Ning Rongrong slowly woke up. Golden tulip-like petals fluttered around her like divine light, making her seem like a goddess descending from the heavens.
She opened her eyes, and a noble aura flowed naturally from her. In that moment, she no longer looked like a teenage girl, but a regal queen — graceful, powerful, and commanding.
However, that aura lasted no more than three seconds before vanishing completely.
Realizing the changes in her body, Ning Rongrong gave a delighted shout and, with a fragrant gust of wind trailing behind her, bounced joyfully toward Chen Feng.
Smooch!
A kiss landed squarely on Chen Feng's cheek.
Clinging to his neck, Ning Rongrong exclaimed in joy,
"Thank you so much, Brother Chen Feng! My soul power increased by five levels!"
Her soul power, originally at Level 33, had skyrocketed to Level 38 after consuming just one stalk of Qiluo Tulip!
It was worth noting — she was even slightly younger than Chen Feng, not yet fourteen years old.
"Rongrong, everyone's watching…" Chen Feng gently reminded her.
He didn't seem particularly flustered. With his mature demeanor and mindset, he only saw Ning Rongrong as a younger sister. Her impulsive gesture was just an expression of excitement — nothing more.
Still, for her to lose herself in the moment like that clearly showed how precious this gift was.
At Chen Feng's reminder, Ning Rongrong's face flushed red. She let go with a soft pout, stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, and quickly returned to Bone Douluo's side.
Through it all, Bone Douluo hadn't said a word. His eyes remained locked on Ning Rongrong's martial soul.
"Rongrong… am I getting old, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?
Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda — has it… turned into nine floors?"
He leaned in, practically pressing his face toward her spirit, carefully inspecting it multiple times before confirming his suspicion.
Ning Rongrong blinked, then hurried to examine her floating spirit projection.
"One, two, three… Nine!"
She counted again just to be sure. Bone Douluo wasn't joking — her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had truly evolved into a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!
The air fell into absolute silence.
She and Bone Douluo stared at each other, eyes wide in disbelief. Their hearts surged with overwhelming waves of emotion.
Everyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan understood the significance of this.
The evolution of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda — this was the lifelong dream of even the clan's own master, Ning Fengzhi!
Ning Rongrong couldn't help but turn to look at Chen Feng. Only those who were direct descendants of the clan could truly comprehend what this meant.
And for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, this change was monumental.
"Brother Chen Feng, how… how can I ever repay you?" Ning Rongrong's eyes shimmered, her voice trembling with emotion.
Bone Douluo, watching the interaction between the two, chuckled.
"Isn't this the perfect opportunity to show your gratitude?"
As he spoke, the mischievous elder winked at Chen Feng, mouthing a single word — "Competition".
Chen Feng caught it immediately.
Ning Rongrong noticed too. She didn't hesitate for a second and declared,
"I know! Your goal is to win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, right?
Brother Chen Feng, I want to fight by your side — if you don't mind me being a bit clumsy."
Chen Feng shook his head and smiled gently.
"Why would I think that? You're our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's most talented little enchantress."
"No, I'm not!" she said firmly, "You are!"
Bone Douluo burst out in hearty laughter.
In the courtyard, Yu Tianlong and the other two also exchanged knowing smiles. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was renowned as the number one auxiliary martial soul in the world. And now that Ning Rongrong's had evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, there was no telling how much stronger their team could become.
With her on board, their path to the championship had just gotten significantly shorter.
Just as everyone was basking in joy, Bone Douluo suddenly paused and chuckled.
"Fengzhi's arrived! Rongrong, quickly share your big news with your father."
A moment later, Ning Fengzhi arrived, accompanied by Sword Douluo.
Seeing so many young faces in the courtyard, Ning Fengzhi beamed with delight.
"What's the occasion today? So many fine young guests!
On behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, welcome!"
"Sect Master Ning!"
"Elder Sword!"
Yu Tianlong and the others greeted respectfully.
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand, smiling warmly.
"You must be Chen Feng's companions. Please, make yourselves at home.
Think of this place as your own — don't be formal… such outstanding youths!"
His eyes practically sparkled with admiration.
The three young men that Chen Feng brought were all under twenty, yet their soul power was already nearing the Soul Ancestor level. One of them was even already a Soul Ancestor!
This level of talent was rare.
Ning Fengzhi had recently met with Shrek Academy's students during discussions about mass-producing hidden weapons. While they were indeed impressive, compared to Chen Feng's team, they seemed to fall slightly behind.
And it wasn't about raw power — it was something more subtle: a noble aura that lingered around them.
If Chen Feng could've read his thoughts, he would've laughed out loud.
Noble aura? That was just the aftereffect of absorbing immortal herbs!
Sword Douluo, quiet as always, followed behind Ning Fengzhi.
He wasn't a man of many words — reserved, somewhat aloof, and only ever relaxed around the people closest to him.
He met Chen Feng's eyes and nodded. At this stage, they no longer needed excessive conversation. Too much would feel like distancing themselves.
Then, Sword Douluo walked over to Ning Rongrong.
"Little girl, let Grandpa Sword take a look. Have you grown taller again? Huh?"
He blinked in confusion.
Ning Rongrong, however, wasn't paying him any attention at all. She was clinging tightly to her father's arm, her whole body radiating excitement.
Unfortunately, Ning Fengzhi was too preoccupied chatting with Yu Tianlong and the others to notice, which made Ning Rongrong puff her cheeks so much she could've stuffed a cow in them.
"Hahaha! Sword old man, got ignored again?" Bone Douluo laughed uproariously.
"Serves you right! Can't you see father and daughter have something important to say?"
Sword Douluo shot him a glare.
"What, you wanna fight? Your old bones itching again?"
Bone Douluo immediately stood.
"Hmph! You think I'm afraid?"
The two guardian Douluos looked like they were about to clash again, drawing everyone's attention.
"Sword Uncle, Bone Uncle! Please, not in front of the guests…" Ning Fengzhi sighed, clearly at his wits' end.
He was used to their bickering — it was harmless, but always embarrassing.
Still, their camaraderie ran deep.
Interrupted mid-conversation, Ning Fengzhi finally noticed his daughter's unusual behavior.
"Rongrong, did you have something you wanted to tell me?"
Rongrong pouted.
"You don't care about me at all. And here I wanted to share a surprise with you!"
"Alright, alright! It's all Daddy's fault. What's the surprise?"
Turning her head away with a dramatic huff, she stayed like that for a second before spinning back around and saying:
Daddy, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda… it evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!