Two days later.
Ning Rongrong strode confidently forward and kicked open the gate to Su Li's courtyard.
"Blockhead, look what level I am now!"
Hearing the commotion,
Su Li put away the sword in his hand and glanced at the Soul Ring beneath Ning Rongrong's feet, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.
Wasn't her Innate Soul Power at level nine?
Why had she broken through to level ten so quickly?
Could it be...
This little girl was really a genius?
Or perhaps
she only looked lazy in public, while secretly working herself to the bone behind the scenes?
Pushing those thoughts aside, he wiped away his sweat with a towel and smiled sincerely.
"The Young Sect Master truly is gifted. Breaking through in only half a month—you must have suffered quite a bit in private."
Ning Rongrong's cheeks grew a little warm, and his praise embarrassed her.
She understood better than anyone else
that she had only cultivated casually a few times.
"It was all right... Maybe I actually had nine and a half levels of Innate Soul Power, which was why I broke through to level ten so fast."
"Anyway! We're both level thirteen now! Don't let me surpass you in the future!"
Su Li nodded.
He had cheats, for crying out loud. If Ning Rongrong, that little lazy pig, still managed to surpass him,
he might as well find someone with a big chest and smash himself to death.
"Pack your things. We're going to Heaven Dou Royal Academy tomorrow."
"We might come back every two or three days, or maybe once a week."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not far from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Did Ning Rongrong mean they would be staying there?
A hint of suspicion flashed through Su Li's eyes, but he did not think too much about it.
In his view,
one could cultivate anywhere. The strong never complained about their environment.
These past few days,
whenever Chen Xin had nothing to do, he would spar with Su Li and discuss the sword.
He even taught him some sword techniques.
For Su Li, whose comprehension was maxed out, such things were practically learned at a glance.
If he had not been afraid of discouraging Sword Douluo, he could have adapted the Killing Character Art on the spot.
"Of course, if you don't want the trouble, this young lady can prepare everything for you."
"But you'll have to beg me~"
Ning Rongrong placed her hands on her hips and raised her snow-white neck. Though she tried her hardest to puff out her chest, it was all in vain.
Su Li cast a worried glance at the baby food.
Then he helplessly looked away. "No need. I have hands."
"Tch~ Fine, forget it."
Ning Rongrong gave a light snort, sat on a little stone stool, and pursed her lips as she watched the lively young man glowing beneath the sunlight.
For a moment, she became lost in thought.
She did not even notice Chen Xin walking up behind her.
"Rongrong?"
"Ah?!"
Ning Rongrong jolted awake and turned to look at Chen Xin, who seemed to be smiling but not smiling. She gave an awkward laugh. "Sword Grandpa... when did you get here?"
"Just now."
Chen Xin glanced at her without mentioning that he had arrived a quarter of an hour ago.
"Oh~ So you only just got here..."
Ning Rongrong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she straightened her slender waist and stared at him curiously.
"Sword Grandpa, did you come to guide Su Li's cultivation?"
"Mm... more or less."
Chen Xin narrowed his eyes, his heart stirring with a certain impulse.
He felt that Su Li's comprehension was somewhat terrifying. If he demonstrated more sword techniques and gave him further guidance,
that boy
might be able to create his own sword techniques!
Perhaps even Self-Created Soul Skills were not impossible!
Unfortunately, his Soul Power was still too low, and his body was too fragile.
He could not try such things lightly.
Perhaps once he became a Soul Elder, he would be able to do so with ease?
"Su Li, stop practicing for now."
"Fight me. Temper your swordsmanship."
Su Li stopped what he was doing and looked earnestly at Chen Xin. "Yes!"
Ning Rongrong clapped from the side, looking somewhat happy.
But afterward, she hesitated.
She did not know whom she should cheer for.
On one side was her future husband; on the other was Sword Grandpa, who had always doted on her.
Such a difficult choice!
"Forget it! How could Su Li possibly win?"
Ning Rongrong propped up her chin with both hands. Her gaze settled on that handsome boy, and she instinctively began worrying about him.
The wind blew softly as the dim evening glow shone over the two swordsmen. Their shadows stretched long and slanted, creating a rather murderous atmosphere.
Chen Xin's sword embodied slaughter.
Su Li's sword embodied righteousness.
"Here I come."
Chen Xin casually picked up a tree branch and charged toward him.
Su Li raised his sword to block, the frequency of each strike matching Chen Xin's without falling behind.
To Chen Xin, this might not have been much.
But even a Soul Elder might not necessarily have been able to see every sword strike clearly.
Ning Rongrong watched the afterimages and the sparks produced by the Pure Jun Sword colliding with the branch. Her head spun, and even her eyes began to ache.
"Hiss... So fast. Has Su Li's swordsmanship already reached this level?"
The girl was deeply shocked.
There was no shortage of people who practiced the sword within the sect.
But she dared to say that even sword cultivators at the Soul Grandmaster level could never achieve such a level!
How long had Su Li even been holding a sword?
Stars gleamed in Ning Rongrong's eyes, and an uncontrollable hint of admiration rose in her heart.
This sort of boy was her most correct choice for a future husband...
In just half a minute,
Su Li had already swung his sword over a hundred times.
Thanks to his powerful spiritual power, otherwise he might very well have exhausted himself to death in such an exchange.
However,
the more intense the battle, the more it tempered his combat techniques and understanding of the sword.
"Killing Character Art."
Chen Xin calmly used his Self-Created Soul Skill, suppressing its power as much as possible to the same level as Su Li's.
Six black streaks of sword light interwove into the character "kill" and rapidly shot toward him.
Even the air visibly trembled.
This move was quite powerful. If unleashed at full strength, it could easily crush an entire group of ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
Su Li remained calm, and the Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.
"First Soul Skill, Shining—Light Blades."
Crack!
Seven sword blades moved as though they possessed intelligence, each taking its role in cutting apart Chen Xin's "kill" sword energy.
Just as the explosion was about to occur, six of the blades erupted with an extreme white radiance, "purifying" the sword energy.
Calling it purification was inaccurate. Annihilation was more fitting.
Chen Xin watched the blade flying toward him, surprise flashing through his eyes.
He had not expected it.
He had actually lost this exchange?
It seemed
he needed to raise the difficulty.
Very quickly,
Chen Xin casually shattered that blade with a slap, and his aura suddenly rose.
Now, every move he made carried the power of a Soul Grandmaster.
"Su Li!"
Ning Rongrong abruptly rose to her feet, worry flashing through her eyes.
How had it suddenly become a battle between Soul Grandmasters?
Hadn't they only awakened their martial souls not long ago?
What in the world was going on?
Su Li gave Ning Rongrong a reassuring look. Facing the charging Chen Xin, he cupped his hands and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Sword Grandpa."
"Hm? Why are you suddenly thanking me?"
"Do you think you can't withstand my next move?" Chen Xin asked curiously.
Su Li shook his head. Holding the Pure Jun Sword, his body instantly gave off an exceptionally comfortable, gentle aura.
It was completely opposite to Chen Xin's killing intent.
"I understand now."
Before you continue