Chen Ming had no idea that Yu Xiaogang had been blasted into the sky by a methane explosion and publicly humiliated himself. At this moment, he was busy responding to invitation cards and making contact with experts from various sects.
In the past, when Chen Ming wanted to meet these powerful figures, he would have to send a formal request first, and whether they agreed to see him depended entirely on their mood. Most of the time, with Chen Ming's former status, he would not even qualify to step through their gates after sending a request. The gatekeepers alone would have cursed him for not knowing his place.
But now, if the top experts of the Douluo Continent wished to meet Chen Ming, they had to send him invitation cards first and ask whether he was willing to see them.
Chen Ming casually sorted through the invitations, arranging them according to value and differing intentions.
He could only say that many people on the Douluo Continent truly had problems in their heads. Those trying to recruit him or seek guidance from him were understandable enough. Even the ones trying to arrange marriage alliances with him were something Chen Ming could endure. Ordinary greetings and attempts to establish friendly relations were also perfectly normal.
But what was the most incomprehensible?
Some invitations contained veiled threats. Some were passive-aggressive. Some wanted Chen Ming to marry into their family. Some claimed he was their long-lost child.
There were even people who wanted Chen Ming to cook them a few dishes and kneel before them begging.
Seriously, these people were not just a little insane. Had they not seen how the Strength Clan died? Did they really think he was easy to bully just because he was young? Did they really think that just because he had no background in the past, he still had none now?
Chen Ming was so angry he started laughing. His nose nearly twisted from irritation.
In the end, he could only conclude that for the sake of maintaining "purity" in their Martial Soul bloodlines, these fellows were likely the products of inbreeding—inbreeding across several or even dozens of generations—resulting in innate intellectual defects that prevented them from being viewed as normal humans.
Chen Ming transcribed the names and factions of these people and then went to find Golden Crocodile Douluo, showing him the list and the series of invitation cards.
Before night had even fallen, after merely skimming through the contents, Golden Crocodile Douluo immediately headed to the Spirit Hall, gathered several Titled Douluo elders and Spirit Douluo-level bishops, assembled a group of Temple Knights, and directly went into the city to arrest people.
Chen Ming truly did not care how much blood these idiots would spill. After all, if this group of people—who might genuinely have been the product of generations of inbreeding—died out completely, the average IQ of the entire continent would probably rise.
He simply began replying to the invitations cards according to his own prioritization.
Among them, the two factions Chen Ming considered the most valuable were the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthier than nations, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul provided enormous support to Spirit Masters. If he could win them over, they would be of tremendous help in the future.
As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, although arrogant, no one could deny that their inheritance was both ancient and incredibly powerful. In terms of understanding, developing, and recording knowledge about dragon-attributed Martial Souls, even the Spirit Hall might not necessarily surpass the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.
Especially their clan's unique bloodline and dragonification talents, which were extraordinarily valuable research subjects to Chen Ming.
Chen Ming was certain that the ancestors of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan absolutely included non-human creatures somewhere in their lineage. He simply could not determine exactly what kind of beings they had been.
The bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan could awaken Martial Souls including—but not limited to—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Fire Dragon, Golden Holy Dragon, Holy Light Dragon, and Luo Sanpao. Even the Rouge Dragon from the second era seemed to be a subspecies derived from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline.
As for ordinary earth dragons, there were simply too many variations to count. All kinds of draconic and wyvern-type Martial Souls could randomly appear within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.
Within the entire clan, people who awakened a pure Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul were rare, yet those who awakened non-dragon Martial Souls were also exceedingly rare.
That alone showed just how absurd and inhuman this family truly was.
Chen Ming could already use high-quality dragon blood to refine pills that enhanced the strength of dragon-type Martial Souls to a certain extent. But he suspected that if the blood of Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan members were fed to draconic Spirit Beasts, it might even strengthen the bloodlines of those draconic Spirit Beasts themselves.
The dragonification ability might carry the name of a secret art, but its true core was actually the development of one's bloodline power. Rather than teaching something from nothing, it was more like teaching a bird with wings how to fly.
If Chen Ming could uncover the secrets of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan and understand the issues surrounding their bloodline, the benefits to him would be immeasurable.
