Chapter 6 Debate
The midday sun broke through the clouds and mist, shining through the glazed tiles and making the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect look like a dream.
"Truly worthy of being the wealthiest power on the entire continent, their arrogance inside and out is terrifying."
Looking at the magnificent golden mountain gate not far away, Ning Huan's expression was inscrutable, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Thinking he already knew the boy's preferences, Ning Zhen quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and explained:
"Young Master Ning, you have excellent taste!"
"The gate of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is meticulously carved from a thousand-year-old tree."
"Every inch of the pattern on it was painstakingly carved by more than a hundred master carpenters."
"The value of this door alone is comparable to that of a thousand-year-old soul bone."
Ning Huan neither agreed nor disagreed upon hearing this, but his understanding of the sect's predicament deepened.
A gate worth millions of gold soul coins—who wouldn't be envious?
"Let's go register. If I remember correctly, today is the deadline."
After saying that, Ning Huan strode towards the registration point at the foot of the mountain.
...
Half an hour later...
"Branch, name, age?"
"Tianluo City, Ning Huan, twelve years old."
"Stretch out your hand so we can measure your bone age."
It seems to be due to the high-intensity work and lack of rest over the past few days.
The middle-aged man in charge of registration sounded very impatient, which made Ning Huan frown slightly.
However, upon seeing his rather obvious panda eyes, his slightly angry mood instantly subsided.
He extended his right hand without saying anything more.
Why make things difficult for the oxen and horses of the past?
"Yes, I just turned twelve. I didn't lie about it."
"Next, we will test your soul power level."
The middle-aged man was taking notes without looking up, while simultaneously pushing the crystal ball for testing soul power in front of Ning Huan.
Seeing this, Ning Huan's lips curled up slightly, his previously leisurely smile now appearing extremely strange.
Ning Zhen, who had been watching this scene closely from a distance, frowned and thought to himself:
Based on past experience, the normal procedure should be to deliberately suppress one's soul power and unleash it during the finals.
'But this ancestor... will most likely not play by the rules!'
Sure enough, this conjecture was confirmed by his future master almost immediately after it surfaced.
Ning Huan slowly raised his right hand and placed it on the crystal ball. His unhurried movements infuriated the middle-aged man.
"Kid, you'd better hurry up..."
However, just as the angry shouts arose, an extremely dazzling white light suddenly burst forth.
This not only silenced all his angry words that were about to come out, but also made the originally noisy and chaotic square fall silent in the blink of an eye.
In an instant, hundreds of gazes were cast upon Ning Huan.
Fear, apprehension, suspicion, bewilderment...
That's all there is to it.
"Huh? What did you say, senior?"
"It was windy just now, I didn't hear you clearly."
Glug...
With a barely perceptible swallowing sound, the middle-aged man learned the meaning of the phrase "wanting to cry but having no tears" for the first time.
Without a doubt, if time could be turned back, he would definitely treat the boy in front of him as a revered figure.
Instead of things like now, where they've even decided where they'll be buried.
"Senior, you should record your soul power level and give me my participation certificate."
The implied mockery in his words sent a chill down the middle-aged man's spine.
Then, in a hurry, he grabbed the notebook that had somehow fallen onto the table and instinctively shouted:
"Tianluo City, Ning Huan, Level 42!"
These words caused an uproar in the audience.
Those disciples who were still looking around and doubting the authenticity of soul power immediately felt dizzy.
Except for a very few Soul Masters who are extremely confident in their own talents, all the other applicants gave up the opportunity to compete for the top spot.
"Thank you, let's go."
Ning Huan accepted the exquisitely crafted jade token, thanked him softly, and waved for Ning Zhen to follow.
In contrast, the latter pretended to be proud and resentful, which made everyone grit their teeth.
'That bastard, don't let me/my mom catch him!'
At the same time, the two Soul Emperors hidden in the shadows locked eyes.
The next second, their figures disappeared, running straight towards the mountaintop.
A Spirit Master at the age of twelve is extremely rare; if he does not die young, he is enough to stir up a storm on the continent.
...
Snap!
The crisp sound of porcelain shattering echoed leisurely in the main hall.
The blue-white teacups scattered among the black jade bricks also constantly highlight how restless their owner's heart is.
"You two...did you really see it with your own eyes?"
The two Soul Emperors, who had already knelt down, nodded frantically, fearing that the faint sword energy swirling around their necks would fall.
"This disciple would not dare to lie!"
"There were many people in the square at the time, and everyone saw it!"
"Furthermore, the elders of the Tochi Workshop have inspected the Soul Power Crystal Ball, and it is completely undamaged!"
"Hiss~"
The white-haired old man in the palace, whose body was surrounded by sword intent, suddenly gasped.
He then turned to look at the middle-aged man in the main seat, whose demeanor was ordinary yet imposing.
Judging from his instinctive behavior, the final decision-making power for such an important matter is clearly in his hands.
The two elderly people beside him also stood side by side without saying a word from beginning to end.
However, all three of them secretly harbored some ulterior motives.
There's no other reason than that they'd only ever heard of a twelve-year-old Spirit Master, but had never actually seen one before!
If he could take him as a disciple, wouldn't that be incredibly prestigious!
"You may all leave now. Remember to collect your reward at the Golden Treasury Hall."
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
The next second, the two quickly got up and left, not daring to linger for even a moment.
Only after the figure had completely disappeared from sight did the old man at the head of the group speak again.
"Sect Master, we must not let such a great talent slip through our fingers!"
"I have a premonition that this Ning Huan will be the key to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's return to glory!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wind Douluo, who was also a Priest, quickly chimed in, their cooperation perfectly synchronized.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
"Since Ning Huan was able to cultivate to the Spirit Master level in this barren land, his talent is probably stronger than we imagined!"
"Moreover, he is a disciple from a collateral branch of our family, so our relationship is naturally close."
However, the Shield Guardian Douluo, who had remained silent throughout the debate, instead shared his own insights.
"But he was ultimately a collateral disciple, and was sent to a border city to live in anonymity for six years, without any regard for his safety."
"I am not sure if he can be completely trusted."
The overly blunt words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Sword and Wind's enthusiasm and causing their faces to flush red.
"Then what do you suggest we do?!"
"have no idea."
Sword Douluo, Wind Douluo: ...
Ning Hao: Brilliant!
Unfortunately, in order to prevent his own roof from being forcibly demolished, Ning Hao, the current sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, had no choice but to take the initiative to ease the tension.
"Alright, seniors, let's not let a genius ruin our harmony."
"Senior Shield Guardian's concerns are not without merit, but I think no force would be willing to use a twelve-year-old Soul Sect member as a spy."
After calming the rising tension between the two sides with a few words, Ning Hao's usually placid face suddenly broke into a smile.
"and..."
[end of the chapter ]