Ning Rongrong lowered her head.
Through the fabric of her clothes, she touched the Ancient Bronze Small Tower.
Mystic Yellow Radiance.
Aid in cultivation.
Tempering Soul Power.
These traits were very similar to those of the Small Tower Ning Xian had given her.
Could there be a connection between the two?
Ma Hongjun noticed Ning Rongrong's movement.
His gaze fell on the front of her clothes.
"Rongrong, you're still hiding that Small Tower?"
Ning Rongrong raised her face.
"This belongs to me."
Ma Hongjun curled his lip.
"Then keep hiding it."
"We'll soon be entering the real Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda."
"Who cares about that little trinket of yours anymore?"
Oscar said nothing.
Dai Mubai, however, looked at Ning Rongrong.
"We asked you to bring it out so everyone could cultivate, but you refused."
"Now it seems that thing isn't so amazing after all."
"The real Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda is right there at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Ning Rongrong stood up.
Her pale green skirt fell along her long, slender legs.
"I never said it was amazing."
"All I said was that someone gave it to me as a gift."
Ma Hongjun laughed.
"You've already relied on it to reach rank forty. Of course you can say that."
"But don't forget, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can only cultivate to the seventies at most."
"What good is cultivating faster?"
"Won't we surpass you in the end anyway?"
The atmosphere in the room changed at once.
Dai Mubai looked at Ning Rongrong with a measure of disdain in his eyes.
"Support-type Soul Masters ultimately have to rely on Battle Soul Masters."
"If you won't help your companions grow stronger, don't expect anyone to protect you in the future."
Ning Rongrong pressed her fair fingers against the front of her clothes.
She had never imagined that merely refusing to lend out a gift would earn her such vicious words.
"You..."
Dai Mubai sneered.
"What?"
"Other people might fear the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but I don't."
"You were so selfish before, and now we can't even say a few words about it?"
Ma Hongjun immediately chimed in.
"Exactly."
"We're all from Shrek Academy."
"You won't even do us this little favor, yet you still have the nerve to put on your young-lady airs?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened slightly.
She turned her face away, no longer looking at them.
Yu Xiaogang frowned.
"Enough."
"This isn't the place to argue."
"It belongs to Rongrong. If she doesn't want to lend it out, you can't force her."
Ma Hongjun wanted to say more.
Flender gave him a look.
"All of you, shut up."
Yu Xiaogang withdrew his gaze.
"There's no need for us to wait until tomorrow."
"Pack your things. We're going to Heaven Dou Royal Academy now."
Dai Mubai was the first to head for the door.
Tang San followed beside Yu Xiaogang.
As Ma Hongjun passed Ning Rongrong, he glanced again at the Ancient Bronze Small Tower hidden inside her clothes.
"The real Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda is far better than yours."
Ning Rongrong pressed her red lips together without responding.
She walked at the rear of the group.
Her slender hand guarded the Small Tower the entire time.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Mountains surrounded it.
Ning Xian stood outside the academy, gazing into the depths of the mountain forest.
Hundreds of years had passed, and the terrain here had changed considerably.
Magnificent palaces now stood on what had once been barren mountains.
The mountain roads were smooth and wide.
Students in Heaven Dou Imperial Academy uniforms traveled along them.
Ning Xian watched for a moment.
"Come to think of it, the founding of Heaven Dou Royal Academy had something to do with me."
Hundreds of years ago, his Martial Soul had undergone a transformation.
After the Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda completed its evolution, he had left its old tower body here.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Family discovered this Ancient Tower and established a cultivation site around it.
Only after years of expansion did it become the present-day Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The world only knew that the Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda could gather energy and help Soul Masters cultivate.
That was merely its most basic function.
The true power of the Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda lay in heaven-evolving all things.
Any Martial Soul that entered the pagoda would be recorded by the Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda.
Any Soul Skill used inside the pagoda would also leave a complete trace.
The Ancient Tower could replicate Martial Souls and Soul Skills.
It could also continually extrapolate from existing information, revealing the ultimate forms Martial Souls might reach.
Ning Xian looked into the depths of the academy.
Over hundreds of years, there was no telling how many Soul Masters had entered the Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda.
The number of Martial Souls and Soul Skills it had recorded had long since reached an astonishing figure.
"You've been left here for so long."
"I hope you can bring me a little surprise."
At the academy entrance, two guards were checking the identities of those coming and going.
Ning Xian walked forward along the mountain road.
He passed between the two guards.
The guards continued talking.
Neither saw Ning Xian.
The students coming and going did not step aside for him either.
Whenever someone was about to collide with Ning Xian, their steps naturally shifted.
He passed through the academy gates without a speck of dust touching his white robes.
Ning Xian continued forward.
A moment later, he stopped.
"You've followed me for so long. Aren't you coming out?"
There was no response from the woods behind him.
Ning Xian raised his hand.
A wisp of Mystic Yellow Radiance sank into the woods.
The next instant, a figure flew out from behind a tree and stopped before him.
Dugu Yan was held in midair by the Mystic Yellow Radiance.
She wore the uniform of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
A dark purple short skirt hugged her slender waist, and stockings of the same color covered her long legs.
Her long purple hair fell behind her shoulders.
Panic showed in her green eyes.
Dugu Yan struggled twice, but she could not mobilize her Soul Power.
She looked up at Ning Xian.
White robes, a jade hairpin, and handsome, refined features.
There had never been anyone like him at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"You're not from the academy."
Ning Xian studied her.
"Why were you following me?"
Dugu Yan glanced toward the academy entrance.
She had just been about to return to the academy when she saw Ning Xian pass right in front of the guards.
The guards had not questioned him.
The surrounding students had also acted as though they could not see him.
Curiosity had stirred in her, so she had followed him all the way here.
"My name is Dugu Yan."
"I'm a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"I only followed you to take a look because I saw you enter the academy without permission."
Ning Xian beckoned with one hand.
Dugu Yan landed on the ground.
As soon as she steadied herself, she took two steps back.
Her Soul Power still would not circulate.
"This is Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"You broke in without permission. If the academy's education committee discovers you, you definitely won't be able to leave."
Ning Xian ignored her warning.
Seeing that he was about to keep walking, Dugu Yan immediately said:
"My grandfather is Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."
"If you dare hurt me, my grandfather won't let you off."
Ning Xian stopped.
"Poison Douluo?"
Dugu Yan raised her chin.
"That's right."
"My grandfather is a Titled Douluo."
"If you let me go now, I can pretend I never saw you."
Ning Xian looked into her green eyes.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison had already seeped deep into her bloodline.
This bit of poison held no secrets before him.
"I caught a little venomous bug."
"And there's an old venomous bug behind her."
Dugu Yan froze where she stood.
She had never seen anyone dare speak of Dugu Bo like that after learning his identity.
He was a rank ninety-one Titled Douluo.
Even the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family had to treat Dugu Bo with courtesy when they met him.
Who exactly was this person before her?
Ning Xian turned around and continued deeper into the academy.
The Mystic Yellow Radiance became a fine thread and wound around Dugu Yan's wrist.
She was forced to follow him.
"Where are you taking me?"
"The Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda."
Before you continue