The slightly injured Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, who had taken shelter off to the side, both found their mouths falling open into perfect O's.
They could hardly believe their eyes.
Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage who had already activated a defensive Soul Skill,
had actually been kicked straight into the air by an Auxiliary Soul Sage, right in front of everyone.
"Y-you're not an auxiliary Soul Master?"
"As an auxiliary Soul Master, isn't it perfectly reasonable to do something like this every now and then?"
Ning Rongrong seemed quite pleased by their shocked expressions, and a smug smile spread across her face.
After making a fool of himself time and again, Zhao Wuji's anger finally flared. As he got back up, he unleashed his Third Soul Skill, Gravity Enhancement.
The three girls caught within its range instantly felt their bodies grow heavy.
"Little girl, you've made me angry. Take this slap!"
As his Vajra Palm shot toward Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai and Oscar, watching from the sidelines, could only cover their eyes, unable to bear the sight.
You're an auxiliary Soul Master! Why not stay safely out of the way? Why run up here to get yourself beaten?
The fierce gust of the incoming palm made Ning Rongrong's expression turn solemn. Her calf tensed, and she stomped a dent into the ground.
Then, with an explosive burst of strength, she swiftly dodged Zhao Wuji's attack.
"Bam!"
The next moment, a massive palm print appeared in the ground.
"Nice reflexes, little girl."
"But how many times can you dodge?"
Seeing Zhao Wuji charge at her again with his palm raised, Ning Rongrong quickly darted away, leaping several times before landing in a nearby tree.
Sigh, looks like those two women can only help so much. I'll have to rely on myself!
Ning Rongrong removed the Weight Rings from her wrists and ankles, then slowly undid the clasps and took off her weighted vest.
She raised her hand and tossed all of them to the ground.
Watching the weights fall, Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with disdain.
"Humph, what use could those one- or two-pound lumps of iron possi—"
Before he could finish, Ning Rongrong's weights hit the ground.
"Rumble!"
A tremendous crash rang out as the weights smashed a three-meter-wide crater into the earth.
Even with a conservative estimate, Zhao Wuji could tell that the weights came to no less than 150 pounds.
"Good heavens..."
Zhao Wuji looked at Ning Rongrong in the tree again, his gaze transformed. He was looking at her as one of his own.
While Zhao Wuji felt a sense of kinship, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu stared on in utter astonishment.
"Y-you've got to be kidding. Can you even walk around carrying all that?"
"To have this level of cultivation at such a young age—you really are no ordinary person."
"I'll have to ask you about it later. That kind of training seems like it would suit me, too."
Once her surprise had passed, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to see a broad, open road perfectly suited to her. Her fondness for Ning Rongrong shot straight up.
Ning Rongrong clenched her fists and tested out her body, which she hadn't freed from its restraints in a long time. Then the corner of her mouth curled into a smile.
"Teacher Zhao, let's start over."
"Whoosh!"
As a few leaves drifted slowly down, Ning Rongrong vanished from sight once more.
Zhao Wuji felt a gale rush past his side, and he was sent flying like an arrow again.
He only stopped when he crashed into a nearby building.
"Start over? You're way too cocky, little girl!"
"Fourth Soul Skill: Position Tracking!"
Zhao Wuji's Soul Power locked onto Ning Rongrong's position, and he charged toward her.
Knowing she could no longer keep dodging, Ning Rongrong decided to stand her ground.
She leaped high into the air with all her strength. Timing it perfectly, she faced the oncoming Zhao Wuji and brought her right leg down like an axe.
"Full power, Heaven-Pain Kick!"
Zhao Wuji halted his charge. His pupils constricted as he watched her right leg cleave down from above.
He hurriedly planted his feet and raised both hands to shield his head.
As Ning Rongrong's leg struck Zhao Wuji, a shock wave spread out in an instant.
Zhao Wuji was driven into the ground like a nail, with only his upper body left above the surface.
The earth let out a groan under the tremendous blow.
Cracks like a spiderweb spread endlessly in every direction.
The enormous impact knocked Zhu Zhuqing, who was standing nearby, head over heels. She scrambled back to her feet, covered in dust.
The little rabbit, meanwhile, blinked to a spot farther away and became the world's most enthusiastic cheerleader.
She waved both hands wildly.
"Beautifully done, Rongrong! Beat him up!"
Having taken the full force of the impact head-on, Zhao Wuji felt his insides roil as blood surged through his body. A thin trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
In truth, if he had used his full strength from the start, Ning Rongrong wouldn't have been able to hurt him at all.
But arrogance was always a blade turned against its owner.
Zhao Wuji had paid the price for underestimating Ning Rongrong.
He looked up slightly, his pupils narrowing once more.
Ning Rongrong's figure had vanished from in front of him again, and her indignant voice rang out from behind.
"That'll teach you to underestimate me!"
"Try this young lady's Intracranial Hemorrhage Fist!"
Ning Rongrong dropped from the air, concentrating all her strength in her right fist as she aimed straight for Zhao Wuji's head.
Knowing he couldn't take this blow head-on, Zhao Wuji finally stopped worrying about saving face. The Fifth Soul Ring on his body lit up at once.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Gravity Squeeze!"
The gravity around them suddenly shifted. Ning Rongrong felt as if a giant hand had pressed down on her head.
She lost her balance for a moment and drove her full-strength punch into the ground beside Zhao Wuji.
"Bam!"
Shattered stones and dust flew in every direction. The onlookers had lost count of how many times they'd gaped in astonishment that day.
Dai Mubai and Oscar both swallowed hard. After exchanging looks, they simultaneously wiped the sweat from their brows.
"Boss Dai, good thing you didn't become an examiner."
"Y-yeah. If I'd taken a hit like that, I'd be laid up for ten days or half a month!"
Ning Rongrong sprang back as soon as she got to her feet, while the sharp-eyed little rabbit immediately shouted from the side.
"Teacher, you lost! You used your Fifth Soul Skill!"
Zhao Wuji could take a loss, and he put away his Martial Soul before announcing the result.
"She's right. You've passed."
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong let out a deep breath and sat right down on the ground, without the slightest concern for her appearance.
"Teacher, you sure can take a beating!"
Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes and replied awkwardly, "I'll take that as a compliment."
After resting for a while, Ning Rongrong got up and walked over to the pile of weights she'd thrown aside. She picked them up one by one and put them back on.
Seeing this, the little rabbit hurried over, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Ning Rongrong, how heavy are these things?"
"Twenty kilograms each. One hundred kilograms altogether."
"T-that heavy? Do you wear them all the time?"
"I wear the whole set except when I'm bathing. Success doesn't come just like that. Want to try them?"
At that, the little rabbit quickly backed away with an awkward grin, waving her hands in front of her.
"No, no, Sister Xiao Wu doesn't need them!"
The three girls' assessment had come to an end, and everyone present turned their attention to Tang San.
Next, they would get to see the performance of the person with the highest Soul Power among them.
Perhaps because of what had just happened, Zhao Wuji looked at Tang San with utmost seriousness.
He didn't want to get caught off guard twice in one day.
Tang San walked confidently up to Zhao Wuji and cupped his hands once more.
"I'm Tang San. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and I'm a Level 38 Control-type Battle Soul Elder."
"Please guide me, Teacher."
Before you continue