As the carriage stopped in front of the Shrek Academy, the setting sun cast its last rays upon the rooftops.
Ning Rongrong jumped off the carriage and waved at the window. Ning Fengzhi lifted the curtain and gave her a few instructions before lowering it. The carriage rumbled away, and she watched it go for a while before turning and walking into the academy.
As soon as I entered the gate, I ran into Ma Hongjun.
" Rongrong? You're back!" Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he shouted inside, " Rongrong's back!"
That shout brought everyone out of the courtyard.
Flender peeked out of the office, Zhao Wuji put down the Shi Suo he was holding, and Oscar ran over from the cafeteria.
Dai Mubai, who had been leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed to rest, opened them upon hearing the noise, his wicked eyes carrying a lazy scrutiny.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing came out together. Xiao Wu walked in front, and Zhu Zhuqing followed half a step behind her. Both of them walked in a hurry. Ning Rongrong had been taken away by her family for most of the day. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't worried.
Finally, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang emerged. The two had been discussing pills—the news of the Godwind Academy selling pills was spreading like wildfire, and Tang San Yu Xiaogang possible impact of the pill system on Soul Master cultivation when they heard the commotion and came out together.
" Rongrong, why were you suddenly picked up?" Xiao Wu grabbed Ning Rongrong's hand and looked her up and down. "Your dad went out of his way to pick you up, did something happen at home?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but her gaze lingered on Ning Rongrong for a moment.
"Nothing happened," Ning Rongrong shook her head. "Actually, my dad took me to the Godwind Academy."
" Godwind Academy?" Flender raised an eyebrow, walked out of his office, and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "That Godwind Academy from the Five Elements Academy? There's been a lot of talk about them selling pills lately. What, you tried them too?"
"Yes," Ning Rongrong said, "My dad saw ' Martial Soul Defect Compensation' and ' Support System Cultivation Enhancement' listed on the list of pills, and thought they might be helpful for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, so he took me to try them out."
"And then?" Ma Hongjun leaned closer. "Did you try it? How was the result?"
Ning Rongrong did not answer directly. She took half a step back, raised her right hand, and activated her Soul Power.
The glass pagoda slowly emerged from her palm.
As dusk fell, the tower was bathed in a magnificent nine-colored halo, each eave appearing as if coated with a flowing sunset, the crystal-clear glass color reflecting the nine-colored light.
It's beautiful, but what silenced everyone wasn't the color, but the number of layers. Ning Rongrong's Martial Soul now has nine layers, not seven.
"This is..." Dai Mubai straightened up, the lazy look in his evil eyes vanished.
Flender took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on, and looked at them again. Zhao Wuji's Shi Suo had hit his foot, but he didn't feel any pain.
"It's the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda." Yu Xiaogang's voice came from behind the crowd. He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the pagoda, his tone filled with suppressed tremor.
"I've seen records of the evolved form of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in ancient texts, but no one in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has been able to reach this level for hundreds of years. Ning Rongrong, did your father also try it? Did he succeed?"
Ning Rongrong put the glass pagoda away, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips, "My father hasn't tried it yet. He says I have the best talent in the sect and wants me to try first."
"That's great!" Ma Hongjun was the first to shout. " Rongrong, you're amazing now! The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! Won't it be even more powerful when you're assisting us in the future?"
"Congratulations." Dai Mubai uttered two words, his tone brief, but a smile played at the corners of his lips.
Oscar clasped his hands together, grinning as he approached, "Sister Rongrong, please take care of your little brother when you're providing support in the future!"
Xiao Wu immediately grabbed Ning Rongrong's arm, laughing even more excitedly than when she herself had broken through to a higher level, "That's amazing, Rongrong! I knew you could do it!"
Zhu Zhuqing stood behind Xiao Wu without speaking, but nodded slightly to Ning Rongrong. Ning Rongrong understood the weight of that nod.
Tang San smiled and said "Congratulations," but didn't ask any further questions. Gem-type Martial Soul, potential activation, evolution—just based on these keywords, he already had a vague guess in his mind.
But he didn't say it aloud; he just glanced at Ning Rongrong one more time before looking away.
Yu Xiaogang stood to the side, watching his disciples congratulate Ning Rongrong, and a smile appeared on his face. But the smile didn't last long. His gaze lingered on Ning Rongrong for a moment, then moved away.
" Rongrong, besides this Yuze Pill, what else does Godwind Academy sell?" Oscar asked. "Didn't they say they openly sell pills?"
