Rogue! I Fight to Win!

Ning Chengyi returned to the special training room with Su Yao.

"You did well. These past few days of training have clearly paid off. Of course, you're talented too."

Thinking of Ning Chengyi's performance just now, Su Yao smiled with satisfaction and praised him.

"Mm."

Ning Chengyi answered with a cool "Mm." The outcome had been obvious enough, but if several more Soul Elders had stepped in afterward, he probably couldn't have held them off.

Against Ye Heng, though, he had no doubt he could win.

"Next, we'll change the training format. Your previous routine stays, but we'll add sparring sessions between you and me."

"With you?"

Ning Chengyi looked puzzled. Fighting a Soul Emperor? Wasn't that asking for a beating?

"Don't worry. I'll limit myself to around Soul Elder level. Given your strength, fighting a Soul Grandmaster wouldn't do you any good."

"All right."

Ning Chengyi nodded, his tone unchanged. This training might actually be interesting.

His strength couldn't be measured by ordinary standards anyway.

"We'll start this afternoon."

Meanwhile.

Reports on Ning Chengyi's performance were sent to two different people.

One went to Xue Qinghe.

The other went to... Bibi Dong.

At that moment.

Xue Qinghe's hands trembled as he read the report.

What it said about Ning Chengyi was astonishing.

Yet there wasn't a word of embellishment.

Just a plain account of the facts.

From his seven days of training to his challenge against the Heavenly Apex Class's prodigies today, every detail was recorded without omission.

It was practically a diary of Ning Chengyi's daily life.

"Good, good! I knew I'd chosen well. Tell Su Yao to give him her full support. I'll visit him again when I have time."

Xue Qinghe spoke to Snake Lance Douluo, his eyes full of curiosity and anticipation. When the month was up, would those troublemakers in the Heavenly Apex Class stop resisting Ning Chengyi's authority if they learned he was someone Xue Qinghe had picked on a whim?

"Yes."

"Something else?"

After answering, She Long did not withdraw as he usually did. Xue Qinghe frowned at him.

"Your Eminence, she wants you to speed up the plan."

"Enough! I'll handle it myself. Don't bring me messages from her again."

Xue Qinghe snapped at him and walked off without looking back, leaving Snake Lance Douluo, She Long, to sigh helplessly.

In the Papal Palace of Spirit Hall.

Bibi Dong sat with an icy expression, holding a letter in her hand.

"Could it be you?"

She murmured to herself. This report was even more detailed.

It recorded not only that Xue Qinghe had taken someone under his wing, but also Ning Chengyi's name, Martial Soul, Soul Skills... everything was laid out clearly.

"There couldn't be another one..."

"Little fellow, would you be startled if you knew Xue Qinghe was my daughter? I'm rather looking forward to finding out."

A playful smile suddenly appeared on Bibi Dong's face. Hidden in the shadows, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances and saw the same shock in each other's eyes.

Neither could remember the last time they had seen His Holiness the Pope smile.

What had that letter said to make the Pope so happy?

Their curiosity was impossible to suppress.

"Yue Guan, pass word to Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue. Have him devote every effort to nurturing this person."

"Yes."

That single order made the two Douluos even more curious.

What kind of prodigy warranted a personal report from Porcupinefish and an order from His Holiness the Pope?!

They needed answers, and fast.

Even if they asked Porcupinefish Douluo, though, he certainly wouldn't tell them.

So the two went off to carry out their duties, curiosity still gnawing at them.

Whoosh!

Sounds of combat rang through the special training room.

"Not bad, but not enough."

Su Yao spoke as she countered Ning Chengyi's attacks.

"Fight your way. Without using Soul Power, do whatever you can to win and stay alive!"

"Got it."

Feeling Su Yao's strength, Ning Chengyi dared not let down his guard.

Even with her power suppressed, she was far beyond a Soul Elder like Sword Venerable.

One was the bright moon overhead; the other, a firefly on the ground.

Su Yao was terrifyingly strong even at Soul Elder level.

Strong enough to make him feel small.

And she wasn't even using Soul Skills. In a real fight, he would have lost already.

Though Su Yao was not a Power Attack System Soul Emperor, her combat experience far surpassed that of Ning Chengyi, who had only fought a few times in the Great Soul Arena.

Powerful Soul Power wrapped around her fists like a pair of cannons. They exploded forward without warning, hurtling toward Ning Chengyi.

But Ning Chengyi did not panic. He ducked his head and twisted his body like a slippery eel, sliding right past her at close range.

Su Yao had no time to react. She hadn't imagined he could dodge, much less in such an uncanny way.

What happened next surprised her even more.

Like a monkey bounding down a mountain, Ning Chengyi struck with a Dragon Claw Grip and seized Su Yao's vulnerable spot. Pain flushed her face red, and Soul Power erupted from her body!

Bang!

Ning Chengyi flew backward. "You cheated!" he cried in pain.

"And you think you're justified in groping me?"

"You told me to fight my way. Anything goes if it keeps me alive and wins the fight."

Ning Chengyi defended himself, his gaze perfectly calm. He saw nothing wrong with what he had done. Surviving and winning were what mattered.

"You still can't grab me there!" Su Yao pointed at her full chest, her face indignant.

"Hm? Does combat distinguish between men and women?" Ning Chengyi asked, utterly unruffled. In a fight, you either won or lost, lived or died. What did it matter whether your opponent was a man or a woman?

Su Yao: "..."

For a moment, she had no answer. The little bastard did have a point.

"Then let's continue." Su Yao's competitive streak flared. She glared at Ning Chengyi's calm face through gritted teeth.

This time, however, Ning Chengyi abandoned his earlier approach and adopted an even stranger, more devious fighting style.

He targeted joints, meridians, and vital points.

Su Yao's expression shifted. Just how much did this little brat know?

His earlier argument hadn't sounded rehearsed, and his methods were undeniably effective. If she hadn't seen that he harbored no lewd intentions, she would have tied him up and taught him a harsh lesson.

Ning Chengyi grew more adept by the moment. After training his coordination, perception, reactions, and more, he could strike wherever he aimed.

His speed reached its peak. A blur flashed as he twisted in midair, Soul Power swirling around his fingertips. He struck precisely at Su Yao's vital point, slipping past a blind spot in her defense, but she dodged by a hair.

Su Yao was stunned. Even without Soul Skills, those techniques would be enough to bring down an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.

What she didn't know was that Ning Chengyi had used them before in the Great Soul Arena. He simply hadn't been this fluid back then.

In the next instant, Su Yao's expression changed, a hint of embarrassment and fear in her eyes. She released a sudden shockwave of Soul Power to break his strange technique, but she had still underestimated Ning Chengyi's adaptability and seemingly innate fighting instincts.

And his determination to win!