Ye Qiu looked at Ning Rongrong strangely, not understanding what she was thinking.
Why was she blushing?
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo beside him were also wondering.
What method had Ye Qiu used to help Ning Rongrong increase her level by nine in a month?
Their thoughts were interrupted by the hidden weapon Ning Rongrong took out.
For a moment, they put their doubts aside.
Looking at the small black box in Ning Rongrong's hand, they couldn't see what the surprise was!
"Rongrong, is there anything special about this little thing called a hidden weapon?" Sword Douluo looked at the Zhuge Divine Crossbow in her hand strangely.
"Grandpa Sword, don't be fooled by its unassuming appearance, its power is not small. An ordinary Soul Master would die from it if he was not careful!"
Ning Rongrong said as she slowly turned the spring of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow.
"It can deal with Soul Masters?!"
Ning Fengzhi was still disappointed because he did not see what he wanted to see.
Suddenly, he exclaimed in surprise.
Given his position, he quickly realized that this thing was of immense value to the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
"Little girl, you're not lying to Daddy, are you?"
Ning Fengzhi's face showed disbelief again.
"You stinky daddy, I just said Rongrong wouldn't lie, and now you don't believe me!"
Ning Rongrong stomped her feet angrily, glaring at Ning Fengzhi.
"Uh..." Ning Fengzhi was momentarily speechless, and could only laugh awkwardly and admit his mistake. "Daddy's just too surprised, isn't he?"
"Haha, Rongrong, don't even mention Fengzhi not believing you, even your Bone Grandpa and Sword Grandpa are a little surprised!"
Bone Douluo tugged at the few hairs left on his head.
Sword Douluo nodded repeatedly.
That black box was simply too unassuming!
"Hmph, it's okay if you don't believe me! We'll just try it!"
Ning Rongrong held up two Zhuge Divine Crossbows and gestured at Ning Fengzhi and her two grandfathers.
"Alright, then let us see just how powerful your hidden weapon really is!"
Knowing its significance, Ning Fengzhi, assuming it was better to be safe than sorry, agreed.
Besides, Ning Rongrong wouldn't be so naive as to joke about something like this.
Ning Rongrong shook her head.
"Not enough, Rongrong has more than just this hidden weapon! This space is too small, let's go outside and try it!"
"Alright! Let's go outside!"
Ning Fengzhi nodded and led everyone to the open space behind the council hall.
He also ordered that no one was allowed to step into this area.
Once everyone was in place, Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter: "Rongrong, how do you want to try it?"
Ning Rongrong pondered for a moment, then her somewhat mischievous gaze fell on the two Douluo, Sword and Bone.
"Grandpa Sword, why don't you try it with Rongrong? You're so powerful, there definitely won't be any accidents!"
"That's not necessarily true, your Grandpa Sword's body isn't as strong as Old Bones'!"
Sword Douluo smiled slightly, praising Bone Douluo for once.
"Heh~!" Bone Douluo grinned, straightening his back. "At least you have some self-awareness! Since that's the case, let me handle it."
"Hmph! You get carried away with just a little spittle?" Sword Douluo glared at him, curling his lip in disdain.
"You should go to the side, I'll keep our little princess company!"
After saying that, Sword Douluo walked to the center of the open space.
"Rongrong, go ahead and use those hidden weapons, Grandpa will just defend."
"Okay! Grandpa Bone, you can cheer for Rongrong from the side!"
Ning Rongrong smiled happily, walked slowly to the opposite side of Sword Douluo with her hands behind her back, and winked mischievously at Ye Qiu not far away.
Only by letting her father and the others see the power of these hidden weapons would the betrothal gifts have any weight!
"Rongrong, let me test these hidden weapons with Senior Sword Douluo, so you don't get hurt!"
Ning Rongrong had just raised the Zhuge Crossbow in her hand, about to make a move, when Ye Qiu stopped her.
Ye Qiu gestured for Xiao Wu and Zhu Qing to step aside, then quickly walked to Ning Rongrong's side.
"Kid, I wouldn't want to hurt Rongrong, but your suggestion isn't bad!"
Sword Douluo raised an eyebrow in agreement; this way, even if it was a little risky, he could act more freely.
