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"That's what I said, but." Yu Xiaogang's eyes swept over everyone present.
"Do you think that in five years, you will still be able to get together like you do now?"
"This..." Oscar was stunned. The smile that originally contained a bit of ease froze on his face. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
"If you participate in the Soul Master Competition in five years, with your strength and talent, it will not be difficult to win the championship. However, five years is full of too many variables." Yu Xiaogang said.
"Although you may not be able to achieve excellent results if you participate now given your age and abilities, as long as you perform normally, you will be able to achieve a good result among the many participating teams. This is also a great opportunity for you to gain experience."
…
"Soul Master Competition? You guys?"
Xiao Wu and the other two, who had just returned from a meeting, approached Xuan Ming and told him what happened at the meeting.
Xuan Ming felt like laughing for some reason when he heard the news.
"Hey! What do you mean? Are we weak?" Ning Rongrong was immediately dissatisfied when she heard it. Her eyebrows raised and she glared at Xuan Ming angrily.
"I am now in the Nine Treasures Glazed Tower, and I am already level 37!"
"Zhu Qing is also level 38!"
"In half a year, we will definitely be able to reach level 40!"
"That's right, we are not weak." Xiao Wu responded.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything, but judging from her expression, she seemed a little dissatisfied.
Although they cannot compare to Xuan Ming, they are definitely not weaker than others!
"You are indeed not weak, but what about the others?" Xuan Ming asked.
"The Soul Master Competition is a team competition. There are many people who are stronger than you. With your abilities, you may not have any problem passing the preliminaries, but what about the finals?"
"Are you planning to go on a tour?"
"Uh...this..." Ning Rongrong was speechless for a moment, and her originally aggressive momentum instantly weakened a bit.
"If she's just going out for fun like Xiao Wu, then it doesn't matter. She doesn't care about winning or losing anyway." Xuan Ming said.
"But you two are different, especially you."
Xuan Ming's gaze fell on Ning Rongrong.
As the young master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong would definitely attract a lot of attention if she participated in this kind of competition. If she was eliminated in the first round, it would be a big blow to the reputation of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
"You'd better discuss this matter with your family." Xuan Ming said.
"This is not some casual game."
Ning Rongrong nodded, "I'll discuss it with Dad."
"As for your question." Xuan Ming looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Come with me."
Zhu Zhuqing was slightly startled, nodded, and followed Xuan Ming.
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu looked at each other and were about to follow quietly to eavesdrop when a dark hole suddenly appeared in front of them. Xuan Ming and Zhu Zhuqing disappeared in an instant, leaving Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Sneaky..." Xiao Wu curled her lips.
Ning Rongrong stared at Xiao Wu with an unnatural look in her eyes for a long time before suddenly asking, "Xiao Wu, aren't you... interested in him too?"
Xiao Wu was slightly stunned, her ears felt a little hot, and she quickly waved her hands to deny it, "Who is interested in him? Don't talk nonsense."
"Is it really boring?" Ning Rongrong was very skeptical, with a questioning look in her eyes.
When they first met, she felt that Xiao Wu's attitude towards Xuan Ming was very strange. She always paid attention to him intentionally or unintentionally. However, the distance between Xiao Wu and Xuan Ming was still very obvious at that time, so she didn't think much about it.
However, after Xuan Ming suddenly disappeared for a few months and returned to Soto City, Xiao Wu's attitude towards him changed obviously. The sense of distance disappeared, and she always looked for opportunities to be with Xuan Ming.
She felt that the change was because Xiao Wu knew Xuan Ming's past experiences and felt sympathy and curiosity for him.
But as they spent more and more time together, especially after arriving in Tiandou City, Xiao Wu's attitude towards Xuan Ming became more and more wrong. Just like Zhu Zhuqing, there was always a bit of tenderness and dependence in the look she gave Xuan Ming!
Although Xuan Ming had never thought about it that way, the progress of these two people's strategies was increasing rapidly!
"My relationship with him...is quite special, and it's hard to explain." Xiao Wu said.
