"Wait." Ning Fengzhi cut off Ning Rongrong's words. "That Great Master is indeed a remarkable person. Under his guidance, I would consider a three or four rank increase in your Soul Power over the course of a year to be perfectly normal. I greatly admire his special training methods. But according to what you said, two months ago you were still at the thirty-first rank, and now, only two months later, you've reached the thirty-seventh. How is that possible?"
Ning Rongrong smiled mysteriously. "Actually, half a month ago I was still at the thirty-first rank. The remaining six ranks were all gained in essentially a single day."
"Rongrong, don't scare your grandfather." The withered old man couldn't help but widen his eyes. He knew very well that the more rapidly those unorthodox cultivation methods boosted one's power, the greater the toll on one's life force. Gaining six ranks in a single day — that would likely cost decades of one's lifespan.
Ning Rongrong burst out laughing. "What's wrong with you two? I wanted to give you a pleasant surprise, but somehow it turned into a fright. It's really nothing — I simply consumed a special type of herb that increased my strength by this much."
"An herb?" Ning Fengzhi pressed urgently. "What herb?"
Ning Rongrong said, "My Third Brother said it seems to be called the 'Qiluo Tulip' — a rare immortal-grade treasure."
Two figures that Ning Fengzhi had only recently encountered flashed through his mind. Could it be them?
"Qiluo Tulip? Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu — have either of you heard of this herb?"
Both old men shook their heads simultaneously, their faces blank with confusion. The withered old man said, "Perhaps only that old poisoner Dugu Bo would know about it. No — Fengzhi, we must examine Rongrong's physical condition right away. If her Soul Power increase came at the cost of her life force, we need to find a solution immediately."
"Bone Grandfather, I already told you not to worry. My Third Brother said that those herbs are immortal-grade treasures that absorb the essence of heaven and earth. They not only have the effect of strengthening one's foundation, but they actually reinforce it. Fine — I won't keep it hidden anymore. Let me show you the real surprise. Once you see this, you'll stop doubting me."
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong slowly raised her right hand. A dazzling seven-colored radiance began to coalesce in her palm.
Watching the light gather in his daughter's palm, Ning Fengzhi suddenly felt something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
A resplendent pagoda materialized in Ning Rongrong's right hand, wreathed in two yellow and one purple Soul Ring, its brilliant glow instantly brightening the entire hall.
Before Ning Fengzhi could get a closer look, the white-robed old man beside him had already cried out in shock, "Nine tiers, nine colors — a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
"What?" Ning Fengzhi's face drained of color. He finally understood what had struck him as strange — the color in Ning Rongrong's palm when she released her Martial Soul. It was different from the original seven colors; two additional hues had appeared, making it nine in total. And the pagoda in her palm now — wasn't it precisely nine tiers high?
As the most powerful support-type Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had long harbored a closely guarded secret, one that centered on this very Martial Soul.
Heaven was fair. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's effectiveness on the battlefield was simply too terrifying, and so it carried a flaw.
The reason the Martial Soul was called the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was not merely because it had seven tiers — more importantly, this Martial Soul could only accommodate seven Soul Rings. That was two fewer than any other Martial Soul. This was precisely why Ning Fengzhi, despite being the Clan Master, was still stuck at the seventy-ninth rank of Soul Power and had been unable to break through to the next level.
According to the legends of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, under special circumstances the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Not only would this strengthen the Soul Master's own foundation, but it would also open up far greater potential. Once a Soul Master possessing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda reached the nine-ring Titled Douluo rank, they could earn the title of God of Support. On any battlefield, they would possess the power to turn the tide.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi no longer had any reason to worry about his daughter. The appearance of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda proved that Ning Rongrong's life force had not been diminished — it had in fact increased dramatically, and her foundation had become incomparably solid. Now, the heart of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan Master was filled with an entirely different kind of shock. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the dream of his entire life had already been realized in his daughter. Happiness had arrived so suddenly that he stood there in a complete daze.
It was not only Ning Fengzhi who was overcome with emotion — the two old men's feelings had turned equally feverish. Gazing at the pagoda hovering above Ning Rongrong's palm, for a long while neither of them knew what to say.