Ask yourself: with two assault-type Titled Douluos, both bolstered by the strongest auxiliary Martial Soul — the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda — how many people in the world could possibly stand against them?
The white-robed elder, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching Ning Rongrong with a smile and gesturing for her to begin.
Ning Rongrong didn't hold back. She quickly loaded the mechanisms on the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, the metallic clicks echoing in rapid succession.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze remained fixed on his daughter. Just as the last mechanism was about to lock into place, Ning Rongrong's left wrist twitched slightly. Three black shadows shot out silently in a triangular formation, aimed straight at Chen Xin's chest.
"Nice move." Sword Douluo Chen Xin didn't appear to do anything at all. But just as the three Silent Sleeve Arrows were about to reach him, the air seemed to warp ever so slightly. The three arrows froze in midair simultaneously, and the next instant, they split into six pieces and clattered to the ground — each one cleanly sliced in half down the middle.
That was Sword Qi — explosive sword energy erupting from his very body. He hadn't even used his Martial Soul.
And in the very instant the three Silent Sleeve Arrows quietly hit the ground, a violent buzzing erupted accompanied by a thunderous metallic clang — a sound diametrically opposed to the silence before. Sixteen pitch-black iron crossbow bolts screamed from the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. The metallic ringing had barely sounded when the bolts had already reached Sword Douluo's face.
The white-robed elder Chen Xin was slightly startled. Instinctively, he raised his right hand — decades of battle experience had taught him to read the intensity of an attack from the faintest of clues. How could someone who excelled in offense ever overlook an opponent's attack?
His fingers pressed together like a blade, his right palm flipping upward. The air seemed to tear apart as white energy spiraled from his palm. In that moment, it was as though an enormous sword materialized before him.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang — a rapid succession of impacts rang out. Sixteen ripples bloomed across the white light of Sword Douluo's slash. And in the brief instant after his palm's Sword Qi swept past — as old force faded and new force had yet to form — Ning Rongrong's left hand swept across her own chest. Accompanied by a fine, high-pitched hum, a burst of mist erupted from the gaps in her chest clothing, surging straight toward Sword Douluo.
Chen Xin blinked. "Something poisonous, is it?" His body spun on the spot. His right hand had already swept past, but he still had his left. His left hand swept around, not only dispersing the mist but crushing the steel needles hidden within it as well.
"Grandpa Sword, you're so amazing!" Ning Rongrong chirped excitedly as she ran toward Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo smiled faintly. "These Hidden Weapons are quite impressive indeed. Especially those bolts with the sound effects — the impact force is tremendous. Any Soul Master below level forty would be completely unable to defend against it if they let their guard down for even a moment."
By now, Ning Rongrong had closed to within ten meters of Sword Douluo. Beaming with pride, she said, "Of course! On the Battle Arena, we used the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's dense volley to defeat an entire team of level-forty Soul Masters. The more people using it simultaneously, the more powerful the Zhuge Divine Crossbow becomes. But… I guess even the Zhuge Divine Crossbow still can't threaten Grandpa Sword!"
As she spoke, she stamped her foot petulantly. Three black shadows suddenly shot out from the outer side of her left thigh, and simultaneously, a flying dagger launched from her toes, hurtling straight toward Sword Douluo's face. The three silent black shadows attacked his lower body instead.
At less than ten meters away, the Hidden Weapons vanished in a flash. At the same time, her other foot stamped down as well — an identical attack repeating like a wave. Her goal was to exploit the gap in Sword Douluo's defense.
Sword Douluo said with exaggerated alarm, "Good grief, there's more?!" Both hands split apart before his chest. He naturally wouldn't release Soul Power head-on — that would harm Ning Rongrong. With a sweep of his wide sleeves, two streams of razor-sharp Soul Power erupted. Guided by the airflow, two flying daggers and six small crossbow bolts were all flung away together.
Click — the metallic mechanisms of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow rang out almost simultaneously. Ning Rongrong had already silently loaded the second set of mechanisms. Another sixteen crossbow bolts fired at this incredibly close range, and erupting alongside them was the Sand-Shooting Shadow from her chest.
The bolts and steel needles formed an almost seamless assault. If Sword Douluo showed even the slightest lapse, the attack would land.
"Good!" Chen Xin bellowed. "My body is the sword!"
Instantly, the courtyard blazed as though a sun had appeared. A blinding metallic sheen erupted. The white-robed elder before Ning Rongrong transformed into a maelstrom of metal. Harsh, scraping sounds blared as every Hidden Weapon that flew toward him — steel needles and crossbow bolts alike — was reduced to iron filings drifting through the air. And behind him, an ancient broad sword hovered in midair — two meters long, half a foot wide at the blade. Nine Soul Rings coiled around it: two yellow, three purple, four black. This was Sword Douluo's sword. A supreme-grade Tool Martial Soul.
