Zhu Zhuqing blushed slightly. "It must be related to my martial spirit. In my family, all the women with the Nether Spirit Cat martial spirit develop early."
She paused, looking at the disappointed Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu before comforting them, "It's okay, Rongrong, Xiao Wu, you're still young. I just developed early—I'm sure you'll catch up soon."
"Well, I guess that's the only way," Ning Rongrong sighed, her hopes dashed.
Xiao Wu piped up, "Rongrong, why don't you drink papaya milk with me every day? Maybe it'll help!"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. "Really? Xiao Wu, you mean papaya milk is why you look like this?"
Xiao Wu hesitated a moment, then nodded. "I think it helps. I've been drinking it almost every day for six years."
Ning Rongrong seemed to make a decision and nodded.
Which girl can resist the temptation of a better figure, especially with two friends standing right beside her for comparison?
The next morning, Yu Xiaogang was pleased to see all the students present.
"Very good, everyone's here."
Then his face turned serious. "Let's talk frankly. Yesterday's training was only halfway, but your problems are quite serious!"
Dai Mubai and the others were taken aback. What was the master planning?
Flanders smiled mysteriously.
Xiao Tian frowned. This old Deng's methods always felt familiar. Could it be...
"First—Xiao Tian, you ignored your classmates' friendship and attacked too fiercely!
Second—Tang San, your situational awareness was lacking; you failed to protect your two auxiliary teammates.
Third—Oscar and Ning Rongrong, you're auxiliaries, yes, but can you simply stand by and watch Xiao Tian attack? You can't rely solely on teammates; self-protection is essential!
Fourth—Ma Hongjun didn't return to the team quickly after his injury healed, showing poor teamwork.
Fifth..." Yu Xiaogang didn't hesitate to call out Xiao Tian and company bluntly.
Flanders saw their increasingly sour faces and coughed, "Xiao Gang, maybe you're going too far."
"Master, auxiliaries have no self-protection ability. Xiao Tian is so strong that even Tang San can't handle him, let alone me!" Oscar agreed.
"Yes, Master, no matter how much we auxiliaries train, we can't dodge attacks from offensive spirit masters!" Ning Rongrong added.
Yu Xiaogang frowned. "That's precisely the attitude that will get you killed!"
Inside, Ning Rongrong felt a surge of frustration ready to burst.
In the sect, her father and grandfathers never criticized her so harshly. Why now?
She was about to erupt but thought of Xiao Tian, Xiao Wu, and the others—and held back.
Though newly acquainted, she'd quickly formed close bonds with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing and planned to introduce Xiao Tian to the sect soon.
For these new friends, Ning Rongrong swallowed her grievances for the first time.
Flanders was surprised. The letter from Ning Fengzhi mentioned Ning Rongrong's princess temper, saying it might harm future relationships. He was instructed to find a chance to temper her—but now, Ning Rongrong wasn't causing trouble?
Strange indeed.
"Now, I'll punish you: twenty laps around the village with weights, no soul power allowed. Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the academy!"
Yu Xiaogang's expression was grave.
"What?!" Ning Rongrong gasped. Who could run that far in one go? Without soul power?
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun's faces fell. The village wasn't small — twenty laps without using soul power would take hours. And with weights?
"Master, Dean, the village's length is considerable. Without soul power, attacking or moving swiftly is almost impossible—for Xiao Ao and Ning Rongrong especially," Dai Mubai objected.
"If running wasn't hard, would it be a punishment?" Flanders asked without objection.
He knew Dai Mubai and the attack-control masters could finish easily; the real test was Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
Ning Rongrong would probably throw a tantrum or give up, while Oscar—lazy as he was—would complete it.
Oscar's intelligence meant he'd recognize this as a chance to gain Ning Rongrong's favor.
This plan truly killed three birds with one stone: tempering Ning Rongrong's princess temper while creating chances for Oscar.
Perfect!
"Assholes! Yu Xiaogang, Flanders! Even my father never made me do this in the sect!"
Ning Rongrong shouted, her ladylike demeanor vanishing.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were shocked by her sudden change.
Xiao Tian remained silent. He knew it wasn't the time to speak.
Though annoyed by Flanders, he admitted Ning Rongrong's temper needed curbing.
Not that one can't have it, but some ideas must change.
For example, Ning Rongrong sees auxiliaries as the most important—others should protect her. This might be because two Titled Douluo had protected Ning Fengzhi all her life.
That mindset must change.
In the original story, Ning Rongrong had relatively low emotional intelligence here.
Auxiliaries do need protection, but commanding others like that breeds resentment. She was used to being a young lady, making such habits hard to break.
Secondly, she thought her sect was so powerful that she sometimes spoke without thinking, relying on that prestige—exposing herself to danger.
To be honest, Ning Rongrong was the smartest of the three girls, but sometimes liked to act up!
In the original story, she was threatened by Dai Mubai but stood firm. She was only an auxiliary—who gave her the courage to confront someone like Dai Mubai? Fish Leong?!
P.S. This chapter highlights Ning Rongrong's character growth as she confronts harsh realities and challenges her princess temper. Yu Xiaogang's strict training punishments force reflection and adaptation among the students, fostering toughness and teamwork. The dynamic between auxiliaries and attackers is explored, reflecting the complexities of spirit master roles and relationships.
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