Seeing that Wu Feng had finally reined in her hostility and stopped picking fights, Ning Tian quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew Wu Feng had a fiery, impulsive temperament and was the last person to keep her cool. If they kept butting heads, another argument was bound to break out, creating needless trouble.
After a moment's thought, Ning Tian made up her mind. Since things were quiet around them, she would take the chance to speak with Su Ming alone.
She turned her head and gave Nanmen Yun'er a subtle look, signaling for her to keep an eye on the restless Wu Feng and stop her from opening her mouth and causing trouble again.
With that done, Ning Tian took light, quick steps forward and fell into step beside Su Ming.
A gentle breeze drifted through the woods, stirring the young woman's simple, elegant skirt and easing the tense atmosphere left by their earlier confrontation.
Ning Tian glanced at the composed, upright young man beside her. A hint of gentle curiosity showed in her eyes as she asked softly,
"Senior Su Ming, may I ask why you specifically asked me to stay? If you're facing some difficulty or need any help, I can represent the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect and do whatever I can for you."
Su Ming walked at an easy pace, his expression calm and unruffled. Without any deliberate pleasantries, he stated his purpose plainly:
"It's not really a matter of trouble. I just wanted to ask if you'd be interested in joining my Soul Engineer team and studying Soul Tools and their crafting techniques systematically under my guidance."
At his words, Ning Tian's steps faltered. Astonishment surged into her eyes, and a great wave stirred in her heart.
She considered the matter in silence. The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was one of the continent's top support sects, open-minded and all-embracing. It didn't reject Soul Tools outright like some hidebound sects did.
But the sect's core belief had always been that the Martial Soul came first. A support Soul Master's foundation lay in her own Martial Soul cultivation and enhancing abilities, not in external implements.
For that reason, the sect's elders had never let her study even the slightest bit about Soul Tools. All her resources and time had been devoted to cultivating her Martial Soul.
It was thanks to that single-minded cultivation that she had steadily advanced to Soul Elder in the short time since enrolling, placing among the top students in her year.
In the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's view, Soul Tools were ultimately a side path, nowhere near as solid or reliable as one's own Martial Soul strength.
Her thoughts turned over and over. Ning Tian resumed walking, the rustling breeze whispering through the woods around her. Looking at Su Ming, whose strength was overwhelming and who had already become a legend among the Outer Court's upperclassmen, she asked with a hint of confusion and curiosity,
"So Senior is skilled in the art of Soul Tools as well. I always thought that with your formidable Martial Soul talent, you only needed to focus on cultivating your Martial Soul to crush your peers. Why spend your energy learning about Soul Tools?"
Su Ming chuckled. He reached out and plucked a slender, green blade of grass from beside the path, then casually held it between his lips. His manner was carefree and unrestrained as he replied with confidence,
"Because Soul Tools are worth far more than anyone imagines. Relying on your Martial Soul alone has its limits. But pair a Martial Soul with a high-level Soul Tool, and you can break through those restraints, challenge opponents above your level, and crush powerful enemies."
Every word of their conversation reached the two people walking behind them.
Nanmen Yun'er remained calm and composed, quietly following behind.
She was only Ning Tian's protector. Her duty was to keep Ning Tian safe, not to interfere with her cultivation choices or decisions about whom to befriend. So she stayed silent throughout, simply observing.
But Wu Feng couldn't hold back any longer.
She had a fiery temper and a stubborn disposition, and she had always believed that the Martial Soul was the foundation of cultivation. Deep down, she looked down on training methods that relied on external objects.
Hearing Su Ming urge Ning Tian to study Soul Tools, she immediately frowned in disapproval, strode a few steps forward, and retorted coldly,
"What nonsense! The cultivation path rewards focus. Soul Tools are complicated and tedious, and they consume huge amounts of time and energy. That's completely backward!
"Rather than waste your time studying these side paths, you should focus on honing your Martial Soul and improving your cultivation. That's the proper path!"
In truth, Wu Feng's opinion was the same one Ning Tian had held all along.
But the scene from the Freshman Grand Competition three months ago remained vividly etched in her mind.
Wielding a Soul Tool he had crafted himself, Su Ming had used overwhelming strength to suppress the strict and overbearing Teacher Zhou Yi in front of everyone. The devastating power he had displayed had been unlike anything Ning Tian had ever seen.
Because she had witnessed the terrifying power of Soul Tools with her own eyes, Ning Tian didn't reject the idea outright like Wu Feng had. Instead, looking troubled, she spoke to Su Ming sincerely:
"Senior Su Ming, although Feng'er's words are blunt, they aren't without reason. Our sect has always revered the Martial Soul Origin.
"The elders in my family have always taught me to focus on Martial Soul cultivation. They most likely wouldn't support me dividing my attention to study Soul Tools, so I'm afraid I can't make this decision on my own."
Su Ming cast a casual glance at Wu Feng, who stood there stubbornly, looking thoroughly unconvinced. A teasing smile tugged at his lips as he drawled,
"Hey, redhead, you're young, but your horizons are pitifully narrow. You think Soul Tools are useless because you've never seen a truly high-level one. Your experience is just too shallow."
He paused, his tone brimming with confidence, then continued, "You pride yourself on being strong and are always protecting Ning Tian. But she's a support Soul Master with no offensive or defensive abilities of her own. Is she supposed to spend her whole life depending on others and relying on you for protection?
"If she learns my Soul Tool techniques and gets her hands on a high-level Soul Tool, she might not only be able to protect herself—she might even be able to kill you in a direct fight."
After Su Ming teased and mocked her in front of everyone, Wu Feng's pretty face flushed bright red, fury surging between her brows.
She was fiery by nature and could never stand taking the slightest loss. Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning faintly white, and she instinctively stepped forward as if about to teach Su Ming a lesson.
But just as she was about to explode, the shocking scene from three months ago flashed through her mind. A bucket of cold water seemed to douse her anger.
She was only a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, while Su Ming could directly suppress and overwhelmingly defeat even Zhou Yi, a six-ring Soul Emperor. That heaven-defying strength was far beyond anything she could match.
At that thought, Wu Feng froze in place, caught between advancing and retreating.
She held her clenched fist suspended in the air. Charging forward to humiliate herself was out of the question, but lowering her fist now would make her look like a coward and cost her all face.
For a moment, the proud, defiant Red Dragon Maiden found herself in an unbearably awkward position. Her face flushed red, then pale, and pent-up frustration radiated from her whole body.
Ning Tian took in Wu Feng's flustered state and felt utterly helpless, afraid that Wu Feng might say something even more inflammatory in her anger.
Worried that Wu Feng would do something rash, she hurried over, took hold of her sleeve, and forcibly pulled her back behind her.
At the same time, Ning Tian repeatedly shot Wu Feng subtle warning glances, her expression full of reproach, silently telling her not to keep picking fights or blurt out anything else.
Ning Tian held her back, and the warning look left Wu Feng with nowhere to vent her anger. She could only force herself to suppress the agitation churning inside her.
She stomped her foot heavily, deeply unwilling, her red lips pressed tight and her face full of displeasure. Her stubborn refusal to give in still showed in her eyes.
Seeing the little redhead glaring furiously, nearly bursting with anger yet helpless to do anything about it, Su Ming didn't rein himself in. A playful glint passed through his eyes as he decided to pour oil on the fire and tease her again:
"What's wrong, redhead? Can't take it?"