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The soul hunt continued.
Hong Tianxiang's attacks had no effect on the forty-thousand-year Earth Spike Dragon.
Sensing its opponent's weakness, the Earth Spike Dragon unfurled its body and launched a counterattack against Hong Tianxiang.
"Seventh Soul Skill, True Body of the Weapon Spirit."
The Long Cloud Staff in his hands grew massive. He raised it above his head and delivered a powerful strike.
Even with the assistance of a domain, a high-level Soul Sage found it extremely difficult to fight a forty-thousand-year spirit beast. For now, Hong Tianxiang could only fight it to a stalemate, their battle intense and evenly matched.
Ning Tianchen lifted the Seven Kill Sword.
Unlike an ordinary porcupine, the Earth Spike Dragon not only had sharp spikes on its back but also thick armor. However, like a mutated porcupine, its underbelly was exceptionally vulnerable, making it the only weak point.
Taking advantage of the intense battle, Ning Tianchen activated his third soul skill. The Seven Kill Sword, under his control, shot through the sky like a meteor, targeting the Earth Spike Dragon's underbelly.
The sharpness of the Dragon Patterned Seven Kill Sword was evident as it left deep gashes in the dragon's vulnerable belly.
Blood gushed out, and the Earth Spike Dragon let out a pained howl before curling back into a ball.
Hong Tianxiang sighed, "This guy's too tough. My attacks can't break through its defenses."
His Long Cloud Staff was considered a heavy weapon, but unfortunately, the Hong family—new money without any real depth—had no established system or techniques for wielding it.
Aside from his soul skills, Hong Tianxiang had very few offensive options.
Ning Tianchen began to understand why small families like this often struggled to survive across generations.
Without a mature cultivation system for their inherited martial soul, the family might hold together for one or two generations, but by the third, internal disputes over inheritance would inevitably arise once familial bonds weakened.
When united, their strength was formidable, but once divided, they lost their ability to withstand risks, leading to the family's eventual downfall.
Of course, this wasn't entirely Hong Tianxiang's fault. His strength and insight weren't sufficient to create a comprehensive system of staff techniques.
Without reaching the rank of Title Douluo, one's understanding of martial souls remained limited. If the Hong family started cultivating Hong Xinyue properly now, there might be a chance for them to become a prominent family in the future.
Shaking off these thoughts, Ning Tianchen replied, "My earlier strike has already severely wounded it. But it won't bleed to death. Elder Hong, try using your staff to flip it over."
Hong Tianxiang hesitated because he feared the Earth Spike Dragon might take advantage of the moment his staff moved to launch a surprise attack.
But at this point, there was no better option.
Taking a deep breath, Hong Tianxiang prepared himself.
His sixth soul ring suddenly lit up, and a powerful aura radiated from his body.
The Long Cloud Staff plunged into the ground beneath the Earth Spike Dragon, and with all his might, he attempted to flip it over.
Ning Tianchen readied himself for an attack.
The moment the Earth Spike Dragon's body was flipped, wings of sword energy sprouted behind Ning Tianchen, propelling him forward at high speed.
As the Earth Spike Dragon was flung into the air, the Seven Kill Sword thrust toward its underbelly.
Through the subtle vibrations in the blade, Ning Tianchen could clearly feel that this strike hadn't pierced the dragon's internal organs—it had merely cut through the outer layer of its skin.
"What thick skin."
Startled, Ning Tianchen immediately soared into the sky without hesitation.
The fat layer of the Earth Spike Dragon's underbelly had been slashed open, exposing its fat, but it posed no threat to its life.
The intense pain made it grow even more frenzied.
"Not good—it's going to fire its spikes!"
Hong Tianxiang, lacking flight capabilities, couldn't reach Ning Tianchen in mid-air.
The spikes on the Earth Spike Dragon's back slowly rose, then shot toward Ning Tianchen and Hong Tianxiang in rapid succession.
While firing its spikes, the Earth Spike Dragon didn't move its body.
Hong Tianxiang took cover on a slope, avoiding the spikes' attack, but Ning Tianchen in mid-air wasn't so lucky.
Faced with a barrage of spikes like a rain of pear blossoms, he could only rely on defensive soul skills to barely withstand the assault.
"The sword wings and sword energy barrier are almost at their limit." Clenching his teeth, Ning Tianchen decided to take a desperate risk.
The instant the sword energy barrier shattered, his body plummeted rapidly back to the ground.
