Ning Fengzhi

"Second Brother, you aren't actually trying to compete with a bear, are you?" Tang Yuehua walked up to his side at some point, her voice laced with teasing.

"No." Tang Hao replied in a muffled tone, pulling his gaze away from the Violent Bear and striding toward the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

Watching her brother's stubborn back, Tang Yuehua couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her gaze then drifting involuntarily toward the little boy standing beside Liu Erlong.

After entering the Great Soul Arena, Deng Tianxin had been following quietly by Liu Erlong's side, his short legs moving rapidly to keep up with the adults' pace, looking impossibly well-behaved.

Yet, Tang Yuehua always felt that the little guy's obedience was an act; she couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt that way.

Perhaps it was because the look in his eyes when he occasionally turned around was too clear, lacking the ignorance one would expect from a seven or eight-year-old child.

Perhaps it was because his attitude toward the seven-thousand-year-old Violent Bear beside him was too casual, as if he were ordering around a pet dog.

"Brother Tang Hao, long time no see."

Just then, a man's voice rang out.

Deng Tianxin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a refined and elegant man.

The man looked to be about the same age as Tang Hao, but his attire was exceptionally extraordinary.

He was followed by several middle-aged men who appeared to be his bodyguards.

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

Ning Fengzhi.

Hearing this name, Deng Tianxin's ears immediately perked up.

He hid behind Liu Erlong, poking out only half his head, and used his large, round eyes to calmly size up the refined man.

The Young Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the future Sect Master, the continent's number one support-type Soul Master—any one of these titles alone would be thunderous.

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

He couldn't help but take a few extra looks at Ning Fengzhi.

In all fairness, Ning Fengzhi truly lived up to the description of refined and elegant; his features were handsome, his temperament scholarly, and at a glance, he carried the air of an aristocrat steeped in a great sect since childhood.

Deng Tianxin recalled Ning Rongrong's personality and felt it was quite normal.

Ning Rongrong had the capital to be proud, and furthermore, having been pampered as the apple of Ning Fengzhi's eye since she was small, it would be a wonder if she hadn't turned out that way.

Although Ning Rongrong's personality wasn't great, she wasn't a fool and wouldn't show her bad side to everyone.

Ning Rongrong had one trait that made her better than the vast majority of "young miss" type girls in novels.

That was her ability to think for her family; when Tang San helped her achieve Martial Soul Evolution into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong thought of the sect's rules and was willing to marry Tang San.

On this point alone, she crushed many characters of the same archetype.

Ning Fengzhi exchanged a few pleasantries with Tang Hao, his gaze naturally sweeping over the others present.

He nodded slightly when he saw Tang Xiao, clearly an old acquaintance, and when he saw Tang Yuehua, his gaze lingered politely for a moment before moving on.

But when he saw Liu Erlong and Deng Tianxin, his expression clearly faltered for a moment.

"This is..." Ning Fengzhi looked at Tang Hao, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Oh, these two are friends we just met," Tang Hao stepped aside to reveal Liu Erlong and Deng Tianxin, "Liu Erlong, Deng Tianxin, both from Spirit Hall."

Liu Erlong didn't state her identity, and Tang Hao assumed she was also from Spirit Hall.

He felt that Liu Erlong was likely someone specifically assigned to protect Deng Tianxin.

Upon hearing the words "Spirit Hall," Ning Fengzhi's brows twitched slightly, but he quickly returned to his composed smile.

Ning Fengzhi cupped his hands toward Liu Erlong, his tone polite and thorough, "So you are friends from Spirit Hall, a pleasure, a pleasure. For Lady Erlong to have such cultivation at such a young age, Spirit Hall truly is full of talent."

Liu Erlong returned the gesture generously, her expression calm.

Although she didn't like these empty, flowery pleasantries, her upbringing...

Ning Fengzhi's gaze continued to move, then stopped on Deng Tianxin.

He looked down at the little one who only reached his knees, blinking once, then blinking again.

Deng Tianxin had a pair of rounded dragon horns atop his forehead, and he was looking up at him with those dark, liquid eyes, a standard, well-behaved smile hanging on his small face.

Ning Fengzhi recalled something and said with a smile, "Little Friend Deng, I have long admired your name."

He naturally knew about Deng Tianxin's identity.

Bibi Dong was Deng Tianxin's teacher, a fact known to the higher-ups of every faction.

Judging by the reactions of the three Tangs, they likely didn't know the relationship between Deng Tianxin and Bibi Dong.

Deng Tianxin blinked, the well-behaved smile on his small face remaining perfectly still, though he was already rolling his eyes internally.

Long admired his name?

He was a seven-year-old brat; where would he get a "great name" for the Young Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to admire? This Ning Fengzhi was truly an old fox, spouting pleasantries without even needing a draft. However, one doesn't hit a smiling face; since the man had given him enough face, he couldn't very well tear it down.

"Sect Master Ning is joking," Deng Tianxin stepped out from behind Liu Erlong and bowed properly, "I am just a child, what great name could I possibly have that would be worth Sect Master Ning's admiration?"

A glimmer of appreciation flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.

His previous remark was indeed a pleasantry, but it also carried a hint of probing.

He wanted to see exactly how much weight this child, whom Bibi Dong had taken as a disciple, truly carried.

The little fellow was neither servile nor overbearing; he was neither flattered by being singled out by a big shot, nor did he use Bibi Dong's name to bully others. His speech was so composed that it didn't sound like that of a seven-year-old at all.

It was no wonder Bibi Dong had taken him as a disciple; he was certainly no ordinary person.

Tang Hao, standing to the side, furrowed his brows and interjected in a gruff voice, "Ning Fengzhi, do you know this little guy?"

"I wouldn't say I know him, but I have certainly heard of young friend Deng's great name," Ning Fengzhi said, straightening up as his gaze swept across the faces of Tang Hao and his two companions.

Seeing their blank expressions, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but chuckle. "It seems the three of you have only just come down from the mountain and the news hasn't reached you yet. A year ago, the Spirit Hall Saintess Bibi Dong took on a personal disciple; this matter has long since spread through the upper echelons of all the major powers. However, Bibi Dong has protected this disciple exceptionally well. The outside world only knows that she took in a child with extraordinary talent, but very few know the child's specific age or appearance. If not for this chance encounter today, I would not have known that the legendary disciple of the Saintess was so young."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise flashed through Tang Yuehua's eyes.

She looked the little boy over once more, trying to connect him with the image of Bibi Dong she held in her mind.

She had met Bibi Dong before; she had caught a glimpse of her from afar when she accompanied her father to visit Spirit Hall a few years ago.

That woman had stood beside the Pope, dressed in white as snow, peerless in her grace, with an edge to her every movement that made one afraid to look her in the eye.