Gu Rong had recently broken through to Rank 96. During this period, he spent most of his time sparring with Chen Xin to adapt to his newly increased strength as quickly as possible.
The reason Gu Rong was able to break through was, first and foremost, because his Soul Power had already reached the peak of Rank 95, leaving him just one step away from Rank 96.
Furthermore, his comprehension of the Rank 96 realm was not lacking. After all, with a fellow like Chen Xin around, it was impossible for Gu Rong not to be familiar with that level of power.
However, the biggest factor behind Gu Rong's breakthrough was Whale Glue—specifically, a piece of Whale Glue that was 50,000 years old.
In the current era of the first Douluo Dalu story, neither commoners nor Soul Masters had discovered the true utility of Whale Glue. Its only known use was as an aphrodisiac.
It must be said that Whale Glue's effects in that regard were indeed potent; even if one's combat duration was only three seconds, consuming a bit of Whale Glue beforehand could increase one's combat power by more than tenfold.
When Gu Xuan first suggested using Whale Glue, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong looked at him with expressions of utter disbelief, mainly because Gu Xuan was only eight years old at the time.
However, once they understood the miraculous effects of Whale Glue, Ning Fengzhi began to secretly procure it from across the entire continent.
That 50,000-year-old piece of Whale Glue was purchased from a coastal city for 100,000 Gold Soul Coins.
While 100,000 Gold Soul Coins was a fortune that a commoner might not spend in a lifetime and a significant sum for most Soul Masters, it was a mere pittance to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Gu Xuan knew, however, that if this piece of Whale Glue were placed in the era of the second Douluo Dalu story, its value would have increased by at least five times.
The Whale Glue had been acquired a year ago. After consuming it, Gu Rong cultivated bitterly for over six months before successfully breaking through to Rank 96 three months prior, further elevating the strength of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
With the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Gu Rong and Chen Xin—two Rank 96 Super Douluos—could effectively be treated as Rank 97 powerhouses. They were undoubtedly the leaders of the upper three sects today.
Naturally, they would not go out and broadcast this. At a time like this, they preferred to develop in secret and eventually stun everyone; Ning Fengzhi was well-versed in the way of the "hidden player."
Gu Xuan left his courtyard and headed toward Chen Xin's private residence.
Chen Xin's courtyard was actually very close to Gu Rong's, right next door. However, Chen Xin usually did not stay there; he lived in the Sword Bamboo Forest on the back mountain, which was some distance away.
Less than five minutes after leaving his courtyard, a bright and crisp voice sounded from behind Gu Xuan, as pleasant to the ear as the singing of an oriole.
"Brother Gu Xuan, where are you going?"
Gu Xuan turned back to see Ning Rongrong standing there, forming a beautiful scene. She was dressed in a light green one-piece short skirt, her pair of jade-like calves were fair and delicate, and her small feet were clad in brown leather high-heeled boots.
It had to be said that Ning Rongrong had not only inherited Ning Fengzhi's good looks but had even surpassed them. Having just turned eleven, she was already graceful and elegant.
However, Gu Xuan did not have a "lolita" preference. Although Ning Rongrong was beautiful, she still looked like a minor, which made Gu Xuan feel a sense of guilt. Thus, until now, he had treated her like a younger sister.
As for what might happen in the future, Gu Xuan didn't think about it. At least for now, he had no romantic feelings for Ning Rongrong beyond finding her pleasing to the eye.
"Rongrong, I'm looking for Grandfather. I just broke through to Rank 30," Gu Xuan said as he looked at Ning Rongrong, a warm smile naturally appearing on his face.
Facing a cute younger sister who was obedient to him, it was hard for Gu Xuan not to feel protective.
"Brother Gu Xuan, you've already broken through to Rank 30?" Ning Rongrong's small hands fidgeted together, then she said with a smile, "Congratulations on your breakthrough. You really are a monster. Even though your Innate Soul Power was one rank lower than mine, your cultivation speed is several times faster."
Gu Xuan and Ning Rongrong shared the same birthday, so Gu Xuan was exactly one year older than her.
As they spoke, Ning Rongrong moved to Gu Xuan's side. Gu Xuan patted her head—she stood only 1.58 meters tall—and said softly, "Rongrong is also very impressive. As an auxiliary system Soul Master, reaching Rank 26 at such a young age is something few others can match."
Ning Rongrong enjoyed the feel of Gu Xuan's large hand. She curled her lips into a cute smile and replied, "Hmph, how can others compare to Brother Gu Xuan? I don't care about anyone else; Brother Gu Xuan is my goal."
Gu Xuan withdrew his hand and lightly tapped the tip of Ning Rongrong's nose. "Then Rongrong has to work hard. I won't wait for you. If you don't push yourself, be careful that you won't even be able to see my heels in the future."
"Bleh..." Ning Rongrong made an adorable face at Gu Xuan. "Who wants you to wait? When I was little, I hated you so much. But now I know that Brother Gu Xuan was strict for my own good. So I don't need you to wait—I'll catch up on my own."
The smile on Gu Xuan's face widened. As long as Ning Rongrong maintained her current perseverance, her achievements would surely far exceed those in the original story.
"Alright, I'll wait for Rongrong to catch up. If there comes a day when you do, I'll give you a gift," Gu Xuan laughed.
Hearing the word "gift," Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up with joy. "Then Brother Gu Xuan's gift better satisfy me, or else I won't like you anymore."
As she spoke, she grabbed Gu Xuan's hand and started walking. "Let's go, let's find Grandpa Bone."
The Sword Bamboo Forest was on the back mountain. Because Ning Rongrong was with him, Gu Xuan slowed his pace, and they made their way unhurriedly toward the forest.
After half an hour, Gu Xuan and Ning Rongrong arrived at the place where Chen Xin usually cultivated. It was a vast, emerald-green forest of Sword Bamboo, many of which had already reached a cultivation age of over a thousand years.
These Sword Bamboos were not only a natural mimicry cultivation environment for Soul Masters with sword Martial Souls, but a sword master like Chen Xin was also the best companion for the bamboos.
When Chen Xin's grandfather originally planted these bamboos, they were just ordinary plants. However, over the past century, they had been tainted by sword intent, becoming a mutually beneficial existence for the Seven Kill Sword.
Due to the continuous infusion of sword intent, some of these bamboos had reached the thousand-year level in just a hundred years and had developed a level of sentience, making them anomalies among Soul Beasts.
Since Chen Xin could manipulate the Sword Bamboo for his own use, they served as natural bodyguards.
As soon as he stepped into the range of the forest, Gu Xuan could feel a sharp sword intent. It was identical to his "Second Grandpa" Chen Xin's intent—sharp, unstoppable, and possessing the momentum of a conquering army.
However, the Sword Bamboo did not attack them. They were sentient and recognised Gu Xuan and Ning Rongrong as regular visitors who often came to play or receive guidance from Gu Rong and Chen Xin. They had already accepted them as masters of the area.
At a pavilion in the centre of the bamboo forest, Chen Xin, who was playing chess against Gu Rong, suddenly raised an eyebrow and smiled. "The two little ones are here."
Gu Rong looked up toward the path leading to the pavilion. Before long, the vibrant youth and girl approached.
From a distance, Ning Rongrong's voice could be heard, "Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, Rongrong is here to play with you!"
The two white-haired, youthful-faced old men smiled helplessly. The winner of today's chess match had yet to be decided, but it seemed they wouldn't have the peace to continue now.
(End of Chapter)
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