Ning Fengzhi's Request

Shi Quan's Cabin was not large. Inside, there was only a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. The decorations were simple and plain.

The three of them sat down casually.

Once seated, Ning Fengzhi got straight to the point. "Xiao Quan, I came to visit today because I have a favor to ask."

Shi Quan's gaze flickered slightly, and he hurriedly replied, "Uncle Ning, please, go ahead. No matter what it is, I will certainly do everything in my power."

"With those words, I feel much more at ease." Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly before continuing, "Xiao Quan, I have heard of your Blue Silver Grass Theory. Postnatal Martial Soul Transformation, improving one's innate talent—such an undertaking could be called unparalleled in the world. I would like to know whether your Blue Silver Grass Theory can be applied to other Spirit Souls."

As expected. The moment Shi Quan heard this, he understood Ning Fengzhi's purpose. "Uncle Ning, my Blue Silver Grass Theory currently only applies to my Blue Silver Grass Spirit Soul. I cannot be certain whether it can be applied to other Spirit Souls, because every Spirit Soul possesses its own characteristics, and the characteristics of Blue Silver Grass are nearly unique. However, one thing is certain: whether it is a Spirit Soul or one's own talent, its innate shortcomings can be remedied through postnatal effort. We simply need to uncover the methods through our own efforts."

Upon hearing Shi Quan's earlier words, Ning Fengzhi's eyes visibly dimmed. Yet after hearing what came later, the light in his eyes clearly brightened again, and his gaze toward Shi Quan gained a little more approval.

"Xiao Quan, you are right. I also believe that innate shortcomings can be remedied through postnatal effort!" Ning Fengzhi nodded in strong agreement and asked, "Xiao Quan, how much do you know about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul?"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" Shi Quan gently shook his head. "Uncle Ning, isn't that your Spirit Soul? I only know that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is the World's Best Support Martial Soul, possessing support abilities far stronger than those of Spirit Souls at the same level."

Rather than feeling proud at Shi Quan's praise, Ning Fengzhi sighed. "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is indeed the World's Best Support Martial Soul, but Heaven is fair as well. Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda possesses the strongest support abilities, it has also paid an enormous price."

Isn't it just that you can't advance to Eight Ring Soul Douluo? Why put on such an act? Shi Quan inwardly mocked as he watched Ning Fengzhi's hesitant expression, though he still had to put on a puzzled look. "A price?"

"One can never advance to Eight Ring Soul Douluo in one's lifetime." At this point, Ning Fengzhi's face became even more troubled.

"Unable to break through to Eight Rings? How could that be?" Shi Quan looked at Ning Fengzhi in astonishment.

"Xiao Quan, do you know why the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can only be called Seven Treasure?"

After letting out a soft sigh, Ning Fengzhi summoned his Spirit Soul. A glazed tile pagoda radiating seven-colored light appeared in his hand. Beneath him, seven Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—quietly emerged.

"Because the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has only seven levels, and each level of the pagoda can bear only one Spirit Ring. Thus, absorbing seven Spirit Rings is the limit of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."

Shi Quan looked at the brilliantly radiant Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda before him. Setting everything else aside, this Spirit Soul was truly beautiful.

"Uncle Ning, do you mean that you want me to help you find a method to evolve and transform the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul, allowing it to absorb more Spirit Rings?"

Ning Fengzhi slowly withdrew his right hand and nodded. "That is correct. In fact, the ancient records of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect mention that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can evolve. Beyond the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, there are also the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Unfortunately, those ancient records do not specifically mention the method of Spirit Soul evolution. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always been researching and searching for a way to evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, but with very little success."

As he spoke, a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on Ning Fengzhi's lips. His eyes also carried a trace of expectation as he looked at Shi Quan.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had gone to great lengths in pursuit of the evolution method for the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Yet, just as Ning Fengzhi had said, their results had been meager. Not to mention the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—they had not even managed to evolve an Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Thus, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would seize any opportunity tightly. Even though the person before him was merely a ten-year-old boy, the Sect Leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects, had still lowered himself and come here specifically to seek a sliver of hope from this genius young theorist.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Shi Quan sincerely and said, "Xiao Quan, the fact that you were able to research an evolution method for the Blue Silver Grass Spirit Soul is what gave me hope. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect research an evolution method for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."

"The Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" Shi Quan murmured softly, then said, "Uncle Ning, rest assured. I understand this matter now, and I will do my best to research the evolution method of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda for you. However, you also know that my current research mainly focuses on plant-type Spirit Souls and Limit Spirit Rings. At present, I do not know much about gem-type Martial Souls, so I will have to trouble you to gather more materials regarding gem-type Martial Souls for me. If possible, please also provide me with the research materials from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's predecessors concerning the evolution method of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul. That would make my research easier."