Rongrong's body was still too fragile; if he released too much soul power, he would inevitably suffer bumps and bruises.
Ning Fengzhi and the others nodded in agreement.
"Ye Qiu~ But the hidden weapons are all stuck to me now?" Ning Rongrong put away the Zhuge Crossbow, hugged Ye Qiu's arm, and a soft, slightly confused smile appeared on her face.
"It's okay, we'll go into the Divine Might realm first, then switch them off."
Because they hadn't had Tang San's hidden weapons for long, Ye Qiu and the others only had one other weapon besides the Zhuge Crossbow and the Silent Sleeve Arrow.
"Okay!" Ning Rongrong nodded happily; she was naturally happy that Ye Qiu cared for her.
"Sect Master Ning, please wait a moment!"
Ye Qiu called out to Ning Fengzhi and the others.
Seeing him nod,
he activated his Martial Soul, and the two figures vanished from the open space.
"This kid's Soul Skill is really impressive! It probably comes with its own space." Bone Douluo stroked his chin, marveling at Ye Qiu's space-type Soul Skill.
Ning Fengzhi, however, had even more in mind.
Such a Soul Skill could actually hold people—wouldn't that be perfect for a surprise attack? He could
bring a group of people and parachute them into the main camp, launching a surprise attack from the middle!
Not long after, Ye Qiu reappeared before everyone with Ning Rongrong.
Sword Douluo's eyes were even sharper than before.
Feeling embarrassed under their gaze, Ye Qiu said,
"Ye Qiu, be careful!" Ning Rongrong blushed, wiping away the few drops of drool that had lingered on his lips.
Then she called out to Sword Douluo, "Grandpa Sword, you'd better be careful, don't hurt Ye Qiu!"
"..." Several black lines appeared on Sword Douluo's forehead, his voice becoming somewhat stiff.
"Yes! Grandpa Sword knows!"
Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo's expressions weren't good either.
Ning Rongrong's eyes were full of spring, her pretty face shy and timid; even a fool would know that something had definitely happened between them.
The world is going to the dogs; it's really too much.
They don't respect their elders at all!
Bone Douluo coldly stared at Ye Qiu.
His Rongrong was so well-behaved; it must be that Ye Qiu who was being dishonest.
Ning Fengzhi was even more distressed.
Although he had accepted the fact that his daughter and Ye Qiu were in love,
what father would feel happy seeing this?
He couldn't help but think that he hadn't yet tasted the pastries Ning Rongrong had specially made for him.
He'd been a guinea pig, though!
The good food and the obedient ones had all been taken by Ye Qiu.
This little darling was already siding with outsiders!
Under the rather unfriendly gazes of several elders, Ye Qiu couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
It wasn't entirely his fault!
Inside the Divine Might Space, Ning Rongrong insisted that Ye Qiu remove the hidden weapons himself.
He had no choice but to help Miss Ning change.
During this time, the little devil took advantage of him quite a bit,
though he enjoyed it nonetheless.
After she was changed, he couldn't resist pinching her cheeks and giving her a few kisses.
Being watched like this, the blush on Ning Rongrong's face started to rise again.
She quickly straightened Ye Qiu's clothes,
then hurriedly lowered her head and slipped aside to join Xiao Wu and the others.
"Rongrong, what were you and Xiao Qiu doing?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"Nothing, I just made him remove the hidden weapons himself," Ning Rongrong replied truthfully, cupping her blushing face, extremely shy.
"Rongrong, you're too bold!" Zhu Zhuqing looked at her helplessly.
If she remembered correctly, the stomping crossbow was strapped to her thigh, the hidden arrow was placed on her chest, and the tight-backed crossbow was carried on her back.
Xiao Wu and the other girl rolled their eyes at Ning Rongrong.
"Senior, this kid is ready!" Ye Qiu chuckled awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed, towards the Sword Douluo who was staring intently at him.
"Since you're ready, then come on!"
The Sword Douluo replied coldly, his hands behind his back, a faint fluctuation of soul power already emanating from him.
Ye Qiu's expression turned serious, his eyes flashing with bloodlust.
With a flick of his wrist, a Zhuge Divine Crossbow appeared in his hand.
He naturally didn't need to consider the possibility of injuring his opponent.
