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Earlier, when he had the burly leader list his demands, it was to distract him. Due to the angle and the darkness of the night, the Sword Wings had spread out unnoticed.
Taking advantage of this, Ning Tianchen had shaken off the razor feathers, concealing them beneath the fallen leaves on the ground.
When his third soul skill activated, these razor feathers seemed to gain a life of their own, autonomously targeting the vital points of the burly leader.
As the leader's neck was pierced, a torrent of blood sprayed onto Ning Rongrong.
Seeing the crisis resolved, Ning Rongrong burst into tears and collapsed into Ning Tianchen's arms.
"Big brother Tianchen… Rongrong thought she'd never see you again…"
Ning Tianchen gently stroked her forehead. "Rongrong, don't cry. The bad guys are all taken care of."
After this incident, Ning Rongrong had matured significantly in terms of mentality.
The world of soul masters was brutal. Without Ning Fengzhi's protection, given her temperament, she might have already been killed long ago.
Even with the prestige of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, in these remote areas, there were still those who didn't fear their name.
"We can't stay here any longer. Let's leave quickly."
That burly leader wasn't likely the main chieftain of the Black Wind Stronghold. The commotion from the battle would surely draw others from the stronghold, who were probably already on their way.
Even with twenty-plus bandits, and despite the overwhelming strength disparity, Ning Rongrong had still been taken hostage. This proved that Ning Tianchen couldn't fully protect her while being surrounded.
If there had been even more enemies, Ning Rongrong might not have survived.
Of course, this wasn't Ning Tianchen's fault. The Seven Kill Sword technique emphasized extreme attack and slaughter—it wasn't a defensive style.
"Rongrong, stand on the sword for now. Later, we'll find a river to wash off the bloodstains."
Covered in blood, they wouldn't be able to enter the city—if the guards spotted them, they'd likely be detained immediately.
Using the flight capability provided by his third soul skill, Ning Tianchen carried Ning Rongrong and quickly flew down the mountain.
His third soul skill was currently his ultimate move, consuming a significant amount of soul power. Without Ning Rongrong having any soul power-enhancing skills, he couldn't maintain flight for long.
By the time his soul power was halfway depleted, they had barely managed to descend the mountain.
In the distance, they spotted a small stream.
Ning Tianchen casually removed his shirt and began washing the bloodstains off his body with the stream water.
But Ning Rongrong couldn't do the same—she was a girl, after all, and removing her clothes would be improper.
Seeing her hesitation, Ning Tianchen said, "Rongrong, I'll keep watch while you go clean up."
Ning Rongrong's face flushed red as she slowly removed her clothes and squatted by the stream.
It was a crescent moon tonight, and her reflection in the water made it difficult to see her features clearly.
After cleaning herself for a moment, she whispered softly, "Big brother Tianchen… I can't reach my back… You… Could you help me?"
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it faded completely.
Under the tranquil moonlit night, Ning Tianchen still understood what she meant.
"This… Isn't this inappropriate?"
Ning Rongrong replied bashfully, "Daddy said that… Big brother Tianchen is going to marry Rongrong… So… It's fine…"
After some hesitation, Ning Tianchen reluctantly agreed.
By the dim moonlight, he could barely make out her pale skin—but other details…
"It's a bit… small…"
Ning Rongrong froze in place until all the bloodstains were finally washed away.
…
At dawn the next day, the two entered a nearby city as soon as the gates opened.
They had spent the entire night outdoors and were exhausted. They planned to rest for half a day in this small city before continuing their journey.
Upon entering the city, the caravan they traveled with began discussing the events surrounding the Black Wind Stronghold.
"Did you hear? Yesterday evening, the Black Wind Stronghold's main chieftain was killed by a powerful soul master from the Spirit Hall. At dawn, as I passed through Peiyang City, I saw many troops from the Balak Kingdom heading toward the stronghold's mountain."
"Ho, no wonder. You know, just now, I passed by one of their controlled mountains and heard that their fourth-in-command was killed last night by a group of people. Instead of seeking revenge, the Black Wind Stronghold packed up and fled. Turns out, this was the reason."
Their conversation reached Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong's ears.
The two exchanged a wry smile.
If they had followed Ning Tianchen's suggestion and delayed their departure by a day, they might have avoided encountering the bandits altogether.
Of course, their encounter hadn't been without gains.
Ning Rongrong whispered, "Big brother Tianchen is so amazing—he actually killed their fourth-in-command."
These bandits were nothing but drunkards and gluttons. Used to bullying smaller groups with their numbers, individually, their combat abilities were even inferior to soul masters who had spent ten or fifteen days in the soul dueling arenas.
Moreover, they were an unorganized and undisciplined group. In battle, they simply charged forward without any tactical coordination.
Even a group of ordinary soldiers sent by the Balak Kingdom, bolstered by discipline, could potentially defeat these bandit soul masters.
Ning Tianchen took the map from her hands and carefully studied their route.
"There are three more cities until Suotuo City—it should take about three or four days to get there. Rongrong, your soul power is already at level twenty-nine. Push yourself a little harder, and you might break through to level thirty after enrollment."
He knew that on the first day of Shrek Academy's official opening, Oscar broke through to level thirty. Afterward, the seven members of the Shrek Seven Monsters entered the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for soul rings.
It was during that time that Tang San stumbled upon the Eight Spider Legs external spirit bone—the greatest opportunity he had early on.
The Eight Spider Legs and Ning Tianchen's external spirit bone, the Sword Wings, each had their own strengths.
The Sword Wings primarily offered flight capabilities and unexpected attacks with razor feathers. Meanwhile, the Eight Spider Legs had a devouring ability. By consuming enough spirit beasts, Tang San's strength could skyrocket in a short period.
For now, the Eight Spider Legs seemed superior to the Sword Wings. However, Ning Tianchen felt that he hadn't fully unlocked the potential of the Sword Wings—they might reveal new abilities in the future.
When that happened, the Sword Wings might not be inferior to the Eight Spider Legs.
While Ning Tianchen didn't have a high opinion of Tang San, he also didn't view him as an immediate enemy.
In the uncertain scenario of whether Tang San would become friend or foe in the future, the best course of action would be to deprive him of the Eight Spider Legs.
As for whether or not to stay at Shrek Academy, Ning Tianchen hadn't decided yet.
Ning Rongrong definitely wouldn't attend the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. There were only a few strong academies within the Tian Dou Empire. The Four Elements Academies were all run by influential families, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had no cooperation with them—it was impossible for them to arrange for Ning Rongrong and him to study there.
Building a new academy would take too much time and might cause them to miss the next Soul Master Tournament.
After entering the inn, Ning Tianchen decided to stop overthinking.
With the wealth and influence of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, he didn't need to worry about their next steps.
This trip to Shrek Academy was mainly to accompany Ning Rongrong on her "escape from home" and to observe Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, the master-disciple duo.
Putting his thoughts aside, Ning Tianchen lay down on the large bed in the inn and fell into a deep sleep.
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