Chapter 156: The Value of

However, one point that is quite puzzling is that for a Spirit Master like "Yafei" who could break through to become a Soul Elder at thirteen and possesses such a unique martial soul, he shouldn't have been unknown before he began to stand out.

But for some time now, ever since "Yafei" rose to prominence and the fact that his teacher is Dugu Bo was exposed, his background information has been intentionally investigated by all the major powers within Heaven Dou City.

Yet his past is indeed obscure, as if he had suddenly popped out from a corner.

All the major powers have intentionally investigated Spirit Masters of the corresponding age, and they even looked into young Spirit Masters between 12 and 18 years old.

Perhaps Yafei wears a mask and might even use a fake name, but on the Douluo Continent, a martial soul cannot be disguised.

Even if a Spirit Master absorbs a Soul Ring, causing the martial soul to evolve. (Original work setting: absorbing a Soul Ring causes the martial soul to change; this change is evolution. Seeing some fan-fiction secondary settings even state that evolved martial souls can be passed down to descendants, I am using their own logic against them here.)

However, a martial soul evolution under the blessing of two or three Soul Rings will not completely change the martial soul entirely.

It can only be said that the teachers at Shrek Academy are not exactly upright themselves.

If he could obtain "Yafei," then after he grows up in a few decades, he could gain a powerful sect guardian stronger than Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo.

"I must find an opportunity to get closer to Yafei," Ning Fengzhi immediately pondered and said, "How about I set aside some time every day during this period to go to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena? Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, what do you think?"

Therefore, it is quite normal for many small and medium-sized powers in Heaven Dou City to awaken their martial souls through the Spirit Hall and receive the Spirit Master Subsidy.

It is just that in cases where no martial soul awakening records can be found, there are only two possibilities.

However, the fact that even ten Gold Soul Coins could force those teachers at Shrek Academy to swindle, deceive, and extort is enough to prove that not every Spirit Master or power is that wealthy.

It couldn't be that Tang Hao is "Yafei's" father, could it?

And wouldn't a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect have the Clear Sky Hammer as their martial soul?

The key is that the age absolutely does not match, and I have never heard of Tang Hao having children before his incident; if Tang Hao had a son after the incident, he would only be over eight years old now.

And if he really were eight, that would be even more heaven-defying.

A young man suddenly walked in from outside the hall; he came before Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo and said, "Fuyuan pays respects to the Sect Master and the two Supreme Elders."

Some descendants of criminals who have committed heinous crimes find it inconvenient to go to the Spirit Hall to awaken their martial souls, but with the foundation left by their ancestors, they can complete the martial soul awakening ceremony privately.

Moreover, with "Yafei's" talent of breaking through to the Soul Elder realm at 13, his Innate Soul Power definitely cannot be bad, even if it is possible that Dugu Bo used a Mysterious Water Pill to improve his Innate Soul Power.

From his physique, it is clearly visible that he is at least eleven or twelve years old.

Including the fact that he later chose to go head-to-head with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Gui Douluo, who were backed by the Spirit Hall, because of Tang San, it is also very likely because he knew of Tang San's Twin Spirits talent.

Over these years, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect have not been offended, while the Spirit Hall has been offended, but the person who offended the Spirit Hall was Tang Hao.

However, it is not as if there is no chance to continue trying to get "Yafei" to join his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Therefore, the Spirit Hall's martial soul awakening records contain the records of almost the majority of Spirit Masters, though there are some exceptions.

So he also wants to try his best to win the favor of "Yafei."

Of course, there is also the Imperial Royal Family.

Unless... "Yafei's" parents offended a top-tier power even stronger than Dugu Bo.

But the Mysterious Water Pill only increases Innate Soul Power by one level; it is impossible to raise someone with two or three levels of Innate Soul Power to a talent of at least Innate level eight.

But... with the protection of the Poison Douluo, even if he exposes his identity, no one would dare to arrest him for his parents' crimes anymore.

Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is not as wealthy as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they are not exactly poor either, and coupled with the issue of their stance, it is impossible for them to awaken martial souls through the Spirit Hall.

Ning Fengzhi is just such an interest-first pragmatist; is it possible that he was completely unaware of the things Qian Renxue did while impersonating Xue Qinghe in the original plot?

But if "Xue Qinghe" were to ascend to power, that would be of great benefit to him and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After all, a Spirit Master can receive one Gold Soul Coin a month, a Great Soul Master ten, and a Soul Elder one hundred; these direct Gold Soul Coin rewards are solid.

But just at this moment.

The child of a convict who awakened their martial soul privately.

So it is absolutely impossible for him to be Tang Hao's descendant.