Sword Dao Chen Xin's cultivation was as high as level ninety-six, hailed as a Title Douluo with the strongest attack.
The Zhuge Divine Crossbow wasn't truly capable of killing gods.
Its power limit was fixed.
His Sharingan observed the flow of soul power on the Sword Douluo, searching for weaknesses.
While marveling at the seamless integration of his opponent's soul power without any flaws, he didn't hesitate any longer.
He made a move to deflect the Zhuge Crossbow in his hand.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze remained fixed on Ye Qiu's hands, not wanting to miss a single detail.
Suddenly, the Zhuge Crossbow in Ye Qiu's hand remained motionless, but three short arrows flew out from his sleeve.
These were silent sleeve arrows.
The three arrows, arranged in a triangular pattern, silently flew towards Sword Douluo's chest.
"Not bad!"
Sword Douluo praised.
With decades of rich combat experience and renowned for his offensive power, he could naturally sense the approximate power of the arrows.
He didn't make any movement.
He still stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowing, and the surrounding air seemed to distort slightly.
Just as the arrows were about to reach him,
several sword energies appeared out of thin air, splitting each arrow in two from the very center, scattering it on the ground.
Sword Douluo didn't even use his Martial Soul.
Before the arrows even hit the ground, Ye Qiu's attack came again.
Unlike the silent hidden arrows, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, in pursuit of greater offensive power, abandoned its stealth.
A sharp, metallic clang rang out instantly, piercing the eardrums.
Sixteen jet-black arrows shot out from the black box.
Before the clang had even subsided, the sixteen arrows were already at Sword Douluo's face.
Sword Douluo's expression changed.
His right hand, hidden behind his back, shot out, forming a sword shape with his fingers.
With a light tap in the air before him, milky-white sword energy swept out.
In that instant, it was as if an invisible sword was positioned before him.
Clang, clang, clang…
The sixteen arrows collided, producing a dense, metallic clang.
The instant the sound rang out, Ye Qiu activated the Sand-Spitting Shadow Arrow placed at his chest.
Buzz!
With a fine whooshing sound, a cloud of black poisonous mist, carrying a cluster of steel needles, enveloped Sword Douluo.
"Hmm? Is it poisonous?"
Sword Douluo raised an eyebrow. His right hand, which had been behind his back, hadn't even landed yet, and it was too late to gather power.
His left hand, which had been hidden behind his back, also shot out.
Enveloped in powerful soul energy,
he flicked his sleeve, scattering the mist and steel needles with a single blow.
His hands fell naturally to his sides as he looked at Ye Qiu, who was still fiddling with the Zhuge Crossbow in his hand, and smiled slightly.
He also took a moment to summarize the results of the hidden weapon evaluation.
"Rongrong wasn't exaggerating. These little things called hidden weapons are indeed quite powerful!"
"Especially that black box in Ye Qiu's hand; its attack power and penetrating power are very strong. Soul masters below level 40, who are not defensive, basically can't withstand it head-on!"
"Great! Rongrong, this is truly a wonderful surprise!" Ning Fengzhi tapped his cane, quite pleased.
This was just a single-target attack.
One can only imagine what would happen if a large number of people possessing those black boxes simultaneously fired arrows.
Even for Soul Masters, the more they come, the more they die!
Ning Rongrong, however, had no time to heed his praise; instead, she cheered Ye Qiu on excitedly.
"Go Ye Qiu!"
The Sword Douluo, who had just finished speaking, twitched at the corner of his mouth, his expression tightening again after just easing.
Ye Qiu also
inwardly cursed his fate. With a wry smile, his movements were anything but slow.
In the gap between the Sword Douluo's words, he used Ghost Shadow Steps to quietly close the distance to less than eight meters away.
His right foot suddenly tensed, as if he was about to rush forward, but the stomping crossbow strapped to his thigh silently fired three arrows,
aiming straight for the Sword Douluo's lower body.
At the same time, his toes gripped the sole of his shoe.
A flying blade shot out from between his boot toe, aiming straight for the Sword Douluo's face.
His right leg wasn't idle either.
The same stomping crossbow and flying blade between his boot were launched.
The relentless close-range attacks were an attempt to find an opening in Sword Douluo's defenses.
"Boy, are you still going to keep this up?!"
