Parting with Ning Rongrong, Brother Zhexian, You Can No Longer Keep Up with Me

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Back mountain.

The bleak autumn wind blew past.

Maple leaves drifted down from the sky.

Landing on the boy and girl's hair.

"Brother Zhexian..."

Ning Rongrong bit her red lip with pearly teeth and said softly,

"Let's end things here."

Li Zhexian looked at the beautiful girl before him.

Though they stood so close, there seemed to be an impassable chasm between them.

"Fine."

Ning Rongrong raised her eyes to Li Zhexian.

The once carefree youth seemed somewhat silent at this moment.

She turned around, presenting her back to Li Zhexian.

"Brother Zhexian, you've been in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for six years now, haven't you?"

"I remember when your Martial Soul awakened, your innate Soul Power was at full rank, and sword qi shot into the heavens."

"Father and the others all said you were a genius seen only once in a thousand years, but six years have passed, and your Soul Power is still only level ten."

"And I..."

Ning Rongrong extended her slender hand.

A seven-story Glazed Tile Pagoda, crystal-clear and exquisite, spun in her palm.

The two yellow Spirit Rings around it were especially conspicuous.

"Already have level twenty-six Soul Power."

"Brother Zhexian, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is the continent's number-one support Martial Soul. Only by working with powerful Battle Soul Masters can it unleash its greatest strength."

"Although..."

"Although I truly don't want to say this."

"You really can no longer keep up with me."

Ning Rongrong lifted her lovely face like a proud swan.

"I am the only daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sect Master. The man I marry in the future must be the strongest of the strong!"

Li Zhexian fell silent for a long while before suddenly smiling freely.

The youth's clear voice carried far into the distance.

"Then let us each be well."

"Take this back."

He pulled something from within his white robes.

Ning Rongrong turned around and saw a small Clay Pagoda lying quietly in Li Zhexian's outstretched palm.

Her delicate body trembled slightly.

She could not help recalling all that had happened before.

"Brother Zhexian, I'll make you a Glazed Tile Pagoda. You have to protect it properly, okay!"

"Alright, Rongrong. I'll make you a sword!"

The mud had been filthy.

The little sword and Glazed Tile Pagoda had both been crudely made.

Yet they held the sincere feelings of that boy and girl.

Ning Rongrong stared at the Clay Pagoda for a long while, then nodded gently and said,

"Alright."

"Brother Zhexian, I'll give this back to you as well."

Ning Rongrong reached both hands to her neck and removed the Clay Sword Pendant.

Li Zhexian took the little sword.

Then turned and left.

Watching the youth's unyielding back, Ning Rongrong parted her red lips, but in the end, she merely pressed them together.

And walked down the road opposite Li Zhexian's.

On a beautiful mountain peak.

Watching the boy and girl walk away from each other, Ning Fengzhi sighed regretfully.

"What a pity."

Though he said so.

A trace of relief clearly flashed deep within his eyes.

Ning Rongrong was his daughter, a heaven-blessed girl who had inherited the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul.

How could a mediocrity who had failed to raise his Soul Power by even one level in six years possibly be worthy of her?

Although...

When Li Zhexian had awakened his Martial Soul.

And Ning Fengzhi had seen his sword qi sweep forth and his innate Soul Power at full rank, he had waved his hand and settled Li Zhexian's engagement to Ning Rongrong.

Now that he was going back on his word, he did feel somewhat sorry for Li Zhexian.

But for his daughter's future, it had to be done.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Sword Douluo Chen Xin and said,

"Uncle Sword, Zhexian has been wronged. I will give him some compensation."

Back then, Chen Xin had brought Li Zhexian back from outside.

Now that Li Zhexian had been treated unfairly, Ning Fengzhi still had to consider Chen Xin's feelings.

"No need."

Chen Xin said indifferently,

"It is Li Zhexian himself who failed to live up to expectations."

"Six years without advancing a single step, unable even to absorb a ten-year Spirit Ring."

"He is unworthy of Rongrong."

Bone Douluo Gu Rong shook his head and sighed.

When Li Zhexian had awakened the Azure Lotus Sword Martial Soul.

Chen Xin had planned to raise him as the inheritor of his legacy.

What a pity...

Gu Rong gazed into the distance at the youth's gradually vanishing figure.

"You truly have failed to live up to expectations."

Back mountain.

Upon a crooked tree.

Li Zhexian rested his head on his left hand and held a Wine Pot in his right.

Through the sparse leaves, he gazed up at the bright moon in the sky.

"Six years..."

"I've been on Douluo Continent for six years already."

