Nine Treasures Glazed Tile, An Unexpected Thank You Gift

The next morning, behind Shrek Academy.

The morning light was faint, and the mist hung like gauze. Yi Chen stood with his hands behind his back beneath an old locust tree, eyes closed to gather his thoughts as he waited for his three disciples to arrive.

Zhu Zhuqing was the first to arrive.

She wore a black, tight-fitting training suit, her long, raven-black hair tied into a simple ponytail, revealing a delicate and icy-cold face. Yi Chen opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze brightening slightly.

After absorbing the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, the changes in Zhu Zhuqing were striking. Her already slender figure had become even more graceful and well-proportioned, her skin as fair as jade, faintly glowing with a lustrous sheen.

Most prominent was her temperament; the original coldness now held a touch of ethereal detachment. Standing there, she was like an isolated orchid, making it impossible to look away.

Her features seemed more refined as well, the last traces of youthful awkwardness fading from her brows and eyes, replaced by the moving charm of a young woman coming into her own.

"Master." Zhu Zhuqing walked up to Yi Chen and bowed slightly. Her voice remained cold, but it held a hint of respect that hadn't been there before.

Yi Chen looked her up and down, nodding with satisfaction. "Not bad. You have already absorbed seventy percent of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone's medicinal power; the rest will slowly integrate into your body over time. Your soul power should have broken through to level thirty-eight, correct?"

A flash of surprise crossed Zhu Zhuqing's eyes; clearly, she hadn't expected Yi Chen to see through her cultivation at a glance. She nodded. "Yes, Master. I broke through last night."

"Very good. With your current physique and speed, the average early-stage Soul Ancestor is no longer your match," Yi Chen praised.

"Once your Nether Civet fully absorbs the remaining medicinal power of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, it has the potential to evolve into a higher-order existence. By then, your potential will be further elevated."

A glimmer of joy flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. Although her face remained expressionless, the slightly upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her inner delight.

Just then, a crisp voice rang out from afar.

"Master! Zhuqing! You're here so early!"

The two turned toward the sound to see Xiao Wu skipping over. She wore a pink tracksuit, her scorpion braid swinging behind her, and her face was wreathed in a brilliant smile. She ran up to Yi Chen and bowed playfully. "Good morning, Master!"

Yi Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping over her. The medicinal power of the Love Sickness Heartbroken Red had fully integrated into her body; her aura was more restrained than yesterday, and if one didn't deliberately sense it, she was indistinguishable from an ordinary human. Her soul power fluctuations were also much steadier than the day before, clearly having benefited greatly.

"It seems the Love Sickness Heartbroken Red has been very effective for you," Yi Chen said. "Your aura is hidden deeper now; even a Titled Douluo would find it hard to detect your abnormality without careful investigation. What level is your soul power at?"

Xiao Wu chuckled and proudly held up a gesture. "Level thirty-nine! Just one step away from being a Soul Ancestor!"

Yi Chen nodded. "Not bad. With your foundation, breaking through to Soul Ancestor is only a matter of time. Furthermore, the strengthening and consolidating effects of the Love Sickness Heartbroken Red will make your future path of cultivation much smoother."

"Thank you, Master!" Xiao Wu beamed, clearly very satisfied with her progress.

At that moment, the sound of rapid footsteps approached, accompanied by Ning Rongrong's breathless voice: "Coming, coming! I'm here!"

The three turned to see Ning Rongrong running up the slope, her pretty face flushed red and fine beads of sweat on her forehead—she had clearly run in a great hurry. But the attention of all three was almost instantly drawn to the pagoda hovering in her palm.

The crystal-clear nine-story pagoda had each level flowing with different colored lights, reflecting off one another in a magnificent display, emitting a sacred and solemn aura.

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!

"Master! Look! Look!" Ning Rongrong rushed to Yi Chen, excitedly holding the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda up before his eyes, her voice filled with irrepressible excitement. "My martial soul really evolved! The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"

Yi Chen's gaze swept over her, and he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, you absorbed the Silk Tulip's medicinal power very well. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is already a top-tier existence among support-type martial souls. From now on, you can provide multiple different buffs to multiple targets simultaneously, and the effect of each buff is much improved compared to before."

He paused, then added, "Your soul power has also broken through to level thirty-seven, and your foundation is solid, with no sense of instability. It seems you didn't slack off last night and properly consolidated your cultivation."

"Of course!" Ning Rongrong puffed out her chest proudly. "How could I be careless with something you entrusted to me, Master?"

The more she looked at the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand, the more she loved it, and the more excited she became. Suddenly, she whipped her head around, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed intently on Yi Chen.

"Master!"

"Hm?"

Without a word, Ning Rongrong stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss directly on Yi Chen's cheek!

"Thank you!"

The entire mountainside went silent in an instant.

Xiao Wu's eyes widened, her mouth forming an "O" shape.

Although Zhu Zhuqing remained expressionless, her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Yi Chen was also stunned. He touched his kissed cheek, momentarily at a loss for words.

After the kiss, Ning Rongrong realized what she had done, and her face turned red to the roots of her ears. She hurriedly stepped back, covering her burning cheeks with her hands, and stammered, "I... I didn't mean to! I was just too happy! It was an impulse... Master, don't misunderstand!"

Watching her flustered state, Yi Chen shook his head helplessly and sighed. "Alright, alright, I know you were just too happy. But you must mind your boundaries next time, understand?"

"I understand, I understand!" Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, leaning over to whisper into Zhu Zhuqing's ear, "Zhuqing, look, Rongrong is blushing!"

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at her expressionlessly and said coolly, "You've blushed before, too."

Xiao Wu's smile froze instantly.

She remembered the scene from yesterday where she had cried in Yi Chen's arms, and her own cheeks couldn't help but heat up.

Seeing his three disciples lost in their own thoughts, Yi Chen gave a light cough to draw their attention back. "Alright, enough fooling around. Let's officially begin today's training."

The three young women quickly composed themselves, stood in a row, and looked at Yi Chen earnestly.

Yi Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the three of them as he spoke slowly. "You have already mastered the basic gameplay of the Battle of the Golden Spatula. But starting today, what I want to teach you is how to apply the tactical thinking from this game to actual combat."

The three women exchanged glances, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"First, let's run a test." Yi Chen extended a finger and tapped lightly in the air; three golden chessboards unfolded simultaneously before them. "The three of you, play a match against each other. I want to see what level your skills have reached."

"Yes, Master!"

The three young women replied in unison, then each sat before a chessboard to begin the first examination since becoming his disciples.

Yi Chen stood to the side with his hands behind his back, watching his three disciples play with focused expressions, a satisfied smile slowly curling the corners of his lips.

The talent of these three girls was truly remarkable.

Given time, they would surely achieve great things.