"Come on!—"
A boy and girl raised their voices to the sky, letting out youthful yet powerful roars.
Behind them, a violet sword and an emerald-green pagoda materialized, slowly merging through their tightly clasped hands.
The two moved in unison, as if guided by instinct, extending their palms forward. "Martial Soul Fusion Technique: Sword-Pagoda Guard!"
"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!"
"Ka! Ka! Ka!"
An endless surge of violet sword energy erupted from Qin Jian's body, swirling rapidly around the two. Finally, it transformed into the form of a violet sword pagoda.
"Boom!—"
At that moment, the collapsing snow mountain engulfed them, burying the sword pagoda beneath a vast expanse of white snow.
"Ah!"
The disciples of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect gasped in unison.
Only Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo remained composed, their expressions devoid of tension.
"Incredible... truly unexpected..." murmured Bone Douluo softly.
"Indeed, unbelievable..."
Ning Fengzhi rested both hands on his cane, his gaze filled with astonishment. "Who would have thought that Rongrong and Qin Jian could unleash a Martial Soul Fusion Technique? This has never happened in the history of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
"Even more astounding," Bone Douluo added, "is that one of them possesses an assault-type martial soul while the other has a support-type martial soul. By theory, their fusion shouldn't even be possible."
The two exchanged remarks, but Sword Douluo remained silent, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Could this be the result of their deepening bond? Jian'er's abilities grow more remarkable by the day..."
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The avalanche roared on for a long time, and the onlookers outside kept their eyes fixed on the scene, unblinking.
Finally, as the snow settled, the world became a vast white ocean.
"Where are they?"
"Did they make it? Did they succeed?"
"Look! Over there! There's a violet glow!"
"..."
The crowd pointed and whispered excitedly.
All eyes were soon drawn to a radiant violet light in the center of the snowfield, and the scene gradually zoomed in.
A violet pagoda tip emerged from beneath the snow, glistening under the sunlight.
"Boom!"
In an instant, light burst forth from the sword pagoda, vaporizing the surrounding snowflakes.
Everyone could now see clearly—a seven-tiered violet sword pagoda had been buried beneath the snow.
At the base of the tower, a boy and a girl were tightly embracing each other!
"They're safe! They're alive!"
"They made it! They actually made it through!"
"That was a Martial Soul Fusion Technique, wasn't it? They actually managed to activate a fusion!"
"..."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Even Ning Fengzhi and the others smiled in relief.
This once-in-a-millennium success not only solidified the bond between Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong, creating an unparalleled duo of synergy, but also inadvertently strengthened the cohesion of the sect.
"That little girl Rongrong has finally lived up to my expectations," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Alright, let's bring those two little ones out."
The sect elder immediately moved to act.
"Buzz!"
A swirling vortex-like exit soon appeared.
Everyone waited silently on both sides until the boy and girl, hand in hand, slowly emerged into view.
They paused at the threshold, as if intimidated by the overwhelming crowd outside or perhaps reluctant to leave the place that had been their home for the past year.
Through countless trials and tribulations, they had finally made it through!
"Rongrong… Qin Jian…"
Standing at the center, Ning Fengzhi's face was warm with emotion. "Welcome home!"
"Welcome home!"
Suddenly, the crowd echoed in unison.
Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong stood momentarily stunned.
Then Qin Jian released Ning Rongrong's hand…
As expected, she immediately dashed forward. "Father—!"
Ning Fengzhi quickly caught her in a tight embrace. "It's good to have you back, it's good to have you back…"
Qin Jian, on the other hand, did not act as freely as Ning Rongrong. He first cupped his hands respectfully to everyone present, then walked over to Sword Douluo. "Master, I've returned."
"It's good to have you back, it's good to have you back…"
Sword Douluo, as if echoing Ning Fengzhi, repeated the words softly.
For a long while, the crowd lingered before gradually dispersing. Yet the record set by Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong would forever be etched in their memories—and even in the sect's annals.
At just ten years old, Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong awakened the Martial Soul Fusion Technique Sword-Pagoda Guard and successfully overcame a challenge unseen for a millennium, leaving a brilliant mark in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's history.
Back at Sword Douluo's residence—a small two-story building Qin Jian was most familiar with—the boy finally let the exhaustion of the past year catch up to him. Without a word, he walked into the room, collapsed onto the soft bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
Sword Douluo quietly stood by the bedside, gazing at the boy who had grown so much over the past year. His eyes were filled with pride.
Even though he had always had faith in Qin Jian and considered the possibility of his success, knowing the difficulty of that final trial still left him somewhat dazed.
"Who would have thought that the disciple I took in on a whim would possess such extraordinary talent and resilience…"
To Sword Douluo, the credit for passing the final trial belonged entirely to Qin Jian. After all, Ning Rongrong's pampered nature hardly seemed suited for such challenges.
"Qin Jian, Qin Jian…"
Suddenly, a petite figure burst into the room.
Sword Douluo turned and was surprised. "Rongrong?"
"Ah? Grandpa Sword…"
Caught off guard, Ning Rongrong hesitated, showing none of her usual enthusiasm. She seemed strangely reserved.
"What's this? Has my little Rongrong come to see Grandpa Sword?" Sword Douluo glanced at the sleeping Qin Jian and smiled.
"Ah… I… I…"
With her hands behind her back, Ning Rongrong fidgeted, staring at her toes. "I'm here to sleep…"
"Sleep?"
Sword Douluo raised an eyebrow. "But you don't live here, do you?"
Ning Rongrong's face turned red. "I… I can only sleep well if I'm with Qin Jian…"
Sword Douluo's expression shifted slightly. "Oh? Is that so? Then does that mean you'll be staying here with Grandpa Sword from now on?"
Seeing Ning Rongrong's head droop lower, Sword Douluo finally stopped teasing her. "Alright, alright. You two rest. Grandpa Sword will step out."
As soon as Sword Douluo left, Ning Rongrong quickly shut the door, kicked off her shoes, and climbed into bed.
"Ahh…"
She let out a contented sigh and turned to snuggle close to Qin Jian's side.
Though still asleep, Qin Jian instinctively reached out and pulled her petite frame into his arms.
Thus, the two rested together—one nestled against the other, peaceful and harmonious.
The room soon filled with the steady rhythm of their breaths, rising and falling in perfect alternation.
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