Shrek City is located on the vast Limma Plain.
The view outside the city is extremely open, and combined with the pleasant climate here, looking out, everything is a lush expanse of vibrant green. It forms a stark contrast with Dragon City, where Xu Zihuang and Ye Guyi had stayed for a period of time previously.
A wide and flat official road encircles Shrek City, leading to each of the city gates. On both sides of the road, soul guide street lamps are placed at regular intervals, each hung with exquisite wind chimes of various colors. When a gentle breeze blows, the pleasant sound of wind chimes rings continuously without end.
Every year, as the New Year approaches, the soul guide street lamps along the streets are decorated with wind chimes. This has become a special custom in Shrek City.
Xu Zihuang, with a smile on his face, was recounting his experiences from this recent training journey to Ning Tian.
The encounter with Wei Na and the others on the way to Thousand Spirits City, setting sail from Thousand Spirits Port, exterminating that flock of Golden Flame Birds over the sea, helping Ma Xiaotao obtain her seventh soul ring, and so on.
Of course, anything related to Ju Zi and Ye Guyi had been deliberately omitted.
Ning Tian tilted her head upward, listening earnestly to Xu Zihuang's narration. In her eyes, only his reflection could be seen, and her gaze was exceptionally gentle.
Now the feelings between them had rapidly warmed and become incomparably solid. Although Ning Tian still regarded Ma Xiaotao as a potential threat, she no longer felt the same anxiety and insecurity as she had back then. Instead, she became more concerned about Wei Na and Mu Xue.
"I never expected that Wei Na actually possesses twin martial souls, and her second martial soul is the brain, a top-tier mental-attribute body martial soul. When I interacted with her before, she never revealed any of this. The Body Sect has become the guardian sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire. It seems they must have sensed the threat from the Sun Moon Empire."
"Tianhuang, if in the future the Sun Moon Empire really launches a war, what are your plans?"
"I should help the Heavenly Soul Empire resist the invasion of the Sun Moon Empire. After all, I am a citizen of the Heavenly Soul Empire." Facing Ning Tian's gaze, Xu Zihuang spoke with a serious expression.
Although his starting point was somewhat different, he was indeed prepared to do exactly that.
By making use of the original three great empires of the Douluo Continent to weaken the forces under Xu Tianran's control, the greater the losses on both sides, the more advantageous it would be for him. This was also the reason he was willing to actively make contact with Wei Na. With the layer of connection through Wei Na, and given his public identity, obtaining recognition from the upper echelons of the Heavenly Soul Empire would be far too easy.
In the situation where the Heavenly Soul imperial family had declined, he might even have the opportunity to control the Heavenly Soul Empire through Wei Na.
However, all of this was still just hypothetical for now. How things would develop in the future would depend on the evolution of the situation.
Ning Tian pursed her lips in silence. Before she could continue speaking, Xu Zihuang's warm, spring-breeze-like voice sounded in her ear again.
"You don't need to feel troubled. I know your position. My helping the Heavenly Soul Empire resist the Sun Moon Empire is only within the scope of what I can do. Rest assured, I won't put myself in unnecessary danger. Besides, who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Maybe by then we'll already be married. For you, for the continuation of our future bloodline, I might change my mind."
Xu Zihuang's words undoubtedly touched the softest part deep within Ning Tian's heart. The fact that he was considering their future proved the sincerity and longing he held for her feelings. And she felt the same.
Girls are often quite sentimental. The future she imagined was even more detailed than what Xu Zihuang had described.
"I haven't even married you yet, and you're already thinking so far ahead." A charming blush spread across Ning Tian's pretty face as she spoke against her true feelings. But the sweetness growing in her heart could clearly be seen in the way she looked at Xu Zihuang.
Xu Zihuang suddenly stopped walking, leaned close to Ning Tian's ear, and whispered with a meaningful smile:
"Is it really that far off? If that night I had chosen to go to the Nine Treasure Pavilion with you, perhaps everything I just said would have already become reality."