"Yes, there is." Ning Rongrong took out a piece of paper from her pocket. "This is a publicly available list of elixirs; I specifically asked for a copy to bring back."
Everyone crowded forward. The list clearly stated: Meridian-Warming Pill, limited to two hundred pills per month, slowly warms and nourishes the meridians, consolidating the foundation of cultivation;
Soul-Fortifying Pill, limited to 150 pills per month, stabilizes Soul Power and reduces the risk of backlash during breakthroughs. A note follows: Other pills with special effects are available upon request.
" Meridian-Warming Pill and Soul-Fortifying Pill," Flender pushed up his glasses, "What's the price?"
"They say it fluctuates according to market prices and is announced monthly," Ning Rongrong said. "However, I heard that Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy are getting internal prices, while other academies have to bid at market prices. Godwind Academy, Skywater Academy, and Blazing Fire Academy have already formed an alliance."
"A three-way alliance?" Flender frowned. An alliance between the Five Elements Academy would affect the entire landscape of the Soul Master Academy. He glanced at Yu Xiaogang and noticed that Yu Xiaogang's expression was also not very good.
"Are there pills with special effects?" Ma Hongjun pointed to the note and asked, "What are their effects?"
"I don't know the specifics either," Ning Rongrong thought for a moment, "The alchemist mentioned a few things, some can enhance the strength of Martial Soul, some can change the attributes of Martial Soul, and some can target specific flaws in Martial Soul... Anyway, there are many types, but they all require individual consultations and are not listed in the public directory."
Oscar's eyes lit up. His Martial Soul Martial Soul was Food System, and if he could improve its attributes, his support abilities would take a qualitative leap.
The strength of the Martial Soul can also be improved -- Dai Mubai stroked his chin. The White Tiger Martial Soul is known for its fierceness. If its strength is further improved, its combat power can be raised to another level.
As for compensating for the defects in his Martial Soul — Ma Hongjun opened his mouth, then swallowed his words. Although he was usually unreliable, he had always taken the matter of the Evil Fire very seriously.
"Where can I buy it?" Oscar asked eagerly. "Does Suotuo City sell it?"
" Suotuo City?" Ning Rongrong shook her head. "I've already asked. Currently, they only have shops in Godwind City, Heaven Dou City, and Seven Treasure City. They don't have any in other places yet. Suotuo City is too far away. It will probably be a while before their shops open here."
"That means you can't buy it even if you have money?" Ma Hongjun exclaimed in disappointment.
"Even if the shop opens, you'll still need to have the money to buy things," Dai Mubai added casually.
Ma Hongjun choked, touched his empty pockets, and fell silent. Flender tapped his pipe against the doorframe and muttered, "Limited supply, fluctuating prices, and bidding... these pills aren't cheap."
Oscar also suppressed his earlier excitement and silently calculated his savings—let alone buying pills, he barely had enough for the travel expenses to Heaven Dou City.
For a moment, no one spoke. The evening breeze swept through the courtyard, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway gently. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, yet none of them wanted to speak first.
Looking at everyone's expressions, Ning Rongrong felt a little uncomfortable. She wanted to say something, but when she thought of Feng Lingtian's calm and composed eyes in the Godwind Academy's reception room, she swallowed her words.
"Alright," Flender clapped his hands, " Rongrong must be tired after running around all day, let's go back and rest."
The crowd dispersed. Ning Rongrong followed Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing back to the dormitory. Xiao Wu chattered on and on about the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, while Zhu Zhuqing walked silently beside her.
As they approached the dormitory entrance, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke, her voice calm. " Rongrong, congratulations."
Ning Rongrong was stunned for a moment, then smiled. This congratulations was more precious than anything else.
Tang San lagged behind, not speaking to anyone. He returned to his room, closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and gazed at the sky outside the window as it sank into the night.
Evolving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda from seven to nine stories is something that ordinary elixirs cannot achieve.
The Tang Sect's Pharmacopoeia records a celestial herb that specializes in attacking gemstone-type Martial Soul, and its effects are exactly as Ning Rongrong described.
If the Nurturing Grace and Supporting Splendor Pill refined by the Pill Pavilion really used that kind of Immortal Herb, then they possess far more than just one Immortal Herb- level medicinal material.
Tang San sat by the bed for a long time before finally reaching out to lower the bed curtains. Some thoughts, once they arise, will not disappear on their own.