"Special?" Ning Rongrong raised her eyebrows.
"How special?"
Xiao Wu thought about it and said, "In a sense... we live and die together, right?"
Ning Rongrong was stunned.
"Are you confessing your feelings?"
Live and die together has come out!
"Oh, it's not what you think." Xiao Wu blushed and quickly covered Ning Rongrong's mouth.
Ning Rongrong pulled Xiao Wu's hand away, "What about Tang San?"
"Good friends." Xiao Wu said.
"He and I are friends who grew up together. Didn't I tell you that before?"
"Friend?" Ning Rongrong raised her eyebrows slightly, with a meaningful smile on her lips.
"Isn't that just a simple friend?"
Tang San's feelings for Xiao Wu are definitely special!
It's just that Xiao Wu didn't notice it, and she didn't think about it that way.
But she saw it!
"What's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked puzzledly.
"Nothing." Ning Rongrong shook her head slightly and didn't intend to say more.
"By the way, Xuan Ming gave gifts to Zhuqing and me this time. What about you?"
"What did he give you? I don't see that your soul power level has changed much. Could it be that he gave you something to increase your soul power?"
Xiao Wu's talent is extremely exaggerated!
Xuan Ming also said that there are differences in innate full soul power. Some people are innately level ten because they can only reach level ten, while some people are innately level ten because the highest level they can reach is level ten.
And Xiao Wu belongs to the latter.
It's just that this girl is more playful, just like her, and rarely puts effort into cultivation, otherwise her cultivation level would definitely be much higher than it is now.
"I..." Xiao Wu's expression looked a little unnatural.
Ning Rongrong's expression changed slightly, "Could it be... not?"
Xiao Wu shook her head, "Yes."
"What gift?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"It's a secret." Xiao Wu turned around and walked towards the forest outside the academy.
Ning Rongrong looked at Xiao Wu's departing back, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a sly smile, "Huh, still a secret? Sooner or later, I will dig out this little secret of yours."
…
On the other side, Xuan Ming brought Zhu Zhuqing to a forest far away from the campus area.
The trees are lush and their branches and leaves are intertwined. The sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves, creating patches of mottled light and shadow.
"Your situation is a bit complicated too." Xuan Ming leaned against the tree.
"At first, I was planning to use my identity in the Great Fighting Spirit Arena to help you resolve this matter, but as you know, the current situation is that I have fallen out with the Seven Great Families."
"And now you've broken up with Dai Mubai. Your own strength is not enough to fight against your sister and the Xingluo Royal Family."
"I..." Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth and was about to say something when Xuan Ming raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Remember when we first met, I asked you a question."
"Why should I help you? Give me a reason, what can you bring to me?"
"That night, I asked you again, and your answer was everything you had."
Xuan Ming paused and looked into Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
"Although I gave you that thing, to be honest, I don't like this answer."
"You said you hated Xingluo's cage and longed for freedom."
"But in order to escape Xingluo's cage, you chose to sell out everything you had and lock yourself in another cage."
"Is this the freedom you long for?"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression remained unchanged as she slowly stepped forward, standing in front of Xuan Ming. She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye.
"No one is truly free. We are all trapped in our own cages, big or small, overt or covert. But at least for now, this cage is one I chose myself!"
"But I rescued you from another cage, not to lock you in mine." Xuan Ming said.
"You said you wanted freedom. I gave you the ability to fly, but you choose to remain a caged bird?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes trembled slightly, and she bit her lower lip tightly, "But this cage is more than just a cage to me."
"What is it?" Xuan Ming asked.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and looked into Xuan Ming's eyes.
"It's home. The home I chose."
Xuan Ming was slightly stunned. He didn't expect to hear such an answer from Zhu Zhuqing.
"Xuan Ming, I know you have always been thinking about me and wanting me to be truly free, although I don't understand why you are so good to me." Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip.
"But the freedom I want isn't about wandering the world alone. For me, there's something that can make me feel at ease and that I'm willing to give everything for. That's the freedom I want, the home I want!"