She thought back to Sunset Forest, when that fireball had hurtled toward Ning Xiaochun and her heart had clenched in that instant, driving her to shield him without a second thought.
She thought back to how, after Ning Xiaochun had used Ring Elevation and collapsed from exhaustion, she had been unable to suppress her worry and heartache; and how, when they parted, she had seen his smiling little face and felt a fleeting pang of reluctance...
And just now, after returning to the academy, she had felt inexplicably empty, as though something were missing...
Could this... be... a flutter of the heart?
The moment that thought surfaced, two vivid blushes bloomed across Shui Bing'er's cheeks, and even her neck turned pink.
This was bad.
Had she really... fallen for that little brat who was five years younger than her, called her "Big Sister Bing'er" all the time, was timid and loved scheming, yet always stood up for others at the crucial moment?
Shui Bing'er's heart was in turmoil.
Meanwhile, far away at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Xiaochun sat behind the wide desk in his study. A huge sheet of white paper lay before him, covered in hastily drawn lines, arrows, and notes in charcoal.
He was planning for the future.
His trip to Sunset Forest, especially the clash with the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, had sounded an alarm. Spirit Hall's power was even more vast and brazen than he had imagined.
Someone like Yan would never let such a major loss go unanswered. They wouldn't dare openly do anything to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but there would surely be no shortage of underhanded moves.
More importantly, the "Soul Hunting Operation" against the Upper Three Sects, which he remembered, hung over their heads like the sword of Damocles, liable to fall at any moment. Before then, he had to do everything he could to strengthen himself and the sect!
He already had the Immortal Herbs, and the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was a secure supply base, so for now, he didn't need to worry about his own cultivation path. But one person's strength had its limits. He needed to make the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect stronger!
"Knock, knock, knock."
There was a knock at the door. Ning Fengzhi came in carrying a cup of warm milk. Seeing his son bent over in deep thought, his little face taut, he couldn't help smiling.
"What is it? Still thinking about what happened today? You just broke through in Soul Power, so make sure you get some rest."
"Dad, I can't sleep." Ning Xiaochun took the milk, had a sip, then looked up at Ning Fengzhi and asked a question that caught him off guard. "Dad, just how much money does our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have?"
Ning Fengzhi was taken aback, then a smile befitting "the richest man in the world," with just a hint of smugness, appeared on his face. He sat down opposite Ning Xiaochun, picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and replied leisurely:
"Money? Heh... Xiaochun, let me put it this way. The Heaven Dou Empire has dozens of cities, large and small. On any busy commercial street, at least four or five out of every ten shops are either run directly by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or partly owned by us.
"Our sect also accounts for a sizable share of the trade in precious ores, medicinal ingredients, and Soul Beast materials circulating across the continent. As for exactly how many Gold Soul Coins we have... honestly, your dad's never bothered to count. Anyway... we probably couldn't spend it all."
Ning Fengzhi said it as casually as could be, but he couldn't hide the confidence of a man who had money to burn.
Ning Xiaochun's mouth twitched. He'd known his family was rich, but not this rich! "Couldn't spend it all"—now that was a powerful phrase!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, then voiced the idea he'd been mulling over for a long time. "Dad, since we're so rich, why don't we use that money to arm ourselves?"
"Arm ourselves?" Ning Fengzhi set down his teacup, puzzled.
"Xiaochun, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect may not specialize in combat, but we have our guards, affiliated clans, and Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone, two Titled Douluo, protecting us. Across the entire continent, you can count on one hand the forces that could threaten us. Is there really a need to rush into... arming ourselves?"
Ning Fengzhi wasn't being arrogant. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ranked second among the Upper Three Sects, behind only the Clear Sky Sect. It had deep reserves of strength, and with wealth beyond compare and many allies, it had every reason to feel confident.
Ning Xiaochun was anxious, but couldn't openly talk about Spirit Hall's future ambitions. All he could do was speak vaguely and come up with an excuse.
"Dad, I just think... it's better to be prepared! Besides, I'm really interested in those legendary Soul Tools! I read in some ancient books that Soul Tools were once highly advanced in ancient times. Some powerful Soul Tools could even let ordinary people fight Soul Masters! If we can develop some powerful Soul Tools and equip the sect's guards with them, wouldn't that boost our strength by another whole level?"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, as if he really were just a child curious about something new.
"Dad, give me some funding and let me do some research! I promise I won't waste the money! Who knows, I might actually develop something useful!"
Ning Fengzhi looked at his son's shining eyes, brimming with "thirst for knowledge" and "itch to stir things up," and hesitated. Soul Tools?
Were they really useful? Martial Souls and Soul Rings were still the mainstream. Was it worth spending a fortune researching those flashy but impractical things?
But when he saw his son's hopeful expression, he thought of all the surprises the boy had brought him lately.
Twin Martial Souls evolving, a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Immortal Herbs, befriending Poison Douluo... Ning Fengzhi's heart softened.
The sect had plenty of money anyway. He could let the boy play around and treat it as a way to nurture his interests. And what if... he really did come up with something?
"All right." Ning Fengzhi finally nodded. "If it's what you like, your dad will support you. How about this? I'll approve a hundred million Gold Soul Coins in startup funds. Use them to set up a dedicated 'Soul Device Research Department.' You can choose the staff, facilities, and materials from the sect's stores, or recruit people from outside. If you need more, just ask me."
A hundred million! Gold Soul Coins! Startup funds!
Ning Xiaochun almost choked on his own saliva! He'd known his dad was generous, but he hadn't expected him to be this generous!
A hundred million Gold Soul Coins, handed over without even batting an eye! Was this what "couldn't spend it all" meant?!
"Thanks, Dad! You're the best!" Ning Xiaochun was so excited he nearly leaped to his feet. He grabbed Ning Fengzhi's arm and shook it vigorously.
"Don't worry! I won't let you down! I'll develop the most powerful Soul Tools and arm the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to the teeth!"
Ning Fengzhi smiled and ruffled his hair, his eyes full of affection and anticipation.
Though he didn't quite understand why his son was so keen on Soul Tools, as long as the boy was happy and it didn't harm the sect, what was a little money?
After all, they had money to burn.
Ning Xiaochun, meanwhile, silently began making plans. With a hundred million Gold Soul Coins in startup funds, along with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's vast pool of talent and supply network, he was confident that before the "Soul Hunting Operation" began, he could build a "Soul Tool army" of respectable size!
When the time came, even if Spirit Hall really did come knocking, he'd make them lose all their teeth!
Steady growth depended not only on Immortal Herbs and powerful allies, but also on... the power of technology!
In Ning Xiaochun's eyes gleamed a light called "hope" and "stirring things up."
Before you continue