Chapter 131: Hunting the Hundred-Thousand-Year Coral Spirit Turtle
Chen Xin released the Seven Kill Sword and took Ning Fengzhi along, while Ning Bei and the others flew on their own, heading directly towards the location Da Ming had pointed out.
Before long, aside from the vast ocean, they could see no other landscape.
In less than half an hour, Da Ming called out to everyone.
"It's right below us. I'll go and lure it out."
Ning Bei nodded at Da Ming, and Da Ming then transformed into his true form, diving straight into the sea, heading for the deep waters.
The four of them waited patiently on the surface of the ocean.
A few minutes later, Da Ming surfaced again, transforming back into his human form.
"It's no use. No matter how much I provoke that turtle, it refuses to come out of its shell. It's just hiding in there, motionless."
"Hmm? What should we do now?"
Gu Rong looked towards Ning Bei, his face showing concern. Even though they were Super Douluos, they couldn't exactly go to the deep sea and fight with a water-type soul beast!
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment before turning to Da Ming.
"Da Ming, have you tried attacking it?"
Da Ming clearly understood Ning Fengzhi's intent and shook his head in resignation.
"Its defenses are extremely strong. Hiding in its shell, even my Heavenly Extermination Thunder can't do anything to it. If anything, it just makes it more cautious."
The group exchanged glances after hearing Da Ming's words. Now they understood how this turtle had managed to reach the hundred-thousand-year level—it really was incredibly cautious.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Bei turned to Ning Fengzhi.
"Father, what does the Coral Spirit Turtle usually eat?"
"Well, as the name suggests, the Coral Spirit Turtle feeds on Bihai Coral, which is a plant-type soul beast. Why do you ask?"
Ning Bei nodded. "We should gather a large amount of Bihai Coral and throw it into the sea. Let's see if that will lure it out."
"Mm, this method should work. Let's give it a try."
With that, everyone scattered to collect the commonly found Bihai Coral from the sea.
The Bihai Coral in the sea was to the ocean what Blue Silver Grass was to the Star Dou Forest.
In just half a day, they gathered several tons of Bihai Coral and threw it into the ocean.
Now, they just had to wait.
It wasn't clear whether it was Da Ming's earlier disturbances that made the Coral Spirit Turtle more cautious, but they waited the entire day without seeing it emerge.
Ning Fengzhi sighed slightly.
"Bei'er, let's forget it for now. We'll rest for a few days and make other plans."
Ning Bei didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked towards Da Ming.
"Da Ming, can you bring people to the deep sea?"
"Bringing people down is not a problem, but we still can't attack underwater, right? Does Brother Ning Bei have any ideas?"
Da Ming thought Ning Bei wanted him to take Jian and Gu into the deep sea, so he quickly clarified the situation.
Ning Bei smiled lightly and shook his head.
"Just take me down. I have another method I want to try. If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else."
He then nodded at Ning Fengzhi and the others.
Understanding, Da Ming transformed into his true form again, swallowed Ning Bei whole, and dove into the sea.
Ning Fengzhi and the others exchanged glances, then shook their heads. They couldn't understand what Ning Bei was planning.
With Da Ming's help, Ning Bei successfully reached the seabed about ten thousand meters below. After emerging from Da Ming's mouth, he quickly activated his soul power to counteract the pressure of the seawater.
Through his soul power, he saw a massive turtle, nearly a hundred meters long, curled inside its shell, lying motionless on the ocean floor.
Ning Bei didn't hesitate. He summoned the Dan Tower and released Xiao Die.
As soon as Xiao Die appeared and surveyed her surroundings, she was startled and hurriedly moved closer to Ning Bei in fear.
"Brother Bei, why are we in the water?"
It wasn't surprising that she was scared—most insect-type soul beasts were afraid of water.
"Don't be scared, Xiao Die. Try using your illusion powers on that big turtle."
Xiao Die looked at the giant shell in front of her, nodded, and then asked, "What kind of illusion should I create?"
"Just create a female spirit turtle—one in heat."
"Ah?"
Da Ming, overhearing their conversation, was astonished. "You're suggesting this? How did you even think of that?"
Xiao Die, seeing the situation, didn't hesitate anymore. Her multicolored wings fluttered, and a radiant light enveloped the Coral Spirit Turtle.
