Ning Rongrong sat quietly on the eiderdown blanket, holding Xiao Ling'er as she watched Su Zui practice his swordsmanship.
Although Ning Rongrong knew nothing about swordsmanship, she still had an eye for it.
After all, her Grandpa Sword was the greatest swordsman on the continent.
She could tell that Su Zui was in a wondrous state, and that his sword was powerful too.
In the past, Grandpa Sword had wanted to teach her swordsmanship, but how could she have endured the hardship of practicing? So he had never brought it up again.
Now, as she watched the young man dance with his sword before the campfire, a trace of regret surfaced in Ning Rongrong's heart.
She imagined how wonderful it would be if she, too, could dance with a sword at this moment!
Beneath the campfire's glow and the moonlight, she and Su Zui stood side by side.
Longswords in hand, they danced gracefully beneath the moon, exploring swordsmanship together.
At the thought of that scene, Ning Rongrong's face grew even redder.
Was she drunk on wine, or drunk in her heart?
After gaining insight into Illuminating Swordsmanship, Su Zui put away the Great Luo Sword Embryo.
But Su Zui was far from as calm and unruffled as he looked.
Just now, after his sudden enlightenment, his realm in the sword path had not been the only thing to improve. His Soul Power level had jumped straight from level 39 to level 40.
That one-level increase was not to be underestimated. Su Zui's physique was already comparable to that of a high-level Soul King.
In other words, the age of the fourth Soul Ring Su Zui could absorb was fully equivalent to that of a Sixth Soul Ring absorbed by an ordinary Soul Master.
So Su Zui could absorb a Soul Ring over thirty thousand years old as his fourth.
The improvement brought by a thirty-thousand-year Soul Ring would be enough to raise Su Zui's strength another notch.
After all, Su Zui's current Soul Ring configuration was already terrifying: one yellow, one purple, and one black.
If he absorbed a fourth Soul Ring, he would have one yellow, one purple, and two black.
Never before had such an outrageous Soul Ring configuration appeared on the entire Douluo Continent.
Of course, Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong didn't count. One was a god's emissary, while the other had Twin Martial Souls.
Su Zui could already imagine facing an enemy in the future and making their legs turn to jelly just by releasing his four Soul Rings.
At the thought, the corners of Su Zui's mouth were harder to suppress than an AK.
Sitting on the eiderdown blanket, Ning Rongrong looked at Su Zui's smile and couldn't help swooning over him again.
"Hehe, Su Zui, you're so handsome."
Su Zui plopped down beside Ning Rongrong and tapped the little girl's forehead with his index finger.
"Little drunkard, how much did you drink today? How did you get this drunk?"
It was no wonder Su Zui was a little surprised. Ning Rongrong's face was flushed red, and her gaze was so hazy that she couldn't even focus.
Hearing Su Zui's words, Ning Rongrong giggled again, wrapped her arms around his waist, and brought her little mouth up to his nose.
"Hehe, won't you know if you take a sniff? See if my breath smells of wine."
Su Zui let out a long breath and pressed a hand against Ning Rongrong's forehead, black lines covering his face.
"Hey, you little female hooligan, you peeped at me bathing during the day, and now you're stealing kisses?"
Ning Rongrong pouted, stubbornly trying to get at Su Zui.
Helpless, Su Zui could only hold the little girl in his arms and gently pat her back with his right hand, coaxing her to sleep.
Sigh, the little girl doesn't know any better, but I can't be just as clueless.
Back in my old world, this little girl would still be in school.
In my last life, I was a good young man who completed all nine years of compulsory education. Even in this unfamiliar world, I can't bully a little girl.
Although the girls in this world really do mature a teeny bit early, and I seem to be just a little bit tempted.
But I consider myself a man of strong principles.
Even if we really are going to kiss, I have to wait until she's grown up and make sure she truly likes me.
Letting her kiss me late at night under the influence of wine, then using that physical contact to move our relationship forward—how would that be any different from a kind of moral blackmail?
Perhaps affected by Su Zui's gentleness, Ning Rongrong gradually quieted down.
She didn't try to kiss him again. She simply lay quietly in his arms, reaching out with a little hand to touch his face from time to time.
But Ning Rongrong was Ning Rongrong, after all. Seeing that Su Zui didn't stop her, she gradually grew bolder. No longer content with gently touching his face, she reached out with both little hands and pinched his cheeks.
Now Ning Rongrong wasn't the only one there with a red face. Her mischievous antics had made Su Zui blush too.
"Little brat, stop fooling around."
Su Zui caught Ning Rongrong's restless little hands, and she immediately turned into a little drama queen, a mist of tears covering her eyes.
Seeing her like that, Su Zui's heart softened again.
But in that very instant, Ning Rongrong suddenly threw her arms around his neck, pressing her dainty nose against the tip of his.
They were so close that Su Zui could feel Ning Rongrong's warm breath, and even the heartbeat in her chest.
At that moment, Su Zui felt his heart start to thump like a little electric motor.
Before Su Zui could recover, he heard Ning Rongrong's sweet, coy voice. "Big Brother Su Zui~ You're bullying me~ You big meanie!"
As Ning Rongrong spoke, she brought her little mouth close to Su Zui's ear.
Su Zui felt her gently bite his earlobe, and the tingling sensation nearly made him cry out.
Damn, is this little girl made of pure devilry?!
Su Zui might have had some morals, but he wasn't a eunuch.
After Ning Rongrong's repeated provocations, Su Zui's temper flared too. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.
When the tiger doesn't show its might, you really take it for a sick cat!
But whether it was Su Zui or Ning Rongrong, neither seemed able to put theory into practice.
Ning Rongrong in particular went completely blank when Su Zui actually kissed her on the lips. She even forgot to breathe and nearly passed out from holding her breath.
Su Zui wasn't much better off. Although his theoretical knowledge was a little more solid, his practical experience was close to zero.
Neither of them could be said to have any kissing technique; instead, they got saliva all over each other's mouths.
How should he put it? Other people's first kisses tasted of roses.
But his and Ning Rongrong's first kiss was full of the taste of wine.
In the grass not far away, several Soul Saints of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect watched the harmonious scene between the two, auntie smiles spreading across their faces.
As powerful Soul Saints, they could naturally sense Su Zui's formidable Soul Power: he was at least level 30.
The young man looked to be about the same age as their young miss, yet his Soul Power was already above level 30. His future was truly limitless.
A peerless genius like him was worthy of their young sect master.
If things really worked out between them, it would be wonderful news for their young miss personally, or for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
And in a large tree farther away, a smile appeared on Ghost Leopard Douluo's face as well.
It was good to be young. Seeing how youthful and lively the young sect master was now, Ghost Leopard Douluo couldn't help thinking of his own youth.
Ghost Leopard Douluo gently unclenched his hands, and rose petals drifted on the breeze onto Su Zui and Ning Rongrong's shoulders.
Love rose in the east and set in the west; romance remained steadfast until death.