As for the remaining clans and factions, they would be ranked according to their strength, the uniqueness of their Martial Souls, inheritance, financial power, and so on. In any case, Chen Ming needed a large number of cooperative "test subjects" possessing all kinds of different traits so he could turn his theories into reality through experimentation.
After exchanging letters and formal pleasantries, two days later Chen Ming finally had a private meeting with Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, inside one of the side halls of Spirit City.
To show that this was a private meeting, Ning Fengzhi did not bring Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo with him, while Chen Ming also refrained from bringing the elders from the Consecration Hall.
Ning Fengzhi wore a simple white robe. Aside from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda embroidered across his chest with colorful silk thread and gold accents, the outfit carried no luxurious decorations at all.
Thanks to the nourishment of Spirit Power, he appeared only a little over fifty years old. His eyes carried both warmth and sharp intelligence, while the faint smile at the corner of his lips gave him the appearance of a harmless and refined middle-aged gentleman.
As for Chen Ming, he wore the same academy uniform from his days at Heaven Dou Emperial Academy, without any modifications or symbols belonging to the Spirit Hall. He looked like nothing more than an ordinary student.
"Junior Chen Ming pays respects to Senior Ning," Chen Ming cupped his hands respectfully toward Ning Fengzhi, displaying flawless etiquette.
"Elder Chen is a genius rarely seen in a thousand years. Being able to meet Elder Chen is my honor instead."
Warmth mixed with excitement in Ning Fengzhi's voice, making him seem exceptionally approachable.
"Senior Ning, please sit."
Chen Ming invited Ning Fengzhi to a chair while he himself sat in the host's seat. Then he poured tea for both of them.
"Senior previously sent a letter asking me about the new cultivation method. I had gone away to obtain a Spirit Ring and did not see it at the time, so I replied immediately after returning."
"I have long heard of the great reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The title of the continent's number one support-type tool Martial Soul is renowned across the land. This junior truly admires it. May I ask what Senior wishes to know from me?"
"Elder Chen is too modest."
Ning Fengzhi increasingly felt as though the person before him was not some inexperienced genius youth from a small village, but rather a noble heir who had grown up learning etiquette and social conduct from adults since childhood.
Trying to pressure him through status was useless. Even attempts to appear approachable and close the distance through friendliness would simply be met with equally polished courtesy.
Cultivating while innovating, and at the same time mastering interpersonal dealings as well… was this what it meant to truly possess a good brain?
"The Douluo Heart Method is a miraculous technique unseen in ages, a new cultivation method capable of bringing enormous change to Spirit Masters across the continent. But just as meditation techniques can improve through detailed annotations and refinements, the Heart Method should also be capable of further enhancement through continued development, correct?"
"If Elder Chen is willing to offer guidance and assistance, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will certainly repay the favor generously."
Ning Fengzhi calmly expressed his intentions, appearing completely unconcerned that Chen Ming might make outrageous demands.
"A new cultivation method can naturally improve efficiency, but improving efficiency is not such a simple matter." Chen Ming took a sip of tea before smiling lightly.
"Senior, as an experienced veteran of the Spirit Master world, naturally understands that Martial Souls differ greatly from one another. The differences between tool Martial Souls and beast Martial Souls are enormous, and different categories of Martial Souls are fundamentally distinct concepts altogether."
"A Spirit Ring suitable for a tool Martial Soul may not suit a beast Martial Soul. A Spirit Ring suitable for a sword Martial Soul may not suit a hammer Martial Soul. If one forcefully applies them interchangeably, the best-case scenario is reduced efficiency; the worst-case scenario is backlash."
"And while the Heart Method is more efficient than ordinary meditation techniques, its cultivation is also far more difficult and complex."
"If compatibility is prioritized, then the current Douluo Heart Method is already extremely close to perfection. It can still be improved, but such refinement would require very long-term gradual polishing."
"But if one wishes to accelerate cultivation speed further, then the Douluo Heart Method can no longer perfectly suit every Spirit Master and every Martial Soul. The more one pursues speed, the narrower the range of compatibility becomes."
"My own cultivation efficiency is naturally even higher, but my cultivation method is not suitable for other Spirit Masters."
"If Senior truly desires faster cultivation speed, then the only option is to specifically develop and research a method tailored to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."