The Glazed Tile Pagoda Shatters, Rongrong Takes a Master

"I want to take Miss Ning Rongrong... as my disciple."

Yang Yu's voice was clear and calm, as though he were stating an established fact. Yet it was like a boulder cast into a tranquil lake, setting off monstrous waves in the hearts of everyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Take a disciple?! Take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Little Princess as a disciple?!

The Myriad Treasures Pavilion's hall fell into dead silence once more! Every gaze focused on that boy clad in a Purple-Gold Robe, whose expression was calm to an unbelievable degree. Did this brat... even know what he was saying?!

Ning Rongrong froze as well. She pointed at her dainty nose, her sapphire-like eyes full of bewilderment. "Take... take me as your disciple? You? Just you?" As if she had heard the greatest joke in the world, her little face instantly flushed red with offended indignation. "What kind of joke is this?! I, Ning Rongrong, am the eldest young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! What gives a little brat who hasn't even grown all his hair the right to be my teacher?!"

The gentle smile on Ning Fengzhi's refined face stiffened slightly, and a trace of displeasure and scrutiny flashed deep within his eyes. He raised a hand to stop Ning Rongrong's shouting and looked sharply at Yang Yu. "Little friend, this joke is not funny. Rongrong is the future hope of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The choice of her teacher is of great importance and cannot be treated lightly."

Chen Xin said nothing, but that icy sword intent spread once again, carrying a silent warning. If Yang Yu's Twin God-Tier Martial Souls and his revelation of the Aromatic Silk Beauty had not been so shocking earlier, he would likely have already made a move to teach this brat who knew neither heaven nor earth a lesson.

Yang Yu seemed not to feel the invisible pressure at all. Instead, a faint smile curved his lips. "Sect Master Ning thinks it's a joke? Senior Sword Douluo thinks it's a joke too?"

His gaze swept over Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin before finally returning to the puff-cheeked Ning Rongrong. His voice carried a trace of amusement. "The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, the number one support martial soul in the world? Unfortunately, in this junior's eyes, Miss Rongrong's use of her martial soul is unbearably crude, while her Soul Power control is downright terrible. Such top-tier talent is being wasted for nothing. Without anyone to guide her, she will spend her entire life as nothing more than another seventy-ninth-rank Sect Master Ning, unable to reach the true pinnacle."

"Y-You... you're talking nonsense!" Ning Rongrong stamped her feet in anger, tears welling in her eyes. "I... I'm only six! I'm already a Seventeenth-Rank Soul Grand Master! Father and Grandpa Bone both said I'm very talented!"

"Seventeenth rank?" Yang Yu sneered and shook his head, his tone filled with undisguised contempt. "You have nothing but rank. Your foundation is unstable, and your Soul Power is mixed and impure. For a support-type Soul Master, Soul Power control and spiritual perception are paramount. When Miss Rongrong was playing with the Tears of the Rainbow just now, her Soul Power fluctuations leaked out like a tide. Even ordinary people downstairs could sense them. With control like that, you dare call yourself talented? It's simply... laughable!"

"You!" Ning Rongrong had been struck right where it hurt. Her little face turned red, then white. She truly had never paid much attention to Soul Power control, believing it was just a minor detail. After all, Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone were there to protect her. Now that Yang Yu had exposed it so bluntly before everyone, she was both ashamed and furious, wishing she could leap at him and bite him!

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin's expressions darkened as well. Yang Yu's words were harsh, but they struck straight at the heart of the matter! Ning Rongrong's talent was indeed excellent, but she had been spoiled since childhood. Her cultivation was truly not solid enough, especially in Soul Power control and spiritual strength, which had always been her weak points. It was simply that no one had ever dared to point them out so directly before!

"Enough!" Chen Xin shouted coldly. Terrifying sword intent descended again, like an invisible giant hand closing around Yang Yu. "Brat! A sharp tongue cannot change the fact that you are arrogant and ignorant! You want to take Rongrong as your disciple? Show us what you can do first!"

"Oh? What I can do?" Under the pressure of the sword intent, Yang Yu's body swayed slightly and his face turned a shade paler, but his eyes became even brighter and sharper. "Senior Sword Douluo means to test this junior?"

