"What's wrong?" Ning Rongrong noticed his expression and became alert.
In the corner sat an unassuming man.
This person was the same one Ning Tianchen had encountered in the Killing Town.
Back then, with Dugu Bo by his side, he didn't fear the man. But now, there was no one to protect them.
Facing a Soul Douluo with a bizarre martial soul, how could he possibly be a match?
At another table, a group of burly men sat together.
Seeing Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong's reaction, one of them said, "Boss, those two have noticed us."
The leader sneered, "So what if they noticed? They had a chance to escape but chose to stay. If that's the case, it's a blessing for us."
"Boss, shall we make our move?"
"Not yet. They're not going anywhere. If it's their last meal, they should at least eat their fill."
This group spoke loudly, without any attempt to conceal their intentions.
Ning Tianchen furrowed his brows, as if afraid of them.
"Rongrong, the man in the corner is a powerful Soul Douluo. I'm not sure of his stance, but once the fight starts, I'll do my best to hold him off. You run south as fast as you can—don't look back, just keep running."
Ning Rongrong shook her head firmly. "No, I'll never leave you behind. If we're going to die, we'll die together."
As they spoke, a voice drifted into their ears:
"Hey, hey, hey, why so pessimistic? You managed to get out of that place alive, and now you're afraid I'll eat you?"
The man in the corner wore a faint smile.
The voice had been transmitted using a sound-focusing technique.
Ning Tianchen raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, "What do you want?"
The man retorted, "You're the ones who wanted to see me, and now you ask what I want?"
Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong exchanged glances, feeling puzzled.
They didn't know this man—why would they actively seek him out?
Moreover, the Killing Town was far from the Snowfield Town. How could this man's activity range be so vast?
The man chuckled coldly and reminded them, "Carrying our sect's token so openly—are you worried I wouldn't recognize it?"
"I'll wait outside. This hotel belongs to the Snow Mountain Sect. After you deal with your troubles, come out and see me."
With that, his body turned into a flowing shadow and vanished on the spot.
It was a false alarm after all—this man was actually from the Snow Mountain Sect.
Ning Tianchen let out a sigh of relief.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, the worry on his face disappeared. All that remained was to deal with the group behind them.
After finishing the drink in his cup, his figure vanished from where he stood.
Like a ghost, his body weaved through the crowd. With each swing of his sword, a head fell.
The severed heads bore expressions of terror—they clearly hadn't expected Ning Tianchen to suddenly attack, nor had they anticipated his overwhelming strength.
Ning Tianchen didn't hold back. In the span of a few breaths, he had eliminated them all.
These bandits, who made a living by robbing passersby, were undoubtedly stained with countless lives—not worthy of sympathy.
…
When the two emerged, the man outside praised them, "I saw you at only Soul King level back then. It hasn't been long—how did you break through to Soul Emperor?"
Ning Tianchen clasped his hands. "May I ask how to address you, Senior?"
The man replied, "Ghost Shadow~Wind Demon. Hmm, I'm curious—how did you obtain our sect's token?"
Ning Tianchen calmly explained, "During the Soul Master Tournament, I interacted with your academy team. This token was personally handed to me by Tian Chao, who asked me to find him here when I had time."
Wind Demon took the token and examined it carefully before accepting his explanation. "So you're his friend. I haven't returned to the sect in years, and I never expected him to make a friend like you."
"What's your next plan? Should I take you to see him?"
Ning Tianchen pressed, "Does Senior Wind know where he is?"
Wind Demon shook his head.
He hadn't returned to the sect in a long time and had no idea about Tian Chao's whereabouts.
Ning Tianchen asked again, "Then does Senior Wind know where Elder Tian Chen is?"
Wind Demon was surprised. "That guy Tian Chen, to think he'd expose his name so casually. Fine then, since your token was personally given to you by Tian Chao, I'll take you to the sect. We can surely find out about these two within the sect."
Entering the Snow Mountain Sect would greatly help them complete their mission. Ning Tianchen naturally wouldn't refuse.
Wind Demon was an elder of the Snow Mountain Sect, so bringing them into the sect wouldn't be a problem. However, Ning Tianchen was surprised by the influence Tian Chao seemed to wield.