The warm breath beside her ear and the teasing implication in Yu Tianhuang's words made Ning Tian feel her whole body go numb.
She took a deep breath to calm her emotions, then lightly bit her red lips and gripped Yu Tianhuang's hand tightly.
"Then… shall we go tonight?"
Of course, these words did not carry their literal meaning.
Hearing this, Xu Zihuang looked down at Ning Tian in surprise. In her water-blue eyes shimmered a layer of mist, and her gaze was exceptionally firm.
Xu Zihuang raised his left hand to gently caress Ning Tian's cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over her moist lips.
"There's no need to rush this one day. I heard from Eldest Senior Sister that tomorrow there will be the Sea God's Fate activity on Sea God Lake. Let's go participate. Let all the academy elders, teachers, and every inner court disciple bear witness to the feelings between us."
He understood Ye Guyi's personality well. Even if Ye Guyi participated in this Sea God's Fate activity with her own intentions, she would never make things difficult for him.
From the conversation he had with Ye Guyi last night, he had vaguely sensed her attitude.
"Besides, I still have a gift to give you. Consider it a very late seventeenth birthday present."
Ning Tian hesitated for a moment, then nodded heavily with a thick, coquettish nasal tone, her eyes filled with tenderness.
"Mm."
Having everyone witness their feelings, even the most rational girl would harbor some expectation for such a thing.
Unknowingly, the South City Gate of Shrek City had already appeared in their line of sight.
"Let's go."
Xu Zihuang gave a faint smile and, holding Ning Tian's hand, walked toward the direction of the South City Gate.
Every year, as the New Year drew near was the liveliest time in Shrek City. Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian blended into the crowd and strolled through the bustling commercial district of Shrek City.
Although they had long since confirmed their relationship, they were usually busy with cultivation or other matters and rarely had such opportunities to spend time together.
A clear and elegant smile adorned Ning Tian's pretty face as she held onto Xu Zihuang's arm. She looked around while occasionally chatting with him. Right now, she was just like an ordinary girl, pulling along the person she adored while wandering the city.
"Tianhuang." Ning Tian split in half a piece of roasted honey-sweet potato she had just bought from a stall and handed one half to Xu Zihuang beside her.
The orange-red roasted sweet potato emitted steaming heat, and the fragrance of sweetness wafted through the steam, extremely enticing.
Xu Zihuang casually took it, then leaned over and took a bite from Ning Tian's half.
Ning Tian pretended to glare at Yu Tianhuang, but immediately followed it with a sweet smile. Understanding her meaning, Xu Zihuang brought his own half to her lips.
At that moment, Xu Zihuang's gaze suddenly froze, locking onto a figure amid the crowd.
It was a woman, tall and slender. A head of wavy powder-blue long hair cascaded down her entire back, reaching all the way to her hips and covering nearly half of her rounded curves. She wore a white, tight-fitting outfit with silver trim, and a face veil covered her features.
But that veil hiding her face did not affect Xu Zihuang.
He didn't even need to use the Golden Eyes martial soul ability; he could already clearly see the woman's appearance. Her eyes were a strange powder-blue color, her eyelashes long and curled, and her flawless features resembled a goddess descended to the mortal world. Her lips were pink and tender, vivid and alluring.
Yet her expression was very cold, carrying an innate sense of distance that made it hard for people to approach.
"Three-Eyed Golden Lion," Xu Zihuang murmured in his heart.
Yes, the woman before him was precisely the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in human form. Moreover, her appearance was the same as the one he remembered from his previous life—the appearance modeled after Wang Dong'er.
From her soul power fluctuations and aura, Xu Zihuang could be certain that this woman was not the same person as Wang Dong'er. That could only mean she was the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, the Emperor's auspicious beast.
What puzzled him was that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had clearly never come into contact with Wang Dong'er, nor did she know the so-called appearance of the Goddess of Light. So why had she still transformed into this exact appearance?
