Nine Treasure Glazed Divine Pagoda, God-Level Support!

On Ning Rongrong's third day after enrolling, Lin Chen knocked on her door one evening.

Ning Rongrong opened the door and saw Lin Chen standing outside, holding an exquisite jade box.

The lingering glow of the setting sun streamed in through the window at the end of the corridor, falling upon the jade box and giving it a warm, lustrous sheen.

Ning Rongrong had just finished bathing. Her long hair still hung damply over her shoulders, and she wore a loose white nightgown. She looked less like the reserved young lady she usually was and more like a gentle girl next door.

"What is this?" Ning Rongrong looked curiously at the jade box.

"A gift for you." Lin Chen stepped into the room and set the jade box on the table. "Open it and see."

Ning Rongrong gave him a puzzled look, then walked to the table, reached out, and gently lifted the lid.

A faint, elegant fragrance instantly filled the room.

The scent was not overpowering, yet it carried a refreshing quality that cleared the mind with a single breath. Even the evening breeze outside the window seemed to grow gentler.

Inside the jade box lay a plant as white and translucent as jade. Its petals looked as though they had been carved from creamy white jade, layer upon layer, each one gleaming faintly.

Its stem was pale gold, its veins clearly visible, as though woven from golden threads.

The entire plant radiated a pure, noble aura. Resting quietly in the jade box, it resembled a meticulously crafted work of art.

Ning Rongrong stared at it in a daze.

She had grown up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had seen countless rare treasures, but she had never seen such a beautiful plant.

"So pretty..." Ning Rongrong murmured, afraid that speaking too loudly might disturb it. "What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before."

"It's called Aromatic Silk Beauty," Lin Chen said. "It's a very rare immortal herb and has miraculous effects on support-type martial souls."

"An immortal herb?" Ning Rongrong looked up at him and blinked. "The kind you can eat?"

Lin Chen laughed at her innocent curiosity. "Yes, the kind you can eat. Once you take it, your martial soul will undergo a transformation."

Ning Rongrong looked at the Aromatic Silk Beauty, then at Lin Chen. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "But it's so beautiful... Isn't it a pity to eat it...?"

"No matter how beautiful it is, it's still just a plant." Lin Chen smiled. "Eat it, and you'll become even more beautiful."

Ning Rongrong's cheeks reddened slightly. She muttered, "Smooth talker," under her breath, but still reached out, carefully picked up the Aromatic Silk Beauty, and put it into her mouth.

The immortal herb melted as soon as it entered her mouth, turning into a warm current that flowed down her throat and into her body.

She could feel that power gathering toward the martial soul within her.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly emerged deep within her consciousness. The delicate, seven-colored pagoda began to emit a soft glow.

Then, she felt a warm palm gently press against her back.

A gentle green light flowed from that palm and slowly entered her body.

Ning Rongrong slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her palm.

A nine-story pagoda floated above it, slowly rotating.

The pagoda was crystal-clear and dazzling. Nine colors flowed across its body in turn, breathtakingly beautiful.

Above the ninth level, a faint golden halo shrouded the tip of the pagoda, like an invisible crown placed upon it, lending it a sacred and inviolable majesty.

She stared blankly at the nine-story pagoda in her palm, feeling dazed for a moment.

Nine stories. She had really done it.

The limit of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was seven stories. That was a fact known across the entire continent.

Every Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect throughout history had been stuck at rank seventy-nine, unable to break through for the rest of their lives.

She had known since childhood that she would face the same bottleneck one day. Like her father, she would stagnate at rank seventy-nine. She thought she had already accepted that fate.

But at this moment, the nine-story pagoda in her palm told her otherwise.

Fate could be broken.

"How does it feel?" Lin Chen's voice came from beside her, carrying a hint of amusement.

Ning Rongrong raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes had already reddened, but she held back her tears.

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. "Nine stories... My martial soul has become nine stories..."

"Not just nine stories." Lin Chen pointed at the pagoda in her palm. "Feel it carefully. See if there are any other special changes."

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment, then closed her eyes again and carefully sensed the changes in her martial soul. A moment later, her eyes flew open, filled with shock. "I... I gained another ability..."

"What ability?"

"It's called Divine Gift Amplification." Ning Rongrong's voice trembled. "It ignores the gap in cultivation realms and permanently increases a target's overall attributes by thirty percent. And it doesn't consume any of my own Soul Power."

After saying that, even she was stunned.

It ignored realm differences, gave a fixed thirty percent increase, and consumed no Soul Power.

She understood better than anyone what that ability meant.

She looked up at Lin Chen, and the tears in her eyes finally spilled down her cheeks.

"Lin Chen... This is too precious... I... I don't know how I can repay you..."

"Who said I wanted repayment?" Lin Chen smiled and reached out, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I helped you because I wanted to. You don't need to repay me for anything."

Ning Rongrong looked at him—at his clear, gentle eyes and the calm smile at the corner of his lips—and suddenly felt an impulse she had never experienced before.

She rose onto her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Lin Chen's neck, and quickly kissed his cheek.

Their lips parted as soon as they touched.

Then she stepped back, her face flushing as red as fire. Even her ears and neck were tinged pink.

She lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. Her heart pounded like a drum as she stood there like a statue, barely daring to breathe.

Lin Chen touched the cheek she had kissed, blanked for a moment, then smiled. "What was that for?"

Ning Rongrong did not raise her head. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "...A thank-you gift."

"That's quite a special thank-you gift."

Ning Rongrong's face turned even redder, but she took a deep breath and gathered the courage to raise her head, meeting Lin Chen's eyes.

Her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes were still wet, but her gaze carried an unprecedented firmness and sincerity.

"Lin Chen, from today onward, I'm sticking with you. Wherever you go, I'll go. Don't even think about shaking me off."

Her voice still trembled when she said it, but there was not the slightest hesitation in her tone. Like someone who had made an important decision and finally voiced what was in her heart, she seemed to relax completely.

Lin Chen looked into her serious eyes, fell silent for two seconds, then smiled. "Aren't you afraid I'll sell you?"

"Could you bear to?" Ning Rongrong tilted her head at him, a sly smile in her eyes.

Her question choked Lin Chen for a moment. Then he shook his head helplessly. "Fine, you win."

Ning Rongrong smiled triumphantly. Her smile bloomed as brightly as a flower, outshining even the last streak of sunset beyond the window.

She stepped forward and reached out to grab the corner of Lin Chen's clothes, as though afraid he might run away.

"Lin Chen."

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

This time, her voice was soft, but utterly sincere.

Lin Chen looked down at the little hand clutching his clothes, then at her face, still streaked with tears yet shining with a brilliant smile. Suddenly, he felt that bringing this little girl away from Shrek was probably one of the best decisions he had made recently.