"Hmph!" Chen Xin snorted without denying it.

Yang Yu smiled, his expression carrying the edge of youth. "Fine! Then let Miss Rongrong make the move herself!"

He turned his gaze toward Ning Rongrong, a hint of provocation in his eyes. "Miss Rongrong, do you dare use your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to attack me with all your strength once? No soul skills—just the most basic Soul Power blast. If you can move me even the slightest bit, this junior will immediately take back every word, kowtow in apology, and accept whatever punishment you wish! If you cannot..."

He deliberately drew out the last words, his gaze sweeping over Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin. "Then it proves that this junior is indeed qualified to offer a little guidance!"

The hall erupted in low murmurs! Had this brat gone mad?! He was letting the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda attack him? Even if it was only a Soul Power blast, it was still the Soul Power of a top-tier support martial soul! Its quality far surpassed others of the same rank! He was merely a thirty-third-rank Soul Elder, though his soul rings were frightening, and he wanted to take a full-force Soul Power blast from a seventeenth-rank Soul Grandmaster head-on? Was he looking to die?!

Ning Rongrong had also been thoroughly enraged by Yang Yu's arrogance! "Fine! You said it yourself! Don't cry if I hurt you!" Her little face was puffed up with anger, her sapphire-like eyes blazing with fury and the grievance of being looked down upon. She had made up her mind. She would use every bit of her strength to blast this hateful little brat away! She would show him what she was capable of!

"Rongrong!" Ning Fengzhi frowned, wanting to stop her. Letting Rongrong attack a child of unknown origin who possessed Twin God-Tier Martial Souls? The risk was too great!

"Father! Let me teach him a lesson!" Ning Rongrong shouted stubbornly, already unable to wait as she released her martial soul.

"Seven Treasures Emerge, Glazed Brilliance!" Amid the crisp soul incantation, a seven-story treasure pagoda about a foot tall appeared in Ning Rongrong's palm, as though sculpted from seven-colored glazed glass. It radiated soft yet noble light. Two bright yellow soul rings rose beneath her feet!

"First Soul Ring! Strength Amplification!" Ning Rongrong cried out, and her first yellow soul ring lit up! The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda shone brilliantly, sending a gentle beam of light into her body! Her aura instantly grew stronger! Though it amplified strength and did little to enhance a Soul Power blast, she was determined to give it everything she had!

"Take this!" Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda in both hands, her little face flushed red as she poured every last bit of her seventeenth-rank Soul Grandmaster Soul Power into the pagoda like floodwaters bursting through a dam!

Buzz—! The seven-colored glazed pagoda shook violently, erupting with dazzling seven-colored radiance! Dense, pure Soul Power gathered and compressed around the pagoda like a tangible substance! A powerful energy fluctuation spread outward, whipping her pink-and-white skirt wildly about!

"Go!" Ning Rongrong used all her strength and fiercely shoved the pagoda toward Yang Yu downstairs!

Boom! A seven-colored Soul Power Pillar as thick as an arm, condensed to an extreme degree, shot out like a seven-colored cannonball. With a piercing howl, it tore through the air, crossed the distance in an instant, and ruthlessly blasted toward Yang Yu! The air itself twisted slightly wherever the pillar passed! This was Ning Rongrong's furious strike, draining nearly half her Soul Power. Its might far exceeded that of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster!

"Your Highness!" Yue Guan's expression changed slightly, and he instinctively moved to block it.

"Stand down," Yang Yu said calmly.

At the very instant that the seven-colored Soul Power Pillar was about to strike him!

A brilliant light flashed in Yang Yu's eyes!

Buzz! His deep-purple first soul ring lit up instantly—the soul ring of the Void Cicada!

"Void!"

An invisible wave carrying the power of spatial confinement abruptly spread outward from Yang Yu! Its range was not large, covering only the half-meter before him!

The violent seven-colored Soul Power Pillar, the moment it entered the half-meter range before Yang Yu, suddenly slowed drastically! It was as if it had plunged into incomparably viscous glue! The front of the pillar even visibly stagnated and twisted! What should have been an instantaneous attack now struggled forward in slow motion!

What?! The smugness on Ning Rongrong's face instantly froze, turning into shock! She felt as though her attack had slammed into an invisible, incomparably sturdy wall!

