Ning Rongrong in the Heaven Dou Empire (Part 1)

"Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty."

The Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did not have particularly close ties, though they were still partners. Ning Rongrong had learned a little about the etiquette nobles observed toward their elders.

"Is this Feng Zhi's daughter?" Xue Ye said with emotion. "I never expected her to have grown so much. If I remember correctly, her name is Ning Rongrong?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ning Fengzhi nodded.

"Have you considered studying at the Royal Academy?" Xue Ye's calculations clattered away. "Rongrong, perhaps you might even make many friends there."

"This..." Ning Fengzhi looked toward Ning Rongrong.

"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty." Ning Rongrong spoke at just the right moment. "My health has never been very good. Especially after awakening the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, I fear I must disappoint your high expectations."

"Yes, Your Majesty." After understanding what Ning Rongrong meant, Ning Fengzhi let out a long sigh.

"Although Rongrong possesses Innate Full Soul Power, her physical condition is truly too poor."

"I see!" Xue Ye no longer pressed the matter. "Then what level is this child's Soul Power at now?"

Innate Full Soul Power!

It was said that Ning Fengzhi already intended for Ning Rongrong to become the next Sect Master.

Naturally, Xue Ye wanted to invest early.

"Level 21." Ning Rongrong fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Dad and I only obtained my second Soul Ring a few days ago."

"What exceptional talent." A look of surprise appeared on Xue Ye's aged face.

Support Spirit Masters were already harder to cultivate than ordinary Spirit Masters, yet she had reached two rings only two years after awakening her Martial Soul.

"You flatter me." Ning Rongrong said, "Only by raising my Soul Power as quickly as possible can my body gradually recover."

"Yes." Ning Fengzhi also wore a sighing expression. "Most of the medicinal herbs collected over the years have been used on Rongrong."

Ning Fengzhi was not wrong to say that. Most of the medicinal herbs they had collected were used for Ning Rongrong's cultivation.

"Rongrong's condition truly makes her unsuitable for academy life." Xue Ye thought for a while, then nodded.

If the Heaven Dou Royal Academy so much as bumped or injured the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess and something happened to her, Ning Fengzhi might come fight them to the death.

Although the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had students from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, that was different from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

As for a support Spirit Master with Innate Full Soul Power, Xue Ye had never even heard of one.

He even suspected it.

Ning Fengzhi had placed all his hopes of breaking through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's limits on Ning Rongrong.

For either reason, Ning Fengzhi was unlikely to leave his daughter at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

After exchanging some pleasantries, including information about the Apprenticeship Ceremony to be held three days later,

Ning Fengzhi and the other two returned to their residence.

Bone Douluo, who had been acting as a bodyguard all this while, looked at Ning Rongrong, then at Ning Fengzhi, and could not help grumbling,

"Aren't you father and daughter tired of putting on that double act for Xue Ye?"

If you did not want to stay at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, couldn't you have simply refused?

You even had to make up excuses about your daughter being in poor health and unable to stay for long periods.

Then you steered the conversation toward Dugu Bo, saying you hoped to meet him because medicine and poison were inseparable, and all that.

Good heavens!

These father and daughter were so roundabout. Their hearts were filthy.

"I merely went along with what Rongrong said. It has nothing to do with me." Ning Fengzhi spread his hands frankly. He had merely acted according to the situation.

Ning Rongrong took over the conversation, thought for a moment, and said,

"I hope Dugu Bo can visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but if we do not make up a reason, Xue Ye may think we are poaching him."

After all, everyone knew she had vomited blood when awakening her Martial Soul.

Combined with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's purchases of medicinal herbs everywhere over the past few years, did that not make for the perfect excuse?

"You two just have too many schemes. If I stood there, would Dugu Bo dare refuse? Would Xue Ye dare not smile?"

"Grandpa Bone, a forcibly picked melon is not sweet. There is no need for us to create a rift between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire."

Ning Rongrong was rather helpless regarding Bone Douluo's way of thinking.

"Hmph, it may not be sweet, but it quenches your thirst!" Bone Douluo replied.

Ning Rongrong: "..."

He was clearly a defense Spirit Master, so why did he seem even more reckless than Sword Douluo?

In truth, most of what Ning Rongrong had said was meant for Xue Qinghe to hear.

A frail Young Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could at least evoke sympathy.

Whether it would be useful was another matter, but there was no need to make everyone lose face.

"Oh, right, Dad." Ning Rongrong looked at Ning Fengzhi.

"Do not tell Xue Qinghe anything about my cultivation. Also, keep saying that my health is rather poor. You must remember that in front of Xue Qinghe."

"Why?" Ning Fengzhi was quite puzzled.

Along the way, he had always felt that his daughter was particularly wary of Xue Qinghe.

Ning Rongrong fell silent for a long while, but in the end, she did not tell Ning Fengzhi the truth.

Her foremost goal now was to make herself stronger, to reach the Grandmaster Realm, or even the Ultimate Realm.

Perhaps then she could escape the limitations of a support Spirit Master having no offensive power.

As for Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect, and so on, they were secondary matters.

Besides, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not in any hurry to choose a side.

Since the Apprenticeship Ceremony would be held three days later,

and Ning Rongrong did not want to wander around with Ning Fengzhi at Xue Ye's place,

she planned to stroll around by herself.

But what was this "Xue Qinghe" beside her doing?

It was your Apprenticeship Ceremony, wasn't it?

Why were you following an idler like me instead of being busy all day?

But since he had already come, she could not exactly drive him away!

Thus, she and Qian Renxue, who was playing Xue Qinghe, wandered around aimlessly.

Qian Renxue intended to win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so she could not possibly resort to force. After infiltrating for so long, she did not want all her efforts to go to waste.

Speaking of which, Ning Rongrong also wanted to learn more about Qian Renxue.

Just as Ning Fengzhi had said, know yourself and know your enemy.

What books described was ultimately only one-sided.

For example, textbooks told you that "Pity the Farmers" taught people to cherish food, but they did not tell you that the poem's author was a massive corrupt official.

Ning Rongrong and Xue Qinghe walked down the street like that.

Although Ning Rongrong could not sense Titled Douluo, she roughly knew that someone had to be secretly protecting Qian Renxue.

"Come to think of it, doesn't Your Highness need to help His Majesty handle affairs today?" Ning Rongrong was the first to break the silence.

"No." Xue Qinghe was also considering what he should say to the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He wanted to understand his teacher's daughter a little better.

"Father gave me the day off, so I came to find Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong was silent for a moment, then skipped over the previous subject and asked, "Why does Your Highness wish to take Dad as your teacher? Why not choose the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

"I remember that the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan are fairly close as well!"

"Because Sect Master Ning and Father have a rather good relationship. Does Rongrong take an interest in such matters too?" Xue Qinghe asked in surprise.

"Actually, I have always opposed Father taking Your Highness as his disciple!" Ning Rongrong replied.

Xue Qinghe froze. His gaze held a trace of astonishment; he had never expected Ning Rongrong to say something like that.

Before Xue Qinghe could recover, Ning Rongrong spoke again.

"Because it is troublesome. I do not like troublesome things... and I do not particularly like Heaven Dou's nobles either, including Your Highness."

Xue Qinghe: "..."

In front of the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, she said she did not like Heaven Dou nobles or the Crown Prince.

Little girl, weren't you being a little too much!

Even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a cooperative relationship with the empire, she could not speak so recklessly!