But fair competition is fine, what is wrong with that?

Therefore, the fact that there is absolutely no martial soul awakening record for "Yafei" could mean he is a disciple or member of these major families or powers.

Thus, it can be seen that without the Spirit Master Subsidy, if high-level Spirit Masters want to earn one hundred Gold Soul Coins, they either have to run their own small businesses or join a major power.

Without a Title Douluo powerhouse, even the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has to give Dugu Bo some face.

However, on the Douluo Continent, only the Upper Three Sects and the Spirit Hall possess Title Douluo...

Or they have to live the life of an ordinary person.

This leaves only the last possibility.

First to be mentioned, of course, are the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect goes without saying, it is the wealthiest sect among the Upper Three Sects. When Ning Feiliu was only a Soul Scholar, his monthly allowance from the sect was already one hundred coins.

Is this small restriction on freedom really that aggrieved?

Yet Flender and his group say, "No! Freedom is more noble!"

And then when the academy runs out of money, they turn around and swindle the students' money.

After all, having a master and belonging to a sect do not conflict, and Dugu Bo himself is a Title Douluo of free origin; it is not impossible for "Yafei's" teacher to join his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

That is why there were no attendants following Ning Feiliu.

Moreover, Ning Fengzhi values "Yafei" more; as long as "Yafei" can join his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, offending Dugu Bo is fine, there is no need to worry about anything.

But those who have offended the Upper Three Sects and the Spirit Hall are definitely not lacking in strength, and they can be counted on one's fingers.

If you put it that way, in fact, normal people would feel that the so-called joining a major power and paying the price of a little bit of one's freedom to be at someone's beck and call doesn't seem like much.

Therefore, such a martial soul should leave an impression as soon as it appears at the martial soul awakening ceremony, even if the Innate Soul Power is lower.

It is not that the higher the level of a Spirit Master, the higher their income naturally becomes.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" Ning Fengzhi asked curiously.

This is, of course, quite worthwhile.

This kind of treatment is something only a Soul Elder can possess, yet almost every direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is born with such treatment.

Perhaps "Yafei's" father and mother committed heinous crimes and dared not expose their faces.

Even if this is the case, "Yafei" using a mask to cover his face has a very good explanation.

But there was still nothing...

That would be those factions that possess a Title Douluo.

Showing one's face a little, releasing one's own goodwill, and giving Tang San a good impression—that could potentially be helpful in the future.

Because doing so has no value whatsoever.

The result is that Shrek Academy needs to swindle ten Gold Soul Coins from those students who come to participate in enrollment, in order to subsidize the academy's expenses.

Moreover, the martial soul of "Yafei," the Crescent Moon Divine Weapon, is too unique; a five-in-one unique long-range martial soul, such a martial soul has never appeared on the Douluo Continent before.

However, even in the awakening ceremony records of the Spirit Hall, there has never been a record of "Yafei's" martial soul awakening.

Not every Spirit Master can remain indifferent to such generous rewards; like the Shrek Academy enrollment in the original story, Flender and Zhao Wuji were two Soul Saints, and there were several Soul Emperor teachers, but they did not join any faction, did not accept the olive branch extended by the Balake Wangguo, and sought to survive on their own.

After all, the Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo are currently stronger than the Poison Douluo!

Offending Dugu Bo, Dugu Bo would not dare to risk his life against them over this matter.

That would naturally be... those few top-tier factions.

His level of importance placed on "Yafei" now has been elevated by another grade.

Ning Mingrui, Ning Shouzong, and Ning Rongrong all have attendants for protection; besides that, it is to have these attendants inform Ning Fengzhi which people his three more important children have become acquainted with and what interpersonal relationships they have.

But saying it this way brings it back around: what could "Yafei's" identity possibly be?

How is it that not a single record can be found in the vast Heaven Dou City? Could it be a genius Spirit Master who came from outside?

Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi sighed and said, "Yafei is likely a genius Spirit Master who came to Heaven Dou City from elsewhere to gain experience. But I really didn't expect that Mr. Dugu would be so lucky to take such a genius Spirit Master as a student."

This is also mainly intended to show closeness, and also to properly protect his eldest son, Ning Mingrui.

Only on some special occasions, such as when the Star Luo Empire previously launched a war against the Heaven Dou Empire, did the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, in order to show their closeness to the Spirit Hall, allow the current Crown Prince's martial soul awakening ceremony to be presided over by the Spirit Hall.

There is a saying: men always like young women!

Whether it is a twenty-year-old man, a thirty-year-old man, or a forty-year-old man, almost the majority of men will like eighteen-year-old women!

