An Unexpected Encounter with Ning Rongrong

"What's going on?" Jiang Mian said in surprise. "Such a commotion—this doesn't seem like humans hunting soul beasts, does it?"

"I can sense it—there's a Titled Douluo's aura, and not a weak one at that." The Bear Lord cracked his knuckles, a look of excitement on his face.

Nowadays, humans hadn't yet overhunted soul beasts, so these beasts didn't hold that much hostility toward humans. After all, the strong preyed on the weak, and survival of the fittest—that was the same in the soul beast world.

Jiang Mian frowned slightly. A Titled Douluo hunting soul beasts on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest?

Unless they were bringing their juniors here to hunt for soul rings...

"Grandpa Bone, Rongrong wants that soul beast! Grandpa Bone, help Rongrong find it, okay?"

Dressed in a blue long dress, her hair cascading like a waterfall, Ning Rongrong tugged at Bone Douluo Gu Rong's hand and wheedled, "Grandpa Bone loves Rongrong the most, doesn't he?"

"Rongrong, be good." Gu Rong stood amid the ruins, looking at the soul beasts lying scattered around him, and said worriedly, "Grandpa Bone is afraid of alarming the terrifying soul beasts deep in the Star Dou Great Forest. If that happens, Grandpa Bone can run away, but what about Rongrong?"

"Grandpa Bone is a level 95 Titled Douluo—what can those soul beasts do? I believe in Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong pouted, putting on a pitiful look, and said, "Grandpa Bone, please."

"Alright, Grandpa Bone will search one more round for Rongrong."

Just as Gu Rong was about to release a large-scale soul skill to destroy the surrounding environment again, a blade arrived—late, but it arrived!

That blade seemed to contain boundless might, even tearing apart the space around Gu Rong!

"Rongrong!" Seeing the danger, Gu Rong didn't hesitate for a single moment. He grabbed Ning Rongrong and immediately retreated outward.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The Bear Lord appeared abruptly in front of Gu Rong. With a seemingly casual palm strike, he sent Gu Rong flying backward several hundred meters, crashing through several towering ancient trees before finally stopping.

Fortunately, Gu Rong had held Ning Rongrong tightly. Otherwise, that single palm strike would have been enough to send her to an early grave.

"I have no grievances with you. Who are you?" Gu Rong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He set Ning Rongrong aside and instantly activated his martial soul.

A giant dragon, nothing but stark white bones, appeared behind Gu Rong—his martial soul, the Bone Dragon!

"This dragon skeleton would be perfect for making soup." The Bear Lord laughed heartily, not taking Gu Rong seriously at all. So what if he was a level 95 defense-type beast martial soul?

No matter how strong, could he be stronger than Di Tian?

"Slaughtering soul beasts so cruelly—did you never think that one day someone might slaughter you?"

Jiang Mian slowly emerged from behind the Bear Lord. The moment he appeared, both Ning Rongrong and Gu Rong's faces changed drastically!

"You, you, you—how can you still be alive!"

Gu Rong couldn't help but take two steps back, exclaiming in shock, "Are you a man or a ghost?"

"Heh, you never expected that the Xiong Qing you sent to assassinate me would fail, did you?" Jiang Mian sneered. "You also never expected that the poor kid you bullied back then would grow to this point."

As he spoke, Jiang Mian stomped hard on the ground. One red and two orange soul rings slowly materialized beneath his feet!

The world dimmed and lost its color. The soul power released by those three soul rings completely overwhelmed Gu Rong, a Titled Douluo.

Gu Rong stared at Jiang Mian's soul rings, his hands trembling slightly. The red hundred-thousand-year soul ring had already shattered his understanding—what in the world were those two orange soul rings?

"So these are the sect disciples you said bullied you for six years?" The Bear Lord pointed at Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong and said, "Tell me—how do you want them to die?"

"No rush. Let's hear their last words." Jiang Mian wore a look of amusement. In his eyes, Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong were nothing but two ants at his mercy, struggling in vain.

"We all thought Xiong Qing had met with an accident back then and couldn't return to the sect." Gu Rong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with self-mockery, "You vanished for five years, and we thought Xiong Qing had taken you with him to the grave. We never expected you to..."

"Never expected me to survive and gain such a fortuitous encounter, right!" Jiang Mian laughed heartily. "For that, I have your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to thank!"

"Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong's pupils trembled. She shrank her body behind Gu Rong, not daring to look at Jiang Mian.

She truly, genuinely felt the threat of death. Even that unremarkable-looking burly man could injure defense-type Grandpa Bone with a single slap—how could she possibly fight back?

