Chapter 13: Is There Still Fairy Grass?

"Gulp, gulp, gulp…"

"Rongrong, stop pulling me. I can walk on my own," Lu Yuan grumbled, slightly unsteady on his feet. What should have been a two-day journey had stretched into five days—all because Lu Yuan had been drunk the entire way.

"Hey, Rongrong, where is everyone?" Lu Yuan slurred, noticing that Outer Sect seemed unusually quiet. Apart from a few disciples on duty, the place was nearly deserted.

"Don't worry about them," Ning Rongrong replied, dragging him along. "I'll take you to see Dad."

Ning Rongrong didn't need to guess—she knew the disciples had heard about Lu Yuan's return and were hiding to avoid him.

Ning Fengzhi, on the other hand, eagerly awaited their arrival and personally came out to greet them.

"You're back!" Ning Fengzhi beamed, patting Lu Yuan on the shoulder. "It's good to see you again, kid. You've grown even stronger in these four years—already a Soul Sect!"

"Gulp, gulp, gulp… Ha!"

"You're still the same old guy as before," Lu Yuan chuckled.

Chen Xin's face immediately darkened. "You brat!"

Gu Rong burst out laughing. "Well said! It's good to see someone put him in his place."

"You're not any better!" Chen Xin grumbled.

"Let's head inside. We'll talk more there," Ning Fengzhi said, gently guiding Lu Yuan toward the Inner Sect.

As they walked, Ning Fengzhi sighed. "This kid hasn't changed one bit. Still as unpredictable as ever."

Inside the chamber, Ning Rongrong pouted as she sat down. "Dad, ever since Lu Yuan Big Brother came back, you've been paying less attention to me!"

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Rongrong, you know I care about you."

"I'm just teasing you, Dad!" Ning Rongrong giggled. "I could never compete with Lu Yuan Big Brother for your attention."

Her playful expression quickly shifted to excitement. "But I have a surprise for you, Grandpa Jian, and Grandpa Bone! I promise, it'll blow your minds."

"Oh, Rongrong, my Little Princess," Chen Xin said, his tone indulgent. "I've seen a lot in my years. What could possibly surprise me?"

"That's because you don't get out much anymore," Lu Yuan teased as he reclined lazily on the seat, sipping his wine. "I remember when your dad was still wearing open-crotch pants."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a wry smile. It was common for the two Douluo and Lu Yuan to exchange playful jabs, despite their age difference.

"Nine Treasures Transferred, Glazed Light!" Ning Rongrong announced as she spun in place. A dazzling Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared in her hand, illuminating the entire chamber with its brilliance.

All three elders were left speechless.

"Nine floors…" Ning Fengzhi gasped, his eyes wide with shock. The sight of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda left them completely stunned. They knew all too well what this meant.

"Rongrong… how is this possible?" Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled with emotion. In the span of a few days, Ning Rongrong's Martial Soul had transformed from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—an evolution thought to be impossible.

"It's all thanks to Lu Yuan Big Brother!" Ning Rongrong said proudly, beaming at him.

The three elders exchanged glances, still feeling a bit uneasy. Though they hadn't seen Lu Yuan in years, they had kept tabs on him. His reputation at Tiandou Royal Academy was legendary, to say the least. Known as a "little devil," Lu Yuan had a penchant for causing chaos—especially when drunk.

However, despite his antics, they knew that Lu Yuan would never harm Ning Rongrong. The transformation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure version was undeniably a good thing. But how exactly had it happened?

As they questioned her further, Ning Rongrong explained how Lu Yuan had given her the Qiluo Tulip, the immortal herb that had triggered her breakthrough.

"That's not all!" she added. "The fairy grass also helped me break through to Soul Sovereign. Now, I just need one more spirit ring."

The three elders were once again left in awe. To think there was such a miraculous herb in existence.

Concerned about the sudden rise in her spirit power, the two Douluo immediately checked Ning Rongrong's physical condition. Not only was she unharmed, but her body was also in better condition than ever—stronger and more resilient than most auxiliary spirit masters.

Only then did they truly relax.

"See, I told you, you should travel with me more often!" Lu Yuan said with a grin.

Chen Xin huffed but couldn't hide his satisfaction. "Don't think that doing all this will make me go easy on you, boy."

"Why wait for later? Let's have a duel now!" Lu Yuan replied, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Afraid of you? Hardly!" Chen Xin shot back, and soon, the two had agreed on a time to spar.

Chen Xin was eager to test Lu Yuan's strength, and Lu Yuan couldn't wait to have a proper fight.

Later that evening, Ning Fengzhi entered Lu Yuan's quarters.

"Xiao Yuan, it's me."

"Ha! Uncle Ning, are you here to drink with me?" Lu Yuan asked, grinning.

Ning Fengzhi smiled but shook his head. "I brought you porridge. The kitchen made it for you. Try it."

Lu Yuan glanced at the porridge with little interest. "Next time, just bring me some good wine, Uncle Ning."

"Drink less. Tomorrow, Uncle Jian will be testing you, and the entire sect will be watching."

"They? They're all hiding from me," Lu Yuan replied dismissively. "Come on, Uncle Ning, have a drink with me."

Ning Fengzhi sighed, but eventually gave in. "Alright, just a few drinks."

After a few rounds of wine, Ning Fengzhi hesitated before finally asking, "Xiao Yuan, do you still have any more of that fairy grass you gave Rongrong?"

Lu Yuan, already feeling the effects of the alcohol, shook his head. "Nope. If I come across some in the future, I'll make sure to get it for you."

Ning Fengzhi felt a pang of disappointment but was moved by Lu Yuan's sincerity. Three rounds of wine later, he finally worked up the courage to ask a question that had been bothering him for years.

"Xiao Yuan… what really happened during your Martial Soul awakening? Why does no one talk about it?"

Lu Yuan's expression turned serious. Even after all these years, he still didn't know the full story of what had occurred on the day of his awakening. He only remembered waking up ten days later, with the entire sect avoiding him like the plague.

Ning Fengzhi sighed, taking another sip of wine. "It wasn't your fault. When your Martial Soul awakened, the long sword behind you suddenly unleashed an overwhelming power. Uncle Jian tried to protect you from it but ended up injured in the process…"

Ning Fengzhi's voice trailed off, as memories of that day came flooding back. In his drunken state, he told Lu Yuan the full story.

"I know you didn't leave the sect because of the other disciples' reactions. You left because of Uncle Jian."

"Hmph, who cares about that old man," Lu Yuan muttered, though deep down, he felt conflicted.

"Uncle Ning, let's keep drinking!"

"No, no, I've had enough for tonight!" Ning Fengzhi laughed, staggering toward the door. As soon as he stepped outside, he promptly threw up.

Lu Yuan, now alone, muttered under his breath, "That old Chen Xin…"

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