[On the first day of waiting for Sword Douluo, Ning Rongrong's expression looked like this: ♪(^∇^*)]
[On the tenth day of waiting for Sword Douluo, Ning Rongrong's expression had already become this: (T﹏T)]
[And so.]
[Ning Rongrong, who had nearly thought Grandpa Sword had fallen, cried herself almost to the point of collapse.]
[On the journey to Spirit City.]
[Lan Yin had always treated her with such icy indifference that strangers were best kept at a distance.]
[Meanwhile, Xiao Wu had been dragged off by Lan Yin to train.]
[Having completely lost her sense of security, Ning Rongrong usually only wanted to cling to Tang Chuan's side and had become especially dependent on him.]
[All of this was entirely within Tang Chuan's plan.]
[Though his grasp of human nature had yet to reach perfection.]
[Dealing with a little girl was simply far too easy.]
[After personally experiencing the pain of losing everything, Ning Rongrong, who had grown up in a happy family.]
[Naturally cherished the last remaining light by her side even more.]
[Do not underestimate this short month of experience.]
[The shadow of childhood.]
[Would absolutely not vanish in an instant just because Ning Rongrong had regained the affection of her three elders.]
[It would only be hidden, buried, its bloody wounds gradually dulled by time.]
[Likewise.]
[The person who had been willing to give her warmth and support when she had nothing.]
[Would, because of their long separation.]
[Leave an indelible figure in Ning Rongrong's heart.]
[And in the end, this unattainable obsession.]
[Would make Tang Chuan become the one and only white moonlight in her heart.]
Black World.
Ning Rongrong cast resentful looks at Tang Chuan and Lan Yin.
The two of them coughed lightly and, as if by prior agreement, looked away at the same time.
Ning Rongrong was both annoyed and amused.
She reached out with her little hand and lightly pinched Tang Chuan's arm.
"You two bad guys, you really had me fooled."
The fact that she could sit here today.
Naturally meant she knew very well just how successful Tang Chuan's schemes had been back then.
During the years after she returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
She and Tang Chuan exchanged letters every month or two.
Even during her usual cultivation.
That brief, warm time they had spent together would occasionally surface in her mind.
Later, when she was twelve.
Her father, Ning Fengzhi, had planned to send her to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Though Ning Rongrong agreed on the surface.
The very next day, she chose to run away from home.
She crossed more than half the map to enroll in Spirit Hall Academy.
And through Tang Chuan's connections.
She became, as an exception, the only freshman among that year's students to obtain a spot as an official member of the Spirit Hall Academy Team upon enrollment without needing to undergo any tests, receiving the treatment of a core student.
She was immensely glad of it and had never regretted.
Making that brave decision at the age of twelve.
After all...
Ning Rongrong linked her arm through Tang Chuan's and lowered her head slightly.
Her clear, obsidian-like eyes fell upon the exquisitely crafted ring on her ring finger.
Something like happiness.
If you do not strive to seize it for yourself.
You will never know the answer.
Isn't that right?!
[A few days later.]
[Xiao Wu's figure darted through the dense forest.]
[As the Mighty Gorilla ahead was restrained by countless Blue Silver Grass vines on the ground.]
[She swiftly rushed forward and, using the explosive instant force of her first soul skill, Waist Bow, knocked it down with a sweeping kick.]
["Rongrong, go on. Absorb your first soul ring."]
[As Tang Chuan spoke, he tied the Mighty Gorilla up like a dumpling.]
["Oh, okay!" Ning Rongrong, standing nearby, took a deep breath and walked over with a serious expression, gripping a dagger.]
[Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo had previously taught Ning Rongrong how to kill Soul Beasts.]
[So aside from her hands trembling a little, Ning Rongrong did not hesitate to strike.]
["Yaaahhh!!"]
[Ning Rongrong shouted and stabbed down with her dagger.]
[Successfully...]
[Leaving a wound on the Mighty Gorilla's skin.]
