"Little Luo, I never expected someone so young to be that kind of person!"
Ning Fengzhi thought to himself, but didn't say it aloud.
"Little Luo, forgive me for asking, but how old are you this year?"
"Eight. Tang San, Xiao Wu, and I are all eight."
There was no need to hide his age. They would have plenty of chances to deal with each other in the future, and he couldn't keep his age secret forever. Rather than make up a false age and risk offending Ning Fengzhi when the truth came out, it was better to be honest and make Ning Fengzhi take him even more seriously.
"Gasp!"
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin sucked in a breath.
Ning Fengzhi had assumed that Li Luo and the others were about the same age as Ning Rongrong, but he hadn't expected them to be the same age.
"Eight years old, and a Soul Grandmaster!"
Ning Fengzhi understood what that meant. He was even more eager to lure Li Luo and the others into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But until he had figured out the three of them, he'd have to put that matter aside for now.
Still, Ning Fengzhi had no objection to Li Luo asking for Whale Rubber. What would an eight-year-old child need that stuff for? It wasn't as if he needed an aphrodisiac, right?
He figured Li Luo must have some other plan for the Whale Rubber, but he was too embarrassed to ask. The whole matter was simply too awkward.
They'd eaten, and they'd discussed their collaboration. All feasts must come to an end, and the two parties were about to part ways.
Before leaving, Ning Fengzhi gave Li Luo a token.
"Little Luo, this is a token of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If you run into trouble in the future, you can show it to people. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect carries plenty of weight."
"Besides, you can use this token at any Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect business to enjoy a twenty percent discount and top-tier service."
"This token is also a keepsake you can use to contact the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Li Luo was traveling with Tang San and Xiao Wu, without any fixed abode, so he couldn't give Ning Fengzhi a definite address or time to contact him.
But with the token, they could still carry out their collaboration smoothly.
And so, they parted ways.
With tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins in his pocket and Ning Fengzhi taking responsibility for gathering the rare metals, Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu had no reason to stay in Gengxin City any longer.
Over the next few years, the three traveled all over the Douluo Continent. Whenever Tang San finished building a Godly Zhuge Crossbow, he delivered it to the nearest Seven Treasure Commercial Firm. Once the crossbow and bolts had been sent to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the firm would deliver the Whale Rubber Li Luo needed and the metals Tang San needed. Only then would the three move on and continue their travels.
Unfortunately, all the Whale Rubber Li Luo received was thousand-year-grade. Ning Fengzhi never gave him any Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber.
It was worth mentioning that sometimes the three of them would happen to run into Ning Fengzhi. Sometimes Chen Xin would be at his side, and sometimes Gu Rong, but one thing never changed: Ning Rongrong was always with him.
Every time they met, Ning Rongrong would pester Li Luo to take her out to play.
What a cute little girl Ning Rongrong was! When she started acting spoiled, she was all sweet and coquettish. Li Luo simply couldn't withstand such a test.
Were they trying to test an official with this? What official could possibly resist such a test?! Huh?
Li Luo made up his mind: Ning Rongrong would be his third Soul Ring.
As a result, Ning Rongrong and Li Luo grew closer and closer, to the point that even Xiao Wu started getting a little jealous.
"I was here first!"
But after it happened often enough, Xiao Wu stopped caring and became good friends with Ning Rongrong instead.
Time flew like an arrow, and the sun and moon raced across the sky. Four years passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Luo was now a Quasi-Soul Ancestor at level forty. In fact, he'd broken through to level forty two and a half months earlier.
In four years, he'd gone from level twenty-three to level forty, gaining at least four levels of Soul Power a year on average. That was already an impressive pace.
But although he averaged four levels a year, Li Luo had actually reached level thirty two years ago. After a chance "encounter" with Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong, Li Luo took Ning Rongrong to a hotel alone, hoping to do something interesting.
"Brother Luo, why did you bring Rongrong here?"
Ning Rongrong asked playfully, her little lips pursed in innocent curiosity.
Since Li Luo didn't want anyone else to see them, he'd come to a hotel intending to rent a room.
Li Luo had planned to pick any room, but when the receptionist saw the handsome young man and pretty girl coming in together to rent a room, she gave him a knowing look and booked them a room at a love hotel.
Perhaps because of their Martial Souls, people on the Douluo Continent matured very quickly.
Li Luo was only ten, but he looked no different from an adult. Ning Rongrong also looked quite grown-up.
So the receptionist had gotten the wrong idea.
Li Luo surveyed the room's decor and covered his face with one hand, speechless.
But he didn't waste time talking. He summoned his Martial Soul, and the Prism Ball appeared in his right hand.
Two Soul Rings, one purple and one yellow, rose beneath Li Luo.
Sigh, Xiao Wu's still too lazy. Even though she's advanced to Soul Grandmaster, her physical fitness still isn't up to the thousand-year level.
"Rongrong, your big brother's going to show you something amazing!"
Hearing "something amazing," Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. She stared intently at the Prism Ball in Li Luo's hand and the strange Soul Ring Configuration revolving around him, her little head practically buzzing with confusion.
"You're the one. Get in there, Haki Rongrong!"
As Li Luo spoke, he tossed the Prism Ball above Ning Rongrong's head. The ball shot out a beam of colored light and enveloped her.
Ning Rongrong then transformed into a streak of colored light and entered the Prism Ball.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
"Buzz!"
The Prism Ball spun in a triangular pattern and let out a crisp sound.
[Successfully captured Spirit: Ning Rongrong, Level 21]
Several lines of information appeared in Li Luo's mind.
[Successfully advanced to Soul Elder-level Mage]
[Current highest Spirit obedience level: 40]
[Highest capturable level: 50]
After processing the information, Li Luo tossed the Prism Ball again and released Ning Rongrong.
"Come on out, Haki Rongrong!"
The Prism Ball sailed into the air and shot out a beam of colored light. Ning Rongrong's figure appeared once more.
Having experienced something like this for the first time, Ning Rongrong was a little startled. But then she froze.
Her Martial Soul appeared on its own. A glazed pagoda materialized in the palm of her right hand.
But it wasn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. It was a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda tinged with color.
"Ah!"
"This... This is the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
Ning Rongrong's mouth fell open as she cried out.
"Brother Luo, is this the amazing thing you wanted to show me?"
"My Martial Soul evolved from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
This was a trait of Li Luo's Martial Soul, the Prism Ball. The potential of any spirit captured by Li Luo would rise to its peak, and it would also receive the Prism Ball's enhancement.
"When my dad finds out my Martial Soul evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he'll be so happy!"
"Thank you, Brother Luo!"
Ning Rongrong was overjoyed and threw herself straight at Li Luo.
Li Luo was caught off guard and knocked over onto the bed.
Ning Rongrong ended up sitting on top of him.