Ning Rongrong tightly gripped the short knife, her knuckles turning white from the force as she slowly moved step by step toward the Great Strength Gorilla.
The gorilla was still roaring, its turbid eyes half-squinted, its severely injured body completely unable to muster the strength to pounce.
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, abruptly closed her eyes, shutting out the terrifying scene.
Her small hand raised the short knife high, her wrist trembling slightly.
Xue Na peeked out from behind Su Yu, watching Ning Rongrong's back, softly murmuring:
"Go, Sister Rongrong..."
Ning Rongrong exerted force with her arm, and the short knife plunged into the back of the Great Strength Gorilla's neck.
The moment the knife entered its neck, the gorilla let out one final whimper, its massive body twitched twice before going completely limp.
Ning Rongrong released her grip, staggered back a few steps, the knife handle slipping from her palm and rolling a few times on the ground.
She lowered her head, her chest heaving violently, bloodstains still splattered on her face, but she didn't cry.
That moment felt less like an assassination and more like a battle with herself.
Only after confirming the gorilla had completely stopped breathing did she slowly raise her head, a trace of timidity fading from her gaze as she looked at Su Yu.
"Sister Rongrong did it!"
Xue Na ran out from behind Su Yu, carefully holding onto the hem of Ning Rongrong's clothes, her voice full of admiration.
Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together, remaining silent, but reached back to hold Xue Na's hand.
The trembling in her fingertips hadn't completely subsided, but her hands were much steadier than before.
Su Yu walked over and crouched in front of the two, taking a handkerchief from his Soul Guidance Device and gently wiping the bloodstains from Ning Rongrong's cheeks.
"Rongrong is amazing, Rongrong is brother's pride!"
Su Yu's movements were as gentle as if afraid of breaking a fragile porcelain doll, the handkerchief brushing against Ning Rongrong's cheek with a faint, ticklish breeze.
She instinctively shrank her neck, but her eyes uncontrollably reddened.
After the fierce determination faded, only fear and grievance remained.
When she heard the words "is brother's pride," she finally couldn't hold back, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Brother Husband..."
She sniffled, her voice choked with tears, but she tightly clutched Su Yu's sleeve.
"It moved just now, I thought..."
"I know."
Su Yu interrupted her, gently tapping the tip of her nose with his finger, his tone impossibly soft.
"That was the Soul Beast's final resurgence before death, it scared our Rongrong, didn't it?"
He folded the handkerchief and put it back into his Soul Guidance Device, then pulled Ning Rongrong into his embrace, gently patting her back.
"Rongrong is amazing! Rongrong is amazing!"
The little one in his arms gradually stopped trembling, just burying her face in the crook of his neck and mumbling an "mm" in agreement.
Su Yu looked down at her fluffy hair, a gentle curve forming at the corner of his lips.
He knew better than anyone how much courage that seemingly swift stab had cost her.
"Rongrong, do you remember what brother taught you? How to absorb a Soul Ring?"
"Yes! Brother Husband, Rongrong remembers everything!"
Ning Rongrong nodded vigorously, her small face still flushed but her eyes shining brightly.
"Good!"
Su Yu responded with a smile, turning his gaze aside.
"Look, the Soul Ring has appeared. Absorb it, and our Rongrong will officially become a Soul Master."
He gently placed one hand atop Ning Rongrong's head, his fingertips tenderly stroking her hair.
With his other hand, he slowly raised it, pointing toward the yellow Soul Ring rising from the corpse of the Great Strength Gorilla.
Ning Rongrong followed the direction of Su Yu's finger and saw a yellow Soul Ring gradually ascending from the body of the Great Strength Gorilla.
The yellow Soul Ring carried a faint halo, swaying gently amidst the dappled light filtering through the forest.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering tension in her heart, and nodded firmly:
"Rongrong remembers! Sit cross-legged, calm your mind, and guide the Soul Ring to merge with your Martial Soul!"
Su Yu smiled and ruffled her hair, his voice gentle yet resolute:
"Yes, that's right. Relax, don't be nervous. Let your Soul Power flow naturally, and accept it as if welcoming a friend."
Xue Na also moved closer to Ning Rongrong, tugging lightly at the hem of her clothes and whispering:
"Sister Rongrong, I'm cheering for you."
Ning Rongrong squeezed Xue Na's hand in return, offering a determined smile before sitting cross-legged under their watchful gazes.
She closed her eyes, and the Soul Power within her began to circulate slowly. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda materialized behind her.
As if sensing the summons, the yellow Soul Ring trembled slightly and drifted gradually toward Ning Rongrong.
Beads of sweat formed on Ning Rongrong's temples, trickling down her cheeks and gathering at her chin before dripping softly onto her collar.
Her lips pressed into a tight line, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Clearly, she was gritting her teeth against the searing pain brought by the impact of the Soul Ring Energy.
Her slender shoulders trembled occasionally, yet she never made a sound.
Fortunately, the fusion between the Soul Power enveloping her and the yellow Soul Ring remained stable—their lights intertwined and permeated one another without any sign of disturbance.
The yellow halo even began to envelop her more gently, slowly merging into her body.
Xue Na stood beside Su Yu, her large eyes fixed unblinkingly on Ning Rongrong. Her small hands unconsciously tightened their grip on Su Yu's clothes, her knuckles turning pale.
She could sense the energy fluctuations flowing through the air and could see that Sister Rongrong was undergoing a trial.
Her little face was full of worry, but she wisely refrained from making a sound, only pressing herself more closely against Su Yu.
Sensing Xue Na's tension, Su Yu patted the back of her hand gently and murmured:
"Don't be afraid. Rongrong can do it."
"Mm! Brother, I'm not afraid!"
In what felt like a blink, half an hour passed, and the fluctuations of Soul Power around Ning Rongrong gradually stabilized.
Her previously furrowed brows relaxed, and the tension faded from her face as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
The yellow Soul Ring circled twice in the air before finally settling steadily onto the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda floating above her palm, merging seamlessly with the pagoda. The pagoda's surface immediately glowed with a warm, yellow light.
"She did it!"
Xue Na couldn't help but exclaim softly, finally releasing her grip on Su Yu's clothes, her little face brimming with joy.
Almost the moment the Soul Ring merged, the Soul Power within Ning Rongrong began to surge wildly.
Her aura climbed steadily and sharply—level eleven, twelve, thirteen…
Each leap was accompanied by a clear wave of energy, until it broke through to level eighteen, where the turbulent Soul Power finally began to settle.
Ning Rongrong slowly opened her eyes, a flash of sharp light fading in her pupils. She raised her hand to examine the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her palm—its form appeared more translucent than before, with a faint shimmer of flowing light swirling within.
She stood up, stretching her limbs, feeling as if her entire body was brimming with inexhaustible strength. Lifting her gaze to Su Yu, her eyes sparkled brightly:
"Husband Brother, I succeeded! I've reached level eighteen!"
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