"Give me your Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse; I need to find some herbs to make an antidote for Rongrong," Su Cheng said.
Su Cheng felt somewhat helpless; he had forgotten to ask Porcupinefish Douluo to detoxify before leaving.
Anyway, it would take some time for the paralysis toxin to wear off before she regained consciousness.
Dugu Bo casually tossed a blue leather pouch over to Su Cheng, who caught it.
This thing was even better than a regular soul tool; it could store living creatures inside.
As Su Cheng rummaged through it for the required herbs, he casually remarked, "Don't you want to ask me something?"
"I do want to, but I suspect you wouldn't want to tell me," Dugu Bo replied.
"If you want to know something, just ask. I'll tell you what I can. Keeping things bottled up isn't good for our relationship, you know."
"You're becoming more and more audacious," Dugu Bo replied with a glare.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Who was that girl just now? How do you know each other?"
"She's from the Martial Soul Hall, the one you saw before, Xue Qinghe, that's her disguise. As for how we know each other, I can't tell you that."
"Xue Qinghe was someone else in disguise?! How did you know?" Dugu Bo was astonished. "And why didn't you tell me?"
"I can't say."
Dugu Bo didn't press further and instead said thoughtfully, "That girl seemed to have a high status in the Martial Soul Hall, to have a subordinate of a Title Douluo level."
Although he wasn't clear about Qian Renxue's identity, her extraordinary age and cultivation level were remarkable.
At least he had never seen anyone reach the rank of Soul Emperor before the age of twenty.
"That's right, she has a high status, even Bibi Dong can't do much to her," Su Cheng nodded. "Please help me keep her identity a secret."
It wasn't a big deal to disclose this information.
Moreover, once Qian Renxue returned to the Martial Soul Hall, her presence might gradually be exposed under the condition of not arousing suspicion from the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Since she's gone, there's no problem with helping you keep it a secret. But judging from your tone, are you planning to join the Martial Soul Hall in the future?" Dugu Bo rubbed his chin, recalling the conversation between Su Cheng and Qian Renxue just now.
"I haven't decided yet, but the probability is high that I will find an opportunity to join," Su Cheng replied. "I planned to tell you about this matter, so you would be prepared."
Dugu Bo, being a lone Title Douluo, had no grudge against the Martial Soul Hall. There was no conflict of interest between them, so letting him know in advance wasn't a bad idea.
Countless soul masters in the world wanted to join the Martial Soul Hall. Even if Su Cheng had such intentions, it wouldn't make Dugu Bo hold a grudge.
"You're quite something," Dugu Bo smirked at Su Cheng. "And how do you plan to deal with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"I won't do anything detrimental to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. You should know how powerful the hidden strength of the Martial Soul Hall is. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School harbors any ambitions against the Martial Soul Hall, it's simply wishful thinking, as the two are not on the same level of power."
"You surprisingly know about the Martial Soul Hall?" Dugu Bo was surprised.
He had some understanding of the Martial Soul Hall.
As a lone Title Douluo, Dugu Bo had once been invited by the Martial Soul Hall.
However, he was used to being free and hadn't joined them.
For this reason, he had a bit of an unpleasant encounter with the Soul Land's Master, Bibi Dong, back then, but there was no real grudge.
But through this opportunity, he had also learned about the foundation of the Martial Soul Hall.
"Are you surprised that I know about my relationship with Xue Qinghe and the Martial Soul Hall?" Su Cheng asked.
"I'm still puzzled. Since that's the case, why didn't you just follow her to the Martial Soul Hall?" Dugu Bo asked.
"Xue Qinghe does have some influence in the Martial Soul Hall, but she has a great conflict with Bibi Dong. It's enough for her to protect herself, but she can't protect me. It would be dangerous for me to follow her. The situation is complicated, and it's not easy to explain in a few words."
Seeing Dugu Bo's expression, Su Cheng realized that he was quite good at speculating.
He wasn't simulating now; there was no task to destroy the Martial Soul Hall, so he didn't have any grudges with them. He only had a task to fulfill, which was mutual benefit.
He could contribute to the Martial Soul Hall, but in return, they should give him what he wanted.
At this point, Dugu Bo couldn't help but criticize, "That girl just now, it's not good to use her like that. I can see she cares deeply about you."
"Who said I'm using her?" Su Cheng looked at him strangely. "Well, it's hard to explain to you. Anyway, whether it's the Martial Soul Hall or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they're just transitions for me. I value people, not so-called sects or forces. No matter how strong the Martial Soul Hall is, it's just a few more Title Douluos. It won't bother me in the future. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the same."
Dugu Bo's expression changed slightly as he deeply looked at Su Cheng. He didn't continue to say anything, nor did he mock him for being arrogant.
After spending so much time together, he already knew what kind of person Su Cheng was. He always spoke the truth and didn't hesitate to admit his weaknesses and shortcomings.
But admitting one's weaknesses was also a kind of confidence.
How many people in the world dared to face their own flaws?
"I know I'm weak now.But I also know I'll be strong in the future."
Dugu Bo finally understood what kind of peculiar aura he had always seen in Su Cheng.
It was a confidence that said, "The past will eventually pass, and the future will be mine."
"What a pity he's a scoundrel," he added softly.