Whether he could actually research it successfully was one matter. At the very least, he had to make his words sound pleasant and sincere.

Seeing Shi Quan agree, a smile also appeared at the corner of Ning Fengzhi's lips. "Xiao Quan, then I will trouble you with this. I will prepare everything you asked for. It is indeed troublesome to ask you for help upon our first meeting. Please accept this."

As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi removed a silver-white bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Shi Quan. Several snow-white gems were set into the bracelet, which was silver all over with white patterns. It looked exceptionally exquisite.

Shi Quan hurriedly waved his hands in refusal. "Uncle Ning, you are too courteous. I cannot accept this gift, since I have not helped with anything yet."

Ning Fengzhi's expression turned solemn as he said seriously, "Xiao Quan, you are treating me like an outsider. You have already called me Uncle Ning, so how could an elder not give you a gift upon meeting you? It is nothing particularly valuable; just take it. If you can help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect research the evolution method for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in the future, then you will be the benefactor of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. At that time, I will prepare a grand gift for you."

"Then thank you, Uncle Ning." Shi Quan did not refuse any further and accepted the bracelet from Ning Fengzhi.

Ning Fengzhi explained, "Xiao Quan, this bracelet is called the Snow Jade Bracelet. It is a Soul Tool. Every gem on it provides ten square meters of storage space. You need only inject Soul Power into it to store or retrieve items."

Shi Quan looked at the five snow-white, jade-like gems on the bracelet and thought to himself, Ning Fengzhi is truly generous.

Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night had twenty-four jade stones, each with one cubic meter of storage space, allowing it to store only twenty-four cubic meters in total. Such a Soul Tool already counted as a top-tier Soul Tool.

Yet every gem on the Snow Jade Bracelet Ning Fengzhi had given him provided ten cubic meters of storage space. Five gems meant fifty cubic meters.

It was not merely the size of the storage space.

One was a bracelet, while the other was a belt. The Soul Tools themselves differed greatly in size as well.

This Snow Jade Bracelet was absolutely among the finest Soul Tools available at present. Its value was likely well over a million Gold Soul Coins. Yet he had given away such an item as a meeting gift and even called it nothing particularly valuable.

He was the very embodiment of Versailles.

Although the Snow Jade Bracelet was of no use to Shi Quan, he could at least use it as a cover for the Treasure Bag. From now on, he could use the Treasure Bag to store things freely without fearing suspicion.

Shi Quan put on a delighted expression and said excitedly, "I am afraid only you, Uncle Ning, would dare call something this good nothing particularly valuable."

"Haha." Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily. "As long as you like it, Xiao Quan. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect may lack other things, but we have money. Anything that can be bought with money is merely so-so. Truly precious things cannot be measured with money."

"You are right, Uncle Ning." Shi Quan smiled as he humored him, giving Ning Fengzhi a thumbs-up in his heart.

Rich and willful.

This was also a unique talent of gem-type Martial Souls: Treasure Appraisal. For someone like Ning Fengzhi, a Level 79 owner of a gem-type Martial Soul, his Treasure Appraisal could now be called the best in the world. Even if he could not identify an item's precise origin, he could roughly assess and recognize its value and extraordinary nature.

However, this first place was only temporary. Once Ning Rongrong's Spirit Soul evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong's Treasure Appraisal ability would surpass Ning Fengzhi's.

After finishing their business, the three chatted at length. It was not until after lunch that Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe finally departed.

That very afternoon, people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect came again, delivering a whole carriage full of books about gem-type Martial Souls.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had researched methods of evolving the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul for years, so its materials on gem-type Martial Souls were undoubtedly the most comprehensive on the continent. However, when it came to Spirit Soul Theory as a whole, Spirit Hall still had the most complete collection.

Without the Snow Jade Bracelet, Shi Quan truly would not have known how to handle so many books. Now, however, he could simply store them all inside the Snow Jade Bracelet.

As for the evolution method of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the simplest solution was the Immortal Herb Aromatic Silk Beauty.

However, Immortal Herbs were nearly one-of-a-kind existences. For the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

The original work described the Aromatic Silk Beauty as being able to absorb the Essence of Heaven and Earth and Sun and Moon Radiance.

Based on that analysis, the Essence of Heaven and Earth and Sun and Moon Radiance were extremely compatible with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul. If special methods could be used to gather the Essence of Heaven and Earth, absorb Sun and Moon Radiance, and transform both into special energy to nourish the owner of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Soul, then the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda might be able to transform and advance...