Seven Kill Sword

Seven months were only a fleeting instant in the long span of life.

And now, seven months later, it happened to be graduation day for the students of Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy.

This year was already Han Tao's sixth year since crossing over.

Tang San and Xiao Wu accepted the recommendation letters from Yu Xiaogang's hand, left Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy, passed through the dense Star Dou Great Forest, and arrived at a new place: Suotuo City.

Rose Hotel would welcome two guests, and they would clash with the Evil Eye White Tiger who was staying there long-term.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with Han Tao.

At this moment, he was hurrying to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to take part in the Sect's annual assessment.

"Han Tao!"

Soul power, rank 23.

Yes. In seven months, his soul power had only risen by two ranks.

But what he had gained in exchange was an improvement in his cultivation foundation and depth of knowledge.

Perhaps to other soul masters, such gains would only make them let out a sneer.

But to Han Tao, they were the foundation for building a ten-thousand-zhang tower, an indispensable part of the process of Soul Power Growth.

Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi instead nodded slightly. There were many in the Sect who were worse than Han Tao.

For example, Hidden Dragon—Ning Tian.

"Next, Ning Tian!"

A young man with dark circles under his eyes and unsteady steps arrived at the center of the Training Field.

"What, the Library Pavilion couldn't contain the elegance in your heart?"

"I wonder... what kind of talent could create such a masterpiece?"

With a strange, barbed tone, Ning Fengzhi took a copy of Empire Romantic Culture Development History from a drawer in the podium at the venue.

This book was the Research Findings of this Hidden Dragon Mister over the past year.

Han Tao had once respectfully read this great work (he had not). Inside were extremely obscure illustrations, as well as the historical development path of the romance industry, and the connections between different stages of the romance industry and their influence on the empire's culture, economy, and soul masters.

Although Hidden Dragon Ning Tian was intoxicated with matters of "romance," he had at least conducted in-depth research and study. Immersed in it over time, he had produced certain results.

"Enough. This year, I won't dock your stipend."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head and instructed Manager Ning.

When Ning Tian heard this, light instantly flashed in his eyes.

Not docking his stipend could be understood as not continuing to dock his stipend this year, or it could be understood as canceling last year's stipend reduction this year.

One meant staying where he was; the other meant an increase in stipend. It all depended on Ning Tian's comprehension. He decided to maneuver this properly. Ning Fengzhi had not made his words clear, so the blame could not fall on him.

After Hidden Dragon came Young Phoenix.

The next was Ning Rongrong.

"You've never scored over 30 on theory. Ning Rongrong, tell me, what is going on?"

Ning Fengzhi looked calmly at his daughter.

As expected, wherever Ning Rongrong was, the tone of the scene could never possibly remain normal.

"It's not that I haven't learned theory properly. It's that the theories they researched are wrong!"

"I believe the most important thing for support-type soul masters is to find powerful teammates."

"As long as your teammates are strong enough, strong enough, these theories are completely meaningless."

Han Tao did not refute her. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps I lacked foresight.

In the original work, that was exactly what she had done. He had not expected that she really would manage to find a backer—the thickest backer on the entire Douluo Continent.

The great clever one truly lived up to her reputation.

As Rongrong's words fell, the atmosphere gradually grew awkward. Even the mature and steady Ning Fengzhi did not know how he should answer.

He stroked his beard, considered it over and over, and finally asked half a question tentatively.

"What kind of teammates do you need?"

Ning Rongrong bit her finger and answered as soon as she opened her mouth: "Mm... like Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa."

"They said they would protect me for my whole life."

Her innocent, carefree voice drifted over.

Perhaps, under the protection of two Titled Douluo, this was her truest thought.

"And I also want to go find my teammates myself!"

The little girl's eyes carried traces of longing, as if she were imagining what kind of beautiful world lay beyond the Sect.

Ning Rongrong's eyes were full of spirit. This was a gaze that had never been tainted by knowledge.

Han Tao guessed: in the ancestral line of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, there had once been someone born with the "Multi-Dimensional Domain" recorded in books, who exhausted calculations of all kinds of data to obtain the most precise conclusion.

And this portion of calculation had been passed down along with their genes, becoming an innate "Spiritual Sense."

Ning Rongrong undoubtedly possessed this portion of "Spiritual Sense."

Of course, this was only a guess. Guessing was different from inference; guesses could be extremely bold.

Hearing his daughter's words, Ning Fengzhi's expression did not change. It seemed that after a year apart, he had already mastered "Keep Emotions Hidden" to perfection.

Or perhaps Ning Rongrong's encounter with Shrek had been within his expectations from the very beginning.

"Since that's what you think, then go ahead and do it. I won't stop you."

To Ning Rongrong's idea, Ning Fengzhi unexpectedly gave an affirmative answer.

Han Tao froze.

He was just letting her leave like this, without even sending someone to protect her? This was your daughter. How could your heart be that big?

Han Tao looked at the Sect Master in confusion, only to see him casually wave his hand, tacitly allowing Ning Rongrong to leave.

"Han Tao!" A crisp female voice rang beside his ear. "You're also an auxiliary Soul Master. Come with me to look for teammates."

He turned his head and saw a pair of eyes filled with yearning and hope.

Mm! As for the idea of finding teammates, perhaps she did not have it.

But the idea of going out to play—she not only had it, it was written all over her face.

"Forget it. It's too dangerous outside."

He could sense an icy aura coming from afar.

If he agreed to her, his ending might not be all that pleasant.

Besides, Han Tao was not willing to go out with this young lady either. Two auxiliary Soul Masters with no combat power running off together to train, supposedly to find teammates?

Oh, my heavens. What an absurd idea.

"If you don't want to go out, plenty of people will!" Ning Rongrong was very angry.

She pouted and stomped her foot.

Her gaze swept across the Sect Disciples, and in the end she picked Ning Tian, that great wronged soul!

Ning Tian was unwilling to agree, and did not dare to agree either.

Ning Fengzhi's Secret Voice Transmission, carrying a whistling, bone-chilling cold wind, had already forced its way into her ears:

"If you dare agree, don't even think about taking a single coin of this year's stipend!"

And so, Ning Tian refused.

After Ning Rongrong heard this, her face crumpled miserably. At such a young age, she actually looked utterly heartbroken.

But there could be a second time, not a third.

"Again and again, over and over" was the behavior of those with firm wills. Han Tao and Ning Tian's refusals had struck a blow to her fragile heart, and her mischievous voice even carried a hint of tears.

She did not go looking for the next unlucky victim. She glared hatefully, then ran out of the Training Field.

As Ning Rongrong left, the Training Field instantly fell silent.

"You two really have guts."

Many disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect looked at Han Tao and Ning Tian with strange eyes.

"Sword Douluo is about to go berserk."

Ning Tian leaned close to Han Tao and whispered.

When Han Tao heard this, he immediately retreated backward.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin, a renowned Titled Douluo across Douluo Continent, would not endure feeling stifled, nor would he care about the ceremonial nature of the sect assessment.

Seven Kill Sword! A vast Soul Power Suppression spread out from the center. The marble floor of the Training Field cracked one after another, and waves of air pushed gravel outward, layer by layer.

"Waves!"

"Magnificent waves!"

A warmth spread across their faces, and a faint salty tang of blood drifted into their noses. The Seven Kill Sword had not yet left its sheath, yet its extremely sharp edge had already swept across everyone's cheeks.

Immediately after came a surging blast of air.

Inside the Training Field, all the Sect Disciples were flipped onto the ground by the airwave.