Ning Yuhao's expression also grew serious. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
His earnest manner instead made all three of them smile. Ning Fengzhi waved a hand. "All right, all right. What matters is that you're back safely. Sit down and tell me, your Grandpa Sword, and your Grandpa Bone how you've been doing all this time, and whether you gained anything."
Ning Yuhao nodded and recounted everything he had seen and heard along the way in detail, though he selectively left out the existence of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
When he reached the part about encountering a ten-thousand-year Scarlet Flame Demon Bear on the verge of death after a fight in the Star Dou Great Forest, Ning Fengzhi and the others were startled. Ning Rongrong clutched Ning Yuhao's hand tightly, her face full of worry.
When they heard that Ning Yuhao had not only killed that Scarlet Flame Demon Bear but also absorbed his Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, their first thought was, Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
"Xiao Hao, although your second Soul Ring was as old as three thousand years, already far beyond an ordinary person's third Soul Ring, your Martial Soul is special, and Uncle Bone examined you beforehand. I also brought out the spirit fruit passed down through our sect as a precaution. But do you know what a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring means?" Ning Fengzhi frowned. He thought Ning Yuhao was boasting. He simply did not believe Ning Yuhao could absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. It was utterly unimaginable.
"Two yellow, two purple, and two black. That's the optimal configuration for many Soul Masters' first six Soul Rings. In other words, even some genius Soul Masters have to become Soul Kings before they can absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Ten thousand years is a vast chasm. The most crucial part is the 'Spiritual Shock' you must endure when absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Lower-ranked Soul Masters have weaker spiritual power. Even with a special Martial Soul, even if their bodies can withstand it, their minds cannot..."
Ning Fengzhi wanted to say more, but at that moment, his stream of words stopped, his eyes widening.
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo could no longer even hold their teacups steady, rising to their feet in shock.
Ning Yuhao sat upright in his chair, one hand held by Ning Rongrong, while his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul appeared above his other hand. A black Soul Ring floated conspicuously around its third level, exerting immense pressure.
The others were fine, but Ning Rongrong felt her breathing catch, and her grip on Ning Yuhao's hand involuntarily tightened. Only then did Ning Yuhao notice and withdraw the pressure.
"Old Sword Bastard, am I dreaming?" Bone Douluo was somewhat dumbstruck.
"Let me poke you. You'll know once you see whether it hurts." Sword Douluo was also very shocked, but he immediately stepped forward and placed his hand on Ning Yuhao's wrist. "Xiao Hao, relax."
Then Sword Douluo used his Soul Power to examine Ning Yuhao's entire body. His main concern was that Ning Yuhao's absorption of a Soul Ring so far beyond his limit might have come at the cost of his foundation. If so, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Only after a while did Sword Douluo release Ning Yuhao and breathe a sigh of relief. "I never thought I'd actually get to see a genius."
Who among those who cultivated to become Titled Douluo was not a genius? Yet today, Ning Yuhao had been called a genius by a rank-95 Titled Douluo. That alone was enough to prove how extraordinary his talent was.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm: Just the basics for your bro. You can scream, but don't get worked up.
"Xiao Hao, how did you get through the Spiritual Shock?" This was what concerned Bone Douluo most. Absorbing Soul Rings beyond one's limits was nothing new. With Ning Yuhao's example before her, Ning Rongrong's second Soul Ring was also twelve hundred years old. But the Spiritual Shock of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was not something a rank-30 Soul Master could withstand.
"It was pretty easy. My first Soul Ring has the Mental Attribute, so my spiritual power was already stronger. And during the Spiritual Shock, my first and second Soul Beasts both appeared to help me resist it." Ning Yuhao's tone was very steady.
"Hiss! Xiao Hao's Mutated Martial Soul really is full of surprises."
Ning Yuhao gave a crooked smile. "It's really nothing. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is naturally two Soul Rings short of everyone else, so of course we need higher-age rings early on. That's how we can narrow the gap with other Martial Souls."
It was the first time Ning Fengzhi and the others had heard this theory. After a little thought, they felt it actually seemed to make some sense.
"Think about it, Father. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can only cultivate to rank 79. If we still use the same age configuration as other Martial Souls, then once the Soul Douluo stage is reached, wouldn't we never be able to compete with other Martial Souls again?"
Ning Fengzhi let out a long sigh. "Ah, should I call this something geniuses have in common?"
"Hmm?"
Ning Fengzhi did not keep them in suspense, slowly explaining, "About a thousand years ago, a genius appeared in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Every one of his Soul Rings exceeded the limit. Like Xiao Hao and Rongrong, his second Soul Ring was a thousand-year one. The sect's records documented his deeds and some of his remarks. Among them, he also mentioned that our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has two fewer Soul Rings than other Martial Souls, so the best approach was to increase the age of every Soul Ring. That would narrow the gap between us and other Martial Souls as much as possible."
But then Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly. "But how could that be easy? It tests not only the sect's reserves, but also the Soul Master's talent. The former is manageable. If there's anything our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't lack, it's reserves. But the latter depends far too much on luck."
"You could say that, in the hundreds of years since that genius, Rongrong and Xiao Hao are the only two who have managed to obtain a thousand-year ring for their second Soul Ring. The others could only try to increase the ages of their later Soul Rings as much as possible."
As Ning Fengzhi explained, they all gained a clearer picture of that genius.
"Fengzhi, I remember your sixth and seventh Soul Rings both exceeded the limits too." Sword Douluo seemed to recall something.
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "Yes. My sixth Soul Ring is thirty thousand years old, and my seventh Soul Ring is fifty-five thousand years old."
Now Ning Yuhao finally understood why the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect even possessed spirit fruit that could preserve one's foundation after a failed breakthrough. Such a fine treasure was presumably reserved specifically for the geniuses of each generation to exceed their limits.
Ning Fengzhi walked over to Ning Yuhao and Ning Rongrong and patted their shoulders with both hands. "Having you two in this generation is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's good fortune. Whatever you need, just ask. With the sect behind you, you will surely lead the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to new heights."
Looking at Ning Fengzhi's eyes, filled with expectation, Ning Yuhao and Ning Rongrong both nodded firmly.
Ning Fengzhi wore a gratified smile. "All right, Xiao Hao. You've just returned from a long journey, so we won't keep you. Go back and get some proper rest, wash away the weariness of travel, and we'll hold a welcoming feast for you tonight."
"All right."
Ning Yuhao returned to his residence, and Ning Rongrong followed him.