As the only daughter of Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong was pampered beyond measure. Everyone in the clan feared she might bump into something or get even the slightest scratch—any minor injury would send the adults into a panic.
That was exactly what frustrated Xu Yang. If Ning Rongrong got even a tiny bruise while under his watch, Ning Fengzhi and his wife wouldn't blame him… but Sword and Bone Douluo were another matter entirely. They'd drag him into "practical combat training"—which basically meant a one-sided beating—under the pretense of helping him gain experience against high-level Soul Masters.
They were careful with their strength, of course… but it still hurt!
What made matters worse was that Rongrong, at just nine months old, could already walk. She was extremely active, often crawling from one end of the bed to the other in the blink of an eye. Once, she nearly fell off.
Thankfully, Xu Yang reacted quickly and caught her.
But Rongrong, unfazed and not at all scared by the close call, thought it was fun. After that, she would often wander around, even trying to jump off the bed.
Left with no choice, Xu Yang stayed by the bed, splitting his focus to play with her while also cultivating his soul power—making sure she didn't get hurt or fall.
That day, after playing for two hours, Ning Rongrong finally got tired and fell into a deep sleep.
Xu Yang let out a sigh of relief, gently covered her with a blanket, and sat beside her, resting his chin on his hands as he fell into deep thought. He was trying to decide whether his second spirit ring should be from a Slime or a Holy Bright Beetle. Since he would be enrolling in Heaven Dou Royal Academy soon after reaching the Grandmaster realm, he was torn over whether he should prioritize combat strength and pick the Holy Bright Beetle.
But that went against his original plan.
Originally, his second soul skill was going to come from the Slime, granting him a splitting ability—allowing his Martial Soul to divide itself. With enough mastery, one could become two, two could become four, four could become eight…
Crucially, as long as the Martial Soul's core essence wasn't split out, the destroyed fragments wouldn't harm the main body. However, at his current level, even with a second soul ring, he wasn't capable of executing a Martial Soul self-destruction tactic.
In other words, the soul skill wouldn't significantly improve his real combat ability yet. And if he entered a noble academy without sufficient combat strength, surviving would be incredibly difficult.
Thus, Xu Yang was considering flipping the order—taking the Holy Bright Beetle as his second ring to boost his power during the Grandmaster phase and saving the Slime for his third ring instead.
"Yang'er, Rongrong's asleep?" came a voice.
Madam Ning entered the room, immediately spotting the snoring, drooling child and smiling warmly.
"Yes, Madam. She just nodded off," Xu Yang replied with a smile before falling into silence again.
Madam Ning tilted her head, curious. She'd never seen him like this. In her impression, Xu Yang was always mature, decisive, and full of independent thought.
"Something on your mind?" she asked, sitting down beside him with a gentle smile.
"Yeah… I've been thinking about my second spirit ring," he admitted.
"Oh? Didn't you already plan out your second and third rings? You even had ideas for your fourth," she asked, intrigued.
They knew Xu Yang's plans very well. Initially, Ning Fengzhi and the others had concerns—his chosen soul skills were highly functional but not offensive: splitting, shaping… none were direct attacks, which felt out of place for an Assault System Soul Master.
But after hearing Xu Yang's detailed explanation, they all quickly changed their minds. His abilities were synergistic—individually they weren't powerful, but in combination they were devastating. It wasn't just a case of one plus one equaling two—it was exponential.
The clearest example was the combination of his planned second and third soul skills. When activated together, he could split his Solar Martial Soul into dozens of fragments. Some of them could be shaped into weapons and armor, worn directly, boosting both offense and defense—like self-equipped soul tools.
And because the Solar Martial Soul was a Tool Soul, unlike Beast Souls, it couldn't integrate into his body to grant passive buffs. He had to use it actively. But if he wore it, he could channel flame attacks through his hands, feet, and body—making his combat style far more versatile and adaptive.
Other fragments could float overhead and serve as harassment tools or be thrown as weapons. Considering the Solar Martial Soul was already near the limit of fire attribute strength, the destructive power was immense.
"Madam, once I finish hunting for my second ring, I'm heading to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, right? But the ring I originally planned won't increase my combat strength much. If I'm ostracized there, I won't have the strength to resist—and I might even tarnish the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's reputation."
Xu Yang scratched his head, finally voicing his concern.
Having attended numerous noble banquets alongside Ning Fengzhi over the past year, he was painfully aware of how hostile Heaven Dou nobles were to outsiders. They were prejudiced and often outright bullied non-nobles. While he was Ning Fengzhi's personal disciple, he wasn't born noble himself.
What's more, Ning Fengzhi supported Xue Qinghe. It wouldn't be surprising if nobles aligned with rival princes targeted Xu Yang—maybe even tried to force him to quit school. Such moves were common in political power plays.
As an adult, Xu Yang didn't mind being ostracized personally. But he knew these nobles wouldn't play fair. They'd try to trip him up during cultivation. If he didn't hit back hard right away, they'd never stop. He wouldn't be able to cultivate in peace.
"Our little genius has worries too?" Madam Ning chuckled, surprised by how much Xu Yang had already considered. Clearly, Ning Fengzhi's teachings hadn't gone to waste. She ruffled his hair gently and said:
"You don't need to overthink this. You're imagining worst-case scenarios. Most students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are just pampered fools. Even if your first two soul skills aren't offensive, they still won't be your match."
"As for those who are capable? Most are heirs of major noble families. Their parents are no fools—they'll never let their kids get caught up in imperial politics."
"Besides, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan isn't some soft target. Before making a move on you, they'll think twice about whether they can handle our retaliation."
"…Looks like I've been stuck in a peasant mindset from my past life. Always overcautious, always thinking of the worst outcome."
Xu Yang paused, then gave a bitter smile. In this life, he was no longer a bottom-feeding peasant—he was the personal disciple of the sect leader of one of the continent's most powerful clans. He had enough resources and backing to take risks.
He didn't need to hesitate anymore.