And it was not over yet!

Yang Yu's left hand shot up like lightning! Within his palm, the phantom image of the Chaos Creation Lotus flashed and vanished!

"Creation Guard!"

A thin, nearly transparent emerald light membrane instantly unfolded before him! It looked fragile, yet it flowed with the life-source aura of endless vitality and the creation of all things!

Bang!!! The seven-colored Soul Power Pillar, slowed greatly by spatial power, finally slammed fiercely into the emerald light membrane!

There was no earth-shattering explosion! No shockwave of rampaging energy!

The seven-colored pillar containing more than half of Ning Rongrong's Soul Power, the instant it touched the emerald light membrane, had its violent energy wrapped, enveloped, and broken down layer upon layer, as though by the most resilient vines! Seven-colored light madly crashed against the emerald membrane, producing hissing sounds as great clouds of white vapor rose!

The emerald light membrane rippled violently, flickering uncertainly like a candle flame in the wind, as though it would shatter the next second! Yang Yu's face instantly turned pale as paper, and his body swayed sharply! He was clearly enduring immense pressure!

But! That thin membrane, like the toughest barrier of life, firmly blocked the seven-colored pillar's impact! No matter how violently the pillar surged, it could not break through that final layer of protection!

Under the breakdown of the emerald light membrane and the stagnation of spatial power, the energy within the seven-colored pillar vanished rapidly like a clay ox sinking into the sea!

In just three breaths! That overwhelming seven-colored Soul Power Pillar was like a punctured balloon, its energy depleted, its glow completely dimming as it dispersed!

Yang Yu remained standing there, as calm as before! The emerald light membrane before him slowly faded, and the glow of the deep-purple soul ring beneath his feet receded. Aside from his slightly pale face and somewhat hurried breathing, not even a single crease had appeared in his Purple-Gold Robe!

He was completely unharmed!

The entire Myriad Treasures Pavilion hall was so silent that a needle drop could be heard! A deathly stillness!

Everyone looked as though they had been turned to stone, staring dumbfoundedly at that small figure! He had taken a furious strike from a seventeenth-rank Soul Grandmaster head-on and neutralized it in such an inconceivable manner! Could... could this truly be something a Soul Elder who had only just obtained his first soul ring could accomplish?!

Ning Rongrong was completely dumbfounded. She stared blankly at the dim Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda in her palm, then at Yang Yu downstairs, who had not even had his clothes brush against him. Her mind was utterly blank. Her full-force strike... had simply... disappeared? It had not even touched his clothes?!

"Impossible..." she murmured in a daze. The enormous blow left her little face deathly pale, and her sapphire-like eyes instantly filled with aggrieved tears. "How could this happen..."

The expressions on Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin's faces were even more extraordinary! Shock! Horror! Disbelief! And a trace of... indescribable fervor!

They had seen far more clearly than Ning Rongrong! That instant of Space Stagnation! That Creation Barrier containing boundless vitality! The two abilities had worked together flawlessly! Using skill to overcome force, softness to overcome hardness! They had dissolved the pure Soul Power blast of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into nothingness! Such understanding of martial soul abilities, such application, such timing—it was exquisite beyond measure! It was nothing like a six-year-old child! He was more like a seasoned Soul Master who had fought countless battles!

"Time... space... creation..." Chen Xin muttered softly. For the first time, an emotion other than solemnity appeared on his stern face—astonishment! "Twin God-Tier Martial Souls... truly worthy of their name!"

Ning Fengzhi drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm in his heart. The way he looked at Yang Yu had completely changed! His initial scrutiny and displeasure had become profound shock and... an uncontrollable longing! This child not only possessed heaven-defying talent, but his combat awareness and control over his martial souls were monstrous to the extreme! His remarks about Rongrong's Soul Power control were absolutely not empty words! If Rongrong could truly receive his guidance... then her future...

Yang Yu slightly steadied his breathing and suppressed the weakness from his Soul Power expenditure. He raised his head and calmly looked toward the utterly dejected Little Princess on the second floor. His voice rang out clearly. "Miss Rongrong, do you think I am qualified... to guide you now?"