A single token was enough to grant outsiders access to the sect—Tian Chao's position in the sect must be quite significant.
Ning Tianchen clasped his hands. "Thank you for leading the way, Senior."
Wind Demon replied indifferently, "He only invited you. What about your companion?"
Ning Tianchen didn't hesitate. "Her name is Ning Rongrong, and she's my fiancée."
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong blushed deeply and instinctively clung to his arm.
Wind Demon nodded a few times, recognizing their relationship. "Alright, follow me."
…
To prevent exposing the sect's location, Wind Demon deliberately led them in circles around the snowy fields outside the town.
Only when Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong were thoroughly disoriented did he finally lead them toward the path to the sect.
The Snow Mountain Sect was a secluded sect, and it was normal for them to hide their location from outsiders. Ning Tianchen had already guessed Wind Demon's intentions and wasn't offended.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, when the two were utterly exhausted, a snow-capped mountain appeared before them.
Looking up, they could clearly see the outlines of buildings halfway up the mountain and at the summit.
"The sect is on the mountain. Do you still have the strength to climb?" Wind Demon asked with a smile.
Ning Tianchen nodded.
Wind Demon led them forward.
At the foot of the mountain stood a grand archway inscribed with the words "Snow Mountain Sect" in ancient script, not the commonly used characters of the Douluo Continent.
Behind the archway was a spiraling staircase—the only apparent path up the mountain.
The staircase was covered in thick snow, making it easy to slip.
Ning Tianchen, already freezing from the harsh weather, dared not risk slipping.
Instead, he summoned his Seven Kill Sword martial soul and used it to glide close to the ground, carrying Ning Rongrong along as they followed Wind Demon up the mountain.
About the time it takes to burn one stick of incense later, they reached the halfway point of the mountain.
Surprisingly, the entire waist of the mountain had been hollowed out. From afar, countless houses could be seen nestled within the mountain.
In the center of these houses was a sparring platform for Snow Mountain Sect disciples.
Wind Demon said, "Feel free to look around here. The summit is the sect's restricted area—outsiders aren't allowed without the sect leader's permission. I'll go report first, and someone will come for you shortly."
Ning Tianchen nodded and quickly led Ning Rongrong into the cave to escape the cold.
The cave wasn't completely dark—there were large openings at the top, allowing sunlight to pour in.
The mountain blocked the external cold, making the interior warm and cozy.
Seeing the outsiders, the Snow Mountain Sect disciples curiously gathered around.
Aside from Wind Demon, everyone in the Snow Mountain Sect was tall—even ten-year-old children were as tall as Ning Tianchen.
It felt as though they were in a land of giants. Without looking up, they couldn't even see the faces of these people.
"Friends, hello!"
Surprisingly, the Snow Mountain Sect disciples didn't seem xenophobic or treat them as intruders. Instead, they greeted them warmly.
"Hello," Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong waved while looking up.
"Friends, would you like a drink?"
Before they could respond, the enthusiastic disciples dragged them deeper into the cave.
What astonished them was that the Snow Mountain Sect hadn't just hollowed out the mountainside—they had excavated the entire mountain.
Descending the stairs, they found that the cave was illuminated by spirit tools and contained various entertainment venues and houses, resembling a hidden paradise.
"I finally understand why disciples of secluded sects can spend their entire lives without leaving their sects and yet never feel bored," Ning Rongrong remarked wryly.
If the most bustling streets of Tiandou City were moved into the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong could live her whole life without leaving the sect too.
Of course, secluded sects weren't completely isolated from the world.
How could mighty soul masters possibly till the fields? The sect's food supplies must have been purchased from the outside. Perhaps they even had dedicated people managing businesses to ensure the sect's logistics.
The two were ushered into a tavern, where the enthusiastic disciples prepared large wine goblets for them.
The diameter of the goblets was almost as wide as Ning Rongrong's waist.
"Sorry, friends, we don't have smaller cups here. Drink as much as you can—cheers!"
Ning Rongrong tugged at Ning Tianchen's sleeve.
One large cup of wine would surely bloat her stomach!
