might find it more interesting if she discovered it herself.

Ning Mingzhe had also considered that after Huo Yuhao revealed his talent within Shrek Academy, he would attract many other girls.

But which girl's status could compare to that of Ning Tian, the only daughter of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect master?