Hearing Chen Xin's question, Tianlin hesitated. He had already guessed this would happen. He could fool others, but not Chen Xin. With Chen Xin's current cultivation level, the talisman Tianlin used to conceal his true power was completely ineffective.
"Master, during this trip down the mountain, I had a bit of a fortuitous encounter, which allowed me to barely break through the fiftieth level and obtain a 45,000-year soul ring," Tianlin replied evasively.
As expected, upon hearing these words, before Ning Fengzhi or Chen Xin could react, Dugu Bo and Gu Rong were the first to become excited. Dugu Bo exclaimed, "A 45,000-year fifth soul ring? You little monster! Calling you a monster wasn't wrong at all!"
Gu Rong, looking at Chen Xin with envy, added, "Old Sword, your disciple is cheating! I have proof! My disciple is six years older than him, yet his level is ten levels lower. This gap is just ridiculous!"
Chen Xin glanced at Gu Rong and replied nonchalantly, "My disciple is full of cheats; which one are you talking about?" He had never denied that his disciple seemed blessed by fortune itself.
While everyone else was immersed in joy, only Ning Fengzhi appeared deep in thought. After a while, he suddenly said, "Xiao Tian, show us your second martial soul."
"Uh…" Tianlin was taken aback.
"You're quite good at diverting attention. You made Bone Douluo and the others focus entirely on the fifth soul ring of your Suppressing Demon Sword, but they overlooked something crucial. When you left the mountain, you were at the forty-fifth level. How did you manage to rise so many levels in such a short time and break through to Soul King? You once said that your body was oversaturated with medicinal power, making it impossible for you to consume immortal herbs in the short term. So, the only explanation I can think of is that you've started adding soul rings to your second martial soul and leveraged their power to increase your level rapidly!"
Tianlin's heart tightened. Indeed, he could fool the others, but deceiving the astute Ning Fengzhi was nothing short of wishful thinking.
"What?!" Chen Xin exclaimed, looking at Tianlin with a mix of anger and concern. They had repeatedly warned him not to recklessly add soul rings to the Holy Spirit Pearl. It wasn't just a waste, but it was also for Tianlin's safety.
Chen Xin feared Tianlin might end up like the first historical twin martial soul owner, whose body exploded and died. What concerned him, even more, was that for Tianlin's soul power to leap ten levels to nearly fifty-five, he couldn't have absorbed just one ten-thousand-year soul ring.
Chen Xin couldn't help but worry about Tianlin's body and future. To him, Tianlin's actions were akin to self-destruction.
Under the intense stares of Ning Fengzhi and the three titled Douluo, Tianlin had no choice but to stop concealing the truth. Fortunately, everyone present was someone he trusted, so revealing this wasn't a problem.
Tianlin raised his left hand, revealing the Holy Spirit Pearl. A snow-white soul ring emerged. Seeing this, Gu Rong, with his fiery temper, couldn't hold back. "A ten-year soul ring?! Xiao Tian, what are you doing? Did all our repeated warnings go in one ear and out the other? Are you willing to ruin your future for temporary strength?"
"You little monster, can you tell me why? The you I know wouldn't be so reckless!" Dugu Bo also sounded distressed. He wanted to protect Tianlin so he could grow into the strongest being, but while he could defend against external threats, he couldn't stop Tianlin from making his own choices.
Just as Tianlin was about to explain, Ning Fengzhi suddenly raised his hand, interrupting the two. "Uncle Bone, Uncle Poison, don't be so hasty. That's not a ten-year soul ring."
"A simple ten-year soul ring couldn't possibly push Tianlin's soul power to Soul King level. And have you forgotten? The most powerful ability of my Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, besides support, is appraisal. My pagoda tells me that this soul ring of Xiao Tian's is unprecedentedly precious."
After speaking, Ning Fengzhi fixed his gaze on Tianlin's soul ring. He noticed something extraordinary. This seemingly ordinary white soul ring exuded faint golden light.
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly. "I see. The true color is gold. More precisely, platinum!"
"According to the records of a former master of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, golden light has appeared twice on the continent. The first was on the sea, and it was blue-gold. The second was before the establishment of Spirit Hall, and it was pure gold."
"Xiao Tian, this soul ring of yours—is it related to the divine?"
Once again, Ning Fengzhi seemed to be reading from a script. Tianlin couldn't hide any secrets from him. His guess was almost entirely correct. Soul beasts that had cultivated for a million years could ascend to godhood. Although the Skydream Iceworm had not undergone the divine tribulation or obtained a divine position, its cultivation had undoubtedly reached the level of an ordinary god.
"Divine?!" The three titled Douluo were shocked, simultaneously looking at Tianlin. That word was the symbol of the strongest on the Douluo Continent. Could it be connected to this child?
"Good heavens, Xiao Tian, is your sect master cheating too? Your cheat is your strength, while his is his brain. I'm done for—I can't keep this secret anymore!" The Skydream Iceworm howled in despair.
"It's fine, Brother Skydream. If anyone else had discovered this, we'd indeed be finished. But everyone here is my closest family," Tianlin comforted.
"Uncle Ning, since you've figured it out, I won't hide it anymore. This soul ring isn't a divine ring but comes from a million-year soul beast that failed to undergo the divine tribulation. Its name is Skydream Iceworm."
Tianlin slightly modified his account of recent events, leaving out the Holy Spirit Pearl, Divine Sword, and fierce beasts. Even so, the four listeners, all experienced and knowledgeable, were left dumbfounded.
"A million-year soul beast… I never thought such a legendary creature truly existed!" Ning Fengzhi chuckled bitterly. "It seems the plans Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, and I made for you will need adjustment. We originally thought it would take you at least forty years to become a titled Douluo. Now, it seems you might reach that level by your early twenties."
Chen Xin nodded. "Yes, Xiao Tian not only has terrifying talent but also unprecedented fortune. He may have been born to carry destiny and is destined to become a god."
"Haha! Then the rest of us are his destined guardians, aren't we?" Dugu Bo laughed heartily. At this moment, he was truly glad he had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. With Tianlin's character of repaying kindness, when he became a god, Dugu Bo would undoubtedly share in the benefits.
"Don't celebrate too soon. My Holy Spirit Pearl cannot be used for now. If forces outside discover it, I'll be doomed. For now, I can only rely on the Suppressing Demon Sword. So, let's wait until I show you the fifth soul skill of my sword before celebrating," Tianlin reminded them.
Only then did Ning Fengzhi and the others realize that in all the excitement over the million-year soul ring, they had completely forgotten about the fifth soul skill of Tianlin's Suppressing Demon Sword. What could it be?