[When the first blow failed to kill it, Ning Rongrong froze for a moment before continuing with a second stab, a third, a fourth...]
[In the end, one stab nearly hit the Mighty Gorilla right in the balls.]
[The Mighty Gorilla's eyes were filled with despair.]
[But its mouth was sealed shut, so it could only make muffled whimpering sounds.]
[It cast Tang Chuan a look that said, "Please, just kill me."]
[Tang Chuan truly could not bear to watch any longer. He stepped forward, took Ning Rongrong's hand, and ended the life of this 350-year-old Mighty Gorilla.]
[Ning Rongrong shot Tang Chuan a grateful glance.]
[Then sat down where she was and began absorbing the soul ring.]
[As an auxiliary-type Soul Master, Ning Rongrong's physique was weaker than that of ordinary Soul Masters, so 350 years was about her limit.]
[After all, even the power-type Soul Beast Sword Douluo chose for her in the original work had only been 300 years old.]
[Meanwhile.]
[Xiao Wu returned to the place where they had first encountered the Mighty Gorilla.]
[Looking at the group of injured Soft Bone Rabbits inside the cave, she revealed an expression of pity.]
[The reason she had chased after that Mighty Gorilla so eagerly just now.]
[Was because it had been attacking the Soft Bone Rabbits' nest.]
[Unfortunately, they had still arrived too late.]
[Inside the nest, more than half of which had been destroyed.]
[The young Soft Bone Rabbits were almost all dead.]
[The only one still alive was a century-old Soft Bone Rabbit whose entire body was still trembling.]
["Sigh, looks like it won't work."]
["Xiao Wu, do you want spicy rabbit heads? I'll make them for you tonight."]
[Tang Chuan stood behind Xiao Wu and asked.]
[Xiao Wu raised her head to stare at him in disbelief. What was this guy saying in front of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit?]
["Are you a devil, Brother Tang Chuan?"]
["And the little one inside only has one broken leg."]
["It isn't even dead yet."]
["And you already want to eat him."]
[Tang Chuan snorted and planted his hands on his hips.]
["I'm doing it for its own good. What is an injured Soft Bone Rabbit in front of other Soul Beasts, if not a walking sausage?"]
["Besides, you were the one who said you were tired of dry rations and fruit lately."]
["You said you wanted something fresh, so I was going to make you something special, okay?"]
["How about you try a bite?"]
[Tang Chuan asked tentatively.]
[Xiao Wu rose to her feet in anger.]
["Brother Tang Chuan, you've gone too far! Rabbits are so cute, how can you possibly bear to eat them?"]
["I won't eat it. I absolutely won't eat it."]
["Even if I, Xiao Wu, starve to death, die outside, and stew myself, I will never eat a single bite of your food."]
Hu Liena in the White World listened in a daze.
For some reason, Xiao Wu's words sounded rather familiar.
[Xiao Wu shoved Tang Chuan back toward Ning Rongrong.]
[Only then did she return, intending to carry the Soft Bone Rabbit out and let him escape so he would not fall victim to Tang Chuan's spicy rabbit heads.]
["Good boy, don't be afraid. I'm here to save you."]
[However, the moment Xiao Wu reached her hand inside, the Soft Bone Rabbit bit down on it.]
[Xiao Wu: "..."]
[Veins bulged on her forehead.]
[But considering that the little rabbit might be too frightened, she still endured it.]
[Then, in the next second.]
[The Soft Bone Rabbit directly flung sand mixed with poop at her face.]
[Xiao Wu let out a terrified scream and scrambled away, rolling and crawling to the side.]
[Only then did she narrowly avoid it.]
[She knelt on the ground, panting heavily, so furious that she laughed instead!]
[Fine, fine, fine.]
["I did everything I could to save you, yet you throw me into fire and water, repaying kindness with hatred."]
["And in the end, you even dared to attack me with shit."]
["I think you've chosen a path to death."]
[Murderous intent blazed in Xiao Wu's eyes.]
Before you continue