Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield

"Teacher, I want to learn this!"

In class at Peach Blossom Spring Academy, Ning Rongrong bit her lip as she spoke. She no longer wanted to drop out, either.

She wanted to see exactly how a Support System could add points to defense.

"Not leaving? Then write a self-criticism and admit your mistake."

Su Ran sat calmly at the lectern in Peach Blossom Spring Academy as he spoke.

Ning Rongrong's face was full of grievance. She had never suffered like this in her life.

"How do I write a self-criticism?"

"Looks like you still don't know what you did wrong. In that case, there's no need to teach you today. Wang Sheng, go check the school gate. See if any talented students happen to pass by. We're recruiting new students."

"I originally wanted to nurture a Support System disciple who would be unprecedented in history—a disciple who wouldn't need a Soul Master's protection and would possess top-level defense of their own. But now, it seems I won't get the chance to teach one."

Su Ran placed a secret manual on the lectern and spoke unhurriedly. He wasn't in a rush. A Little Princess like Rongrong had to be tamed slowly.

"Huh?"

A Support Soul Master with top-level defense of her own?!

Ning Rongrong grew excited just thinking about it.

But she really didn't know how to write a self-criticism...

A quarter of an hour later.

"Respected Teacher Su Ran, I know I was wrong. Rongrong shouldn't have been late to class, and I definitely shouldn't have gotten angry and said I wanted to drop out just because Teacher punished me."

"I deeply recognize my mistake. Please forgive me, Teacher. I'll never dare be late or leave class early again, and I'll never dare say I want to drop out again. Once my teacher, my father for life. Teacher Su Ran will always be my dearest teacher."

"Passable, I suppose. If you do it again, it won't be as simple as writing a self-criticism."

Su Ran spoke indifferently.

He wasn't a petty person. Since his student had obediently admitted her mistake, he couldn't keep pressing her after gaining the upper hand.

Ning Rongrong pursed her lips, her little face filled with pitiful misery.

Those two brief paragraphs of self-criticism had nearly exhausted her brain cells.

"Then, Teacher, can you teach me how to become a Support System Soul Master who doesn't need others to protect her?"

"Of course. However, it may require you to suffer a great deal. Can you endure it?"

"I can!"

Ning Rongrong's gaze was extremely resolute at that moment.

If she could solve the drawback of Support System Soul Masters needing their teammates' protection, she might become the strongest support in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and completely change the status of support Soul Masters in the Soul Master World!

Su Ran glanced at Ning Rongrong and reached out to lift her hand.

Her small hands, which had never done a day's hard labor, were swollen red.

"Does it hurt?"

Su Ran asked.

Ning Rongrong looked at Teacher Su Ran before her. Although he wore a mask, the bright eyes beneath it were like stars glittering in the vast night sky, while a faint fragrance drifted over from his body.

At that instant, Ning Rongrong's heart gave a sudden thump, and her little face flushed. Is Teacher worried about me? Does he regret punishing me?

Hmph, then I'll reluctantly forgive him...

"Ah—"

A young girl's shriek echoed through the campus of Peach Blossom Spring Academy.

Ning Rongrong looked at her little hand, which had already been swollen from the bamboo slat beating. Su Ran pinched it between two fingers, and the pain was simply the worst she had ever experienced.

That single pinch made her cry out in pain, tears streaming down her face.

Ning Rongrong gazed at Su Ran pitifully.

As expected... I was just overthinking it.

Teacher Su Ran has no idea how to show tenderness to a woman!

"It'll hurt even more than this—ten times, a hundred times more."

"Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield. This is a secret art that's highly compatible with your Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Do you still dare to learn it?"

Only after Ning Rongrong had calmed down somewhat did Su Ran place the manual in front of her.

The cover clearly depicted a Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul, though it was somewhat different from Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda on the manual was shrouded in seven layers of domineering golden ancient-bell energy, as if it were indestructible.

