"Brother Sword, the real reason you came to Shrek Academy this time was for Tang San, right? Looking for me was just incidental, wasn't it?" Ning Rongrong pouted as they returned to the hotel. Her sharp mind had already noticed that throughout the entire day, Tian Lin's attention on Tang San was far greater than on her.
"Of course not. Ten Tang Sans wouldn't compare to you in my heart. However, he is someone we can make use of." Tian Lin had no intention of hiding anything from Ning Rongrong.
After explaining the details of the deal, Ning Rongrong covered her mouth in surprise. "Really? Can Tang San create such powerful things called hidden weapons, which can greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of our clan's core disciples?"
Tian Lin responded seriously, "Something this important—how could I lie to the future head of our clan? These hidden weapons are incredibly valuable. As long as we have the blueprints, our clan can mass-produce them. Even the basic Zhuge Crossbow is enough to threaten Soul Ancestors, and the top-tier hidden weapon, Buddha Fury Tang Lotus, can instantly kill a group of Spirit Sages."
"No wonder you came all this way to find him, Brother Sword. If that's the case, his value to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is truly immense," Ning Rongrong said, showing her growth. She was now gradually beginning to look at things from the perspective of the clan leader and naturally wouldn't continue to be angry over Tian Lin's neglect of her today.
Because of this, Ning Rongrong had also begun to come into contact with various clan secrets. For example, Tian Lin's twin martial souls were no longer hidden from her. However, when she first learned the truth, she was so angry that she ignored both Tian Lin and Ning Fengzhi for three whole days.
After all, the two of them had conspired to trick her. The so-called soul bone that could enhance cultivation was completely made up—the real reason was his twin martial souls.
Tian Lin nodded at her. "Exactly. So, from now on, the clan disciples' equipment will center around these hidden weapons. As for you, Rongrong, I have other plans."
"I won't use these hidden weapons? Oh, I remember! You mentioned the talisman techniques before, didn't you?" Ning Rongrong asked excitedly. As expected, she was special—Tian Lin always treated her with the most favoritism.
Tian Lin smiled and patted her head, not denying it. Yes, it was indeed the talisman technique. Many of the powerful offensive talismans from the Shu Mountain Sect far surpassed hidden weapons in power. However, Tian Lin currently faces two major difficulties.
First, his cultivation was not strong enough to produce talismans in large quantities. Second, he didn't understand the Five Element Immortal Techniques. As a result, he couldn't yet create large-scale offensive talismans like the Wind-Fire Talisman's Heavenly Blaze or the Fire-Earth Talisman's Starfall Quake.
These were all wide-area attack talismans. For this reason, the hidden weapon Tian Lin truly desired was the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus. As for single-target attacks like the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, he had other alternatives.
That alternative was the Shu Mountain Sect's most powerful single-target talisman, the Demon Flame Slash!
As the name suggests, this talisman was connected to Shu Mountain sword techniques. It was developed by the 23rd-generation sect master, Xu Changqing, as a killing move in his youth. Its power was astonishing. Even with Tian Lin's current cultivation, if he could successfully create one, it would be enough to kill a Titled Douluo.
Over the years, Tian Lin had devoted himself to researching this talisman but had yet to succeed.
However, he had recently completed another type of ultra-powerful support talisman after hundreds of trials over the past three years. It was called the Starshift Talisman, an ultra-long-range teleportation talisman. As long as the coordinates were marked, the user could instantly teleport to the designated location.
These three talismans were currently in the possession of Tian Lin, Ning Rongrong, and Chen Xin. The ones Tian Lin and Ning Rongrong carried were anchored to the clan's location, intended for escape. Chen Xin's talisman, however, was linked to a coordinate stored in the soul tool Tian Lin carried.
This allowed Tian Lin to summon Chen Xin back to him. In other words, he essentially carried a Level 98 Super Douluo as his personal bodyguard. This was also why he dared to confront Tang San today.
If Tang San had refused to cooperate and instead tried to kill him to protect his secret as a transmigrator, Tian Lin would have killed Tang San without hesitation. To Tian Lin, Tang San was merely a tool to be used. If he could be useful, great. If not, he could be eliminated.
