Early the next morning, following the directions from the sect staff, Yang Xiong set off. After just two days of travel, he encountered Ning Rongrong in a small town.
Judging by the many bags she was carrying, she seemed to be enjoying a shopping spree by herself, without the slightest intention of going to school.
Upon seeing Yang Xiong, Ning Rongrong perked up instantly. "Xiao Xiongzi, come help me carry these things! Didn't you leave earlier and arrive in this town before me? How come I couldn't find you anywhere?"
Yang Xiong looked at the pile of items she was carrying and sighed. "Rongrong, don't you have a soul tool? Why are you lugging all this stuff around?"
Ning Rongrong replied proudly, "My soul tool is already full. Since Soto City is quite far away, I figured I might as well buy more things."
"Oh, and stop calling me 'classmate Rongrong.' Just call me Rongrong, it sounds better."
Yang Xiong was speechless. "Alright then, Rongrong. Soto City is thousands of kilometers away. Are you planning to keep shopping and sightseeing all the way there? Let's just rent a carriage and get going."
Ning Rongrong responded casually, "School is just an excuse. It's rare for me to leave the sect and be free from Father, Sword Grandpa, and Bone Grandpa. I want to enjoy myself."
Yang Xiong was at a loss for words. With how playful this little troublemaker was, he wondered how she ever managed to make it to Shrek Academy in the original story.
Seeing her like this, Yang Xiong didn't bother arguing. He just accompanied her as she wandered the town for half a day.
He had to admit, though, this girl was a shopping machine. In just half an hour, Yang Xiong was already weighed down with bags.
But under Yang Xiong's firm insistence, the next day the two finally boarded a carriage toward Soto City.
Even so, Ning Rongrong's playful nature couldn't be suppressed. Along the way, she kept stopping to explore and play like a child who had never seen the outside world before, leaving Yang Xiong feeling helpless.
Despite her playful demeanor, this girl was genuinely talented. She could even meditate and cultivate calmly inside the carriage. She was likely not far from reaching Level 29. In terms of talent, she was not much inferior to Tang San or Xiao Wu.
After about ten days, they finally arrived at Soto City.
Soto City was the second-largest city in the Balak Kingdom and was quite bustling overall.
Surprisingly, they ended up at the well-known Rose Hotel mentioned in the original story.
They had arrived early, so there was still time before school started, and the hotel wasn't overcrowded yet.
The hotel attendant's eyes lit up when he saw Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong.
"Two rooms, please," Yang Xiong requested.
The attendant looked at them with a subtle expression.
"Are you sure you want two rooms? I'm terribly sorry, but we currently only have one room available. Would you two mind sharing?"
Unexpectedly, the mischievous Ning Rongrong blushed a little at those words. Although they had mostly spent their time meditating during the journey, they had indeed grown more familiar with each other.
Yang Xiong didn't waste time. He pulled out a pouch of gold soul coins and said, "Two of your best rooms, preferably adjacent. Otherwise, we'll go elsewhere."
The attendant smiled broadly. "Of course, sir. I just double-checked, and we do have two rooms available. We hope you enjoy your stay at our hotel."
The two of them checked in at the Rose Hotel and waited for the school term to begin.
Ning Rongrong spent her days shopping and her evenings resting and meditating. Yang Xiong, on the other hand, spent nearly all his time meditating except during meals.
Ever since he started practicing the Yin-Yang Meditation Technique, his cultivation speed had significantly increased. His soul power circulated more smoothly, and he encountered almost no bottlenecks. At this rate, he could break through to Level 27 in just half a month.
However, Ning Rongrong looked down on Yang Xiong for being too boring, always meditating and doing nothing else. If she hadn't insisted on him joining her for meals because she didn't want to eat alone, they might not have even seen each other for days.
One day, after returning from a meal, they walked into the Rose Hotel and saw a chaotic scene of fighting. Tables and chairs were scattered and broken.
Yang Xiong's expression turned serious when he saw the two people fighting.
Both were soul masters. One had a White Tiger martial soul, and the other had Blue Silver Grass. They were fighting fiercely.
Dai Mubai, with his golden hair and 1.8-meter height, looked rather handsome. However, the two girls clinging to him ruined the image.
Tang San, about 1.7 meters tall with short black hair and dressed in blue, looked more ordinary but moved with agility.
Yang Xiong seemed to remember something. He looked around the scene and sure enough, spotted a cute girl.
Judging by her height, she was probably about 1.7 meters tall. She had a slender frame and a soft, rosy complexion. She was not only beautiful but also carried a playful charm, especially with her two long "scorpion braids" that nearly reached her thighs.
This girl was Xiao Wu, actually a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form. Even though Yang Xiong had seen many things, he couldn't help but feel excited. A hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone were treasures in the soul master world.
But just for a moment, Yang Xiong calmed himself. With his current strength, such treasures were far beyond reach, especially with Tang Hao lurking in the shadows.
After a brief fight between Tang San and Dai Mubai, things ended peacefully. Dai Mubai left, embracing the twin girls, while Tang San and Xiao Wu successfully checked in.
Ning Rongrong looked at Dai Mubai with disdain, clearly unimpressed by such a playboy.
Yang Xiong was more indifferent. In the Douluo Continent, soul masters held prestigious status, and being surrounded by women wasn't unusual.
Based on the fight, Dai Mubai was strong and direct, true to his top-tier White Tiger martial soul. Tang San, on the other hand, was more agile and tactical, using techniques like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Controlling Crane Catching Dragon. Without those, he wouldn't have been able to handle Dai Mubai's raw strength.
Ning Rongrong was clearly upset. "Xiao Xiongzi, you should've taught that perverted tiger a lesson. Just looking at him annoys me."
Yang Xiong chuckled. "He's a Soul Elder, a whole rank above me. If I tried to teach him a lesson and got beaten instead, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
Ning Rongrong huffed. "So what if he's a Soul Elder? He's much older than us. Besides, Father said your combat strength is outstanding. You can fight Soul Elders even at a lower rank."
"You little brat, do you even know what 'fighting beyond your level' means?" Yang Xiong sighed and went back to his room. At this stage, both Dai Mubai and Tang San were still inexperienced. Beating them wouldn't be too hard for him.
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