Seeing Xu Zihuang momentarily stunned, Ning Tian asked softly in confusion:
"What's wrong, Tianhuang?"
Xu Zihuang came back to himself and gave a light smile.
"Nothing."
"Then let's go somewhere else."
Xu Zihuang's action was very subtle, and Ning Tian did not suspect anything. She pulled him away from the area.
Not long after the two left, the woman suddenly looked in their direction. Her gaze slightly condensed, then she frowned lightly and withdrew her eyes.
After that, while accompanying Ning Tian, Xu Zihuang was constantly pondering these questions.
After thinking it over again and again, he came to only one conclusion: that some selfless God King had once again made a move on this Three-Eyed Golden Lion. But now that Huo Yuhao was no longer the Child of Destiny, who exactly was Tang San plotting against…?
Thinking of this, Xu Zihuang's heart couldn't help but sink slightly. However, none of this would show on his face in front of Ning Tian.
No matter whether Tang San was plotting against him or not, he could only try his best to avoid getting entangled with this Three-Eyed Golden Lion and Wang Dong'er.
Carrying such complicated feelings, Xu Zihuang accompanied Ning Tian strolling through Shrek City for several hours until nightfall.
Under the curtain of night, Shrek City was brightly lit, its splendor undiminished.
Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian took the soul guide elevator on the first floor of the Nine Treasure Pavilion up to the top-floor hall. The curved, deep-purple crystal floor-to-ceiling windows had undergone special processing and turned into a profound blue at night.
Ning Tian stretched out her jade arm and leaned lightly against the crystal barrier of the elevator, turning her head back and slightly raising her smooth, fair chin. Their breaths intertwined again and again.
After a long while, Xu Zihuang stopped all movement. Holding the slightly unsteady-breathing Ning Tian, he sat down on the wide, soft sofa in the center of the hall.
With a flash of light, a jade box containing the pollen essence of the Beautiful Silk Tulip appeared in his right hand.
"This is?" Ning Tian's gaze instinctively fell onto the jade box.
The box itself was nothing special; what was extraordinary was the golden pollen inside. The pollen radiated dazzling golden light and was clearly no ordinary item. Moreover, Ning Tian had a very strong intuition; these pollen grains were of tremendous benefit to her. Even her martial soul and the soul power within her body seemed to be drawn toward them.
Xu Zihuang placed the jade box into Ning Tian's hands and smiled calmly.
"This is the pollen of the Beautiful Silk Tulip. It's something I obtained during this training journey. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda that your Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect inherits is itself a treasure-type martial soul. With the help of the Beautiful Silk Tulip, it can achieve a mutually complementary effect. Ten thousand years ago, your ancestor Ning Rongrong consumed a single stalk of Beautiful Silk Tulip, allowing her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul to evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"Although what's in the jade box is only the pollen of the Beautiful Silk Tulip, the plant that produced this pollen had already evolved into a plant-type soul beast with considerable cultivation. This pollen essentially contains its entire essence. It should be sufficient to help your martial soul complete its evolution."
Sitting on Xu Zihuang's lap, Ning Tian lifted her head in deep emotion and looked at him, her eyes shimmering.
"A very late birthday gift. I hope you like it." Xu Zihuang smiled warmly as he gently brushed aside the platinum strands of hair by Ning Tian's ear.
"Hurry and refine the medicinal effect."
"Thank you, Tianhuang." Ning Tian took the initiative to offer her cherry lips. The intense surge of emotion caused her to completely lose control of her mind.
She had absolutely no doubt about the truth of Yu Tianhuang's words. The value of this gift far exceeded her imagination.
After their lips parted, Xu Zihuang urged her again:
"Begin. Absorb the pollen, then use your soul power to refine it."
"Mm." Ning Tian responded solemnly and no longer hesitated. Following Yu Tianhuang's instructions, she inhaled the pollen into her body.
Xu Zihuang held Ning Tian and gently placed her on the sofa. In the next instant, Ning Tian extended her right hand and released her martial soul. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, radiating seven-colored light, quietly floated in front of her.
