Heaven Dou City, Ning Rongrong's expression was blank: "I'm tired of saying embarrassing things, and I'm used to losing face."

Li Sen could not help pondering.

Strictly speaking, Tang San was his only disciple.

When taking disciples, character came first, interests second. Talent could be improved, but closeness could not.

He had never tested her character. As for interests, Dugu Bo was already an academy teacher. As for talent, he had already lent her a hand.

And as for closeness—or rather, trust...

Dugu Yan had not even asked to become his disciple herself.

Facing everyone's gazes, Li Sen smiled. "Let's forget about taking her as a disciple. Our paths crossed, but we weren't destined for that."

"Still, once the academy opens, your granddaughter will definitely be among the first admitted."

Dugu Bo felt disappointed, but did not let it show.

Dugu Yan immediately recalled Ning Rongrong's earlier remark that she would not even pass muster as a disciple.

For a moment, her toes clawed at the insides of her boots.

Heaven Dou City.

The group split into two parties.

Dugu Bo took his granddaughter Dugu Yan, Tang San, and Xiao Wu with him.

Seeing that his parents had yet to arrive, Li Sen took the four girls for a stroll.

He had absorbed the Immortal Herbs and grown stronger. Next came becoming a God.

The Heart of the Vast Sea in Heaven Dou City was the Sea God's token. He had to find a way to get his hands on it.

He did not think much of First-Level Gods, but his parents could not inherit a God King's position either.

His father had a Thunder Dragon Martial Soul. Over the past six years, he had more or less advanced from Soul Saint to Soul Douluo. Since the Destruction God King had not offered him a position, his aptitude clearly had not been enough to draw attention.

His mother was much the same; she could not obtain the Life God King's position.

However unimpressive the Sea God might be, it was worth a try. If that failed, he could give it to Tang San. If the plot corrected itself later and Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue became Gods ahead of time, triggering a divine war, their side would have someone too.

As for himself, a God King's position would do, but he still hoped to create his own godhood. With greater compatibility, raising his upper limit would be faster too.

Creating his own godhood required an enormous amount of faith. He certainly could not afford to have too few students.

As for teachers, he could not look after everyone alone. He needed to find a few more.

The patriarchs of the four great clans abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect had Soul Douluo cultivation, enough to take students Soul Ring Hunting. They also had experience managing their clans, which met his standards for teachers.

But upon closer consideration, Tai Tan, that diehard loyalist, was thoroughly unsuitable.

The Speed Clan had little combat strength.

Only the patriarchs of the Defense Clan and Breaking Clan were usable.

Li Sen felt a headache coming on. Finding capable teachers in Douluo I was not easy.

After some thought, he decided to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect first and have Ning Fengzhi establish the academy.

Then he would take in some outer disciples and train a few to become teachers.

As his chief direct disciple, Tang San could be dragged over in a couple of years to toil like an ox or horse.

Aside from that, he needed to investigate the Heart of the Vast Sea's location. If he could trade for it, he would. If not, he would try stealing it.

He also had to keep the situation under control, lest Spirit Hall launch an all-out campaign to hunt him down.

This was about becoming a God. Although stealing the Heart of the Vast Sea weighed a little on his conscience, he could not give up godhood just for the sake of his conscience.

"Rongrong!"

"Uncle Jian, stop!!!"

Suddenly, familiar voices and names rang out behind him.

Li Sen sensed a surge of energy rushing toward him.

He looked back to see Ning Fengzhi shouting in alarm and astonishment.

Beside him stood Sword Douluo Jian Chenxin, his face full of fury. Holding his Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul, he rushed to Li Sen's side with his Soul Rings flashing and slashed viciously, reaching for Ning Rongrong with his other hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Sen instantly activated Eight Gates and Lightning Body, summoned the Blue Silver Life Tree, and swung his fist to meet the attack.

At the same time, a huge purple dragon swept the four girls away.

Boom!

Amid the deafening explosion, the ground cracked into a massive crater centered on Li Sen and Jian Chenxin, whose grasping hand had caught nothing while his other held his sword, cutting straight across the street.

"Uncle Jian, stop!!!"

Ning Fengzhi shouted in despair, wanting to cry but finding no tears.

Not long ago, he had clashed with Li Sen, losing his daughter and handing over money. Bone Douluo was still recuperating at the sect and had only just begun to recover over the past few days.

After paying all manner of compensation and bowing and scraping, he had finally secured Li Sen's promise to help evolve his Martial Soul. Now Sword Douluo had attacked him too—and with a sneak attack, at that.

