The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
Today, Ning Fengzhi looked a little nervous and excited. It was his eldest son's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.
Before the formation stood a little boy of about six, dressed in a black outfit.
He cautiously sized up the awakening formation already drawn on the ground, his small face full of doubt that it was "actually reliable."
"Dad," the boy tugged at Ning Fengzhi's sleeve.
"Is this awakening ceremony being conducted according to proper procedure? Is the energy output stable? Have there ever been any accidents? Like... failing to awaken a Martial Soul and having Soul Power go berserk, or awakening some strange thing that drains its host dry?"
The corner of Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
That's right. This was his eldest son, Ning Xiaochun.
Ever since the boy could run, jump, and talk, his life seemed to have been guided by just one principle: caution.
He worried about choking while eating, so he chewed each bite thirty-six times. He worried about choking while drinking, so he used a specially made cup with a filter. Whenever he went out, he needed at least two guards following him, and the route had to be inspected and cleared in advance.
"Xiaochun," Ning Fengzhi said, doing his best to sound gentle and encouraging. It was the proper conduct of a father.
"This is the most orthodox awakening ceremony. I'll be presiding over it myself, and Uncle Bone and Uncle Sword will be standing guard. There's no chance anything will go wrong. Just relax and focus on sensing your Martial Soul."
"No chance anything will go wrong..." Ning Xiaochun muttered. "There's no such thing as absolute probability in statistics. If a low-probability event occurs, it's a hundred-percent disaster for the person it happens to, Dad."
Ning Fengzhi finally couldn't take it anymore. He raised a hand to rub his brow and sighed.
"...Let's begin."
He gave his son no further chance to continue, and released a wisp of Soul Power. The formation lit up.
Ning Xiaochun felt warmth spread through his body. A gentle, peculiar force rose from beneath his feet, flowed through every part of him, then converged at a spot between his dantian and lower abdomen. He instinctively closed his eyes.
Was he nervous? Not really.
After all, he, Ning Xiaochun, had a cheat. Literally.
His soul wasn't native to this world. His memories of his previous life were hazy, but he still had the self-awareness of a "transmigrator."
Being reborn into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as the eldest son of the richest sect in the world was an unbelievably lucky start.
As long as he didn't go looking for trouble, a life of wealth, comfort, and safety was all but guaranteed.
"I hope I awaken a powerful Martial Soul..."
Just as his thoughts began to wander, the warm current inside him suddenly surged. A fierce, burning sensation pulsed in the palm of his left hand!
"Bzz..."
A clear, ringing hum sounded. In an instant, seven-colored light burst from Ning Xiaochun's left palm, illuminating the entire hall.
As the light faded, a foot-tall, crystal-clear, seven-story glazed pagoda hovered quietly above his palm.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet light flowed across its body. It was breathtakingly beautiful and radiated a pure, auspicious aura.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!" one elder cried out in astonishment.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes blazed with unprecedented brilliance. His refined face flushed faintly with excitement.
He clenched his fist. It was the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda! And it was so solid, its light so pure!
That meant his son, Ning Xiaochun, had perfectly inherited the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's hereditary Martial Soul! The sect's legacy was secure!
But before the joy had fully spread across Ning Fengzhi and the elders' faces, a sudden change occurred!
A completely different force erupted from the palm of Ning Xiaochun's right hand!
"Hm?" Ning Xiaochun was stunned too. He instinctively opened his right hand.
There was no dazzling, seven-colored light. Instead, a deep, shadowy glow spilled out.
The light seemed to absorb the radiance around it, its colors a jumbled, ominous mix of purple, gray, and dark red. Within it, another glazed pagoda slowly rose.
This pagoda was also about a foot tall and had seven stories. Its shape resembled the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in his left hand, but its character was worlds apart.
Its body was made of deep, dark-colored glaze. As the light shifted, something thick and tangible—something that represented misfortune and decay—seemed to writhe slowly within it.
It hovered there, quietly radiating an aura that made everyone's heart sink, filled them with unease, and even stirred a faint revulsion.
"This... what is this?!"
The hall erupted in an uproar. Even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, who had seen and heard much, stared in shock and disbelief.