After much explanation, the disciples finally relented for Ning Rongrong—but Ning Tianchen wasn't so lucky.
...
Snow Mountain Sect Main Hall
Wind Demon pushed open the door to the main hall and bowed slightly toward the high seat. "Master, Tian Chao's guests have arrived."
Tian Chao had invited Ning Tianchen and others, and he had given them a disciple token, so naturally, this matter would be reported to the sect leader.
His statement didn't seem out of place.
The man seated in the high position nodded slightly, acknowledging the information.
Standing nearby, Tian Chao and Tian Guocheng felt a wave of joy. "He really came. Master, we'd like to—"
Before they could finish, the man on the high seat granted their request and added, "One day later, bring them to see me."
The two promptly responded and withdrew.
Despite having delivered his report, Wind Demon remained behind to share the intelligence he had gathered over the years while outside.
Tian Chao and Tian Guocheng quickly made their way down the mountain, accompanied by a tall, burly man.
"Guocheng, is that the one you mentioned—the number one genius of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Tian Chao turned around and respectfully replied, "Guozhen, indeed. Although our team fell in the top six during the Soul Master Tournament, Ning Tianchen's Seven Treasures Team defeated the Spirit Hall team to claim the championship. After all this time, his strength must have improved significantly."
Tian Guozhen was truly the first genius of the Snow Mountain Sect.
As a genius, he naturally wanted to test his skills against other prodigies and determine who was superior.
Having received the answer he sought, Tian Guozhen dashed past the two and rushed down the mountain.
Tian Chao awkwardly remarked, "Guocheng, Ning Tianchen is still our invited guest. To challenge him right after he arrives might not leave a good impression, don't you think?"
Tian Guocheng nodded in agreement.
The two quickly reached a consensus and chased after him.
No matter what, they had to stop Tian Guozhen.
…
Inside the Tavern
Ning Tianchen waved his hand and pushed away the goblet in front of him.
"Sorry, I can't drink anymore."
While drinking, he used soul power to metabolize the alcohol, so he wasn't drunk. However, given his stature, no matter how much he drank, he couldn't compete with the towering giants over two meters tall.
Outside, Tian Chao and his companions casually inquired about Ning Tianchen's whereabouts.
After all, outsiders rarely entered the Snow Mountain Sect, so the disciples were naturally curious about them.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the tavern.
Upon seeing Tian Guozhen, the disciples immediately withdrew.
Ning Tianchen said with a hint of irritation, "Tian Chao, it wasn't easy for me to come and see you."
Tian Chao laughed heartily, "Haha, everyone here rarely sees outsiders, so naturally, they're very enthusiastic when they see your face."
Ning Tianchen waved his hand and used soul power to quickly metabolize the remaining alcohol in his body.
Seeing that his bloated feeling had subsided, Tian Guozhen quickly suggested, "Since you're fine now, let's go to the sparring platform for a match."
"Who is this?" Ning Tianchen asked, puzzled.
Tian Chao hurriedly introduced him: "This is Tian Guozhen, whom I mentioned earlier. He's also the sect's number one genius. Haha, I'm sure the two of you will have plenty to talk about. However, since you've just arrived today, we should honor our duties as hosts. Guozhen, perhaps the sparring can wait until another day?"
Tian Guozhen didn't explicitly agree but didn't refuse either, seemingly accepting Tian Chao's suggestion.
Under Tian Chao's arrangements, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong were settled into an unoccupied room.
Tian Guocheng suggested, "It's still early. How about I show you around the sect?"
Ning Tianchen nodded. "That works. I also have some questions for you."
Finally, Ning Fengzhi's long-awaited opportunity to understand the internal rankings of the Snow Mountain Sect had arrived.
"The sect's rankings are based on talent and potential," explained Tian Guozhen. He believed this wasn't classified information, so there was no need to hide it. "The Elder Tian Chen you met ranks sixteenth, and Wind Demon, the oldest, ranks twelfth."
Ning Tianchen turned his gaze to Tian Chao. "What about your ranking?"
Tian Chao awkwardly replied, "I rank fourteenth. Guocheng is twentieth, and Guozhen is second, just below the sect leader."
Ning Tianchen formed a judgment.
