" Ning Rongrong, those two men in white just now... you know them, don't you?"
"Or maybe... they know you."
On the street, Tang Yin spoke bluntly.
"Huh?"
Xiao Wu froze at his words.
"N-no, I don't..." Ning Rongrong said with an awkward smile, her heart tightening.
Tang Yin smiled. "In that case, we won't talk about it anymore. When you're out on your own, it really is best to be careful around people and situations."
Xiao Wu trusted Tang Yin's judgment. Now, as she looked at Ning Rongrong, there was a strange expression in her eyes.
"If those two really wanted to hurt you, they wouldn't have left just like that. Even though Tang Yin and I showed up in time, they should've fought first, realized they were outmatched, and only then left. That would've made more sense."
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and sighed. "You two are far too clever. I consider you friends, so I may as well stop hiding it. I'm actually the youngest daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master."
"You're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—and the sect master's daughter?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened.
Having lived for two years in a major city like Suotuo City, she had picked up quite a bit of general knowledge about the continent simply by being exposed to it.
Ning Rongrong nodded lightly. Then she opened her right hand, and a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda radiating precious light appeared. At the same time, two Yellow Soul Rings rose beneath her feet.
"Look, this is my Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. My Soul Power is currently level twenty-six."
"So this is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! It really is beautiful!" Xiao Wu praised it sincerely.
Ning Rongrong smiled faintly, then turned to Tang Yin and said softly:
"As for the two men in white in the alley, you were right. They are disciples of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. My father must have sent them to find and protect me."
"But the corpse on the ground wasn't one of them. He really did try to ambush me."
As she said this, Ning Rongrong's pupils widened slightly, and her throat bobbed involuntarily.
She really had been frightened.
It was the first time she had ever encountered anything like this.
"I have to say, you've got some nerve," Tang Yin said with a shake of his head and a sigh.
"Xiao Wu and I will escort you back to the academy tonight." Xiao Wu could see how uneasy Ning Rongrong was, so she gently patted her shoulder.
A smile appeared on Ning Rongrong's pretty face. She gave a soft "Mm" and nodded.
"Hey, Ning Rongrong, how much money do you have on you?" Tang Yin asked.
"Not much," Ning Rongrong replied softly. "I sneaked out of the sect this time, so I only brought a few hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins with me."
Xiao Wu drew in a sharp breath and was about to cry out.
Fortunately, Tang Yin reacted in time. He clapped a hand over her mouth to keep her from drawing anyone's attention.
"Mm-mm-mm—" Xiao Wu rolled her eyes and glared at Tang Yin, rapidly blinking at him in annoyance.
"Shh! Don't say something like that so loudly!" Tang Yin whispered into Xiao Wu's ear.
Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Tang Yin let go of her. The corners of his mouth lifted as he turned to Ning Rongrong and suggested, "Want to come with us to the Great Soul Arena here and place a bet? If we win, we'll split the winnings!"
Xiao Wu's eyes shifted. She immediately understood what Tang Yin was planning.
"Bet? Bet on what?" Ning Rongrong asked, confused.
"I'll compete in a Soul Fight, and you bet on me to win!" Tang Yin said with a squinting smile, looking rather smug.
"Oh? And what if you lose?" Ning Rongrong raised her slender brows and looked at Tang Yin curiously.
"I won't lose. At least not at the Suotuo City Great Soul Arena." Tang Yin smiled confidently.
Xiao Wu smiled with narrowed eyes. "Tang Yin already has a Gold Soul Fighting Badge, and he'll be promoted another level soon."
Ning Rongrong knew the ranking system at the Soul Fight Arena quite well. Hearing Xiao Wu say this, she looked at Tang Yin again, filled with astonishment.
"I never expected you to be so handsome and so capable!"
"Uh..." Tang Yin was at a loss for words.
When Xiao Wu looked at Ning Rongrong again, there was another odd expression on her face.
Soto Great Soul Arena.
A Gold Soul Fight wagering match was about to begin in the central arena.
The central arena was spacious enough to hold more spectators. It was also the area audiences were most enthusiastic about and most loved to visit.
