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The sun rose from the east and dipped into the west. Zhu Qing, having consumed a milder ten-thousand-year ginseng king, was the first to stir awake.
Maybe it was the sheer comfort, but she stretched lazily, her captivating curves catching the light. Ning Tian couldn't help but swallow hard, his throat dry.
Zhu Qing noticed his gaze but didn't mind. Instead, she flicked him a teasing glance, stirring a sudden urge in Ning Tian to pull her into some quiet corner for a private moment. If not for certain platform rules, he might've acted on it.
He wrestled down the heat rising in his chest and leaned in, whispering so only she could hear, "You little tease!"
Far from embarrassed, Qing seemed to revel in it. She was about to toss aside all restraint and wrap her arms around him when Ning Rongrong's voice cut through the air.
"Ning Tian, I've hit level 30! I can't believe it, the Qiluo Tulip jumped me straight from level 28 to 30, skipping 29 entirely!"
The golden glow around her had faded, leaving behind a lingering scent of tulips clinging to her skin.
Ning Tian grinned. "That's not all it can do. If you attach your third soul ring now, your soul power will climb another five or six levels beyond the ring's boost."
Immortal herbs like these worked best the earlier you took them. Zhu Qing, being older and already stronger, got a smaller promotion. But Ning Rongrong being younger and not yet a Spirit Elder, gained more than she had in the original story.
"Doesn't that mean my soul power might catch up to yours soon?" Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled with excitement. She turned to Zhu Qing. "Sister Qing, how much did you gain?"
Zhu Qing tilted her head, thinking. "About four levels. I'm at 49 now."
"Then you're almost a Spirit King! A Spirit King in her early thirties, that's amazing!" Ning Rongrong beamed, genuinely thrilled for her.
Ning Tian chimed in, "Not almost. It's happening soon."
As he spoke, he pulled out a soul bone he'd taken from that old poisoner.
"Soul bone?" Zhu Qing and Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in unison.
"Shh, keep it quiet." Ning Tian stepped closer to Qing, pressing the soul bone into her hands. "Teacher, this is a head soul bone, around 60,000 years old. It will push your soul power up. With this and the ginseng king's leftover energy in you, breaking past level 50 should be easy. Don't even think of saying no."
With him laying it out like that, Qing couldn't refuse. She didn't ask where it came from; her heart softened, and her gaze lingered on Ning Tian, warm and unguarded.
Good thing Ning Tian's frame blocked Ning Rongrong's view, or she'd have spotted the shift in Qing's eyes.
Once Qing settled back to absorb the soul bone, Ning Tian turned to find Ning Rongrong staring at him, a mix of awe and envy in her expression. "Ning Tian, you're so good to your teacher, handing over a 60,000-year head soul bone just like that."
"Aren't I good to you too?" he shot back. "Go on, summon your martial soul and see for yourself."
Puzzled but curious, Ning Rongrong did as he said. The moment she saw it, she froze. Her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, once seven layers tall, now had a ring of golden tulip-like light at its base. Two new layers shimmered within, glowing differently from the original seven.
"Nine layers, nine colors; it's the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
A rush of joy surged through her, roughening her voice. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had evolved into the Nine Treasure version, she knew what that meant.
She had no more limits holding her back. She could aim for Titled Douluo now.
The thrill faded into something deeper. Her eyes settled on Ning Tian, no longer calm. She'd liked him for a while, and now, with him pushing her martial soul to this height, she couldn't hold back anymore. She lunged forward, throwing her arms around him, hugging tight. Her hands clasped his neck, and she pressed a fierce kiss to his lips.
She half-expected him to pull away, but he leaned into it, even teasing her with his tongue.
Her cheeks burned red as she fumbled to match him. Soon, breathless, she collapsed against his chest.
"I thought you'd push me off," she murmured, lifting her flushed face to blink up at him.
"Didn't I tell you before?" Ning Tian chuckled. "A beauty like you? Few guys could say no. I'm no different."
"But what about Zhuqing? Won't she be mad?" Ning Rongrong's voice wavered with nerves.
Ning Tian shrugged. "Zhuqing doesn't mind me with other women but she minds if they're shady. And you really think she hasn't noticed how you feel?"
"I didn't know that," came a cool voice. Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward, her face icy, her stare sharp enough to cut.
"Zhuqing, I—" Ning Rongrong yelped, jerking her arms off Ning Tian's neck. Her eyes darted away, caught in the act and too flustered to meet Zhu Zhuqing's gaze.
Zhu Zhuqing let out a quiet sigh. She'd seen this coming. She wasn't blind, Xiao Wu's crush on Ning Tian had been obvious, and Ning Rongrong's wasn't much subtler. She'd stayed quiet because they were friends, clinging to a faint hope. But now, with Ning Rongrong making her move and Ning Tian clearly fine with it, she had little choice but to accept it.
At least Ning Rongrong wasn't some loose troublemaker. That made it bearable.
She shot Ning Tian a hard glare and snapped, "Don't let it happen again."
"You're too kind, my lady. I'm forever grateful," Ning Tian teased, stepping forward to hug her. She sidestepped him with a quick twist.
Then she grabbed Ning Rongrong's arm and tugged her toward the living room outside for a private chat.
