Nine-Heart Begonia

"It's the middle of the night, yet your temper is so fiery. Let me help you cool down."

Ning Dagang raised his head, his face twisted in agony, staring at the man before him with sheer terror.

Without releasing his martial soul, without using any soul power, he had rendered a level twenty-nine Soul Grand Master completely helpless using nothing but pure physical strength! Such terrifying physical constitution and oppressive aura could only belong to a powerhouse at the level of a Soul Emperor, or perhaps even a Soul Saint!

Didn't that damned gatekeeper say they were just country folk from Soul Saint Village? What kind of village doctor is a Soul Emperor?

"S-Senior..." Ning Dagang trembled from the pain. The arrogance and haughtiness he displayed during the day had vanished, replaced by boundless fear.

"It's... a misunderstanding..."

"Shut up."

Qian Xunji applied a slight pressure with his foot, and Ning Dagang immediately heard his sternum emit a cracking sound of unbearable strain, scaring him into clamping his mouth shut.

"Qian San is my son." Qian Xunji lowered his voice, his tone filled with an unquestionable dominance.

"What he wants to learn, what path he chooses to take—I will arrange that myself. You can keep your nonsensical theories to wipe your own backside; don't bring them out to embarrass yourself in front of my son."

"As for you taking him as a disciple... I won't stop him from learning some basics, but if you dare to put on the airs of a master in front of him again, or if you dare to mutter even half a word of nonsense behind my back..."

Qian Xunji leaned down slightly, his gaze piercing into Ning Dagang's eyes like a blade:

"I wouldn't mind turning that Glazed Piglet of yours that shoots fart-bombs into a dead pig. Do you understand?"

Ning Dagang was utterly terrified, the genuine threat of death leaving his entire body cold.

He no longer dared to harbor any thoughts of rebuttal. He blinked frantically, nodding like a madman, while a "gurgling" sound of compliance escaped his throat. He had surrendered—completely surrendered. Faced with absolute crushing power, the theories he took such pride in were nothing but a joke.

Qian Xunji let out a cold snort and slowly withdrew his foot.

He didn't even bother to glance at this useless master again. He turned toward the windowsill, his figure leaping out as lightly as a falling leaf, instantly merging into the deep night, leaving only a cold evening breeze echoing in the room.

Ning Dagang collapsed onto the cold floor, gasping for air, his back soaked in cold sweat. He stared in horror at the empty window, the terrifying scene replaying in his mind over and over.

"Soul Emperor... definitely above a Soul Emperor..." Ning Dagang muttered to himself, shivering.

He finally understood why the child named Qian San had been so dismissive of his theories.

With such a father backing him, he had actually thought about showing off his strength when hunting for soul rings. He felt like a clown performing ridiculous tricks.

That night, Master Ning did not sleep. He sat at his desk for the entire night, silently locking his newly revised manuscript of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul into the deepest drawer.

In recent days, the hill behind Nuoding Academy had become the place Qian San visited most often.

In the early morning, the woods were filled with a faint mist. Qian San sat cross-legged in a hidden clearing, his head and the surrounding tree branches covered in dense layers of ghostly blue spider webs.

Before his father left, he had specifically instructed that although the Blue Silver Spider was non-venomous, it possessed extremely high vitality and natural affinity. Cultivating in the center of webs woven by a large number of Blue Silver Spiders could effectively draw in the surrounding environmental energy, which was highly beneficial for cultivation. Qian San had tried it for a few days and discovered that his cultivation speed beneath these webs was indeed more than ten percent faster than sitting idly in the dormitory.

Aside from meditation, Qian San devoted most of his energy to developing his first soul skill.

"Metal Control—this ability is practically tailor-made for hidden weapons." Qian San raised his right hand, and a mass of blue-silver liquid metal surged from his palm. Following his will, the metal rapidly stretched and solidified, transforming into a gleaming longsword in the blink of an eye, before dissolving and reshaping into a staff.

After several days of repeated testing, Qian San grasped the rules of this soul skill. First, the metal objects he condensed could only be stored for a maximum of three days after leaving his body. Once three days passed, the metal would lose its soul power support and dissipate into the air. However, for consumable hidden weapons, a three-day shelf life was more than enough.

Secondly, limited by his current mental strength and Soul Power Level, he could only forge objects with simple structures, such as flying knives, Bone-Piercing Nail, longswords, and iron rods. If he tried to conjure a complex and precise Zhuge Crossbow out of thin air, his mental strength would be instantly drained, and the metal would collapse due to structural instability.

"It seems complex items still require a blacksmith shop. This soul skill is currently best suited for consumable ammunition and simple cold weapons."

Qian San retracted the metal and took a deep breath. Immediately after, he held his hands out in front of him, and a pale golden light quietly bloomed.

Zheng Fuyu Sword Technique!

This was the ultimate technique passed down to him by his father, Qian Xunji. Qian San kept his father's teachings in mind: this sword technique was too eye-catching and must never be revealed in public. Therefore, he could only practice it secretly in this hidden corner obscured by spider webs during the early morning when no one was around.

His figure moved like the wind, and a brilliant longsword composed purely of light elements condensed in his palm out of thin air. As he swung it, a faint humming sound resonated in the air. A second and a third light sword appeared in mid-air, striking wherever he willed. Although he could currently only barely execute the seventeenth form, the profound state of unity between man and sword, with a heart as still as water, had already given him a glimpse of the path.

A few days later, the classic battle between the two factions of students took place, but this time, Qian San single-handedly knocked everyone down. The labor of the Work-Study Student was once again transferred to Xiao Chenyu and the others.

Thousands of miles away, in Tiandou City.

This bustling imperial capital was filled with heavy traffic, and the shops lining the streets were dazzling. At the entrance of a secluded alley stood a tall, slender man. He wore a low-key gray robe and a delicate silver half-mask on his face.

It was Qian Xunji.

He had been in Tiandou City for two days. The sacrifice and the explosive breakthrough six years ago had made him the youngest Title Douluo on the continent, but it had also left him with fatal hidden injuries.

If he could not completely cure the hidden dangers in his meridians, he risked suffering severe injuries the moment he exerted his full strength. Now that the world was turned upside down and Bibi Yin controlled the Haotian Hall, he had to restore his strength to its peak if he wanted to scheme for the future and protect his son in this chaotic world.

Looking across the entire continent, he set his sights on the Nine-Heart Begonia.