272. Why Ignore Me?

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Ning Rongrong, who had been staring at Qian Renjue, nodded repeatedly.

She had seen many Spirit Saints before, but the youngest one still looked like a middle-aged uncle. She had never seen someone so young. The so-called geniuses in the sect didn’t even match her level of cultivation at this point.

At this moment, Ning Rongrong’s gaze held a hint of disbelief as she stared at Qian Renjue.

No wonder her father and Sword Grandpa frequently mentioned him; he was indeed impressive. Yet, a small part of her felt resentful. How could this Qian Renjue ignore her the entire time? She couldn't help but grind her little teeth in frustration.

"Haha, Sect Master Ning is exaggerating," Qian Renjue, unsure how to respond, could only smile along with them.

Ling Yuan, standing beside him, found it hard not to laugh. It seemed the Holy Son still lacked experience; his poised demeanor was already starting to crack.

"Not at all!" Bone Douluo said earnestly, though a playful gleam appeared in his eyes. He gave Sword Douluo a pat on the shoulder. "The Holy Son should work a bit harder; someone here shamelessly wants to challenge you with his strength."

"Uncle Bone..." Ning Fengzhi hesitated to intervene.

Qian Renjue was surprised as he looked at Sword Douluo.

"Hmph! On the path of cultivation, strength takes precedence. Even if it comes to that, it wouldn’t be a matter of bullying the weak," Sword Douluo huffed coldly, shrugging Bone Douluo’s hand off and turning to Qian Renjue. "I just want a worthy opponent."

"I understand, Senior. If the opportunity arises, I hope you won’t hesitate to guide me," Qian Renjue nodded slightly.

A moment ago, he had thought Sword Douluo was upset because of the little princess and wanted to give him a hard time.

It seemed he underestimated Sword Douluo’s passion for swordsmanship.

Naturally, there was no reason for him to refuse. As the strongest attack-type soul master, Sword Douluo surely had much to offer in terms of insight.

Sword Douluo shook his head. "I dare not speak of giving guidance. With your master’s instruction, it’s not my place to interfere."

Qian Renjue knew who Sword Douluo was referring to. He smiled and said, "Each has their strengths. I wouldn’t call it interference."

"Alright, we’ve arrived," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. The harmonious atmosphere pleased him greatly.

While they spoke, they had reached the only tower-shaped building in the center of the small town: the outer hall of the Seven Treasures Glazed Clan.

From here, Qian Renjue could already see the grand, towering structures in the distance. There were nine smaller towers like this one surrounding the main building.

"Holy Son, Elder Ling Yuan, Bishop Salas, please follow me," Ning Fengzhi said, leading them inside.

They ascended a flight of stairs, took a few turns, and soon arrived at a spacious hall facing the city gate. Instead of solid walls, large panes of glass allowed light to flood the reception area.

There were low tables set on three sides of the room, with the main seat on one end and the other seats arranged in pairs along the sides.

Qian Renjue sat in the position closest to the host. He expected Ling Yuan to sit beside him, but to his surprise, someone else had already taken the spot.

Qian Renjue glanced up, only to receive a helpless look from Ling Yuan.

He turned his gaze to the side and finally gave proper attention to Ning Rongrong, his fiancée, who had not yet awakened her martial soul for a full year.

Even from the side, he could see her delicate features and bright, beautiful eyes.

It seemed she was pouting and slightly upset, as she was poking her bowl with her chopsticks.

"The Holy Son probably hasn’t had breakfast yet. Please try some of the delicacies of our Seven Treasures Glazed Clan," Ning Fengzhi said, giving an approving glance at his daughter.

Thankfully, she hadn’t caused any trouble at this moment.

"Thank you. I will be sure to enjoy it," Qian Renjue replied, nodding. He figured it was a setup by Ning Fengzhi, and there was no escaping it.

Glancing at the dishes on the table, he saw fine wine, fruit juice, fruits, pastries, and some distinctive dishes, such as a stack of crispy, seven-layered treats and a small bowl containing seven colorful round dumplings.

Having skipped breakfast, Qian Renjue didn't hesitate and picked up his chopsticks to start eating.

Ning Fengzhi, recalling their earlier conversation, asked sincerely, "Does the Holy Son have any particular requirements for his seventh soul ring? The Seven Treasures Glazed Clan would be happy to assist."

"Um..." Qian Renjue paused, swallowing the juicy fruit dumpling in his mouth. A hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

"Too troublesome?" Ning Fengzhi asked, confused. The limit for a seventh soul ring wasn’t more than 50,000 years, so what could be the issue?

"Could you explain?"

Qian Renjue glanced around and replied directly, "Because I need my seventh ring to be red."

"Red? A hundred-thousand-year soul ring!" Ning Fengzhi’s eyes filled with shock.

Clatter!


Salas, who had been sitting nearby, dropped his chopsticks.

Ling Yuan cast a glance at his startled expression.

Even Ning Rongrong couldn’t help but look over, her mouth agape.

She wasn’t a child who understood nothing.

A hundred-thousand-year soul ring was something soul masters dreamed of.

She had only ever seen it on a few of her grandfathers.

Her eyes were now filled with curiosity.

Bone Douluo almost spat out his wine and hurriedly asked, "The Holy Son isn’t joking, is he?"

"Of course not," Qian Renjue shook his head. "I’ll have to trouble Sect Master Ning and the seniors not to mention this to anyone else."

"You can rest assured, Holy Son," Ning Fengzhi said with a wry smile. Clearly, they had underestimated this young man.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the hall. "Sect Master, the Crown Prince’s carriage has arrived outside the city."

"Alright, I understand. You may leave."

"Yes!"

Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter, thought for a moment, then stood up. "Holy Son, please excuse me for a moment."

"No problem. We can continue our discussion when you’re done," Qian Renjue replied, knowing that it was his sister, disguised as the Crown Prince, arriving at the Seven Treasures Glazed Clan.

As Ning Fengzhi and the others left, silence fell over the hall.

Qian Renjue knew he was entering his most uncomfortable moment.


Ning Rongrong was already poking him in the arm with her little finger. He turned to look down and saw her small face puffed up, glaring at him.

"What’s wrong, little sister?" Qian Renjue asked, puzzled.

"Do you know I’m your fiancée?" Ning Rongrong boldly expressed her dissatisfaction.

"..." Qian Renjue stared at the little girl who barely reached his ribs. He was speechless for a moment but had no choice but to nod.

"Yes, I know. Why?"

"Then why are you ignoring me?" Ning Rongrong’s beautiful eyes were filled with confusion. "As my fiancé, shouldn’t you be caring for me?"