A while later, they returned, chatting and laughing. Needless to say, Zhu Zhuqing had hit level 30 too. How much she'd gained would only show once she got her third soul ring.
Just then, Ye Lingling stirred awake.
"Mmm" A soft sound slipped from her, drawing all three pairs of eyes. They turned to see her transformed.
Her blue hair now shone a brilliant gold, and her whole presence had shifted. The old aloof chill was gone. Her eyes were a touch wider, her skin carried a healthy flush instead of its former pallor, and her figure…well, in sheer proportions, she'd outdone every woman Ning Tian had ever laid eyes on.
A golden-haired, wide-eyed beauty with a stunning air and curves to match. She could rival Hu Liena himself, dubbed the "top male model of Douluo" by some writer's pen, second only to the readers, of course.
"Is this still Lingling?" Ning Rongrong gaped, stepping closer to inspect her. Before, Ye Lingling had been on par with her and Zhu Zhuqing in looks. Now? She'd leaped ahead by more than a little.
She was gorgeous, her figure unreal.
Like some mythical beauty stepped out of a story, she stood there like a living painting. Hard to guess how many men would lose their minds if she walked outside.
'Ugh, I want a body like that too,' Ning Rongrong thought, glancing from Ye Lingling's chest and hips to her own, envy twisting her face.
She wasn't particularly jealous of Ye Lingling's face or vibe, she was sure she'd match those when she grew up. But that figure? No amount of effort could close the gap. Maybe only Zhuqing, with her own standout assets, could top it someday.
"If it's not me, who else would it be?" Ye Lingling asked, confused.
"Take a look at yourself first," Ning Rongrong said, looping an arm around her back and guiding her to Zhu Qing's dressing table.
Ye Lingling stared into the mirror, stunned. "Is that… me?"
"Who else?" Ning Rongrong laughed. "Come on, check your strength, how much did it grow? And your martial soul too. Ning Tian said martial souls can change how you look. With a shift this huge, it's got to be tied to yours."
"My soul power's at level 40, I think. As for my martial soul…" Ye Lingling paused, recalling Ning Tian's earlier words, and summoned it.
A begonia flower bloomed in her hand, not the soft pink of her old Nine Heart Begonia, but a radiant gold.
The instant it appeared, a wave of golden light burst out, forming a spherical shield around her.
Inside that glow, Ye Lingling looked divine. Her skin gave off a pure white light, distinct from the gold, and her flowing golden hair shimmered too. She was like a goddess stepping down from the heavens.
But then, tears welled up, spilling onto the golden begonia as her voice broke. "Sacred Heart Begonia!"
Top-tier support martial souls often came with limits. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had its superior Nine Treasure form, and the Nine Heart Begonia had this, the Sacred Heart Begonia.
Gone was the old rule: only two Nine Heart Begonias at a time, one per generation. This version carried immense support power. Its area healing was twice as strong, it blocked all poisons, and it countered evil-attribute martial souls.
Best of all, each soul ring she gained would boost her allies' attributes by 10%, with an extra 5% per ring after that. 5% sounded small, even at Titled Douluo, it'd max at 50%, far less than the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's 100%. But it stacked with other support boosts and worked across a whole area.
With enough soul power, she could lift an entire group at once, which the Nine Treasure Pagoda couldn't pull off.
Ning Rongrong didn't know the Sacred Heart Begonia by name, but she could guess what this evolution meant for Ye Lingling. "Congrats, Lingling," she said, her voice warm and sincere.
Ye Lingling's eyes drifted past her to Ning Tian. Zhu Zhuqing tensed, ready to step in front of him. She wasn't about to let another girl fling herself at him like Ning Rongrong had. But Ye Lingling only bowed slightly. "Ning Tian, thank you…"
She hesitated, then added, "And I'll repay you."
Her mind flicked back to their earlier deal. The golden light from her martial soul dazzled Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, masking the flush creeping up her cheeks, otherwise, they'd have caught it for sure.
"Sure," Ning Tian said easily. He'd earned it, after all.
Still, he hadn't expected Ye Lingling's martial soul to evolve this far. Then again, it made sense. That immortal herb, unclaimed in the original story, only noted for blocking poisons clearly hid other miracles waiting to be found.
Two and a half hours later, Zhu Qing's eyes snapped open, a flash of purple gleaming in them. She looked brighter and renewed.
Her soul power had hit level 50, thanks to the 60,000-year head soul bone.
"Teacher, congrats!" Ning Tian said, stepping forward as he felt the stronger pulse of her soul power.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling offered smiles and nods of their own.
"It's all because of you," Zhu Qing said with a smile.Hitting Spirit King this fast, who wouldn't be happy?
At thirty-two, even out in the wider world, a Spirit King her age was a standout talent. And with the immortal herb's energy still in her, her path ahead looked smooth.
As everyone shared in Zhu Qing's triumph, a sharp sword cry rang out, joined by the thick scent of plum blossoms.
Phantom plum blossoms erupted from Jiansheng's body, shooting skyward. The wooden roof didn't stand a chance. It tore open, flung aside.
Dust swirled through the air.
Several Spirit Douluo elders from the Dark Fragrance Sword family rushed over at the noise, summoning their martial souls and soul rings: two yellow, two purple, four black—eight rings each, all tied to the Dark Fragrance Sword. Some leaned toward power, others speed, but their strength was clear.
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