Setting Out for the Star Dou Forest

"I don't have one now, but when I get back to my sect, finding a mere knife will be easy."

"Here, don't say I'm picking on you or going back on my word. Take a good look at my knife."

Xia Ran raised a hand and drew the long knife from his waist. With a soft sound from its sheath, the pitch-black blade came fully into view.

The moment it left the sheath, a pure, dense darkness spread out like ripples, enveloping the two of them in an instant.

"What is this..."

Ning Rongrong's voice was full of confusion.

The dark aura stirred unease in her heart, and her brows knitted together.

Xia Ran, on the other hand, seemed completely at home with it. He held the long knife as Soul Power coursed through him, his hair fluttering. In the darkness, he looked both confident and strangely alluring.

Seeing that the Little Demoness wasn't used to the aura, he slid the long knife back into its sheath and looked at her smugly.

"See? Just find one of this quality. It doesn't have to be better than mine!"

Ning Rongrong came to her senses from her earlier unease, only to see Xia Ran smugly curl his lips.

"You're joking, right? How could a weapon have an attribute?"

And what sort of person could forge a weapon like that?

Even a divine craftsman couldn't do it, could they?

Though Ning Rongrong had lived in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for years and seen countless rare treasures, she had never heard of anyone's weapon reaching this level.

It wasn't a Martial Soul. How could it possibly...

"Xia Ran!"

She realized then that the goal Xia Ran had set was impossible to achieve, and immediately threw a fit.

"Why can you teach Zhu Zhuqing, but not me?"

"I'm the dignified young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. How do I fall short of Zhu Zhuqing? Why will you only teach her?"

Hearing this, Xia Ran compared the two girls in his mind, then couldn't help glancing at Ning Rongrong's flat chest.

That single glance completely ignited the Little Demoness's fury.

"Xia Ran! You jerk!"

She clenched her little fists and charged at him, ready to pound him.

"Hey, what did I even say? What are you doing?"

Xia Ran dodged to the side, and Ning Rongrong's punch hit nothing but air.

She turned around and glared at him resentfully. Her beautiful eyes reddened again, making Xia Ran feel a little flustered.

Seeing that she was about to burst into tears, he hurriedly said,

"Don't start with that. You're making it look like I bullied you."

That only made things worse. Ning Rongrong stopped holding back and burst into loud sobs.

"You are bullying me! Xia Ran, you jerk!"

[Detected an increase in Ning Rongrong's Favorability. System task issued: Raise Ning Rongrong's Favorability to 100% to claim the reward.]

Xia Ran had just been about to cover Ning Rongrong's mouth to stop her from making a spectacle of herself in the middle of the night when the system's voice suddenly rang out.

"What's going on? Didn't the system say Ning Rongrong and Oscar were a couple?"

He remembered what it had said on the day of the entrance exam.

Something about Oscar never having been to a brothel, and the two of them being true love...

So why was it issuing a favorability task for Ning Rongrong now?

The night was no time like the day. While Xia Ran stood there stunned, Ning Rongrong's sobs had already carried across the whole academy.

Shrek was tiny. During the day, Xia Ran could hear Ning Rongrong if she raised her voice; late at night, with everything quiet, her crying was even more conspicuous.

He hurried over and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Fine, fine. I give up."

"If you tell your Grandpa Sword about this and he agrees, I'll teach you. That work?"

That was as far as Xia Ran was willing to give in. If not for the system task, he'd have let Ning Rongrong cry all night.

At worst, he'd run away after Chen Xin found out. Douluo Continent was vast; he didn't believe Chen Xin could track him down.

Hearing Xia Ran agree, Ning Rongrong blinked her tear-filled eyes and asked in a wounded voice,

"Really?"

She seemed unable to believe he'd agreed so easily, and asked him to confirm several times.

"You're really willing to teach me how to cultivate? Why did you agree so readily this time?"

Then she thought it over.

"But what does this have to do with Grandpa Sword?"

Xia Ran didn't explain further.

"Ask him yourself."

Ning Rongrong looked puzzled and fell silent for a long while.

What did he mean, ask him herself? Would her Grandpa Sword actually object?

Suddenly, it seemed to dawn on her.

"You mean Grandpa Sword will try to recruit you, and if he can't, he'll kill you?"

"No way. He's not that kind of person!"

The young heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect certainly had a sharp mind. Ning Fengzhi must have often taught her how a sect master should conduct himself.

Ning Rongrong had guessed the heart of it immediately.

Looking at her confident expression, Xia Ran gave a snort of derision.

"If you were a guardian elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and saw a rising genius you couldn't bring under your control, would you kill him?"

After hearing this, Ning Rongrong fell into thought.

It was true. As one of the Upper Three Sects, if they didn't want other powers to threaten their position, recruiting or killing geniuses was the most direct approach.

Ning Rongrong quickly understood.

Then she looked at Xia Ran with an embarrassed expression, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness and smugness.

"Hehe! Is that why you don't want to teach me?"

"No. I just don't want to teach you, plain and simple!"

Seeing the young man's infuriating expression, Ning Rongrong raised her little fists again and swung them at his face.

"Xia Ran! You're awful!"

[Ning Rongrong's current Favorability toward the host: 20%]

Chapter 24: Setting Out for the Star Dou Forest

The next morning, everyone from Shrek Academy gathered at the school gate.

Zhao Wuji was leading the group as usual, with Tang San and the others following behind him.

But Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong weren't with them. They only showed up, strolling over leisurely with Xia Ran, just before the group was about to set off.

"Old Zhao, I'm coming along for this Soul Hunting trip. Got a problem with that?"

"And them, too!"

As he spoke, he shifted slightly to reveal Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, who had just finished eating behind him.

Zhao Wuji was a little surprised. Knowing Xia Ran, the kid couldn't possibly be going along to train.

"You're acting strange today! Why are you volunteering to join the Soul Hunting Operation?"

Usually, Xia Ran complained whenever Zhao Wuji tried to guide him. Now he was volunteering to join a Soul Hunting trip. Something had to be up.

Xia Ran looked unconcerned. With Zhao Wuji's Soul Saint strength and a bunch of deadweight in tow, Xia Ran could even help ease some of the pressure.

"Don't worry about it. Just pretend I'm not here. You don't even have to bring food for me."

Before Zhao Wuji could answer, Xia Ran walked ahead on his own.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing following behind Xia Ran like a maid or attendant, Dai Mubai couldn't help feeling jealous.

He felt his dignity had been trampled on. Zhu Zhuqing was his fiancée, and this was no different from an outright humiliation.

"Zhu Zhuqing!"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Dai Mubai shouted furiously at Zhu Zhuqing.

But all he got in response was her back. Zhu Zhuqing's dislike of Dai Mubai had already reached its limit, which meant there was no chance of them reconciling.

Faced with Dai Mubai's questioning, she couldn't even be bothered to respond.

"Stop! Don't you have anything to say?"

Seeing this, Dai Mubai stepped closer and used Martial Soul Possession again.

It looked like he was still planning to settle things with force.

But Xia Ran was right there. One glance from him, and the Evil Eye White Tiger instantly fell silent...

Seeing that Dai Mubai wouldn't stop pestering her, Zhu Zhuqing halted and turned around.

"The moment you fled the Star Luo Empire, there was nothing between us anymore."

Her beautiful eyes were expressionless, and her voice was ice-cold.

"So please stop pestering me."