After a while, Xiao Die opened her eyes and shook her head at Ning Bei.
"It's not working, Brother Bei. It's not responding."
Da Ming, hearing Xiao Die's words, showed a disappointed expression. It didn't work after all?
Ning Bei wasn't discouraged. He looked back at Xiao Die.
"Try again, but this time create a male Coral Spirit Turtle, one that's also a hundred thousand years old."
"???"
Although confused, Xiao Die didn't question Ning Bei's command. She once again activated her wings, sending another light aura.
One second... two seconds... three seconds...
As time passed, even Ning Bei's expression began to show signs of disappointment.
Just as he was about to head back to the surface, the Coral Spirit Turtle finally showed some movement. Its limbs and head slowly emerged from its shell, and its bloodshot eyes stared at the empty space ahead.
In the illusion, a hundred-thousand-year-old male Coral Spirit Turtle stood there.
"Well, would you look at that, it's a big female turtle. Xiao Die, make the male turtle head for the surface."
Xiao Die nodded and controlled the male turtle in the illusion to swim towards the surface.
Seeing this, the Coral Spirit Turtle immediately followed the male's movements. It had never encountered a male of the same size before, and with every grueling mating season, it didn't know how it had endured. But now, it had found a strong, similarly-aged male, and couldn't resist the urge to follow.
Ning Bei quickly brought Xiao Die back into the Dan Tower and headed for the surface with Da Ming.
On the surface, Ning Fengzhi and the others were anxiously waiting. After a few minutes, they finally saw bubbles rise from the water, and their hearts filled with excitement.
"It's working! Get ready, old bone."
Hearing Chen Xin's words, Gu Rong quickly nodded, activating his Bone Dragon martial soul, with nine soul rings appearing one by one.
He then focused his gaze on the water.
After a minute, a massive turtle with red eyes leapt out of the water, appearing before the three.
"Wow, it's really huge."
Da Ming followed closely behind and joined them in the air.
Ning Bei quickly returned the panting Xiao Die to the Dan Tower. Using illusions on a hundred-thousand-year soul beast took a heavy toll on her.
Seeing the Coral Spirit Turtle realize its life mate had disappeared, it roared in anger.
"Roar!"
However, it soon noticed the terrifying auras surrounding it. Among them was the giant water snake that had been harassing it earlier at the ocean floor.
The giant turtle's massive eyes quickly filled with fear.
It immediately tried to dive back into the ocean, forgetting about the handsome male turtle for the moment.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi and the others panicked. They couldn't let it dive back into the ocean.
Just as they prepared to act, Ning Bei stopped them.
(END CHAPTER)
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Chapter 132: Ning Fengzhi's Ninth Soul Ring
"Bei'er?"
Gu Rong and the others looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Ning Bei didn't explain, instead directly releasing his Ice Snow Woman Martial Soul. Three orange soul rings appeared one after another.
"Eternal Freeze Domain."
With a burst of ice-blue light radiating from beneath his feet, the ocean surface immediately began to freeze at a terrifying speed. The waves didn't even have a chance to calm down before they turned into solid ice.
The Coral Spirit Turtle, which had been heading towards the sea, collided with the hard ice surface, its expression showing a human-like confusion.
What's going on? It was fine when I came, but now I can't go back!
Ning Fengzhi and the others looked on in delight.
"Bei'er, you really are something."
"Yeah, if it weren't for this move of yours, we'd probably be returning empty-handed."
"Ning Bei, brother, I'm impressed!"
Hearing their praises, Ning Bei scratched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Just lucky, just lucky."
Seeing that the turtle had no way of escaping and realizing that the humans were not easy opponents, it quickly withdrew its exposed body into its shell, lying still on the ice.
Ning Bei and the others were speechless. For a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, it really didn't have much dignity. Couldn't it at least make a symbolic resistance?
After exchanging glances, the group understood that unless they shattered its shell, they weren't going to get that soul ring today.
Chen Xin immediately activated his Martial Soul's true form, and a massive Seven Kill Sword floated in front of him.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi also summoned his Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Nine Treasure True Body. The Nine Treasures are famous: One is strength, two is speed, three is soul, and five is attack."
Four beams of nine-colored light directly amplified Chen Xin's body.
