Chapter 128 – Ning Fengzhi Reaches Rank 90

After all, Douluo Continent was still a world grounded in xuanhuan logic. Even within the rare Deep Sea Sunken Silver, there was no so-called Daoist resonance—just a precious metal.

And since it was merely metal, that meant it could be recycled. Although the soul tool had been damaged, once he returned, Xu Yang could reforge it—smelting the Sunken Silver down and starting again.

After storing the Deep Sea Sunken Silver away, Xu Yang finally turned to look at the crowd around him. He'd expected to draw attention, but he hadn't imagined it would be this much.

When he met the furious gazes of the three academy deans, he scratched his head a bit sheepishly and said with an awkward smile, "Um… Sorry, I might've made a bit too much noise."

The three deans: "…"

A bit too much? You nearly blew up the entire academy!

Bai Baoshan took several deep breaths before he managed to calm down.

He stared at Xu Yang and said, "Xu Yang, I'm making a decision right now—you're on vacation until the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament begins. Until then, you're banned from stepping foot in the academy."

That last sentence was practically shouted.

He was terrified! If this kid did this two more times, even if the academy survived intact, the students would all be too afraid to come back.

Xu Yang looked embarrassed and mumbled, "That's... a bit much, isn't it?"

Bai Baoshan immediately snapped, "It's not too much! In fact, I'll thank your whole family if you stop doing your weird experiments on school grounds!"

"..."

Ning Fengzhi stepped forward, also looking apologetic. He cupped his hands toward the three deans and said, "I truly apologize. My unruly disciple has caused your esteemed academy no small amount of trouble. I'll take him back with me now."

He had just learned from Gu Rong how important Xu Yang's experiment really was. If it succeeded, then all the Soul Douluos in the sect who were stuck at Rank 89 would have a real chance to break through.

And if Gu Rong could see that, then surely those Titled Douluos hiding in the shadows could too.

Which made it even more urgent for Ning Fengzhi to bring Xu Yang back to the sect—there, his safety could be assured, and his research could proceed undisturbed.

"Please do, Sect Master Ning."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, exchanged a glance with Gu Rong, and in a flash, Gu Rong appeared beside Xu Yang, grabbed him, and the next moment, the three of them vanished from the academy in a ripple of distorted space.

"Uncle She, Uncle Ci, let's go too," said Qian Renxue—still in her disguise as Xue Qinghe. "I'm going to try condensing my soul power into a solid state as well. Xu Yang wouldn't waste time on something useless. If he's doing it, then it must be beneficial for cultivation."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Xu Yang, Ning Fengzhi, and Gu Rong returned to the back mountain of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Once they were sure the area was secure, Ning Fengzhi immediately asked about the experiment, and Xu Yang explained the entire Soul Core process in detail. Right now, Ning Fengzhi was stuck at Rank 89, and a major reason was that his soul power had yet to reach a solid state.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had passed down the knowledge that to break through to Titled Douluo, one must have solidified soul power. There were even methods for achieving it—but they were vague and crude, making it hard to succeed.

This was why Ning Fengzhi had already failed several times. Still, thanks to the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid he'd taken, he could feel his soul power becoming purer with each cultivation session, and he knew that a breakthrough would eventually come.

But now, Xu Yang's research offered a real and immediate possibility. Naturally, Ning Fengzhi was thrilled.

After listening to Xu Yang's explanation, he couldn't wait to try it himself. Gu Rong stood watch nearby to protect him. With his Rank 97 strength and space manipulation abilities, he could instantly send the Soul Core into the sky if anything went wrong.

And so, the residents of Seven Treasure City gained a new sight to get used to: every few days, a blinding solar explosion would erupt in the sky. At first, it caused panic—but after a while, people grew used to it.

To help Ning Fengzhi condense his Soul Core successfully, Xu Yang crafted a new soul power storage tool, made to assist the process.

As for Xu Yang himself, he continued his own trials—not for the sake of completing the Soul Core, but to deepen his understanding of spatial force through the spatial distortions caused during condensation.

He already had absolute confidence in forming a Soul Core. But what he truly sought was the path of Inner Core Technique—and he believed space itself might be the key.

So he repeatedly pushed the process just to the point of near-success, then hurled the near-complete core into the skies, where it would detonate in a brilliant burst of gold light.

As his understanding of space deepened, Xu Yang could now subtly influence it with his soul power. Though he couldn't yet warp or tear space, he could create ripples—small distortions that added force to his attacks.

Six months later, Ning Fengzhi succeeded in forming his Soul Core. His cultivation broke through to Rank 90. With only one soul ring left to absorb, he was on the verge of becoming a full-fledged auxiliary-type Titled Douluo.

Their explorations in the sea had also uncovered multiple hundred-thousand-year soul beasts—though most were water- or lightning-type, and unsuitable for Xu Yang.

Naturally, the sect also confirmed Xiao Wu's whereabouts. But with both the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python guarding her, capturing her would come at an unacceptably high cost—even if the sect could pull it off.

Instead, their attention turned to a different target:

"The ten-thousand-year Golden Tortoise that lives near a coral reef off the coast of the South Sea. Unlike most sea soul beasts, it inhabits shallow waters and frequently comes ashore to lay eggs or rest—making it ideal for non-sea soul masters like us."

The Golden Tortoise, a massive turtle with a golden shell that looked as though it were cast from metal, possessed terrifying defensive capabilities. Soul beasts of equal cultivation levels rarely dared to provoke it.

As a soul ring, it was highly suitable for defense- and support-type soul masters.

Not to mention—it was slow. Once targeted, escape was nearly impossible.

With the target locked in, Ning Fengzhi turned to Xu Yang and asked softly, "Yang'er, will you be joining us on this hunt?"

Xu Yang nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I wouldn't want to miss the chance to observe a hundred-thousand-year soul beast up close. I also want to see the difference between a ten-thousand-year soul ring or soul bone and a hundred-thousand-year one."

He didn't mention the other reason: to test whether his Sun Martial Soul could sense the presence of the legendary Golden Crow, a hundred-thousand-year beast said to live deep in the South Sea. It could be key to his seventh soul ring.

"Then let's set off as soon as possible," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. Over the past half year, he'd been amazed again and again by Xu Yang. Though his soul power was only Rank 65, the strength, endurance, and speed he showed in battle were already on par with most Soul Sages. Aside from not having a Martial Soul Avatar, he was a Soul Sage in all but name.

Such was the terrifying power of microscopic control.