Already annoyed by the little princess's siding with outsiders, he grew increasingly impatient.
He pointed forward.
Now, he was somewhat relieved that Ye Qiu had replaced Ning Rongrong.
Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to unleash his soul power directly.
That little Rongrong's small frame might not have been able to withstand it!
With his finger, sharp soul power surged forth from his body.
Clang!
The sounds of collisions were incessant, and all the incoming hidden weapons were blown away by the surging sword energy.
Ye Qiu's clothes were even slightly cut.
"Ah! Grandpa Sword, you promised Rongrong you wouldn't hurt Ye Qiu!" Ning Rongrong's anxious voice rang out.
Sword Douluo paused, letting out a muffled groan.
He felt a little hurt.
"Rongrong, be quiet, I'm fine!" Ye Qiu looked at Sword Douluo's dark face and called out helplessly to Ning Rongrong.
"Hmph! I was just worried about you~" Ning Rongrong pouted unhappily.
Under Ye Qiu's puzzled gaze,
Sword Douluo's face darkened even more.
He glared at Ye Qiu.
This kid, how dare he disregard the little princess's concern!
What a scoundrel!
Ye Qiu also understood, and was immediately at a loss for words.
The concern of the beloved pet was really deadly!
Ye Qiu didn't want to face his sour face anymore.
Anyway, he had tried almost everything he needed to, so he simply put away the Zhuge Crossbow in his hand.
He stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"I wonder what Senior thinks of the power of these hidden weapons?"
"The power is indeed quite good, the key is that it doesn't require any soul power, even ordinary people can use it."
Sword Douluo put away his impatience. After the experiment just now, he naturally already knew the characteristics of these hidden weapons.
"I finally understand why this thing is called a hidden weapon. It's practically arming a person like a hedgehog. If it's used to catch the enemy off guard, its power might need to be reassessed!"
No soul power required?!
Ning Fengzhi's face lit up with joy. This was definitely a powerful weapon for arming sect disciples!
"Senior has such discerning eyes! This lad admires you!"
Ye Qiu's face showed flattery as he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.
Sword Douluo's face showed a hint of smugness.
Before Ye Qiu finished speaking, his movements suddenly became larger.
Suddenly, a cracking sound rang out.
A cold light shot out from behind Ye Qiu, flying straight towards Sword Douluo
's face. Ye Qiu was already standing in front of Sword Douluo.
The distance was simply too close; even he couldn't dodge the attack from this tightly-backed crossbow.
His expression changed drastically as he shouted,
"You brat! You've really got some nerve!"
Sword Douluo cursed inwardly for this kid's lack of martial ethics.
There was no time to think further.
He immediately mobilized his power, flipped his palm and held it upright in front of his chest, then raised it high.
"My body is like a sword!"
In an instant,
a sun radiating sharp sword energy seemed to light up in this space.
It shone with a strong metallic luster, transforming into a storm of sword energy.
The arrows fired from the crossbows were instantly reduced to dust, even the venom they contained was pulverized into a thin mist and dissipated into the air.
Right behind Sword Douluo,
a two-meter-long, half-foot-wide ancient greatsword hovered in mid-air.
Two yellow, two purple, and five black—
a total of nine spirit rings—swirled above it.
This was the Seven Kill Sword, Sword Douluo's top-tier weapon spirit!
A flash of bloodlust crossed Ye Qiu's eyes.
An extremely sharp sword energy erupted from Sword Douluo, passing right through him.
Fine cracks appeared on the ground.
A demonstration must be done properly; Ye Qiu raised his hand.
The Flying Claw shot out, grabbing a tree beside the clearing.
Using the force, Ye Qiu was sent flying backward.
"Haha! Good lad, I didn't expect you could actually force out the Sword Douluo's Martial Soul!"
Bone Douluo, always eager for a good show, seized every opportunity to taunt Sword Douluo.
"Hmph! This kid is too cunning!"
Sword Douluo didn't refute the established facts.
He merely glared at Ye Qiu in the distance.
Ning Rongrong and the other girls rushed towards Ye Qiu in a panic.
"Xiao Qiu~ Are you alright!"
Ye Qiu had just landed
when Xiao Wu clung to him, checking him over.
