Su Li: Swallow It, Don't Waste It

The next day.

At the Soul Fighting Arena.

Ning Rongrong stood stylishly behind Su Li, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand nearly smoking from all the buffs.

"We surrender, we surrender! Junior Brother Su Li, we surrender!"

"Waaah~ Five of us couldn't beat two of them. This is ridiculous..."

Watching as she and Su Li defeated yet another team, Ning Rongrong hummed a tune as she strolled leisurely to his side and lightly bumped his hand.

"Let's go~"

"I was amazing today!"

"Didn't you see the reverent looks in their eyes? It felt incredible!"

Su Li nodded. "Yeah, badass as hell."

"Ew." Ning Rongrong shot him a faintly disdainful look and waved a hand. "So crude."

"You'll be my... Ahem! Anyway, be more civilized!"

Watching her walk away in her princess shoes, Su Li wondered what she meant by that.

A child husband?

What a pity.

He liked himself too. If Ning Rongrong fell for him as well, would that make them love rivals?

That question was worth thinking about.

Before long.

Ning Fengzhi watched the two approach, a gentle smile immediately appearing on his face.

"Rongrong, Xiao Li, this should be your first time fighting together, right?"

"How did it feel?"

Ning Rongrong glanced at him, pressed her lips together, and turned her head away as she said indifferently, "It was... fine!"

"Nothing special."

Su Li said expressionlessly, "The buffs were crucial. You're not stupid either—you knew to hide in the back."

The girl's cheeks flushed as she glared fiercely at him. "What do you mean, I'm not stupid?! Is hiding in the back supposed to be a compliment?!"

Su Li tilted his head, puzzled. "Isn't it?"

"Aaah! I'm ignoring you!"

Ning Rongrong huffed her way to Ning Fengzhi, wrapped herself around his arm, and poked half her head out to glare darkly at the boy before her.

Like a little tiger, she looked as if she wanted to use her soft baby teeth to scratch his itch.

"Hahaha! He's right. As a support-type soul master, it's fine if you can't win, but you must protect yourself and be ready to run at any moment."

Ning Fengzhi rubbed his precious daughter's head, as though soothing an irritable little beast.

But the moment he touched her.

Ning Rongrong instinctively dodged away, as if some warning had been triggered.

Ning Fengzhi: "???"

That wasn't right, was it?

She was angry at Su Li, so why wouldn't she let her father touch her head?

His daughter didn't seem to have been like this before...

"Dad! I'm grown up now, not a child anymore."

"A girl's head isn't for just anyone to touch!"

The smile on Ning Fengzhi's face froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

It felt as though something inside him had shattered into seven or eight pieces.

"Ahem..." Ning Fengzhi recovered and looked sternly at his eccentric daughter, saying irritably, "How exactly have you grown up?"

"Besides, I saw Su Li pat your head a few days ago. Why didn't you say anything then?"

Ning Rongrong's ears turned red in embarrassment. She shyly glanced at Su Li, clenched Ning Fengzhi's clothes in her fingers, and said in a low voice, "Dad! He's different!"

"Hey! How could you spy on us?"

"You're not allowed to do that again! Otherwise, I'll ignore you!"

Ning Fengzhi: "Six six six. You just said you were ignoring that brat, and now it's my turn?"

A grown daughter couldn't be kept at home...

Sigh~

She was only this old, and she already knew how to side with outsiders?

Ning Fengzhi suddenly felt a little older.

But when he thought of Su Li, the corners of his mouth rose again despite himself.

Wasn't he the person Ning Fengzhi was most satisfied with?

He had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, possessed outstanding talent, had a steady temperament, and his daughter liked him too...

If necessary, perhaps they should arrange an engagement?

Otherwise, some girl from another faction might lure him away, and then Ning Fengzhi would truly have to weep.

He remembered that something like this had happened around that Pope, Qian Xunji.

Not long after.

Ning Fengzhi watched the two leave, lowering his head as he silently contemplated something.

Half a month later.

Chen Xin returned from Vast Sea City.

He carried a pile of Whale Rubber and tossed it before Su Li.

"This trip went rather well."

"I killed several ten-thousand-year whale soul beasts and traded with local merchants for some more."

"I also bought quite a bit of the hundred-year and thousand-year varieties. Take a look and see how they should be consumed."

Seeing the boxes piled like a small mountain before him, Su Li's eyes lit up and he hurried over to inspect them.

"Grandpa Sword, you're incredible!"

Chen Xin smiled faintly, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked to his side. "It was nothing. What interests me most now is the effect of this Whale Rubber."

"Although you described it well, I can't rest easy letting you consume it."

"We'll find a few people to test it first."

Su Li nodded, his gaze fixed on the Whale Rubber.

He planned to start with the thousand-year kind.

Then, once he adapted to it, he would consume the ten-thousand-year kind.

There was still plenty of time before he absorbed his second soul ring, enough time for that.

Before long.

The people Chen Xin summoned roasted the Whale Rubber and swallowed it without hesitation.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it truly does strengthen the body. I feel much tougher already."

Chen Xin gripped the man's arm, delight flashing through his eyes as he said calmly, "You may leave."

"Yes!"

After the man left.

Chen Xin hesitated for a moment before personally eating a piece.

When he felt that energy surge through his body, he finally confirmed Su Li's claim.

"Not bad! It truly has this effect!"

"Xiao Li, you and Rongrong should eat this Whale Rubber together. I'll go tell Fengzhi and the others this good news."

With that said.

Chen Xin flew away on his sword.

Ning Rongrong, who had been secretly watching from nearby, could not help walking over as well.

"Um... what were you eating just now?"

"It smelled pretty good."

The girl curiously leaned close to him and sniffed.

Su Li pressed a hand over her head before she could lean any closer and said evenly, "Whale Rubber."

"What is that?"

"It can make your body stronger, so you can absorb soul rings beyond your normal limit."

The instant Ning Rongrong heard that, her eyes lit up.

She had long known that Su Li's first soul ring was six hundred years old, already shattering the soul master world's established theory!

But hers was only four hundred years.

He was a full two hundred years ahead of her!

How could she possibly allow that?

Now that they had this, could their progress be pulled back to the same starting line?

"Quick, quick, quick! I want some!"

"Su Li! Don't hide good stuff from me!"

Ning Rongrong tugged on his arm and gently swayed her body, looking rather cute and coquettish.

Su Li was nearly dizzy from being shaken. Helplessly, he took out a roasted piece of thousand-year Whale Rubber.

"Here, open your mouth."

"Ah~"

"In it goes."

"Mmph..."

Ning Rongrong chewed lightly, but her expression soon turned awful, and she even wanted to spit it out.

"It tastes horrible..."

Su Li tapped her head and said sternly, "Swallow it. Don't waste it."

"This is good stuff. It can improve your constitution."

Tears glistened in Ning Rongrong's eyes as she mumbled indistinctly, "I know, I know..."