Dustheart's words were still trustworthy in the eyes of Gu Rong and Ning Fengzhi.
But the Seven-Kill Sword Martial Soul couldn't have appeared out of nowhere.
According to martial soul inheritance theory, a child's martial soul can only be inherited from one of the parents. Even if there is a mutation, it wouldn't precisely mutate into the Seven-Kill Sword, right?
Besides, Ning Tianchen's father didn't even possess a sword-type martial soul.
"Perhaps there's another possibility." As clever as he was, Ning Fengzhi offered a theory: "Tianchen's father's family might be distantly related to the former Dust Clan."
"It's possible that a woman from the Dust Clan married into Tianchen's family. While their descendants didn't inherit the Seven-Kill Sword, the bloodline was preserved. When Tianchen awakened his martial soul, that dormant bloodline may have been triggered, which led to the manifestation of the Seven-Kill Sword."
Both Gu Rong and Dustheart nodded in agreement.
However, since Ning Tianchen's father had already passed away, it would be impossible to verify the family lineage.
Still, regardless of the truth, the matter was settled.
"Uncle Jian, I'll leave Tianchen's training to you," Ning Fengzhi said with satisfaction.
Dustheart had no reason to refuse. "I will guide him in cultivation. But how much he can comprehend of the Seven-Kill Sword's Sword Intent will depend on his own fortune."
"Congratulations, old swordman," Gu Rong said with a teasing tone. "Someday, I'll take on a disciple myself."
…
The next day.
The sun had just risen in the east. Light streamed through the clouds, painting the sky in hues of soft pink—like a beautiful painting.
Ning Tianchen woke up early. There was still half an hour before the sect's official cultivation training began.
He did not slack off. Instead, he began running laps around the sect's training grounds.
To become a battle-type soul master, physical fitness was crucial.
In his previous life, Ning Tianchen had studied soul master cultivation through books, and had a good understanding of the process.
The age of the soul ring a soul master could absorb was directly tied to their physical endurance.
Building a strong body greatly aided in absorbing high-age soul rings.
And the higher the soul ring's age, the greater the boost it gave.
Born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, obtaining soul rings was not an issue. So Ning Tianchen only needed to absorb the most powerful ones available.
Unbeknownst to him, Dustheart stood silently atop the nearby building, watching him train. His expression was unreadable.
"This kid's not bad," Gu Rong's cheerful voice came as he walked over. "He'll become a one-ring soul master in a day or two, and yet he's out here training his body. Maybe we can consider a 400-year soul ring for his first."
If not for Ning Tianchen's martial soul being the Seven-Kill Sword, Gu Rong would've taken him as a disciple just for his diligence.
Dustheart, however, remained expressionless. His voice calm: "It's meaningless. Physical fitness only increases the power behind a sword swing. For the path of the Seven-Kill Sword, strength is the least important factor."
On the continent, many martial souls were of the heavy sword type, where raw power mattered.
But the Seven-Kill Sword had a complete legacy. Cultivating the "Sword Heart" of the Seven-Kill Sword offered far more than just brute strength.
"Well, my martial soul isn't the Seven-Kill Sword, so it's up to you to teach your disciple." Gu Rong shrugged and turned to leave, uninterested.
Dustheart didn't actually want to take Ning Tianchen as a disciple—he would rather take him as a grandson. The Seven-Kill Sword line was nearly extinct on the continent, and now, with a new heir, Dustheart felt a sense of hope for continuation.
But once Ning Tianchen's martial soul was exposed, people in the sect would inevitably start making assumptions. Taking him as a grandson so soon would be… inappropriate.
…
After only ten minutes of running, Ning Tianchen felt like his heart was about to burst.
His original body was a direct descendant of the Ning Clan and had been trained as a support-type soul master. Physical strength had never been his strong suit.
"Looks like I'll need to train harder going forward…" He collapsed onto the training field, panting heavily.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze passed by. Dustheart appeared on the field.
"What do you think is the most important thing in cultivating the Sword Dao?" he asked.
The sudden voice made Ning Tianchen jump. He turned around quickly—Dustheart was right behind him without him noticing.
Scrambling to his feet, still panting, Ning Tianchen replied, "Sword Elder… I believe… the most important thing is the Sword Heart. Only by achieving unity between man and sword… can one reach the ultimate realm of the Sword Dao."
He didn't actually know anything about sword cultivation—he was just quoting something he'd read in a novel in his past life.
But to Dustheart, hearing such words from a six-year-old was already remarkable.
After a moment of surprise, Dustheart softened his tone. "You're absolutely right. But the state of unity between man and sword… is still far from where you are now."
"Let's take it step by step. For now, you need to master the basics. I'll teach you three introductory moves: the straight thrust, the vertical slash, and the upward sweep."
"Over the next five days, every morning at this time, I will personally teach you swordsmanship. If, after five days, you can perform these three basic moves to my satisfaction, I will take you to hunt your first soul ring myself. After that, I will continue to guide you in your cultivation."
"Thank you, Sword Elder." Ning Tianchen cupped his fists and bowed respectfully.
In terms of swordsmanship, Dustheart was publicly recognized as the foremost expert on the continent. Even Qian Daoliu fell short of him in this regard. With such a teacher, how could Ning Tianchen not become a strong cultivator?
Dustheart's teaching style was also quite unique.
He didn't personally demonstrate the moves, nor did he guide Ning Tianchen hand-in-hand. Instead, he used his spiritual power to directly transmit the sword techniques into Ning Tianchen's mind.
Feeling the flow of information in his mind, Ning Tianchen summoned his martial soul and began to practice.
"This kid's a bit too eager," Dustheart muttered, his brow twitching slightly.
It was well known that before obtaining a soul ring, summoning one's martial soul put significant strain on the body.
As expected, after only a few minutes, Ning Tianchen felt dizzy, and his martial soul involuntarily withdrew into his body.
Dustheart casually tossed him a wooden sword with the same weight as the Seven-Kill Sword. "Practice with this. Also, spend more time in the sect's academy to study theory."
Ning Tianchen nodded awkwardly.
…
Cultivation time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had slipped by.
As the other disciples began arriving at the training grounds, Dustheart vanished from sight.
His departing words still echoed in Ning Tianchen's ears: "Train with the others. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, I will not fail you," Ning Tianchen whispered to himself.
If he wanted to become Sword Douluo's disciple, he would have to pass the trial.
From the earlier training, he had already grasped the techniques.
The three basic moves Dustheart had taught didn't rely on brute force to make the sword swing with overwhelming power. Instead, they required finesse—to skillfully counter the opponent's attacks.
"Tianchen-ge, you came this early to train?" Ning Rongrong rubbed her sleepy eyes, clearly reluctant as she walked into the training field.
"Rongrong, you're up early too." Ning Tianchen wiped the sweat from his hands and gently rubbed her forehead.
Ning Rongrong pouted and muttered, "If I'd known it'd be like this, I wouldn't have awakened my martial soul. Now Daddy won't even let me sleep in anymore."
"Oh right, Tianchen-ge, here—this soul guidance ring is for you. I have one just like it!"
As she spoke, she proudly showed off the ring hanging from her neck—her hands were too small to wear it properly.