Ning Rongrong's delicate body trembled, and she abruptly lifted her head to look at Yang Yu through tear-filled eyes. Her gaze was incomparably complicated, containing shock, defeat, disbelief, and even a trace of... confusion after being utterly crushed by absolute strength, as well as a faint admiration that even she herself had not noticed?

She opened her mouth, wanting to argue and put up a stubborn front, but beneath that calm gaze as deep as an abyss, every word lodged in her throat. What had just happened was branded into her mind. Her pride and arrogance had been smashed to pieces before the absolute gap in strength!

"I..." Ning Rongrong's voice carried a sob, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, filled with grievance and unwillingness. But in the end, she bit her lip hard and said in a quiet voice, with a stubbornness that seemed resigned to her fate, "Y-You're impressive! Happy now?!"

Yang Yu smiled faintly and stopped looking at her, turning his gaze toward Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, what do you think?"

Seeing his daughter looking as though she had suffered a tremendous grievance yet could not refute it, Ning Fengzhi felt both heartache and helplessness. But even more than that, he recognized Yang Yu's unfathomable potential! He drew a deep breath, and his gentle, refined smile returned, though it now contained greater solemnity and sincerity.

"Young Friend Yang... no, Young Friend Yang Yu." Ning Fengzhi descended the stairs and came before Yang Yu, lowering his stance considerably. "We failed to recognize greatness earlier and caused offense. Young Friend possesses exceptional strength and extraordinary insight. It would be Rongrong's fortune to receive your guidance!"

He paused, glanced at Chen Xin, who was still immersed in shock, and continued, "As for taking her as a disciple... this is a matter of great importance and requires further consideration. Rongrong is still young, and she is the heir of our sect. The disciple-taking ceremony cannot be handled carelessly. How about this? Young Friend may remain in Glazed City for now. Once our sect finds the Aromatic Silk Beauty, we can hold the formal disciple-taking ceremony. What do you say?"

Ning Fengzhi was an old fox. On one hand, he acknowledged Yang Yu's strength and expressed goodwill. On the other, he used "finding the Immortal Herb" as a buffer, leaving himself room to maneuver. Taking a disciple involved too much. He needed time to confirm whether the Aromatic Silk Beauty was real and to observe Yang Yu's background and true intentions.

Yang Yu understood perfectly. He had never expected Ning Fengzhi to agree immediately. Throwing out the Aromatic Silk Beauty and displaying his strength had already achieved his goal—intimidating the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, establishing his own position and value, and paving the way for future contact with Ning Rongrong.

"Sect Master Ning may arrange it as he sees fit," Yang Yu said with a nod, his tone indifferent. "However, this junior still has important matters to attend to and cannot remain in Glazed City for long."

"Oh?" A sharp gleam flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes. "Where is Young Friend going?"

"Nuoding City." Yang Yu spoke three words.

"Nuoding City?" Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were both somewhat surprised. It was merely an insignificant small city in Fasnuo Province.

"Miss Rongrong's foundation, especially her Soul Power control and spiritual perception, urgently requires systematic training. Sitting idly within the sect and shutting oneself away to make carts behind closed doors will bring little improvement." Yang Yu's gaze once again swept toward the girl in the pink dress on the second floor, who had been secretly listening with her ears perked up and now looked visibly confused upon hearing the words Nuoding City. "Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy may be in a small place, but its environment is simple. It is perfect for building a solid foundation and casting off her spoiled, pampered ways."

He looked at Ning Fengzhi, his tone carrying a trace of unmistakable finality. "If Sect Master Ning truly cares for Miss Rongrong's future, then let her follow me to Nuoding City and study for one year. If, after one year, her Soul Power control and spiritual perception fail to meet my standards, this junior will leave on his own and never mention taking her as a disciple again. But if she meets them..."

A meaningful curve lifted at Yang Yu's lips. "Then the Aromatic Silk Beauty shall be the gift for her disciple-taking ceremony. What do you say?"

Go to Nuoding City? Follow this hateful little brat?! The moment Ning Rongrong heard that, her little face fell. She had just been about to protest when Ning Fengzhi silenced her with a stern look.

