"Wedding?" Ning Rongrong was shocked, embarrassed, and overjoyed. Was Sword Brother proposing again?
Though they'd long been engaged, Tianlin had always carried heavy burdens: first the Spirit Hall Hunt, then mysterious new forces, preparing for future wars, helping her qualify for the God Trial, and so on.
Ning Rongrong always felt her Sword Brother was too exhausted. No matter how much she wanted to marry early and just be an ordinary wife, she never insisted or pressured Tianlin. She never expected him to suddenly bring it up himself.
Tianlin took her hand and asked, "Rongrong, I know this is sudden, but I promise once everything is settled, I'll give you the grandest wedding. Will you marry me?"
"Tut tut, proposing like this, in an ordinary inn, not even a bouquet or betrothal gift—who would've thought Xiao Tian is such a straight man!" Snow Empress smacked her lips.
"Exactly! No sincerity at all. Rongrong, you can't just accept…" Ice Empress said angrily. Now that she pinned her hopes on Ning Rongrong and would become her companion divine beast, she wouldn't let Rongrong be wronged at all.
Just like in the original story, where the Ice and Snow Emperors protected Huo Yuhao, now Ning Rongrong was like a new little sister to them.
"I will!" Unfortunately, Ning Rongrong couldn't hear Ice Empress' words. She had dreamed of this moment for so long. Whether the ceremony was grand, whether there were flowers or betrothal gifts—none of it mattered.
"Sigh, this girl…" Snow Empress and Ice Empress shook their heads helplessly. Even if they'd never been in love, it was obvious Ning Rongrong was deeply in love with Tianlin. As older sisters, what could they do but bless her?
That night, Tianlin and Rongrong slept in each other's arms. Tianlin wasn't a lustful man; he left the most intimate things until after their marriage, out of respect for Ning Rongrong.
The next day, the two continued their journey. Where before Ning Rongrong had dawdled and delayed, now she rushed home as fast as possible. What might have taken two days was finished in around one.
When they returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They'd been worried sick—after all, the sect's two most important people had gone alone to the dangerous Extreme North, seeking the legendary Ice and Snow Empress to obtain Ning Rongrong's second martial soul. It sounded impossible.
If Tianlin hadn't repeatedly promised success, and if Ning Rongrong hadn't carried Chen Xin's spell coordinate, Ning Fengzhi would never have allowed such a thing.
"Rongrong, Tianlin, did your plan succeed?" Ning Fengzhi asked hopefully. Even with all his knowledge, he had never heard of artificially creating a second martial soul. If Tianlin had done it, it would be an epoch-making miracle.
Chen Xin and the other Titled Douluo, as well as Gu Rong, Ma Hongjun, and the younger generation, all crowded around curiously.
Ning Rongrong smiled, using her actions to prove that her Sword Brother had never spoken empty words.
Suddenly, a boundless chill filled the hall. Ning Rongrong's hair turned snow white, her temperament icy and pure, her blue robe fluttering in the cold wind—just like the legendary Snow Maiden.
Especially striking were the two blood-red soul rings around her: one with seven gold lines, the other with three. Both were true ferocious beast rings, containing power far beyond hundred-thousand-year soul rings.
Compared to these, Ning Fengzhi instantly felt his own hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor ring wasn't so impressive.
"So this is the Ice and Snow Maiden's martial soul? It's so beautiful. I think Rongrong's even more beautiful than Qian Renxue's Seraphim," Ye Lingling sighed.
"This girl does have taste. Seraphim? Even a god-level martial soul can't compare to my Ice and Snow Maiden in beauty," Snow Empress said proudly. "If the God Realm hadn't changed the laws of heaven and earth, making it impossible for soul beasts to become gods and increasing the difficulty of their tribulations, I could have become the Ice and Snow Goddess!"
The proud Snow Empress had become a human's spirit and soul ring at root because of the God Realm's oppression.
Unfortunately, Tianlin couldn't change that yet—he didn't even dream of it. He always did what was within his ability.
Changing the laws of heaven and earth was far beyond him as someone who hadn't become a god.
But if one day he did become the strongest in the world, maybe he'd try to do something. Of course, he wouldn't betray his human race to help soul beasts regain dominance.
However, he would give them a fair chance—restoring the difficulty of their tribulations to normal, so top soul beasts like Snow Empress and Ice Empress wouldn't be forced to take human form.
The million-year god tribulation now was more like a first-rank god attacking a soon-to-be god Ultimate Douluo—an insurmountable gap. Even the strongest soul beasts couldn't succeed. For Skydream Ice Silkworm's sake, Tianlin would find a way to give back.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong slowly floated down and withdrew the Snow Maiden martial soul, though the surrounding cold didn't fade. The ultimate ice's effect on the environment wouldn't disappear so quickly.
"Good, very good! As expected of my granddaughter, Rongrong, you're now the continent's second greatest genius after Tianlin. In my opinion, Qian Renxue can't compare to your looks, and even her cultivation talent might not match yours now," Chen Xin said proudly.
He was seeing through the lens of a doting grandfather. In truth, Qian Renxue's cultivation speed was still a bit faster. Ning Rongrong had an immortal herb, but Qian Renxue had the power of Heavenly Power with Tianlin.
Over the past few years, with Tianlin's help, she'd refined her soul power to the utmost. Other than Tianlin, no one in the continent could match her. Even though she was already a Soul Douluo, her innate level 20 speed hadn't slowed at all, on par with the effect of immortal herbs.
She also had the Yearning Heartbroken Red in her hand. If she gained its approval and consumed it, her potential would rise even further.
Rongrong's only real advantage was her twin martial souls. But without a yin-yang soul core, the two couldn't be used together. She couldn't boost herself with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda while fighting, so overall, it was still hard to beat Qian Renxue.
"Hehe, thank you, Grandpa! Sword Grandpa is the best!" Ning Rongrong giggled, holding Chen Xin's arm. The truth didn't matter; as long as someone said she was better than Qian Renxue, that was her favorite person.
After all, in Ning Rongrong's heart, Qian Renxue was her lifelong rival!