The Earth Spike Dragon hadn't anticipated such a move, and all its subsequent spikes missed their mark.
But it didn't give up its desire for revenge, turning its attention toward Ning Tianchen instead.
At Ning Tianchen's current level, the Killing God Domain wasn't enough to hinder its movements.
"Be careful!" Hong Tianxiang shouted a warning and rushed to support him.
But his speed was clearly no match for the Earth Spike Dragon.
If anything happened to Ning Tianchen here, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would undoubtedly trace it back to them. At that point, the entire Hong family would face serious trouble.
No matter what, he had to ensure Ning Tianchen's safety.
---
Looking up at the charging Earth Spike Dragon, Ning Tianchen remained calm.
Previous attacks had proven that the Seven Kill Sword couldn't pierce the thick skin of the Earth Spike Dragon's underbelly.
"Then let me show you the power of the Asura Demon Sword."
Even without divine power, the Asura Demon Sword remained incredibly sharp.
With his right hand forming a sword gesture, Ning Tianchen lightly tapped the Asura mark between his eyebrows.
A crimson mist flowed out of the mark, coalescing in his hand and forming the complete Asura Demon Sword.
Holding both swords, Ning Tianchen charged toward the Earth Spike Dragon.
Despite its massive size, the Earth Spike Dragon leapt forward; Ning Tianchen slid along the ground to evade its attack.
Swiftly turning around, he crossed the two swords in his hands and swung them forcefully. Blood-red and silver-white sword energies merged, and the fierce sword momentum pierced through the Earth Spike Dragon's entire body.
"Incredible," Ning Tianchen thought in awe.
Using soul power to activate the Asura Demon Sword, he could still unleash such powerful sword energy.
The Earth Spike Dragon's body was completely sliced open, and the stench of blood spread with the wind.
Hong Tianxiang arrived late, and upon seeing the crimson longsword in Ning Tianchen's hands, he was astonished. "What kind of weapon is that? It can effortlessly cut through the Earth Spike Dragon's body."
If it were him, he likely wouldn't have escaped being slain.
Ning Tianchen twirled the Asura Demon Sword in his hand, then returned it to the mark between his eyebrows.
Though it was just one swing, the sword had drained half of his soul power.
Without divine power in his body, it was best not to use the Asura Demon Sword in regular battles moving forward.
This time, it drained half his soul power—there was no telling if next time it would drain all of it.
Surprisingly, he found that his soul power could easily activate the Asura Demon Sword.
Clearly, the Asura God had given him some leeway. In a typical divine trial, even if one obtained a divine weapon, without divine power, it would likely be unusable.
"Elder Hong, I accidentally obtained this sword during an ancient ruins training exercise. I never expected it to possess such power." Seeing no greed in the other's eyes, he explained.
Hong Tianxiang smiled, "I see. There are many ancient ruins on the continent, some dating back tens of thousands of years. I've heard that three hundred years ago, an extraordinary genius managed to break through to Title Douluo despite having only five levels of innate soul power, all thanks to inheriting a legacy from an ancient ruin."
Ning Tianchen knew this story as well.
Everyone recognized the importance of ancient ruins, but these places were usually the final resting sites of former greats. Without the right karmic connection, even searching the entire continent wouldn't reveal a single ruin.
Their locations were hidden, and even if found, they were riddled with traps—carelessness meant certain death.
Without asking further questions, Hong Tianxiang quickly regrouped his team to protect Ning Tianchen while he absorbed the soul ring.
A forty-thousand-year soul ring presented a significant challenge for Ning Tianchen.
Before absorbing the soul ring, he had prepared for every possible scenario.
---
The process of absorbing the soul ring was extraordinarily long, stretching from afternoon to night, and then to noon the next day, with no sign of Ning Tianchen finishing.
"Grandpa, why is absorbing a soul ring taking so long? It's been nearly twelve hours already!" Hong Xinyue asked, puzzled and dissatisfied.
Hong Tianxiang speculated that Ning Tianchen was absorbing a higher-level soul ring, which required him to endure greater shocks, thus prolonging the process.
"Can I absorb a higher-level soul ring too?" Hong Xinyue couldn't help but ask.
It seemed she attributed Ning Tianchen's incredible strength to absorbing higher-level soul rings.
Hong Tianxiang dared not let his precious granddaughter take such a risk and hurriedly explained, "Xinyue, don't be reckless. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect must have some secret technique ensuring success when absorbing higher-level soul rings. If you fail, Grandpa won't be able to save you."
