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"Announcing your own abilities is indeed a foolish act. I didn't expect Tianchen to have such awareness," Chen Xin said with a chuckle and a scolding tone.
In the sect's sparring matches, it was best to follow the rules. After all, everyone was part of the same sect, so there was no need to worry about anything.
The only reason Ning Tianchen hadn't announced his abilities was that his soul power level was lower than his opponent's, sparing him from unnecessary gossip.
Ning Fengzhi's face remained adorned with a faint smile. "I personally believe that before an official battle, maintaining some suspense is better."
Normally, a soul master who had just absorbed their first soul ring would only have a strength of level eleven. However, Tianchen was at level fourteen, which could greatly confuse his opponent.
Upon hearing the opponent's words, Bu Qing immediately flew into a rage.
"How dare you ignore me! First soul skill, Water Domain!"
The Water Cloud Staff in his hand spun rapidly, creating a pool of water on the training ground.
The area of the water domain wasn't large—it was just enough to cover Ning Tianchen's feet. Being inside it slowed his movement speed by twenty percent.
"A restriction-type soul skill, huh?" Ning Tianchen murmured softly, not making any moves.
His opponent's martial soul lacked long-range attack capabilities, meaning that to deal damage, the opponent would have to get close.
Although Ning Tianchen's legs were submerged in the water domain, it only affected his leg-based movement; his upper body remained unaffected. Therefore, he didn't need to make any moves—just wait for the opponent to approach.
"How is this possible? Trapped in my water domain, he isn't showing any signs of panic!" Bu Qing exclaimed loudly.
Below the training grounds, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
For children, feeling restricted often caused panic. But for someone with combat experience, it had no effect whatsoever.
At this moment, Ning Tianchen stood like a veteran of countless battles, holding his sword firmly on the training grounds.
"Sword Uncle, did you teach Tianchen any combat techniques?"
Chen Xin thought for a moment and smiled. "I did mention something briefly, but I never expected this kid to remember it. Hehe, I'm quite impressed."
…
Seeing that Ning Tianchen wasn't falling for his trap, Bu Qing grew increasingly anxious.
Maintaining the water domain continuously consumed his soul power. At his age, his use of soul power was still very inefficient—he knew that if he kept going like this, his soul power would soon run out.
Unable to contain his impatience, he charged toward his opponent, initiating an attack.
The Water Cloud Staff in his hands spun rapidly as he surged forward with great force. He raised the staff, attempting a powerful strike.
Ning Tianchen's eyes sharpened as he swung his sword upward.
While standing still earlier, he had been gathering momentum.
He had infused the Seven Kill Sword with a layer of soul power, and when he swung it now, the sword qi erupted, dealing a hidden blow to his opponent.
"What a pity. Relying solely on the first soul ring's understanding of sword qi is still too forced," Ning Tianchen lamented.
The damage from that sword qi was only slightly higher than a regular sword swing.
Bu Qing frowned deeply, thinking to himself, "Such strong attack power—is this really the Seven Kill Sword martial soul, like Sword Elder's? It doesn't feel like it."
Whether or not it was the Seven Kill Sword, the attack power was undeniable.
If he hadn't blocked in time just now, his arm might have been severed.
"Second soul skill, Water Cloud Dance Staff!"
To conserve enough soul power, Bu Qing chose to deactivate his first soul skill.
The Water Cloud Staff in his hands spun rapidly, and when the final strike landed, it formed a shadowy figure that smashed toward Ning Tianchen.
"First soul skill, Azure Dragon Break!"
A layer of sword qi enveloped the Seven Kill Sword. When Ning Tianchen swung it, the sword qi transformed into the shadow of an azure dragon.
The two shadows collided, and the Water Cloud Staff was completely overwhelmed.
"How is this possible?!"
It wasn't just Bu Qing who was shocked—even the spectators couldn't help but exclaim.
How could a soul master's first soul skill shatter a Great Soul Master's second soul skill?!
Chen Xin's breathing quickened as he involuntarily remarked, "The Seven Kill Sword was already the continent's number one offensive weapon-type martial soul. Now that Tianchen's martial soul has evolved further, its attack power has skyrocketed. In the future, the title of the continent's number one weapon-type martial soul might return to the Seven Kill Sword because of Tianchen."
Seeing his expression, Ning Fengzhi knew this wasn't empty talk.
Chen Xin's grandfather, Chen Xun, had once been defeated by Tang Chen, causing the Seven Kill Sword to lose its throne as the continent's number one weapon-type martial soul.
Now, seeing Ning Tianchen's performance, perhaps the future would unfold as Chen Xin predicted.
When that day came, wouldn't the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect possess two number one titles?
With that, the sect would be propelled to new heights.
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi tried hard to suppress his excitement, lest he lose composure in front of others.
The rest of the duel held no suspense.
To hone his swordsmanship and footwork, Ning Tianchen prolonged the match.
Only when he felt he couldn't improve further did he end the match.
After stepping off the training grounds, Chen Xin patted his shoulder with satisfaction. "You did well. Remember today's feeling. From now on, I'll arrange daily duels for you."
"Thank you, Sword Elder," Ning Tianchen bowed gratefully.
Today's leap-level battle had yielded significant gains for him.
During Ning Rongrong's absence, he needed to seize the time to reflect. Once she returned, he'd likely have to set aside some time each day to play with her.
…
Over the next six months, Ning Tianchen spent his mornings studying in the special training camp and his afternoons dueling with the sect's disciples. After Ning Rongrong finished school, they would go shopping in Tiandou City.
Far from opposing this, Ning Fengzhi encouraged them to go out and play.
After all, bonds cultivated from a young age would grow even stronger in the future.
Of course, during this time, Ning Tianchen also benefited greatly from Ning Rongrong. His private treasury gradually filled up.
One morning, Chen Xin inspected his cultivation as usual.
Ning Tianchen eagerly reported his recent situation. "Sword Elder, no matter how much I spar with others recently, my swordsmanship hasn't broken through."
After a pause, he added, "I plan to focus more on cultivating soul power during this bottleneck period."
Chen Xin didn't agree with his idea. "Encountering bottlenecks in cultivation is inevitable. But for you right now, the benefits of cultivating soul power are far less than those of practicing swordsmanship."
"The golden period for soul masters to cultivate is between the ages of twelve and thirty. For you, reducing your focus on swordsmanship at this stage could very well lead to a regression in your understanding of it."
"For now, you can temporarily stop cultivating soul power. While continuing to practice swordsmanship, spend more time resting."
"Cultivation requires balancing work and rest. During this time, just have fun with Rongrong. Also, the Sect Leader wants you to persuade Rongrong not to argue with her teachers in the special training camp."
Ning Tianchen let out a wry smile.
So, there was a new task.
However, these days, due to the bottleneck in his cultivation, he had indeed grown distant from Ning Rongrong.
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