Rumble!
The earth trembled, and heaven and earth roared.
After merging with the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who possessed Ultimate Ice, Lin Qian needed to find a fire-type Soul Beast to harmonize yin and yang, following the principle of mutual restraint among the five elements.
And the Three-Headed Red Demon Hound had appeared near the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect-two birds with one stone.
As long as he could persuade Sword Douluo and meet Sect Master Ning Fengzhi through him, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would also be in the bag.
I've just absorbed the Three-Headed Red Demon Hound. Since a fight is unavoidable, let you test the power of this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!
The crimson Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring blazed, and his Second Soul Skill, Hell Demon Flame Sky-Splitting Slash, activated.
To avoid earning a reputation for bullying a junior, Sword Douluo had not attacked at first. Only when his opponent finished gathering power did he finally sense something was wrong.
Although he had never absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, he was a mighty rank-ninety-six Peak Douluo. How could he possibly sense a threat to his life from this mere Soul Ancestor before him?
In any case, once he realized something was wrong, he finally unleashed his ultimate move.
What had originally been his fourth Soul Skill, Layers of Sword Shadows, became a Self-Created Soul Skill even more powerful than his ninth Soul Skill, forged from a lifetime of effort-
"Cassia trees glow with spring along a hundred miles of river; partridges cry through the cool shade of noon. Above Yanping Ford, the peaks rise as though hewn; the sword departs, the river empties, yet its waters flow on.
Gather energy into a sword, my body is as a sword, merge into one sword!"
Unlike ordinary Titled Douluos, Sword Douluo did not stand on his status and spout a load of empty words (bullshit and blather) before attacking.
Once he began gathering power, he nearly reached a state of unity between man and sword, his mind free of distractions.
When his chant ended, a gigantic sword condensed in the air and met Lin Qian's ultimate move.
How did that saying go? When something reached its utmost extreme, it often happened in a seemingly casual instant.
This moment was just like that moment.
When the ultimate moves collided, there was an instant of silence. Then heaven and earth lost their color, the sun and moon lost their light, and thunder boomed beneath a clear sky.
Crack!
Sand flew and stones hurtled through the forest. The Soul Beasts shrieked as they fled, unwilling to remain in this terrifying place.
When all the dust settled, Lin Qian and Sword Douluo stood where they had begun, completely unscathed.
"Hahaha! It's been so long since I've had such a satisfying fight! Young Lin Qian, I really must thank you today!"
Sword Douluo was a martial fanatic whose lifelong wish was to spar with others in swordsmanship and exchange insights.
Now that he had finally found a "fellow practitioner" skilled in the same path, joy radiated from his entire body, and he wanted to let him leave even less.
"You old sword bastard, what happened? What's all this commotion?"
Before Lin Qian could speak, an earth-colored bone dragon flew down from high above, carrying someone on its back.
They were Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the sect's other guardian, Bone Douluo Gu Rong.
Chen Xin was the strongest in combat, so neither of them had taken it seriously at first, assuming he would return shortly.
But an entire day and night had passed without any word, and fighting had broken out in the forest instead. As the commotion grew louder and louder, Gu Rong had no choice but to break the rule requiring one Titled Douluo to remain guarding the sect and hurry over.
"The Three-Headed Red Demon Hound..."
It defied reason, yet was within expectations: Ning Fengzhi had eyes only for the slain Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
A hundred thousand years... raised for so long... and now killed...
His heart seemed to bleed...
"Ahem, Sect Master, this is our young friend Lin Qian. We were just sparring..."
Sword Douluo completely failed to get what his sect master meant. Still immersed in the afterglow of their great battle, he took the initiative to introduce him.
"Rank forty-nine, a Soul Ring Configuration of three black and one red, and he killed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone?!"
After hearing Sword Douluo's account, Bone Douluo, who had been annoyed at being ignored, immediately shifted his gaze.
Ning Fengzhi did the same, turning his attention from the Three-Headed Red Demon Hound to Lin Qian.
He's already absorbed the Soul Ring. What now, get a div-no, make him spit it back out?
Of course I have to accept it!
Although he fully acknowledged Lin Qian, he still had to maintain the imposing image of a sect master of the Upper Three Sects~
After making a show of pondering for ages, he finally extended an invitation. "Young friend Lin Qian, your talent is unparalleled. Would you be willing to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? I promise you the position and benefits of deputy sect master!"
For such an outstanding young man, these terms were quite generous. After all, whatever else the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacked, it had plenty of money.
He had been brimming with confidence in his recruitment offer, but to his surprise, the other party did not appreciate it at all. "Thank you for your generous regard, Sect Master, but I refuse."
Ning Fengzhi said, "Mm. Hmm?"
Did I hear that right? A mighty sect master of the Upper Three Sects personally conducts the interview and offers such generous terms, and someone actually refuses?
What, do I have to promise you my daughter's hand before you agree?
That isn't out of the question~
For such a rare genius, he would marry off as many daughters as it took. His only regret was that Ning Rongrong was rather spoiled and headstrong, not very suited to being a good wife and loving mother.
Ning Fengzhi was popping the champagne halfway through; he had even worked out how to discipline his daughter.
"As expected, young geniuses all have pride of their own! It's all right, young friend Lin Qian. Come visit our sect first and take your time considering it!"
Seeing that the other party was turning to force when persuasion failed, determined to "invite" him back today, Lin Qian stopped pretending. With the map unrolled, the dagger was revealed.
"To be honest, I already belong to a sect. No matter how your silver tongues bloom like lotuses, I cannot go back with you."
"Then what about your killing of the hundred-thousand-year Three-Headed Red Demon Hound?"
Ning Fengzhi's expression turned cold as he played the bad cop.
After years together, Gu Rong immediately took up the good-cop role. "Indeed, young friend Lin Qian. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a great tree with deep roots. Many people want to join but aren't even qualified! Why don't you reconsider?"
Chen Xin watched it all, wanting to stop them but unable to find a reason. After their battle just now, he already regarded Lin Qian as a close friend. He wanted him to join so they could exchange swordsmanship insights every day, yet he did not want him to be coerced.
"Sect Master Ning, before I hunted the Three-Headed Red Demon Hound, I told Senior Sword Douluo that I acknowledged my debt to you and would repay it someday. Those words still stand, but that day is not today.
"And please think carefully: with my talent, who would most likely have raised me?"
Ning Fengzhi froze. He did not understand, but sensed something formidable.
An old hand of many years, he immediately fitted the clues into place and thought of somewhere.
"In that case, you may go!"
Lin Qian smoothly turned away, leaving one sentence behind. "The next time we meet, it will be the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
After Lin Qian left.
Bone Douluo reproached him. "Fengzhi, you just let him leave? And you, you old sword bastard, why didn't you stop him either?"
At his words, Sword Douluo merely smiled without speaking.
Ning Fengzhi kept his gaze fixed on the direction Lin Qian had left. "Other than that place, I can't think of any sect capable of raising such a genius."
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo: "???"
Ning Fengzhi said, "Do you remember the news Spirit Hall sent not long ago?"
"!!!"
They were all intelligent men, so little explanation was needed. Ning Fengzhi was more interested in Lin Qian's final words-
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.