Chen Xin (Sword Douluo) was a bit confused by Ning Rongrong's request and asked with some hesitation, "Rongrong, are you asking me to attack you?"
Ning Rongrong excitedly nodded, "Yes, but Grandpa Sword, you need to suppress your power a bit. The attack can't be too strong."
"Wait, wait! Rongrong, are you out of your mind? Letting this Sword-man attack you? Don't forget you're a support-type spirit master! Did you lose your mind at the academy?" Gu Rong (Bone Douluo) exclaimed in disbelief.
"Oh, I get it now. The last time I visited the academy, that old guy Flender had you running laps. Don't tell me you've been tricked into thinking that running is enough to dodge Sword-man's attacks?"
Since he had visited the academy before, Gu Rong immediately thought of that incident. If Rongrong was really fooled, Flender is going to get a serious beating from me this time! But Rongrong couldn't possibly be that foolish, right?
Ning Rongrong sighed and rolled her eyes. "Grandpa Bone~ do you think I'm that stupid? Of course I know that running only improves stamina—it doesn't help at all when it comes to dodging Grandpa Sword's attacks!"
Ning Fengzhi, standing to the side, thoughtfully realized that Rongrong likely wanted to demonstrate something to them. She must believe words wouldn't be enough to explain, so she's opting for a more direct approach.
"Very well, Uncle Sword," Ning Fengzhi spoke up, "Just suppress your power a bit. Start with an attack around the strength of a level 20 spirit master. Uncle Bone, be ready to step in. If Rongrong can't dodge in time, make sure you block it."
Ning Rongrong confidently reassured them, "Don't worry, Dad, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone! When have I ever done something I wasn't confident in?"
Seeing her confidence, Chen Xin sighed, "Alright, but be careful, Rongrong. If I accidentally hurt you, I'll feel guilty! Old man, make sure to protect her."
Gu Rong scoffed, "Tch, do you really need to say that?"
Chen Xin considered for a moment and then added, "Actually, I'll adjust the attack so it disperses on its own, just to be extra safe."
Gu Rong shot back, "You old geezer, are you looking down on me?"
Before the two could start another quarrel, Ning Fengzhi intervened, his head aching from their bickering. "Alright, Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, focus on Rongrong's test."
Gu Rong huffed, "Hmph!"
Ning Rongrong moved to the center of the hall, smiling as she said, "Let's begin, Grandpa Sword. Start with something weak so I can get used to it."
Though Ning Rongrong had already grasped the basics of Lingbo Weibu (the Ripple Step technique), she hadn't yet tested it in real combat. She wasn't entirely sure how quickly she could dodge attacks, but she remembered how Su Ming had used the technique during the academy entrance exam to evade Teacher Zhao's strikes with ease. While she knew she wasn't as proficient as Su Ming, she had faith in her abilities.
Chen Xin, holding his Seven Kill Sword, stood tall before Ning Rongrong, his expression serious. "Rongrong, I'm starting now."
With a flick of his sword, Chen Xin unleashed a faint wave of sword energy. It was the strength of a level 20 spirit master's attack, slow but dangerous enough that any untrained support-type spirit master would struggle to dodge it.
As the sword energy approached Rongrong and she still hadn't moved, the three onlookers grew anxious. "Rongrong, dodge now!" Chen Xin shouted, his eyes locked onto the distance between the sword energy and Ning Rongrong. He was prepared to dispel the attack if she didn't react in time.
However, Ning Rongrong wasn't dodging yet because she was nervous about facing an attack for the first time. She needed to rely on her own ability to evade. But just in time, she calmed herself.
"Lingbo... Weibu!" she murmured under her breath.
Suddenly, in the eyes of the three onlookers, Ning Rongrong became a blur, leaving only an afterimage as she swiftly dodged Chen Xin's sword energy.
The hall fell into a stunned silence, as the three stared in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Was that really Rongrong? How had she learned such a strange and effective technique?
Chen Xin had initially thought he'd hit her, nearly breaking into a cold sweat. But upon seeing it was just an afterimage, he was both shocked and relieved.
Typically, a speed-based spirit master might leave afterimages when moving quickly. But Rongrong's dodging technique didn't even appear particularly fast—it was simply... bizarre.
After dodging the attack, Ning Rongrong grinned and playfully asked, "Well, how was that? Pretty amazing, right?"
All three men nodded in shock, momentarily at a loss for words.
Although they were dying to ask how Rongrong had learned such a technique, they held back for the time being, since the test wasn't over yet.
Chen Xin couldn't help but say, "Rongrong, I'll increase the difficulty now. Be careful!"
Ning Rongrong winked, "Bring it on!"
She felt that the earlier attack was quite easy to dodge.
After a few more attempts, it became clear that Rongrong could easily dodge attacks equivalent to a level 40 spirit master's abilities using this mysterious technique. Chen Xin's sword energy wasn't slow, but it didn't pose a real challenge for her. If she faced a slower power-type or average-speed control-type spirit master, she'd have an even easier time.
Ning Rongrong believed her upper limit might be even higher, given that as long as she could react in time and the speed difference wasn't too great, Lingbo Weibu could help her evade almost any attack.
Her mental strength had been enhanced by the system, putting her at a level higher than her current power. For now, she felt this was enough to astonish her father and grandfathers. She didn't want to push her limits any further, as they might not agree to increasing the attack power, and she wasn't sure if she could avoid getting hurt.
When the test concluded, the three men hurried to Ning Rongrong's side. Ning Fengzhi, clearly excited, exclaimed, "Rongrong, where did you learn this technique?"
Being a support-type spirit master himself, he understood just how incredible this evasion skill was! This isn't some silly running exercise—this is a godly technique! Comparing it to running is an insult!
After his initial excitement, Ning Fengzhi quickly composed himself, though he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards in a smile.
"Rongrong, tell me, what is this technique called? Was it taught to you by Su Ming?"
Standing nearby, Chen Xin and Gu Rong also realized the significance of this technique. If they could teach it to the core disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, their losses in battle would decrease dramatically.
For Ning Fengzhi, this meant that in battle, his two grandfathers, Chen Xin and Gu Rong, wouldn't need to focus so much attention on protecting him, which would indirectly enhance their overall combat effectiveness!