The next day, in the martial arts arena of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Tianlin and Sword Douluo Chenxin stood facing each other.
Of course, they weren't about to duel. Even though Tianlin had virtually no opponents at the same level, he was still far too weak compared to someone like Chenxin, a Level 96 Super Douluo.
The purpose of today's session was for Chenxin to test the power of his disciple's second soul skill.
A thousand-year soul skill—it shouldn't disappoint him.
Originally, this should have been done yesterday. However, Ning Rongrong had stubbornly clung to Tianlin. In her eyes, her Sword Brother had only just woken up. How could there be any fighting? What if something happened to him again?
There was no helping it. Under the tears and tantrums of the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, they had no choice but to let Tianlin rest for another day.
"Master, are you ready? I'm about to attack," Tianlin reminded.
"Do you think I need to prepare to block an attack from a mere Soul Grandmaster? Just come at me," Chenxin replied indifferently.
"Alright, then, Master, take this!" Tianlin said as a purple radiance suddenly flickered beneath his feet. At the same time, his first soul ring began to shine, resonating with his second soul ring.
"After fusing with the soul ring of the Purple Flame Golden-Eyed Beast, my sword now contains the fire attribute. And this move, which combines the attributes of water and fire, is my second soul skill—Ice and Fire God Seal!"
Tianlin channeled his full soul power and unleashed two sword energies—one blue and one red—in quick succession.
Wherever the sword energy passed, the ground either froze into crystalline ice or burned into pitch-black scorches. The sword energy was not only sharp but also astonishingly fast.
Chenxin was shocked. He realized he had underestimated his disciple. From the two streaks of sword energy, he could feel a faint sense of threat. He quickly raised his hand and used his soul power to form a defensive barrier.
The barrier managed to block the sword energy, but cracks soon began to appear on its surface.
"What? I used nearly Level 20 soul power, and I still can't block Xiao Tian's attack?" Chenxin was utterly astonished.
As a Titled Douluo, the quality of his soul power far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster. At his level, releasing 20 levels of soul power was equivalent to the strength of a Level 40 Soul Ancestor.
"If Level 20 isn't enough, I'll increase it to 25… 30!" Chenxin continued to pour more soul power into his defense. Only when he reached Level 30 did he completely block Tianlin's Ice and Fire God Seal.
"Hahaha, old sword geezer! You've embarrassed yourself this time. To deal with a mere Soul Grandmaster, you had to use Soul Elder-level soul power!" Bone Douluo loudly mocked his old friend. It was one of the rare opportunities he had to poke fun at him.
But Chenxin seemed not to hear him. He merely stared silently at his palm.
"Alright, you've all seen Brother Sword's soul skill. From now on, he belongs to me!" Ning Rongrong clung tightly to Tianlin's arm. "Brother Sword, come play with me! Otherwise, you'll be leaving for the academy again soon."
Ning Rongrong cherished every moment she could spend with Tianlin, and Tianlin was no different. Smiling, he patted her head and said, "Alright, let's go. Before I return to the academy, I'll stay with you the whole time."
With that, he bowed to Ning Fengzhi, Chenxin, and Bone Douluo. "Uncle Ning, Master, Grandpa Bone, I'll take my leave."
After Tianlin and Ning Rongrong left, Ning Fengzhi remained, observing the icy crystals and fiery scorches on the ground, along with the deep fissure left by the sword energy.
"Such terrifying destructive power—it's comparable to a Soul Elder. And it's imbued with both ice and fire attributes. I've never seen such a powerful tool martial soul," Ning Fengzhi sighed.
"Yes, and fortunately, he's part of our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect," Bone Douluo said with relief. Of course, there was also a tinge of envy. Such an extraordinary disciple had to belong to his old rival Chenxin. Thinking about his disappointing pupil, Gu Rong couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated Gu Rong became. He turned to Chenxin and growled, "Hey, old sword geezer, how long are you going to keep staring at your hand?"
"Old bones, let me ask you something. If you were to use 30 levels of soul power, would a typical Soul King be able to injure you?" Chenxin suddenly asked, leaving Gu Rong puzzled.
"Of course not! I'm a Level 95 Titled Douluo. My 30 levels of soul power aren't the same as an ordinary Soul Elder's. Even a Soul King's fifth soul skill might not be able to hurt me," Gu Rong replied confidently. He wasn't exaggerating—it was simply the truth.
"But look." Chenxin extended his hand, revealing two wounds on his palm. Ice and fire energies continued to corrode the injuries.
It wasn't until Chenxin unleashed his sword intent that he managed to expel the two attributes.
"You're injured? How is that possible?" Gu Rong was incredulous. He had seen Chenxin block Tianlin's attack.
"Not only am I injured, but part of my soul power has also been sealed. I believe Tianlin's sword energy inherited the soul-sealing ability of the Purple Flame Golden-Eyed Beast. Ice and Fire God Seal—what a skill!"
Though his hand was injured, Chenxin's heart was full of joy. Tianlin's second soul skill had far exceeded his expectations. It could even seal a portion of his soul power. Against an opponent of the same level, it might instantly seal seven or eight levels—or even more.
"Fengzhi, we were wrong before. Tianlin's martial soul isn't just about raw attack power. Its true strength lies in its domineering nature. It's not just the sword; I suspect the spirit pearl has the same quality," Chenxin remarked.
"Domineering? Yes, that's it!" Ning Fengzhi suddenly understood. As a master of theory, he quickly pieced it together.
"Tianlin's martial soul is strongest in its sheer dominance—so dominant that it ignores rules. For example, when soul masters absorb soul rings, no auxiliary soul skill should be able to interfere. But Tianlin's spirit pearl completely disregards this rule."
"And his sword—it delivers true damage, ignoring level differences. In other words, as long as it hits, even a god could be injured."
"True damage? A martial soul like that… is he even human?" After hearing Ning Fengzhi's explanation, Gu Rong couldn't help but swallow hard. The thought of Tianlin reaching Levels 60 or 70 was terrifying. With his increased attack power and true damage, he might be capable of slaying Titled Douluo outright.
Many Titled Douluo were proud and arrogant. If they underestimated Tianlin, believing that a mere Soul Emperor or Soul Sage couldn't harm them, they might make the mistake of using their soul power to block his attacks—just like Chenxin had today. In such a case, they wouldn't even know how they died.
"Haha! Spirit Hall, Clear Sky Clan—thirty years, forty at most, and you'll no longer be able to stand above my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!" Ning Fengzhi looked up at the plaque in the grand hall, his spirits soaring.
Feeling the immense potential of Tianlin's martial soul, he was filled with boundless confidence in the future of the sect.