A Family!

Ning Rongrong had initially kept her eyes shut in fear, but later, she could not resist sneaking them open a sliver.

Seeing them get farther and farther from the pool below, with rushing white waves beneath them and the greenery atop the cliff growing clearer overhead, she clapped excitedly.

"Wow! Brother Su Yu, you're amazing! You're even better than Grandpa Jian! He wouldn't even dare hold me while climbing this!"

Su Yu laughed at her words and steadied his grip a little more.

"Senior Sword Douluo is afraid you might fall. He can't bear to let you take such a risk."

As they spoke, the spider legs carried them to the top of the cliff. Su Yu gently set Ning Rongrong down, withdrew the spider legs, and patted her wind-tousled hair.

The cliff top was unexpectedly a stretch of flat grassland, with several unknown wildflowers swaying in the breeze.

Looking down from here, the waterfall hung like a silver chain, the pool resembled a piece of emerald jade, and the outline of the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could faintly be seen.

"So this is what it looks like up here!"

Ning Rongrong ran to the cliff's edge and stood on tiptoe to look down, her little face full of wonder.

"No wonder Grandpa Jian always likes coming here. The view really is different!"

Su Yu walked to her side, gazed at the mist-shrouded mountains in the distance, and took a deep breath.

The wind atop the cliff was stronger, but it was also fresher, as though it could blow away every worry.

He suddenly understood why Sword Douluo favored this place—such open skies and land truly could make one's heart feel broader as well.

"If you want to come again later, I'll bring you," Su Yu said softly as he watched the Young Girl's delighted back.

Ning Rongrong immediately turned around and nodded vigorously, her eyes shining as though filled with starlight.

"It's a promise!"

A narrow stream wound along the edge of the cliff, so clear that the smooth pebbles at its bottom could be seen.

Ning Rongrong took off her tiny embroidered shoes and sat down barefoot by the bank.

When her fair little feet dipped into the water, the cool current made her giggle like a little bird that had secretly tasted honey.

"Brother Su Yu, look how clear this water is!"

She wiggled her feet, splashing fine droplets into the air. Sunlight fell upon her wet insteps, giving them a lustrous sheen.

"Come try it! It's nice and cool. It feels so good!"

Su Yu stood some distance away, watching her utterly unguarded manner with helplessness.

"The bank is slippery. Don't splash around too much."

"I know!"

Ning Rongrong drew out her reply, but she scooped up a handful of water and lightly flicked it toward Su Yu.

Droplets scattered across his sleeve, bringing a burst of coolness.

"You really are something."

Su Yu shook his head and walked over, sitting a few steps away from her.

Unlike her, he did not put his feet in the water. He merely dipped his fingertips into it and felt its refreshing chill.

After playing in the water for a while, Ning Rongrong suddenly turned her head and asked, "Brother Su Yu, did you used to live in the forest? Like those Soul Beasts?"

"I'm human. Why would I live in the Star Dou Great Forest? I only went there to train."

"Training? That must have been fun!" A hint of excitement appeared on Ning Rongrong's face.

"Miss Rongrong, training isn't fun. If you're not careful, you could get hurt."

"And if it hadn't been for Sword Douluo, I'd probably still be a homeless orphan now.

"Ah! Brother Su Yu's family, they already..."

"That was all in the past. Now I have Miss Rongrong and Master. I'm not alone anymore."

Su Yu looked toward the distant waterfall, his tone calm.

Ning Rongrong looked at Su Yu beside her, then stepped out of the stream and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Brother Su Yu, just call me Rongrong from now on. From now on, we're family, and Rongrong will always stay with you!"

Su Yu turned to look at Ning Rongrong. The Young Girl had just come out of the stream, and her bare little feet were still damp.

Grass blades clung to the hem of her skirt, yet she held his neck with a solemn expression, her eyes shining as though they held starlight.

"Family..."

He quietly repeated those words. It felt as though something had gently bumped against his heart, leaving it warm yet faintly bitter.

It had been far too long since he had felt what it was like to have someone care about him.

Even before he had crossed over, he had grown accustomed to being alone, accustomed to wrapping himself in a hard shell.

"Alright, Rongrong."

Su Yu raised a hand and gently patted her back, his voice soft.

"From now on, Rongrong is my little sister. I'll definitely protect Rongrong and never let anyone bully her!"

Ning Rongrong immediately beamed and rubbed against him like a spoiled little kitten.

"Then Brother Su Yu has to remember too. You're not allowed to think about unhappy things anymore."

"You have me, Grandpa Jian, Father, and Grandpa Gu. We'll all stay with you!"

"Mm."

Su Yu answered, turning his gaze back toward the distant waterfall.

The water continued rushing endlessly. Sunlight passed through the mist and formed a faint rainbow in midair, dazzlingly brilliant.

Perhaps I really can try to let go of the weight of the past and stay here properly, he thought.

After clinging to him for a while, Ning Rongrong began thinking about the stones in the stream again.

She gently pulled herself from his embrace, ran back barefoot, and crouched at the bank to earnestly pick up the smooth pebbles. Every so often, she held one up for Su Yu to see.

"Brother Su Yu, look at this one! Doesn't it look like a piece of candy?"

Watching her busy little figure, the corners of Su Yu's lips unconsciously lifted into a faint smile.

The wind atop the cliff carried moisture as it blew past, bringing the scents of grass and sunlight. Everything was peaceful and beautiful.

"Brother Su Yu, what is your Martial Soul? Grandpa Jian said your Martial Soul was a sword. Is that true?"

Ning Rongrong seemed to have thought of something, and she looked at Su Yu with sparkling eyes.

"No. My Martial Soul isn't a sword. My Martial Soul is the Immortal Slaying Array Diagram!"

Seeing Ning Rongrong's curious gaze, Su Yu smiled slightly. With a subtle movement of his mind, an ancient and mysterious array diagram quietly appeared in his palm.

The diagram was roughly palm-sized, its edges traced with intricate Golden Patterns that seemed to contain the truths of heaven and earth.

At the center of the diagram, four illusory sword platforms could vaguely be seen, but two of them stood empty, marked by gaps.

The other two each held a sword of different form—one had a crimson blade and an awe-inspiring killing aura. It was the Immortal Slaying Sword.

The other shimmered with Ink Black hues, with a faint baleful aura swirling around it. It was the Demon Slaying Sword.

The array diagram floated in the air, exuding a faint pressure. Even the moisture in the air around it seemed to congeal slightly.

"This is my Martial Soul, the Immortal Slaying Array Diagram."

The moment his words fell, two dazzling red Soul Rings suddenly rose from beneath his feet and slowly revolved around his body.

The profound Red Light unique to Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings complemented the diagram's golden patterns, instantly making the surrounding atmosphere feel heavier.

"Wow!"

Ning Rongrong stared wide-eyed, her little face filled with amazement.

"They're Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings! Brother Su Yu, how old are you? You already have two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings?"

"But Father told me that the first and second Soul Rings could only be Hundred Year Soul Rings, right?"

"And older brother's Martial Soul... it's so special! It looks even more powerful than my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda!"