"Revealing your abilities at the start is indeed a foolish act. I didn't expect that kid, Ning Tianchen, to have such awareness," Chen Xin said with a teasing scold.
During sparring matches within the sect, it was best to follow the rules. After all, everyone was on the same side, so there was no need to worry.
It was only because Ning Tianchen's soul power level was lower than his opponent's that it avoided gossip.
Ning Fengzhi kept a faint smile on his face and said, "I actually think it's better to keep some mystery before the official fight."
Normally, a soul master who just absorbed their first soul ring would only be at level eleven. But Tianchen was already level fourteen, which could greatly confuse the opponent.
Upon hearing this, Bu Qing immediately flew into a rage.
"How dare you ignore me! First soul skill, Water Domain!"
The Water Cloud Staff spun rapidly in his hand, and a patch of water formed on the ground of the arena.
The water domain was not large, just covering Ning Tianchen's feet. Being inside it, his movement speed was reduced by twenty percent.
"A restriction-type soul skill, huh," Ning Tianchen murmured lightly but did not move at all.
Since the opponent's spirit weapon had no ranged attacks, if he wanted to hurt Ning Tianchen, he would have to get close.
Ning Tianchen's legs were trapped in the water domain, which only affected his leg movement. His upper body could still move freely. So he didn't need to do anything—he just had to wait for the opponent to close in.
"How is this possible? Trapped in my water domain and not even panicking!" Bu Qing shouted in disbelief.
Below the arena, Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a sigh.
For kids, being restricted would naturally cause panic. But for someone with battle experience, it made no difference at all.
At this moment, Ning Tianchen stood in the arena like a seasoned warrior, sword in hand.
"Sword Uncle, did you teach Tianchen any combat techniques?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Chen Xin thought for a moment and smiled, "I did mention a few things, but I didn't expect the kid to remember them. Heh, I'm quite impressed."
...
Bu Qing, seeing Ning Tianchen not falling into his trap, grew anxious.
Maintaining the water domain constantly consumed soul power. At his age, Bu Qing's use of soul power was rough and unrefined—he only knew to keep using it until his reserves ran dry.
Unable to wait any longer, he launched a direct attack.
The Water Cloud Staff spun wildly in his hands as he charged forward. He raised the staff intending to strike.
Ning Tianchen's gaze sharpened and he lifted his sword.
Just now, while standing still, he had been gathering momentum.
He had infused the Seven Kill Sword with a layer of soul power. When he swung down, the sword's aura erupted, catching Bu Qing off guard.
"Unfortunately, relying solely on the first soul ring's perception of sword aura is still too weak," Ning Tianchen regretted.
The damage from the sword aura was only slightly higher than a normal sword slash.
Bu Qing frowned, muttering in his heart, "Such strong attack power... Is this the same Seven Kill Sword soul weapon as Sword Uncle's? It doesn't seem like it."
Regardless of whether it was the Seven Kill Sword or not, the attack power was undeniable.
If he hadn't blocked in time, his arm might have been severed.
"Second soul skill, Water Cloud Waltz Staff."
To conserve enough soul power, Bu Qing deactivated his first skill.
The Water Cloud Staff spun rapidly in his hands, and the final strike formed a phantom that smashed towards Ning Tianchen.
"First soul skill, Azure Dragon Break!"
A layer of sword aura attached to the Seven Kill Sword's blade, and Ning Tianchen swung it out. The sword aura took the shape of a dragon phantom.
The two phantoms clashed, and the Water Cloud Staff's attack was overwhelmingly suppressed.
"How is this possible!"
Not only Bu Qing but also the onlookers exclaimed in shock.
How could a soul master's first soul skill shatter the second soul skill of a grand soul master?
Chen Xin's breathing quickened, and he couldn't help but say, "The Seven Kill Sword has always been the continent's number one offensive soul weapon. Now with Tianchen's soul weapon evolving again, his attack power has soared. In the future, the title of the world's top offensive soul weapon might return to the Seven Kill Sword because of Tianchen."
Seeing Chen Xin's expression, Ning Fengzhi knew this was no empty boast.
Chen Xin's grandfather, Chen Xun, had lost to Tang Chen back then, and since then, the Seven Kill Sword had lost its place as the top offensive soul weapon.
Now seeing Ning Tianchen's performance, maybe, just maybe, things would turn out as Chen Xin said.
When that time comes, wouldn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect have two of the world's number one titles?
In this way, the sect would once again be pushed to a whole new height.
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi tried hard to control the excitement in his heart, so as not to lose composure in front of others.
The following soul fight was already without suspense.
Ning Tianchen deliberately prolonged the match to hone his swordsmanship and agility.
Only when he felt he could no longer improve did he end the match.
After leaving the arena, Chen Xin patted him on the shoulder with a satisfied expression. "You did very well. Remember the feeling today. From now on, every day, I will arrange soul fights for you."
"Thank you, Sword Guardian," Ning Tianchen cupped his fists in gratitude.
In this battle against a stronger opponent, he had gained a lot today.
While Ning Rongrong was away, he had to seize the time to comprehend and practice. Once she returned, he would probably have to spare some time every day to spend with her.
...
In the following six months, Ning Tianchen studied in the special training camp in the mornings, and fought soul battles with sect disciples in the afternoons. After Ning Rongrong finished school, they would often go out together to stroll around Tiandou City.
Ning Fengzhi did not oppose this—in fact, he was quite happy to let them go out and have fun.
After all, a bond cultivated from childhood would only grow stronger in the future.
Of course, during this process, Ning Tianchen also gained many benefits from Ning Rongrong. His personal treasury gradually grew richer.
One morning, as usual, Chen Xin inspected his cultivation progress.
Ning Tianchen eagerly told him about his recent situation. "Sword Guardian, no matter how I spar these days, my swordsmanship just can't break through."
After a pause, he added, "I plan to use this bottleneck period to focus more on soul power cultivation."
Chen Xin did not approve of this idea. "Encountering a bottleneck in cultivation is inevitable, but for you right now, the gains from cultivating soul power are far less than those from practicing swordsmanship."
"The golden period for a soul master's cultivation is from twelve to thirty years old. For you currently, reducing your sword practice could very likely cause a regression in your sword comprehension."
"For now, you can temporarily give up soul power cultivation; keep practicing swordsmanship while using more time for rest."
"Cultivation is about balancing work and rest. During this period, just have fun with Rongrong. Also, the sect leader wants you to persuade Rongrong not to casually defy her teachers in the special training camp."
Ning Tianchen smiled helplessly.
So, that was a new mission.
However, these days, due to his cultivation bottleneck, he had indeed become somewhat distant from Ning Rongrong.