Can I Beat Her Up?

After listening, Li Hanche's brows furrowed. His gaze moved from Ning Rongrong's face to Xue Qinghe.

"What?"

Xue Qinghe paused slightly under that look. Before he could speak, Li Hanche's next words came right on its heels.

"Big Brother, you really sold me off? Wasn't I the person you brought back? So now I've got another big sister?"

Ning Rongrong's little head, peeking out from behind Ning Fengzhi, lifted slightly, and her lips puckered.

She was unhappy.

This skinny fellow had neither blushed nor acted awkward upon seeing her. He had not sweet-talked her by calling her "Miss Rongrong" like the other children in the sect did. Instead, he had turned away with an unwilling look to ask someone else.

She was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She had personally offered to take him in as her little brother, yet he was the one acting aggrieved?

A tiny crack appeared in Xue Qinghe's expression.

He looked at Ning Fengzhi, who was looking back at him.

The two adults exchanged a brief, subtle glance.

The meaning contained in that look was complicated, but its core was the same.

Neither of us expected this.

Ning Fengzhi gave a light cough and bent down, his tone gentle.

"Rongrong, this little brother isn't here to be your little brother. He is His Highness the Crown Prince's guest, and he has come to observe the ceremony today. Be polite. Speak properly to him first."

Ning Rongrong withdrew her head behind her father, but her large, jet-black eyes remained fixed on Li Hanche.

Li Hanche looked at her and spoke.

"You haven't awakened your martial soul yet. I'm older than you. You should call me Big Brother."

His tone was flat, as though he were stating an irrefutable fact.

Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.

She had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, where everyone around her indulged her, pampered her, and went along with her.

Other than her father and her two grandfathers, no one had ever dared speak to her in that tone.

Even those three had never spoken to her in such a tone.

Because when those three spoiled her, they had even fewer principles than anyone else.

She suddenly thrust her whole body out from behind Ning Fengzhi and stuck out her tongue at Li Hanche.

"I don't care! You're the little brother Grandpa Sword found for me!"

At the side, Sword Douluo—his beard and hair both white, a generation's Titled Douluo who had roamed the continent for decades—raised his right hand, rubbed his nose, and turned his gaze toward the distant mountains.

Following Ning Rongrong's words, Li Hanche looked toward Sword Douluo.

He saw the old swordsman rubbing his nose. He saw that expression that said, "This old man heard nothing," and then he understood.

What little brother? It was merely an excuse Sword Douluo had used to coax his own little princess. He was being used as a prop.

Instead, his expression relaxed, and he said casually, "Hm? My big brother is Xue Qinghe. Who am I supposed to fear?"

"Those who recognize me as their big brother could line up from Heaven Dou City all the way to Spirit Hall. As for recognizing someone as my big sister, Li Hanche can't do that."

After saying that, he even raised his chin and struck what he thought was a very dashing pose.

The smile at the corner of Ning Fengzhi's lips froze.

Xue Qinghe turned his face slightly aside. Ning Rongrong peeked half her head out from behind her father, her mouth slightly open. Clearly, she had not expected this fellow to say something so shameless.

Fortunately, the awakening ceremony was about to begin.

Ning Fengzhi took Ning Rongrong's hand and led her toward the center of the formation.

As Ning Rongrong walked forward hand in hand with her father, she still twisted her head around, glaring at Li Hanche with those large, jet-black eyes.

Li Hanche met her gaze expressionlessly and even gave a nod, as if saying: What are you looking at? Call me Big Brother.

Ning Rongrong viciously turned her head back, the ribbon on her ponytail whipping out a resentful arc.

The ceremony proceeded quickly.

The moment Ning Rongrong pressed her small hand against the crystal ball, seven-colored light shot into the sky from the formation.

The phantom of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda condensed—one level, two levels, three levels... until the complete seven-tiered pagoda appeared, shimmering with flowing light and radiant treasure-glow.