These rankings were highly valued by the Snow Mountain Sect disciples and weren't meaningless. It was likely that the sect's decision-making power was based on these rankings.
Tian Chao explained, "Friend, although my ranking is higher than Elder Tian Chen's, I didn't participate in the sect's decision-making during the Soul Master Tournament. The matter you proposed earlier has already been discussed with the sect leader. Tomorrow, the sect leader will summon you."
Ning Tianchen pressed his hand on Tian Chao's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Tell me honestly—does your sect have any plans to collaborate with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
Tian Chao shook his head.
Matters involving major sect decisions could only be decided by the sect leader; others had no authority to make such calls.
He wasn't privy to the sect leader's thoughts, so he couldn't possibly know.
Next, under Tian Chao's guidance, the two toured the Snow Mountain Sect's base.
From the geographical layout, it was clear that the Snow Mountain Sect was extremely defensible.
Those unfamiliar with the situation wouldn't know that the entire mountain was hollowed out inside.
Whether climbing up the stairs or flying in, facing a sect guarded by a Title Douluo was unrealistic.
…
The tour continued until nightfall. Seeing nothing else of interest, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong returned to their quarters to rest.
"The customs of this sect are completely different from those in the south—they're too enthusiastic!"
Ning Rongrong leaned back on the bed, rubbing her neck.
Constantly looking up had left her neck sore and uncomfortable.
Ning Tianchen wasn't surprised. "Northerners prefer alcohol over tea. You must have noticed—after drinking, your body feels warmer."
"Drinking too much alcohol brings out one's boldness."
After a pause, he added, "Rest early. We'll meet the Snow Mountain Sect leader tomorrow. Rongrong, this time, you're the sect's envoy—you need to prepare your words carefully."
With that, Ning Tianchen entered the adjacent room.
Everything in the Snow Mountain Sect was oversized, which made them feel somewhat out of place.
Instead of sleeping, Ning Tianchen began training his Killing God Domain.
Currently, his domain was no longer in its initial state. Through cultivation, it could suppress an opponent's strength by 15% while increasing his overall strength by 15%.
Spreading out the Domain, he confined its range to a two-meter radius and began his practice.
…
At dawn the next day
A knock sounded on the door of their quarters.
"I know you're awake. Come with me to the training ground for a match," came Tian Guozhen's urgent voice from outside.
After dawn, Ning Tianchen would have to meet the Snow Mountain Sect leader. A match now, whether won or lost, could influence the upcoming negotiations.
He didn't know the sect leader's temperament and was uncertain about what to do.
However, Tian Guozhen ranked second in the Snow Mountain Sect, and offending him could also lead to obstacles.
After some thought, Ning Tianchen decided to accept the challenge.
Even among geniuses, there was a need to determine superiority. Given Tian Guozhen's personality, if Ning Tianchen earned his respect through strength, he might even gain his support.
"Just a moment—I'll be right there."
Seeing that Ning Rongrong was still asleep, Ning Tianchen quietly slipped out and followed Tian Guozhen to the training ground.
It was still dark, and aside from a few disciples practicing early, there was little movement within the Snow Mountain Sect.
Ning Tianchen had assumed they would head to the sparring platform they saw earlier, but instead, they were led to the edge of a cliff.
Sweeping the snow off the ground with his foot, he could faintly make out that this area was also a sparring platform.
Peering over the edge of the cliff, he saw a bottomless abyss stretching thousands of feet below.
"Aren't you afraid of falling?" Ning Tianchen asked.
He possessed the ability to fly, so unless his soul power was depleted, he wouldn't fall.
Tian Guozhen replied indifferently, "If you're afraid, we can switch platforms. But that would make me think you're weak!"
Ning Tianchen sneered. "Fine, just don't regret it later. Tell me—where are the boundaries of the platform?"
Tian Guozhen drew a line at the edge of the cliff and marked it with a few stones.
As for the other boundary—it was obviously the cliff itself. Falling off meant defeat, though the cost of failure seemed rather steep.
Tian Guozhen activated his martial soul, and six soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—flashed beneath his feet, clearly revealing his status as a Level 64 Soul Emperor.
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