Feeling all his attributes increase by more than double, Chen Xin's eyes flashed with confidence.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Seven Kill Thunderstrike, one sword to break the sky."
The soul power behind him transformed into four giant arms of a demon, each holding one of the divided Seven Kill Swords. Then, all four arms swung in unison, forming a crescent-shaped slash heading straight for the turtle.
The Coral Spirit Turtle, hiding inside its shell, seemed to sense the terrifying power of the strike. It created a light blue soul power barrier around its body.
With a loud "clang," the slash hit the turtle's soul power shield. For several seconds, the two forces held each other in a deadlock before the barrier shattered, and the sword energy continued, slashing straight into the turtle's shell.
After a few seconds, the sword energy dissipated, leaving a long crack on the turtle's shell, but not injuring the Coral Spirit Turtle itself.
"Such terrifying defense. No wonder it's a hundred-thousand-year turtle soul beast."
Seeing his full-force attack fail, Chen Xin couldn't help but sigh in astonishment.
Ning Fengzhi and the others nodded seriously, agreeing with Chen Xin's view.
After seeing the situation, Ning Bei created four different auxiliary combat pills and threw three of them to Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Da Ming.
"Let's all try together."
The three of them caught the auxiliary combat pills without hesitation and popped them into their mouths.
Ning Fengzhi, seeing this, didn't hesitate either. He focused on controlling his soul power to enhance the other three.
This was the first time Ning Bei had felt the support of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. It was no wonder it had once been called the world's number one support Martial Soul, though that title was now rightfully his.
With the assistance of the auxiliary pills and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the four's attributes were boosted more than three times. Chen Xin, now fully empowered, could only wonder: Where is Qiandao Liu?
Everything ready, the three of them began attacking the turtle below.
"Ninth Soul Skill: Divine and Demon Dual Slashes."
"Martial Soul True Body: Bone Dragon Thrust."
"Sky Blue Extermination Thunder."
The slashes, bone spikes, and thunder rained down on the turtle that dared not fight back.
Several deafening explosions rang out across the ocean, with shattered ice flying through the air, blocking the group's view.
It took several minutes before everything finally calmed down. The once smooth ice surface was now full of craters, showing the intense battle that had taken place.
The Coral Spirit Turtle's body was now exposed outside its broken shell. Its heart was visible on its back, and the ice beneath it was stained blood red. The turtle had fainted after receiving the full force of the group's attack.
Seeing that there was no need for him to act anymore, Ning Bei withdrew his Ice Snow Woman Martial Soul and silently apologized. "Sorry, Sister Turtle, but this is something soul masters have to go through to level up."
He gave Ning Fengzhi a knowing glance, and the latter understood that this was the best opportunity. With excitement, he was sent onto the ice surface by Chen Xin.
Without hesitation, Ning Fengzhi ended the life of the turtle. The weak points of most soul beasts were located in their eyes, and this Coral Spirit Turtle was no exception. With his soul power-infused punch, Ning Fengzhi shattered the turtle's eye and brain.
A few seconds later, the Coral Spirit Turtle's life signs slowly faded, and a blood-red soul ring began to form around its body.
Ning Fengzhi excitedly nodded to the others around him. After adjusting his state, he took out the pulse-protecting pill given by Ning Bei and swallowed it, preparing to absorb the soul ring.
The four of them gathered around him, putting away their Martial Souls and watching vigilantly, aware that the ocean contained many dangerous soul beasts.
Ning Bei summoned Ah Bao and Er Ming and then distributed some soul power recovery pills to Jian, Gu, and the others before finally feeling reassured enough to wait.
While they waited, a voice suddenly appeared in Ning Bei's mind. It was Tian Meng.
"You're quite the trickster, huh? You even thought of using seduction as a method!"
Ning Bei rolled his eyes. "Are you complimenting me or criticizing me?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Who cares how I do it? Catching the turtle is the real win!"
"True enough. Now that this human has absorbed the soul ring, are you planning to search for the ninth soul ring for your first Martial Soul?"
"Exactly. Do you have any ideas?"
"Why not use your divine soul ring? If you use it now, you should be able to condense a soul ring of over 400,000 years without any problem."
Ning Bei glared at Tian Meng. "Do you think I didn't want to?"