Light within the crystal ball piled upon itself in layer after layer, shifting from pale to deep, from faint to rich, before finally stabilizing at a brightness that made everyone present hold their breath.

Innate soul power, rank nine.

Cheers that could no longer be restrained erupted from all around the square.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, innate rank nine—this was the finest awakening result the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had seen in three generations.

Standing at the edge of the formation, Ning Fengzhi looked at the crystal ball shining brilliantly in his daughter's hands. Even his ever-composed face revealed a smile he could not conceal.

Ning Rongrong walked back from the center of the formation, her chin raised high.

As she passed Li Hanche, she deliberately paused for a step, gave a snort through her nose, then strode away with her head high and chest out like a victorious little peacock.

Li Hanche watched her go, then turned to Xue Qinghe.

"Big Brother, she snorted at me. Can I beat her up?"

Xue Qinghe lowered his head and glanced at him.

"Endure it."

After the awakening ceremony, everyone moved to the sect's main hall.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's council hall was every bit as imposing as its facade.

Twelve glazed pillars entwined with dragons held up the vaulted ceiling, upon which were painted the inheritance charts of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda through the generations.

Ning Fengzhi sat in the seat of honor, with Ning Rongrong sprawled across his lap.

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo sat on either side, while Xue Qinghe took Li Hanche to the guest seats.

Attendants served tea and pastries, then bowed and withdrew.

Sword Douluo set down his teacup and cleared his throat.

Everyone's eyes converged on him.

"Fengzhi, you old bone, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

He greeted them in turn.

"There is something this old man wishes to settle today, before all of you."

Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly. He already knew what Sword Douluo was about to say.

"This child—I wish to take him as my disciple."

Sword Douluo's gaze fell upon Li Hanche. A rare trace of gentleness appeared on his aged yet refined face.

"A top-tier mutated martial soul, innate full soul power, and a first soul ring of two thousand one hundred years. His temperament is steadfast; he can endure hardships that ordinary people cannot. This old man has lived nearly a hundred years, and I have only ever seen one seedling like this. I do not wish to let him slip away."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Bone Douluo lifted his teacup and took a great gulp, his eyes full of the knowing look of, I knew you old bastard wouldn't be able to hold back.

Ning Rongrong jumped down from Ning Fengzhi's lap, her lips pouting once more, but this time she did not make a fuss.

Everyone's gaze fell upon Li Hanche, awaiting his response.

Li Hanche looked at Xue Qinghe beside him. His lips moved.

"Uh, Big Brother, you don't want me anymore?"

The hall became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone's eyes turned toward him in unison, carrying all manner of meanings—confusion, curiosity, and the silent question: Your Highness the Crown Prince, just what did you do to this child?

Xue Qinghe was just about to say something.

At that very instant, golden light exploded in Li Hanche's mind. That familiar system notification, so smugly gleeful it made one's teeth itch, sounded right on cue.

"Ding! Detected that Sword Douluo Chen Xin has formally extended an offer of discipleship to the host. The guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the continent's foremost sword wielder—such a teacher cannot be found even by searching with a lantern. The [Lineage] choice mission has now been triggered. Please make your choice within three breaths."

Three options surfaced in his mind, glittering with golden light.

Li Hanche's gaze fell upon the first option: [Become Sword Douluo's disciple].

The reward note behind it read: Cold Gleam Spear Art, one volume.

His gaze lingered on that reward.

A spear art. He had the Dark Nether Ice Soul Spear, the cultivation method of the Frost Heaven Record, the body-tempering art of the Nine-Turn Tyrant Body Art, the spiritual cultivation method of the Mind-Clarity and Nature-Seeing Art, and the movement technique Treading Snow Without Trace.

What he lacked was a truly systematic spear art.

He had always fought in the most basic ways—thrusting, picking, sweeping, blocking—all instinct, without any actual techniques to speak of.

In that battle in the Far North, if he had possessed a matching spear art, it would not have been fought so bitterly.