Chen Xin narrowed his eyes slightly.
He was just about to ask about the black-clad girl’s background when Ning Rongrong’s voice came first.
“Her name is Zhu Zhuqing!” Ning Rongrong spoke rapidly.
“She’s from the Star Luo Empire, and her martial soul is the Hell Spirit Cat.
We met her at Shrek Academy…” Ning Rongrong blinked.
She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to add something to define Zhu Zhuqing’s relationship with them, but the words lingered on the tip of her tongue for a while without her finding the right one.
Friend?
They weren’t quite there yet.
Companion?
They had indeed fought side by side… But her martial soul was already familiar with her.
Even when she had been unconscious at the time, she could still sense that familiar warmth flowing into her.
That warm, gentle feeling had increased her fondness for her considerably.
“Battle companion!” Chen Xin took the entire scene in.
He looked at Zhu Zhuqing once more, his gaze calm yet penetrating.
Rank 29 With such talent, she could be considered top-tier in any sect on the entire continent.
The Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire possessed the Hell Spirit Cat martial soul and had maintained generations of marriage alliances with the Star Luo Imperial Family, whose martial soul was the White Tiger.
For this girl to cross half the continent and appear in Suo Tuo City already said a great deal.
“Not bad talent.” Chen Xin offered a simple assessment.
Perhaps sensing the nervousness and unease in Zhu Zhuqing’s heart, he had intended to ease her tension.
But in the next moment, his gaze shifted to Ning Rongrong.
His brows suddenly moved slightly.
“Rongrong.” There was an unexpected solemnity in Chen Xin’s voice.
“What is it, Grandpa Sword?” “You’re at Rank 30!” Chen Xin’s tone was not particularly heavy, but the undisguised satisfaction in his eyes was impossible to conceal.
Reaching the Soul Elder realm at this age had already broken the fastest recorded cultivation speed among auxiliary-type soul masters on the entire Douluo Continent.
What’s more, his granddaughter was no ordinary auxiliary-type soul master.
She was the possessor of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, the future leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the person who would one day shoulder the entire sect.
The next generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had hope!
And that hope came in more than one form.
There were two!
Thinking of this, Chen Xin’s aura grew even heavier.
In that case, he had gone too easy on Tang Hao.
That reckless fool had used his strength as an elder to bully two youths, yet had shamelessly claimed that he was merely teaching the younger generation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a lesson.
If it weren’t for the fact that the Clear Sky Sect was one of the Upper Three Sects… If the Spirit Hall weren’t still watching from the shadows like a lurking predator… Then killing a Titled Douluo would bring nothing but disadvantages.
He truly wanted Tang Hao to experience the full power of the Seven Kill Sword.
But this matter would not end here.
As far as force was concerned, he had already done what he could.
But once the news reached Heaven Dou City and Ning Fengzhi heard about it, that would be when Tang Hao’s real troubles began.
Fengzhi might appear refined and gentle on the surface, but deep down, he was even more protective of his own people than this Sword Douluo.
Chen Xin could make Tang Hao bleed with his sword.
Fengzhi could use the resources of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to make Tang Hao unable to take a single step.
So what if he were a Titled Douluo?
On the Douluo Continent, a soft blade could sometimes make a person even more restless than a hard sword.
“Mm!” Ning Rongrong gave a vigorous nod, lifting her chin high.
The smugness on her face was impossible to hide.
Although she hadn’t been the one responsible for the greatest contribution, so what?
Ning Que was hers.
Naturally, Ning Que’s accomplishments were her accomplishments too.
She accepted the praise without the slightest hesitation, the corners of her mouth curling upward proudly.
“In that case…” Chen Xin shifted his gaze away from Ning Rongrong and swept it across the three people in the suite.
His tone softened slightly.
“Tomorrow, we’ll head to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Rongrong has reached rank 30 and needs her third soul ring.
Since it’s on the way, we might as well go together.” “You’ve been away for less than a month.
