Two Millennium Soul Rings

Luo Yan went to Shrek once, gave Tang San some advice on his third spirit skill, and then left Suotuo City with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

After his spar with Chen Xin, he had broken through.

Meanwhile, Chen Xin had brought the news back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect that Ning Rongrong had left with Luo Yan.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Council Hall.

Ning Fengzhi sat at the head of the table, holding a cup of tea. The tea had already grown cold, and he remained silent for a long time after listening to Chen Xin's words.

That teacup turned slowly once between his fingers, then turned again.

Gu Rong stood nearby, his temper far worse than Ning Fengzhi's.

"What did you say?" Gu Rong frowned, his voice dropping very low. "You let Rongrong go off with a stranger?"

Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Yes."

"You've lost your mind."

Gu Rong said, "How old is she even? What is that brat's background? An orphan from Notting City, without even a proper academy—and you let the future sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect run all over the place with a person like that?"

Ning Fengzhi raised a hand, stopping Gu Rong.

He set the teacup down on the table, raised his head, and held a very steady gaze. "Sword Uncle, I don't understand. Rongrong wanted to leave with him. If you refused to allow it, she couldn't have left. Why did you allow it?"

Chen Xin did not answer immediately.

He walked into the hall, took a seat in the guest chair, and slowly began to speak. "Because the one called Luo Yan is not simple."

"A second-ring Soul Grandmaster."

Gu Rong gave a cold snort. "What's so not simple about that?"

"His second soul ring is a millennium ring," Chen Xin said.

The hall fell silent for a fraction of a moment.

Ning Fengzhi's fingers paused on the tabletop, not moving. Gu Rong opened his mouth, then swallowed his words back down.

"Second ring, millennium second ring."

Chen Xin repeated it, his gaze falling on Ning Fengzhi's face. "Have you ever seen such a thing?"

Ning Fengzhi fell silent.

"For a normal soul master, a hundred-year first ring is already upper-middle. A thousand-year second ring would be treated as a monster in any academy. Not only did he absorb it, but he wields it extremely steadily. His soul power circulation has no issues, and his meridians suffered no backlash. What does that tell you?"

"Either his physique is naturally different from ordinary people, or his martial soul itself is an anomaly."

"There's another possibility," Gu Rong said coldly. "He used evil arts."

"I tested him," Chen Xin said. "Though I don't understand his spirit skills, there is no aura of depravity about him. He is very clean."

Ning Fengzhi said slowly, "What about the other girl?"

Chen Xin said, "Zhu Zhuqing of the Star Luo Zhu Family. Her second ring is also a millennium ring."

Gu Rong was truly stunned this time.

Chen Xin continued, "One millennium second ring could be an anomaly. Two millennium second rings—and with one from the Star Luo Zhu Family and one an orphan from Notting City together—do you think this is a coincidence?"

"If Rongrong's relationship with that brat is truly good, then do you think there's any possibility... that the age limit of Rongrong's third soul ring might be a bit higher?"

Gu Rong's eyebrows twisted into a knot. "You mean that brat has a way to let Rongrong absorb a higher-age soul ring?"

"I didn't say that," Chen Xin said. "I only said it is possible."

"Possible?" Gu Rong sneered. "You're gambling with Rongrong's future on a possibility?"

"Then tell me."

Chen Xin raised his eyes, his voice still very calm. "If she stays in the sect and follows the established path, how many years can her third ring be? The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda is a support-type martial soul, and her physical strength is naturally inferior to a battle soul master. If she hunts for a spirit within the sect, safety is the primary concern. Two thousand years would be her absolute limit."

Gu Rong did not speak.

"Yet I have seen the physical condition of that Zhu Zhuqing. It's even inferior to Rongrong's. But her second ring is also a millennium ring."

"And from the things I've investigated, Zhu Zhuqing left Star Luo two years ago at only the first ring. After traveling with Luo Yan for two years, she obtained a millennium second ring."

Ning Fengzhi tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop. He understood.

"You're saying that brat possesses some sort of method to help people cross ranks to absorb soul rings."

"I don't know," Chen Xin said. "I only say that the possibility exists, and Rongrong herself saw it. She watched Zhu Zhuqing and Luo Yan's millennium second rings with her own eyes. Do you think she will still be willing to settle for a third soul ring capped at two thousand years?"

Gu Rong fell silent. He suddenly remembered Ning Rongrong when she was little.

From the time that girl learned to walk, she never had a single peaceful day. While the young misses of other families learned embroidery, she climbed trees to raid bird nests. While the children of other families practiced their soul power properly, she sneaked out of the sect to buy sugar figurines on the street.

Later, as she grew older and became more well-behaved, that wild streak deep in her bones never truly dissipated.

"And," Chen Xin added suddenly, "Rongrong made her own choice. She chased after him of her own accord."

"Chased?" Ning Fengzhi repeated the single word.

Chen Xin nodded. "She was halfway through her Shrek entrance exams when she heard Luo Yan's name. She turned around and ran, even throwing away her wooden tag."

Ning Fengzhi was taken aback.

"You know your daughter's temper better than I do."

Chen Xin said, "If she truly didn't want to leave, who could drag her out of the academy?"

Ning Fengzhi did not speak. He picked up the cup of cold tea again and took a slow sip. The tea had already grown bitter and astringent, yet he did not frown.

"Uncle Gu, why don't you go take a look?"

Gu Rong glanced at him, nodded without a word, turned, and strode out.

The doors of the council hall closed slowly behind him, the sound of his footsteps heavy. Ning Fengzhi listened as the sound faded away, then slowly leaned back against his chair.

"Sword Uncle," he spoke.

Chen Xin was still in the guest chair, unmoving.

"When you said that brat looked at Rongrong, what did it not look like?" Ning Fengzhi asked.

Chen Xin was silent for a moment.

"It looked like he was looking at an ordinary person."

He said, "When people in this world look at Rongrong, their first reaction is always the young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. That brat is different."

Ning Fengzhi did not speak.

"He doesn't even know what it means for Rongrong to follow him."

Chen Xin said, "Or rather, even if he knows, he doesn't care."

"You call that not caring?"

"I call that not taking it to heart."

Chen Xin stood up. "Rongrong is the next sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. In his eyes, this matter is on the exact same level of importance as what to have for lunch."

Three days later, Star Dou Great Forest, outer perimeter.

Sunlight leaked down through the gaps in the extremely high canopy, shattering into patches of extremely faint golden flecks.

The forest was very muggy, the air as damp as a freshly wrung-out towel. Beneath their feet lay layers of decaying leaves, soft and silent to step upon.

Insect chirps poured in from all directions—large and small, far and near. The entire forest was breathing in a low murmur.

The two girls were chatting happily, while Luo Yan alone crossed his arms and looked around everywhere.

Ning Rongrong was truly formidable; in less than a day, she and Zhu Zhuqing had become like sisters.

He felt as though he had been isolated.

Meanwhile, behind them, upon the crown of an ancient tree about half a li away, Gu Rong squatted on an extremely thick horizontal branch.

A blade of grass hung from his mouth, which he chewed on slowly.

He had started following them three days ago.

Three days ago, he had watched from afar as the three figures walked out of Suotuo City.

A gray-robed youth, a black-robed girl, and a young miss wearing a moon-white long dress.

That young miss had marched along in high spirits, looking as though she were going on a spring outing.

Yet three days later, her dress was torn, her face was smudged, and her steps were heavy—yet she was still walking.

Gu Rong spat out the blade of grass with a "tui" and stared fixedly at Luo Yan.

Brat! How dare you make the little princess of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect look this wretched!