"Ning Rongrong, what are you hiding from?" Jiang Mian looked at the trembling Ning Rongrong and sneered. "Back then, didn't you not want to spend even a second more with me?"

"Brother Jiang Mian, Rongrong was wrong." Ning Rongrong's teeth chattered. She bit her lip and said in a quivering voice, "Brother Jiang Mian, please forgive Rongrong."

"You don't think you were wrong." Jiang Mian shook his head, showing no intention of letting Ning Rongrong off. "You just think you're about to die!"

"Grandpa Bone, what do we do?" Ning Rongrong's face turned pale. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

Gu Rong clenched his fists and comforted her, "Rongrong, don't worry. Even if it costs Grandpa his old bones, I'll protect you and get you out!"

"Big talk!" The Bear Lord laughed heartily. In an instant, he appeared before Gu Rong—so fast that even Gu Rong could only catch a few afterimages!

Gu Rong was sent flying by another slap. This time, the Bear Lord held nothing back. Four wounds deep enough to show bone appeared on Gu Rong's chest.

He crashed heavily to the ground, already at death's door.

Over the years, with Jiang Mian's help, the Bear Lord's strength had soared. At this point, his power was enough to go toe-to-toe with a level 99 Limit Douluo.

Gu Rong? A mere level 95—an ant!

"I won't kill you, but I'll make your life worse than death. I'll break you down piece by piece."

Jiang Mian walked over to Ning Rongrong and grabbed her face. Ning Rongrong was a mess of tears and snot, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Bear Lord, tear off that Titled Douluo's arms and throw him out of the Star Dou Great Forest." Jiang Mian said coldly. "Make sure he's still breathing, so he can go back and deliver the message."

"No!" Ning Rongrong screamed and cried, but Jiang Mian wasn't about to indulge this pampered young miss.

Slap!

The crisp sound of a slap rang out, and a bright red handprint suddenly appeared on Ning Rongrong's cheek.

This slap thoroughly woke Ning Rongrong up, and made her understand the current situation—if she wanted to live, she had to obey!

"Killing you would dirty my hands." Jiang Mian tossed Ning Rongrong aside, scanning the ground littered with soul beast corpses as if searching for something.

"Ah!"

On the other side, Gu Rong's screams rang out without end. Bear Lord understood Jiang Mian's intent; he lifted a boulder and crushed Gu Rong's arm into pulp, inch by inch.

Bear Lord had lived for hundreds of thousands of years—he had no shortage of methods for torture like this.

"Grandpa Bone." Ning Rongrong covered her mouth, struggling to stifle her voice. Jiang Mian finally found what he was looking for.

A Grey Mouse soul beast, only a few months old.

"Ning Rongrong, weren't you trying to get a soul ring?" Jiang Mian casually tossed the Grey Mouse in front of her and laughed. "Absorb it for me!"

"What!" Ning Rongrong was stunned. This soul beast's age wasn't even ten years—absorbing it wouldn't help a soul master at all; on the contrary, it would be a huge burden.

"Destroying a genius is far more fun than creating one." Jiang Mian laughed heartily. "If you don't absorb it, then leave your life here."

Just then, Bear Lord dragged past Gu Rong, who had lost both arms. He grinned and said, "This little girl's skin is tender—looks delicious."

"Grandpa Bone!"

Ning Rongrong saw Gu Rong, covered in blood and filth, with only a breath left in him, and her eyes rolled back as she nearly fainted.

"Crying counts as time too!"

Ning Rongrong forced back her grief. Her face still stung with a burning sensation. She dared not delay any longer and hurriedly absorbed the Grey Mouse's soul ring.

The process went smoothly—it didn't even take two minutes.

Jiang Mian was very satisfied. "Remember," he said, "every time you absorb a soul ring from now on, you have to come find me in the Star Dou Great Forest. Otherwise, I'll destroy your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

Ning Rongrong's eyes were vacant as she nodded woodenly.

Jiang Mian signaled Bear Lord to toss Gu Rong to her. Bear Lord cackled weirdly and threw the unconscious Gu Rong into Ning Rongrong's arms.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—nothing special." Jiang Mian left a parting remark, then turned and walked away with Bear Lord. "If you, Ning Rongrong, dare not come find me, I will surely destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Haha, actually, I'm just messing with you. Even if you do come find me, I'll still destroy your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Jiang Mian calculated the time. In about a year, it would be the day Tang San went to Shrek Academy. If he didn't emerge from seclusion, how could he torment him?

And Jiang Mian's pursuit wasn't just physical torment—mental torment was also on the table!

If you can't find the book title, try searching by the author—maybe it was just renamed!