Li Zhexian took a fierce gulp of wine.

Letting the clear liquor trickle down from the corner of his mouth.

"Wine in a fantasy world really packs more punch than beer!"

He drank mouthful after mouthful.

Ning Rongrong's words continued to surface in his mind.

"Father and the others all said you were a genius seen only once in a thousand years, but six years have passed, and your Soul Power is still only level ten."

"Although I truly don't want to say this, you really can no longer keep up with me."

It was not that he could not let go of Ning Rongrong!

He simply did not know what was wrong with him!

He clearly possessed innate full-rank Soul Power, and his efficiency in absorbing the energy of heaven and earth was not bad either!

Why could his Soul Power simply not increase?

Li Zhexian drank mouthful after mouthful.

Not only did he not become drunk.

His eyes instead grew brighter with every drink.

Li Zhexian simply leaped down from the tree.

"Laughing toward the heavens as I walk out the door, how could people like us be mere weeds!"

"I, Li Zhexian, am no mediocrity!"

"With the bright moon as my companion!"

"Fine wine in hand!"

"Dance, sword, dance!"

Beneath moonlight like water.

The youth's figure moved as gracefully as a startled swan.

A Three-foot-six Azure Blade gleamed, its blade as clear and bright as autumn water.

The lotus patterns along its ridge flowed with the moonlight, at times unfurling like blooming azure lotuses, at times drawing together like unopened buds.

This was Li Zhexian's Martial Soul—the Azure Lotus Sword!

Li Zhexian drank with abandon and danced with utter absorption.

Gradually entering a peculiar state of mind.

He took a gulp of wine.

Then danced with his sword once.

The sword's edge traced afterimages, like a stalk of azure lotus swaying in the wind.

Frost-like sword light blanketed a hundred-meter radius, eclipsing the moon overhead.

Strangely enough.

The Wine Pot was only palm-sized.

Yet the wine within seemed impossible to finish.

He tilted back his head and took a gulp.

Li Zhexian's Soul Power suddenly emerged around him!

Another gulp.

His Soul Power boiled!

Another gulp.

His Soul Power surged!

Just like that.

Li Zhexian's Soul Power, which had not advanced an inch for six years.

Rose continuously as he drank mouthful after mouthful.

Level eleven, level twelve, level thirteen... level twenty.

He withdrew from that peculiar state of mind.

Feeling the surging strength within his body, he could not help but be greatly shocked.

"My Soul Power jumped ten levels?!"

"Why did this happen?!"

As a Wine Enthusiast across two lifetimes, getting drunk was impossible for him.

Only then did he notice that the Wine Pot in his left hand had changed in appearance.

From a crude ceramic pot.

Into a Celadon Gourd as warm and smooth as jade.

"This..."

Li Zhexian shook the Celadon Gourd.

There was still wine sloshing around inside.

He opened its stopper.

And tried taking a sip.

At once, mellow wine flowed down his throat, transforming into pure energy that spread through his body.

His level-twenty Soul Power increased slightly once more.

Even the Azure Lotus Sword seemed to have become sharper.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Li Zhexian held his sword in his right hand and wine in his left, laughing loudly.

He understood now!

His Martial Soul was not merely the Azure Lotus Sword!

He also had the Clear Spring Wine Gourd!

He possessed Twin Martial Souls—sword and wine!

His Martial Souls had not fully awakened, so naturally he could not advance or absorb Spirit Rings!

He had figured out why he had been stuck in place for six years.

The corner of Li Zhexian's lips lifted, his handsome face alight with spirit.

He looked toward the ornate cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountain, and his smile faded slightly.

That was the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Those who abandon me cannot be kept in yesterday!"

Li Zhexian's smile became carefree and unrestrained once more.

"Even if I hadn't awakened the Wine Martial Soul, I had already decided to leave the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"These past six years were not wasted. I worked within the sect and took on missions, saving up a little wealth."

"I left that wealth in my room as repayment for the sect's kindness over these six years. From this day on, we have no further ties."

"May we each be well in the future."

He understood.

Ning Rongrong had said those things to him today.

Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong could not possibly have been unaware.

They had tacitly approved.

Li Zhexian flicked his sleeve.

A Clay Sword Pendant shot forth.

Before it could fall to the ground.

A streak of crisp sword light flashed past.

The Clay Sword Pendant split cleanly into two.

Without the slightest hesitation, he did not even spare it a glance.

Li Zhexian tilted back his head and took a drink of wine. With the Celadon Gourd hanging at his waist, he leaped several times and vanished into the back mountain.

About the time it took to burn an incense stick later.

Several figures drifted over.