Su Cheng's ears twitched, and he furrowed his brow.
"Who are you calling a scoundrel?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Dugu Bo retorted. "You're quite capable. If you have the ability, you can pursue Yan Yan as much as you like."
"Senior, you're quite old. Please have some dignity in your speech. It's impossible for me to call you grandfather," Su Cheng retorted, administering the antidote to Ning Rongrong as he spoke. "Besides, what I said earlier was true. I'm not interested in that little girl."
"Yan Yan isn't young," Dugu Bo remarked.
"I was talking about Ning Rongrong. And this matter has nothing to do with age," Su Cheng clarified.
Ning Rongrong regained consciousness shortly after taking the medicine. She opened her eyes and saw Su Cheng, immediately reaching out to hold his hand anxiously. "Brother? Are you okay?"
Then she looked around and found that the previous Title Douluo and the fierce woman had disappeared.
Instead, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo stood not far away from them.
Using his soul power, Su Cheng checked Ning Rongrong's body and said softly, "Thanks to Senior Dugu Bo's timely arrival, everything's fine now. I'm sorry, it was my negligence that put you in danger."
Ning Rongrong stared at Su Cheng, her eyes filled with complex emotions, before she finally nodded silently.
Su Cheng didn't know what she was thinking at the moment, but he didn't care much. As long as he cleared his suspicion, it would be enough.
What Ning Rongrong thought didn't matter to him; the key was to explain to Ning Fengzhi and their group. That was his main concern.
Dugu Bo's Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse was still in his hands.
With a flash of golden light, the purse transformed into a magnificent golden flower in his hand, resembling a golden tulip growing at the top.
"This is the Beautiful Silk Tulip, a rare treasure that perfectly matches your martial soul. After taking it, you can absorb the essence of heaven and earth and radiate with the brilliance of the sun and moon. This is the main purpose of our trip, a treasure specially prepared for you by Senior Dugu Bo."
Su Cheng handed it over and explained, "When you take it, don't swallow it. Instead, gently suck the essence from the flower and let it slowly permeate your body. Then, practice your soul power slowly to let the medicine spread throughout your body."
Ning Rongrong hesitated for a moment, then took it and followed Su Cheng's instructions, taking the essence from the flower.
Soon, she felt the medicinal power flowing rapidly in her body and quickly closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.
Su Cheng watched quietly, his expression calm.
Time passed slowly.
After three hours, the effect of the herbal medicine began to show.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's martial soul appeared in front of her, surrounded by colorful halos. Two soul rings flickered within, accompanied by a rich golden light, emitting dazzling brilliance.
The golden light emanated from Ning Rongrong herself, with a rich scent of tulips, making her look like a fairy descending to earth.
Each time the golden light intensified, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in front of her looked even more dazzling and magnificent.
After several more hours, the sky gradually darkened.
"My soul power level..."
Ning Rongrong's voice rang out, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at Su Cheng.
At this moment, she had jumped to the bottleneck of level thirty.
And it was evident that she hadn't reached her limit yet; after absorbing the third soul ring, she could continue to grow by three or four levels.
Ning Rongrong's body was no longer emitting golden light, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovered over her right hand. Underneath it, there was a faint halo of golden tulip petals.
Su Cheng didn't pay much attention to her level increase but focused on her martial soul instead.
Noticing his gaze, Ning Rongrong and Dugu Bo also shifted their eyes to her martial soul.
"It seems my martial soul has changed," she said, feeling a bit puzzled.
"Nine layers... It's actually nine layers..." Dugu Bo exclaimed in shock.
Discovering Ning Rongrong's rapid increase in soul power had already surprised him, but compared to the changes in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the former was nothing but a drop in the ocean.
"Nine layers..."
Ning Rongrong stared at her martial soul in amazement.
Then she felt her blood boiling, and her voice trembled as she spoke.
What did it mean for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to become nine layers?
It meant that her martial soul had become the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the goal her father, Ning Fengzhi, had pursued all his life.
She trembled as she held the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand, her gaze turning to Su Cheng's calm face.
After months of getting along, although they hadn't spent much time together, Su Cheng's occasional guidance had been of great help to her. She had already regarded him as a very important person.
But compared to what happened today, everything before seemed insignificant.
Furthermore, thinking about her suspicion of him earlier, a faint sourness welled up in her heart.
Perhaps it was gratitude, perhaps it was remorse, or perhaps it was due to some other complex emotions, but a surge of impulse rose within her.
"Brother!"
Ning Rongrong threw herself at Su Cheng, intending to hug him, and even leaned in to kiss his cheek.
Su Cheng leaned back slightly, placing his right hand on her shoulder to stop her movement, and said calmly, "What are you doing?"
Earlier, he was weak due to the sudden attack by Qian Renxue, combined with being suppressed by the Title Douluo, so he couldn't resist effectively. However, Ning Rongrong's current cultivation level was not enough to catch him off guard.
Dugu Bo, who was not far away, was stunned.
It wasn't because of Ning Rongrong's impulsive actions just now but because of the changes in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which he found hard to believe.
As a top-tier auxiliary martial soul, the biggest flaw of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was that it could only add seven soul rings.
But now that it had turned into nine layers, what did that imply?
It implied that the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, one of the legends of the sect, had appeared. It was something he knew very well.