When his first strike failed, Jian Chenxin pulled back and hovered in the air.

He looked at Ning Fengzhi in confusion and roared, his face flushed red.

"Fengzhi, do you know what you're saying?"

"He's abusing Rongrong!!!"

High in the air, Ning Rongrong sat on the Purple Sky Thunder Dragon with a blank expression. Her clothes were presentable, but a collar fitted with a chain encircled her neck, and red whip marks covered her exposed skin.

She looked as though she had been enslaved and mistreated.

The commotion of the battle drew the attention and gazes of everyone nearby.

Upon hearing the name Rongrong, everyone instinctively looked toward Ning Rongrong on the Purple Sky Thunder Dragon.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Little Princess, Ning Rongrong?"

"The Little Demoness finally got put in her place? What a delight!"

Her surname was Ning, her given name Rongrong.

In Heaven Dou City, over eighty percent of Soul Masters and ordinary people knew her.

Ning Rongrong remained expressionless and silent.

Feeling their gazes, she silently crouched down and covered her face with both hands, her toes clawing hard at the soles of her shoes.

Before anyone called her name, the people looking her way had only whispered among themselves.

Once someone shouted it, discussion erupted all around her.

"People fear fame as pigs fear growing fat" perfectly captured what she felt at that moment.

Inside, Ning Rongrong roared.

I'm tired of saying embarrassing things, and I'm used to losing face.

But... could you please stop shouting my name right beside me whenever I'm looking this miserable!!!

This princess has already lost enough face!!!

Ning Fengzhi glanced at her, then withdrew his gaze, his heart wrenching.

He knew Sword Douluo doted on Rongrong just as much as Bone Douluo did. Perhaps because he cultivated the sword, his temperament was also a little peculiar. Kindly put, he was upright and unbending. Less kindly put, he had a one-track mind.

Unlike with Gu Rong, he simply did not dare tell Jian Chenxin that he had given his daughter away.

Bone Douluo had already been gravely injured back then. If something happened to Sword Douluo too, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would face a period of weakness unprecedented in a hundred years.

Gu Rong also cared about saving face, especially before his good brother Jian Chenxin, to whom he refused to concede even an inch.

When Jian Chenxin asked how he had been so badly injured, he merely said he had encountered an evenly matched opponent, never breathing a word about Ning Rongrong's circumstances.

That was how Jian Chenxin had come to attack upon seeing Ning Rongrong's wretched state beside Li Sen.

Considering their very public surroundings, Ning Fengzhi said to Jian Chenxin, "Uncle Jian, I know about this matter. Could we find somewhere quiet to talk?"

Jian Chenxin raised his sword and pointed it straight at Li Sen, demanding, "Fine, but he has to fight me first. After treating Rongrong like this, what right does he have to be her man?"

Li Sen glanced at the rapidly healing sword wound on his fist, where bone was visible. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

That really hurt!

Jian Chenxin truly lived up to his reputation as the Titled Douluo foremost in slaughter, a master of sword intent.

His strength was not particularly great, but his ability to pierce defenses was downright heaven-defying. Even a minor skill had drawn Li Sen's blood.

Seeing Jian Chenxin's stubbornness, Ning Fengzhi immediately turned to Li Sen and spoke with a ingratiating expression.

"Teacher Li, could we talk somewhere else?"

Li Sen wore a faint, ambiguous smile, his voice ice-cold.

"Sect Master Ning, you haven't handled this matter very cleanly!"

"In our original deal, you were the one who proposed giving Rongrong to me."

"If you didn't want to, you could have offered other terms. I wouldn't have objected."

The Purple Sky Thunder Dragon silently drew closer, three pitch-black Soul Rings appearing around his body, his oppressive aura terrifying.

Everyone nearby also turned their attention to the battlefield, exclaiming in curiosity.

"Who is that? He's so young, yet he can fight Sword Douluo!"

"Twin Martial Souls? A Six-Ring Soul Emperor can actually battle a Titled Douluo? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "I know him! He's the Grandmaster who proposed the Martial Soul Evolution Theory in Suotuo City!"

"It's him! Didn't they say he was a Titled Douluo who fought Bone Douluo?"

"That's him. Although his cultivation hasn't reached nine rings, his fighting strength is already at the Titled Douluo level."

"Who here can exchange blows with Sword Douluo? Who would even dare?"

"He's incredible! I want to become his disciple!"

For a time, the focus of the discussion shifted from Ning Rongrong to Li Sen.