Ning Fengzhi's thoughts raced. Letting Rongrong leave the sect's protection and go to an unfamiliar small city? The risk was not small! Yet the strength Yang Yu had displayed and his understanding of martial souls made it impossible for him to refuse such temptation! Furthermore, the conditions he proposed seemed harsh, but in truth they gave both sides a way out. One year would allow them to observe Yang Yu and verify his teaching ability, while also letting Rongrong truly leave the greenhouse and gain some tempering!

As for safety... with Uncle Jian or Uncle Gu secretly protecting her, along with the unfathomable Chrysanthemum Douluo by Yang Yu's side—he already had some guesses about Yue Guan's identity—there should be no problem.

"Good!" After weighing the pros and cons, Ning Fengzhi finally made his decision, a hearty smile appearing on his face. "We shall do as Young Friend says! Rongrong is willful, so I must trouble Young Friend to educate her with care!"

He turned toward the second floor. "Rongrong, come down at once and greet your future... senior brother."

"Senior brother?!" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened as she pointed at Yang Yu. "H-He's younger than me!"

"One who excels is a teacher," Ning Fengzhi said sternly. "Young Friend Yang Yu surpasses you greatly in both strength and knowledge. Calling him senior brother is perfectly proper! Come down at once!"

Ning Rongrong looked at her father's unquestionable expression, then at the hateful little brat downstairs, whose calm face made it seem as if he had her completely figured out. Her pout was so deep it could have held an oil bottle. She slowly made her way down the stairs, stopped before Yang Yu, lowered her head, and twisted the hem of her lace skirt between her fingers without saying a word.

"Rongrong!" Ning Fengzhi's tone grew heavier.

Ning Rongrong trembled, unwillingly raised her head, and shot Yang Yu a quick glance. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. "...Senior brother."

Looking at the reluctant girl before him, like an annoyed kitten with its fur standing on end, the corner of Yang Yu's lips lifted almost imperceptibly. He stretched out a hand—not for a handshake, but to... rub Ning Rongrong's chestnut-brown head beneath her little diamond crown.

"Good girl." Yang Yu's voice carried the clear brightness of youth. "From now on, in Nuoding City, listen to your senior brother."

Ning Rongrong: "!!!"

Like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, she instantly exploded! Her little face flushed bright red as she slapped Yang Yu's hand away. Her sapphire-like eyes were full of humiliation and fury. "Y-You... what are you doing?! Don't touch my head!"

Yang Yu withdrew his hand without getting angry, merely giving her a calm glance. "This is your senior brother's first lesson—learn the rules."

"You!" Ning Rongrong stamped her feet in anger, but there was nothing she could do. She could only puff out her cheeks and glare viciously at Yang Yu, her eyes seeming to say: Just you wait!

Seeing his daughter suffer a setback, Ning Fengzhi found it amusing yet helpless. He turned to Yang Yu. "Young Friend Yang, Rongrong is in your care. I will arrange for people to escort you to Nuoding City as soon as possible. As for the Aromatic Silk Beauty..."

"Sect Master Ning may investigate the Immortal Herb matter himself," Yang Yu interrupted. "This junior will await good news in Nuoding City."

He glanced at the puff-cheeked Ning Rongrong and added, "Oh, right, Junior Sister Rongrong. When we go to Nuoding City, put away that eldest young lady attitude of yours. Wear ordinary clothes, no attendants, and do not reveal your identity. From now on, you are merely an ordinary student of Nuoding Academy—Ning Rongrong."

"What?!" Ning Rongrong shrieked again. "How can that be?! My dresses! My jewelry! My..."

"This is your senior brother's second lesson—learn to endure hardship." Yang Yu's voice allowed no argument. "If you can't do it, it's not too late to change your mind."

Ning Rongrong looked into Yang Yu's calm yet overwhelmingly oppressive eyes, then at her father, who was clearly siding with Yang Yu. Aggrieved tears welled in her eyes. She sniffed hard and forced them back, then shouted in a trembling voice, utterly miserable:

"Got! It! Brother! Yu!"

The final three words were practically squeezed through her teeth, overflowing with resentment and defiance.

Yang Yu nodded in satisfaction, ignoring Ning Rongrong's nearly fire-spitting gaze.

Nuoding City. Xiao Wu... Tang San... and this spoiled little peacock... The real show was only just beginning.