Chapter 2 Douluo Continent
He, Ning Fengping, was born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the second greatest Sect in the world, a Sect as wealthy as a nation.
Although his talent was mediocre, he might struggle to reach the Spirit King Realm throughout his entire life.
But thanks to the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the world’s number one support system Tool Spirit, he could have lived a stable life under the protection of the Sect.
Yet he met Jiang Ning, a woman with an ordinary Spirit and low Soul Power, who made him fall in love at first sight.
According to the rules of the Sect, they were required to find a powerful combat Spirit Master as a spouse.
Therefore, the Sect Elders strongly opposed it, but this failed to extinguish the fire in his heart; instead, it stirred up the insignificant bit of rebellion in his bones.
For the sake of the freedom and love he yearned for in his heart, he chose to withdraw from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and took Jiang Ning far away.
Eventually, they settled down in a remote little village in the southern border of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Life was poor, but peaceful and happy.
Before long, Jiang Ning became pregnant, bringing infinite hope to this small family.
He named the child "Bai," signifying purity and a new beginning, hoping he could stay away from the strife of the Sect and live an ordinary and authentic life.
However, this hard-won peace was completely shattered just a few days ago.
A group of marauding Wolftaken set their sights on the village where they lived.
Ning Fengping was the only Spirit Elder in the village, with a three-ring cultivation; if he were a combat Spirit Master, he might have been able to organize an effective resistance.
But the tragedy lay in the fact that his Spirit was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, a pure support system Spirit Master!
Even if he desperately applied speed and strength buffs to the villagers, he could not make up for the gap in absolute martial force.
Although Jiang Ning was a one-ring Spirit Master, she was weak after childbirth, and her combat effectiveness was almost negligible.
After witnessing his neighbors and friends being cruelly torn apart, Ning Fengping knew that the village could not be defended.
He could only pull his weak wife, hold his son who was still in swaddling clothes, and rush out of the village amidst the chaos, hoping to fight for a glimmer of survival.
But the Wolftaken had extremely strong senses of smell and tracking abilities, and their craving for fresh life, in particular, drove them to cling tightly to Ning Fengping and his family.
Thoughts raced through his mind in a flash; Ning Fengping knew that things could not continue like this.
His wife’s stamina was exhausted, and the Wolftaken would arrive in an instant.
At that point, the three of them would not be spared.
He stopped abruptly and pushed Jiang Ning forward with force.
"Ning’er, you take Xiao Bai and go first! I will hold them off!"
Ning Fengping’s voice was hoarse, but carried an unquestionable determination.
"A-Ping..."
Jiang Ning stumbled, looked back, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.
How could she not understand that her husband intended to use his own life to trade for that slim chance of survival for her and their son.
Ning Fengping looked at his wife deeply, as if wanting to carve her face into the depths of his Soul.
Immediately, he quickly slipped an ancient, simple ring off his finger.
He shoved the ring into Jiang Ning’s hand while taking out a refined steel longsword from his spirit tool.
"Go quickly!"
Ning Fengping roared in a low voice.
He no longer looked at his wife, turned around resolutely, and faced the shadow of death drawing ever closer.
He took a deep breath, circulated his Soul Power, and a crystal-clear pagoda shimmering with seven-colored brilliance appeared in the palm of his left hand.
"Seven Treasures turn out, Glazed Tile!"
Ning Fengping shouted in a low voice, and three spirit rings on his body lit up one after another.
"Seven Treasures have a name, the first: Power!"
"Seven Treasures have a name, the second: Speed!"
"Seven Treasures have a name, the third: Spirit!"
Three colorful streams of light shot out from the pagoda and enveloped him.
Powerful amplification effects instantly flooded his entire body.
This was the only thing he could do as a support system Spirit Master—apply all the amplification to himself, and use this body not suited for combat to make a final stand.
He gripped the longsword tightly with both hands, his eyes locked onto the few Wolftaken charging at the front, and he let out the maddest roar of his life, charging forward himself!
"A-Ping—!"
Jiang Ning let out a heart-wrenching cry, tears blurring her vision.
But she knew her husband’s resolve was set; she could not let him sacrifice himself in vain.
She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled, used all her strength to hold the child in her arms tightly, turned, and dragging her leaden legs, continued to flee for her life toward the unknown ahead.
Behind her came the crisp sound of weapons clashing, the crazed roars of the Wolftaken, and Ning Fengping’s suppressed groans of pain and his desperate, final roar.
Every sound that came through was like a dull blade carving into Jiang Ning’s heart.
She dared not look back, running with all her might, letting the cold wind scrape against her face like knives, letting the tears freeze on her cheeks.
...
She did not know how long she had been running; perhaps it was one hour, perhaps several hours.
The sounds of slaughter behind her could no longer be heard, only the wind whistling in her ears.
The sky gradually darkened, a pitch-black night curtain covering the entire plain, and the temperature plummeted.
The cold night wind began to erode her already exhausted body.
Jiang Bai in her arms seemed to sense his mother’s despair and the harshness of the environment, letting out a weak cry, but quickly fell silent again due to weakness.
This weak cry, however, struck Jiang Ning’s heart like an alarm bell.
Cannot fall... absolutely cannot fall... for Xiao Bai...
Her consciousness had already begun to blur, supported entirely by a single will.
Her gaze searched with difficulty in the darkness, and finally, in the distance, she saw a faint light, yet as dazzling as a star.
It was a village!
Hope, like the final spark, reignited in the heart that had almost been extinguished.
She did not know where she found a new burst of strength, but she stumbled, yet moved with unwavering determination toward the direction of the light.
It was closer, even closer.
She could faintly see the outline of the village, and see that the light was shining from an independent courtyard at the entrance of the village.
Finally, she stumbled and threw herself before the simple wooden door of the courtyard, her body unable to support her any longer, and she leaned softly against the door panel.
She used her last ounce of strength, lifted her arm that felt as heavy as a thousand catties, and knocked on the door ring.
"Dong... dong dong..."
The sound was weak, yet exceptionally clear in the silent night.
"Who is it?"
A slightly aged, puzzled female voice sounded from inside the house, followed by the muttering of an old woman.
"So late..."
Footsteps approached from afar.
"Creak—"
The wooden door was pulled open from the inside.
Losing the support of the door, the already exhausted Jiang Ning instantly lost her balance and fell softly into the house.
"Ah! What happened?"
The old woman who opened the door was startled by the figure that suddenly fell in and exclaimed.
With the help of the dim yellow light from the house, the old woman saw clearly that the person who had fallen to the ground was a young woman, who was still tightly holding an infant in her arms.
The woman’s face was pale, her eyes closed tightly, her breath weak, her clothes damaged, covered in dust and dried blood, looking utterly miserable.
"Miss? Miss?"
The old woman squatted down and anxiously patted Jiang Ning’s cheek gently, trying to wake her.
Jiang Ning did not respond at all; only the weak rise and fall of her chest proved she was still alive.
The old woman’s gaze fell on the infant in her arms who was wrapped up tightly; the infant’s little face was frozen blue, and his breathing was weak.
"Hiss... and there’s a child here too?"
The old woman gasped, her face instantly filled with pity and anxiety.