Sword Douluo Chen Xin looked at Lu Ning with keen interest.
"Let me see your second martial soul."
Lu Ning did not hesitate.
A white jade Wine Gourd appeared in his left palm.
The three Soul Rings around him revealed themselves at that moment.
Purple, purple, black!
Moreover, those two purple rings were deeper in color than the Thousand-Year Soul Rings of his first martial soul, the Azure Lotus Sword.
"Hmm?!"
Ning Fengzhi could not tear his eyes away after his first glance.
Lu Ning's previous three purple rings and one black ring had not surprised him.
He had twin martial souls, after all.
At most, that could only be considered dazzling. It fell far short of shocking, but now...
"Now that's interesting!"
"All purple Soul Rings, and two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings besides."
"All of this came from eating whale rubber?"
Ning Fengzhi asked, and Lu Ning nodded.
He could hardly say he had gotten them by sleeping around, could he?
If he dared say that, he would probably still have to die tonight.
"It seems this whale rubber... warrants some research." Ning Fengzhi looked at Chen Xin, but Chen Xin did not respond to him, merely asking Ning Rongrong, "And then?"
Ning Rongrong lowered her head, blushing.
Her exposed skin turned even pinker and fairer.
"Because I took it incorrectly."
"There were some side effects."
"I couldn't resolve it on my own at all. I begged Lu Ning several times, and my body was almost bursting from that power before he agreed to help."
"If Lu Ning hadn't helped, Rongrong might have..."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin understood what lay behind it.
"Then did your constitution improve?"
"Yes! I can handle at least another two hundred years!" Ning Rongrong declared firmly, wanting only to hurry past those details. Chen Xin asked no further questions, but looked toward Lu Ning with greater appreciation.
He had thought this brat had tricked their precious Rongrong.
He had never expected this.
They truly had wronged this little genius tonight.
"Brat, consider the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect indebted to you."
"If you have any questions about the way of the sword in the future, come to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and ask me anytime."
Chen Xin nudged Ning Fengzhi with his elbow. By now, all the anger in Ning Fengzhi's heart had dissipated, and a refined smile returned to his face.
"Young friend Lu."
"Tonight was a misunderstanding."
"Consider the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect indebted to you."
"If you encounter difficulties in the future, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can act on your behalf once."
Without waiting for Lu Ning to respond, Ning Fengzhi changed tack.
"However..."
"You and Rongrong did, after all, have that sort of relationship."
"As her father, I cannot turn a blind eye."
"For the time being, I will take Rongrong back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and have someone provide her with some psychological counseling, while also preventing any further unforeseen consequences."
"Flender, you have no objections, do you?"
Hearing Ning Fengzhi call his name, Flender hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"No objections, none at all."
"Since her parent is personally taking her home, I certainly have no objections as her teacher."
At that moment, Flender could hardly wait to send these two mighty figures away.
How could he possibly be unwilling to let Ning Rongrong leave?
As long as they did not take Lu Ning along as well.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin now rested his gaze on Lu Ning and added, "Since you've had relations with Rongrong, you can't simply walk away."
"We'll take Rongrong back to the sect."
"You have five years to come and take her away."
"By then, it should be about time for you two to marry."
"If you don't come..."
Chen Xin's gaze turned vicious, and he rose after delivering his threat.
"Then you'd better pray you can evade the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's pursuit."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, acknowledging Chen Xin's plan, and also rose to leave.
Ning Rongrong followed close behind, glancing back at Lu Ning.
Her lips moved slightly.
"Run."
Then she left with Ning Fengzhi.
Flender emptied the two men's teacups, washed them clean, and brought out his treasured fine tea to brew himself a cup, his face wreathed in smiles. "Brat, blessings and calamities really do go hand in hand for you."
"At least for the time being, no Titled Douluo will dare attack you lightly."
"What lesson have you learned? Let's hear it."
Lu Ning's voice was calm.
"I absolutely mustn't go fucking around."
The moment those words came out.
Flender nearly choked to death on the tea he had yet to swallow.
"You brat!"
Faced with that crudely worded but not unreasonable answer.
Flender was utterly convinced by Lu Ning now.
This fellow had learned absolutely nothing!
Wasn't the lesson he should have learned not to casually provoke Soul Masters with powerful backers?
Instead, he came out with...
"Five years is neither long nor short."
"That Sword Douluo has you pinned down tight."
"In five years, you'll reach the Soul Saint realm at most-qualified to marry Ning Rongrong, but not qualified to escape the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's pursuit."
"Think it over carefully."
As Flender changed the subject, his eyes shifted, as though something had occurred to him.
Lu Ning sat down and began recovering his soul power.
"Soul Saint? Not necessarily."
"I'll deal with what happens then when the time comes."
"Even if I really do marry Ning Rongrong, I certainly won't marry her under this sort of coercion."
"If I truly want to marry her, I'll cleave the sect gates open with one strike!"
Relief appeared on Lu Ning's face, and a hint of joking crept into his tone.
But Flender held out his hand to him at that moment.
"Where's the Soul Bone?"
"I worked myself to the bone helping you tonight, facing a Titled Douluo. You ought to pay me some protection money, right?"
"..."
"Didn't you say you didn't want it?" Lu Ning asked, looking at Flender's swiftly changing expression. Flender looked pained. "Didn't want it, my ass!"
"Have you ever seen a Soul Master turn down a Soul Bone?"
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
A streak of light tore across the sky.
The three returned safely to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Sensing their auras, Bone Douluo Gu Rong hurried over impatiently, his voice arriving before he did. "Sword Bastard! Fengzhi!"
"You brought Rongrong back?"
"What about that brat?"
"Did you cut off the root of the trouble or chop him into eight pieces? Did you bring back any meat for me to taste?"
Ning Rongrong had only just landed.
Gu Rong appeared directly before her, looking heartbroken.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear."
"Our little princess has suffered."
"Did your Grandpa Sword get justice for you?"
Tears clung to the corners of Ning Rongrong's eyes as she shook her head repeatedly. "Rongrong didn't suffer. That incident was a misunderstanding. Dad didn't read my letter properly."
At her words, Gu Rong straightened as though struck by lightning.
His gaze swept over Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"A misunderstanding?"
"What exactly happened?"
"Did that brat do it or not? Did you kill him or not?"
Chen Xin, sparing with his words, calmly uttered a few.
"He did. Didn't kill him."
Gu Rong's anger flared at those words.
"You didn't kill him?!"
"Sword Bastard! Why do you think I gave you this chance?!"
"Wasn't it so you'd cleave that brat to death with one strike? If you didn't kill him, what did you go there for?!"
Ning Fengzhi was in no mood to explain to Gu Rong at that moment either. He looked at Chen Xin and asked.
"Uncle Jian."
"Just how was that sword strike?"
"Why did you choose to spare that brat?"
Before you continue