"Summoning Soul Beasts to fight is an innate ability of my Martial Soul, not my Soul Skill. My first Soul Skill is still support-oriented, but it isn't 'First: Strength.' It's called Spiritual Detection Sharing."
Ning Yuhao simply combined Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing into a single Soul Skill. The effect was the same anyway, and otherwise, having two Soul Skills from one Soul Ring would have been difficult to explain.
Ning Yuhao asked Ning Fengzhi to relax his mind, then used Spiritual Detection Sharing on him again. This time, however, it lasted even less time, only a few seconds, and its range was limited to the few meters within the study.
"Hahaha!" What sort of man was Ning Fengzhi? He was a rank-79 support-type Soul Saint. Though it had lasted only a few short seconds, he understood how powerful this Soul Skill was. "Xiao Hao, you've really given me a surprise."
But then Ning Fengzhi's expression dimmed again. "What a pity. Your first Soul Ring is a ten-year Soul Ring. I'm afraid that even if our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect poured everything into helping you, we could only just barely get you past rank 70. Reaching the limit of rank 79 would be difficult."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm silently raised a middle finger in Ning Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.
Ning Rongrong, however, took it in stride. "Dad, it's fine. We can't break through to Soul Douluo anyway. There isn't much difference between rank 70 and rank 79."
Ning Fengzhi shot Ning Rongrong an exasperated look. "You have the nerve to say that? Is that your excuse for not cultivating properly?"
Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue and made a face.
"Xiao Hao, starting today, you are the second young sect master of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Any resources Rongrong has access to will be available to you as well," Ning Fengzhi promised.
After Ning Yuhao and Ning Rongrong left, Ning Fengzhi wasted no time setting off to find Chen Xin and Gu Rong to share the good news.
Ning Yuhao also returned to his room. Starting the next day, his life underwent tremendous changes. First and foremost was his food. His meals were no longer ordinary fare; every meal included Soul Beast meat. In addition, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo both came to offer Ning Yuhao some encouragement.
Soon, the day of Ning Rongrong's soul hunt arrived. Besides Ning Rongrong and Ning Yuhao, the party included a Soul Douluo Battle Soul Master and a Soul Emperor from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Ning clan. For a trip merely to obtain a first Soul Ring, this lineup could be called exceptionally lavish, showing just how wealthy and powerful the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was.
Their destination for this soul hunt was Weikesiluoke Plain. They set out from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and traveled south the whole way, taking more than a day to arrive. After all, they still had to accommodate Ning Rongrong and Ning Yuhao.
"Owner, bring us some food." Ning Yuhao's group found a restaurant, planning to rest for the night before searching for a suitable Soul Beast the next day.
Besides Ning Yuhao's party, there was one other table of customers.
A middle-aged man with a resolute face was accompanied by a blond boy with mismatched eyes and a black-haired, black-eyed girl.
"Surely it couldn't be that much of a coincidence?" Ning Yuhao muttered.
"What is it?" Seeing Ning Yuhao keep looking toward that table, Ning Rongrong leaned over curiously and asked.
Ning Yuhao put on a standard smile. "Nothing."
Perhaps Ning Yuhao had simply stared for too long. The blond boy with mismatched eyes stood straight up and walked over, asking in an unfriendly tone, "You lot, what are you saying while staring at us?"
Before Ning Yuhao could say anything, Ning Rongrong sprang to her feet. "What, can't you bear to be seen? We're not even allowed to look at you?"
"You!" The boy pointed at Ning Rongrong, his face full of anger. But he had grown up surrounded by wealth and privilege. When had anyone ever talked back to him like this? For a moment, he had no idea how to respond.
Ning Yuhao glanced at the two adults and found that they had already met the gaze of the middle-aged man opposite them. Naturally, they had recognized the other party's origins and nodded to one another.
"Are you here to hunt for Soul Rings?" Ning Yuhao changed the subject stiffly.
"What's it to you?!"
"You're a descendant of the Star Luo Imperial Family." Though it appeared to be a question, Ning Yuhao spoke with certainty.
"How did you know?" Dai Mubai could not hide anything on his face, and now it was filled with suspicion.
Ning Yuhao did not even look at Dai Mubai. He picked up the teacup on the table, blew on it, and took a sip. Mm, it's cold water.
Only then did he continue, "I suppose you could call me a Martial Soul expert. I've learned about and researched many Martial Souls on the continent, so naturally, I could guess."
Without waiting for Dai Mubai to speak, Ning Yuhao continued, "Blond hair, mismatched eyes, an air of wealth and privilege. I can't think of anything other than the Star Luo Imperial Family's Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul. That girl over there has the Nether Civet Martial Soul, correct?"
Ning Yuhao's air of an aloof expert made even Ning Rongrong feel a little embarrassed, but Dai Mubai saw it differently. If his own appearance offered clues, Zhu Zhuqing looked no different from an ordinary girl. The Nether Civet Martial Soul had not yet brought any changes to Zhu Zhuqing's appearance.
Yet Ning Yuhao had exposed it with a single remark. How could he not be astonished?
The three adults present had originally intended to stop them, but seeing that the conflict had not escalated, they instead remained silent.
"How did you know?!"
Of course I guessed. What else, that I've read the original novel? Ning Yuhao silently quipped to himself.
But Ning Yuhao merely gave Dai Mubai a sidelong glance. "I told you. I'm a Martial Soul master."
"Xiao Hao, are you all right?" Ning Rongrong curiously placed her hand on Ning Yuhao's forehead, seemingly checking whether he had a fever.
Ning Yuhao closed his eyes helplessly, feeling only that the persona he had just worked so hard to build had been shattered.
The middle-aged man, meanwhile, stood and came over. "I take it you're members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Have you also come here to hunt for Soul Rings?"
The Soul Douluo was named Liu Li, and the Soul Emperor was named Ning Bai. They stood as well. "Yes. These are our two young sect masters. That is precisely why we've come."
The middle-aged man looked somewhat surprised. "Two? I remember there being only one."
Ning Bai explained, "This happened recently. We haven't announced it publicly yet, but we'll be spreading the news soon."
The middle-aged man, whose name was Liu Hu, introduced his companions to them. "This is the third prince of our Star Luo Empire, and that is Zhu Zhuqing, a daughter of the Zhu Family's main line. We've come to hunt for Soul Rings for the two of them."
Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Yuhao, and Ning Rongrong exchanged names, and with that, they were acquainted.
After all, one side was the imperial family of the Star Luo Empire, while the other was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects. It was hardly a major incident. Once they had gotten to know one another, there was nothing more to it. Besides, they were all the same age; there would surely be times when they could help one another in the future.