"Fengzhi, aside from Rongrong, you're the first soul master with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tower. Want to pick a flashy title?" Bone Douluo laughed heartily. "How about Sword and I suggest a few for you to consider?"
"That makes sense. Bone's taste is hard to stomach, but if I choose, I might just make Fengzhi's eyes light up," Sword Douluo chimed in.
"Hmph, light up his eyes?" Bone Douluo scoffed at Sword Douluo's jab. "More like make them go dark!"
"What's that, old Bone? Want to throw down?" Sword Douluo rolled up his sleeves. "Your creaky skeleton hasn't been loosened up in a while, has it?"
"Heh," Bone Douluo stepped forward. "After absorbing a 100,000-year soul bone, you think I'm scared of you? That soul bone came from Rongrong's help, anyway. Who do you think you are?"
"Oh? And your 100,000-year soul ring just fell from the sky, did it?" Sword Douluo shot back.
Both were living off Rongrong's support. You're mocking my soul bone? How's your soul ring any better?
The domain was set up with Rongrong's help too.
"…Uncle Bone, Uncle Sword, please calm down," Ning Fengzhi said, feeling a headache coming on.
When these two had nothing to do, their banter became the main event.
Always at each other's throats.
In Rongrong's words, they were two bickering old men.
Of course, she hadn't said that to their faces, only whispered it to him, and he certainly wasn't going to repeat it!
Their relationship was actually quite good, so he let it slide. He couldn't control them anyway.
Their bond was like… what was it called?
Best buddies? Something more?
Ning Fengzhi shuddered violently.
He quickly suppressed certain mental images to avoid tainting his eyes.
As a great sect leader, he was privy to some of the nobility's secret practices.
Knowing was one thing, but taking it further? No thanks!
"For the title, how about Nine Treasures or Glazed?"
Ning Rongrong's voice interrupted Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo's bickering.
Their gazes converged on her.
"Not bad, but I think Qian Duoduo suits Fengzhi's vibe," Bone Douluo suggested.
Ning Fengzhi: "…"
Sword Douluo shot Bone Douluo a withering look.
"Why not just call him 'Rich Fool'? Your taste is as bad as your bony frame, making people's eyes go dark."
"You…"
"Let's go with Nine Treasures!" To prevent the two elders from spiraling into another argument, Ning Fengzhi made a snap decision on his title.
Thus, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's first proper auxiliary soul master—
Nine Treasures Douluo was officially born.
After the title was decided, Bone Douluo sized up Ning Fengzhi.
"Sect Leader, you don't seem to be just level 91."
Not only Bone Douluo, but Sword Douluo also sensed the intensity of Ning Fengzhi's soul power.
Standing close, they could vaguely gauge his strength.
However, without fully unleashing his power, an auxiliary soul master's aura was subtle, making it hard to pinpoint.
"Level 94 peak. At most, I'll break through to level 95 in two months," Ning Fengzhi said, his voice tinged with emotion.
A 220,000-year ninth soul ring was something he hadn't even dared to dream of.
Auxiliary soul beasts were rare, and a ninth soul ring of 80,000 or 90,000 years was already exceptional.
Very few auxiliary soul beasts could survive to 80,000 or 90,000 years.
Not everyone could be like Bi Ji, with cultivation exceeding 500,000 years.
"Almost level 95!"
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were stunned.
A soul ring over 100,000 years could boost cultivation that much?
That's seriously unscientific!
Feeling their gazes, Ning Rongrong explained, "I helped Father open his eight extraordinary meridians, allowing his soul power to circulate fully."
"Otherwise, he'd have reached level 93 at most."
"Rongrong, what's the principle behind this?" The three men exchanged glances.
"It's similar to a marrow-cleansing pill, artificially widening the meridians and improving the efficiency of soul power flow," Ning Rongrong said, pausing as she saw their puzzled expressions. "In simple terms, it increases the level of innate soul power."
Ning Fengzhi was shocked, his eyes wide, voice trembling slightly.
"Rongrong, you mean my innate soul power has increased by at least one level?"
Marrow-cleansing pills only worked on ordinary people without soul power.
If Ning Rongrong could increase a soul master's innate soul power, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's strength could multiply several times over.
A single level of innate soul power could make a world of difference.
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo swallowed hard.
They exchanged a glance, seeing the longing in each other's eyes.
Neither had innate full soul power. If they could use Ning Rongrong's method to raise their innate soul power by one level, the feedback might help them break through to level 99 faster.
Especially Sword Douluo, who felt that if his innate soul power increased, he might immediately reach Limit Douluo.
Limit Douluo—a level even his father could only dream of.
Though there seemed to be quite a few Limit Douluo on the continent, and with Fengzhi's buffs he could perform at that level, being stuck at level 98 still left some regrets.
Knowing what the three were thinking, Ning Rongrong shook her head and explained, "Opening the meridians can only achieve a pseudo-innate full soul power state at best."
Without a matching cultivation technique, opening meridians only speeds up soul power flow and absorption, boosting strength to some extent.
But compared to true innate full soul power, there's still a difference.
It's like how people's physiques can't be compared directly.
Changing things after birth is difficult.
"At least it can increase cultivation speed and level, right?" Bone Douluo confirmed again.
"You could say that," Ning Rongrong nodded.
"Then can Sword and I do it?"
"It's difficult. For Title Douluo, it's very difficult…" Ning Rongrong sighed. "For Father, we had the Gold of Life, plus Gu Yuena and Bi Ji's assistance, so I dared to try. It's very risky."
As for Shui Cangyue two and a half years ago, she was willing to take the risk. Even if it failed, it wouldn't be Ning Rongrong's fault.
Opening meridians for a Title Douluo versus a Soul Douluo is a different level of difficulty.
Unless she could reach the second realm of perfection, moving from the first to the second of the Four Extremes.
Then, she might have some confidence.
Hearing this, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo felt a bit disappointed.
But none of them thought Ning Rongrong was deceiving them.
Given their relationship, if it were possible, there'd be no reason for her not to enhance their strength.
"Father, your ninth soul ring should have two soul skills, right?"
Typically, a god-granted 100,000-year soul ring only has one soul skill.
Like in the original story, for herself.
Her eighth and ninth soul rings were both 100,000 years but each had only one skill.
The eighth soul ring was Nine Treasures Divine Light Protection.
It granted immunity to all attacks below the ninth soul skill nine times, using the opponent's attack to enhance her own defense.
The ninth soul skill was Nine Treasures Invincible Divine Light.
It could block any attack below god-level, usable on herself or others.
It could be used ten times a day without consuming soul power.
An extremely powerful skill.
Of course, compared to the cheat-like Invincible Golden Body for three seconds or the Thousand-Year Soul Skill that could tank the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's attacks, her skills paled in comparison.
Suddenly, Ning Fengzhi's voice reached Ning Rongrong's ears.
But what he said left Ning Rongrong, who was still muttering to herself, completely stunned.
"No, it can't be!"