Li Jing exchanged a glance with his wife.
"Of course, Senior Brother Yuntian!"
Li Jing stepped forward almost without hesitation and clasped Su Yuntian's hand excitedly. "I'm Li Jing, an outer disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Please just call me by my name. It's a blessing for our family that Zha'er can receive special training from the sect. We couldn't be happier-why would we ever refuse?"
Su Yuntian nodded, then turned his gaze to Yin Shiniang.
The mother, however, kept her head lowered, looking at little Nezha in her arms. Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but she swallowed the words.
She was merely an ordinary commoner Soul Grandmaster, far less worldly than her husband. Yet mother and son were bound heart to heart. With her six-year-old son about to leave her side, she felt as though someone had gouged a piece out of her heart.
Nezha keenly sensed his mother's hesitation. He reached out his little hand, caught Yin Shiniang's finger, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Mother, don't worry." He tilted his head up and gave her a childlike smile. "I'll train hard at the sect. Once I'm stronger, I'll come back to see you both."
Yin Shiniang's nose stung, and she nearly burst into tears again. Still, she bit her lip and nodded firmly.
"All right. I'll be waiting for you."
Seeing this, Su Yuntian added at just the right moment, "Please rest assured. The sect is near Nine Treasures City; he won't be traveling far. Between training sessions, the sect will arrange for disciples to return home regularly to visit their families. You'll still have your family reunions."
Only then did Yin Shiniang fully relax. At last, a smile appeared on her face, and she bowed slightly to Su Yuntian. "Thank you, my lord."
Su Yuntian waved a hand and said no more, merely turning to extend his hand to Nezha.
"Come, child. From this day onward, you are a disciple of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
Nezha climbed down from his mother's arms and stood on the ground. He looked up at the powerful Soul King before him, then glanced back at his parents behind him.
His father gave him a thumbs-up. His mother vigorously wiped the corners of her eyes and waved to him.
He took a deep breath, reached out his little hand, and clasped Su Yuntian's palm.
"Let's go."
He turned and followed Su Yuntian, only stealing a glance back after taking several steps.
His parents stood shoulder to shoulder, watching him leave. The morning sun shone from behind them, stretching their shadows long, long across the ground.
Nezha withdrew his gaze and tightened his grip on Su Yuntian's hand. The trace of childishness on his little face slowly faded, and a composure beyond his years quietly settled over his features.
Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, here I come.
Meanwhile, deep within the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Another martial soul awakening was taking place inside the sect's great hall.
Unlike the Nine Treasures Hall in Nine Treasures City, which served commoners, this hall was several times grander. Its ceiling soared high overhead, and eight enormous glazed pillars supported the entire space. Soul tool inscriptions covered the pillars, shimmering faintly with seven-colored light.
The floor was paved with a single slab of blue jade, polished enough to mirror anyone standing upon it. It reflected the glazed chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the entire hall as brightly as day.
Two men stood side by side atop a raised platform.
The man on the left appeared to be in his forties. He was slender, with a face like fine jade and a scholarly air about his features. His moon-white robe was spotless. He was Ning Zhiyuan, the current sect master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed calmly down from the platform, though a faint trace of worry lingered between his brows.
The man on the right was entirely different. He stood eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with long crimson hair hanging loosely over his shoulders. The bristles of his curly beard stood up like steel needles. Arms folded across his chest, he stood like an iron tower cast in raging fire, radiating a searing aura that made hearts tremble.
He was the pillar that steadied the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect: the level ninety-six Red Dragon Douluo, Wu Yun.
Below the platform, a group of six-year-old children stood in line, approaching the awakening formation one by one. An elderly Soul Saint from the sect presided over the awakening. His movements were steady and practiced; clearly, he had conducted countless such ceremonies.
"Ning Bo, martial soul: Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Innate soul power: level five."
"Feng Zizai, martial soul: Gale Demon Wolf. Innate soul power: level six."
"Xiao Huohuo, martial soul: flame. Innate soul power: level five."
"Ning Defu, martial soul: Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Innate soul power: level seven."
The children stepped forward one by one, then withdrew to the side. The crystal ball lit up again and again, its glow sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, yet it never produced a brilliance dazzling enough to catch the eye.
Ning Zhiyuan's gaze swept over each child's face. His expression remained calm, but a trace of disappointment in his eyes was difficult to conceal.
These children all had innate soul power of level five or higher. In any small sect elsewhere, they would have been considered fine talents, but the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect needed far more than that.
Ever since the Heaven Dou Empire had stripped the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect of its status as the nation's protector sect and begun supporting the Body Sect instead, the sect had faced suppression both openly and in secret. If no genius capable of shouldering its burden emerged within the next century...
"Ah!"
Unable to hold it back any longer, Ning Zhiyuan let out a heavy sigh.
"Although these children's innate levels are generally five or higher, none has shown a talent powerful enough to support the sect a hundred years from now."
His voice was quiet but heavy, as though a stone that had weighed on him for a long time had finally rolled out of his chest.
Hearing this, Red Dragon Douluo Wu Yun turned to look at the sect master. He and Ning Zhiyuan had known each other for decades, and he was one of the few people in the sect whose words carried weight with him.
This Titled Douluo, famous for his fiery temper, softened his voice in a rare display of gentleness:
"Don't worry, Sect Master."
He raised a hand and patted Ning Zhiyuan's shoulder. The touch was light, yet it held the particular concern shared between old brothers.
"It isn't over yet. Look, little Tian and little Feng are almost up."
Ning Zhiyuan paused briefly at those words, then hurriedly turned his gaze back toward the children below.
Ning Tian-his daughter by his principal wife-had shown intelligence far beyond that of her peers from an early age. Even several of the sect's elders had been unstinting in their praise of her.
As for Wu Feng, Red Dragon Douluo Wu Yun's child, she had grown up alongside Ning Tian. Ning Zhiyuan also had high hopes for her, hoping she would become the next Douluo to guard the sect.
These two children were the true main event of today's awakening ceremony.
Ning Zhiyuan unconsciously tightened his hands behind his back, his knuckles turning slightly white. Below, the Soul Saint overseeing the ceremony raised his head and glanced toward the platform, seemingly awaiting the sect master's signal.
Ning Zhiyuan nodded slightly.
Understanding, the Soul Saint turned to face forward and called out:
"Next-Ning Tian!"
Every gaze swung toward the small figure at the front of the line.
A girl with her hair tied in a single ponytail stepped out of the line, her pace calm and unhurried. Her dress was white as snow, her skin like jade, and her large, dark eyes were clear to their depths. Standing within the awakening formation, she showed none of the timidity of other children her age.
"Focus your mind and calm your breath!"
The Soul Saint channeled soul power into the formation. A moment later, its light blazed fully to life.
A radiant pagoda appeared in Ning Tian's hand. As expected, it was another Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Unexpectedly, when Ning Tian placed her hand on the crystal ball, it burst into brilliant light, its entire interior filling with radiance in an instant.
"Innate full soul power! Wonderful, wonderful! That's my little Tian!" Red Dragon Douluo exclaimed joyfully. After all, throughout the sect's entire history, there had never been a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda with innate full soul power.
Ning Zhiyuan was delighted as well. Ning Tian's emergence had settled the matter of the sect's successor. Now everything depended on Wu Feng.
As long as her innate soul power reached level nine, the support of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would ensure she became a Titled Douluo. With Ning Tian and Wu Feng together, the sect's future would then be secure.
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