Chapter 1: Breaking Up with Ning Rongrong – Brother Zexian, You Can't Keep Up With Me Anymore
Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Back Mountain.
The autumn wind blew bleakly.
Countless maple leaves drifted in the air, landing gently on the hair of a young boy and girl.
"Brother Zexian…" Ning Rongrong bit her red lips lightly and said softly,
"Let's end things here."
Li Zexian looked at the beautiful girl in front of him.
Although they were standing so close, it felt like a vast chasm separated them.
"…Alright."
Ning Rongrong lifted her gaze to meet Li Zexian's.
The usually free-spirited and carefree boy now seemed uncharacteristically silent.
She turned around, with her back facing Li Zexian.
"Brother Zexian, you've been in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for six years now, right?"
"I still remember when you awakened your martial soul—sword qi surged to the sky, and you had innate full soul power."
"Father and the others all said you were a once-in-a-thousand-years genius. But six years have passed, and your soul power is still stuck at level ten."
"As for me…"
She extended her slender hand. A translucent seven-treasure glazed tile pagoda spun slowly in her palm.
The two yellow soul rings on it stood out clearly.
"I've already reached level twenty-six."
"Brother Zexian, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is the best support-type martial soul on the continent. It must be paired with a powerful combat-type Soul Master to bring out its full potential."
"Although…"
"Although I don't want to say this…"
"But you truly can't keep up with me anymore."
Ning Rongrong lifted her charming face like a proud swan.
"I'm the only daughter of the sect master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. My future partner must be a supreme powerhouse!"
Li Zexian was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed freely.
His clear voice echoed far and wide.
"Then let's go our separate ways."
"This is yours."
He pulled something from his white robe.
Ning Rongrong turned around to see a small clay pagoda lying quietly in his palm.
Her delicate body trembled slightly.
She couldn't help recalling the past…
"Brother Zexian, I'll make you a glazed pagoda from clay. You must take good care of it, okay?"
"Okay, Rongrong. I'll make you a sword!"
The clay was dirty.
The tiny sword and pagoda were crudely made.
But they carried the purest sincerity of two young hearts.
Ning Rongrong stared at the little clay pagoda for a long time before nodding softly.
"Alright."
"Brother Zexian, here's yours as well."
She reached up and removed a clay sword pendant hanging from her neck.
Li Zexian accepted the sword.
Without another word, he turned and left.
As she watched the boy's stubborn figure walk away, Ning Rongrong opened her red lips as if to speak—but in the end, she just pressed her lips together.
And walked in the opposite direction.
---
On a beautiful mountain peak,
Ning Fengzhi looked at the parting figures of the boy and girl and sighed with regret.
"What a pity."
Although that's what he said,
There was a clear hint of relief deep in his eyes.
Ning Rongrong was his daughter, the proud heiress of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
How could someone who hadn't advanced a single level in six years be worthy of her?
Though…
Back when Li Zexian awakened his martial soul—
Sword qi filled the sky, and he had innate full soul power.
It was Ning Fengzhi himself who decided to arrange a marriage between Li Zexian and Ning Rongrong.
Now, going back on that decision, it was unfair to Li Zexian.
But for his daughter's future, he had no choice.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Uncle Jian, this is an injustice to Zexian. I'll make sure he's compensated."
After all, it was Sword Douluo who brought Li Zexian back from the outside world.
Now that Li Zexian was being cast aside, he had to consider Chen Xin's feelings.
"No need,"
Chen Xin replied flatly.
"It's Li Zexian's fault for being useless."
"Six years with no progress—he can't even absorb a ten-year soul ring."
"He's not worthy of Rongrong."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong shook his head and sighed.
When Li Zexian awakened the Green Lotus Sword martial soul,
Chen Xin had planned to groom him as his successor.
Unfortunately…
Gu Rong looked off in the distance at the boy's fading silhouette.
"You let us down…"
---
Back Mountain.
On a slanted tree,
Li Zexian lay with his left hand behind his head and a wine gourd in his right.
Through the sparse leaves, he gazed up at the bright moon overhead.
"Six years, huh…"
"I've been in the Douluo Continent for six years."
He took a deep sip of wine,
letting the strong liquor drip from the corners of his mouth.
"Fantasy world liquor hits harder than beer!"
He drank one mouthful after another.
Ning Rongrong's words echoed in his mind—
"Everyone said you were a genius, but your soul power hasn't moved in six years."
"You really can't keep up with me anymore."
He still didn't long for Ning Rongrong!
He just didn't understand what was wrong!
He had innate full soul power.
He could absorb heaven and earth energy with ease.
So why couldn't he level up?!
Another sip.
And another.
Instead of getting drunk,
His eyes became brighter and more focused.
He leapt down from the tree.
"Laughing toward the sky, stepping out the door—how could I be ordinary grass and weeds?!"
"I, Li Zexian, am no waste!"
"Moonlight accompanies me!"
"Wine in hand!"
"Let the sword dance!"
Under the moonlight,
His figure moved with elegance like a startled swan.
A sword, three feet and six inches long, shimmered like clear autumn water.
Lotus markings on the spine of the blade seemed to bloom and close with the moonlight.
This was his martial soul—Green Lotus Sword!
He danced and drank in harmony,
gradually slipping into a special mental state.
Each sip.
Each sword swing.
Created beautiful lotus-like sword shadows.
Frosty sword light spread across a hundred-meter radius, outshining the moon above.
Strangely—
The palm-sized wine gourd seemed like it had endless wine.
One sip—soul power surged!
Another—soul power boiled!
Another—soul power soared!
---
Just like that...
Li Zexian's soul power, which hadn't moved in six years,
skyrocketed as he drank.
Level 11… Level 12… Level 13… all the way to Level 20!
Coming out of his trance,
He was shocked at the strength surging within him.
"My soul power increased by ten levels?!"
"How?!"
As a wine lover in both lives, he could never get drunk—
But now he noticed the wine gourd in his hand had changed.
The crude clay gourd was gone,
replaced by a smooth jade-green porcelain gourd.
He shook it.
It was still filled with liquor.
He opened the stopper and took another sip—
A rich aroma flooded his throat and turned into pure soul power that spread throughout his body.
Even at level 20, his soul power continued to rise slightly.
His Green Lotus Sword also became even sharper.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Holding the sword in his right hand and a wine gourd in his left, Li Zexian burst out laughing.
He finally understood!
His martial soul wasn't just the Green Lotus Sword.
He also had the Spring Wine Gourd!
He had twin martial souls—Sword and Wine Gourd!
Because his second martial soul hadn't awakened,
He'd been unable to improve or absorb soul rings.
Now that he understood the reason for his stagnation,
Li Zexian's expression became radiant.
Looking toward the grand buildings of the sect below, his smile faded.
That was the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
"Those who abandoned me belong to the past."
He smiled again, free-spirited and proud.
"Even if my Spring Wine Gourd martial soul hadn't awakened, I had already decided to leave this place."
"I've not wasted these six years. I've worked in the sect and completed missions to earn some savings."
"I've left all my belongings in my room as repayment for the sect's kindness. From now on, we have no ties."
"We'll walk our paths."
He knew—
When Ning Rongrong said those things today,
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong were certainly aware.
They had silently agreed.
Li Zexian flicked his sleeve.
A small clay sword flew out.
Before it hit the ground—
A sharp sword light flashed.
The clay sword was cleanly sliced in two.
Without hesitation, without a second glance,
He took another sip of wine,
tied the green porcelain gourd to his waist,
and leapt away from the mountain.
About a stick of incense later,
Several figures appeared at the scene.
—
End of Chapter