Who Are You? Why Do You Know Our Tang Sect's Secret Arts?

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ning Tian froze. Her clear almond eyes widened round, and her little face was filled with utter confusion. She subconsciously stepped forward, tugged at Ning An's sleeve, and asked softly, "Brother? Since when did our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... have the Nine Treasure Arts?"

In her understanding, the sect had been passed down for ten thousand years. Its core foundation consisted only of the Glazed Tile Pagoda's supportive amplification methods and the inherited secret technique, Distraction Control, which she had already learned.

As for these so-called Nine Treasure Arts, she had never even heard of them!

Ning Tian was not the only one filled with confusion. Huo Yuhao, who had just steadied himself after fusing Tianmeng Iceworm's soul power, also looked over with a baffled expression.

He came from humble origins and had little knowledge, but he still knew that the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the ultimate support-type sect.

Would a support sect's secret arts even be useful for him to learn?

Could his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul really be of any use—enough to support others, at least?

Facing their doubts, Ning An remained calm. He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of inscrutability. "You're still young. It's perfectly normal that you don't know about such secret arts."

He possessed the complete Tang Sect Secret Arts. Calling them the Nine Treasure Arts made them orthodox.

Ning Tian nodded her little head as though she understood, then stopped asking questions. Her eyes were full of trust as she looked at her brother.

In her heart, everything Ning An said and did was always right.

What if Ning An was wrong?

How could her brother be wrong? You already had a path to death.

Hidden among the shadows of the treetops in the dense forest, the Third Elder of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who was secretly escorting and protecting the two of them, stiffened behind a tree trunk when he heard Ning An's words.

His aged face cracked with disbelief as thoughts frantically flooded his mind:

??????

Young Sect Master, I've lived for nearly several hundred years!

I joined the sect as a child and studied every ancient text and secret manual in the sect, visited every treasury in the sect!

I have overseen the outer sect's rules and discipline for decades!

I didn't know either! So I'm still young too?

The Third Elder's heart had long been thrown into stormy waves, and he was completely dumbfounded.

If such arts truly existed, how had he never heard even the slightest word of them?

Just as the Third Elder was shaken and uncertain, Ning An's gaze suddenly pierced through layer upon layer of leaves and shadows, accurately locking onto his hiding place. He spoke calmly, "Third Elder, no need to hide. Come out and cultivate with us."

The Third Elder trembled all over. He hurriedly reined in all his thoughts and no longer dared to remain hidden. With a flash of his body, he stepped silently across the leaves and landed respectfully on the ground.

He bowed deeply, lowering his head with utmost humility. "This subordinate obeys the Young Sect Master's order!"

As an established Soul Douluo-level expert, he was now filled with reverence, without the slightest remaining doubt.

Ning An possessed twin top-tier Martial Souls.

Perhaps the Nine Treasure Arts were automatically inherited after the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda successfully evolved.

Ning An swept his gaze across the three people before him. Ning Tian was lively and charming, Huo Yuhao was tough and enduring, and the Third Elder possessed deep foundations. This was the perfect opportunity to teach them the complete secret arts and strengthen the sect's foundation.

"I will now teach you three secret arts: Ghost Shadow Track, Jade Hand, and Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon."

"Ghost Shadow Track changes in an instant, leaving neither shadow nor trace. It can evade countless attacks, and its speed reigns supreme among those of the same rank."

"Jade Hand tempers the body until it becomes indestructible like diamond. It can block weapons with bare hands and fears no poison's corrosion."

"Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon allows one to control force as one wishes, manipulate objects from afar, seize and bind enemies, and become invincible in close combat."

After the simple introduction, Ning An gave them detailed instruction.

He explained the complete cultivation formulas, soul power circulation paths, and techniques for exerting force for all three secret arts.

Ning Tian, Huo Yuhao, and the Third Elder immediately focused, holding their breath as they carefully memorized everything. Following his instructions, they circulated their soul power and attempted to cultivate.

All three possessed considerable talent, but their first encounter with such top-tier secret arts still left them exceedingly unfamiliar and clumsy.

Ning Tian's figure was petite and graceful, but when she used Ghost Shadow Track, her steps staggered and became disordered. She nearly twisted her ankle several times, her cheeks puffed up as she practiced with adorable seriousness.

Huo Yuhao had the weakest foundation and a frail body. When he circulated Jade Hand, his soul power moved sluggishly. The faint glow in his palms flickered on and off, making it difficult to gather any force.

The Third Elder had the highest cultivation and the strongest foundation, but suddenly practicing close-combat techniques still felt awkward in every way. His control over the force of Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon was terrible, and he missed again and again.

The three stumbled through their practice, progressing slowly and displaying all the awkwardness of beginners.

Meanwhile, Ning An merely observed and memorized the techniques twice before casually attempting to circulate them.

Buzz!

The soul power around his body trembled lightly, and his figure suddenly blurred!

An afterimage remained where he stood, while his true body had already shifted several meters away. His steps were light and ethereal, difficult to distinguish between real and illusory. He made no sound as he rose and fell—it was Ghost Shadow Track!

His figure twisted, turned, and darted about, moving left and right as he crossed dozens of meters in an instant. Even the forest breeze could not keep up with his trajectory. He landed without a sound and left no trace upon the leaves. He had fully grasped every profound principle of the movement technique, attaining complete mastery!

At the same time, his hands glowed with a gentle, lustrous jade-white radiance. His skin was translucent and hard, impervious to baleful energy. It was Jade Hand.

His five fingers curled slightly, then drew inward through the air. A chunk of broken stone weighing several pounds instantly rose from the ground and steadily landed in his palm. Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon was completely under his command!

He mastered it after one pass and had learned it after two.

By comparison, the other three's awkward clumsiness only made Ning An's monstrous talent stand out all the more!

The Third Elder watched the boy's flowing, miraculous footwork, his eyes widened round as all that remained in his heart was boundless shock.

I once fancied myself a genius, but only after seeing a true genius did I realize that even between geniuses, there could be an insurmountable chasm.

No, the Young Sect Master was not a genius. He was a monster—a hope destined to lead the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to glory once more.

Ning Tian's eyes sparkled with stars. He stopped his clumsy attempts and stared at his brother in a daze, his gaze filled with worship.

My brother is incredible! I could smash my head against a wall for him!

Huo Yuhao's heart trembled even more, and his determination to follow Ning An in cultivating diligently and growing stronger became firmer than ever!

He had to learn it. He absolutely could not let the Young Sect Master down.

Ning An immersed himself in refining the ultimate technique, constantly pondering it. His footwork grew faster and more ethereal, the aura around him increasingly condensed. Every movement carried the bearing of a grandmaster.

But just as he performed Ghost Shadow Track once more, his figure flickering between substance and illusion as he swept ten meters away—

A voice full of shock and disbelief suddenly rang out.

Its tone was filled with utter astonishment and incredulity, even carrying a faint tremble!

"Th-this footwork trajectory!"

"Reality and illusion give rise to each other, treading the wind without leaving a trace! This is the Tang Sect's secret ultimate technique—Ghost Shadow Track?!"

A girl with a single ponytail and a mild-tempered young man walked over side by side. As they looked at those present, their eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

The girl was Tang Ya, the current Sect Master of the Tang Sect. The young man was Bei Bei, Mu En's descendant at Shrek Academy, possessor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and Tang Ya's lover.

Tang Ya seemed to have thought of something. She stared fixedly at Ning An as a stalk of Blue Silver Grass quietly sprouted from her wrist.

"Who are you? Why do you know our Tang Sect's ultimate technique?"