Seeing Ye Qiu's torn clothes, Ning Rongrong glared angrily at Sword Douluo.
"Grandpa Sword, why did you use so much force? What if you hurt Ye Qiu?!"
"Hey girl, didn't you see what happened?"
Sword Douluo's breath hitched, and he couldn't help but click his tongue. This girl was indeed very outgoing.
"Why don't you care about your Grandpa Sword?"
"Ye Qiu can't hurt you, Grandpa Sword!" Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes.
"Alright, Rongrong, Senior Sword Douluo has already shown mercy. I'm fine, and what I did just now was indeed a bit offensive!"
Ye Qiu grabbed Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's hands, which were still wandering over his body, and put them down.
He stopped Ning Rongrong from saying anything more.
"Kid, you didn't offend anyone. This kind of thing does need to be a bit sudden!"
Sword Douluo also understood that this sneak attack wasn't intentional.
"Then it seems that Rongrong misunderstood Grandpa Sword." After Xiao Wu and the others confirmed that Ye Qiu was alright, Ning Rongrong smiled and apologized to Sword Douluo.
"..."
Ning Fengzhi and the other two froze on the spot.
They all glared at Ye Qiu with hatred.
They hadn't expected this kid's words to carry more weight than theirs.
Why didn't they receive this treatment?!
"Girl, you're really too deeply poisoned," Sword Douluo sighed helplessly,
putting away his martial soul.
Looking at the giant sword,
Ye Qiu couldn't help but marvel at the domineering power of the Seven Kill Sword martial soul.
Its powerful oppressive aura and sharpness...
Ye Qiu had reason to believe that if he were truly an enemy, he probably wouldn't even have time to react before being beheaded.
Ning Rongrong smiled sweetly at her father.
"Dad, what do you think of this set of hidden weapons?"
"Very good, very powerful! It actually forced Uncle Sword's martial soul out!"
Ning Fengzhi nodded happily.
Facts speak louder than words.
Such a set of hidden weapons, capable of forcing out the martial soul of a level 96 Title Douluo, its power was absolutely not to be underestimated.
If, facing an enemy, given that it's well known that the direct disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School lack offensive capabilities and are careless,
suddenly released hidden weapons, what kind of scene would that create?
"Fengzhi, if all the disciples in the sect were equipped with such a set of hidden weapons, it would definitely greatly improve the overall strength of the sect!"
Sword Douluo's voice was somewhat solemn. Such a set of weapons could be used without soul power.
Even if thousands of ordinary people were equipped with it, they could probably dominate a battlefield.
"Fengzhi, the coward is right!" On a serious matter, Bone Douluo didn't argue anymore, and the two reached a consensus.
Ning Fengzhi could definitely be considered a wise sect leader. His heart was burning with excitement, and he nodded decisively.
Looking at his daughter, who was already smiling and waiting for him,
he smiled slightly.
"Rongrong, you really are my good daughter!"
Since Ning Rongrong brought this back, it naturally proved that she cared about the sect, which was commendable.
"Girl, tell Daddy, how many of these do you have?"
"Daddy, Rongrong only has one set of these!" Ning Rongrong smiled mysteriously.
"Alright, Rongrong! Stop being mysterious, just tell me what you want!" Ning Fengzhi didn't believe her.
He just shook his head and smiled wryly.
It seemed his daughter had come up with some more demanding conditions.
Ning Rongrong glanced shyly at Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu's heart skipped a beat.
Ning Rongrong's voice rang in his ears.
"Alright! Actually, you can have as many of these things as you want!"
Ning Rongrong smiled at Ning Fengzhi and the other two, cupping her slightly flushed face, her body swaying shyly.
"Because Ye Qiu has already given the forging blueprints for these things to my daughter as a betrothal gift! As long as you agree to marry my daughter to him, Rongrong will give you the blueprints!"
"..."
Ye Qiu stared in shock at Ning Rongrong's flushed face.
When had he ever said such a thing?!
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were also speechless. They
never expected Ning Rongrong to pull this stunt. Did
n't they know whether Ye Qiu had said this or not?
Ning Rongrong was so bold, actually taking it upon herself to give herself directly to Ye Qiu!
Even Ning Fengzhi was momentarily dumbfounded. (End of Chapter)