Ning Rongrong: "???"
Soon enough.
Under her watchful gaze, Su Li's Soul Power successfully rose from level 17 to level 18.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Ning Rongrong's little face flushed red. She gritted her teeth and suddenly felt rather defeated.
Her cultivation speed clearly wasn't bad.
So why was she always one step behind him?
The girl puffed out her cheeks in discouragement and helplessly waved a hand. "Forget it, forget it. Support-type martial souls are slower to cultivate in the first place."
"I'll let you stay ahead for now, but I'll definitely catch up someday."
Chen Xin walked over with a delighted expression and flicked Ning Rongrong on the forehead.
"Ow! Sword Grandpa!"
Thump~
"Ow! What was that for?! Even you're bullying me?!"
Ning Rongrong glared with big, aggrieved eyes, puffing up angrily as though she wanted to bite off Su Li's finger.
"You're still bragging? If you spent more time cultivating normally, you wouldn't only be level 16 now."
Chen Xin had wanted to respond to Su Li's words, but when he recalled that his own progress back then had been about the same as Rongrong's, despite her having a support-type martial soul, his old face reddened slightly.
He had worked incredibly hard to break through back then.
Why was it that Rongrong usually did nothing but play around?
Eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating.
Yet whenever she cultivated a little, she achieved what ordinary people took days or even over ten days to accomplish?
Good thing she was their own little princess. If she had been a disciple from another faction, people would need to be wary.
"Hmph! I'm going to cultivate diligently tonight!"
"Don't."
After Su Li uttered that single word, Ning Rongrong stomped away. It looked like she was determined to come tonight no matter what.
Sigh.
His bed...
Every time she wanted to cultivate, it got thoroughly wrecked.
It would have been one thing if she simply didn't behave herself.
But she was always drooling stupidly too. Who knew what kind of wonderful dream made her so happy?
"Xiao Li, tomorrow is the sect's annual assessment tournament. By rights, every disciple has to participate."
"Rongrong has a support-type martial soul, so she doesn't have to."
"As for you... originally, I planned not to let you participate. You'd just be bullying them up there."
"But Fengzhi said you should show off a little and inspire the sect's disciples."
"Once it's done, whatever you want, we'll give it to you."
Su Li stroked his chin, a faint glimmer flashing through his eyes.
Now that he had properly received a year of noble education, along with the hardworking and diligent persona he usually maintained...
It would be more reasonable for him to ask for certain things now.
"Sword Grandpa, there really is something I want."
"Oh? What do you want? Go ahead and tell me."
Su Li looked at him solemnly and said, "Whale Rubber."
Chen Xin froze for a moment. His expression sank, and his face suddenly turned serious. "Xiao Li, it's not what I think it is, right?"
"That's right."
Whoosh.
Chen Xin suddenly took out a length of bamboo and patted it against his palm, looking every bit like a stern father.
The corner of Su Li's mouth twitched. He immediately realized Chen Xin had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "Sword Grandpa! Don't hit me!"
"It's not what you think. That thing has other uses."
Chen Xin did not move. He still held the bamboo stalk, casually swinging it in his hand.
"Fine, explain."
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief and began explaining the uses of Whale Rubber.
"I happened to read in a tattered ancient book that in Vast Sea City, a Soul Master ate cooked Whale Rubber and discovered that his physical strength had increased..."
"So I was thinking."
"If Soul Masters consume this, could it increase the age limit of the Soul Rings they can absorb?"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Chen Xin furrowed his brows. After thinking for a moment, he immediately asked eagerly, "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Mm! I think it's possible!"
"That Soul Master who was lucky enough to obtain ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber had a thousand-year second Soul Ring!"
Chen Xin pondered for a moment, then reached out and patted Su Li's head. His tone softened as he casually tossed away the bamboo.
"Wonderful! If it's true, Xiao Li, you'll have rendered a tremendous service!"
"This is valuable information that could change the entire Soul Master world!"
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can grow stronger because of it as well!"
Su Li glanced at the ten-year Solitary Bamboo lying on the ground and thought that if he had not explained himself clearly, he would have received a lesson in loving discipline.
"You just need to participate in tomorrow's competition. I'll discuss this matter with Fengzhi and Old Bone."
"When the time comes, I'll personally go to Vast Sea City and bring back some ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Chen Xin flew away on his sword.
Su Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, called someone over to level out the pitted ground, then returned to his room to cultivate.
Night.
Ning Rongrong openly kicked the door open and strutted into Su Li's room. She kicked off her shoes and flopped straight onto the bed.
"Hurry up. I'm going to cultivate, so get on the bed already."
Su Li's eyelids twitched wildly. Looking at the kicked-open door, he sighed softly and walked over to close it.
She used to be shy and timid.
How had she become so thick-skinned now?
"Hurry up. Do you want me to beg you?"
Ning Rongrong urged him on, swinging her little feet and pouting as if blaming him for being too slow.
"Young Sect Master..."
"Call me Rongrong!"
"Oh." Su Li took off his shoes and sat on the bed, keeping his distance from her as he casually asked, "Why do you like cultivating with me?"
"Who! Who likes it! I just... I just think having someone beside me... makes me feel safer..."
Ning Rongrong turned her head away. Her voice stumbled over the words, and she sounded extremely guilty.
"Ah, stop talking about that! I'm going to work hard! I'm going to become the strongest woman in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
After saying that.
Ning Rongrong crossed her legs and entered a cultivation state.
Su Li stared at her face, which had lost some of its childishness compared to before, wondering why she made such rapid cultivation progress despite only cultivating for one or two hours a day.
Could it be...
That the original story had been right?
Ning Rongrong was merely playful and disliked cultivating.
Was that why her progress had been slow?
"I feel like capitalism set me up."
Su Li muttered quietly, shook his head, and stopped thinking about it.
It was a good thing that Ning Rongrong cultivated quickly. He would need her amplification skills in the future.
Otherwise, in a few years, he would already be a Soul Ancestor while this girl was still hovering around Soul Grandmaster, wouldn't she?
Two hours later.
Ning Rongrong felt sleepy again. She lay down on the bed and drowsily looked at the upright young man sitting beside her. She could not help humming softly as she found a comfortable sleeping position.
"Su Li, I'm sleepy."
"Let's go to sleep, okay?"
Ning Rongrong mumbled. Seeing that Su Li did not respond for a long while, she could not help opening her eyes to look.
Then, she was a little dumbfounded.
Su Li, who had been cultivating at the edge of the bed, had vanished.
"Wait! Where did my huge child husband go?"
Smack!
The light went out.
The bedroom fell into darkness.
"Rongrong, sleep by yourself."
After saying that.
The door closed.
Ning Rongrong puffed out her cheeks and restlessly tossed and turned on the bed.
She pointed her feet straight and fiercely punched the pillow beside her with her little pink fist.
"Stupid Su Li! Are you disgusted by me or something?!"
"Hmph! If you won't sleep now, I won't let you in the future!"
Ning Rongrong hugged Su Li's pillow, furrowed her brows, and drifted into sleep.
That night.
She saw several women take Su Li away.
Yet she could do nothing, only watch helplessly as they bullied him to their hearts' content.
"No... don't! Let him go!"
Before you continue