"Then what's next? Apart from the Ice Emperor's Wisdom Soul Ring, where else would I find an ice-type soul ring? Should I just settle for a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"
"Uh..."
Tian Meng was momentarily speechless. Indeed, as Ning Bei said, ice-type hundred-thousand-year soul beasts were quite rare, and you couldn't always expect to get a divine soul ring every time you take the divine exam.
"Well, I do have some information about mid-level soul beasts in the sea."
"Oh? Tell me more."
"Uh... well, to my shame, I didn't exactly fall into the sea from the Ice Cave. I ended up getting lost."
Ning Bei chuckled after hearing Tian Meng's words.
"Are you talking about getting lost in the Star Dou Forest?"
Hearing Ning Bei's teasing, Tian Meng's expression turned a little awkward.
"That's not the point. The point is, when I was being chased by that vicious beast, I encountered a Holy Light Sea Urchin with thirty thousand years of cultivation."
Upon hearing this, Ning Bei immediately became alert. This was just the thing for the ninth soul ring for his Dan Tower!
(END CHAPTER)
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Chapter 133: Holy Light Sea Urchin
"Where is it?"
Hearing that his soul ring had a lead, Ning Bei immediately asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
"???? Are you kidding me? Didn't you say you encountered it before?"
"I was being chased at the time, how could I focus on finding out exactly where I was? I just sensed it with my spiritual power."
Ning Bei looked at Tian Meng with disdain. This was useless, just as he had feared.
Seeing Ning Bei's expression, Tian Meng immediately retorted in frustration.
"Although I don't know exactly where it is, the Holy Light Sea Urchin frequently rises to the surface to absorb sunlight. Even if it stays at the bottom of the sea, it emits light on its own."
"So, you're saying it's easy to track its movements?"
"Yes, exactly. Just look for an area of the sea that's noticeably brighter than the rest, and you'll find this guy for sure."
After hearing Tian Meng's explanation, Ning Bei nodded, but then he sensed something off.
"How can a soul beast that's so easy to find have cultivated to the level of 300,000 years? Doesn't it have any natural predators?"
Tian Meng looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, almost causing Ning Bei to lose his temper.
"Don't mention its spikes—most soul beasts can't even bite into it. And even if they can, they have to consider if they can survive its toxicity."
"Hmm? It's toxic?"
"Of course. Do you think just because it's called the Holy Light Sea Urchin that it's immune to poison? It's called the Holy Light Sea Urchin because of its ability to absorb sunlight to enhance its cultivation. But its spikes are all poisonous. Why do you think the creature chasing me didn't even look at it?"
"Haha, I must have been thinking wrong. Poison's no problem. I'm not afraid of poison, so we're going after it. We'll head out as soon as my father finishes absorbing the soul ring."
"That works. You'd better hurry up and get your ninth soul ring. After that, you should start thinking about Bing'er, too. I'm so bored on my own."
Ning Bei couldn't help but laugh at Tian Meng, who looked like he was in love. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Got it, got it. When we return to the sect, I'll get you a girlfriend, just see if you can handle it."
When Tian Meng heard Ning Bei's promise, his gloomy mood vanished, and he was suddenly full of energy.
"Let the storm come even fiercer! I can't wait!"
With his ninth soul ring decided, Ning Bei silently rejoiced. He didn't have to search the entire ocean like a headless fly anymore.
Actually, if Ning Bei couldn't find a suitable ninth soul ring, he could always go to the Star Dou Forest to find Di Tian. He was sure Di Tian would help him find a suitable soul beast.
But that would also mean owing a favor, and if the ninth soul ring's medicinal pill could heal the Silver Dragon King in advance, who knew whether she would bite back at him later?
Once she fully recovered, she'd have strength beyond a first-level god. Ning Bei wasn't sure he could handle her right now. It would be safest to wait until he had the strength to protect himself before fully healing her.
But what puzzled him was why there was still no sign of his third trial for the Ice God. He was a bit confused, but there was no better way to deal with it. His attempts to communicate with the Ice God Heart inside him had yielded no response.
He could only take it one step at a time. When the Soul Master Competition came, he could deal with a few small fry. With Master's eager attitude to prove himself, Ning Bei wasn't worried that his disciples wouldn't be encouraged to participate.