"If you follow the proper cultivation path, you'll also become strong. When I was your age, I had just broken through to Soul Elder. You're already ahead of where I was at your age. It's best not to compare yourself to children of great families."
After all, the soul master theories and cultivation resources possessed by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were far beyond their reach.
As the grandfather and granddaughter conversed, a harsh voice rang out.
"So you're here. You've made me search for so long."
It was Pengshun who spoke.
After being ambushed by Hong Xinyue and her men, he had fled to the outskirts of the city and, relying on favors owed, gathered a group of strong individuals to target the Hong family.
Unfortunately for him, the recovery of the Hong family patriarch and his high-level Soul Sage strength caused his hastily assembled group to disintegrate instantly.
Unwilling to give up, Pengshun joined a nearby sect in Feng Wu City, one with a Soul Sage overseeing it.
Healing-type Soul Kings were highly valued in smaller sects. Upon hearing about Pengshun's plight, the sect leader decided to help him seek revenge.
Of course, this was just an excuse. What the sect leader truly coveted was the Hong family's market share.
Dealing with the army was a lucrative business, and they had long been envious.
"The Mad Blade Sect—you dare meddle in this!" Hong Tianxiang snorted coldly.
The Mad Blade Sect, including Pengshun, had brought more than thirty people, almost all of their sect's Soul King-level and above experts.
On the other hand, Hong Tianxiang only had thirteen people.
Ning Tianchen was still absorbing the soul ring and couldn't act yet. Hong Xinyue's strength was far from enough to handle Soul Kings.
In the situation where they needed to protect two people, the number of fighters on his side was fewer than ten. Not to mention, the other side also had Pengshun, a healing-type Soul King.
The leader of the Mad Blade Sect, Gu Ao, stepped forward. "You old geezer, your Hong family has taken so much profit but only thought about getting rich by yourselves. You've made things difficult for our Mad Blade Sect."
"How about this: hand over ninety percent of the profits from the military horse market as protection fees to us. From now on, we'll protect your business."
If he had proposed taking just ten percent of the profits, Hong Tianxiang might have agreed under the condition of ensuring Ning Tianchen and Hong Xinyue's safety.
But demanding ninety percent clearly showed that the other party wasn't interested in negotiations—they wanted to seize the entire pie.
Hong Tianxiang couldn't tolerate it anymore.
But in their current situation, they were obviously at a disadvantage.
He needed to find a way to buy time until Ning Tianchen woke up, then they could fight while retreating.
As he was pondering, a hand patted his shoulder. "Elder Hong, it seems there are some blind fools who want to come and die."
"It's you! Arrogant brat, with Lord Gu Ao here, I'll make sure you regret it later," Pengshun said with a sinister tone.
Clearly, Ning Tianchen's previous lesson had left a grudge in Pengshun's heart.
Ning Tianchen stepped forward and said, "I wondered who it was, turns out it's you, scum."
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed, locking onto Pengshun. The Killing God Domain spread rapidly from his body.
The Killing God Domain had an innate mental shock effect.
After absorbing the sixth soul ring, Ning Tianchen's soul power level reached Level 62. The surge in spiritual power from absorbing the soul ring greatly enhanced the domain's power.
With just one encounter, Pengshun's spirit seemed to be completely shattered, leaving him dazed.
"Damn useless thing."
Seeing that Pengshun was no longer useful, the leader of the Mad Blade Sect summoned his martial soul and ended Pengshun's life with a single strike.
Afterward, he didn't forget to pin the blame for the murder on Ning Tianchen. "At such a young age, you dare to use such vicious means. Boy, you will pay for your actions."
Hong Xinyue couldn't help but curse, "Gu the Blind, do you think everyone else is blind too? It was clearly you who killed Pengshun."
The reason Gu Ao was called "the Blind" stemmed from a battle in his youth where someone had blinded one of his eyes.
Though he didn't wear an eye patch, his left eye was blind.
Ning Tianchen sneered, "Since you're rushing to your deaths, don't blame us."
Then he quietly asked Hong Tianxiang, "Elder, what's their strength?"
Hong Tianxiang whispered back, "Gu Ao is a Level 76 Battle Soul Sage. Among the others, there are two Soul Emperors, and the rest are all Soul Kings. I can hold off Gu Ao, but I can't guarantee anything for the others."
He was very old and couldn't unleash his full strength.
Facing Gu Ao, a Soul Sage in his prime, he felt somewhat powerless.
