"Qin Ming, Ma Hongjun!"
After rewarding Meng Yiran, Ning Fengzhi looked at the other two and took out the explosive burning fire right arm bone Tian Lin had won as a champion.
"This soul bone was Tian Lin's prize, but he refused to absorb it. I now wish to grant it to you two, both of you being explosive fire-type soul masters, highly compatible."
"I give up. Please grant it to Hongjun," Qin Ming said. "But I have a request. Hongjun is Dean Flender's disciple. Now that Flender has retired, can I take over Hongjun's training? This is what Tian Lin promised me."
"No problem. You two have the same direction in cultivation. You're Hongjun's best teacher, and he needs strict supervision. He'll be entrusted to you." Ning Fengzhi agreed.
"Thank you, Sect Master."
Seeing Ma Hongjun so happy to get the soul bone, Tian Lin silently sighed. This bone wasn't easy to get—Hongjun was doomed. Qin Ming was gentle, but very strict in training.
He'd push them to the limit—but the results were great. The Emperor Battle Team owed much of their strength to Qin Ming's coaching.
Finally, it was Ning Rongrong's turn. Tian Lin gave her the ten-thousand-year gemstone spiritual illusion skull bone, originally meant for her.
After the soul bones were distributed, Ning Fengzhi stood up. "Jun Tian Lin, Qin Ming, Oscar, and Gu Ran, who is still away, are all specially credited. If there are more rewards in the future, they will be given."
That was a big benefit for the future—every leader knows how to do it.
After the induction and reward ceremonies, everyone left except Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Tian Lin.
"Master, Uncle Ning, is there something you want to tell me?" Tian Lin asked.
"Not me, your master," Ning Fengzhi said, dropping the formal tone.
Chen Xin approached Tian Lin. "Xiao Tian, you've mastered the Seven Kill Sword Technique. Starting tomorrow, you'll study the Seven Kill Sword Dao."
"Seven Kill Sword Dao?" Tian Lin was puzzled. The sword technique was famous, but he'd never heard of the Sword Dao.
That was because everyone who saw it basically died.
Like the Clear Sky Sect, their disorderly wind hammer technique was well-known, but the real secret, the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, was almost unheard of.
"The sword technique is just swordsmanship. The Sword Dao is the Dao of killing. It doesn't have different moves. Every strike is to kill. If there's a move, it's just one word—'Kill'!"
As Chen Xin spoke that word, Tian Lin felt his blood run cold, even stop flowing. Such immense killing intent was the true Sword Dao.
Chen Xin continued, "Also, I created a soul skill—Human-Sword Unity. It perfectly fuses yourself and your spirit, multiplying your attack. Your move at the tournament, Execution Lock Blade, was powerful, but not at its peak. That's because you and your sword are still separate. Only when you are the sword, and the sword is you, can you reach the highest level."
"Only when you reach that can you go deeper into the Sword Dao." Chen Xin taught Tian Lin earnestly. After a while, he sighed, "Once I've taught you the Killing Sword Dao and Human-Sword Unity, I'll have nothing left to teach. The rest is up to you."
"Master, you've taught me so much. I'll benefit all my life. Oh, I have a gift for you too." Tian Lin took out a book. "Master, this is the sword comprehension of a great ancient master. My sword techniques are learned from this. With your skill, if you study it, you'll improve even more."
"Oh, let me see!" Chen Xin was curious. He'd long wondered about Tian Lin's odd sword skills but didn't pry. Seeing the book, he was instantly absorbed; the author's sword Dao was far above his own.
"Xiao Tian, where did you get this? Such mastery rivals the gods!" Chen Xin exclaimed. Only an ancient sword god could reach such heights.
Tian Lin gave him Xie Daxu's sword comprehension. During Li Xiaoyao's tenure as head of Shu Mountain, only Xie Cangxing could match him. That shows how terrifying his sword skills were. Chen Xin guessed it was left by a god, and he wasn't wrong—Xie Daxu was almost a sword immortal.
"Well, Master, remember I said when I absorbed the million-year soul ring, the Skydream Ice Silkworm lived in my sea of spirit? It once traveled the continent and found this book in a valley. It lost the original, so I rewrote it from memory." Tian Lin blamed Skydream.
Chen Xin nodded, not asking further. He wasn't nosy, and now he was engrossed in the book.
Ning Fengzhi, however, smiled knowingly at Tian Lin.
A giant silkworm interested in human swordsmanship, and remembered it? Do you think I'm that easy to fool?
Plus, you used those strange sword skills before you got the million-year ring. Don't tell me you knew the ice silkworm before, and were raising it secretly.
Do you think your Uncle Ning is as gullible as your master?
Tian Lin felt awkward under Ning Fengzhi's gaze, but Ning Fengzhi didn't ask. Everyone has secrets. As long as he's upright and doesn't betray the sect, Ning Fengzhi won't pry.