Even Ning Fengzhi could see that Dugu Bo had a bit of a desire to play matchmaker between Dugu Yan and "Yafei."

But once they become high-level Spirit Masters, who is still willing to live the life of an ordinary person? Most will find ways to continue living freely.

Now that "Yafei's" talent and comprehension have been revealed, their value in Ning Fengzhi's eyes has also risen to an extremely high level.

Even higher than the value of Dugu Bo, this Poison Douluo.

If Tang San did not have the talent of Twin Spirits, Ning Fengzhi would absolutely not mind pretending not to know.

Isn't this just working for someone?

And once they truly reach the realm of a high-level Spirit Master, especially since Flender has already become a Soul Saint, who would really dare to treat them like servants? Who would actually dare to do such a thing?

Most likely, they would treat them with great courtesy, usually letting them follow along for protection, or accompanying them to hunt a Soul Beast when they need to absorb a Soul Ring.

Of course he recognized this young man named Fuyuan; he was the son of a certain outer sect Soul Saint Elder, whom he had arranged to serve as Ning Mingrui's attendant.

Although he is a bit older than Rongrong, it is not something unacceptable for a boy to be a few years older than a girl.

"That's fine, we're just idle anyway." Bone Douluo smiled and nodded.

And "Yafei"... his talent indeed made them unable to help but sigh in admiration.

That is to say, either "Yafei" is a member of one of the few top-tier major factions in Heaven Dou City, and due to the empire's Spirit Master Subsidy system, they must pass through the Spirit Hall's awakening ceremony and Spirit Master registration.

Even if "Yafei" faked his age, it is impossible for him to be eight years old right now.

However, these families and factions are few and far between, and it is quite easy to search for disciples or members with a unique innate five-in-one martial soul like "Yafei's."

Sword Douluo also had no objections.

The Gold Soul Coins required for the Spirit Master Subsidy are all issued by the empire, and the Imperial Family naturally does not look down on that little bit of money.

Zhao Wuji might actually be said to be unable to join any major faction because he is wanted by the Spirit Hall, but Flender and the others are not wanted.

Some others pay with their dignity; for example, Shrek Academy or the three scoundrels who appeared in the original story—swindling, deceiving, robbing, and plundering, they have to do one of them.

So he can pretend not to see it.

If he could join his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could be worry-free for at least another hundred years.

Therefore, even those small and medium-sized families and factions will have their family members go to the Spirit Hall to awaken their martial souls and register as Spirit Masters.

It's just that he didn't expect that the return Tang San gave their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be so "great."

Eight years old and can become a Soul Elder, eight years old and can defeat a Soul Ancestor across ranks—why don't you just go to heaven?

But Tang San is a possessor of Twin Spirits, so that value is huge.

However, Ning Feiliu refused this good intention of Ning Fengzhi when he went out, because he did not want his own affairs to be known by others.

And besides the two major sects among the Upper Three Sects, there are also families of Title Douluos like Dugu Bo and several Soul Douluo families, such as the Strength Clan, or families like the Nine Heart Begonia Ye Family that are not short of money themselves—their family earns money by healing and saving lives.

The best thing is... to cultivate some feelings with Rongrong.

This genius Spirit Master of mysterious origin, with his talent and comprehension, will surely be a more powerful Spirit Master in the future than the current Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.

And such Spirit Masters who awaken their martial souls in private, of course, will not have any records.

Ning Fengzhi also planned to make arrangements for Ning Feiliu, after all, he had already gone out.

Rather, it is to pay something; some pay with their freedom, joining a major faction and becoming an honored guest of that major faction.

So in their view, "Yafei" should not be someone who was unknown in the past.

They have been partners with Ning Fengzhi for so many years, and they even watched Ning Fengzhi grow up, so they understand Ning Fengzhi's thoughts to some extent.

Especially since the two of them have seen Tang Chen and witnessed his demeanor, the comprehension and talent "Yafei" showed in creating the Explosive Ring Soul Skill can be mentioned in the same breath as Tang Chen, and he is a genius Spirit Master with no sect or family affiliation, so there is naturally a great need to get close to him.

"It's like this, this disciple actually just met Young Master Mingrui outside the Great Spirit Arena, but I saw Young Master Mingrui walking together with Yafei, who has recently become famous in Heaven Dou City." Fuyuan said directly, "Their relationship seems very close, so I came back to the sect to report this matter to you, Sect Master."

"A very close relationship with Yafei?" Ning Fengzhi was stunned for a moment, but soon said happily, "Could it be that Mingrui is friends with Yafei?"

This is truly a great opportunity to get close to "Yafei"!

(End of this chapter)