Ning Rongrong felt the moment had come and glared at Dai Mubai, saying, "Yes, I am the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and you're just a runaway third prince of the Star Luo Empire. In terms of status, I'm definitely higher than you. If you dare to make a move, try me!"
Dai Mubai, completely enraged, had lost all reason. His right hand, which had been pointing at Ning Rongrong, curled into a claw as he reached for her neck. It seemed he was intent on teaching Ning Rongrong a lesson, believing that despite her being the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and having a higher status, she was still just a support-type spirit master—easily subdued.
He wasn't unaware that there might be people in the shadows protecting her, but he believed they would only intervene if Ning Rongrong's life was in serious danger. Otherwise, they would likely allow her to face some challenges. He recalled that Ning Rongrong had claimed she had "escaped" from her clan, but it was impossible that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, filled with powerful masters, would let her leave without supervision.
The only explanation was that Ning Fengzhi intended for her to gain experience and perhaps even hoped she would be tempered by adversity.
As long as Ning Rongrong didn't die, Dai Mubai figured he wouldn't be in any real trouble.
And indeed, he would have been right if everything had followed the original storyline.
In the original story, Dai Mubai did make a move against Ning Rongrong at this moment. But ultimately, thanks to Tang San, he let her go, and the hidden bodyguards didn't intervene.
Ning Fengzhi had originally sent Ning Rongrong out partially to temper her personality, but now that her spoiled, willful nature had disappeared, her guardians were more protective than ever. Ning Rongrong had even sent Gu Rong to check on her at Shrek Academy, ensuring she wasn't being mistreated.
These were factors Dai Mubai hadn't anticipated!
Of course, another unpredictable factor was Su Ming.
Su Ming's attention was entirely focused on Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai. The moment Dai Mubai moved to attack, Su Ming was ready to intervene.
Xiao Wu, standing nearby, frowned as she watched Ning Rongrong. Her concern was clear—why was Ning Rongrong provoking Dai Mubai, knowing how dangerous it could be? She had the diary and should have known this was a bad idea. Although what she said was truthful rather than mere insults, it was still risky for someone like Ning Rongrong, a support-type spirit master, to challenge Dai Mubai.
Xiao Wu was prepared to act, but Su Ming moved faster.
Just as Dai Mubai's hand reached out, dozens of thick vines suddenly burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around Dai Mubai, stopping him in his tracks.
Though Su Ming's move had been sudden, it didn't escape the notice of Gu Rong, who had been secretly watching from the shadows. As a Rank 95 Titled Douluo, Gu Rong could easily sense the subtle fluctuations of spirit power. That's why he hadn't made a move earlier.
Gu Rong had only just arrived in Soto City and was initially headed to the academy when he saw Ning Rongrong leaving the arena with her companions. He decided to observe from the shadows, curious to see how Ning Rongrong was interacting with her classmates.
He had witnessed the entire incident unfold. To his surprise, Dai Mubai turned out to be the third prince of the Star Luo Empire, and Zhu Zhuqing, his fiancée. It was unexpected that these two had come to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Gu Rong was familiar with the competition rules of the Star Luo royal family. He looked down on Dai Mubai's actions—running away before even facing his brother. It was cowardly. On the other hand, Zhu Zhuqing had earned his respect for coming all this way to find Dai Mubai and striving to change her fate.
For a brief moment, Gu Rong even considered whether he should eliminate these two Star Luo royals for the sake of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. But he dismissed the idea. Dai Mubai, with his weak strength and cowardice, would likely be defeated by his brother soon enough. There was no need for Gu Rong to act and risk causing trouble for the clan.
Besides, it was clear that Ning Rongrong had a good relationship with Zhu Zhuqing. He didn't want to create any conflict between himself and Ning Rongrong by eliminating Zhu Zhuqing in secret.
Gu Rong's attention then shifted to Su Ming. The boy had intervened at the perfect moment, using his spirit power with impressive speed and precision. The fact that Su Ming didn't even reveal his spirit rings when he acted caught Gu Rong's eye. This young man had impressive control over his abilities.
Gu Rong already had an idea of who Su Ming was. Could this be the boy the informant mentioned? The one named Su Ming, a Rank 43 Spirit Elder, with monstrous talent?
If Su Ming could be brought into the clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would have a promising future. After all, the clan couldn't rely on just their two Titled Douluo forever—they needed fresh talent for the future.
But Gu Rong's initial excitement quickly soured. Su Ming clearly had feelings for Ning Rongrong, always keeping a close watch on her. Gu Rong couldn't help but feel that the little princess of their clan might be stolen away by this boy. Though Su Ming was exceptionally talented and handsome, Gu Rong still felt a pang of frustration at the thought.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong, having closed her eyes in anticipation of an attack, noticed that nothing had happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure if Su Ming or Xiao Wu had intervened.
What she saw was Dai Mubai, frozen mid-step with his right hand clawed, but now completely bound in thick vines.