"Twin Martial Souls!" Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled with disbelief. He hurried forward, his eyes fixed on the dark pagoda in Ning Xiaochun's right hand.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, and... this black pagoda? Xiaochun, can you sense its name and information?"
Ning Xiaochun was just as stunned. He focused his thoughts and tried to communicate with the dark pagoda in his right hand.
A stream of cold, obscure information, carrying a strange allure, flowed into his mind.
"...The Seven Killings... Glazed Pagoda?" he murmured instinctively.
"The Seven Killings Glazed Pagoda?" Ning Fengzhi furrowed his brows and quickly considered the possibilities. He had read widely and studied records of all kinds of Martial Souls across the continent, but he had never heard of this pagoda.
Its form clearly shared the same origin as the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, but its attributes seemed... completely opposite.
"Misfortune" against "treasure"? One gathered auspiciousness and strengthened allies; then the other could only...
Just then, the elder presiding over the ceremony brought the crystal ball used to test Soul Power to Ning Xiaochun. His voice trembled with excitement.
"Young Master, please test your Innate Soul Power."
"Boom!"
Brilliant light burst from within the crystal ball, filling it in an instant.
The light was strong, steady, and flawless.
"F-Full Innate Soul Power!!!"
The elder's cry nearly broke into a shriek. The entire hall fell into absolute silence, then erupted in thunderous joy and commotion!
"Twin Martial Souls! Full Innate Soul Power!"
"Heaven bless the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! Heaven bless the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
"Sect Master! What wonderful news! Wonderful news!"
Ning Fengzhi swayed, then reached out and gripped Ning Xiaochun's shoulder. The usually composed and steady sect leader felt his eyes grow hot.
Twin Martial Souls were a miracle seen once in a hundred or a thousand years. Combined with Full Innate Soul Power... it meant that his son, Ning Xiaochun, had the perfect talent to reach the pinnacle of the Soul Master world!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was about to welcome an unprecedentedly powerful leader!
Bone Douluo Gu Rong grinned so broadly that the wrinkles on his face piled up.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin still kept a straight face, but his tightly clenched fists and faintly trembling mustache betrayed the same overwhelming excitement and joy within him.
Yet at the heart of the storm, Ning Xiaochun's initial shock faded, and what appeared on his little face wasn't delight, but a... subtle, complicated look that mingled disappointment with resignation.
First he looked at the radiant, universally beloved Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in his left hand, then at the shadowy, gloomy Seven Killings Glazed Pagoda in his right, which seemed to say, "Stay away."
From what he had sensed, he roughly understood.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda strengthened allies. Pure support!
The Seven Killings Glazed Pagoda weakened enemies. Still pure support!
Twin Martial Souls sounded incredibly badass, but what did he get? Not a single attack skill!
All he could do was stand in the back, wave the flag and shout, or slap debuffs on people!
What did that mean? It meant that Ning Xiaochun was destined to be a pure Support System Soul Master for the rest of his life!
In a fight, he'd always have to hide behind his teammates. When fleeing, he'd have to count on them being strong—or on his own legs being quick. His safety would depend entirely on his teammates' strength and loyalty!
That was a far cry from the fiery style he'd dreamed of: one sword's chill light spanning nineteen continents, or a single punch that split open the gates of heaven!
"Sigh..."
Ning Xiaochun let out a long sigh inside. As expected, a lucky start just meant good luck drawing cards. The system didn't care whether your deck suited your play style.
But who was Ning Xiaochun? A transmigrator! And one whose first principle in life was "caution"! His disappointment lasted less than three seconds before he quickly adjusted his mindset.
A Support System Soul Master was fine!
So what if he had to stay in the back?
Safety first!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was richer than a nation. Ning Xiaochun had been born to spend money in comfort.
As long as he was cautious enough, kept a low profile, clung to Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone, and found a few reliable teammates who could fight, he could enjoy a life of peace, comfort, and wealth. What could be better?
Fighting? That was for roughnecks. A wise man made his plans within the tent and won the battle... from behind his teammates.
Once he thought it through, Ning Xiaochun felt refreshed. Even the Seven Killings Glazed Pagoda in his right hand, which looked rather unlucky, seemed more pleasing to the eye.
Weakening enemies was just another way to protect himself. That line of thinking was cautious and perfectly suited his principles.
Before you continue