Chapter 280: Sparring

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The Nine-Colored Mysterious Light, the Nine-Layered Pagoda — Ning Fengzhi stared at his daughter's Martial Spirit in shock.

The changes in Ning Rongrong's Martial Spirit left Ning Fengzhi unbelieving of his own eyes.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could become the world's top auxiliary Martial Spirit due to its incredibly powerful auxiliary abilities. However, fairness exists in heaven, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, despite its extraordinary auxiliary abilities, had a significant flaw.

Why was this Martial Spirit called the Seven Treasures? It wasn't just because it had seven layers; there was another crucial reason. This Martial Spirit could only accommodate seven spirit rings. In other words, a spirit master with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Spirit, no matter how high their innate talent, was limited in their cultivation. 79 rank Spirit Saint was the limit.

And Ning Fengzhi was a 79 rank Spirit Saint. As the head of a sect, Ning Fengzhi's talent was undoubtedly exceptional, but his cultivation had been stuck at the 79 rank for over a decade. If his Martial Spirit wasn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Fengzhi might have already become a Titled Douluo.

During these dozen years, as the sect's leader, Ning Fengzhi had been searching for a method to overcome this flaw in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Spirit. He had heard a legend that, under special circumstances, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, breaking through the limitations of the Spirit Saint realm and reaching the Titled Douluo realm. At that point, it would become a divine existence in auxiliary capabilities, possessing terrifying abilities that could change the course of any battle.

Ning Fengzhi never expected that his lifelong dream would be realized in his own daughter.

Not only was Ning Fengzhi excited, but the two elderly men also became extremely thrilled. They looked at the pagoda in Ning Rongrong's palm, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Seeing her father and two grandfathers' astonished expressions, Ning Rongrong felt satisfied. "How about that? Am I amazing?"

Ning Fengzhi, witnessing his daughter's proud expression, laughed heartily. "I never thought that my little princess, after being away for a year, would become so powerful. It seems that the decision to let you go on an adventure back then was a very correct one."

"Nonsense! Clearly, I went out on my own. How does it become you letting me go out?" Ning Rongrong retorted.

Ning Fengzhi chuckled, waved the folding fan in his hand, and said "Do you think, if it weren't for me deliberately letting you go, could you have left the sect?"

"Dad, have you been monitoring me all along?" Ning Rongrong realized from his words that she had been under surveillance, and her mood soured. She had thought sneaking out on her own was her skill, only to find out it was all part of someone else's calculation.

To comfort his slightly angered daughter, Ning Fengzhi immediately said "Dad was just worried about you being alone outside."

"Did your Martial Spirit evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda because of that Immortal Herb?" Ning Fengzhi inquired.

Ning Rongrong nodded "Yes."

"I see." Ning Fengzhi pondered. "By the way, what's the name of that herb? Does your friend Tang San have more of it?"

The opportunity for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to evolve was not something Ning Fengzhi could orchestrate. Although his daughter's Martial Spirit had evolved, his own Martial Spirit was still the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. He also harbored dreams of becoming a Titled Douluo. If Tang San had more of that herb, regardless of the cost, Ning Fengzhi would obtain it.

Listening to her father's words, Ning Rongrong became vigilant. "The herb is called the Beautiful Silk Tulip. According to Third Brother, it's extremely rare, a gift from heaven. It's a matter of great fortune to encounter one. He gave it to me, and naturally, there's none left. Dad, are you trying to cause trouble for Third Brother? I warn you, Third Brother is a very good friend of mine. If you dare to do anything harmful to him, I will never acknowledge you for the rest of my life!"

Seeing his daughter's angered expression, Ning Fengzhi quickly reassured her "Where did you get that idea? Rongrong, what I'm curious about is purely out of interest. After all, it's a immortal herb that can evolve our Martial Spirits. Naturally, I want to understand it better. As for your Third Brother, he has given you such precious things; he can be considered the benefactor of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I am truly grateful to him, and I have no intention of harming him."

After saying that, Ning Fengzhi's eyes shifted, seemingly remembering something. He looked at his daughter playfully and said "Rongrong, were you so angered just now because you like that young man?"

As soon as this topic came up, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and even Zeng Yi, who had stopped drinking tea, perked up with interest. Although Zeng Yi had limited memories of the original plot, he remembered that in the original story, Ning Rongrong seemed to have a crush on Oscar. Would his presence as a variable change the plot?

