Chapter Thirty: Completing the Martial Soul, Ning Wuque’s Repayment

"Thoughts?"

Ning Tian was puzzled, yet out of her trust in Ning Wuque, she nodded, signaling for him to continue.

Across from her, Ning Wuque had two reasons for asking her this at this moment.

The first was exactly as he had stated: he genuinely wanted to help evolve Ning Tian's martial soul to repay her for her relentless investment in him. More than a year ago, Ning Tian had said, "Your salary will be whatever I feel like paying you~" It sounded like a casual remark, but it later made Ning Wuque feel that a man should be willing to die for one who truly understands him.

Ten million gold soul coins were merely the baseline investment. Since then, whether it was lending him expensive Soul-Nurturing Jade, providing him with rare, priceless treasures refined into food, or recommending sect chefs to prepare better compressed rations for him, Ning Tian’s support could truly be described as tireless.

He had often wondered if he was really worth such kindness from her, and what her reasons might be. But the truth was simple: Ning Tian regarded him as a close friend, an indispensable part of her life much like Wu Feng, and she simply did not want to see him perish on the path to pursuing his own ideals. That was all.

Ning Wuque was not an ungrateful man. While accepting the benefits Ning Tian provided, he spent his spare time researching how to evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Did the evolution of a martial soul truly depend solely on immortal herbs? No, that could not be the case.

He had sought out information on weapon souls with "beast spirit possession," such as the Dragon-Coiling Staff, the Basalt Shield, and the Serpent Staff, determining from these records that the evolutionary path of weapon souls was by no means absolute. Through Ning Tian's status, he had accessed advanced texts within the sect, reviewing data on naturally flawed martial souls and various gem-based spirits. Ultimately, combining this with the most basic "devouring" evolutionary path of beast spirits, he reached a conclusion: the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda did not necessarily require immortal herbs to be completed; it was simply that no one had yet discovered the correct path to do so. Perhaps the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect of ten thousand years ago had been fumbling toward the right direction, but ever since that ancestor ascended, they had charged headlong down the wrong track, with no intention of ever changing course.

As for the second reason...

The plot was about to begin, which meant Ning Tian would soon head to Shrek Academy to fulfill the sect's tradition of recruiting talent and... perhaps finding a future partner.

"Yes, I’ve reviewed a great deal of information and compiled a booklet. It’s still a semi-finished product that requires experimentation, though. As to whether you want to try it..."

Taking a small booklet he had compiled from his storage soul device, he handed it to Ning Tian and said, "You don't have the final say; this requires your father's judgment and approval. I think you understand what I mean. We are friends."

"Thank you... I will take it to my father for review. Let's set that aside for now. What about you? What kind of second soul ring do you plan to hunt? I’ll have someone reserve it for you in advance."

A gentle smile graced Ning Tian's face; her expression was like a spring breeze melting snow, making Ning Wuque feel healed.

He nodded and stated the plan he had long since formed: "Let's go with an Dark Gold Terrorclaw Ant between seven and eight thousand years. The sect's private hunting forest has them. I intend to see if I can hunt it using my own strength."

"That’s amazing!"

"It’s all thanks to you, Ning Tian. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to afford those two fifty-thousand-year top-grade whale glue lumps. I probably would have hit my limit around four thousand years." Ning Wuque spoke the truth.

Of the ten million gold soul coins, only about three million remained. The two lumps of fifty-thousand-year top-grade whale glue had taken the lion's share, each purchased at an auction for over a million gold coins. After all, gold soul coins were not sect contribution points and could not be exchanged for them; such high-level whale glue could only be obtained through Ning Tian's connections at auctions. Then there were the various nourishing herbs and soul beast meats.

Piled up with millions of gold coins, Ning Wuque's physical body was now comparable to an ordinary thirty-six or thirty-seven-level beast soul master. Once his first gate was opened, he was on par with a forty-first-level soul ancestor possessing a high-level beast soul. But this brought with it a massive problem, which was the very reason he intended to challenge a seven-to-eight-thousand-year soul ring.

"Hehe, then why don't you call me 'Young Mistress' and let me hear it~ If you flatter me enough, perhaps I'll look into news about eight or nine-thousand-year whale glue for you."

"Young Mistress! I would go through fire and water for you, Young Mistress!"

...

That evening, following Ning Wuque's request, Ning Tian went to her parents' residence to meet her father, Ning Fengxiao.

In the study, the tall, imposing middle-aged man stood by the window with his back to her, acting cool, only turning slowly when she arrived close behind him. "What is it, Tian'er? Coming to see me so late—is there something you need help with? Perhaps asking for Ning Wuque regarding high-quality whale glue or body-tempering treasures?"

"No, it's not that, Father!" Ning Tian blushed. She was still young and didn't have many channels for information; her only resources were her father and her older siblings. But that wasn't why she was here today.

Without hesitation, she pulled the booklet Ning Wuque had given her from her soul device and handed it to her father. "This is what Wuque gave me. He said it contains his insights on the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda and wanted me to pass it to you for review. Father, Wuque... he has always been helping me, it’s not just me helping him!"

She emphasized this specifically, hoping her father wouldn't think she had some other romantic intention that might lead him to drive them apart. Since her conversation with Ning Wuque before the assessments, she had begun to understand things she shouldn't have, and with the lessons her mother had been teaching her lately... she was terrified that her father might remove this good friend from her side.

"Oh? I see." Ning Fengxiao nodded. Though his expression remained unchanged, he was secretly beginning to feel a flicker of anticipation. He felt as if... he had finally seen hope for winning his gamble! Tell me, what is the one thing the Douluo Continent never lacks?

"This... this is!"

As Ning Fengxiao flipped through the booklet, his eyes scanning the clear and logical theoretical knowledge, he went from mild interest to a sudden, drastic change in expression, his face shifting between annoyance and ecstatic joy.

*Clack.*

Closing the booklet, Ning Fengxiao handed it back to Ning Tian. He made no effort to hide his agitation, instead slowly taking a seven-colored glazed token from his storage device and handing it to her as well. "Tell Ning Wuque not to feel too much pressure. When he has time, he should finish the rest of the content for me. The sect will not treat him unfairly."