For three straight days, Ning Fengzhi sat cross-legged like an old monk in meditation. From time to time, a slight flicker of emotion appeared on his face, likely due to the soul shock from the death of the hundred-thousand-year soul beast still affecting him.
But Ning Bei wasn't worried. If his soul was damaged, he had Soul Nourishing Pills. If his body couldn't handle it, he had plenty of emergency pills. His plan was foolproof.
Finally, on the third night, Ning Fengzhi slowly opened his eyes, his intelligent gaze filled with excitement, showing no signs of the exhaustion that should have come from three days of constant meditation.
Jian and Gu immediately rushed over when they saw Ning Fengzhi waking up.
"Fengzhi, how was it?"
"Tell us, what soul skill did you gain from the hundred-thousand-year soul ring?"
Ning Fengzhi calmed the excitement on his face and thanked the two Title Douluos, then began introducing his ninth soul skill.
"My ninth soul skill is Nine Treasure Invincible Light. It grants the target ten seconds of invincibility, and there are no side effects."
"What? It can block any attack?"
Jian Douluo looked at Ning Fengzhi in shock. This soul skill was tailor-made for him, a weapon-type soul master with high attack and low defense. With invincibility, who could stop him?
Ning Fengzhi nodded, confirming that it could indeed block any attack.
Ning Bei nodded in agreement, as expected. Ning Fengzhi's ninth soul skill was just like Ning Rongrong's in the original, the Invincible Light—an incredibly useful skill.
"Father, what about your soul bone skills?"
"Two soul bone skills. One, you've seen the Coral Spirit Turtle use it—the light blue protective shield. It's quite powerful. The other one greatly extends my lifespan. It's a passive ability."
"Eh?"
The others were a bit speechless when they heard about the second soul bone skill. What could that really do? After all, Title Douluos already had a long lifespan.
Seeing their confused expressions, Ning Fengzhi smiled and explained.
"This ability might exceed your expectations. While it won't allow me to live as long as the turtle, it might extend my life by up to ten thousand years."
"Ah? This..."
Jian and Gu immediately realized the true power of the soul bone skill. "I could outlive my enemies' ancestors and descendants with this!"
Ning Bei and Da Ming weren't surprised.
Da Ming, who already had a long lifespan, didn't think the soul bone skill was anything special.
As for Ning Bei, once he became a god, he would have infinite lifespan. He couldn't care less about this ability.
"Even a godly turtle has its end. After I become a god, I'll take it to the divine realm. Who needs a ten-thousand-year lifespan?"
That being said, Ning Bei didn't want to dampen his father's enthusiasm. As per the original, Ning Fengzhi had only reached the Soul Saint stage before his death, but now he had broken through to Title Douluo and was even close to reaching the limit of a Supreme Douluo. He had already gained so much.
After absorbing the hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone, Ning Fengzhi's level had risen to the 93rd rank, and he would soon be respectfully called Nine Treasure Douluo.
With that task completed, the group turned their attention to Ning Bei. It was time to get his soul ring.
Ning Bei smiled and nodded.
"Don't rush. We've all been through a lot these days. Let's rest in Han Hai City for a few days before setting out. I already have a target for my soul ring."
"Oh? What is it?"
"A Holy Light Sea Urchin with over 300,000 years of cultivation."
Gu Rong, who had heard of this soul beast, looked at him with difficulty.
"A Holy Light Sea Urchin? That's a rare soul beast, right? Not easy to find."
"Yes, it's hard to find based solely on its rarity, but once you know its habits and characteristics, it's not that hard."
The others, who didn't know much about sea soul beasts, turned their gaze to Ning Bei.
Ning Bei didn't keep them in suspense.
"The Holy Light Sea Urchin needs sunlight to cultivate, so it surfaces periodically to absorb sunlight. Even if we miss that, we can still spot it by looking for areas of the sea that are much brighter than the others, because the sea urchin emits light when it's cultivating."
"Now that makes it a lot easier."
"Exactly, follow Bei'er's plan. Let's rest for now."
(END CHAPTER)
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Chapter 134: Summoning the Tide Siren
The group stayed in Han Hai City for several days while Jian and Gu's soul embodiment recovery took some time.
On the third day, seeing that both had recovered well, Ning Bei sent Da Ming ahead to search for an area in the sea that was brighter than the rest.
