Ning Fengzhi sighed in admiration,
"Brother Lin, your suggestion has pointed me in the right direction."
After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had always possessed seven soul rings. The types of soul beasts needed for the first seven rings were all well-recorded in the clan's ancient texts.
But for the eighth soul ring, there was no precedent. Without any guidance, it was difficult to decide, especially since the previous seven soul rings already enhanced every physical attribute—stamina, strength, defense, speed, and soul power.
Lin Fan smiled,
"As long as it's helpful to you, Brother Ning, then I won't disturb you further. I'll return the manual to you in a few days."
Ning Fengzhi didn't try to keep him.
"Alright. When you're in Heaven Dou City again, we'll gather together with Qinghe."
Truthfully, Ning Fengzhi was eager to visit Star Dou Great Forest and obtain his eighth soul ring.
Given his talent and resources, Ning Fengzhi had already been a Soul Sage when Lin Fan first met him. He had been stuck at the Soul Sage level for far too long.
Ning Fengzhi personally walked Lin Fan to the mountain gate. After bidding farewell with clasped fists, Lin Fan soared away on his sword, departing from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
As Lin Fan flew through the skies, he took out the manual, flipping through it while muttering to himself,
"Getting the Split-Heart Control Technique from Ning Fengzhi went smoother than I expected. I wonder how long it'll take me to cultivate it to the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart realm and complete the system's task."
He then stowed the manual and sped up his flight, arriving back at his new home by around 7 p.m.
When Lin Fan returned, Tang Yuehua wasn't there—likely thinking he wouldn't come back that night.
After finishing dinner, Lin Fan sat cross-legged on his bed, pulled out the Split-Heart Control manual, and began cultivating according to its instructions.
He quickly realized that cultivating this technique significantly boosted his spiritual power. It was essentially a spiritual cultivation method, though slightly inferior to Tang San's Purple Demon Eye technique.
That said, Split-Heart Control had its unique strengths—it allowed for precise control of soul power, greatly conserving energy.
Lin Fan's focus was now fully on mastering this technique as quickly as possible and reaching the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart realm.
Unknowingly, three months passed.
During those three months, Lin Fan cultivated diligently, advancing to the final stage of the technique.
As a Title Douluo, Lin Fan's spiritual power was already far beyond his rank 94 soul power, especially after consuming the Autumn Water Dew Immortal Herb and tempering his heart at Moon Pavilion for half a year.
Additionally, the manual contained cultivation insights from previous clan masters, making Lin Fan's progress even smoother.
Late one night, three months later, Lin Fan suddenly sensed an opportunity and immediately sat up cross-legged to attempt breaking through to the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart realm.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but suddenly, his mind cleared to an unprecedented degree. He could sense every wisp of soul power within himself with pinpoint clarity, as if he could gaze directly inside his body.
"So this is what Ning Fengzhi described as the Exquisite Heart realm." Lin Fan's eyes opened, a faint golden glimmer flashing within them.
He muttered in amazement,
"Tomorrow, when I return this manual to Ning Fengzhi, I'll ask him if this sensation means I've truly reached the Exquisite Heart realm."
Having already memorized the contents of the manual, Lin Fan no longer needed the book. After three months, it was time to return it to Ning Fengzhi.
Feeling thoroughly refreshed, Lin Fan lay back down and fell asleep peacefully.
—
The next morning, Lin Fan left Heaven Dou City once again and headed straight for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
He figured that even if the eighth soul ring was hard to find, after three months, Ning Fengzhi should've already completed the process.
After all, whenever Ning Fengzhi ventured out, either Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo would accompany him, with the other remaining behind to guard the sect.
With such powerful allies, obtaining his eighth soul ring would've been far easier than Lin Fan's own experiences.
As soon as Lin Fan landed at the clan's gates, the guards stopped him as usual.
"Who goes there?"
Lin Fan politely said,
"My name is Lin Fan. I'm here to see Sect Master Ning."
The guard's attitude changed immediately, becoming respectful.
"Ah! So it's Mr. Lin. Please, come with me—Sect Master Ning specifically instructed us to bring you in directly if you arrived."
"Thank you." Lin Fan nodded and followed the guard inside.
Soon, they arrived at the main hall.
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi was seated on the main throne, listening to someone's report.
When he noticed someone entering, he glanced over and immediately stood up.
"I understand. You may leave for now—I have an esteemed guest."
"Yes, Sect Master." The man bowed and exited through a side door.
Ning Fengzhi personally walked over to welcome Lin Fan with a bright smile,
"Brother Lin, it's been three months. How's your progress with the technique? If there's anything unclear, feel free to ask me."
Lin Fan smiled back, handing over the manual,
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Ning. I'm here today to return this to you."
Then he asked,
"How did it go for you? Did you obtain any powerful soul skills?"
Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
"Thanks to your advice, my eighth soul skill turned out to be a defensive barrier that can withstand powerful attacks."
"I obtained it from an eighty-thousand-year-old Silver Armored Pangolin. Aside from forming the protective barrier, it also increases my offensive boost by an additional fifty percent!"
Lin Fan congratulated him sincerely,
"Brother Ning, that's wonderful news—congratulations!"
Ning Fengzhi patted Lin Fan's shoulder in gratitude,
"Honestly, Brother Lin, I wouldn't have achieved this without your help—not only did you provide that miraculous herb, but you also guided me on choosing my soul skill. I don't even know how to repay you."
Lin Fan chuckled,
"In that case, Brother Ning, perhaps you can help me with something regarding Split-Heart Control."
He proceeded to describe his breakthrough from the previous night.
Ning Fengzhi's jaw dropped in astonishment,
"What?! You've already begun entering the Exquisite Heart realm after only three months?"
Lin Fan asked,
"So… I've succeeded?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded seriously,
"Yes, you're very close to full mastery. The state you reached last night is the initial stage of the Exquisite Heart realm. Spend a few more days stabilizing it, and you'll have fully mastered the technique."
Lin Fan finally understood why he hadn't received any system notification yet—he wasn't quite done.
Ning Fengzhi reassured him,
"Don't rush, Brother Lin. You've progressed far faster than I ever did."
"It took me five whole years to master Split-Heart Control."
Lin Fan humbly replied,
"Brother Ning, I'm already a Title Douluo. My spiritual power is far beyond what yours would've been when you first started—so it's only natural I cultivated faster."
Ning Fengzhi laughed,
"That's true. I started practicing this technique back when I was just a Grandmaster-level soul master."
Then, Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly,
"Brother Lin, don't rush off today—stay here in the sect and allow me to properly host you. Otherwise, I'll feel guilty."
Lin Fan nodded, accepting the offer with a smile.