"Fengzhi... no, Sect Master. I've failed in my duty. Please punish me!"
The middle-aged man's face was ashen, not because of the poison, but because he had been so thoroughly defeated by a mere Soul Elder. He was filled with shame and frustration.
But Ning Fengzhi gently shook his head.
"It's not your fault. Each new generation surpasses the last—talents are emerging all the time. Who would have thought this young man would already possess a soul bone? Everyone, please rise."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and personally helped the man up, showing no intention of blaming him. At the same time, he casually revealed the root of the earlier power imbalance.
Turning to Chen Feng with a warm smile, Ning Fengzhi asked,
"Young man, your martial soul is a sword. Why would you absorb a soul bone from a Man-Faced Demon Spider? As far as I know, that type of soul bone doesn't suit your martial soul."
Chen Feng snorted coldly,
"That's none of your sect's business."
Ning Fengzhi chuckled lightly,
"Why speak like an outsider? Aren't we all family here?"
As he spoke, he lifted his hand gently—two beams of soul energy enhancement fell upon Chen Feng.
A warm current surged through Chen Feng's body. In the blink of an eye, all the soul power he had expended was fully restored.
But Chen Feng remained unimpressed.
"Don't think you can change my opinion of your sect just by helping me recover a bit of soul power," he said with a curl of his lip. "I haven't forgotten how I was treated earlier."
What surprised everyone was that Ning Fengzhi didn't show a hint of anger. Instead, he bowed his head slightly with sincere solemnity.
"As soon as the conflict broke out, Sword Uncle and I had already sensed it. We saw everything that happened. You weren't in the wrong. So, please allow me—on behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—to formally apologize to you."
After speaking, he genuinely began to bow toward Chen Feng.
"Sect Master!"
"You mustn't!"
Everyone around them gasped in disbelief.
That was Ning Fengzhi! Was he seriously bowing to a Soul Elder?
Ning Fengzhi's tone turned a little stern as he addressed his shocked subordinates.
"Why not? In matters of right and wrong, there is no distinction in rank or identity. Even emperors have issued self-criticisms. Why can't I do the same? Especially since the sect was in the wrong first."
And with that, he completed the bow.
Chen Feng frowned and instinctively tried to step aside—only to find his body frozen in place by an invisible force.
He turned to look at Sword Douluo.
That old man, who by seniority should be called "grandfather," gave him a subtle nod.
"Kid," came Sword Douluo's cool voice, "that's enough. Go ahead and remove the poison."
Chen Feng couldn't deny that Ning Fengzhi truly lived up to his reputation. It was no wonder he was appointed as the imperial tutor to the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
If Chen Feng had still held resentment before, Ning Fengzhi's genuine apology had largely dispelled it. To press further would only make him look petty.
With a sigh, Chen Feng scratched his nose, then reinserted the Eight Spider Lances into the wounded middle-aged man, not to inject more poison, but to draw it out.
In the blink of an eye, the purple-black toxin reversed direction and was reabsorbed by the spider's lances.
Only then did Ning Fengzhi ask,
"So, about that token—what's the story behind it?"
Chen Feng recounted how Ning Rongrong had given it to him, including their time together at Shrek Academy and the location of the school.
"Flander, Zhao Wuji... Those guys were real wildcards back in the day," Ning Fengzhi said thoughtfully. "But they've carved out a name for themselves in the soul master world. With them protecting Rongrong, unless it's a Title Douluo, she should be safe."
Sword Douluo, however, was less convinced.
"What kind of skills do they have? Are they capable of teaching Rongrong? When we get back, I'll have that old bonehead go check things out. If it looks bad, I'll bring her back myself and teach her personally!"
"Uncle Sword!" Ning Fengzhi sighed. "Not everyone can match your standards. Rongrong is growing up. Let her make her path."
He shook his head with a wry smile. Within the sect, Rongrong was known as the "little demoness"—a result of being pampered by both Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. And Ning Fengzhi himself couldn't say much, considering the influence the two elders held.
Then, with a wave of his hand, Ning Fengzhi dismissed the crowd, leaving only Chen Feng behind.
"Despite the misunderstandings," he said with a warm smile, "no lasting harm was done. Chen Feng, allow me to formally welcome you to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Chen Feng, however, remained impassive and shook his head.
"Sect Master Ning, if you want me to join your sect, I have two conditions."
"Conditions?" Ning Fengzhi blinked in surprise. "Very well, let's hear them."
Sword Douluo snorted.
"Other people would kill for the chance to join our sect. And you've got the nerve to set conditions?"
Chen Feng replied calmly,
"During my earlier dispute with that hall master, I said that if you wanted me to join later, you'd have to apologize and appoint me as an elder. I said it in anger at the time, but I've always been a man of my word. If I joined the sect without setting things straight, wouldn't that just invite more people to humiliate me in the future?"
"You're overthinking it," Ning Fengzhi replied. "That hall master is one of my distant relatives. The reason he treated you that way is because there have been past cases of people faking marital souls. He simply couldn't confirm whether yours was the real Seven Kill Sword."
Chen Feng nodded.
"I understand he acted for the good of the sect. But that's no excuse to trample on me. I have my principles."
His unyielding attitude caught many off guard.
But instead of being offended, Ning Fengzhi burst into laughter.
Ordinary people acting this way was arrogance. But when a genius spoke like this, it was called confidence.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect welcomed a genius, especially one who bore the Seven Kill Sword.
"The Seven Kill Sword's pride is inherited," Ning Fengzhi chuckled, casting a glance toward Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo hesitated for a moment. No matter the situation, Ning Fengzhi was still the Sect Master. As an elder, he had to protect his leader's dignity.
"Chen Feng, if you remain in the sect, I'll personally train you in the Seven Kill Sword techniques. What use are empty titles, anyway?"
But Chen Feng shook his head again.
To be honest, he didn't need anyone to teach him combat techniques or soul skills—his knowledge from his previous life was already vast. Even at his peak, Sword Douluo had only reached Rank 97, while Chen Feng had become a Rank 99 Peerless Douluo.
What he needed now were those "empty titles."
The second trial given by the God of Shura was to win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. Without a reputation or title, how could he recruit strong teammates?
When Sword Douluo saw him shake his head, he grew annoyed.
"What, you don't even want my instruction?"
Chen Feng replied calmly,
"Grandfather Sword, I meant no offense. It's just that when it comes to soul skills and combat experience, this junior believes he has already reached the pinnacle. There's nothing left for me to learn."
He had made up his mind to speak boldly.
In the world of soul masters, strength was everything. When it was time to be arrogant, a bit of swagger never hurt.