Two yellow, two purple, one black, five soul rings flickered. Her entire body was enveloped in a rich layer of golden light.
This golden light emanated from within her body and carried a fragrance of tulip flowers. As the treasure light flowed, Ning Tian at this moment was stunningly beautiful, like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world. With every intensification of the golden light, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared even more magnificent and dazzling.
Xu Zihuang guarded Ning Tian's side. After observing her for a moment, he also entered a meditative state.
Fusing with the medicinal effect of the Beautiful Silk Tulip pollen would not burden Ning Tian's body. The evolution of her martial soul was only a matter of time.
The quiet night passed, and the moon set while the sun rose.
As the morning sunlight poured in, the golden light around Ning Tian had completely withdrawn. Her right hand was supporting her martial soul, and beneath it, there now seemed to be an additional ring of golden light resembling tulip petals serving as a base.
Moreover, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul had gained two additional floors out of nowhere.
"Tianhuang…"
Ning Tian felt a rush of hot blood surging in her chest, and even her voice trembled slightly. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had become a nine-story pagoda, meaning her martial soul was no longer the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, but had evolved into the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
She had become the second owner of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect since their ancestor, Ning Rongrong.
Not only that, but even her soul power rank had received a boost. Half a year ago, her soul power had reached level 54. After half a year of diligent cultivation, she had smoothly advanced one level to 55.
After refining the Beautiful Silk Tulip essence pollen, on the foundation of level 55, her soul power rose another two levels.
Seventeen years old, level 57 auxiliary system tool-soul King.
If all went as expected, in the future, she would surely be able to break the record set by her ancestor Ning Rongrong. Although auxiliary system soul masters cultivated relatively slowly, at this pace, she would have the ability to challenge the Soul Emperor bottleneck before the age of nineteen.
"Congratulations, Ning Tian." Having also finished cultivating, Xu Zihuang opened his eyes. Sensing something, he looked up just in time to see Ning Tian throw herself into his arms.
Even with Ning Tian's temperament, she could no longer suppress the excitement in her heart. Evolving her martial soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had been the long-cherished wish of their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for over ten thousand years. And now, because of Yu Tianhuang, that wish had finally been realized.
In the future, once she cultivated to the Title Douluo level, the name of their Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would truly live up to its reputation.
Ning Tian buried her head in Xu Zihuang's chest. Due to the surging emotions, her delicate body trembled uncontrollably. Then she raised her head to look at him, her eyes seemingly containing countless stars.
"Tianhuang, do you know? Your excellence once made me feel somewhat inferior. But now it's different. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul has become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. I no longer have to be restricted by the family inheritance. In the future, I will definitely be able to stand by your side and help you reach the peak of the soul master world."
"I look forward to that day." Xu Zihuang lifted Ning Tian's chin with deep eyes. Slowly, he leaned down. Before he could get close, Ning Tian, filled with affection, took the initiative to draw near.
Under the illumination of the golden morning sun, both of their bodies were enveloped in a layer of golden radiance. Light and shadow overlapped and intertwined.
Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian stayed in the top-floor hall of the Nine Treasure Pavilion until the afternoon. Although they engaged in many intimate acts during that time, they did not cross the final line. More often than not, they enjoyed the quiet time of being alone together—eating together, cuddling and chatting idly, watching the auctions held inside the Nine Treasure Pavilion through the soul guide screen in the center of the hall, and so on.
Because she needed to prepare for tonight's Sea God's Fate activity and join the other female inner court disciples for collective dressing and makeup, Ning Tian left first to find Tang Ya at the Tang Sect. The two girls went together.
This left Xu Zihuang to slowly leave the Nine Treasure Pavilion alone, preparing to head to the Tang Sect to meet up with Beibei, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou.
Except for Jiang Nannan, the rest of them had spent the previous night at the Tang Sect. This was something he had learned from Ning Tian.
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