As Su Cheng's words slipped out, Ning Fengzhi's smile froze on his face. He glanced at Chen Xin, who remained impassive, and suddenly realized that there might be more to this than meets the eye.
"Cheng'er wants to join the Martial Soul Hall," Chen Xin said plainly.
At this point, he had no reason to oppose it.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's confusion, Su Cheng didn't beat around the bush either and said, "The Martial Soul Hall holds a grudge against me for my father's death. But seeking revenge through strength alone is futile. I have to find another way from within."
Over the years, under Qian Xunji's management, the Martial Soul Hall's reputation had indeed declined. But there was no need to talk about lofty ideals here.
Everyone present was intelligent enough. He just needed to state the pros and cons clearly and make it clear that there was no possibility of coexistence between them.
Although Ning Fengzhi's strength was lacking, his ambitions were never small. The Martial Soul Hall loomed over everyone like a towering mountain. And with Tang Chen missing for many years and Qian Daoliu unrivaled in the world, its momentum had only grown stronger in recent years.
With the Martial Soul Hall around, even maintaining the original power of the Upper Three Sects was quite difficult. Otherwise, there would be no need for the author to constantly mention the phrase "the Upper Three Sects stand united" in the original work.
"What's your plan?" After a long silence, Ning Fengzhi finally asked.
Before today, he would never have cared so much about Su Cheng's life or death. Although he was Chen Xin's adopted son, he had no talent for cultivation and was of little value.
But after today, Su Cheng's strategic importance in his mind was even higher than Chen Xin, who was still only a Soul Douluo at the moment.
Ning Fengzhi himself was an auxiliary-type soul master, and naturally, he wouldn't just judge someone based on their combat power alone. Just the fact that Su Cheng had come up with a method to directly absorb higher-level soul rings relying on external items was remarkable. And his boldness to think and act was even more rare.
If possible, he would naturally prefer Su Cheng to serve the sect. But if Su Cheng's personal desire was strong and he indeed had the opportunity to severely damage the Martial Soul Hall, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
"Master, there's no need to rush. It's not the right time yet. Let me absorb a second soul ring of over a thousand years first. Then, I'll put on a show for everyone. But you'll have to bear with it for a while. This method isn't suitable for widespread promotion within the sect for the time being."
To be honest, Su Cheng considered Ning Fengzhi the trickiest person to deal with.
He was astute, knew when to advance and retreat, and had foresight. But everything he did was driven by self-interest. Although he had some cleverness, he lacked the profound wisdom and determination of Chen Xin and others.
Ning Fengzhi looked at the boy before him, not yet nine years old, and nodded with a complex expression. "When you make this research public across the continent for free, your reputation will probably surpass that so-called master, Yu Xiaogang."
Su Cheng chuckled disdainfully. "Master, I've also read that so-called article about the ten core competencies of martial souls by Yu Xiaogang. It's just a summary of the experiences of predecessors, picking up their scattered pearls of wisdom. Besides, there are many mistakes in it. Comparing me to him underestimates my abilities."
He lowered his head, gazing at the broken sword martial soul in his hand, and said calmly, "If I didn't have exceptional value beyond ordinary people, why would I, with my 0.5-level innate soul power, join the Martial Soul Hall? And not only do I want to join, but I also want them to seek me out to join."
...
[After absorbing the first soul ring beyond the age limit, you spent over four years to raise your level to 20. Your cultivation speed has fallen far behind your peers in the sect, and no one expects much from you anymore. Apart from occasional mockery, most people ignore you, which suits you just fine. However, with the support of Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, you have access to abundant cultivation resources, and your research in medicine has never stopped.]
[With Chen Xin's help, at the age of 13, you successfully killed a 1100-year-old soul beast, the Shadowy Wolf, and added an unprecedented purple second soul ring to your martial soul. Your soul power also broke through to level 22. Perhaps, you have a chance to break through level 30 before the age of 20. However, you believe that even if you don't break through, it doesn't matter. With your current understanding of medicine and the human body, the so-called level 30 bottleneck isn't a big deal.]
[Over the years, due to Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin's unconditional favoritism towards you, it has gradually sparked strong dissatisfaction among the elders and disciples within the sect, leading to various rumors and gossip becoming more rampant. Amidst this, although Chen Xin has reached the realm of Titled Douluo, he has not suppressed the attacks against you within the sect, but instead allowed them to escalate, which has been interpreted as a signal that you have been abandoned by your adoptive father.]
[In fact, this was a deliberate plan orchestrated by you, discussed with Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin long ago.]
"Do you want to leave the sect now?" Chen Xin hesitated, his words on the tip of his tongue.
Although this decision was made long ago, how could the bond between father and son be easily severed?
"Yes, father, after all this preparation, it's time to make a decisive move."
Compared to Chen Xin, Su Cheng was much calmer.
It's not that he lacked affection for his adoptive father. While most of the time in the life simulation passed rapidly in text form, everything that happened was genuinely imprinted in his memory, and emotions naturally weren't feigned.
However, destroying the Martial Soul Hall was an immensely challenging task. Every misstep could lead to irreparable consequences, and he couldn't let these emotions sway him.
"Now that my theory is almost perfected, absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring requires mental suppression. This not only demands temporary stimulation but also a solid foundation. I've left the sect with the formulas for long-term medication to gradually enhance spiritual power, acupuncture points to stimulate mental power, and relevant training methods."
He looked towards Ning Fengzhi standing beside him. "Master, if I haven't succeeded, at least I've left a foundation for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Consider it a welcoming gift for my yet-to-be-born nephew. Rest assured, until I'm certain of success, I won't disclose all these details to the Martial Soul Hall."
Sighing, he added, "Unfortunately, I haven't achieved results in the research on the hundred-thousand-year soul ring. After all, the information in this regard is too scarce."
Ning Fengzhi gazed at Su Cheng, deeply bowed as the sect master, and said in a solemn tone, "As the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, I thank you for everything you've done for the sect."
Then, he turned and left, giving the father and son some final moments together.
Watching Chen Xin's slightly melancholic expression, Su Cheng suddenly smiled. "Now that you're a Titled Douluo, even though you're a bit old, you can still have a child. Quickly have one to inherit your legacy. Unfortunately, my aptitude is lacking, and I really can't learn your Seven Kill Sword."
"You rascal!" Chen Xin glared with widened eyes.
"Goodbye! The next time you hear news about me, I'm sure I'll be famous worldwide."
Watching Su Cheng's carefree figure waving goodbye, Chen Xin seemed a bit absent-minded.
This year, he had just turned eighteen.
...
Not long after, news spread about the departure of Chen Xin's adopted son, Su Cheng, from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect due to internal bias.
However, on the continent, there didn't seem to be much concern about this matter. At most, it was seen as a topic of gossip after dinner, with people thinking he was just another Yu Xiaogang, a waste with only 0.5-level innate soul power.
But, two months later, everything changed.
The situation on the continent suddenly took a dramatic turn, and Su Cheng's name spread far and wide.