I imagine you haven’t had enough fun yet, right?” Ning Rongrong’s face flushed slightly.
Grandpa Sword had seen straight through her little schemes with a single sentence.
She claimed she had come out for training, but in reality, the past month had been more like an adventure after sneaking out of home.
The only reason she had been fearless from beginning to end was because Ning Que had been by her side.
She secretly glanced at Chen Xin.
Seeing that he had no intention of pursuing the matter, she immediately seized the opportunity.
“Of course I haven’t had enough fun!
We’ve barely gotten anywhere after leaving Heaven Dou City.
There are still so many places we haven’t visited!” “Then it’s perfect.
We can obtain your soul ring and continue training at the same time.” Ning Rongrong suddenly remembered something.
She glanced toward Zhu Zhuqing and lowered her voice slightly.
“Then… What about Zhuqing?” She had already told Grandpa Sword everything about Zhu Zhuqing’s identity and background.
There were only three people who could make the decision.
And Grandpa Sword was one of them.
She was asking this on Zhu Zhuqing’s behalf.
Chen Xin did not answer immediately.
He turned around and looked toward the black-clad girl standing respectfully by the window from beginning to end.
“Zhu Zhuqing.” Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, her catlike pupils reflecting the figure of the Titled Douluo before her.
“Your marriage alliance between the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family has been maintained for generations.
Ordinarily, an outsider shouldn’t interfere.” “But since you’ve chosen to leave, and you’ve fought alongside a junior of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and formed a bond with her…” Chen Xin paused.
His voice was not loud, yet his decision was as sharp and absolute as a sword’s edge.
“From now on, you can tell the Dai Family and the Zhu Family this—I’ve got your back.” I’ve got your back.
Those few words were spoken casually, yet they carried a domineering sharpness no less formidable than the Seven Kill Sword on his back.
Zhu Zhuqing’s entire body trembled.
She clasped her fists almost twice as quickly as usual, her voice filled with an excitement she had not felt even once since fleeing the Star Luo Empire.
“Thank you, Senior!” The smile on Ning Rongrong’s face was impossible to conceal either, her eyes curving into crescents.
Although she said nothing, her happiness was genuine.
Just as Ning Rongrong was about to say something else— A faint rustling suddenly sounded inside the suite, as though something had shifted slightly.
Ning Que’s body tilted to the side, and he nearly slid out of the grand armchair.
He caught himself against the armrest and barely managed to steady himself.
Yet his pale golden eyes remained half-closed.
His head bobbed up and down every now and then, while his messy golden hair fell over most of his face.
Ning Rongrong did not even lift her eyelids.
Chen Xin showed no reaction either.
They had long since grown accustomed to this sight.
They were used to Ning Que slipping into a half-asleep state without warning, no matter the time or place.
The only one who hadn’t gotten used to it was Zhu Zhuqing.
Her body reacted faster than her mind.
She instinctively leaned half an inch toward Ning Que, and the toes of her feet unconsciously turned in his direction.
Only after confirming that Ning Que had not actually fallen did she shift her weight back.
The movement was incredibly subtle.
She herself had not even noticed it.
But Chen Xin had.
He lowered his teacup, his gaze briefly sweeping across Zhu Zhuqing’s face.
That fleeting concern.
That trace of nervousness she had deliberately suppressed, yet which still surfaced from the depths of her eyes.
That wasn’t something a mere battle companion should have.
Perhaps she didn’t even realize it herself.
Chen Xin pondered for a moment.
The words reached his lips before he swallowed them back.
Pointing it out now would only make her deliberately maintain a distance.
And a three-in-one martial soul fusion skill required something completely different from restraint.
It required tacit understanding.
If he gave her one more reminder and caused her to lose even a little of that natural closeness, it might instead affect the progress of their martial soul fusion skill.
There was plenty of time.
He could give her a subtle hint later.
For now, with everyone in the same room, silence was the better choice.
Besides, he had even more faith that no one could possibly win against Rongrong.