Chen Xin was also a safeguard against Tang Hao. Given Tang Hao's current injuries, it was impossible for him to defeat Chen Xin.
Fortunately, Tang San was sensible. Whether it was out of fear of Tian Lin's backing or some misguided sense of camaraderie as fellow transmigrators, he ultimately preserved both his own life and Tang Hao's.
After handling these matters, Ning Rongrong replaced sleep with meditation. Since Tian Lin rarely visited, she naturally wanted to make full use of the Holy Breath Domain's amplification effect.
...
The next morning, as the sun began to rise, the two woke from their meditation. Ning Rongrong excitedly observed her soul power and exclaimed, "Brother Sword, I've reached Rank 30! Look!"
Seeing her excitement, Tian Lin praised her. "Good. For a support system soul master to reach Rank 30 before the age of twelve, without taking any immortal treasures, is truly exceptional. Rongrong, you're amazing!"
Tian Lin was genuinely happy for her. After all, Rank 30 was a crucial milestone for soul masters. Many were stuck at the Soul Grandmaster rank their entire lives. The earlier one broke through this stage, the further they could go in the future. Moreover, Ning Rongrong reaching the Soul Elder stage meant she could now take the Heaven Mending Pill, which was an even greater benefit.
The two returned to Shrek Academy to share the news. Aside from Oscar, everyone was already gathered in the square, waiting for Flender to arrive for class.
When Tang San saw Tian Lin, he immediately approached and handed over several blueprints. "Brother Tianlin, here are the hidden weapon blueprints you requested. Please take them."
"Thank you!" Tian Lin accepted the blueprints and glanced at Tang San. "Brother Tang, have you also reached Rank 30?"
"Brother Tianlin, you have sharp eyes. Yes, I must thank you for the medicinal pill you gave me last night. Without that Xuanyuan Pill, I wouldn't have broken through so smoothly." Tang San expressed his gratitude, drawing envious looks from the others.
"Brother TIanlin, your pills are incredible! Do you have more? I'd like to buy one!" Dai Mubai asked directly. He was under immense pressure and thought such a pill might save his life in the future.
Tian Lin flatly refused. "A pill that helps someone break through Rank 30 is a treasure in my clan and extremely difficult to produce. I only brought one with me this time. I'm sorry, Brother Dai."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai felt a pang of disappointment. Of course, such a valuable pill would be a clan treasure. Tang San must have offered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan great benefits to obtain it. It was wishful thinking to expect otherwise.
In truth, while the Xuanyuan Pill was difficult to make, Tian Lin could produce a few if he wanted. However, he had no reason to give one to Dai Mubai.
The reason was simple: Dai Mubai wasn't one of his own, nor was he particularly useful. Tian Lin gave Tang San the pill because Tang San had value—he had hidden weapons, a father who was the Clear Sky Douluo, and a grudge against the Spirit Hall. He gave Ma Hongjun a pill because the boy had agreed to join the sect. As for Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, without the immortal herbs, their chances of defeating Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun were slim at best.
Tian Lin wasn't interested in making pointless investments. Besides, what could Dai Mubai offer him? Money? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had no shortage of money.
Soon, Flender arrived leisurely. When he saw Ning Rongrong and Tang San, his eyes lit up. As a Spirit Sage, he could see that both of them had reached Rank 30.
This was truly a pleasant surprise. Rank 30 at the age of twelve was a rarity across the entire continent.
Equally delighted were Tang Hao and Yin Yang.
"How about that, Tang Hao? Isn't our little princess amazing? A support-system Soul Elder at such a young age—have you ever seen one before?" Yin Yang grinned broadly.
Tang Hao shook his head. "Indeed, I've never seen one so exceptional. Even Ning Fengzhi wasn't this good in his youth. But my Xiao San isn't bad either—he's also reached Rank 30."
"Hmph, Tang San is a battle-type soul master. How is that comparable to a support-type?" Yin Yang retorted indignantly, though his point was valid.
A battle-type soul master and a support-type soul master advancing at the same pace indicated that the latter's talent surpassed the former's.
Tang Hao had no response. Who would've thought that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would not only produce a monster like Tian Lin but also have such an outstanding successor, Ning Rongrong?