Meanwhile, Ning Bei wandered around Han Hai City since he hadn't used his Martial Soul's true form.
The entire city seemed to live off the sea, with almost everything related to the ocean. There were houses made from the shells of large sea soul beasts, clothing inlaid with shells, and most of the food was seafood. Even the battle arena was surrounded by the sea.
Without realizing it, Ning Bei arrived at a coastal village. The villagers were gathered in groups of three or five, processing the catch from their sea excursions. The air was thick with the smell of fish, causing him to wrinkle his nose.
Suddenly, a group of children nearby caught his attention.
The group was mostly eight to nine years old, and they were surrounding another child, throwing stones at her and chanting words.
As Ning Bei approached, he could clearly hear their insults.
"Kill this monster! She's the reason my father got bitten by a shark when he went out to sea."
"That's right, kill this disaster!"
"Yeah, if you don't want to die, get out of the village!"
Hearing these harsh words, Ning Bei looked into the crowd, curious to see what kind of person they were calling a monster.
When he looked closer, he was taken aback.
The girl in the middle of the crowd didn't look human at all.
Her deep yellow eyes resembled those of a fish, and she had spikes growing from her head. Her exposed skin was a dark green, covered in terrifying scales, and her elbows had fish fins. However, the lower half of her body was human.
Her appearance was far from human, which explained why the children were bullying her—people often held the deepest prejudice against those who were different.
But Ning Bei was curious about her origin. He grabbed a little boy who was watching the scene and, with a puzzled expression on the boy's face, handed him a gold soul coin.
The little boy paused for a moment after receiving the coin.
"Sir, what do you need from me?"
"Why are you bullying this child? Can you tell me why?"
The boy replied matter-of-factly, "She's a monster. Isn't it right that we bully her?"
"Can you tell me where she came from? If you explain, this gold soul coin is yours."
The boy's eyes lit up.
"Really, sir?"
Ning Bei nodded affirmatively, waiting for the boy's explanation.
The boy scratched his head, looking a little anxious, unsure of how to start.
"What's the matter? Is it difficult to talk about?"
"Sir, it's not that, it's just that we don't really know her background. All we know is that her mother went out to sea, and when she came back, she gave birth to this monster."
"We don't know who her father is. The adults in the village say she was the result of her mother having an affair with a sea soul beast."
After hearing the boy's explanation, Ning Bei nodded slightly, thinking that it was indeed possible.
Soon, the sound of villagers calling their children back for dinner could be heard from behind.
The boy, holding the gold soul coin, looked at Ning Bei shyly.
"Sir, my parents are calling me to eat. About the coin..."
"It's fine, you can take it!"
"Thank you, sir!"
With Ning Bei's approval, the boy put the gold soul coin in his pocket and hopped away.
As the crowd dispersed, the strange girl who had been lying in the center of the group stood up, dusted herself off, and began to walk away, her expression calm, as if she had grown accustomed to this treatment.
Ning Bei thought for a moment, then quickly stepped in front of her.
Seeing the man in front of her, the fish-like girl was momentarily stunned, then sighed and lay back down, clutching her head.
"Come on, hurry up, I still need to go back and eat."
Her words made Ning Bei frown. Was he really that boring?
"Get up. I'm not here to bully you. Could you tell me about yourself?"
The girl subtly revealed her deep yellow pupils and, after sizing up Ning Bei, seemed to realize he wasn't with the group of children. She stood up again and began walking away.
"What's the point of asking about me? I'm just a monster."
Ning Bei looked at the girl walking away with a slight sigh, then slowly followed her.
The two of them walked to a thatched hut near the sea. Before the girl entered, she looked back and saw Ning Bei still following her, her eyes filled with caution.
"What do you want with me?"
Ning Bei understood she didn't want to talk about her past, so he didn't press further. Instead, he swiftly entered the hut.
Seeing this, the girl anxiously looked at him.
"What are you doing..."
Before she could finish, Ning Bei interrupted her.
"What's your name?"
"Ah?"
The girl stared blankly at the man in front of her, wondering if he was sick.
After a moment, when Ning Bei saw the girl still in a daze and not answering, he asked again.
"What's the matter? Don't you even have a name?"
The girl came to her senses and looked at Ning Bei with a complex expression.
"Aren't you scared of me? I bring disaster to others."