Zeng Yi carefully recalled his experiences since entering this world and realized that his encounters seemed to deviate slightly from the original story. The experiences of the Shrek Seven Devils appeared to remain unchanged.

Thinking back to when he first read the original story, he was still a naive teenager. At that time, he thought that Ning Rongrong, being a young lady from a prestigious family, might be one of the female leads.

"Ah? This..." Ning Rongrong was caught off guard by this sudden question, momentarily unable to react. She blushed and retorted "Dad, why are you talking nonsense! I only admire Third Brother and see him as a big brother. It's not the kind of feeling you mentioned! Besides, he already has someone he likes."

After speaking, Ning Rongrong stole a glance in the direction where Zeng Yi was sitting.

Ning Fengzhi naturally noticed his daughter's subtle movement and couldn't help but glance at Zeng Yi.

It seemed that his daughter had feelings for this young man.

Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but recall his decision to send Zeng Yi to Shrek Academy. Now it seemed like the right choice. With Zeng Yi's talent, strength, and the identity of Sword Douluo's disciple, he was undoubtedly the best match for Ning Rongrong. Now that Rongrong's Martial Spirit had evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, coupled with Zeng Yi, the two could both become Titled Douluos in the future. Joining forces, they would be unbeatable on the entire continent, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would become the strongest sect on the continent.

Watching Ning Rongrong and Zeng Yi, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but imagine the glorious future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. It would be truly dazzling.

However,

Ning Fengzhi thought of the marriage contract he had established with the Martial Spirit Hall and couldn't help but feel a headache. Now, he had to think about how to deal with this issue. He wondered how Zeng Yi would react if he found out that Hu Liena had become his fiancée.

"By the way, Dad has something for you." Ning Fengzhi remembered the item he bought at the auction and took out the hidden weapon made by Tang San.

Seeing the item in her father's hand, Ning Rongrong was puzzled. Wasn't this the hidden weapon made by Third Brother? How did it end up in Dad's hands?

"This is a good item Dad obtained. It has decent power and can be used for self-defense. As for where it came from, you should be well aware — it's from your classmate Tang San." Ning Fengzhi said.

"However, he even gave you such precious things like the Beautiful Silk Tulip. You should also have these hidden weapons, Rongrong." Seeing the confused expression on his daughter's face, Ning Fengzhi explained.

"This is the Hidden Weapons, Powder Shooting Shadow. Dad, how did you get this hidden weapon from Third Brother?" Ning Rongrong was surprised, but she also understood that something must have happened between her father and Tang San during their meeting today.

"I already have these hidden weapons, and they're just average in power. I have a set of hidden weapons personally tailored by Third Brother, specifically for me. Despite being an auxiliary spirit master, my combat strength is not inferior to ordinary Spirit Ancestor." As Ning Rongrong spoke, a touch of pride appeared on her face.

Among the Shrek Seven Devils, Oscar, who served as an auxiliary spirit master, possessed a powerful physique and formidable combat skills. Only Ning Rongrong lacked combat capabilities. To give her the ability to defend herself, Tang San specially designed a set of hidden weapons for her and taught her some techniques for using them.

Regarding the power of the hidden weapons, Ning Rongrong had witnessed their terror firsthand. She had personally killed a Spirit Ancestor member with these weapons.

Ning Fengzhi, upon hearing his daughter's words, took a slight breath. He didn't expect the hidden weapons in his possession to be merely average. He had seen a demonstration of these weapons at the auction, where they easily pierced a stake twenty meters away. This power was comparable to some spirit skills. However, his daughter claimed that these hidden weapons allowed her, an auxiliary spirit master, to have the combat strength of a Spirit Ancestor. This revelation surprised him.

"Do you doubt it, Dad? How about I demonstrate it for you?" Ning Rongrong volunteered enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to showcase her abilities.

Seeing his daughter's eagerness, Ning Fengzhi agreed "Alright, let's see how powerful these hidden weapons are. Let's go to the courtyard."

The five of them walked out of the hall and into the courtyard. Ning Rongrong took the lead to an open space, looking at the other four. She said with a sweet voice "Who wants to spar with me?"

