Chapter 112: Showdown and Choice, Beautiful Silk Tulip, Mysterious Resonance
"Clear Sky Douluo? Tang San!?"
Ning Rongrong widened her eyes and couldn't help but confirm:
"The legendary Clear Sky Douluo... is Tang San's father?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "It's him."
"You mean, the Clear Sky Douluo came to block your path, and you still managed to escape?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes were wide, disbelief written all over her face.
"Mm, more or less."
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't be bothered to explain and simply nodded ambiguously.
"Amazing, Zhuqing, you're incredible!"
Ning Rongrong excitedly shook Zhu Zhuqing's hand:
"That's the Clear Sky Douluo who killed Pope Qian Xunji! You actually escaped from him!"
"He was heavily injured and hadn't recovered. I was just lucky."
Zhu Zhuqing knew her own limits.
If Tang Hao hadn't been concerned about his injuries, even with Bai Lu's help, she would probably have only managed to escape with severe injuries.
"That's still amazing, okay!"
"In terms of combat strength alone, even ten Dugu Bo wouldn't be Tang Hao's match!"
Ning Rongrong looked at Zhu Zhuqing with eyes full of near worship.
"That's right."
Zhu Zhuqing thought about it and agreed.
Tang Hao was injured, but other Rank 95 Super Douluo didn't have the Great Sumeru Hammer with Ring Explosion either.
It seemed Dugu Bo hadn't been exaggerating.
Her current strength had already reached the top tier of the soul master world.
After a brief exchange, the two girls continued eating.
"By the way, Zhuqing…"
Ning Rongrong raised her head several times, hesitating to speak.
"If you want to ask anything, just ask."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't even look up as she enjoyed the food.
"Why did Tang Hao become enemies with you?"
Ning Rongrong bit her lip and said softly:
"I heard him say Xiao Wu was kidnapped by you… Is that true…"
"Yes, it was me."
Zhu Zhuqing put down her bowl of porridge and admitted it calmly.
"Why? Xiao Wu has no parents; she's already so pitiful. Why would he kidnap her…"
"After she was taken, Tang San was extremely sad… can't everyone just reconcile?"
Although Ning Rongrong had already suspected it, hearing Zhu Zhuqing admit it so calmly still made her feelings complicated.
After all, she had been classmates with Xiao Wu for months, even sharing the same dorm…
And yet, that very person had been kidnapped by her good friend?
"Rongrong, not everything can be reconciled."
Zhu Zhuqing set down her empty bowl and turned to look at her:
"In this world, there are no eternal enemies—only eternal interests."
"But when the interests are great enough, even friends can become mortal enemies."
"Great enough?"
Ning Rongrong subconsciously swallowed.
"If you've heard the full rumors of the Blue Silver Emperor, you should be able to guess that I possess a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone."
"Just that alone makes reconciliation with Tang Hao almost impossible."
"Not to mention…"
Zhu Zhuqing paused and transformed into her Hell Spirit Cat form.
"I also took the hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone he had guarded for years."
The moment she finished speaking, the disguise on her fifth soul ring faded.
It instantly changed from deep black to a crimson blood-red!
"A hundred-thousand-year soul ring!"
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened as she pointed at the soul ring, stammering.
That real hundred-thousand-year soul ring pressure made even the fearless little witch stutter.
Twelve years old, even younger than her.
And yet she was a rank 60 quasi Soul Emperor whose fifth soul ring was a hundred-thousand-year one!
What kind of heaven-defying existence was this!?
It took Ning Rongrong a full ten seconds to barely recover.
"Could it be… this is Xiao Wu…"
"That's right, it's hers."
Zhu Zhuqing calmly withdrew the soul ring and walked to the bedside, gazing at the moon:
"Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form. Her soul ring and soul bone are crucial to me."
"Together with the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone, do you think reconciliation between us is still possible?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head.
"If you were given a choice: gaining two hundred-thousand-year soul bones and one hundred-thousand-year soul ring at the cost of one more Titled Douluo enemy, would you choose it?"
"I… I…"
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
But she knew very clearly that she would not miss out on the soul ring and soul bones.
This was the choice most soul masters would make.
"Rongrong, this is how the world works. The strong prey on the weak."
"There is no right or wrong in this."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at her, her gaze calm:
"Today and before, if I didn't have enough strength, I would have already died under Tang Hao's hammer."
"Likewise, if Xiao Wu had enough strength, I wouldn't have succeeded either."
"I…"
Ning Rongrong lowered her head, her hands unconsciously twisting together.
She understood the logic, but emotionally, it was still hard to accept.
"So, Rongrong, if you had to choose."
Zhu Zhuqing placed her hand on Ning Rongrong's shoulder and asked as Bai Lu had taught her:
"Do you choose Tang San and the others from Shrek or me?"
"You."
"Do you choose Xiao Wu or me?"
"You."
"Do you choose the Heaven Dou Empire or me?"
"You… huh?"
Ning Rongrong was stunned.
How did the topic suddenly jump to this?
Was she about to betray her country?
Zhu Zhuqing held her head and turned it to face her:
"Look into my eyes and answer me!"
"If it's just between you… Then I choose you."
After struggling for a while, Ning Rongrong answered seriously.
"Then what if…"
Zhu Zhuqing asked, "I can turn your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
"Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!?"
Ning Rongrong swallowed hard and decisively said:
"Then I can make the entire sect choose you!"
"I see…"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and asked:
"How is your progress with the Heart Separation Control Technique and Purple Demon Eye?"
"Uh… well… I should be close to getting started…"
At the mention of cultivation, Ning Rongrong, who had been excited a moment ago, instantly lost her energy.
The Heart Separation Control Technique was too tedious. She couldn't stick with it and hadn't even truly entered the basic Three Aperture Governing Heart stage.
As for Purple Demon Eye, it had only been two days. She still hadn't grasped the method to capture purple qi.
"These two secret techniques are extremely important for you. You must work hard on them from now on."
"Don't disappoint my expectations."
Zhu Zhuqing flipped her hand and took out a golden, radiant tulip.
The rich fragrance it emitted carried a sense of magnificence and nobility.
"What is this?"
Ning Rongrong observed it curiously, already having a guess in her heart.
"Beautiful Silk Tulip. Consuming it allows you to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, the brilliance of the sun and moon, and can enable your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul to evolve into a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
Zhu Zhuqing handed the flower to Ning Rongrong:
"Lightly inhale the stamen, slowly draw its essence into your body, then circulate your soul power steadily to spread the medicinal effect throughout your limbs and bones."
"Mm!"
Ning Rongrong didn't know what to say and could only nod firmly.
After absorbing the essence of the Beautiful Silk Tulip, she focused on meditation to refine the medicinal power.
Very quickly, golden treasure light flowed around her body, continuously strengthening her.
A small tower radiating seven-colored brilliance appeared, its glow growing increasingly dazzling.
Zhu Zhuqing silently stood guard and observed. Suddenly…
"Hm?!"
Her expression changed slightly in surprise as she looked at Ning Rongrong.
For some reason, she felt a sense of mutual attraction between herself and Ning Rongrong.
A strange fragrance drifted out from her body, intertwining with the scent of the Beautiful Silk Tulip around Ning Rongrong and merging into an even more soothing and wondrous aroma.
"What's going on?"
Zhu Zhuqing moved closer, confusion written all over her face.
Between her and Ning Rongrong, there seemed to be a strange resonance.
Much like the resonance between a Hell Spirit Cat Soul master and a White Tiger Soul Master.
But clearly, it hadn't existed just moments ago!
End of Chapter