Ge Long carefully surveyed the top floor. Suddenly, his brows drew together, and his gaze settled on a corner.
Ning Rongrong shuddered and backed away two steps.
"Don't panic!"
"He can't see us."
Wei Fan rested his hand on Ning Rongrong's shoulder, signaling her to stay calm.
Ge Long was already approaching, one slow step at a time.
He kept feeling that something was off about this spot, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
He leaned forward and sniffed the surrounding air.
To Wei Fan, that gesture was anything but friendly. That LSP had practically stuck his nose into Ning Rongrong's bust.
Shameless old lecher!
Ning Rongrong flushed with anger, but she didn't dare make a sound.
If they were discovered, they would be in serious trouble.
After sniffing around...
Ge Long found nothing amiss and could only shake his head helplessly.
It seemed he really was overthinking things. If the thief were still here, how could he possibly fail to see him? The thief must have slipped away before he arrived.
With that thought, he hurried downstairs...
"Come on, let's head down too."
Ning Rongrong hurried after him and grabbed Wei Fan's arm. Right now, she felt safest at his side.
Wei Fan casually picked up a hairpin set with a green gemstone and slipped it into Ning Rongrong's hair.
"What are you doing?"
His sudden gesture made her heart beat a little faster, and a blush spread across her pretty face.
"Now you've taken something too, so we're accomplices."
"If you turn me in, you'll be in deep trouble yourself."
Wei Fan explained.
"Oh, so that's why. I thought..."
"Don't worry. I already told you I wouldn't tell anyone about what happened today."
"To show you how firmly I mean it, I'll keep this hairpin."
Ning Rongrong smiled faintly.
Still invisible, the two carefully made their way out of the Swan Tower.
Watching the searching Royal Knights weave past them, even Wei Fan felt a little nervous.
"Little girl, I'm off!"
Once they were safe, Wei Fan prepared to leave.
"Wait, when can we meet again?"
"Can you take me along the next time you steal something?"
Ning Rongrong had always been a Little Demoness at heart and played plenty of pranks, but compared with this, her usual antics were child's play.
She had suddenly discovered that stealing treasures from the imperial palace felt absolutely incredible!
Especially strolling brazenly out of the Swan Tower right in front of those Royal Knights.
What a thrill!
Wei Fan was speechless.
Was something wrong with this girl?
She was getting addicted to this sort of thing?
She really was a Little Demoness!
"Rongrong!"
"Where are you?"
Just then, a tall, thin old man with graying hair approached.
Though he looked somewhat advanced in years, his back was ramrod straight, and there wasn't a single wrinkle on his face.
The air he carried about his brows marked him as a truly powerful expert!
Oh no!
He was coming their way.
Ning Rongrong suddenly grew nervous. That was her Grandpa Jian, Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
Their invisibility could fool Ge Long, but could it fool her Grandpa Sword too?
She didn't know!
If they were discovered, the fellow beside her would be in danger.
After pressing her lips together, Ning Rongrong steeled herself and stepped beyond the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud's range while Chen Xin was looking elsewhere.
"Grandpa Sword, I'm here!"
Ning Rongrong hurried over and linked her arm through Chen Xin's.
"Rongrong, where did you run off to?"
"You had me searching everywhere."
He affectionately tapped the tip of Ning Rongrong's nose.
"Grandpa Sword, I've been playing around here the whole time."
"How strange. Then why couldn't I sense your presence just now?"
"Maybe I've gotten stronger, or maybe you're getting old, Grandpa Sword."
"You little rascal."
"Grandpa Sword, let's hurry back and watch the celebration."
Ning Rongrong pushed Chen Xin in another direction, then suddenly turned back and made a face toward Wei Fan.
"That little girl."
Wei Fan shook his head with a smile.
He had intended to use his invisibility to stroll straight out of the imperial palace, but the tightly shut gates and rows of guards forming a human wall made him abandon the idea.
This state only made him invisible; it didn't let him pass through walls.
If he used his earlier method to walk up the wall step by step, he would leave a trail of crystalline ice footprints behind him.
Unless they were blind, they would certainly spot him.
Watching squad after squad of Royal Knights outside, he decided it would be safer to vault into a courtyard and change clothes.
As things stood, his only way out was to wear his Moonlight Pavilion uniform.
Boom!
A punch smashed through the wall, and Ge Long charged in like a raging bull.
"I knew you'd be here."
Eight soul rings appeared around Ge Long, and green scales covered his body. As a dragon-type soul master, this was the most obvious sign of his Martial Soul Possession.
I'd let my guard down!
Wei Fan had thought he was safe, so he had drawn the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud back into his palm.
He hadn't expected Ge Long to arrive the instant he finished.
The only good news was that he hadn't taken off his mask or changed into his Moonlight Pavilion clothes yet.
Otherwise, his identity would already have been exposed!
Ge Long gave Wei Fan no chance to catch his breath. As his first three soul rings flashed, his muscles abruptly bulged, and his fists swelled to the size of vinegar jars.
The fierce force of his punches made the surrounding air crack explosively, with faint dragon roars accompanying each strike.
Wei Fan pushed off the ground and swiftly put distance between them. The moment the Trident appeared in his hands, he swept it sideways.
With a muffled bang, the overpowering gust from the punch collided with the keen light of the Trident. Waves of force churned outward, making the entire palace shake violently.
At the sight of the gleaming silver Trident in Wei Fan's hands and the five soul rings beneath his feet, fury flashed in Ge Long's eyes.
It really was that thief again!
He'd let this thief escape last time. It wouldn't happen again.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Dragon Fist!"
Green light flashed, and a spectral dragon appeared behind Ge Long. Then he hurtled forward like a cannonball.
The second soul ring beneath Wei Fan's feet rapidly expanded. Gripping the Trident with both hands, he thrust it forward.
A gleaming silver beam erupted from the Trident and shot toward him with lightning speed.
Boom!
The collision exploded in front of Ge Long, making the dragon scales covering his body tremble violently.
Seizing that opening, Wei Fan swiftly activated his fourth and fifth soul rings. As two flashes of black light flared, the roar of crashing tsunamis resounded from the Trident.
He spun and swept the Trident sideways. An enormous tornado formed from seawater appeared inside the palace, its blue vortex sucking in every ornament and object around it.
Wei Fan had unleashed this strike by combining his fourth soul skill, Unyielding Will, with his fifth soul skill, Tidal Dragon-Tornado Slash.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Dragon Transformation!"
Ge Long slammed both hands onto the ground, and a massive green dragon roughly seven meters long abruptly appeared behind him.
After circling once above Ge Long's head, the dragon roared forth and plunged into the raging tornado with lightning speed.
For a moment, the roar of tsunamis, the cries of a dragon, and the thunder of collisions... reverberated throughout the palace.
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