VIP lounge.
Xiao Wu sat beside Tang Yin, while Ning Rongrong sat across from them, her jade-like legs crossed.
"Tang Yin, I forgot to ask you earlier. Just how high is your Soul Power now?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Tang Yin smiled. "I'm a Soul Elder now."
"A Soul Elder?!" Ning Rongrong cried out. She instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth, her pupils shrinking slightly as she stared at Tang Yin without blinking.
Handsome, kindhearted, and strong!
He was practically the perfect match for her!
But...
Ning Rongrong caught sight of Xiao Wu out of the corner of her eye. She took a deep breath, swallowed, and asked with hopeful eyes, "What about you, Xiao Wu?"
Xiao Wu smiled. "I'm a Soul Elder too!"
Ning Rongrong stared at her in shock, then asked, "Then how old are you two?"
Xiao Wu thought for a moment. "You're just old enough to enroll in Shrek Academy, right? Then we must be about the same age as you."
Ning Rongrong didn't want to speak anymore.
She was utterly shaken.
Was the world outside really so vast?
Were geniuses as numerous as fish crossing a river?
She had been hailed as the sect's greatest genius. How had things become so...
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Someone knocked on the VIP lounge door.
"Come in," Tang Yin said.
A moment later, a beautiful attendant gently pushed open the door and bowed. "Mr. Tang, your match is about to begin."
"I'm off to compete. I'll be back soon." Tang Yin gently patted Xiao Wu's hand, then smiled at Ning Rongrong. "Don't worry. I won't let you lose your two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
With that, Tang Yin rose and headed out.
"The odds are one to two. We're going to make a fortune! I'll get two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. That'll last me ages!" Xiao Wu beamed at the thought, unable to stop herself from laughing.
Ning Rongrong smiled helplessly. "Xiao Wu, that really isn't much money. You should think bigger and stop worrying about petty gains."
Xiao Wu's mouth twitched. "You filthy rich person!"
Ning Rongrong not only wasn't angry, but found it rather amusing.
In Xiao Wu, she saw frankness, freedom, honesty, and all sorts of other qualities.
She felt comfortable around Xiao Wu.
Maybe I can stop pretending for a while. Keeping up the act all the time is exhausting.
On the Soul Fighting Platform.
Tang Yin and his opponent, Li Mu, faced each other ten meters apart.
"So you're Tang Yin? You really are as handsome as the rumors say!"
"I'll cut off your head and take it back to keep as a souvenir."
Li Mu stared at Tang Yin with a wicked grin, licked the blade of the knife in his hand, and summoned four Soul Rings beneath his feet.
This time, Tang Yin was challenging someone of a higher rank.
The Great Soul Arena didn't forbid such matches. If anything, it encouraged them.
Your life was your own responsibility. The Soul Arena wouldn't interfere.
"Then you'll have to prove you're capable of it."
"But since you want my head, I won't spare your life."
Tang Yin spoke in a calm voice.
He flicked his right hand. Beneath his sleeve, the golden lightning markings on his arm stirred silently, transforming into streaks of golden light that gradually gathered into a long whip crackling with violet lightning.
At the same time, he released the Blue Silver Domain.
After developing it extensively, the Blue Silver Domain now had more than just a variety of functions.
In addition to controlling Blue Silver Grass and steadying the mind, it could also conceal things.
For example, it could hide a Martial Soul, Soul Rings, one's aura, and Soul Power. However, someone with vastly greater spiritual power could still see through it.
This ability was something Tang Yin himself had developed by combining spiritual power with the Blue Silver Domain.
But Li Mu had clearly failed to see through Tang Yin's disguise.
"This is a life-or-death match to decide both victory and survival, and you dare look down on me like this!"
Seeing Tang Yin holding only a long whip, without even summoning his Martial Soul or Soul Rings, Li Mu immediately felt slighted and grew furious.
In truth, Tang Yin was fully prepared for battle.
It was only because of the Blue Silver Domain's concealment that Li Mu could see nothing beyond appearances.