A Heroic Figure Stirs Ning Rongrong's Heart

The two brothers had never taken Qin Yun and Ning Rongrong seriously.

They believed they could defeat Qin Yun head-on without worrying about Ning Rongrong at all.

But now, faced with danger, they were ready to go after her.

Hearing his older brother's words, the younger brother glanced at Ning Rongrong standing behind Qin Yun, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda resting in her hand. A vicious gleam returned to his eyes.

The older brother stepped forward sharply and pressed his palms together, forming a translucent earthen-yellow barrier before him.

At the same time, the younger brother shot forward, skimming the ground.

His Swiftwind Cheetah Martial Soul left a green afterimage behind him as he lunged straight at Ning Rongrong's face.

The green light gathered at his claw tips was twice as fierce as before.

His fingers spread to seize the wrist of the hand holding her pagoda.

Ning Rongrong's breath caught.

Raised in comfort within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had hardly ever faced such murderous intent bearing down on her.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda wavered in her hand, and its amplification nearly fell apart.

Qin Yun had already caught the younger brother's afterimage in the corner of his eye.

He did not even turn around. With a slight shift of his will, he moved the Diamond shield he had formed earlier in front of Ning Rongrong.

The younger brother's claws slammed into the shield with a dull thud.

The strike could have torn through iron armor, but it did nothing to the shield.

The recoil traveled along his finger bones and into his wrist.

He grunted, his entire arm going numb.

"Damn it!"

He cursed under his breath.

"Stay focused."

Qin Yun's voice sounded beside Ning Rongrong's ear.

"Keep the pagoda up. Keep amplifying me."

Ning Rongrong's breathing steadied again.

She looked at the crystal shield before her, then raised her eyes to Qin Yun's back. Her fingers tightened slightly.

She lifted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda before her chest again, and the light of amplification in her palm shone more steadily than before.

She took a deep breath and forced the tremor from her voice.

"Okay, no problem!"

At the same time, Qin Yun spread the fingers of his left hand and pressed his palm toward the two metal pillars on either side of the arena.

His Soul Power once again drew in the ions drifting through the air.

Countless tiny bolts of lightning burst between the pillars, denser and fiercer than before.

Purple lightning wove a flashing net across the arena, and packed arcs of electricity poured down.

They struck the two brothers with unerring precision.

The older brother's earthen-yellow barrier held for only three breaths before cracks spread across it. Lightning slipped through the gaps.

His knees weakened. He had to brace both palms against the ground just to keep from collapsing, and his ragged breathing could be heard from halfway across the arena.

The younger brother was dragged back to his older brother's side.

Back to back, they channeled their Soul Power together to resist the relentless lightning.

But every arc that struck left another scorch mark on their bodies.

They grew slower and slower, their reactions duller with every strike.

"What the hell is this kid doing?"

The older brother snarled through clenched teeth, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at the metal pillars still standing on either side of the arena, his eyes full of fury and confusion.

He had used his strongest Soul Skill, yet he had not managed to touch even the hem of Qin Yun's clothes.

Meanwhile, the lightning engulfing the arena showed no sign of running out, keeping them pinned down.

At last, the older brother's legs buckled, and one knee slammed into the ground;

The younger brother reached out to help him, but an arc struck his shoulder blade. He pitched forward onto the floor and could not get back up.

Then the referee's voice rang out.

Qin Yun and Ning Rongrong were declared the winners.

Cheers rose from below the arena.

But as Ning Rongrong stood there, the noise seemed far away.

She put away her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and watched Qin Yun casually disperse the metal pillars into free-floating elemental particles. Then he turned and walked toward her, his steps unhurried, without the slightest hint of excitement over the victory in his eyes.

Suddenly, the win felt reassuringly solid to her.

It was not because her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had done so much.

Quite the opposite. Apart from two beams of amplification, she had barely done anything throughout the match.

Yet not once had she felt truly in danger.

Qin Yun had controlled the entire fight.

She could not quite describe the feeling.

There was only a warmth in her chest that she could not put into words.

Was this what it felt like to fall for someone?

What girl did not admire someone strong?

Besides, Qin Yun was handsome too.

Qin Yun stopped in front of her. "Let's go!"

"Mm."

Ning Rongrong answered, her face turning a little red.

Then she followed Qin Yun down from the arena.

Her steps were much lighter than when she had gone up.

When they returned to where the Shrek group had gathered,

Dai Mubai was already back.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his expression darker than before he had left. His right sleeve was torn, exposing slightly reddened skin beneath, and streaks of gray-white dust marked his clothes. He had clearly just been through a tough fight.

His breathing had not fully settled.

But when he saw Qin Yun and Ning Rongrong return so calmly, his gaze deepened.

Ma Hongjun stood beside him, rubbing his shoulder.

When he saw Qin Yun, he instinctively took half a step back.

The fear Qin Yun had left him with had yet to fade.

Flender sat on a bamboo chair in the corner with one leg crossed over the other.

When Qin Yun and Ning Rongrong returned, he glanced up but did not ask how their match had gone.

His expression said plainly that he had never worried Qin Yun would lose.

Once Qin Yun stopped, he looked around but did not see Zhu Zhuqing.

He shot Flender a questioning look.

Flender slowly sipped his tea.

"Zhu Zhuqing's match hasn't ended yet," he said.

"It should be over soon!"

Qin Yun nodded slightly and decided to wait there.

Just as he turned to find a place to sit,

Xiao Wu strode toward him from the other end of the corridor.

"Qin Yun!"

Her voice was not loud, but it rang out clearly.

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment and glanced at Qin Yun.

Her gaze moved between Xiao Wu and Qin Yun, but she said nothing.

Xiao Wu stopped before Qin Yun. She was more than half a head shorter than him.

She looked up at him.

Her gaze held Qin Yun in place, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ever since he had injured Tang San, Xiao Wu had given him nothing but cold looks.

He was surprised that she had come to find him herself.

Not far away, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun also looked over.

Ma Hongjun nudged Dai Mubai in the side with his elbow and muttered under his breath.

"Huh? Wasn't she always on Tang San's side?"

"Why has she come looking for Qin Yun too?"

Dai Mubai's voice held a sullen irritation.

"How should I know?"