Ning Bei sneered. What disaster could affect a near Title Douluo like him?
"It's just an excuse people use to explain their misfortunes."
Hearing this, the girl's eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed again.
"I don't have a name. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me. You saw what I look like. I really am a monster."
Ning Bei thought to himself that the girl had likely been in a repressive environment for too long, which made her start to self-deny. He decided not to continue this topic.
"Do you have a Martial Soul?"
The girl laughed bitterly.
"Do you think anyone would awaken a Martial Soul for a monster like me?"
Ning Bei nodded. It seemed she hadn't awakened her Martial Soul yet, but if she was truly a hybrid of a high-level soul beast and human, she should have some decent talent.
Not wanting to waste more time, Ning Bei used his soul power to begin awakening her Martial Soul.
The girl became flustered and wasn't sure what Ning Bei was going to do to her.
Noticing her unease, Ning Bei's voice calmed her.
"Don't panic. Try to channel the energy in your body. I'll help you awaken your Martial Soul."
With Ning Bei's cultivation, he no longer needed the Awakening Stone. He could do it directly with his soul power.
The girl slowly closed her eyes as instructed and began to channel the energy in her body. She felt a warmth spreading through her, as though something was about to emerge.
Soon, a sea siren's chant echoed behind her. It was her Martial Soul.
The form of her Martial Soul nearly made Ning Bei's eyes pop out.
Her Martial Soul was dark green and had spikes on her head just like the girl's. There was a sea-blue gem embedded on her forehead. Instead of legs, she had a mermaid-like tail, and her hands held a green staff with a golden ring at the top.
This Martial Soul was unknown in Douluo Dalu, but Ning Bei was extremely familiar with it.
"NM, isn't this Nami? Or should I say, the Tide Siren?"
(END CHAPTER)
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Chapter 135: Taking a Disciple, Bestowing a Name
Before Ning Bei could even settle down, something even more miraculous happened. After the girl's Martial Soul awakened, her body, which didn't resemble that of a human, began to slowly transform. She gradually turned into a young girl with deep green hair.
The girl opened her eyes, curiously looked at her palms, then touched her face.
"Am I... am I human now? I'm not a monster anymore?"
Tears of joy flowed from the girl's eyes. No matter how much Ning Bei tried to comfort her, she couldn't stop crying. Who knows how much she had suffered over the years.
After half an hour, the girl finally calmed down. She slowly knelt in front of Ning Bei, her head bowed to the ground.
"Thank you, sir, for giving me a new life."
Ning Bei quickly helped her up, shaking his head.
"I didn't modify you. It's just a natural phenomenon after your Martial Soul awakened."
The girl shook her head, adamant that she wouldn't get up.
"If it weren't for you awakening my Martial Soul, no soul master would have cared about a monster like me. How could I have a Martial Soul?"
Ning Bei sighed and decided not to argue about it. He took out a crystal ball from his soul tool.
"Let's not discuss this anymore. Let's test your innate soul power."
The girl looked at Ning Bei blankly, unsure of what to do.
Ning Bei wasn't in a hurry and slowly explained some basic knowledge about soul masters.
"So, now, place your hand on the crystal ball and infuse it with your soul power."
The girl nodded and followed Ning Bei's instructions.
In a moment, the crystal ball was filled with soul power.
"Innate full soul power!"
The girl looked at Ning Bei, who was in shock, a little confused.
"Sir, is there a problem?"
Ning Bei snapped out of it and looked at the girl as if he had found treasure.
"There's no problem. Innate full soul power means you're a genius."
"Genius?"
"That's right. Your talent is higher than anyone in Han Hai City. This means no one will bully you anymore."
"Really?"
The girl's eyes lit up, and she seemed to be thinking of a bright future.
Then, it seemed like something crossed her mind, and her expression grew a little nervous.
"Then... sir, may I follow you?"
"Oh? Why do you want to follow me? With your talent, people will be fighting to take you in anywhere."
The girl quickly shook her head, seeming afraid Ning Bei might misunderstand.
"I just want to follow you. Without you, I'd have to stay in this village as a monster and be bullied by others."
Ning Bei looked at the girl's sincere expression and nodded with satisfaction. She was much better than some ungrateful people.
"Then you'll be my disciple. Come with me to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I'll teach you how to cultivate and become strong."
