Zhao Su and Ning Rongrong's Agreement

After resting for nearly an hour, they set off again and left the Star Dou Great Forest.

They arrived at a city about a hundred li from the Star Dou Great Forest, planning to recuperate there for a few days and properly unwind.

The battles of the past few days and the constant strain of staying on high alert in the Star Dou Great Forest had left everyone exhausted.

Night fell.

In a hotel room, Zhu Zhuqing sat by the window, holding the little cat Zhao Su had given her. Her chin rested on her left hand, and her gaze was distant, her thoughts impossible to read.

"Zhuqing, what are you thinking about?"

Ning Rongrong suddenly appeared behind Zhu Zhuqing and tapped her shoulder.

Zhu Zhuqing jolted, clearly startled, and hurriedly put the little cat away.

She reached up to smooth her hair and said with forced composure, "Nothing. I'm just a little bored!"

"Teacher Zhao, Tang San, and the others are drinking downstairs. Why aren't you joining them?"

"I'm feeling a little unwell. I don't want to go."

"Don't tell me you've really fallen for Brother Su?"

Ning Rongrong stared at Zhu Zhuqing with a knowing look as she asked.

At Ning Rongrong's words, Zhu Zhuqing grew even more flustered. For a moment, she did not even know how to answer.

"Of course not."

In the end, she offered only that offhand denial, then climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself.

"Oh, come on! We're both grown girls. What's there to be embarrassed about? If you like him, you like him."

Ning Rongrong followed her, leaned against the bed, and lifted the covers from Zhu Zhuqing's head.

"Rongrong, do you like Zhao Su?"

Hearing Ning Rongrong say that, Zhu Zhuqing sat up in bed and looked at her earnestly as she asked.

"Who wouldn't like someone as outstanding as Brother Su?" Ning Rongrong looked at Zhu Zhuqing and continued, "But if you like him, I won't compete with you. We're close friends, after all."

"Really?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up at Ning Rongrong's words, but then she seemed to remember something, and the light gradually faded from her gaze. "But I can't fall for him."

"Why?"

"Because I'm already betrothed. It was arranged when I was little!"

Perhaps Zhu Zhuqing truly wanted someone to confide in. Otherwise, keeping everything bottled up would make her ill sooner or later.

"A betrothal arranged when you were little? Did you run away because of it?"

Ning Rongrong immediately perked up at that.

"In a way!"

Zhu Zhuqing first shook her head, but in the end, she nodded.

"Don't tell me the person you're betrothed to is one of our group?"

Ning Rongrong was already clever, and Zhu Zhuqing's expression helped her piece most of it together. "Boss Dai?"

"How did you know?"

"You're from the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire. Does that mean Boss Dai belongs to the Star Luo Imperial Family?"

It was not actually difficult to guess, especially once Ning Rongrong knew a few details. Although she was a Little Demoness, she came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects.

Moreover, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo treasured her like the apples of their eyes and spoiled her beyond measure.

With her talent also being the highest in her generation, Ning Fengzhi had long intended to groom Ning Rongrong as his successor.

Learning about the various powers on the Douluo Continent had therefore been one of her compulsory subjects since childhood.

"It looks like you already know everything!"

Zhu Zhuqing was not particularly surprised that Ning Rongrong knew all this.

"Ah, this really is tricky!"

Ning Rongrong sighed and tilted her little head, lost in thought.

The Zhu Family had become nobility in the Star Luo Empire not because its martial soul was particularly powerful, nor because it had produced extraordinary prodigies like Tang Chen and Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect.

Instead, it relied on marriage alliances with the Dai Family of the Star Luo Imperial Family.

It could be said that every empress of the Star Luo Empire throughout the generations had come from the Zhu Family.

If Dai Mubai failed to become crown prince, breaking the betrothal would not matter too much. But if he became crown prince and was confirmed as the heir to the throne...

Breaking her betrothal would be tantamount to destroying the entire Zhu Family.

Her parents and siblings would all be wiped out along with it.

That was why she was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"I know what to do!"

Ning Rongrong leaned close to Zhu Zhuqing's ear and whispered something. Whatever she said made Zhu Zhuqing's expression change at once, and she hurriedly shook her head. "No."

"Anyway, that's the best solution I can think of. As for what you choose to do, that's up to you."

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's reaction, Ning Rongrong said nothing more about it.

She hopped off the bed and told Zhu Zhuqing once more, "You have to choose your own future. When an opportunity comes, make sure you seize it."

Watching Ning Rongrong leave the room, Zhu Zhuqing sat there and drifted into thought again.

What Zhu Zhuqing had not expected was this.

After leaving the room, Ning Rongrong went straight to the hotel rooftop, where Zhao Su was sitting.

A jar of wine stood beside him as he gazed up at the moon.

"How did it go?"

Once Ning Rongrong appeared, Zhao Su lowered his gaze from the moon, picked up the wine jar beside him, and took a sip.

"I sounded her out. Zhuqing likes you, but she's already betrothed!"

"She really is from the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire?"

"That's right. Dai Mubai belongs to the Star Luo Imperial Family, and he's the one betrothed to Zhuqing. She came to Shrek Academy because of him, too."

"So that's how it is!"

"I've done what I promised you. When will you do what you promised me?"

"Don't worry. I won't go back on my word. When I get the chance, I'll go with you to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and help your father and brothers evolve their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagodas." As Zhao Su spoke, he looked at Ning Rongrong, another plan forming in his mind. "How about I help you evolve your Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and you help me win Zhu Zhuqing over?"

"Deal!"

Without giving it much thought, Ning Rongrong extended her hand to Zhao Su.

Zhao Su extended his hand as well, sealing their agreement.

After resting for two days, Zhao Su and his companions entered the Star Dou Great Forest again on the third day.

Ever since Ning Rongrong had learned Zhu Zhuqing's secret, Zhu Zhuqing had resumed her cold expression and begun avoiding Zhao Su, whether deliberately or otherwise.

Zhao Su did not mind. They were all still young, and he was in no hurry. There was plenty of time.

Five days later, deep inside the Star Dou Great Forest, they finally found soul beasts suitable for Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong.

After obtaining their soul rings, they wasted no more time and returned straight to Shrek Academy outside Suotuo City.

When Flender saw that all seven, including Tang San, had reached rank thirty, shock immediately crossed his face.

He hurriedly pulled Zhao Wuji aside and asked about everything that had happened during their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

"No wonder you were gone for so many days. So much happened."

After hearing Zhao Wuji's account, Flender could not help feeling a little regretful. Had he known, he would have gone with them.

Perhaps, with Zhao Su's help, he could have broken past rank seventy-eight, where his soul power had stagnated for over a decade, and reached rank eighty to become a Soul Douluo.

As long as he could break through to Soul Douluo, Flender was confident that he would one day reach the heights of a Titled Douluo.