As Su Zui recited the incantation, the wine inside the Chaos Wine Gourd began to change.
The wine had originally been perfectly clear and transparent, but after Su Zui used his first Soul Skill, it turned into red wine, and a rich, fruity fragrance wafted from the gourd's mouth.
Su Zui had always loved wine as much as life itself. He immediately raised the Chaos Wine Gourd to his lips and drank with relish.
First, a rich aroma of wine burst across Su Zui's mouth. Then the cool liquid slid down his throat like ice.
As Su Zui's Adam's apple bobbed, a refreshing coolness enveloped his entire body.
Once the wine had fully entered Su Zui's body, it immediately turned into streams of warmth that flowed through him.
Although Su Zui was uninjured at the moment, he could clearly feel every cell in his body leaping for joy.
His fatigue was swept away, and his whole body brimmed with vitality.
"As expected of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill! This skill doesn't just heal injuries; it also restores vitality. It's practically a divine tool for staying power!"
Imagine that one day, Su Zui was locked in a life-or-death battle with an enemy.
At the most critical moment, both of them were gravely injured, but Su Zui simply pulled out his wine gourd and took a swig, instantly coming back to life at full health.
Just imagining that scene was thrilling.
"Ah, who would've thought that I, Su Zui, would find fortune in disaster this time? I was driven out of my home, but I had such an incredible encounter."
"How does that saying go again? Thirty years the river flows west, thirty years it flows east. Don't bully a young man for being poor! Now I, Su Zui, am an expert too!"
Su Zui burst out laughing, his heart full of delight. In his excellent mood, he took several more hearty swigs of wine.
Then he scooped up the kitten, who was still fast asleep, picked a road at random, and staggered down it.
"Little kitty, from now on, it'll be just the two of us, a man and a cat, roaming the world..."
"From now on, your name will be Ling'er. Xiao Ling'er, mua~"
Xiao Ling'er lay on Su Zui's head and reached out a little paw to pat him as if in protest.
But Su Zui had drunk his fill and once again entered a state of unity between heaven and man. He paid no attention to Xiao Ling'er's movements.
The smile on his face grew even brighter.
"Qian Daoliu, just you wait! I've become a Titled Douluo too. When I bring out my nine Soul Rings, they'll blind you~"
"The three-year term has come to an end. Welcome back to Spirit Hall, young master~"
"One day the great roc will rise with the wind and soar ninety thousand li into the sky..."
Ghost Leopard Douluo stood on a branch, watching the high-spirited young man before him. He leaned against the trunk beside him with a sigh, his gaze full of admiration.
As for the nonsense Su Zui had just spouted, he instinctively ignored it.
As the saying went, youth was wasted on those who weren't wild. That was all the more true for a heaven's chosen like Su Zui.
Their young master had maxed-out talent, formidable strength, elegant bearing, and soaring ambition. He was the Great Enshrined and Tang Chen in their youth rolled into one.
Moreover, Ghost Leopard Douluo had tremendous confidence in Su Zui.
Their young master would surely surpass the Great Enshrined and Tang Chen one day, becoming the strongest genius in the history of the entire Douluo Continent.
After all, even Tang Chen and the Great Enshrined in their youth could never have matched the young master's talent.
And his only mission now was to protect the young master along the way, see him grow up safe and sound, and ultimately become Spirit Hall's white jade pillar propping up the heavens, its purple-gold beam spanning the seas!
Six months later
Lima Plain.
It was a plain situated within the Balak Kingdom and the largest on the entire Douluo Continent, renowned as the Heaven Dou Empire's granary.
Besides its high grain yields, the outermost edge of Lima Plain also bordered the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, giving it abundant Soul Beast resources.
This made the Balak Kingdom the wealthiest of the five great kingdoms under the Heaven Dou Empire in one fell swoop.
At this moment, on a path in Lima Plain, a young girl was skipping along.
She wore a long white dress and had short, ear-length hair. Her features were exquisite, her skin fair and plump with collagen, and she still had a touch of baby fat. Her whole person was full of youthful vitality.
She wore a pair of little blue sandals, and as she skipped along, her pink insteps were faintly visible.
The girl was humming a little tune, evidently in a very good mood.
"Meow~"
Just then, a feeble meow rang out, instantly drawing the girl's attention.
Her gaze immediately fell on the grass by the roadside.
After a rustling sound, a little furry paw poked out.
Then a little ball of fluff rolled straight to the girl's feet, her pair of huge, sparkling eyes blinking as she looked at Ning Rongrong.
"Wow, what a cute kitty!"
The kitten seemed to understand the girl's words. She actually climbed straight up her trouser leg and into her arms, rubbing her furry little head against the girl's chest.
Girls had almost no resistance to fluffy things, much less a kitten this adorable.
But the girl's action gave several Soul Saint experts hidden nearby a terrible fright.
Oh, my little ancestor! That cat is definitely a thousand-year Soul Beast!
However, seeing that the Soul Beast seemed to mean no harm, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Soul Saints finally let out a long breath.
Since the Soul Beast hadn't hurt Ning Rongrong, they had no need to intervene.
Ning Rongrong herself had no idea that her actions had nearly scared the Soul Saints to death. She was reaching out a little hand to gently stroke the kitten's fur.
The kitten lay in Ning Rongrong's arms, purring contentedly.
Seeing how much the kitten was enjoying herself filled Ning Rongrong with a sense of accomplishment.
"Little one, why don't you come with me from now on?"
"I'll make sure you eat and drink like royalty!"
"Since you've decided to follow me, I ought to give you an impressive name."
Ning Rongrong raised a fair, delicate hand and touched her chin. Then inspiration flashed through her mind, and she said, "From now on, your name is Little Glazed Tile~"
"Meow?"
But when the kitten heard Ning Rongrong, she let out a puzzled meow.
Isn't this plot moving too fast, meow? Why did this two-legged beast suddenly give me a name?
Still, that name really sounds nice.
"Let's go, Little Glazed Tile. We're going to Suotuo City together. We're people who are going to do great things!"
The girl patted her chest proudly and prepared to leave with the kitten in her arms.
But just then, the kitten suddenly kicked off with both hind legs and landed on the grass. Then she ran southwest.
Meow~ There's a cat trafficker here. I'm going to find my personal poop-scooping servant.
But Ning Rongrong was displeased to see the kitten leaving her.
She immediately lifted her long skirt and gave chase, calling out as she ran.
"Hey, Little Glazed Tile, don't run! I'll take you traveling across the continent~"
And so, the girl and the cat launched into a chase across Lima Plain.
She fled, she pursued, and even with wings she could not escape.
Before long, the two of them reached a clear stream.
The water was clear to the bottom, with all sorts of little fish and shrimp swimming about.
When the kitten reached the stream, she plunged straight into the water.
Ning Rongrong instinctively looked in the kitten's direction.
Then she saw a pale, naked body lying faceup on the surface of the stream.
Ning Rongrong determined the other person's sex in almost a second. As for how she determined it... ahem~
Although Ning Rongrong couldn't see his face clearly, the mere sight of the graceful lines of his muscles made her feel as though her whole body were burning.
At that very moment, Su Zui, who was lying faceup on the water, also sensed something amiss. He immediately turned over and stood up in the water to look ahead, meeting Ning Rongrong's gaze.
The air froze for three seconds. Then Su Zui shouted.
"Holy shit, there's a pervert!"