The room fell silent.
Ma Hongjun stared at Ning Rongrong, his mouth hanging open for a long time.
"She reached level forty?"
"Wasn't she only level twenty-seven before?"
Dai Mubai's expression changed as well.
Ning Rongrong had originally been among those with the lowest soul power.
Now she had surpassed everyone, becoming the first to reach level forty.
Yu Xiaogang strode to the bedside.
His gaze fell on that ancient bronze-colored Small Tower.
"This isn't an ordinary object."
"Judging by its soul power fluctuations, it should be a soul tool."
"It can gather the energy of heaven and earth and help its user cultivate faster."
Oscar looked at Ning Rongrong, his eyes filled with envy.
"A soul tool that aids cultivation?"
"And it raised her thirteen levels in one go?"
Ning Rongrong slowly opened her eyes.
She raised her slender hand and caught the Ancient Bronze Small Tower in her palm.
The Xuanhuang Ancient Tower projection above her head vanished with it.
After this cultivation session, she could clearly sense that her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was changing.
Its originally fixed seven-story structure seemed to have gained a hazy outline.
That outline had not fully solidified, but it truly existed.
Ning Rongrong lowered her head to look at the small tower in her palm.
Whenever she circulated her soul power, she could feel mystic yellow radiance cleansing and refining her martial soul.
This was not merely an increase in soul power.
Her martial soul was evolving.
Tang San approached her.
"Rongrong, where did this tower come from?"
Ning Rongrong thought of Ning Xian at the tavern.
She still could not be certain of Ning Xian's true identity.
But that sense of closeness from deep within her bloodline made her willing to trust Ning Xian.
"An elder in my family gave it to me."
Ma Hongjun's eyes immediately lit up.
"Since it's a soul tool that aids cultivation, lend it to everyone."
"You're a support-type soul master. No matter how high your soul power is, you still can't fight alone."
"You might as well let Little San and Boss Dai improve their strength first."
"Only when they're stronger can they protect you."
Tang San did not voice any objection.
Dai Mubai also looked at the small tower in Ning Rongrong's hand.
No one could remain unmoved by such an astonishing cultivation speed.
Ning Rongrong tightened her grip on the small tower.
She could sense a connection between this object and her bloodline.
Only in her hands could the small tower achieve its greatest effect.
More importantly, this was the first-meeting gift Ning Xian had given her.
She had no intention of handing the Small Tower to anyone else.
"No."
Ma Hongjun froze for a moment.
"Why not?"
Ning Rongrong rose from the bed.
Her pale green skirt fell against her long legs, a white jade belt cinching her slender waist.
She tucked the Ancient Bronze Small Tower close to her body.
"This is something an elder gave me."
"I won't lend it to anyone."
The envy on Ma Hongjun's face immediately turned to displeasure.
"We're all from the same academy. Aren't you being far too selfish?"
"We'll all have to fight together when we enter the Soul Master Tournament."
"If we lose, it'll all be because you threw your spoiled young lady's tantrum and refused to help everyone improve."
Ning Rongrong looked at him.
"It's mine. Whether I lend it out is my decision."
Dai Mubai snorted coldly, turned, and walked to the window.
Tang San remained silent.
His gaze lingered on Ning Rongrong for a moment before returning to the sky screen.
Ning Rongrong offered no further explanation.
She pressed her slender hand against the front of her clothes, touching the small tower through the fabric.
Mystic yellow radiance flowed quietly.
The projection of that ancient, lofty tower surfaced in her mind once more.
Outside Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Ning Xian walked slowly along the mountain path.
His white robes swayed gently in the night breeze.
He looked up toward Heaven Dou City.
"Rongrong should have discovered what the small tower does by now."
That small tower was a semi-divine artifact he had casually refined.
For ordinary soul masters, it could gather the energy of heaven and earth and accelerate soul power cultivation.
Only in the hands of a direct descendant of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would the Small Tower’s true function emerge.
It could purify the bloodline.
It could also help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda undergo ancestral reversion.
As long as Ning Rongrong continued using it, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would gradually break through its seven-story limit.
Eight treasures.
Nine treasures.
Even that was not the end.
Ning Xian withdrew his gaze.
"Consider it a surprise for the child."
Mountain ranges stretched ahead.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy stood among them.
Ning Xian could sense that the thing he had left behind was still deep within the academy.
Hundreds of years had passed, yet that familiar aura had still not dissipated.
"It's about time I went back to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, too."
Ning Xian took a step.
His white-robed figure had already appeared at the end of the mountain path.
The Star Dou Great Forest.
Beside the Lake of Life.
Gu Yuena stood on the lake's surface.
Her long silver hair fell to her slender waist, and her silver dress clung to her shapely figure.
The hem spread gently over the lake, her long, fair legs appearing and disappearing with her steps.
She walked barefoot across the water, her purple eyes fixed on the Million-Year Soul Ring on the sky screen.
Di Tian and the many ferocious beasts stood on the shore.
Xiong Jun's eyes widened.
"A Million-Year Soul Ring?"
"How could something like that possibly appear among humans?"
The Myriad Demon King looked at the Rakshasa Demon Halberd.
"There's also a divine artifact and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."
"And these are only the rewards for tenth place."
Bi Ji stood beside Di Tian, her expression equally grave.
For soul beasts, a Million-Year Soul Ring carried an even more special significance.
It required a soul beast with a million years of cultivation.
How many million-year soul beasts could be found on the entire Douluo Continent?
Yet the Heavenly Dao could bestow one directly.
Gu Yuena watched for a long time before slowly withdrawing her gaze.
She had already calmed her emotions.
No matter how precious the Heavenly Dao's rewards were, finding Ning Xian was the most important matter at present.
Gu Yuena turned around.
Her silver skirt swept across the lake, her snow-white legs glowing with a lustrous sheen beneath the moonlight.
She looked at Di Tian.
"Have you found that person?"
Di Tian lowered his head.
"My lord, we have not found him yet."
Gu Yuena stood on the lake's surface without turning around.
Her long silver hair fell to her waist, a few strands resting against her snow-white shoulders and neck.
Her silver dress outlined her slender waist, its hem gently spreading with the lake water.
She stood barefoot.
Her fair, beautiful legs were hidden beneath her skirt, appearing and disappearing with the rippling water.
The golden sky screen overhead was reflected in her purple eyes.
The last time Gu Yuena had awakened, she had left the Star Dou Great Forest.
She had wanted to enter the human world and experience human emotions for herself.
After returning to the Lake of Life, the first thing she had done was order Di Tian to search for Ning Xian.
In hundreds of years, Di Tian had never seen his lord care so much about anyone.
Gu Yuena raised her slender hand.
Her fingertips brushed the silver strands hanging before her chest.
"Keep searching."
"The Douluo Continent is only so large. Since he's already returned, he's bound to leave traces."
Di Tian bowed.
"Yes."
Gu Yuena said nothing more.
She stood beneath the golden radiance, her exquisite face still calm.
Yet whenever she thought of Ning Xian, a little more longing filled her purple eyes.
That white-robed figure had lingered in her heart for far too long.
Even after hundreds of years had passed, she had never truly let go.
Watching Gu Yuena's back, Di Tian grew increasingly curious.
The relationship between Ning Xian and his lord was probably far less simple than it appeared.
But he dared not dwell on it further.
His lord's affairs were not for him to speculate about.
Before you continue