"Yes, I'll definitely work hard."
Jun Yi replied, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
He had originally thought up a whole host of excuses to gloss over the origin of his Soul Ring, but in the end, he attributed it to his Martial Soul and professed ignorance about everything else. After all, the more he said, the more mistakes he could make. Better to say nothing.
Seeing that Jun Yi was not upset, Ning Fengzhi gently stroked his head and said, "Xiao Yi, your Martial Soul produced a Soul Ring on its own, which saves us quite a bit of time. After breakfast, you can go ask Uncle Jian about Self-Created Soul Skills. I'm sure he'll have plenty of guidance for you."
"Mm-hmm! Grandpa Sword will definitely be shocked when he sees my Soul Ring."
Jun Yi waved to the two of them as he spoke, saying as he left, "Since there's still some time, I'll go cultivate for a bit. Uncle Ning, Grandpa Bone, I'll leave you to your work. I'm off!"
Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo smiled and nodded, watching Jun Yi leave the study.
After Jun Yi left, Ning Fengzhi's expression changed. He looked gravely at Bone Douluo and asked, "Uncle Gu, are you certain Xiao Yi isn't a Soul Beast?"
"I've confirmed it. Kid Jun couldn't possibly be a Soul Beast," Bone Douluo said firmly.
"That's good, then."
Bone Douluo shook his head and continued, "If I hadn't personally examined Kid Jun's body, judging by everything he's shown us, it would be hard not to think he was a Soul Beast."
"Indeed. Innate Full Soul Power, mastery of long-lost Soul Tool technology, and the ability to produce his own Soul Rings. Aside from his somewhat childish personality, he's no different from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast cultivating anew," Ning Fengzhi said evenly.
Bone Douluo nodded and continued, "We've watched that boy grow up. Apart from his unknown origins, we know everything about him, inside and out. There shouldn't be any problems."
"Even if Xiao Yi were a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast cultivating anew, his ability to make Soul Tools alone would make him worthy of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's protection. This technology could change the continent's future balance of power. It's enough to support our sect's rise. We absolutely must do everything we can to protect Xiao Yi."
Ning Fengzhi looked solemnly at Bone Douluo and said, "Uncle Gu, I hope you'll keep Xiao Yi safe during his time in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"That's only what I ought to do."
Meanwhile, Jun Yi had returned to the pavilion and was just about to reach his room when the door beside him, which normally showed no sign of activity before noon, suddenly opened.
Ning Rongrong actually walked out. She had completely abandoned her usual wealthy young lady appearance. Her long hair, which normally fell over her shoulders, was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore a plain light-blue top and long trousers. She looked like an entirely different person.
"Did the sun rise in the west today? Or am I hallucinating? Rongrong, you're actually up this early?" Jun Yi said in surprise.
"Hmph! Since I made a bet with you, I'll cultivate hard. From now on, I'll get up early every morning to exercise, and I'll also learn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's close-combat techniques from Grandpa Sword. With my talent, surpassing you will be a piece of cake," Ning Rongrong said haughtily, lifting her chin and puffing out her chest.
Hearing this, Jun Yi looked at Ning Rongrong in sudden understanding. He had not expected her to genuinely work hard to surpass him. He had originally thought it was only an excuse she used to comfort herself, but she seemed ready to put it into practice.
Jun Yi reached out and patted her head, smiling as he said, "Then you'd better work hard. It'll take countless efforts and plenty of sweat before you have a chance of surpassing me."
"I believe I can do it," Ning Rongrong said confidently.
No sooner had she spoken than something suddenly occurred to her. She asked curiously, "Why hasn't Grandpa Bone taken you to get a Soul Ring yet? Hasn't he come?"
"He already came. As for getting a Soul Ring, I'm afraid that'll have to wait," Jun Yi said mysteriously.
"Wait?" Ning Rongrong blinked her large eyes, looking at Jun Yi in confusion.
"You'll find out why during this morning's training. That's all I'm saying. I'm going back to my room."
Jun Yi waved and was about to return to his room when Ning Rongrong grabbed his arm and said, "Since you're free, come on. Go running with me."
With that, Ning Rongrong dragged Jun Yi straight out of the pavilion.
"Hey, I never said I was going!"
"I said you're going."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was beautiful in the early morning. Warm, gentle sunshine bathed everything, while birdsong and floral fragrances refreshed the heart and left one feeling clearheaded and invigorated.
Jun Yi and Ning Rongrong jogged slowly through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's vast mountain grounds, one ahead of the other. After running for an unknown length of time, Ning Rongrong, who was behind, felt her breathing gradually quicken. Beads of cold sweat covered her forehead.
Yet Jun Yi, running ahead of her, breathed steadily without shedding a single drop of sweat. His pace even showed signs of picking up.
"Jun Yi, wait for me! Why are you running so fast?" Ning Rongrong called from behind.
Hearing her, Jun Yi slowed down to run beside her.
"How are you doing? Want to rest for a bit?" Jun Yi asked.
"How much farther until we've done one lap?"
"How... how much farther until we've done one lap?"
"We've run about half a lap. You've never exercised before, so running this far on your first try is already impressive. Why don't we take a break?" Jun Yi continued reassuring her.
"I can... I can still keep... keep running." Ning Rongrong shook her head in refusal.
Looking at Ning Rongrong's sweat-covered face, Jun Yi could not help admiring her perseverance a little.
When Ning Rongrong proposed running a lap around the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's perimeter, Jun Yi had felt it was a nearly impossible goal. How large was the sect's perimeter? By Blue Star's measurements, it was at least twenty kilometers.
For Ning Rongrong, who had never exercised before, this was truly too difficult. But her willpower was strong, and she still insisted on continuing.
The two ran roughly another quarter of the distance before Ning Rongrong finally could not hold on any longer. Jun Yi saw her legs buckle. Just as she was about to fall, he darted over and caught her.
"Rongrong, that's enough."
"I'm fine. I still have to keep running. This is nothing."
Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth and straightened her legs to stand upright, but she had truly reached her limit. She no longer even had the strength to take another step.
"All right, let's stop here for today. Since you've worked so hard, I'll carry you on my back and run the rest of the way."
As he spoke, Jun Yi crouched halfway down and placed a hand against Ning Rongrong's lower back. "Climb on."
"Okay."
Ning Rongrong obediently lay against Jun Yi's back, loosely wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her whole face against his ear and sniffed softly, a faint, delicate fragrance lingering around his neck.
"Hold on tight. Don't fall off." Jun Yi took a deep breath, quickened his steps, and raced toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's rear mountain.
Although Ning Rongrong did not deliberately control her breathing, Jun Yi could still sense her faint panting and hear her snores. She was truly exhausted-so exhausted that she fell asleep right on his back...
(End of chapter)