Upon hearing Ning Bei's words, the girl was overjoyed. She quickly knelt and kowtowed several times. Becoming strong wasn't even her priority—she just wanted to follow the person who had saved her.
"I greet Master."
Ning Bei accepted the bow without hesitation. He would protect her in the future.
After the simple ceremony, Ning Bei helped the girl up again.
"How old are you?"
"12 years old."
"12? That's a bit late!"
Ning Bei scratched his chin, looking at the girl in front of him with some regret. She had wasted six golden years, but it wasn't too late. With his pills and immortal herbs, he could still catch her up.
The little disciple, hearing Ning Bei's lament, suddenly panicked, thinking her newly acknowledged master would abandon her.
"Master, I'll practice hard, please don't leave me."
Ning Bei could tell that the girl had misunderstood, laughing as he patted her head.
"Who said I'd leave you? You've just wasted some time on cultivation, but now you'll have to work twice as hard as others."
"I will! I won't disappoint you, Master!"
Ning Bei nodded in satisfaction, thinking that as long as she wasn't as lazy as the two at home, everything would be fine.
"By the way, disciple, since you've already become my disciple, I should give you a name. My disciple can't be called 'monster' anymore."
The girl nodded, not raising any objections.
"How about Nami?"
"Whatever Master decides. I will follow Master's wishes."
Having shed part of her sea soul beast appearance, the little girl now looked lovely and obedient. Ning Bei was very satisfied with this disciple.
"Pack up. Let's go together."
"Yes, Master."
Nami was quick to pack. Soon, she had bundled up her ragged clothes into a bundle. With it on her back, she skipped happily over to Ning Bei, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. It was clear she didn't want to stay in this poor village any longer.
Seeing the girl with her bundle, Ning Bei cursed himself for being careless. He quickly took out a beautiful bracelet from his soul tool.
"I forgot to give you a disciple gift. This is a storage bracelet. You can store items by using your soul power."
Nami quickly shook her head.
"Master, this is too precious. I can't accept it."
Although she didn't know the exact value, she could tell from the gorgeous design and what Master had said that it must be quite expensive.
Ning Bei didn't care whether she accepted it or not and directly took her hand, placing the bracelet on her wrist.
"Take it. It's a gift from a senior. You can't refuse."
Seeing that she was still hesitating, Ning Bei's expression turned cold.
"If you take it off, I won't take you with me. You can stay in this broken village!"
Nami immediately stopped and hurriedly nodded, indicating that she would accept it.
Ning Bei took Nami out of the village, buying some daily necessities and clothes for her along the way. He also gave her some gold soul coins. Since he and the others wouldn't return for a while, she might need to live alone for a few days.
Back at the inn, Ning Fengzhi, Jian, and Gu were puzzled when they saw the young girl behind Ning Bei.
"Bei'er, who is this?"
"Father, this is my disciple from a nearby village. Her name is Nami."
"Nami, this is my father and two grandfathers. You can call them 'Shigong' and 'Shizu'."
Nami immediately tried to kneel and bow, but Ning Bei quickly grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her up.
"A bow is enough. As my disciple, no one is allowed to kneel in front of others. Understand?"
Nami, who was being held by the neck, nodded timidly, afraid of upsetting the seniors.
Ning Fengzhi and the others, after hearing the introduction, were still a bit puzzled. They didn't understand why Ning Bei would value a girl who was clearly over 12 years old and not yet a soul master.
Ning Bei, understanding their thoughts, introduced his disciple further.
"Nami, her Martial Soul is the Tide Siren, and she's a genius with innate full soul power."
"What?"
Gu Rong looked at the girl beside Ning Bei in shock, now reassessing her.
Nami nervously clutched her skirt, worried about being disliked by the elders.
"Bei'er, has she not gotten her soul ring yet?"
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's question, Ning Bei patiently explained the situation, and the three of them understood.
"Such a pity. She wasted a lot of time, but her potential is definitely worth acknowledging."
Ning Fengzhi sighed slightly, wishing they had discovered Nami earlier.
"We won't dwell on the past. I plan to cultivate Nami well. With her following behind, maybe Rongrong and Xiao Wu, those lazy girls, will work harder too."
Thinking about those two at home, Ning Fengzhi and the others nodded in agreement.