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The day Yang Xiong arrived at school and had just taken his seat, a little devil girl appeared before him.
Ning Rongrong gave Yang Xiong a strange look. "Little Xiong, come with me for a moment. I have something I want to talk to you about in private."
Not only Yang Xiong but everyone around them was surprised. Though Ning Rongrong was known for her mischievous antics and bossy demeanor within the school, she and Yang Xiong had never interacted before. Why would she suddenly seek him out?
Yang Xiong may have ranked first in exams, but those were purely theoretical achievements—a trait that wasn't highly valued in the world of soul masters. What mattered most was soul power level.
Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, had the highest soul power level in the class and held a prestigious position within the sect. She was also beautiful, making her highly admired by both boys and girls in the class. From any perspective, the two seemed to have nothing in common.
Feeling the weight of everyone's curious stares, Yang Xiong reluctantly followed the little devil girl out of the classroom.
Ning Rongrong looked at Yang Xiong with a peculiar expression. "Little Xiong, I remember seeing you buy whale glue once. Did you discover the secret of whale glue?"
Yang Xiong was inwardly astonished. Weren't people in Douluo Continent supposed to have low IQs? How was this little devil so quick to catch on?
"What are you talking about, Rongrong? I have no idea what you mean," Yang Xiong replied.
Ning Rongrong smirked, clearly confident. "Though my father said the secret of whale glue was discovered by your father, I saw you buying it alone. It seems like you even secretly consumed some. At the time, I thought it was strange—why would an eight-year-old buy whale glue?"
Yang Xiong quickly countered, "Rongrong, couldn't it have been my father who sent me to buy it?"
Ning Rongrong sneered disdainfully. "It's normal for adults to buy whale glue, but it's suspicious for a child like you to do so."
"Besides, I've checked. Your father, Yang Lin, has always been diligent but hasn't made any special contributions to the sect. On the other hand, you've always loved reading books. Maybe you found clues about whale glue in one of them."
Yang Xiong was speechless. He couldn't believe his adult-level reasoning was being mocked by an eight-year-old.
"Rongrong, the secret of whale glue is related to sect confidentiality. It's best not to spread it around. Also, I doubt you brought me out here just for this, right?"
Ning Rongrong's expression turned sour. "I knew it was you. You're the reason I'm now forced to eat this disgusting whale glue. You owe me compensation!"
Yang Xiong found her logic baffling. "Rongrong, don't blame me. It was the sect leader who made you take it. Whale glue is actually very beneficial—it's good for your body. Shouldn't you be thanking me instead?"
Ning Rongrong snorted. "Thank you? My father is forcing me, a young girl, to consume whale glue. Have you ever considered how its side effects might affect girls?"
Yang Xiong sighed helplessly. "Rongrong, what exactly do you want from me? I'm just an ordinary student in the class. My soul power has always been at the bottom."
A sly smile spread across Ning Rongrong's face. "What I want from you is simple. If you discover any more secrets like this in the future, don't tell my father—just tell me. Who knows, I might even reward you."
With that, Ning Rongrong handed Yang Xiong a soul-guidance device. "This is my reward to you. If you find anything else in the future, make sure to tell me—not my father. Otherwise, I'll have my gang make your life miserable."
"And from now on, don't call me 'Classmate Rongrong'. Call me 'Sister Rongrong' (Elder Sister). From today onward, you're officially under my protection. You're my little brother now, and I'll look out for you in the entire Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
Yang Xiong felt a headache coming on. What was this all about? How had he, a proud man, become the little brother of an eight-year-old girl?
Still, looking at Ning Rongrong's triumphant expression, Yang Xiong reluctantly accepted the soul-guidance device.
To his surprise, the device contained hundreds of thousands of gold spirit coins, along with some cultivation resources. It seemed carefully prepared—far beyond what an eight-year-old could think of.
The soul-guidance device itself was a wristband, inconspicuous when worn, with a storage capacity of twenty cubic units. It seemed perfectly suited for his needs.
Ning Rongrong proudly declared, "Following Big Sister Rongrong won't leave you disappointed. I have plenty of treasures like this at home. If you can find more things like whale glue, just tell me—not my father. After all, it's easier for you to reach me than my father."
Yang Xiong: …
When they returned to the classroom, Yang Xiong went back to his usual corner seat. Everyone in the room seemed envious.
Yang Xiong grew increasingly fond of the wristband. Since becoming a soul master, he had wanted a soul-guidance device, but such items were rare and expensive—each costing hundreds of thousands of gold spirit coins. Only Yang Lin and Sun Yu in the Yang family owned one, and even his older brother didn't have one yet.
This wristband seemed tailor-made for him. Whether for training or medicinal baths, it would be incredibly convenient. Clearly, whoever chose it was familiar with his habits.
The gold spirit coin card inside, worth hundreds of thousands of coins, was a substantial fortune for an eight-year-old but not so extravagant as to attract unwanted attention from the sect.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but remark, "This Ning Fengzhi is quite considerate. He's grooming his precious daughter well, teaching her how to win people over at such a young age."
What Yang Xiong didn't know, however, was that this wristband hadn't been chosen by Ning Fengzhi—it came from someone else.
With this unexpected windfall, Yang Xiong decided to accelerate his training plan and begin true physical conditioning.
Recently, he had read many books, including some on body tempering techniques from defensive families. These families sought to strengthen their bodies' defenses through various drugs and methods, eventually achieving peak resilience.
For those pursuing the path of defense, Beast Spirits were often ideal. For example, the Diamond Mammoth of the Elephant Armor Sect or the Armored Rhinoceros of the Defense Family. Beyond basic training, each family had its own secret methods.
Though Yang Xiong didn't intend to focus on defense, he understood that those who did often possessed extraordinary strength and toughness, which would greatly benefit the early development of his Body Spirit.
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