Ning Rongrong stopped sobbing. Wiping away her tears, she choked out:

"If I learn it, can I become the best support on the continent—a perfect support who doesn't need her teammates' protection?"

"Although it can't make you a perfect support, it can help you develop the potential of your Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda to its utmost limits."

Seeing Ning Rongrong in that state, Su Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was quite adorable, so he explained:

"Every Soul Skill of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda is fixed. No matter what Soul Ring you absorb, the Soul Skill it provides will be the same. However, as a tower-type Martial Soul, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda actually possesses defensive properties of its own."

"It's only because the tower is made of glazed material and is rather fragile that its abilities focus primarily on support."

"Once this Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield is cultivated to perfection, it can not only reinforce the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda for defense and allow you to reach the realm of Human-Tower Unity, but after you cultivate seven layers of Glazed Golden Bell Qi, you'll become impervious to blades and spears and immune to water and fire."

"Once it reaches great completion, Soul Masters of the same level will find it difficult to injure you. Only then will you be able to achieve a level where support and defense are cultivated together, and you may even gain a certain degree of offensive power."

"However, reaching great completion won't just require Qi cultivation and body tempering. You'll also have to refine your blood and forge your bones. Every one of those processes will hurt far more than having your palm struck today. Can you do it?"

Su Ran spoke.

"Impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire—the strongest support!"

Those twelve short words had already set Ning Rongrong's blood ablaze.

"I'll learn it! I can endure any hardship!"

Because support Soul Masters lacked the ability to protect themselves, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect needed Grandpa Jian, Grandpa Gu, and the others to protect them. If she could create this miracle herself, she would surely make Father and the others see her in a new light!

"Since you've decided, you must advance without hesitation. No matter how difficult or exhausting it becomes in the future, you must endure it. I won't lower my standards just because you're a girl. Think it through carefully."

"I've thought it through! I want to add defense to myself! I want to learn the Golden Bell Shield!"

Amid a riot of falling blossoms, peach petals danced through the air beneath the gentle breeze in the classroom.

Ning Rongrong forgot the pain in her palm. Holding the Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield manual, her gaze became extremely resolute.

Su Ran looked at the girl before him and saw the longing in her eyes. He suddenly understood the meaning of accepting a disciple.

Perhaps the Great Dao shouldn't be so narrow that only he could walk it.

His disciples shouldn't be so few that there was only one girl.

"As long as you genuinely want to learn, I'll teach you properly."

"The first step in practicing the Golden Bell Shield is to cultivate your Qi, followed by body tempering. Starting today, you must practice striking the wooden post and standing in a horse stance for two hours every day. At noon and midnight, when the essence of the Sun Moon is at its strongest, you must meditate and breathe in the Qi, sensing every Qi acupoint throughout your body, whether it's cold or hot."

Su Ran began preparing a cultivation plan for Ning Rongrong.

As her Teacher, Su Ran also possessed the ability to share and upgrade the Cultivation Method his disciple practiced.

Ning Rongrong watched Su Ran's serious expression, then her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Teacher, I've decided to cultivate properly, and I'm even your Direct Disciple now. Shouldn't you let your disciple see what you look like?"

"How can a disciple not even know what her Teacher looks like?"

Su Ran froze for a moment. "It's only a physical appearance. My Peach Blossom Branch Martial Soul is unique. Knowing my Martial Soul is enough."

"Honestly, you won't even let me see your face. Wang Sheng must have been lying when he said you were handsome. If you're so handsome, why do you wear a mask every day?"

Ning Rongrong muttered.

"Then just assume I'm perfectly ordinary."

"Even if you're perfectly ordinary, I still want to see you. How can a disciple not know what her own Teacher looks like?" Ning Rongrong complained.

Su Ran instead smiled.

"If you truly want to see, once your Seven Treasures Golden Bell Shield has entered the basics and achieved a little success, I'll remove my mask and meet you face-to-face. I only hope you won't be disappointed then."

"Okay!"