After the three of them discussed the Star Crown Sect, the grand ceremony was about to begin. Yue Guan and Ling Yuan Douluo took flight toward the central square.
Their golden-red ceremonial robes shimmered under the sunlight with an opulent glow. As they soared over Tian Dou City, countless citizens craned their necks in awe.
In the central square, a nine-tiered white stone altar had been erected. Intricate patterns snaked across the bluestone ground, forming mysterious runes. The imperial guards stood at attention, spears in hand, while the crowd outside the iron railings surged like waves. The air was filled with the mingling scents of various flowers, as if calming the restless energy of the masses.
Ning Fengzhi stood on the third tier of the viewing platform. Watching Emperor Xue Ye's retreating entourage, he turned to Chen Xin, who stood slightly behind him. "Uncle Sword, where is Rongrong? The ceremony will be chaotic—don't let her wander off."
Chen Xin's face softened slightly. "No need to worry. I've asked the Third Elder to keep an eye on her. You're always so controlling. She finally has a chance to relax and play—why not let her enjoy it?"
Sword Douluo had no descendants of his own and treated Ning Rongrong as his beloved granddaughter, wanting to give her only the best.
After all, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda could only reach the Soul Sage level at most. With Ning Rongrong's talent, she had a good chance of breaking through by the age of forty, but afterward, she would be stuck at the Soul Sage stage for the rest of her life. Why not let her enjoy her childhood? Cultivation could come naturally.
He lacked Ning Fengzhi's ambition and didn't believe Ning Rongrong could evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Too much pressure might crush her fragile shoulders.
Of course, no matter how many reasons there were, none could withstand Ning Rongrong's adorable pouting. He simply doted on her—what could he do?
Though Chen Xin's expression betrayed nothing, Ning Fengzhi knew that both Uncle Sword and Uncle Gu opposed pressuring Ning Rongrong too early.
He couldn't help but smile wryly. "Alright, let her have a day off."
Sword Douluo nodded in satisfaction.
---
In the square, Ning Rongrong was shopping "alone", though pedestrians instinctively made way for her.
Ning Rongrong noticed this and deliberately squeezed into crowded areas. Her sect's disciples groaned inwardly, having to carefully ensure her safety.
"Bad guy!"
Ning Rongrong suddenly froze, her pink embroidered shoes pressing against the cracks in the bluestone pavement. She would never mistake that figure in black martial attire—the tall, striking silhouette hadn't changed much from when she first met him three years ago.
Ning Rongrong huffed angrily. "Didn't you say we shouldn't meet? Yet here you are secretly in Tian Dou City without telling me!"
She wanted to march up and confront Gu La but hesitated. "This bad guy is always so eloquent. If he tries to weasel out of it by saying he came to surprise me, then he'll just get away with it!"
Ning Rongrong congratulated herself on her cleverness and instinctively pulled out her communicator to check on him.
Her pearly teeth lightly bit her lower lip as she fished the communicator out of her pouch, pressing the buttons hard enough to make them creak.
"Hey, bad guy, what are you doing?"
Gu La was discussing the possibilities of metal awakening with Tang San when his waist-mounted soul tool vibrated. Catching sight of the water-green hem of a dress nearby, he remained calm.
When Ning Rongrong approached, he had already sensed several powerful presences around her. Using his spiritual power, he confirmed it was her. A faint smirk played on his lips as he pressed the answer button. "Just watching the festivities in Tian Dou City. What, did Miss Ning miss me?"
"Who… who misses you!"
Ning Rongrong almost crushed the communicator in her grip. She had clearly seen this bad guy laughing and chatting with two beautiful girls!
Her pink nails dug into her palm as she stared in disbelief. Why wasn't he following the script? Shouldn't he be lying like the men in her romance novels, deceiving his wife and flirting with other women?
She began to doubt whether she'd been reading fake novels.
"Never mind, I was just asking."
Ning Rongrong was still too inexperienced and didn't know how to accuse him properly.
Changing the subject, she said, "I'm at the ceremony too. Should we meet?"
"Sure, I'm on the western side of the square. Come find me."
There was no point in avoiding her, so Gu La agreed straightforwardly.
Ning Rongrong didn't know whether to feel happy or disappointed.
She gave a light humph, blaming everything on Gu La, and dawdled a bit before finally finding him.
With a firm pat on Gu La's shoulder, she declared, "Bad guy, I've come to see you."
The members of Shrek Academy cast curious glances at Ning Rongrong.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged knowing smirks: 'He forbids us from flirting, yet he's surrounded by blossoming romances.'
"Cough!" Gu La shot them a warning glance, silently telling them not to push their luck.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar immediately straightened up, not daring to act out of line.
Gu La turned to Ning Rongrong and introduced everyone. "Let me introduce you all. This is my friend, Ning Rongrong. And these are my sworn siblings, Tang San, Xiao Wu…"
"Hello, everyone." Ning Rongrong greeted them with a warm smile, leaving a good first impression.
Unfortunately, the impact of Gu La's phone call couldn't compare to the habits formed within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. In reality, Ning Rongrong was still a mischievous little devil, though perhaps with slightly more restraint when pulling pranks.
Flender and Yu Xiaogang exchanged glances, both sensing that Ning Rongrong's identity was anything but ordinary. Flender had noticed someone, at least a Soul Douluo-level presence, discreetly protecting her. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang observed her demeanor and attire, which clearly indicated she wasn't from an ordinary family.
On the high platform, Chen Xin gave a soft cough. Though the square was vast, it couldn't escape his senses. He had been keeping an eye on Ning Rongrong's movements. When he saw her joyous figure nearly leap into the arms of a young man, the swordsman's eyebrows shot up, and he nearly unsheathed his sword.
"Where did this brat come from?"
Before he could dwell on it further, the ceremony officially began, forcing him to focus his attention on the proceedings.
Under the escort of his entourage, Emperor Xue Ye ascended the sacrificial platform, its base made of marble and adorned with jade steps.
His wrist trembled imperceptibly as he held the imperial jade seal. Beneath his nine-star ceremonial robe lay the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Fully aware of its value, Emperor Xue Ye naturally wouldn't pass up the chance to activate it. This title-bestowing ceremony was not only a declaration of his strength but also an attempt to awaken the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
On the viewing platform, Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword martial soul had unknowingly hovered three inches behind Ning Fengzhi. Its sword qi sliced through falling ribbons, a clear warning to Yue Guan and others nearby not to cause trouble.
The first part of the ceremony involved nobles presenting gifts to congratulate Emperor Xue Ye on achieving the Title Douluo rank.
An official loudly announced the noble gifts: "The Balak Duchy presents forty-nine beauties…"
"The Duke of Silves presents one hundred rare treasures…"
Countless rare items, difficult to find elsewhere, were presented as mere trinkets during the ceremony. Several of the gifts even caught Gu La's attention.
"What a waste," Gu La muttered to himself. "Treating rare mineral resources as gifts while those noble 'beauties' are the least valuable offerings."
Gu La quietly evaluated the situation, contemplating the possibility of emulating Sun Wukong's chaos in the Heavenly Court and gathering all the treasures for himself.
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