Lu Ning looked at Ning Rongrong's horrified expression.
He could not help feeling a little amused.
"Weren't you just saying you weren't afraid?"
"Why did you lose your nerve the moment you heard 'whale rubber'?"
"What?"
"The young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't even dare take this?"
Provoked like this, Ning Rongrong reacted.
She immediately craned her pink neck and retorted.
"Who says I don't dare!"
"The problem is, this stuff of yours is..."
"It's not meant for improving physical fitness at all!"
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong realized she had misspoken.
How could this stuff not count as something that improved physical fitness?
Didn't the Star Luo Imperial Family even use it as an aphrodisiac?
But she really could not think of any other words to use instead.
She could only pound Lu Ning's chest with her fist to vent her anger.
"This stuff really can increase the age of the Soul Rings you'll be able to absorb in the future."
"But as you said."
"It does come with a few... negative effects."
"So."
"Whether you take it is up to you."
Lu Ning smiled.
He continued on his way.
Ning Rongrong stood there at a loss.
She did not believe something like this could increase the age of Soul Rings they could absorb.
She even suspected Lu Ning was setting a trap to deceive her.
That he was merely trying to trick her into bed.
But...
The colors of Lu Ning's Soul Rings were indeed very strange.
It did not seem as though he was lying.
Ning Rongrong was still hesitating.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, headed straight after Lu Ning.
Seeing how decisive Zhu Zhuqing was, Ning Rongrong reacted.
She hurriedly reached out to stop her.
Speaking rapidly, she warned, "You're just going to believe him like that?!"
"What if he has some strange intentions?"
"Wouldn't you be the one losing out?"
Zhu Zhuqing pulled free of her pale arm.
"So what?"
"On the road to becoming stronger, you always have to pay a price."
"No one in this world ever becomes stronger for no reason."
"How could you possibly expect there to be no risk at all? Did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's two Sect-Protector Douluos become stronger for nothing?"
The heavy burden on Zhu Zhuqing's shoulders was something Ning Rongrong could not imagine.
Even if Ning Rongrong remained a Soul Grandmaster her entire life.
She would still be in no danger.
At most, the treatment she received would decline.
But Zhu Zhuqing was different.
As a member of the Star Luo Empire's Spirit Cat Lineage.
If she lost the struggle for succession.
Death would be her only path.
It was not that she did not cherish her own body, but Lu Ning had already produced enough evidence to prove he could help others improve; if she did not dare shoulder even the slightest risk.
Then she would not be Zhu Zhuqing!
Ning Rongrong stood where she was.
She watched the two retreating figures.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally took that step.
I refuse to believe it!
At worst, I'll just give myself to him!
His Wine Gourd alone is enough to make it worthwhile for me!
Lu Ning had not waited for them at all.
He walked into the familiar wine shop.
Seeing this big customer arrive, the shopkeeper's face filled with smiles. "Back again, young friend Lu?"
"Two jin of the Jade Spring Spirit Wine you asked me to set aside last time have arrived."
"Would you like..."
Lu Ning's eyes lit up.
The better the wine poured into the Wine Gourd.
The better the effects it produced would be.
This fine wine was expensive, but it was very effective in helping Lu Ning break through his Level 39 bottleneck.
"I'll take it all."
Lu Ning searched himself for Gold Soul Coins to pay.
A fair hand quietly slapped down on the counter; when it withdrew, a silver card representing one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins lay exposed in the sunlight.
"I'll pay!"
At some point, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had caught up with Lu Ning.
Ning Rongrong had just withdrawn her hand.
Clearly, she was the one who had offered to pay.
Her face was flushed, her pearly teeth clenched; she had evidently accepted Lu Ning's training plan.
Lu Ning did not object.
He calmly accepted the Jade Spring Spirit Wine.
They wanted to learn from him, so what was wrong with paying a little tuition?
Compared with the improvements they would gain.
What did this little money amount to?
"Are we going to buy whale rubber now?"
Ning Rongrong asked quietly.
Her ears shone pink in the sunlight.
Lu Ning nodded gently and led them around the roadside stalls.
Ordinary apothecaries might stock some whale rubber, but its age was generally low; after all, this stuff was usually used to enhance performance in that area, and no one specifically sought out older pieces.
Roadside stalls were different.
There was a chance of finding an overlooked bargain.
There were always people who treated this stuff as treasure.
The three browsed all afternoon.
Ning Rongrong was a shopaholic, laden with purchases; she had even bought several new outfits, insisting that she needed new dresses to train in too.
Zhu Zhuqing was more focused on her goal.
She followed Lu Ning as he bought whale rubber.
It was just that their luck really was not particularly good.
Even though whale rubber was easy to find during this period.
They only managed to buy one ten-thousand-year piece and a few small thousand-year pieces; there was no helping it, since Suotuo City was not a coastal city, and no one would specifically stockpile this stuff.
Unless they had someone specially reserve it.
Buying it in large quantities.
Was practically impossible otherwise.
"Just these few pieces..."
"How much older a Soul Ring could they let me absorb?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Lu Ning and asked the question that concerned her most.
Lu Ning shook his head.
"Hard to say."
"I can only roughly judge its age, but as for the specifics..."
"You'll have to take it yourselves to find out."
Beside them, Ning Rongrong looked at the whale rubber in their hands; after hesitating for a long time, she turned her head away and focused on her newly bought dresses.
Whether this stuff actually worked.
She would wait until Zhu Zhuqing had tried it before deciding!
"All right."
"Then..."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong.
Seeing that Ning Rongrong did not seem particularly interested in sharing the whale rubber with her.
Zhu Zhuqing did not ask any further.
Instead, she took a small piece of thousand-year whale rubber.
"I'll try this piece first."
"If it really helps, I'll ask you for the rest."
Lu Ning did not object.
He put away the remaining whale rubber.
This stuff really did work; people simply had not discovered it yet.
Once Zhu Zhuqing tried it and found it effective, she would come to him again.
Besides...
Lu Ning ate this stuff himself too.
Although the "Lust" option could increase the age of his Soul Rings every time.
Who would ever complain about having too much of this stuff?
The three returned to Shrek Academy.
Their cheerful chatter and laughter along the way made the faces of the others, who had just finished training, darken.
Xiao Wu's sweat had soaked her clothes.
The pink fabric clung to her body, and even her hair was somewhat disheveled.
Looking at the immaculately dressed Ning Rongrong.
A trace of envy also rose in her eyes.
"We trained all day."
"They played all day. Where are we supposed to go for justice?"
Xiao Wu's complaint was not loud.
But Tang San heard every word clearly, his expression solemn.
"Xiao Wu!"
"Don't question Teacher's training plan!"
"They played all day, and we trained all day. Perhaps we won't see any results today."
"But keep it up for a month, and the gap between us will be obvious."
Yu Xiaogang had initially looked troubled upon hearing Xiao Wu's complaint.
Hearing Tang San's words, warmth immediately surged in his heart.
As expected of my disciple.
"Xiao San is right!"
"Training is absolutely not something where you can see a difference in a single day."
"If you want to see a difference."
"Then you have to persevere!"
"Today... an extra half hour of training!"
Before you continue