The Growth Path of the Magic Sword

"Mm, child, no need to be so formal. We're family from now on. If you're willing, you can call me Uncle Ning," Ning Fengzhi said with a kindly smile.

"Okay, Uncle Ning." Tianlin did not stand on ceremony. After all, forms of address were one way to bring people closer.

Ning Fengzhi was undoubtedly the most qualified Sect Master the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could have. He combined authority and kindness toward his own people, while always treating outsiders with a warm and gracious demeanor.

Thus, ever since he succeeded as Sect Master, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had enjoyed an excellent reputation among spirit masters.

Perhaps seven parts of Ning Fengzhi's smile were genuine and three parts false, making him seem somewhat hypocritical. But if someone could only be hypocritical for a while, then once exposed, they would naturally be scorned by all. If they could remain hypocritical for a lifetime, however, then they were no different from a saint.

It was under Ning Fengzhi's leadership that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had risen to become the second greatest sect in the world.

"Then I'll call you Xiao Tian from now on. Come, Xiao Tian, step into the Main Hall and let us see your Martial Soul!" What Ning Fengzhi cared about most was, naturally, Tianlin's actual talent.

After all, he had only heard about it through an outer sect disciple's report. He believed only what he saw himself.

"Yes!" Tianlin stepped forward, extended his right hand, and summoned the magic sword with his mind.

In an instant, sword intent gathered throughout the Main Hall. Countless sword phantoms seemed to emerge from every direction, ready to pierce an enemy through the heart with ten thousand blades in the blink of an eye.

"What a terrifying Martial Soul. It does not even have a single Soul Ring, yet it possesses such sword intent!" Chen Xin exclaimed. With his attainments, he could naturally tell that the sword intent came not from Tianlin, but from the sword itself.

"Sword Grandpa, I'm scared!" Ning Rongrong pouted as though she were about to cry, burying her head deeply in Chen Xin's arms and not daring to show her face.

Locked onto by such overwhelming sword intent, she felt as though the sword were pressed against her neck. How could a little girl not be afraid?

"Rongrong, don't be afraid. Grandpa is here!" Chen Xin waved his hand, and the even stronger sword intent of the Seven Kill Sword spread out, instantly dispersing the magic sword's sword intent.

As expected of Sword Douluo. In terms of swordsmanship, no one on the entire continent could surpass him.

Tianlin steadied himself and said, "Uncle Ning, Your Excellencies, this is my Martial Soul, the Demon Suppressing Sword. The sword intent just now was its Innate Spirit Ability, Phantom Sword. One sword becomes ten thousand swords, slaughtering every enemy!"

"An Innate Spirit Ability—it truly is extraordinary. Old Sword Man, it seems to share the same marvelous principle as your sixth Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin," Bone Douluo Gu Rong said with a sigh.

Chen Xin nodded. "That's right, and it is even stronger than my Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin. This Innate Spirit Ability can grow along with Tianlin's level. Perhaps one day, it may even rival the ninth Soul Skills of some Titled Douluo."

"Uncle Sword, I think this child is quite fated with you. Why not take him as your disciple? Don't you still lack a successor?" Ning Fengzhi suddenly suggested.

Tianlin felt grateful when he heard that. This was precisely his main purpose in coming to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Chen Xin considered it. "I can allow him to call me Teacher for now, and I will be responsible for guiding his cultivation afterward."

He did not agree outright. A teacher and a master were entirely different things. There were teachers everywhere in an academy, but a master could only be one person. Chen Xin was extremely strict when choosing someone. Beyond talent, perseverance, temperament, and character were all within his considerations.

Still, Tianlin had gained an opportunity. Chen Xin had not rejected him directly, but had effectively given Tianlin a trial period. Only if Tianlin satisfied him would he formally accept him as a disciple.

"Thank you, Teacher. This disciple will devote himself to cultivation and strive to earn Teacher's recognition as soon as possible!" Tianlin walked before Chen Xin and bowed.

Seeing this, Chen Xin became even more satisfied. Tianlin had completely understood his unspoken meaning. With such talent and intelligence, it seemed he truly would gain a Direct Disciple before long.

"Your name is Tianlin, right? My name is Rongrong. I'm the young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Since you've joined the sect, you have to listen to me from now on and be my little brother." Ning Rongrong jumped out of Chen Xin's arms, tear tracks still hanging on her face. Clearly, she was very displeased that Tianlin had frightened her just now.

"I can protect you, but I won't be your little brother." Tianlin immediately refused. He had no intention of indulging this Little Devil Girl.

"Sword Grandpa, look at him!" Ning Rongrong immediately complained without another word.

"Enough, Rongrong. It is enough that Tianlin has agreed to protect you. You should become good friends with him; you must never use your status to bully others," Ning Fengzhi promptly lectured.

As an auxiliary-type spirit master, the most important thing was finding comrades to whom one could entrust one's back. Given Tianlin's talent, Ning Fengzhi hoped he could become the person Ning Rongrong needed.

Just like Ning Fengzhi himself, he never put on airs as Sect Master before Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. In his heart, the two Douluo were his comrades and family.

"Rongrong, listen to your father. Tianlin's Martial Soul does not permit him to bow his head to anyone," Chen Xin said. As a swordsman himself, he knew that a swordsman with a sword heart could not bow to any person or thing. Only by pressing forward without hesitation could one reach the pinnacle of the sword path.

"Hmph, none of you are helping me. Rongrong hates you all!" Unfortunately, Ning Rongrong was still too young to understand her father's and grandfather's good intentions. Her willful nature flared up, and without saying goodbye, she ran out on her own.

"Sigh, this child." Ning Fengzhi sighed, then looked at Tianlin. "I'm truly sorry, Tianlin. I've spoiled my daughter too much. Go rest for now. Early tomorrow morning, Uncle Sword will take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain your first Soul Ring."

"It's all right, Uncle Ning. Then I'll take my leave." With that, Tianlin withdrew from the Main Hall.

A disciple had long been waiting outside. Ning Fengzhi had arranged for him to lead Tianlin to the room where he would be living from then on.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth was truly beyond imagination. Even a newly initiated disciple like him had his own private room, and it was luxurious and spacious. Living in a place like this every day was extravagance deserving of divine punishment.

Of course, that was only because he was Tianlin. With his talent, he was a reserve Titled Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Other disciples did not receive such treatment.

Tianlin did not hurry to rest. Instead, he went to the desk, took out paper and a pen, and began considering his Soul Ring configuration. No one understood the magic sword better than he did, so he had to decide for himself how to choose his Soul Rings.

The magic sword's growth differed somewhat from that of other swords. The Soul Rings it needed to absorb were not ones focused on sharpness or hardness, but on the major elements.

Water, fire, wind, lightning, earth.

Through different combinations of these five elements, different Soul Skills could be born, with dozens of possible arrangements.

From among those dozens of possibilities, Tianlin had to select the nine strongest and most practical ones as his Soul Skills!