Apprenticeship Ceremony Concludes

Clang—

As the bell rang, Xue Ye appeared on the ceremonial platform.

This place was close to the platform, yet there were few people around, making it ideal for handling emergencies.

Ning Fengzhi was only a Support Spirit Master. If no one stayed close to protect him and something went wrong, it would be troublesome.

On the ceremonial platform, Xue Ye gave his speech first.

Its general meaning was that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire were bound together, followed by a whole lot of empty talk. But in summary, it came down to four words.

Xue Qinghe becoming Ning Fengzhi's disciple was a "union of the strong" between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

There are lullabies like this in every world! Ning Rongrong could not help complaining inwardly.

Suddenly, Ning Rongrong saw Bone Douluo and Dugu Bo looking in the same direction.

"That is..."

Ning Rongrong could not help turning her gaze toward where their eyes had fallen.

Three people slowly emerged from a slightly shadowed area.

At the center was an old man who gave off an imposing, powerfully built impression.

Walking alongside the old man were two youths with somewhat delicate, feminine features.

Ning Rongrong keenly sensed that the seemingly rough old man carried an oppressive aura similar to Bone Douluo's.

It resembled the feeling she often sensed when she was around Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.

A Titled Douluo?

Before Ning Rongrong could think further, a voice came from the other side.

"Long time no see, Gu Rong."

"Isn't this Sect Master Yu, Yu Yuanzhen? I hadn't expected you to attend today as well."

There was some surprise in Bone Douluo's tone. To be honest, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had some history. It was nothing major, but the two sides did not exactly see eye to eye.

"Sect Master Ning is taking His Highness the Crown Prince as his disciple. Since the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also cooperates with the Heaven Dou Empire, naturally we had to send someone."

"Oh, Poison Douluo is here as well." Yu Yuanzhen had intended to recruit Dugu Bo. Otherwise, he would not have sent Yu Tianheng to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Just happened to be here," Dugu Bo said. "I have quite a few dealings with Sect Master Ning, and our relationship is quite good."

Yu Yuanzhen nodded.

He knew very well that Dugu Bo often went to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to buy and sell medicinal herbs.

He only regretted that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan did not possess the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's ability to appraise treasures. Otherwise, they might have pulled Dugu Bo into their camp long ago.

"And this young lady is...?" Yu Yuanzhen looked at the porcelain-doll-like girl standing quietly beside Gu Rong, studying him and the others.

Yu Yuanzhen knew Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, and Gu Rong.

But he did not know this unfamiliar little girl. It seemed he had never seen her before.

"Pleased to meet you, Thunder Coronet. My name is Ning Rongrong. Ning Fengzhi is my father," Ning Rongrong answered.

"Ning Rongrong... I seem to have heard that name somewhere." Yu Yuanzhen pondered. Beside him, Yu Tianheng touched his grandfather's wrist. "She is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's mysterious little princess."

"Oh!" Yu Yuanzhen suddenly understood. "Ning Rongrong, the one with Innate Full Soul Power. I remember now!"

No wonder he had not known!

It was said that Ning Rongrong had a frail body and had even coughed up blood when she awakened her Martial Soul years ago. It was simply unheard of.

Thus, there had been rumors that this most beloved daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master had remained within the sect recuperating due to her health, scarcely ever leaving it.

After they briefly introduced themselves, Ning Rongrong finally learned the identities of the two youths standing on either side of Yu Yuanzhen.

In the original work, they were the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's final hopes—Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin.

"Yan Yan, let's go talk somewhere else. Don't disturb the adults while they're speaking." Yu Tianheng cautiously walked over to Dugu Yan and spoke in a low voice.

After a moment of silence, Dugu Yan nodded. "All right."

And so, under the watchful eyes of three Titled Douluo,

the two simply left.

"It seems your grandson, Yu Tianheng, has taken a liking to Dugu Yan! I wonder whether Poison Douluo will agree." Bone Douluo chuckled meaningfully.

"Gu Rong, young people should handle young people's affairs. We need not interfere."

