Ning Fengzhi

"Second brother, don't tell me you're picking a fight with a bear." Tang Yuehua had appeared beside him at some point, her voice tinged with teasing.

"No." Tang Hao grunted, pulling his gaze away from the Violent Bear and striding toward the Soul Fighting Arena entrance.

Watching her elder brother's stubborn retreat, Tang Yuehua couldn't help covering her mouth with a laugh. Then her gaze drifted, almost of its own accord, back to the little boy standing beside Liu Erlong.

After entering the Great Soul Arena, Deng Tianxin had quietly stayed by Liu Erlong's side. His little legs had to churn at a furious pace just to keep up with the adults, and he looked so well-behaved it was almost unbelievable.

Yet Tang Yuehua couldn't shake the feeling that the little tyke was only pretending to be good. She couldn't say why she thought so.

Perhaps it was because the occasional glance he cast her way was too clear and perceptive, unlike the hazy innocence one would expect from a seven- or eight-year-old.

Perhaps it was because he treated the seven-thousand-year-old Violent Bear beside him so casually, as if he were ordering around a pet dog.

Just then, a man's voice rang out.

"Brother Tang Hao, long time no see."

Deng Tianxin looked toward the voice and saw a refined, elegant man.

The man looked about the same age as Tang Hao, but his clothes were extraordinarily fine.

Several middle-aged men followed behind him, looking like his bodyguards.

Tang Hao smiled and greeted him. "Ning Fengzhi, long time no see."

Ning Fengzhi.

At the sound of that name, Deng Tianxin's ears perked up.

He hid behind Liu Erlong, showing only half his head as his round, bright eyes discreetly sized up the refined, elegant man.

The young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, its future sect master, the continent's number-one support-type Soul Master—any one of those titles alone was impressive enough.

But the first label that popped into Deng Tianxin's mind was Ning Rongrong's dad.

He couldn't help taking another couple of looks at Ning Fengzhi.

To be fair, Ning Fengzhi truly lived up to the words refined and elegant. His features were handsome, his bearing cultured. At a glance, he had the air of a nobleman raised from childhood within a great sect.

Thinking of Ning Rongrong's personality, Deng Tianxin felt it made perfect sense.

Ning Rongrong had every reason to be proud. Besides, Ning Fengzhi had doted on her as the apple of his eye since she was little. It would've been strange if she hadn't turned out that way.

Though Ning Rongrong's personality wasn't the best, she wasn't a fool and didn't show her bad side to everyone.

There was one thing Ning Rongrong had that made her better than most young ladies of her type in novels.

She knew to think of her clan. When Tang San helped her evolve her Martial Soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong had considered her sect's rules and was willing to marry Tang San.

That alone put her head and shoulders above many similar characters.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Tang Hao, Ning Fengzhi naturally let his gaze sweep over everyone else present.

He gave Tang Xiao a slight nod, clearly recognizing an old acquaintance. When he saw Tang Yuehua, his gaze rested on her politely for an instant before moving on.

But when he saw Liu Erlong and Deng Tianxin, his expression plainly faltered.

"May I ask who these two are...?" Ning Fengzhi looked at Tang Hao, his tone carrying a note of inquiry.

"Oh, these two are friends we just met," Tang Hao said, shifting aside to introduce Liu Erlong and Deng Tianxin. "Liu Erlong and Deng Tianxin. They're both from Spirit Hall."

Liu Erlong hadn't mentioned her identity, so Tang Hao assumed she was also from Spirit Hall.

He figured Liu Erlong was probably there specifically to protect Deng Tianxin.

At the words Spirit Hall, Ning Fengzhi's brows twitched slightly, but he quickly resumed his composed smile.

Ning Fengzhi cupped his hands toward Liu Erlong and spoke with courteous warmth. "So you're friends from Spirit Hall. A pleasure to meet you. Miss Erlong, you're so young and already so accomplished. Spirit Hall truly has no shortage of talent."

Liu Erlong returned the greeting openly, her expression calm.

Though she didn't care for all this empty politeness, her upbringing—

Ning Fengzhi's gaze continued onward, then settled on Deng Tianxin.

He looked down at the little one who came only up to his knees, blinked once, then blinked again.

Deng Tianxin had a pair of smooth, rounded dragon horns on his forehead. He tilted his head up, gazing at Ning Fengzhi with large, shining eyes and wearing a perfectly well-behaved smile.

After thinking for a moment, Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Little Friend Deng, I've long heard of you."

He naturally knew who Deng Tianxin was.

Everyone at the upper levels of the various powers knew that Bibi Dong was Deng Tianxin's teacher.

Judging by the reactions of Tang Hao and the others, they didn't seem to know about Deng Tianxin's connection to Bibi Dong.

Deng Tianxin blinked. The well-behaved smile on his little face didn't budge, but inwardly, he rolled his eyes.

Long heard of him?

He was a seven-year-old brat. What fame could he possibly have that would reach the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Ning Fengzhi really was an old fox. He could dish out pleasantries without even needing to draft them first. Still, you didn't hit a man who was smiling, and since Ning Fengzhi had shown him such respect, he couldn't exactly call him out.

"Sect Master Ning, you're joking," Deng Tianxin said, stepping out from behind Liu Erlong and giving a proper bow. "I'm just a child. What fame could I possibly have for you to have heard of me?"

A hint of approval flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

His remark had indeed been a pleasantry, but it had also been a small test.

He wanted to see what the child Bibi Dong had taken as her disciple was made of.

The little fellow was neither obsequious nor arrogant. He hadn't been flattered into a daze at being addressed by an important figure, nor had he thrown his weight around by trading on Bibi Dong's reputation. He spoke with a tactfulness far beyond his seven years.

No wonder Bibi Dong had taken him as her disciple. He was clearly no ordinary child.

Beside them, Tang Hao frowned and cut in gruffly. "Ning Fengzhi, you know this little fellow?"

"I wouldn't say I know him, but I've indeed heard of Little Friend Deng," Ning Fengzhi replied, straightening up and glancing across the faces of Tang Hao and the others.

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help laughing. "It seems the three of you only recently came down from the mountains. The news hasn't reached you yet. A year ago, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong, took on a personal disciple. That news has long since spread among the upper circles of the major powers. Bibi Dong has kept her disciple under close protection, though. The outside world only knows she took in a child with extraordinary talent, and very few know the child's exact age or appearance. If we hadn't crossed paths today, I wouldn't have known that the Saintess's legendary disciple was so young."

A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Yuehua's eyes.

She looked the little boy over again, trying to connect him with the Bibi Dong she remembered.

She had seen Bibi Dong before. A few years ago, she had visited Spirit Hall with her father and caught a glimpse of her from afar.

That woman had stood beside the Pope, dressed in white as pure as snow, breathtakingly beautiful. Every gesture radiated a sharpness that made people afraid to look directly at her.