Chapter 6: Ning Rongrong

Li Xun’s heart stirred.

This residence was shared only by him and Aunt Xue. Even if Ning Fengzhi and the others were to visit, Aunt Xue would always come ahead to inform him first. There was only one person who would bypass Aunt Xue and knock directly on his door.

"Come in," Li Xun said softly with a smile.

At the sound of his voice, the door creaked open a crack. A small head poked through the opening.

"Big Brother Li Xun, I’ve come to play with you!" A voice, tinged with both shyness and excitement, drifted through the gap.

"Have you finished your morning lessons?" Li Xun teased.

Ning Rongrong’s eyes darted around, and she quickly replied, "I finished them... I really did! Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone even praised me. If you don't believe me, go ask them."

Li Xun rolled his eyes at her. After a few days of interaction, he had come to understand Ning Rongrong’s personality. The girl wasn't bad; she was a bit mischievous and clever, and she hadn't yet been spoiled into a petulant or willful brat. She was just a normal six-year-old girl.

"Did Teacher send you to find me?" Li Xun watched as Ning Rongrong slowly sidled up to him.

"No, I came on my own." She leaned in close to him, tilting her small face upward with an ingratiating expression. "Big Brother Li Xun, I heard my father say that you will likely reach the same level of cultivation as Grandpa Sword in the future. Will you protect me then?"

"I suppose I might, depending on how you perform." Li Xun looked at her with a beaming smile. "If your cultivation is too weak in the future and you can't support me, causing me to lose to others, then I’ll have to abandon you and run first."

Ning Rongrong possessed innate soul power of level nine, which, in terms of talent, already surpassed ninety-nine point nine percent of soul masters in the world. However, having been pampered since childhood, she could not endure hardship. This was why, when she eventually joined Shrek Academy, her soul power was even a level lower than Zhu Zhuqing’s, who had only been born with level seven innate soul power. Although support-type soul masters had slower cultivation speeds, her own lack of discipline was definitely a factor.

"Then I’ll still have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone; they will protect me!" Stung by Li Xun’s words, Ning Rongrong’s face shifted from its ingratiating expression to a pout.

"They will also face birth, aging, sickness, and death. They won't always be standing in front of you, shielding you from the wind and rain." Li Xun continued, "If you don't cultivate properly now, and we encounter a strong enemy in the future who requires your support, but you can't help because your cultivation isn't high enough... what will you do then?"

Li Xun’s words were like a thorn piercing Ning Rongrong’s heart. Her previously pouting face turned slightly pale. Li Xun had only intended to goad her into working harder. Seeing her reaction, he quickly tried to coax her: "If you start working hard on your cultivation from now on, that won't happen. By then, we might even be relying on you for support."

"Mm! I will work hard! Then I’ll provide support for all of you!" Hearing his consolation, Ning Rongrong’s face gradually returned to normal, and she spoke with determination.

"You’d better keep your word." Li Xun couldn't help but add.

"I will! If you don't believe me, you can supervise me!" Seeing his lingering doubt, she lifted her chin and declared loudly.

"Alright, I’ll start supervising your cultivation from today. I’ll go tell your father in a moment—don't you dare try to back out."

"Not today! I’ve already finished my morning lessons for today. Let’s start... let’s start tomorrow." Hearing that he wanted to begin immediately, she quickly waved her hands.

"Tomorrow is fine. I’ll give you a day off." Li Xun nodded. Changing someone required a long-term strategy; it wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. Even when he supervised her later, he wouldn't be overly harsh; he would simply nudge her toward change through subtle influence.

"Is there anything else?" Seeing her twisting her hands shyly after he finished speaking, Li Xun asked in confusion.

"Big Brother Li Xun... I’ve promised you that I’ll cultivate properly." She looked up at him with a fawning smile. "Could you... show me your... second martial soul?"

*So, the real motive comes out?* Li Xun was stunned for a moment before a strange smile appeared on his face. "Rongrong, I can show you my martial soul, but don't you forget what we just talked about!" With that, he handed her a kunai.

...

"Rongrong, you must cultivate diligently while I’m away. I’ll be checking on you when I return." Li Xun stood on Sword Douluo’s flying sword, waving a branch at the excited Ning Rongrong below.

"I know! Grandpa Sword, hurry up and take him!" She instinctively covered her backside with her hands.

"Haha, very well. I won't disturb our little princess any longer." Chen Xin chuckled, glanced at her, and then steered the sword into the sky.

Li Xun’s goal for this trip was to obtain his first soul ring. His body had recovered days ago, and the reason he had delayed until now was to research a suitable soul beast.

The Sunset Forest, located near Heaven Dou City, was rich in high-level soul beasts and extremely dangerous. With Sword Douluo’s cultivation, it took only an hour to travel from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to the forest. As a powerful Titled Douluo, Chen Xin did not stop, flying directly into the forest from above.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming aura of the Titled Douluo that affected the forest; as Li Xun looked down from the sword, he saw soul beasts fleeing in all directions. Even those that glanced up would quickly lower their heads, pretending not to be seen as the sword passed overhead.

"There is one right below—a Silver-Bough Spruce," Sword Douluo said, slowing the sword. "It has nearly sixty silver boughs. Judging by its age, it should be between five hundred and six hundred years. Are you truly sure you want to take such a risk, Xiao Xun?"

Li Xun looked down to see a spruce tree in the woods with glistening silver branches and clusters of fruit. They had two targets for this trip: the Soapberry Soul Tree and the Silver-Bough Spruce. Neither was aggressive, and their fruits were rich in nutrients, providing a stable food source for the ecosystem. They had no natural predators, so they were quite common.

"Grandpa Sword, the Silver-Bough Spruce has a mild attribute; it should be fine," Li Xun said earnestly. "Besides, this tree produces hundreds of thousands of seeds each time. As my first soul ring, the yield will definitely be the highest."

"Very well. I will strike, and you deliver the final blow," Sword Douluo sighed.

The members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had advised against Li Xun choosing such a high-year soul beast for his first ring. As a twin martial soul user, he was considered second only to Ning Rongrong in their eyes. A genius like him was guaranteed to become a Titled Douluo even with steady, incremental progress. They couldn't understand why he was being so reckless.

Sword Douluo steered the sword downward. He brought his fingers together and released two sword beams that shot straight toward the tree. The beams were as fast as meteors, instantly slicing through the trunk and roots. The massive tree, which would have required six people to encircle, began to sway like a flickering candle.

Perhaps sensing its life was nearing an end, the fruits on the Silver-Bough Spruce burst open simultaneously, and hundreds of thousands of seeds shot out in every direction.