"Grandpa Sword, you're so amazing!" Ning Rongrong stood where she was, clapping her hands. She could clearly feel that in the instant Sword Douluo released his Martial Soul, an incredibly sharp wave of Soul Power had swept past both sides of her body. She knew full well that if she had been an enemy, she would have been cut to pieces on the spot.
Watching Ning Rongrong approach him, Sword Douluo Chen Xin patted her head and smiled. "And you're quite formidable too! You even forced Grandpa to bring out his Martial Soul. For a Soul Master at your level — forget about support-type, even assault-type Soul Masters might not be able to do the same. These Hidden Weapons really do have something special about them. Especially their suddenness."
Ning Rongrong nodded emphatically. "That's right! My Third Brother says Hidden Weapons have to be sudden — catching the enemy off guard is how you bring out their greatest power." Before her words had even finished, her nodding motion seemed to grow slightly more emphatic. Click — a flash of cold light shot out from behind her back in a bolt of lightning, aimed straight at Sword Douluo's face.
The distance was far too close. Even a powerhouse like Sword Douluo could never dodge a mechanism-fired Back-Mounted Crossbow at this range. Blocking it, he could certainly manage. But his Martial Soul was simply too overwhelming — with Ning Rongrong standing right in front of him, if he activated it, she would inevitably be caught in the blast. With his Martial Soul's fearsome power, the little princess before him would die without question.
The thought flashed through Chen Xin's mind in a split second. Left with no alternative, he opened his mouth and bit down on the incoming bolt.
In that moment, Sword Douluo was just like Zhao Wuji, who had once fallen victim to Tang San's Hidden Weapons. The Back-Mounted Crossbow was powerful, but not powerful enough to break through Sword Douluo's teeth. However, the moment the bolt was compressed, the venom inside immediately sprayed forth — straight into Sword Douluo's mouth.
Fortunately, this particular poison had not yet been improved with Tang San's new modifications. Even so, Sword Douluo's tongue went completely numb. Alarmed, his body flickered as he spat the venom and bolt to the side while simultaneously distancing himself from Ning Rongrong.
Seeing Sword Douluo in such a panic, Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo Gu Rong both rushed over in alarm. Ning Rongrong hadn't expected her powerful Grandpa Sword to actually fall for her trick either. Panicking, she ran toward Sword Douluo as well.
"Don't — girl, stay back! This old body of Grandpa Sword can't take any more!" Sword Douluo mumbled incoherently. At the same time, he rapidly gathered the Soul Power within his body and forced it into his tongue. To expel the toxin, he had no choice but to bite the tip of his tongue, spitting a stream of purple-black venom mixed with blood to the side. His expression finally eased somewhat. With his Soul Power at over level ninety, even the lethal poisons of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo might not be able to harm him, let alone this little toxin. But the sheer unexpectedness had allowed the venom to breach his mouth — something Sword Douluo could never have anticipated.
"Ning Rongrong, kneel!" Ning Fengzhi commanded sternly.
Ning Rongrong didn't dare approach. Kneeling pitifully where she stood, her eyes reddened and tears were about to spill.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong immediately took exception at the sight. He appeared at Ning Rongrong's side in a flash, pulling her into his arms. "Fengzhi, what are you doing? This old fossil Chen Xin brought this on himself — how can you blame our RongRong? All's fair in war, and this proves just how useful these Hidden Weapons are. RongRong, well done — you gave Grandpa Bone a good show. Hah, it's been years since I've seen your Grandpa Sword looking this embarrassed. She really does have Grandpa Bone's cunning and resourcefulness."
"Uncle Bone, you…" Ning Fengzhi was speechless. The same scene had played out countless times before. Whenever he tried to discipline his daughter, either Uncle Sword or Uncle Bone would step in. And these two elders were figures he didn't dare cross.
Ning Rongrong slipped out of Bone Douluo's arms and hurried to Sword Douluo's side. This time, without waiting for Ning Fengzhi to tell her, she knelt of her own accord before Sword Douluo, tears streaming down her face. "Grandpa Sword, Rongrong was wrong. Please punish Rongrong."
Looking at the panic and remorse in his daughter's eyes, Ning Fengzhi was momentarily stunned. In all his memory, his little hellion of a daughter had never once admitted she was wrong. It seemed Shrek Academy had truly been worth attending after all.
By now, Sword Douluo had recovered. The residual poison had been expelled after that earlier spurt of venom. He quickly reached down and lifted Ning Rongrong into his arms.
(End of Chapter)