Naturally, Ning Fengzhi, as an auxiliary spirit master, had no combat abilities. As for Zeng Yi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong, they exchanged glances.

Gu Rong laughed heartily, took a step forward, and said "Since none of you are saying anything, let me accompany Rongrong for a sparring session."

"You step aside. Let me do it. If Rongrong dismantles you, it won't be good." Chen Xin stopped Gu Rong, saying.

"You're talking nonsense! A Titled Douluo like me can be injured by these little gadgets from Rongrong?" Gu Rong retorted.

"Since that's the case, let's have a little contest to see who is qualified to spar with Rongrong!"

"Bring it on! Who's afraid of whom!"

Ning Fengzhi helplessly watched as his two elders started arguing again, then turned to Zeng Yi and said "Xiao Yi, how about sparring with Rongrong? Is that okay?"

"Uh, me?" Zeng Yi was momentarily stunned. They wanted him to fight against Ning Rongrong? Wasn't that just sending him to beat up a weaker opponent? He admitted that Tang San's hidden weapons were indeed powerful, but they weren't very threatening to him with his current strength.

"Well then, I'll play with her a bit." Zeng Yi shrugged indifferently and walked towards Ning Rongrong.

"Are you going to be my opponent?"

Seeing that Zeng Yi was going to be her opponent, Ning Rongrong not only felt a sense of revengeful satisfaction but also intended to teach the guy who had been bullying her a lesson.

"That's right. Use any moves you've got; let me see if you've improved during this time."

Seeing Zeng Yi's indifferent expression, Ning Rongrong couldn't help feeling irritated. He dared to look down on her. Just wait; she would show him!

"Hmph, don't think that just because you're strong, I won't put you in my eyes. Don't cry when you lose later!" After saying this, Ning Rongrong even made a face at Zeng Yi.

Seeing her like this, Zeng Yi couldn't help but smile. What courage it took for this girl to say such things. Even if your Third Brother faced me, he wouldn't dare to boast like this.

"Nine Treasures Glazed Tile! First Form: Strength."

Ning Rongrong immediately manifested her Martial Spirit, and the colorful radiance shimmered around her body. Without saying a word, she released her spirit skills.

"Second Form: Agility!"

"Third Form: Spirit Power!"

Ning Rongrong released all three of her spirit skills in one breath, amplifying them on her own body. After becoming a Spirit Elder, the amplification effect of her spirit skills had reached forty percent. Her third spirit skill was Spirit Power Amplification, increasing the spirit power of her teammates by forty percent.

With the amplification of three spirit skills, Ning Rongrong felt her body filled with strength, and she became extraordinarily agile.

"Be careful." Ning Rongrong reminded. She knew Zeng Yi's strength was formidable, but the power of hidden weapons wasn't something to be taken lightly. She had personally witnessed the powerlessness of a Spirit Ancestor expert in front of hidden weapons, leading to their death. Since Zeng Yi wasn't present at that time, she was afraid he might become too careless.

Following that, Ning Rongrong took a step, and her body, light as a butterfly, swiftly moved around Zeng Yi. Four slender and sharp silver needles quietly popped out from her delicate jade-like hand, and with a special technique, they shot towards Zeng Yi.

Without any pause, she used the same technique with her other hand, swiftly firing four silver needles.

The needles were very thin, combined with Ning Rongrong's skillful technique, making them nearly silent.

In less than a second, the two sets of silver needles, one in front and one behind, shot towards various vital points on Zeng Yi's body.

Although Ning Rongrong's technique was clever, Zeng Yi could still hear the launch of the needles amidst the disrupted airflow. In that split second, he located the position of each silver needle.

~Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh~

At the critical moment, Zeng Yi bent backward at the waist, almost reaching ninety degrees, and the sound of the hidden weapons tearing through the tiny airwaves was clearly caught by Zeng Yi. The four silver needles, Zeng Yi watched them fly past his face almost touching his skin.

Then, Zeng Yi lifted his foot, and his entire body rotated 720 degrees in mid-air before landing steadily on the ground.

Zeng Yi wore a relaxed smile on his face, looking at the now paused Ning Rongrong. He extended his delicate left hand, on the palm of which a faint green light haloed.

In that white-as-jade palm, precisely held, were four slender and sharp silver needles.

Zeng Yi smiled slightly, saying "I said, Junior Niece, is that really all that?"