"Moon, how is it? What is your soul skill?" Sword Douluo Chen Xin asked.
"Grandpa~ it's an amplification soul skill called Flash Attack," Xie Yue said.
"It increases my speed and attack by 120%. Is it a good skill, Grandpa?"
Chen Xin's eyes flickered with surprise.
"Yes, yes, it's an excellent skill," he said, nodding repeatedly.
He knew the importance of amplification-type soul skills. At the Title Douluo level, even a slight percentage increase in power could make a huge difference in battle. In high-level fights, the first four soul rings were rarely used unless they provided some form of amplification. Normal yellow and purple soul rings wouldn't even scratch a Title Douluo's defenses.
Xie Yue, however, didn't reveal the full extent of his ability. He didn't need to. A 120% boost was already an OP skill. There was no need to shock Sword Douluo any further. Keeping a few secrets was always a good thing.
After that, they returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect (STGT).
Inside the main hall, when everyone heard about Xie Yue's first soul skill, they were dumbfounded.
Why was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda considered the strongest support martial soul on the continent? Because every time an STGT soul master added a soul ring, their amplification ability increased by 10%.
Amplification formula:
(Spirit Rings + 1) × 10%
For example, with five soul rings, an STGT soul master could boost someone's strength by 60%.
But Xie Yue's first soul skill already granted him a 120% boost.
That aside…
After calming down, Ning Fengzhi spoke to Xie Yue and Hu Liena about adoption. They agreed happily and started calling him Dad. Ning Fengzhi's wife also became their new mother.
Afterward, Sword Douluo officially accepted Xie Yue as his disciple.
Everything seemed perfect…
Three Months Later
It was Ning Rongrong's birth day—and also the death day of Ning Fengzhi's wife.
Xie Yue cried for two whole days.
Because of his acting, he earned Ning Fengzhi's full love. Seeing Xie Yue mourn his wife with such agony deeply moved Ning Fengzhi, who had loved her wholeheartedly.
One Year Later
Xie Yue was now seven and a half years old.
Neither he nor Hu Liena had attended an academy. Instead, they were personally taught by STGT sect elders and even two Title Douluos. Their teachers were among the best, but they deserved it. They were among the top five most talented individuals of their generation.
However, no one knew that their innate soul power was actually level 9, not level 10.
....
Inside the STGT Sect's Main Library
Xie Yue sat on a chair, reading a book.
In the past year, he had never left the sect. He had spent his time studying soul beasts and basic medicine—after all, fooling Dugu Bo was part of his plan, and he couldn't afford to slack off.
He had even recreated Full Moon, the self-made soul skill that originally belonged to Xie Yue in the novel.
Since he understood the principles behind the technique and had the Moon Blade martial soul, replicating it wasn't too difficult. However, it was still in its early stages. It would take at least a year to reach the original version's full potential.
Thanks to Ning Fengzhi's wife, Xie Yue already had enough money.
During the two months he spent with her, she had given him gifts daily. While it wasn't always gold, whenever she did give money, she was exceptionally generous. Now, he had over one million gold coins.
He was saving this money to buy whale glue in bulk.
When he was younger, he had never worried about physical training—because he could simply consume whale glue to enhance his physical fitness. If he couldn't use his knowledge for himself, then what was the point of having it?
Even though his physical strength was already above average, he had no intention of showcasing it.
After finishing a few books, he got up and made his way toward the main hall.
Inside the Main Hall
Xie Yue entered and greeted his father, Ning Fengzhi.
"Father..." Xie Yue called out.
"Yue'er~ what's the matter? You usually don't leave the library this early," Ning Fengzhi asked in a caring tone.
After the adoption, he had given them new names:
Hu Liena → Ning Lihua (Lihua = Pear Blossom)
Xie Yue → Ning Yue (Yue = Moon)
"Father, I want to learn music," Xie Yue said.
"Hmm? Why?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
"I've already memorized everything about soul beasts and the soul master world. Now, I want to learn music since it's also useful," Xie Yue explained, adding a bit of nonsense to further convince Ning Fengzhi.
Over the past year, Ning Fengzhi had witnessed his son's astonishing memorization ability. He knew that if Xie Yue said he had memorized everything, it was probably true.
"Mm… okay, I'll arrange for a teacher to teach you. Is there anything else?" he asked.
"Father~ I want to study at Moon Pavilion. I heard its owner is the best musician in the world," Xie Yue pleaded sweetly.
Ning Fengzhi felt a headache coming on. His son had never asked him for anything before—this was the first time. If he rejected him now, he would feel guilty.
After all, for his own selfish reasons, he had never allowed Xie Yue or Lihua to leave the sect.
"If I let him leave, there is a risk to his safety... but Moon Pavilion isn't dangerous. There, Ning Yue won't have to summon his martial soul or do anything suspicious," Ning Fengzhi thought.
In the end, he agreed.
"Mm. I'll allow you to go, but on one condition. You cannot summon your martial soul in front of anyone. You must promise me," he said strictly.
"Okay, Father~" Xie Yue smiled sweetly.
"Are you going with your sister?" he asked.
"No, Father, she hasn't finished her studies here. Let her stay in the sect. I'll return every month, so I can see her then," Xie Yue said.
Since Moon Pavilion was located in the center of Heaven Dou City, he could still return to the sect whenever needed.
"Alright. When do you plan to leave?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
"Three days later," Xie Yue replied.
"Before you go, don't forget to inform your master," Ning Fengzhi reminded him.
"I'll go meet my master right away, Father~" Xie Yue said, bidding farewell before leaving.