Yu Yuanzhen's grin nearly stretched across his face, as if pulling Dugu Bo into his camp was already a certainty.

The verbal sparring between the two Level 95 Titled Douluo placed immense pressure on the Level 91 Dugu Bo.

After giving it some thought, Dugu Bo followed suit and said,

"That's right. We are all old men now. Let the children handle their own affairs. Whatever they decide, I will respect Yan Yan's choice."

He could not afford to offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, nor could he afford to offend the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

He, Dugu Bo, was weak, pitiful, and helpless!

Just as Dugu Bo wore an awkward expression, unsure of what to do,

Xue Ye's long-winded speech finally ended.

Ning Fengzhi stepped onto the ceremonial platform and officially began the Apprenticeship Ceremony.

Dressed in fitted formal attire, Xue Qinghe walked toward Ning Fengzhi from below. His golden hair, paired with his magnificent yet not gaudy clothes, lent Xue Qinghe a touch of gentleness.

He climbed the stairs step by step to the viewing platform and respectfully bowed three times to Ning Fengzhi.

"Today, I, Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, take Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as my teacher. From this day onward, I shall treat him as I would my father. Should I violate this oath, may both man and god abandon me, and may heaven condemn and earth destroy me!"

Xue Qinghe spoke passionately, his voice loud and clear. Everyone present could sense his sincerity from his words.

However, Ning Rongrong, who was observing the Apprenticeship Ceremony from the side,

could only think, Good grief. Truly, good grief.

I was still hoping father would become a dragon! And you want to send Ning Fengzhi off directly.

Treat him as a father?

Just thinking about Xue Ye's fate.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with you saying it loudly and passionately.

But was your name Xue Qinghe?

You were Qian Renxue!

What did the oath you made have to do with you at all?

Compared with Xue Qinghe's seemingly all-or-nothing oath, Ning Fengzhi was much more measured.

He merely said that if the Heaven Dou Empire encountered trouble, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would do its utmost to help, and that he would guide Xue Qinghe to the best of his ability.

During the Apprenticeship Ceremony, Ning Fengzhi gave Xue Qinghe the Spirit Medicine known as the Fire Dragon Fruit and told him that it would aid his Martial Soul cultivation.

The Apprenticeship Ceremony came to an end amid the cheers, and Xue Qinghe got his wish of becoming Ning Fengzhi's disciple.

As for what this disciple was truly thinking, perhaps only he himself knew.

There was also a minor incident.

Yu Tianheng was dumped.

Dugu Yan's reason was that she did not want to spend her time on romance. She wanted to cultivate diligently and stand at the peak of the continent as soon as possible.

That determination left Yu Tianheng utterly stunned.

After the Apprenticeship Ceremony ended, Ning Fengzhi first spoke with the Crown Prince for a while, then chatted with Yu Yuanzhen for some time. After that, he bid Xue Ye farewell and left.

In the meantime, because Xue Ye expressed his apologies over the matter involving Xue Beng, he allowed Ning Rongrong to take one treasure from the Royal Family's treasury.

On the way back, Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong fiddling with the object in her hand and could not help feeling curious.

"Rongrong, what exactly is that thing in your hand?"

She could take any one item from the Heaven Dou Empire's treasure vault.

Yet rather than choosing something precious, Ning Rongrong had picked an unidentified object said to have been dredged up by fishermen, one that seemed capable of being infused with Soul Power.

"This is far better than any national treasure!" Ning Rongrong said.

At first, Ning Rongrong had wanted to take away the Sea God's item.

But then she thought, what would she even do with that thing? Did she want the God Realm to have an easier time monitoring her?

According to certain novels, transmigrators and the like were equivalent to demons from beyond the domain.

If she brought the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, would that not be like bringing home a ticking bomb?

Even if she wanted to take it, she would have to wait until she was stronger and had a chance to touch the divine realm!

Ning Rongrong examined the palm-sized square object engraved with strange patterns.

This thing was far more useful than Tang San's Hidden Weapons!

And it was definitely not a product of the Douluo Continent.