"Rustle, rustle..."
In the bushes some distance away, untouched by the aftermath of the battle, a group of four emerged.
Leading them was a man with double pupils. Behind him were three young men and women dressed in what appeared to be the uniforms of an academy.
"Have you been watching me from nearby for so long because you have some business?" Ning Rongrong swept her gaze over the four of them, her tone indifferent.
"Or perhaps… you're thinking of stealing prey from the hunter?"
In the Douluo Continent, when Soul Masters ventured into spirit beast forests, the greatest threat wasn't the terrifying spirit beasts—it was seemingly kind but hypocritical humans.
Cunning and deceitful, they often harbored thoughts of murder and plunder.
"Y-Your Majesty, please let us explain! We absolutely have no ill intentions toward you!"
"I am Wang Teng, a teacher from Blazing Wind Academy. These three are students from my academy. We came to hunt for spirit rings and only happened to hear noises from this direction, so we came to investigate. We truly meant no harm!"
Ning Rongrong's words sent a shiver down the double-pupiled man's spine, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.
This was not a question he could ignore!
If his answer wasn't satisfactory, their group might very well end up buried here.
"Your Majesty?" Ning Rongrong looked them up and down. "How much did you see?"
Did they mistake me for a Title Douluo?
Even if she had reached the Grandmaster realm, she was still far from the so-called Title Douluo level!
"We…" Wang Teng wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly replied, "From the moment you wounded the Titan Giant Ape with a single sword strike, to when you knocked it to the ground… we accidentally saw it all."
"Oh? So you saw quite a lot, then."
Ning Rongrong's eerily calm tone made their hearts sink.
We're doomed!
"Your Majesty, we are from the Four Elemental Academies…" Huo Wu gritted her teeth, pulling out her backing.
"Oh? Little girl, are you threatening me?"
Hearing the mention of the Four Elemental Academies, Ning Rongrong studied Huo Wu for a moment before smiling.
"To be honest, my backing is far greater than yours. Would you like to compare?"
Forget about backing—even this Soul Sage and the three of them combined wouldn't be a match for her, a mere support-type Soul Master.
"Your Majesty, we… we absolutely didn't mean it that way." Feng Xiaotian quickly pulled Huo Wu behind him. "Xiao Wu, don't speak recklessly."
Huo Wu was usually spoiled rotten, and if she spoke out of turn now, offending this girl, they might really die here.
Hadn't they seen the Titan Giant Ape, as large as a small hill, lying unconscious for so long?
That was a Titan Giant Ape!
Thick-skinned and tough—even blades might not pierce its hide.
"Interesting." Ning Rongrong watched as the two shielded Huo Wu. "What are your names?"
Since they mentioned the Four Elemental Academies, she could roughly guess their identities, but it was polite to ask—just in case she was wrong.
"I am Feng Xiaotian."
"My name is Huo Wushuang. The one behind me is my younger sister, Huo Wu. Please forgive her—she didn't mean to be rude. Her personality is influenced by her Martial Soul."
With that, Huo Wushuang bowed deeply to Ning Rongrong.
"Is that so…" Ning Rongrong neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Level 43, Level 42, Level 40, and a Level 72 Soul Sage—not a bad team."
"Feng Xiaotian… I've heard that name before." Ning Rongrong fell into thought.
In the original story, how old was this innate full soul power guy again?
"A 24-year-old innate full soul power, Level 43 Soul Master—am I right?"
"Your Majesty, it is an honor for you to remember me." Feng Xiaotian was flattered. He never expected a Title Douluo to know of him.
As for why he believed Ning Rongrong was a Title Douluo—who else but a Title Douluo could defeat a thousand-year Titan Giant Ape without even releasing their spirit rings?
"For human Soul Masters, the ages of 15 to 25 are the fastest period for soul power advancement. After 25, the speed gradually declines, and by 30, it slows further as the body stabilizes."
"Honestly, not even Level 50 by 24—are you really innate full soul power?"
Feng Xiaotian: "..."
What does my soul power level have to do with you?!
Of course, he didn't dare say that out loud.
"Your Majesty, Feng Xiaotian's talent is indeed at the innate full soul power level. It's just that due to certain reasons, his cultivation speed slowed." Wang Teng stepped in to explain.
"Ah, self-created spirit skills, or is it because of the girl behind you?"
"Your Majesty …" Feng Xiaotian's eye twitched.
Is this Title Douluo really this gossipy? How do you even know who I like?
Shouldn't Title Douluo be the type to look down on everyone and walk like crabs?
Ning Rongrong glanced at Huo Wu, then back at him, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Feng Xiaotian, would you be interested in joining my sect? Our sect has many beautiful women."
"Especially our Sect Master—her tastes are very refined. Graceful fox girls, mischievous cat girls, and… ahem."
"Ah, my apologies. I accidentally revealed some sect secrets." Seeing the increasingly strange looks from the group, Ning Rongrong quickly stopped herself.
"Uh… I think my family is fine as it is." Feng Xiaotian's face stiffened.
He didn't know which sect she was referring to, but with such a peculiar Sect Master and this girl's somewhat childish appearance… could it be…?
Sss—
Feng Xiaotian inwardly gasped.
Wait, does the Douluo Continent even have such a sect?
"ROAR—"
A deafening roar erupted, weak but still fierce.
"Quiet. The adults are talking."
The Angelic Sword shot out and smacked the Titan Giant Ape's massive forehead with its hilt. Before it could even stand, its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed unconscious again.
"Uh… Why does this Titan Giant Ape seem so pitiful?" Feng Xiaotian and the others watched as Ning Rongrong effortlessly subdued the beast, feeling as if the world had lost all sense of reality.
"Don't overthink it. It wasn't fully awake to begin with."
Ning Rongrong shrugged. She wasn't about to explain to them that even giant apes had pressure points—a well-placed strike could knock them out regardless of how thick their skulls were.
"Grand Priest, could we… purchase this Titan Giant Ape from you?" Wang Teng cautiously asked after a moment of silence. Since she didn't seem to need it, perhaps she'd be willing to sell.
"Oh?" Ning Rongrong wasn't surprised. This Soul Sage had been sneaking glances at the Titan Giant Ape the whole time—of course he coveted it.
"You want its spirit ring for this Huo Wushuang?"
"Yes, Grand Priest." Wang Teng bowed respectfully. "A Titan Giant Ape's spirit ring is extremely rare. A thousand-year one might even rival a ten-thousand-year ring in power."
"Though it's not a fire-attribute spirit beast, its sheer strength should make up for that."
"May I ask… your thoughts on this?"
"What price can you offer?" Ning Rongrong was somewhat interested in the Titan Giant Ape's spirit ring.
But with Tokisaki Kurumi in deep slumber and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in a troublesome state—its storage ability gone—she couldn't absorb the spirit ring.
There was no way her petite support-type self could haul the Titan Giant Ape back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!
That would be too much of a "Beauty and the Beast" scenario.
Besides, her spatial abilities were currently unusable due to overexertion, and Kurumi's slumber made things even more complicated.