Ning Tianchen asked, "Do we fight these fools who are delivering themselves to us?"
Hong Tianxiang affirmed, "Fight."
Since Ning Tianchen wanted to fight, they would fight. Even if they lost, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect behind Ning Tianchen would surely avenge them.
"Unaware of death." The leader of the Mad Blade Sect summoned his Crazy Blade martial soul and actively engaged Hong Tianxiang.
The martial souls of the other members of the Mad Blade Sect were varied.
Ning Tianchen took on the two Soul Emperors, both of whom held Elder positions within the Mad Blade Sect.
"Soul Emperors can become Elders? It seems your Mad Blade Sect isn't much to speak of!" Ning Tianchen subtly insulted them.
Within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, aside from those with special contributions, Outer Sect Elders were all Soul Sages, and Inner Sect Elders were all Soul Douluos.
Within the Spirit Hall, Elders had to be Title Douluos.
It was clear how weak the Mad Blade Sect was.
"Arrogant!" The two Soul Emperors attacked from the left and right, forming a pincer attack.
"Azure Dragon Break!"
The Seven Kill Sword whipped up sword energy and struck out fiercely.
The phantom of an azure dragon surrounded Ning Tianchen, and the two Soul Emperors' pincer attack was instantly neutralized.
"Soul Emperor!"
The two couldn't help but show looks of shock.
A Soul Emperor at such a young age—this likely surpassed Tang Hao in his prime. This boy must be from a prominent family.
The Mad Blade Sect was originally a loosely organized sect. Offending a powerful unknown force for a sect without cohesion clearly wasn't worth it.
The two exchanged glances, turned around, and fled in the opposite direction without looking back.
Ning Tianchen thought it was some kind of tactic and remained alert for a long time.
Only after losing sight of them did he believe that they had simply fled.
Scratching his head, he couldn't quite figure out the situation.
Why did these two guys run away all of a sudden? They were both Soul Emperors—"equally matched" opponents. They should have at least exchanged a few blows.
Not dwelling on it further, Ning Tianchen turned his attention to another battlefield.
The ten elite members of the Hong family faced the attack of more than thirty people and could only huddle together.
Among them, Hong Xinyue couldn't withstand the attacks from Soul Kings and could only passively hide behind others.
However, facing the assault of more than thirty people, their formation quickly fell apart, and Hong Xinyue was put in a dangerous situation.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Traceless Flying Sword!"
Ning Tianchen's sixth soul skill was similar to Sword Dao Chen Xin's "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Source."
However, each blade he summoned seemed to possess independent thinking abilities and would autonomously choose targets.
The Seven Kill Sword unleashed thousands of spiritual swords, which rained down under Ning Tianchen's control.
Cooperating with the ten elite members of the Hong family, they wiped out all thirty-plus enemies.
Ning Tianchen landed beside Hong Xinyue and jokingly asked, "From now on, will you dare to leave loose ends when handling matters?"
Today's incident could have been avoided. Because Hong Xinyue hadn't planned carefully beforehand, Pengshun managed to escape, leading to today's ambush.
Hong Xinyue forced a bitter smile and didn't refute his words.
…
On another nearby battlefield.
For an ordinary Soul Sage, there would be a cooldown period of about seven days after using the True Body of the Weapon Spirit. Yesterday, Hong Tianxiang had already used his True Body, so when facing Gu Ao, who activated his own True Body, he could only passively defend.
"Old man, you've already used your True Body. It looks like today will be the end for your Hong family."
While Gu Ao was laughing wildly, his peripheral vision caught Ning Tianchen annihilating all his subordinates.
Enraged, he forced Hong Tianxiang back with a slash and turned to charge toward Ning Tianchen.
"Boy, how dare you kill the elites of my Mad Blade Sect—you deserve to die!"
Losing over thirty Soul Kings significantly weakened the Mad Blade Sect. Even if they defeated the Hong family, they wouldn't be able to take over all of their market share.
Ruining his grand plan, he was determined to kill Ning Tianchen to vent his anger.
"Fifth Soul Skill, All Around Massive Quake."
The Seven Kill Sword shot out, and the mandatory knockback effect of the soul skill interrupted Gu Ao's attack. Before he could react, countless sword energies rushed toward him.
At the same time, the ten elite members of the Hong family escorted Hong Xinyue and left the Great Star Dou Forest from another direction.
Ning Tianchen's counterattack left Gu Ao, even in his True Body state, in a very sorry state.
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